Jill Grachan – January 2021

How long have you been part of the BluCru?

3 years! I joined in January of 2018.

What was the problem you were having before you discovered Bluprint?

To put it bluntly, I felt like garbage and I hated my body. I gained a ton of weight (we’re talking like 75+ lbs) in college due to a toxic combo of anxiety/depression and a super unhealthy lifestyle of alcohol and mozzarella sticks. In the couple years after I graduated, I naturally shed a little weight just from being out of that environment and by starting to get my mental health in shape, but I still felt heavy and slow and sluggish and just plain bad. I wanted to get back into fitness and thought I might enjoy CrossFit but was super intimidated by the gyms/people and was worried I was too out of shape to even try. Then a friend insisted I come to BP and the rest is history!

Take us to the moment you realized what you were now doing was working.

Within the first few months for sure. I think the beauty of CrossFit/this type of programming is that it offers you the ability to see small improvements quickly. The number on the scale was always my indication of something working or not working, but once I joined BP I would be just as excited to add 5 more lbs to my barbell as I was to see a few less lbs on the scale. I was able to see that things were happening right away for this reason, even if it wasn’t immediately reflected on the scale.

What is your biggest accomplishment at Bluprint?

Chest to floor push uppppsssss. I can only do like 3 in a row MAX right now but I’ll get more soon enough!

What is your favorite thing to do at Bluprint?

Any kind of squatting – my thick thighs now have a purpose!

What keeps you coming back to Bluprint?

The environment and the people. The coaches and friends I’ve made hold me accountable and also just make me want to go because it’s fun! I’ve also finally figured out that exercise is a HUGE help to keeping my mental health in check, so that is also a motivating factor.

What would you tell someone considering joining?

Don’t be intimidated. I think a lot of CrossFit gyms can seem VERY scary, especially to anyone who, like me, was super out of shape and feeling really bad about myself, and/or had a bad experience at another CrossFit gym. BUT the inclusive environment at BP can’t be beat and very soon you’re going to feel like a total badass and be doing things you never thought you could/would!

What do you do for fun?

I volunteer at One Tail at a Time, take my dog on adventures, watch way too much TV, play board games

What’s your favorite food?

Anything from Taco Bell (it’s called BALANCE lol) or Indian Butter Cauliflower

Coach’s Comments

Shoutout to Jill for seriously making progress in 2020. Jill has seen some outstanding results by incorporating fitness and focusing on her nutrition. She has reduced her body fat by over 12% and dropped over 60 pounds since joining in January 2018! Through the quarantine, Jill was a familiar face along with her dog Jack (Jack & Jill) on ZOOM and popped right into outdoor/indoor classes once we were back in action. It didn’t take long for her to start slinging around that 35-pound DB, show off her fresh new chest-2-floor push-ups, and start the year with a bang by holding a solid spot in the Committed Club. We are so proud of all her progress in 2020 and can’t wait to see what 2021 has in store for more GAINZ.