Ellen: Managing T2 Diabetes With CrossFit

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ByCrossFit May 17, 2020

Ellen Downey knew what to expect when she was diagnosed with diabetes.

“I knew what diabetes could do,” she says. “I’d lived it. I’d seen it in my family. But I just didn’t have the personal strength. I didn’t have the community or the dedication within myself to control my emotional dependency on food.”

Steadily declining health eventually forced Downey to make a change. When a friend introduced her to CrossFit, Downey quickly changed her life for the better. She recalls her hesitancy before stepping into Reebok CrossFit Cardiff.

“I don’t know if CrossFit’s for me. … I don’t know if I’m ready yet,” she remembers saying.

But she was ready. Through CrossFit, Downey recognized that she used food as an emotional crutch. Today, she’s lost about 150 lb. and found a new outlet for her emotions.

“Now, if I’m fed up, I’ll go and throw a barbell around.”

Comments on Ellen: Managing T2 Diabetes With CrossFit

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Grant Shymske
May 18th, 2020 at 12:48 pm
Commented on: Ellen: Managing T2 Diabetes With CrossFit

Truly inspiring, thank you Ellen for inspiring others to make such an important decision for themselves and have the determination to follow through.

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Nancy Purpura
May 18th, 2020 at 10:36 am
Commented on: Ellen: Managing T2 Diabetes With CrossFit

I love her story. Because she shared it, maybe one more person will take the giant leap to help themselves. Go, Ellen.

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Tyler Hass
May 18th, 2020 at 3:20 am
Commented on: Ellen: Managing T2 Diabetes With CrossFit

You can see it on her face. She's giving it everything she's got. And the results follow. 140 lbs lost and diabetes under control is an outcome that this exceptional, but also reproducible. If only more people tried CrossFit and gave it the effort Ellen does!

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