As a former Division 1 college athlete, fitness and nutrition have been an important part of my life for a long time. I first discovered CrossFit in 2009, when I realized the physical and emotional void left by no longer having mandatory challenging team workouts built in to my schedule. While the idea of tracking my food had been in my consciousness for awhile, I felt I had gotten off track with my nutrition and I was feeling the repercussions in my daily life. I moved to Austin in 2017 for an exciting and challenging new job. With a new city and new pressures, I found myself dissatisfied with the direction my fitness and nutrition were taking. I put on some weight, didn't feel I was reaching my full capacity in the gym, and found my energy waning late in the day and affecting my focus and productivity. I wondered if this is just "what it was like" once you hit your mid-30's. My lifestyle includes a decent amount of travel, attending lots of events where there is food and drink everywhere, and I struggled to balance these elements with my own values around food, nutrition, and wellness. I knew that I needed to find a sustainable system to help me make choices around food, fitness, and nutrition that matched my values and I could feel good about, could keep up with my busy lifestyle, and got me on track towards my fitness and body composition goals. I was attracted to the one-on-one coaching element of LIFTOFF, and the vulnerability to diving into a coaching relationship where you really open up to a professional who is tailoring the program to your life and your needs.

For about 10 years, I used the general principles of a low-carb, Paleo inspired lifestyle, which I overall enjoyed and liked. Having lost some of the discipline that made that lifestyle effective for me, I was open to trying something different. I also did a Keto "blitz" last year, which was an interesting experience.

I enjoy cooking and enjoy the experience of eating out in restaurants. Overall, I had a positive relationship with food, but did have guilt associations if I veered from what I viewed as the ideal nutrition day. Moving to Austin, I noticed an increased focus on alcohol - it's everywhere in this city! I had been drinking more, even just socially or at events.

Big picture - life was (and is) great - I have a wonderful job that I find challenging and meaningful, am in a fulfilling relationship, and live in this amazing city. But I felt that stress and sleep issues were catching up with me and impacting my recovery, weight, and overall wellness. I had spotty consistency at the gym and wasn't seeing a lot of progress on benchmark lifts and workouts. I realized this was having a negative impact on me, my body image, and confidence. I wanted to reduce body fat without sacrificing muscle or strength. I connected with the idea of food as important fuel for our bodies - part of taking care of ourselves is being mindful of what we put in it - and I wanted to align that belief with the action I was taking in the food I was preparing and eating.

The program has been a total game-changer. The biggest change has been ENERGY! Almost immediately, I felt a boost of energy that sustains itself through the day. My productivity and focus have improved. I've lost 8 pounds - at my last InBody had increased my muscle mass by two points and had lost 3% body fat. My clothes fit better. During workouts, my transitions between movements are much quicker, bodyweight exercises like HSPU, double unders, and pul-ups have all seen PR's, and I'm finding a well of energy that hadn't been there in a long time.

Maiya lost 9 lbs (Including 8 lbs of fat!)
gained 2.5 lbs of muscle
and her body fat went from 21% to 17%

The change in mindset has been one of the biggest shifts. Again, focusing on nutrition and planning what I am eating was not a totally new concept for me. But the LIFTOFF approach was new and has given me great new habits I look forward to sustaining. The macro proportions were new to me - I was a little nervous at first, but embraced it and figured if it wasn't workout out, my coach and I could switch it up. I approach each day with almost a sense of adventure of how I will hit my macros, and all of the possible things I can cook and eat to achieve the day's goals. The program feels very generous and not restrictive, even though I'm counting, weighing, and measuring. It has taught me how to plan around a special treat or a specific meal or food item that I know I will consume in a given day - don't restrict, just plan accordingly! At the start of the program, I purchased a new set of tupperware at Costco, and have gotten into the habit of preparing food for the day, especially days where I am working in the evenings. It takes some extra effort, but the benefits have been worth it. I also appreciate the multiple markers of success - it's not just the number on the scale, but during our check ins, we focus on mood, stress, sleep, measurements, photos - so if one measure is not where we want it but the others are - you can still feel encouraged. It also fosters a more holistic approach to fitness and wellness - there are so many factors that can impact body weight - so that number is one measurement, but I'm also paying attention to my sleep, how I feel, how my life feels in general, how I look, etc. I also really choose the occasions when I will have a drink - it makes me focus on the quality (of the drink and of the experience!), and not engage in mindless alcohol consumption that has no positive benefit.

Coach Lisa Bender Thiel
Maiya is no stranger to nutrition and has had success in the past with different strategies. When she started the program her ultimate goal was to decrease body fat without sacrificing performance - she is kinda a rockstar in the gym! She wanted to be eating healthy foods she was proud of and keep her energy and focus high for her demanding job! She had been eating 1500-2500 kcal with approximately 65% fat, 20% protein, 15% carbs. We worked together to end up with a 1850-1950 kcal plan with 30% protein, 30% fat, 40% carbs. Maiya trusted the process, began to reshape her view of healthy carbs and has had amazing success. Maiya has a full work and social life and eats out 4-6 times a week. I have enjoyed watching her create new habits and ways to enjoy her social events while remain making progress and feeling great. Maiya knew that "for things to change....some things had to change" and she has done an amazing job of incorporating new habits into her routine. She is dedicated, while still "having a life." She has been a pleasure to help and I am excited for her!