I’m sure many of us remember walking into our first gym or CrossFit box, or whatever it is that you do for fun. You’re the newbie, with no friends, and you’re awkward as hell, right? I WAS. Sometimes, it takes a few tries to find the place where you belong, because, nowadays, gyms aren’t just gyms, they’re communities that create a home away from home.

I took me five gyms to find my home. I’ve been to some other good gyms and some not so great ones, but fifth times a charm, right? Every gym is different and sometimes, you have to find what works best for you. For me personally, I was looking for a level of coaching that I was unable to find anywhere else. Some coaches are really gifted and they work hard investing their time both into learning new things and investing time in their clients. They really have a knack for understanding the way in which an athlete learns and accepts feedback. THAT is what I was looking for and that is exactly what I found at Long Branch CrossFit.

No, this isn’t an add, I’m actually relating gyms and coaches to another vital member of the healthy lifestyle family–nutritionists. What is a solid machine, without proper fuel? Nothing. As high level athletes, that’s exactly what we are–machines. Just like proper coaching, proper nutrition is key in an athlete’s well being and performance.

I’m sure a bunch of you have seen some of my latest posts about how weightlifting is so hard and I’m so tired and blah blah blah and I’ve been stuck in this plateau forever. Instead of trying to fight through on a daily basis (I’m always fighting), I decided that the beat down I give myself on the regular can probably be helped by properly fueling myself. If I don’t feel well and perform well, the least I can do is eat well. I do actually eat really well, but I don’t want to only eat whole foods to live a healthy lifestyle; I need to eat the proper whole foods in the right portions to provide my body the nutrients it needs to do the things I do. You guessed it–macros.

I’ve never really counted my macros before, but just a few weeks ago, I decided to do a six week Primal Precision challenge with The Girl With The Butter, otherwise known as Kristin Kaschak. Kristin is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, or a miracle worker. Either or is fine and fits the title. But the best thing about Kristin is that she not only handed me a template with my numbers, but she genuinely wants her clients to improve. She does this stuff because she wants to make a difference. To her I’m not just another dollar sign. Yes, I’m incredibly lucky, because I do see her on a daily basis and she knows all the things I do and what times I eat and what my training schedule is like, but if you have someone at your gym, or a close friend who does this stuff, you’d be stupid not to utilize them. BECAUSE THEY CARE.

There’s a ton of huge companies out there doing the same damn thing. You pay all the money and they send you a template, but that template isn’t personalized. That person who created that doesn’t know what you do on a daily basis. They don’t know what time of the day or work out, and let’s be real, do you think they give a shit? FUCK NO. They know that they’re disseminating a few general templates that may work for most people and that’s the end. There’s no caring involved. Where’s the support in that?

This really gets me because everyone is about “buying local” yet so many friends and fellow athletes utilize these big companies, becoming another dollar sign at the end of the month. That’s essentially what this is. Kristin is our local NTP. She offers numbers AND the support to match. And the small price she chargers pays her bills and other adult-like things.

When tapering my training last week, I texted Kristin asking if I should be doing anything differently. DUH. After a few questions on her end and a few minutes, I had new numbers to hit on single session days. WOW. It sounds like she cares.

I’m really appreciative for the support system that I have over at Long Branch CrossFit. Between Rob, with his incomparable coaching, and Kristin with her nutrition skillz, we have a solid local team of coaches who care. And although it might not sound like a big deal, it is.

So friends, if you’re on some lame nutrition program, do yourself a favor and head over to thegirlwiththebutter.com to find out more about Kristin. You don’t have to be a number anymore.

^ That last sentence was really dramatic, but really, go check her out!