Pat Heasley

2011 Leaning Challenge Winner

For those of you who know and love Pat Heasley the way we do, you may remember the previous success story we did on her last year. So, what has Pat been up to since then? Oh, not much...just dropping 28.5 more pounds and co-winning our Summer Leaning Challenge - bringing her total pound-sheddage up to a whopping 60.5.

"After losing a big chunk of weight in the first seven months of my membership, I just kind of hit a plateau," recalls Pat. "I was getting stronger and better in my workouts, but not losing any more weight. My eating habits weren't the best. So when the Summer Leaning Challenge was announced, I figured this was the perfect opportunity to push me to lean up."

And lean up she certainly did. During the eight weeks of the challenge, Pat stuck to her goals, resisted temptation and lost nearly four inches from her waist while dropping two more pants sizes.

"And I did it eating more than I ever ate, not less," she explains. "The challenge taught me how to preplan my meals, incorporate a lot more vegetables, and focus more on quality of food not quantity."

In addition to her incredible weight loss, Pat had noticed some serious performance gains as a result of her healthier eating habits. "I don't have those ebbs and tides of energy anymore," she says. "I feel stronger and have a more positive outlook on life. Of course, getting to buy new clothes is a big plus too."

While we credit Pat's success to her determination, she's quick to credit her CFLB community. "I wouldn't have done the challenge on my own," she admits. "It was a lot more fun doing it together. It's nice to know you're not the only one missing frozen yogurt."

Pat also points to the support she got from her fellow Challengers, and everyone in the gym. "Gwen made me a Paleo meatloaf once a week," she says. "This challenge was a perfect example of people doing for other people in CrossFit. It's a family."

So after 60-plus pounds and one-and-half years, has Pat lost any of her enthusiasm for CrossFit? "Definitely not," she says. "It's just gotten brighter for me. I still leave here feeling such a sense of accomplishment after every workout. I've got the basics down now, and am doing more weight, more reps, more quickly. But I'm still not a finished product. The challenge never ends, and that's what makes it so great."

Congratulations Pat on winning the Summer Leaning Challenge. We can't wait to see what you accomplish over the next 1 ½ years.

"Pat's progress has been astounding. She embraces the workouts she hates. Her hard work and determination (she calls it stubborness) has paid off," says CFLB Coach Chad."