[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I have been doing CrossFit now for almost 2.5 years and I’ve lost 70lbs. From someone who has been a yo-yo dieter my whole adult life, battling with my weight and my relationship with food has been a bit of an on-going issue. I’ve always enjoyed exercise and have been a regular gym goer, usually doing classes such as body pump, spinning or the typical girls class ‘LBT’ (if you know, you know). After having my first child at the age of 29 I gained around 3 stone and lost this using the Cambridge Diet which is a very low-calorie diet. I did well with this and lost the weight but physically, I wasn’t in good shape in regard to fitness. So, when it came to losing the weight after my second child, I wanted to take a better approach to improving not only my weight, but my overall health. Enter CrossFit. I saw an ad for CrossFit in my local area’s magazine and after a bit of googling to see what it was, I went along for a trial… I loved it! The CrossFit box that I joined was great but a little limited on the weightlifting work and once I had lost a lot of weight and my fitness levels had increased, I really wanted to start working even more with weights. I was talking to a friend of mine who mentioned she trained at 360 Ultimate Fitness, which is a CrossFit gym in Staines. I did some research on 360 and turned up for a trial and can happily say, I have never looked back. 360 has a fantastic community feel to it, this is something that stands out in CrossFit gyms around the world. THE COMMUNITY. There are a range of different people who train at 360 – from CrossFit beginners who are just like me when I started and are just looking to improve their fitness/lose weight, to super strong powerhouse people, who compete at national fitness competitions. I can see why some might be put off or possibly intimidated by this because one thing about being overweight and unfit is usually a lack of confidence in yourself. But I didn’t see this as intimidating, I saw it as inspiring – and again, this comes down to the type of community in CrossFit gyms. The super strong, ripped, athletes which you see training in CrossFit gyms aren’t arrogant and unhelpful (In my opinion), in fact they are the opposite. They are always happy to help and are always super encouraging. This is no different at 360 Ultimate Fitness. Every single person I’ve trained with at 360, always has a smile on their face, whether this is the coaches or just the regulars like me. You’re not judged by your ability – or lack of! You’re encouraged, given advice, directly and indirectly. Whether it’s tips on improving your form or an encouraging look (or scream!) when you’re flagging on your last few reps during the workout. For me, 360 is more than just a gym, it’s my little place away from the rest of the world where I can go to escape from everything and just focus on ME. I started an Instagram page to document my journey and am often loading videos to my Instagram stories of my sweaty self after a workout! I’m hoping my Instagram page @crossfit_mummy will inspire others, especially Mums like me, to take some time out for themselves and focus on their own fitness, and if you’re local to Staines then 360 Ultimate Fitness is the place to be! – @crossfit_mummy[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]