Lori Brozovich Finds Bigger Purpose to Lose Weight than “Getting Skinny,” Sheds 100 Pounds

Lori Brozovich struggled with her weight for years. She wanted to lose weight, wanted to “get skinny,” she explained, but nothing seemed to work. And when she joined CrossFit Pickering in Ontario in January 2014, she thought she could eat more now that she was working out. 

• “I was obese and really thought CrossFit alone would take the weight off. I had a real problem with food, I realized,” said Brozovich, now 52, who weighed 242 pounds at five-foot-five. 

A new goal: The more involved in CrossFit Brozovich became, the more she started to become interested in learning gymnastics movements, like pull-ups, handstands and toes-to-bar. 

• “They were all things that were out of my reach because of my weight,” Brozovich said. “But I found myself getting really motivated to be able to do those movements. That was a huge motivator for me to lose weight. It wasn’t just about getting skinny anymore.”
• She added: “Now I wanted to feel strong, to be strong, to be able to do these skills, to keep up with other people.” This greater purpose lit a fire inside her to change her diet, she explained.

What happened next: In December 2019, Brozovich committed herself to “make some permanent changes,” she said.

• She began weighing and measuring her food, keeping track of everything she was putting in her mouth, and weight began dropping.
• Today, Brozovich has lost 100 pounds and hovers between 140 and 145 pounds, and she can do gymnastics movements like toes-to-bars and handstands. “I got my first handstand during the Open during the wall walk workout,” she said. “I’m still trying to get pull-ups. They’re coming. I don’t have one yet, but I’m going to get it.”
• Further, being committed to her diet and exercise has been particularly useful in helping calm her very strong COVID-induced anxiety. “When COVID hit and we were locked down, my anxiety went way up and I panicked. But then I doubled down on my diet and exercise…I could workout first thing in the morning and it helped me cope with my anxiety,” she said. 
• Finally much of her chronic pain has also disappeared. “I used to have pain in my legs and my feet. It would be hard for me to walk around. And I had digestive issues and heartburn, which went away quickly as I lost weight…I just have so much more energy and manage my stress better…And I really crave the exercise now. It used to be that I had to make myself do it, but now I look forward to it,” she said. 

One big thing: Brozovich has transformed herself in the last year by doing Zoom classes at home and never actually stepping foot in the gym, as Ontario gyms have largely been closed since last March. Still, the community has been instrumental to her success.

• “I’m still a member and I still pay my dues. In the summer, I went and did some outdoor WODs at the gym, but other than that it has been Zoom classes,” she said. 
• She added: “We have a Facebook group and we’re constantly posting, and (our owner) is always putting up little challenges to help us stay connected…Right now, there’s a 100 km challenge going on — walk or run 100 km in the month of April — so I’m always participating in whatever will keep me part of the community.”

Brozovich’s message: Find a purpose and something you’re passionate about, and then be consistent.

• “We’re always looking for that magic pill, but it’s not going to happen over night. A lot of it is trial and error. But once I found something that worked for me, I just tried to be as consistent as I could,” she said.
• She added: “Just chip away. I always say I like a good chipper, and that’s what it has been for me. Chipping away slowly, and I got there and it’s amazing.”