Kristin Carasiti
Goal
My goal was to improve my relationship with food, to feel comfortable in my body, and to recover better, all while maintaining my strength. Leaning out a little would have been a great addition, but wasn’t at the top of my priority list. I've lost 12 lbs so far.
Testimonial
I joined Working Against Gravity in hopes of bettering my relationship with food. I’m a CrossFit athlete and coach, who works out about 5x per week - nothing crazy, but enough to need to fuel my body better than I was. I also got a Peloton in January, in hopes of increasing my cardio endurance - and knew adding more fitness, and not taking care of my body, wasn’t going to be a smart option. On top of that, like a lot of people, quarantine and the pandemic had me in ALL SORTS of bad habits, surrounding eating and drinking - and I was SO ready to break them.
I have a history of disordered eating that dates back to middle and high school and was VERY apprehensive about weighing, measuring, and tracking my food. I didn’t want this to become an addiction that ruled my life- I wanted it to be something that actually gave me freedom with food, and helped me grow and take care of my body.
I started working with Ali in January and explained all of that to her, and she was AMAZING. She explained how this was all about getting to know MY body and what it needs. She was there for me, every step of the way - supporting not only my journey with my goals listed but also helping me with some mindset growth. She showed me that my focus didn’t need to be ALL around food, and MyFitnessPal - and the importance of focusing on how I was feeling, making sure I was listening to my body. Our first big focus was surrounding protein intake, and making sure I was consistently hitting my protein goals (which is still a focus now 🙃)! On days I didn’t or don’t hit my goals (or near my goals), she was (still is) there to support me - and not reprimand me - to answer my questions, and give me some helpful tips - BUT - she also held (holds) me accountable... THAT is the best part. She is there to remind me of why I started in the first place, to help keep me on the right path!
She helps me see how I can still have fun times with family and friends, and enjoy my time out, without consistently freaking out about what was going in my mouth. She has shown me some GREAT tips and tricks on how to prepare myself for fun weekends away, and fun meals out, without beating myself up about it before, during, and after... and helped me recognize the importance of consistency outside of those special days/times, so that it all balanced out ... because, after all, this is 110% about balance!
This program has truly changed my life - and my relationship with food. I feel SO GOOD in my body again, and while the mindset around body image and food is still an occasional struggle, I’m sooo far from where I came, and am so proud of everything I’ve accomplished. WAG has been a total game-changer for me. I know so much more about my body and hunger cues, and how my body feels before, during, and after eating.
The best part, for me, was that NOTHING was eliminated. Nothing is a “no”. I make the decision of what I want to put into my body - and can balance the rest of the day out based on what I want, or better yet NEED. I’ve learned the difference is not about GOOD vs BAD foods, but instead MORE nutritious and LESS nutritious foods.
Weighing and tracking, for me, is not an addicting task, like I originally was concerned about, instead, it’s more like putting together a “daily recipe for success”. In order for a baked good to come out perfectly, you need a recipe that contains all of the right things - WAG has helped me see that weighing & tracking is the same thing - just for my body .... AND that’s it’s not for forever! It’s to help lead you to intuitive eating.
I could go on for days and days about how amazing WAG is. I have loved it so much, I signed up for a coaching certification to help others do what’s been done for me- because I believe in paying it forward. Ali has been an amazing coach, and it’s only been 4 months ... and I’m glad to be continuing on!