“For all my friends who are struggling to find where to get started, just do something. Just find something you love. It does not have to be CrossFit. I love CrossFit, and I would love if you loved CrossFit, too, so we could talk that language together, but just find something. Just start. Baby steps. You’ll be far more successful just by taking baby steps instead of trying to do everything all at once.”
- Carrie McCall
“I knew I was overweight and it wasn’t healthy but I didn’t know what to do about it.” At just over 5 feet tall and over 220 pounds, Carrie McCall spent the first 25 years of her life struggling with being overweight.
Carrie’s childhood got off to a tumultuous start when, at just 18 months old, her mother passed away. Then, as a young girl, her brother was diagnosed with Type-1 diabetes. Too young to fully comprehend these illnesses, Carrie grew to be fearful and anxious of doctors and hospitals. Says Carrie, “I lived in fear that something was going to happen to me and I was going to die early. I became fearful of going to the doctor. If I never went to the doctor, they couldn’t tell me bad news. If I didn’t know about a problem, I could ignore it, right?”
It was at about this same age when Carrie began to notice she looked different from other kids and started getting teased for her size. Her family was loving and encouraged her to take up physical activities, but Carrie continued to gain weight, and continued to grow more uncomfortable in her own skin. She turned to food for comfort, and a habit of emotional eating began, fueled by her fear of dying young like her mother.
Then, at age 25, Carrie had an epiphany. She was severely overweight, on the couch watching The Biggest Loser while eating McDonald’s, and she realized she had outlived her mother! Still fearful of the medical world, she knew she needed to make a change if she was going to avoid the doctor in the future.
She started her journey very simply, by walking three days per week and reducing her calories. As she became more comfortable with exercise, she added in the elliptical, then fitness videos with light weights. She started planning her meals and cooking more. Slowly, the weight began to come off.
A move to a new city prompted Carrie to join a globo gym where she began working with a trainer who encouraged her to lift heavier weights and introduced her to CrossFit-style workouts. Carrie loved how strong and capable it made her feel!
She’s also quick to note that her progress hasn’t always been linear. While attending seminary, Carrie struggled with stress and academic pressure and her emotional eating returned, leading to re-gain some weight.
Luckily, this time she had tools to help her succeed. She remembered how much she loved CrossFit, and after finishing school she joined an affiliate. Being surrounded by a community invested in healthy living has made all the difference as Carrie works daily to find a healthy balance.
Carrie says, “My journey isn’t one that paints a picture of perfection. My weight is always fluctuating. Some years, it is higher than I want it (or where my doctor would even like it). There are still times where I allow stress and emotional tendencies to creep back into my coping mechanism. However, I am so proud of the progress I have made. I get up every morning and I move my body. I try to plan my meals in advance especially in seasons of high stress. Looking back to where I was 10 years ago, I can see how far I have come. I may have lost several pounds but I have gained so much more. I can see what was hiding behind the excess weight… a strong, sassy, and capable young lady.”
Carrie has been a member of the Pursuing Health community since the beginning, and I'm so excited that she's been willing to share her story. I think it’s so inspiring and will ring true for so many people who know they need to make a change, but aren’t sure how to get started.
In this episode, we chat about how the loss of her mother at an early age shaped her views on health, how Carrie manages her emotional eating, and why she considers herself a professional scaled athlete.
