Dustin Williamson

My fitness journey started in 2012. I got married in December 2011 and after seeing our wedding pictures, I realized that I was overweight. I have always been a bigger guy but my pictures made me look extra big. I started running 3-5 miles/day from January to March. My diet consisted of portion control and low carbs. I lost about 40 pounds but I was tired of running, it was boring. I was tired all the time and always hungry. I quit running and started lifting weights. I lifted weights for the next 4 years. I started in a garage because I was very self conscious about working out around other people. Once I got used to lifting weights, I joined a gym. The good thing about this gym was no one was ever there. Most of the time maybe 2-3 other people so I was very comfortable. The bad thing about working out alone was I really didn’t know what I was doing. I had no one to push me to go further andalso felt that I was always doing the same exact workouts. I was also one to skip leg day. It seemed likeevery time I would try to workout legs, I would hurt something so it was easier to skip it. I slowly gained all of my weight back and was very discouraged. I was ready to quit. I started doing some cardio. I would run on the treadmill or ride the bike for 30-60 minutes every day and still could not loseweight. I tried Insanity, T-25 and other interval training programs. I tried dieting again. I tried all of the diets that I thought would work but still could not lose weight. One day I was talking to Ashlee Vickers and she talked about how much she loved CrossFit and how much success she had. My biggest concernwas working out in a room full of people. I did not want to workout with a lot of people. I was someonewho would put my earphones in and not talk to anyone in the gym so I knew I would not like it. She talked to me about how much people encouraged her and how fun it was. I was not interested. I continued to workout by myself for a few more months. I talked to her again one day and was really ready to stop working out and she encouraged me to try CrossFit again. I called Eric the next day and signed up. The only regret I have is not trying it sooner. I joined in October 2016. I weighed 278. My goal was to lose 25 pounds in the next year. I lost 8 pounds in the first 3 months and was pretty excited.It does not sound like a lot but that was through Thanksgiving, Christmas and a week of vacation. I alsodid not change anything about my diet. I was told about macros and how much they worked but did notrealize how much until I saw Amanda Tapley’s success with StrongerU. I started counting macros on January 1, 2017. I lost 22 pounds in the next 3 months. I also lost 4.5 inches in my abdomen. I now weight 247. I have not seen the 240s in years. The best part is I hardly ever feel tired and have gotten stronger in the process. I feel that I have more energy now than I ever have. I also look forward to the workouts. I can’t wait to get up in the morning and go to the gym with others. I enjoy being around other people in the gym. To hear other people encourage you and to hear their success only drives you to push harder. I have had more success than I imagined and only look forward to what is next. For me, CrossFit is a community of people who want the same goals as you do. They care about you and want you to succeed and want better for you. If you are thinking about trying CrossFit, don’t wait any longer.