FAMILY
FIRST
Production designer, wife, First In Family: Katie Grantier
Investing in yourself is such an easy thing to put off, I did it for many years and sometimes I still struggle with it. Life gets messy and in the way and we can’t always control that. I took a chance on my outlook on life and myself turned around, and that feeling is addicting. To be truthful, you could put it off and put it off, but someday you will get sick and tired of being sick and tired. FIN will be there for you when you’re ready. ”
Tell us a little bit about yourself...
I am in the techy world and work as a Production Designer (like a graphic designer but more technical).
I am married to Ryan and we have a little furbaby Lulu (cat).
I have gotten back into fitness and really enjoyed my journey in Crossfit, thanks to some amazing coaches.
What brought you to the First In Family initially?
I started attending regular classes and her and I connected and she suggested First In and how she had found it successful (and she is a BEAST so if I could potentially look like that and still eat cake I WAS IN).
I shot an email over to Anne and Jonathan and I asked them ALL THE QUESTIONS and there was really one answer that made me choose them. “You can eat whatever you want, as long as it fits. Literally, anything – as long as you can make it work”.
I wasn’t required to give anything up or sacrifice a goat. It was that simple.
Tell us a little bit about your background and history with food.
Flash forward to post college, I yo-yoed all over the place. Lost a bunch of weight, gained it back, you know that whole story.
Eating out eventually became kind of “our thing” that Ryan and I did, so we literally fed into that habit.
We ended up treating food as a reward, a stress reliever, a night out, the list goes on and on.
What was the turning point in your life when you realized you needed to make a change?
She inspired me to be better and she supported me.
Also, I was just about to change jean sizes AGAIN and I just hated looking at myself. Everything happened at the right moment.
What was the journey like and what changes did you make?
It was like I was walking blindly day by day and then all of a sudden I could see colors.
Don’t get me wrong, there were and are still struggles, but nothing really compared to how mindless and out of control I felt before starting.
Of course I had to change how I ate, I couldn’t eat pizza and burgers literally everyday.
Luckily, I am not a picky eater so transitioning from eating like a dickhead to a more thoughtful, healthier assortment of foods wasn’t too hard. Just had to PLAN a little.
As for training, I just kept showing up! When you’re getting back into it like I was, the hardest part is just showing up.
How do you feel after making those changes?
The weight slowly but surely started coming off and forcing myself to take pictures every week was and is the best self motivation tool.
What did your friends/family think of your transformation?
My dad is a fisherman so he is gone for long periods of time (3-4 months) and every time he came back he noticed right away!
My coworkers will randomly see me and just say “have you lost weight?” which I gladly reply “why yes I have!”.
No resistance here, like I said I have a supportive family. And even if they weren’t, I wouldn’t care cause you know who will take care of you?
You.
Were you active or did you workout during your journey?
What does being First In mean to you?
Putting myself and the self care inside and out first and making myself a priority.
What was the biggest challenge or change when you started with First In and how did you overcome it?
The part I struggle with even to this day is keeping myself honest.
A bite here and there adds up and even if I think I’m “cheating the system”, I’m not. You get what you put in.
What’s next for you and where do you see this journey taking you in the future?
There will always be something.
I would love to give back and help others, maybe get a CrossFit 1 certification and give others the love and support I received.
What are your top 5 "secrets" for success?
2. Trust your coaches.
3. Use the FIN Fam as support system.
4. It’s okay to put yourself first.
5. If you’re starting out, take your pictures! I know it’s scary and hard, but TRUST ME it’ll be worth it later!!!
Any advice for someone thinking about getting started?
Life gets messy and in the way and we can’t always control that. I took a chance on my outlook on life and myself turned around, and that feeling is addicting.
Is it perfect now? Nope, but sure is a hell of a lot better than before. It’s what keeps all of us going.
To be truthful, you could put it off and put it off, but someday you will get sick and tired of being sick and tired.
FIN will be there for you when you’re ready.
Testimonials were given freely and service members did not receive any preferential treatment, discount, or other benefit due to the nature of their service, rank, or position and in no way are the views or beliefs of any branch of the armed forces or uniformed services.