Surviving the Week

friday

It’s Friday! Woooo! Only one bad meal this week so far. And it was only bad due to the beverages I consumed. But other than that this week has gone along quite nicely. I’m struggling a bit with the workouts but I am getting them done!

Considering this isn’t my first rodeo, I thought I would be feeling more food withdrawals. But this time around, I’m only feeling a little sluggish. But not much more than that. I’m not even a full week in though, so there’s still time for a little bit of misery. Not that I’m hoping for it, but I don’t want to relax and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. That would be a good time to fail :/

thinking_positive1

It helps to try and have a positive attitude though, which can be hard. Along with most of the overweight world, I wish there was an easy fix. But there is not. I wish that my couple of days of hard work translated to 20lbs weight loss. But it hasn’t. I wish that as long as I’m working hard in my workouts than the food I eat doesn’t work against me. But it does. All of those things could bring me down, but then I’d be back in the same rut. Miserable. There’s no time for loser talk though. Chin Up. Move forward. Think happy thoughts!

But it does take time and it’s not instant. It’s not the Biggest Loser Ranch over here, where they workout for hours and hours each day. It’s life and it’s busy. But feeling better is half the battle and that my friends is my instant gratification. I don’t feel as bloated and my mind is much clearer. I feel better. I just have to wait a little bit to feel super awesome, when the fluff melts away. And the fluff will melt away!

4/16/14 WOD

Warm Up Game: coaches choice (have fun)
I don’t know that our “games” were fun. We held Planks in the Push Up Position and passed a Medball around like hot potato. But after you got the ball and passed it you had to do a push up. When one person fell, the circle got smaller. The was a burner on the triceps. I was out after a couple of minutes. The second game was a 200m run with a cone. Kind of like carrying an egg on a spoon run. I gave up after 100m.

4/16/14 WOD

4/16/14 WOD

MetCon TEAM WOD – at least 3 person teams. 1 person working you must tag in from the starting line (mats)

5 min cap
40 Pull Ups
50 Russian KB swings 1.5 Pood for everyone

rest 2 min

8 min cap
100 Sit Ups
70 Back Squats 75# for everyone

rest 2 min

3 min cap
15 Burpees
10 ft ring for the guys
8 ft for the ladies

For our first round, only one of us has Pull Ups. But coach allowed us to do Ring Rows instead of Pull Ups but we couldn’t do more than half of the reps. So Tory, did 10 Pull Ups, Karen and I did 10 Ring Rows each and Tory finished with 10 more Pull Ups. Then we moved onto the Russian KB Swings. I put in 25 reps and Karen tagged in and picked up the other 25. Thankful that Tory could do Pull Ups, she got a break! Time: 3:51

For the second round we were pretty confident going in. Tory started us off with 30 Sit Ups. She felt she was slowing down, so she tagged Karen in. Well Karen went all out and busted 50 reps in, leaving me with only 20 to do. Back Squats were light but for some reason I wasn’t feeling it. Tory started us off with 15, Karen and I both did sets of 10 and then I don’t remember the rest. But we got our 70 reps in. Time: 6:45

And finally the third round. Burpees then jump and touch 8ft target. Before class even started I was practicing to reach the target and I was missing it by half an inch. Tory then pointed out I might be better off if I was directly under the target instead of Jumping at it from an angle. Well that worked! So I was ready. Time started and Tory did 15 of the reps right off the bat. Easy! So Karen and I split up the 5. My first attempt at hitting the target was a fail but I finally got it and didn’t have a problem after that. We didn’t get our time written on the board but it was some were around 1:33.

Overall that was a good Team WOD … no running involved!

4/17/14
Midline: accumulate 5 min of low plank
I know all this midline work is good for me but it’s really a pain in my arse. I held on for 1 1/2 minutes before I dropped. Then finished in 20 – 45 sec increments. Took me right at 8 minutes to accumulate 5 minutes worth of plank.

MetCon: 4 rounds of 200 m run, 10 DL 225/155 and 10 T2B followed by TABATA dips
I warmed up to 135lbs on my Deadlift and it felt heavy, maybe cause I’m tired. Who knows. But I thought 20 more lbs. I just need to throw it on there. I did a couple and was like I’ll be slow but it’s doable. I forgot however that Toes To Bar followed! Doh. We just killed our core doing plank. Now I have Deadlifts and T2B after a run. I just wasn’t sure I’d survive.

4/17/14 WOD

4/17/14 WOD

And we’re off. My shins hate me, but I ran most of the first 200m, just walked in the last 10m or so. Then I got 5 DLs in before dropping the bar, then did the other 5. Got to the T2B and slowly did one at a time. I can’t string them together and it takes a lot of effort to do just one, but I am getting better. I didn’t even look at the clock when I finished round one cause I knew it would be sad. The “running” part of my runs got shorter and shorter each time but I at least trotted or jogged 3/4 of the run. I got a little better at the Deadlifts and stayed about the same with T2B. Time: 21:10 RX.

I was still dying when I was reminded we had TABATA dips to still complete. TABATA is doing a movement for 20 seconds, then resting for 10 seconds for 8 rounds. It doesn’t seem like it would be hard but it’s not easy. This is a workout where you want to get as many reps as possible in the 20 seconds. Then the goal is to meet that same rep count each round. Your lowest score is your score. I did modified dips and started off with 6 then dropped to 5, then 4, then held out at 3. My triceps died. Score: 3

That’s A Wrap!
My biggest battles are the weekends. On the go = opportunity to eat really really bad. Hopefully I can conquer this weekend and be successful! I hope you all will too. It’s Resurrection Weekend aka Easter to most folks. A weekend that has the potential to be full of lots of yummy foods and candies. Show some restraint if you can because this weekend isn’t supposed to be based on celebrating food. Unfortunately, as a society, myself included that’s what we are drawn to – FOOD (savory meals, big desserts, easter candy). Sure there’s fellowship and church and family but a lot of times FOOD is the center piece to all of the above. I’m not opposed to indulging every now and then but if you’re on a mission, whether your months in or days in. Just remember you have work to do and you don’t have to go nutso on the eating. And if you by chance do lose it, it’s going to be ok. Monday is a whole new day. Have a beautiful weekend!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Testing the Waters

Tyjar testing the water

I finally went out and had a post Whole30 NON-COMPLIANT dinner at a local sushi buffet restaurant. And my biggest feat was steering clear of the créme brûlée! I had fresh strawberries instead. I managed to eat rolls that seemed more plain, not too many fancy sauces. And I ate less than a cup of white rice with some hibachi style chicken and steak. My concerns were what the ramen soup broth was made of and what makes squid salad so tasty. But nothing sent me into a spiraling madness. No headaches, no stomach aches. I woke up with a more than achy wrist, so something caused inflammation but since I didn’t reintroduce just ONE non compliant thing it will be hard to pinpoint. Other than that I don’t feel like I’ve opened any doors that can’t be closed. I even managed to get a cakeball order finished without licking a spoon, spatula or even my fingers! No sample tasting for me! WILL POWER folks!

Made a bunch and didn't even taste one!

Made a bunch and didn’t even taste one!

Quick FOOD recipe – Cabbage Hashbrowns
So I was scouring the internet to find a recipe for shredded cabbage and low and behold I did find one. I don’t have the site but I just briefly skimmed it and had the gist of it. It’s like the Veggie Latkes I’ve shared in the past but so much easier.

You need ghee or coconute oil, cabbage, leeks or green onions, salt, pepper and one egg (maybe two). Depends on how much cabbage you have.

2/5/14 Lunch with Cabbage Hasbrown!

2/5/14 Lunch with Cabbage Hasbrown!

I bought shredded cabbage, but you could just cut and shred a full cabbage. Heat up skillet and 1 TBS of cooking fat. Put shredded cabbage into a large bowl. Put a hand full of leeks/green onions in with the cabbage. I had a lot of cabbage so I made two separate bowls, thus needing two eggs. Add egg. Add salt/pepper and whatever else you think you might like to spice it up. Get your hands in there and mix it all up until everything is well coated with egg. Take a handful of the cabbage mixture and lay in skillet. Press it down a bit with a spatula into a circular shape and let cook 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook another 3-4 minutes. Plate it and serve. Great with ANYTHING in my opinion. Breakfast, lunch or dinner! Servings differ on how little or big you want your “hasbrowns” to be. I used an 8″ skillet, so my hasbrowns were large. It made 4 with what I had.

2/6/14 Boom Box
I was driving into work as it started snowing. We don’t do well in cold temps as it is, then add frozen crap falling from the sky and all hell breaks loose. I wasn’t even halfway to my j.o.b. and I was still sitting on the highway. For 30 minutes, going pretty much nowhere. When I finally reached an exit, I blasted off and headed back home! Then I realized I could possibly make the 9am class and I did! Whew! Get it over with!

Strength: DL 5,5,5,5 by feel
By feel! It felt heavy! The whole time. I worked up to 205 but could only bust out 3 before I lost all my grip. I’m convinced the bar is WAY heavier when temps are below 20°!

2/6/14 WOD

2/6/14 WOD

MetCon: 3 rounds of 9 Burpees, 12 Box Jumps (step down), 15 Thrusters 45/35
I wasn’t dreading this workout but I didn’t move very fast my first round. I think I did better for rounds 2 and 3. But in round 2, I missed the box. That scares a person. So I took some time, too much time, just staring into nothing. But I’d rather be safe than sorry. I need to be right in the head so I don’t mess up again and potentially hurt myself. Ah well. As for Thrusters, I wasn’t sure if I could do them but when I tried one there was no pain. Granted, it’s only the bar at 35lbs but it’s better than nothing. And 35lbs was RX. So yay! (maybe that’s another reason my wrist is a little achy though) Time: 8:08 RX

2/7/14 Boom Box Test Day

Mobility: Shoulders!
This was a long overdue session. I needed this.

Skill: MU
I was the only one and MU wasn’t happening, so I got to do some more warmup and mobility. Realized I wouldn’t be able to do OHS in the MetCon as well, so that was good. I don’t need more wrist issues. I strugged with just the bar. Maybe it’s cold. Maybe it’s the Japanese food that caused too much inflammation. I don’t know. But the bar was not comfortable overhead.

2/7/14 WOD

2/7/14 WOD

MetCon: Open WOD 11.4
WOMEN – Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
60 Bar-facing burpees
30 Overhead squats (90lbs / 40kg)
10 Muscle-ups

I don’t think I defrosted until half way into the workout. Damn it, it’s cold. I’m pathetic. I was hoping to complete the burpees in less than 5 minutes. Had I shown up at 6pm instead of 5am, then maybe it would have been possible. I was moving so slow. I finally finished right under 6 minutes. Then instead of OHS, I did Overhead Presses with the Multi-Grip bar. I did sets of 5 because my core is toasted from all the situps on Wednesday. I didn’t think I would make it to Pull Ups (mod for MUs) but I had like 20 seconds left. So by the time it took me to get a band on the bar, time was up. Final: 60 burpees, 30 Overhead Press

That’s a Wrap!
If you live in DFW and want to check us out for FREE, we have a 9am Community WOD and a 10am Yoga class. Crossfitboom.com! Come out already. You know you want too!

Other than that, have a GREAT weekend. Do something fun! Make someone smile. Eat Clean. Train Dirty!

index

Found!

quotes_blog_roosevelt

At the corner of Clean Eating and Consistency, I FOUND my Toes To Bar! What! What! This my friends is a big deal. Back in early 2013 I still had them but as time went on, the LBS packed on and my Boom Box attendance floundered. I slowly but surely lost them. I wasn’t beastly at them in the first place but how sad it was to know how easy T2B can just disappear. Now boys and girls they are back! I was so excited, you have no idea. Whole30 will not do you wrong! I can’t promise it will always be rainbows and unicorns but eventually you find that happy place and it feels good.

CORNEROF

So it’s Day TWENTY THREE and Day THIRTY is out there in the shadows. So much of me wants to just keep on keepin on, but so much of me wants a little break too. This is such a hard mental battle. I’m determined to stay on the right track but I’m already making up excuses in my head for days I have to offroad a bit. I’m hoping when push comes to shove, that I just stick it out and stay strong. WholeLife it on.

1/27/14 Lunch

1/27/14 Lunch

Food and the work that comes with it!
A lot of people moan and groan on how much work it takes to prep and cook when they start off on the Whole30. It’s true, it is work but it does get easier. For a lot of people, this is completely new and it can be a little bit overwhelming. You aren’t just picking up your normal items in the grocery store. You aren’t buying processed, full of badness, boxed food where you just add a protein. You have to hunt down specific things and maybe even venture into other grocery stores, which in itself could be a confusing adventure. It can also be very defeating because there a lot of staples out there that just aren’t Whole30 compliant and you’ve probably been buying them your whole life. At this point, I’m hoping you’re determined enough to at least start. But as with any new endeavor, once you learn the ropes, it all starts becoming easier. You learn and make new kitchen habits. You will try to find ways to be more efficient and soon enough it will be second hand. I would say that halfway through Whole30 is when you probably will find ease in your prepping. You’ll know what works for you.

tumblr_ma1tnmL13N1qkhb2eo1_400

What worked for me most, is that I keep all of my free Whole30 downloads with me, along with a copy of It Starts With Food. I keep my phone linked to Whole30 forums so I can do quick and easy searches. On my first Whole30, I tagged all the important pages and I constantly referenced them. This time around, I mostly just keep them with me so I have ZERO excuse when I want to give up. I literally carry a bag with me with all of the literature. It’s with me at work, it’s with me in the car, it’s with me at home. All of the time. I know with technology you can have your smartphones or iPads, but there’s something about me physically carrying the paper and books that keeps me focused.

strong

Even though I’ve made Paleo Mayo a lot, I still bust out the Whole30 recipe and put it on my counter. I’m in a hurry most everyday so I’m liable to screw it up. I make sure I read the recipe every time even though I have it memorized. It’s not work anymore. It’s just what I do. I’ve made new habits. You will too. And remember it’s only 30 days. You can push yourself outside your comfort zone for one month out of a year!

life-begins-at-the-end-of-your-comfort-zone

1/27/14 Boom Box
Midline: 50 Hollow Rocks
What can I say? I still don’t like Hollow Rocks. Same as it ever was.

index

Strength: Back Squats 3×10 @65%
Who doesn’t love Squat time? But it’s been a while since I’ve worked on Back Squats. We were doing a lot of Front Squats and my wrist was holding me back so the weight wasn’t as heavy. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel. But 65% of 175 isn’t so bad. My first set wasn’t weak but it was slow. I picked up the pace for the other two sets and felt much better about everything.

1/27/14 WOD

1/27/14 WOD

MetCon: 8 min AMRAP of 8 T2B and 5 DL 225/135
Well you already had the spoiler at the beginning of this post, but I wasn’t sure I’d do Toes to Bar. I really had the mindset coming in that I would do Knees to Elbow. But Coach had us warm up a little bit with Knees to Elbow before we started and I realized how close I was to T2B so I went for it and FAILED. But I was so close. So I went for it again and I failed! I probably did that for 4 or 5 times and finally my TOES hit the FREAKIN BAR! Well I done did it. Now I have to do it in the workout! Doh! So even though I hit the bar, I wasn’t sure I’d do it for 8 reps or MORE!

Even though I couldn’t string them together it turns out FOR MY STATUS, I was killing it! I only had 2 No Reps, and I probably did rest a little more than I should have but I kept chipping away. Deadlifts were relatively light but again. I rested a little too long before picking up the bar. Final: 4 rounds + 3 T2B RX! Small victory for me 🙂

That’s a Wrap!
It’s cold down here in Texas and I’d love nothing more than some comfort foods. So I’ll probably have Steak and Cauli Mash for dinner! But a lot can happen between now and then. So we’ll see. I do hope you all are making things happen. I’d love nothing more than to see and hear happy reports of progress and change! Stop waffling and get on board if you haven’t committed yet. Do something NOW!

Just-Do-It-Now

Can’t Stop Now

quotes_blog_e_roosevelt

It’s Day TEN of the Whole30. I am 1/3 of the way there and I’m still truckin’ along. And it’s a ROLLERCOASTER of emotions! Days TEN and ELEVEN are described as the ‘hardest days’. Yay for that, right? NO, not at all.

I’m really at a loss for words on how I feel. I don’t feel bad but I don’t feel super awesome at this moment. I’m doing the work, eating the foods but I’m just so blah. I’m definitely proud of myself for being strong for the past 10 days but I’m losing steam fast. I need a recharge. I have 20 days to go!

1/14/14 Lunch

1/14/14 Lunch

My food is still tasty and yummy but again losing the excitement! I definitely don’t want to become humdrum when it comes to my meals. Since we decided to do the pork recipe again, I’ve been slacking on making the sides for Week 2 from Weeknight Paleo. Until last night, which I was interested in making because I would be using Parsnips and Turnips. Turns out I DO NOT LIKE either one. So not my flavor pallet and now I have 3 containers full of root veggies I am not happy with. Part of me says suck it up and EAT IT but last night was a struggle. I was so over it, I didn’t even take a picture. How do I make roasted turnips and parsnips into a winning meal? Maybe Ernie will eat them all 😀

Turnips! Bleh!

Turnips! Bleh!

Two Days of BOOM Box
1/14/14
50 heavy Russian swings
Coach left it up to us to pick our own version of HEAVY. But we all know we need to still pick up his version of heavy! 1 1/2 POOD. I was very low energy last night and was not having much fun with these KB swings. I did 20 right off the bat and then broke it up.

Midline: Max Plank Hold (Everyone must accumulate at least 5 minutes)
Ugh. Planks are a pain in the arse. I held for 1 1/2 minutes before dropping and pretty much held the rest of the 5 minutes owed in increments of 30 seconds to 45 seconds. I’m not good with long holds of any kind.

1/14/14 WOD

1/14/14 WOD

MetCon: 800m run, 21-15-9 of Ring Dips and Strict Pull Ups,  200m sprint!
Oh for the love. You all know I despise running. It’s the worst. But GUESS WHAT? I trotted the whole 800m without walking or stopping!!! I ran it UNBROKEN. I haven’t done that in over a year! Mostly cause I’m a big baby, but also cause I’m just a little fatty who eats like shit! But now, with 9 days of Whole30 under my belt, I’m just a trottin’ away. I even got a little faster on my second lap! But my calves were smoked. Instead of RING DIPS, I was tasked with incline pushups on a bar set on the pull up rig. At first I was a little slow. Not sure my wrist would hold up but once I got comfortable I moved a little quicker. Pull Ups were super slow and took forever! I never thought I’d finish the 21, and that’s with BANDS! If it weren’t for me sucking at Pull Ups so bad I would have had a much better time. When it was time for the 200m SPRINT, it was more like a jog, walk, trot, walk, trot to the finish. Time: 24:32. Boy I’m slow!

1/15/14
I was really debating on showing up at 5 a.m. I laid in bed and had an internal conversation/argument with myself. My body is tired. My brain is awake. It’s cold outside. I could use another 1 1/2 hours of sleep. GET UP. GET MOVING. JUST GO. I should have played THE GRIND. I’ve shared this before but it’s just so darn good. Here it is again:

So I went and the parking lot is EMPTY. Where are my 5 a.m. peeps? Hellooo? So it’s just me and Coach T.

Midline: 30 evil wheels
Now that I have more faith in my wrist, I can roll out a little further. Not so evil today!

Strength: DL 4×3 Heavy but make it look good.
I worked my way up to 185lbs for my HEAVY. This shouldn’t be heavy to me because my 1RM is 235lbs. But today it was heavy. I was telling coach, that it’s not that I don’t think I can go heavier, but my HANDS hurt so bad. Just holding onto the bar with 150lbs hurts my sad old hands. Anyhow 4 sets of 3 at 185lbs was just fine for this morning.

1/15/14 WOD

1/15/14 WOD

MetCon: 4 min elimination (like 13.5) 3 rounds 30 Air Squats 10 Burpees If you don’t make the first cap you owe your coach 400m run on the spot. Go for as long as you can! DU Practice if time remains.
I knew coming in this would be deceiving. It’s easy movements but it won’t be an easy workout. I just didn’t want to run, at all. And it’s cold outside. 3-2-1 GO! Bam I did the first round in 1:07. I thought I could get get under a minute but on my 7th burpee I slowed down. Not good. Got up for the second round and the Air Squats felt like I was in QUICKSAND, no wait, CEMENT! I couldn’t just GO. I was struggling. I slowed down too much. As for Burpees, forget about it. Those were so bad. Time was ticking. I go for Round 3, look at the clock and was like, crap I have to run. I managed to get in 20 Air Squats before the 4 minutes was up and off I went. Boooo! Final: 2 rounds + 20 squats. That was a poor showing indeed.

That’s a Wrap!
Still excited it’s Day TEN and I’m going strong. Emotionally I may not be feeling it but I’ll get there. Soon Enough! In other news, I have a giveaway coming up soon! Paleo Parents is releasing a new book called 3Phase Paleo.

Cover-3-Phase-Paleo-by-Paleo-Parents1-571x740

I am in the middle of reading it myself, but when I’m done, I’ll be reviewing it here on my good ol’ blog and I’ll hosting a giveaway to one of you!

It’s Hump Day! Make it a good one!

293090_10150277656229239_141439374238_7448139_5260829_n

Getting Prepared for the Whole30

quotes_blog_benfranklin

So I’ve been really lazy this past year and I know all it takes is a little bit of preparation during the weekends to have a successful week of eating. And even though I’m ready to get back to eating clean, my brain is still in LAZY mode. I just want a meal by meal, tell me what to eat, tell me how to cook it, etc plan. I know I’m plenty capable of cooking good clean foods. Hell I did it for a year and was really good at it,  but I tend to get stuck in ruts and start making the same stuff OVER and OVER and OVER. And then I’m burnt out. I know food should be fuel, but it should taste good too in my opinion. Some folks can eat plain chicken breast, plain veggies, etc. everyday forever. I, however, am not one of those people. I can do it for a short period then I’m out. I want flavor, I want spice. And that’s how I cook, but I’m still a bum right now. I’m trying to rewire my brain!

So I scoured the interwebs and I found lots of resources out there but one seemed to shine brighter than the others. I found Weeknight Paleo over at paleosavvy.com. Author, Amber Beam, seemed to have a well rounded cookbook with meals that didn’t look boring or mundane. Bonus for me, they don’t look hard or complicated in regards to prep or cooking.

Screen Shot 2014-01-03 at 11.45.33 AM

Now not all of her recipes are Whole30 compliant but they can be easily modified to fit in with Whole30. Her website even has a Whole30 calendar with meals you can make for the course of your journey. I haven’t made any of her recipes just yet, but I plan to start cooking this weekend. She offers a checklist of essential Paleo items for your pantry and fridge and in addition gives you a shopping list for each week of dinners/meals. So to prepare, I hit up a Sprouts Market during my lunch break to stock up on some of the essentials I’m running low on and spices that are called for in Week 1 of meals. Below is a picture of what I found at Sprouts. I didn’t find everything there but I’m confident WholeFoods will have the rest of what I need.

About $50 spent here.

About $50 spent here.

Now I know what you are thinking. That’s a lot of spices and they all look expensive. To tell you the truth, some were cheap and some were not. But these are items that will last a while. They won’t be gone after one meal. They should last my Whole30 and beyond. It’s a good investment and they are crucial to having flavorful meals. There are some items like Chinese 5 spice that I wouldn’t have regularly in my pantry but there’s a recipe that calls specifically for it. I’m sure there are many more recipes in the book that will call for it later down the road as well. Amber, addresses the “cost” factor in the Introduction of her book as well. Here is an excerpt:

The True Cost of Paleo
Either you pay the farmer or pay the physician. Lots of people think that Paleo is expensive. I can say I used to be one of those people. During my first trip to the grocery store as a Paleo newbie, I was dumbfounded by the sheer number of items in my cart when I exited the produce section of my market. I continued to the meat department, where I stocked up on what seemed like an enormous amount of protein. I realized that I was not supplementing the fresh food with processed food. I didn’t need to venture into the
supermarket danger zone—the aisles filled with cookies, crackers, and grains. I was building a menu based primarily on high quality protein and fresh fruits and vegetables. Overall, my grocery bill hasn’t fluctuated very much over what I used to spend. I started buying grass-fed beef and pasture-raised pork more often. Organic and farm-stand produce also make a regular appearance in my kitchen. For what I spend on these items, I save by not buying nutrient-void carbs that come in shiny, colorful packaging and cost an average of $3.50 per box. You can do the math. On average, I may spend 10–15% more per week, than pre-Paleo, but I consider that money well spent. Higher quality food often costs more, but is more nutrient dense, so I strongly encourage eating the best food you can afford. I see the difference a quality diet has had on my quality of life. So for me, a slight increase in food cost is merely an investment in my overall wellness. The foods I eat ensure I make as few trips as possible to the physician each year and that’s an enormous cost savings.” – Weeknight Paleo, Amber Beam

I always tell people it’s an investment in my health when they give me that crazy eyed look (YOU SPEND MORE MONEY FOR GRASSFED BEEF). It’s only $2 a lb at Walmart or wherever. And it’s true it is cheaper to buy grain fed meats, just not healthier. In the end it’s my choice as it is yours to buy what you like. It’s my health. I prefer not to be sickly. And in general, my family and I are not a sickly bunch. We are not immune to everything but compared to classmates, co-workers and peers, we tend to avoid most of what’s floating around. I don’t only attribute that to good eating though. Our active lifestyle also helps keeps our immune system strong. But good health starts in the GUT. And if we have clean eating habits then we are better off. Keeping those Dr.s, medications and BILLS away.

And if you can’t afford it right now or are not ready to make the jump, it’s going to be fine. You’ve been doing fine so far right? Just make the best choices you can make with the budget you have. Try to be better. Research. Find the deals. If you can afford to buy organic veggies, then buy them. Here is a link of foods that you should try and buy organic, click HERE.

So that’s what I’ll be doing this weekend. Prepping, planning, organizing and getting mentally ready for this Whole30. It’s not going to be easy but I will make it through. Join me. Make the change. Even if it’s only one meal a week for you. Or even one day a week. Let’s get to clean eating and healthier ways. I promise you, YOU will feel better.

Boom Box Recap
1/2/13
Strength: Front squat: 60%x5, 65%x5, 70% 2×5
Boy oh boy my body is hurting. The last thing I want to do is Front Squats. But I gotta do it. I’m still Frankenstein squatting which takes a toll on the arms but I’m low on options here. Thankfully, I was able to do the percentages based on my 1RM of 155lbs. Which is GREAT. I’m gaining my strength back by not being a big ol girl baby!

1/02/14 WOD

1/02/14 WOD

MetCon: 18 min AMRAP 10 HR Push Ups, 10 T2B,10 DL 185/125
GEESH, 18 minutes of misery! After the 3rd round, I was convinced I wouldn’t get past 5 rounds. I am however getting better at doing knuckle push ups. Go ME! I’m not awesome at them but I can bust through them at a better pace. It’s the Toes To Bar that I’m still struggling with. So it’s Knees to Elbows for me. There’s nothing like a big ol’ belly to get in your way and make you super depressed. Well I got myself in this hole. And I’m the only one that can dig myself out of it. Hopefully in the next few months I can regain getting those toes to the bar! As for Deadlifts, they felt pretty light and easy, and after about halfway through I realized I had 35lb plates on the bar and not 45lb plates. DOH! I was only working at 105lbs! No wonder it was so light! Ah well. I did all but one round unbroken. I still was putting in work. Final: 7 rounds. I pushed to the last second to get that 10th Deadlift in!

Mobility: I did it! I set aside 15 minutes before I went to bed and I rolled out and stretched. I worked mostly on my legs but I also got some shoulder mobility in too. Finally. Now let’s hope I make this a habit!

Happy Friday!
I hope everyone has a great weekend. If you’re feeling froggy, jump in with me and lets get 2014 kicked off this Monday with clean eating, consistent workouts and good sleep! You don’t have to do Whole30. You can just start eliminating foods, drinking more water, start walking… ANYTHING that is a change for the better. Let’s do this boys and girls.

be-active-be-healthy-be-happy-wall-decal-flat

What a YEAR, come on 2014, Bring IT!

Goodbye 2013 Welcome 2014 Greetings Card HD Wallpapers Pics

Hello faithful and new readers. It’s the last day of 2013 and I’m ready to get on to a New Year! I can’t say 2013 was horrible but I’m really hopeful that 2014 has better things in store for me. I know it’s ME who has to make it be the year that I need it to be but I believe that sometimes there are driving forces out there testing my will and faith constantly. And I believe I was tested a little more than I’d like! Ah well.

7cb46c54543491919e4840a09840f85c

As far as health and fitness go… I “shipped” my pants! If any of you have seen the Kmart commercial, you should be giggling. If not, google it! But for real, I started the year off STRONG by killing the Whole30. I was feeling the best I’d felt in a long time. Then I let the excuses slip in. I let baseball travels and schedules overrule proper food planning. I let my consistency at the Boom Box drop to some lows. And then I let the mindset of “well I screwed that up, let’s eat!” come into play. After many failed attempts on getting back on track, I just decided to give in completely. In this last part of the year, I am still struggling with food but am trying my best to be at the box to get my workouts in. It’s been a process with having a bum wrist. But it’s getting better and I’m not gonna let it slow me down.

tumblr_mxtqxehTd41s8bkafo1_500

I’ve decided to Kick 2014 in the bootay! Seriously! I tossed around going balls to the wall tomorrow or Thursday, but I’m not prepared in my kitchen for such things, and I haven’t had the time to get prepared. So this weekend, I’m gonna clean everything out of my pantry and fridge. Go grocery shopping and get to clean eating on January 6th! I need to get my ass back into gear and get these extra layers of chubalub off! Join me if you will, whether it’s Whole30, Advocare 24 Day Challenge, or just cleaning up your eating in general. I love to cheer folks on. I love to be a support system. I can do that for you if you let me know. It’s time for:

MISSION: ANNIHILATE CHUNKY MONKEY!

annihilatechunkmonkey

12/30/13
After a week off, I knew showing up to the BOOM Box was going to be brutal. And it was.

Midline: 30 Hollow Rocks
Don’t like these, never will. My ribs feel like they are broken :/

Skill: 7 minutes practice strict Muscle Ups or Pistols
Oh MUs are laughable and Pistols are too. Although I have a better chance at getting Pistols. But the one legged squat has not become easier for me as I’ve gained the weight. It sucks. I make it a goal to get Pistols in 2014.

Strength: 5×5 Pendlay Rows by feel
I’m finally not feeling so awkward with this movement. I worked at 85 lbs. It took me 3 sets before I got into a groove.

12/30/13 WOD

12/30/13 WOD

MetCon: For time: 30 lat burpees, 30 clean and jerks 135/95. Split work up however you like!
I tried cleaning the bar and although Do-able…. still some wrist pain. And I’m not going to take steps backwards by hurting myself. So for me it was 6 rounds of 5 Burpees (with fists), 5 Deadlifts, and 5 Overhead Press with the Multigrip Bar.

swiss-bar-h1-new

Holy Schmoly… it’s been a while since I’ve done overhead work. The bar is 65lbs. But because I can grip it where I can lock out my wrist, this is perfect to get some work in. But boy oh boy have I lost some strength. 65lbs used to be easy, now it’s a struggle. I’m so happy to be lifting heavy things overhead though 🙂

Even though I was only doing 5 burpees at a time, they got me. All that good homecooked Mexican food I had in El Paso over the weekend was weighing me down! So worth the pain though! Besides so extra laying around from not wanting to get up from a Burpee, I felt I pushed hard enough on the Deadlifts and the Overhad Press. Time: 8:25

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

thanks
I can’t thank y’all enough for sticking with me yet another year! I quietly passed through my 2nd year blogiversary but I’m looking forward to a more productive 3rd year. For those of you I follow regularly, forgive me for being a poor reader, I’ve slacked on all fronts, but you all know I still love you and you all inspire me daily (even if I’m reading a week or two at a time, doh!). I look forward to your new success in this new year!

2014

I’m feeling hopeful, as most people probably do with new beginnings. I know I can be strong through March, it’s when the boys baseball picks up that I know there will be tough times. I have the next 3 months to mentally prepare. Also hopefully purchase products like thermos type containers to keep food warm, cold, etc. So if you any of you have any suggestions or ideas of how to keep me sane through a weekend at the fields let me know!

Be-Better

Like I said, this year I plan to be more productive. I’m going to try and boost my blog, but I’m not making any major promises or goals. I just want to give y’all more than my rambling brain! Try to do more product reviews, more recipes, maybe even venture into giveaways. We’ll see!

So that’s a wrap for this last day of 2013. I plan to hit up the Boom Box this evening and if I’m brave, I’ll show up for FRAN NIGHT. This will be CrossFit Boom’s 3rd year to ring in the new year with FRAN. I may just go to cheer folks on. Thrusters aren’t for me with the wrist in bad shape and I still can’t do pull ups. I WILL GET PULLUPS in 2014! I WILL!

I hope all you have a safe night and I wish you all the best for a great year! And you can not forget, must not forget …. to go out and BE AWESOME!

2014 Resolve to Be Awesome Small

Where do I begin?

pig man

First off HI! And secondly, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Thirdly, I KNOW, it’s been a while, I’m sorry. Can I do a fourthly? Is there such a thing? Fourthly, my last post was NOV. 14th. I suck. at. life.

So I know I need to get my booty in gear. I’ve had some great “calling me out” moments on Facebook from my BOOM Boxmates. Thanks guys. It’s bittersweet. I love that there’s that outside push but I feel even worse when I don’t show up. But please continue to movitivate. I need it. But there’s nothing like a brother to look you in the face and say the last time I saw you, you were a lot smaller! Uh, Thanks Bro. My brother and I aren’t super close and I probably haven’t seen him since before summer, or early summer. BUT we do get along and you wouldn’t know we don’t see each other often. Clearly he feels comfortable enough to tell me I’m a chunky monkey! Ya, ya, same song, different day. I’ve declared December my slow ramp up into the new year. I’m not making any grand promises. But hopefully by January I will have the best mindset to start fresh to eat cleaner and kick ass.

CrossFit Boom Ladies Night Out
During my 19 day break, I did manage to make it to the Ladies night even on Nov. 22. We had a great time, although I think coach was secretly trying to kill us!

ladiesnight

Partner WOD:
200 air squats, 200 push ups. Start at one end of the gym and do 10 push ups. Lunge to other end of gym and do 10 air squats. Rinse and repeat. The LUNGES were the killer in this WOD. Seriously. I think we figured out we did about 200 or more lunges in addition to the squats and push ups. My poor partner Nicole, had ME, the lazy bum. She put up with me thank goodness. I can’t do push ups cause my wrist is still a bum deal, so I had to push ups with my fists. Thankfully coach let me get away with using my knees. I tell you, my poor knuckles were taking a beating.

Dinner:
After a little bit of recovery, the majority of the ladies went to BFF Bistro and Bakery. If you’re local and like Asian fusion food then you should definitely check this place out. All the food looked great. I DID NOT EAT PALEO but they have a lot of protein dishes. I’m sure they would accommodate any food needs.

Overall, it was a great time hanging with the girls from the box. We are all so spread out so we don’t get to see each other much. Hopefully we make this more of a regular event. If your box doesn’t already have social events, I suggest you guys at least try every now and then. It’s fun to do stuff outside the box with like minded folks, especially after a grueling workout!

Thanksgiving
I stuffed my face and watched football.

48265-bigthumbnail

Today
12/4/13 WOD
Let me just say ALL OF MY STRENGTH IS GONE!

Skill: 10 min practice Kipping T2B
I could barely hang on the bar just to work on kipping with no extra movements! I surely can’t to a Toes To Bar now. It was pure torture on my hands :/

704462-4543728-LiftSpongebob

Strength: 8 min EMOM 2 power cleans at BW
I still can’t do any bar movements involving my wrists. So Deadlifts it was. And that f’ing bar hurt my hands too. And what’s worse is that pulling 165lbs off the ground didn’t come easy! That’s 80 freaking pounds lighter than my MAX and it was HARD! It’s so depressing on how fast you can lose your strength. I know it will come back quickly but it’s depressing to say the least. That’s what I get for not showing. I should have a 260lb Deadlift if I was showing up consistently!

12/4/13 WOD

12/4/13 WOD

MeCon: Partner wod Death by Burpees reps go up by 2 each round. Only one person working at a time.
Ugh, burpees. Boooo. So I still did burpees, just fisted up my right hand but let my lay flat on the ground. I know most of you know by know what Death by (fill in the blank) means but here it goes again for you newbies. In today’s workout we will do 2 burpees on the first minute, 4 on minute 2, 6 on minute 3. We’ll continue to add two reps to every minute. When you can’t complete the reps for that minute you are done. And your last completed round is your score. My partner today was Myrna, she’s new and was in the elements class, but Coach had her come in to do the MetCon with us. She was a trooper this morning and busted out some burpees. When we got to six reps, we just split up the work. She would do 3 then I would do 3, next minute, I did 4, she did 4, etc… We were two reps short to finish our 9th minute. So we ended up with 16. Not too bad for a new girl and a gimpy girl.

Sigh.
I’m hoping by January my wrist will be a rockin and a rollin. The 5am Tues/Thurs classes got cut for December and I can’t make Thurs nights, soooo, I’ll be back at it on Friday. Sadly, you may not here from me again until Monday. It’s ok, dry your eye. But if I get the chance I’ll post on Friday. Other than that, it did feel good to get a workout in this morning. I’m so much more alert and it feels great! Happy Hump Day! I know nobody has been telling you to be AWESOME lately. So what are you waiting for? Go be AWESOME!!!

images

Love/Hate CrossFit

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve read articles bashing CrossFit and articles praising CrossFit. And everything in between.

images

I’m pretty sure a lot of the CrossFit haters have never even attended an event or walked into a box. And maybe the few that have ran with the wrong folks. But on the flipside a lot of the CrossFit die hards are badass mofo’s that are so elite, I can only wish to be like them. They are those beautiful bodied people. The kind of people that belong in magazines. They are never average joe’s such as myself – With lots of flaws and lots of weaknesses. A few months ago, I wrote a post on Why I (still) CrossFit. I wish I was more “popular” in the blog world because I think my experience and who I am caters more to the AVERAGE person who is just looking for an active and healthy lifestyle but may never grace the covers of magazines.

index

Truly, if you need/want a great EVERYTHING workout and you want a supportive community then CrossFit is something you should check out. There are lots of people out there with goals and a group is out there for every walk of life, but I really believe that the community I have found is one that is solid and that keeps growing. You can have so many different types of people connect on the same level even if you aren’t on the same physical level. Sure you’re gonna see silliness and sure you may see some instances of absolute ridiculousness, but as a competent human being you should be able to discern good coaching over poor coaching. Click here for what you should look for in a good box.

If the group thing isn’t your cup of tea, you can do CrossFit anywhere. But for me, I like sharing my success and failures with those who are learning and growing with me. Some folks have flown right by me, but are still there in support, cheering on to the last rep and some folks commiserate with me as we work towards our sometimes lofty goals.

images2

Regardless of what our goals are, or where you are at on your health journey, I believe that you gotta do something that works for you. But if you’re gonna bash CrossFit, you better have participated. And if you’ve read someone’s love for CrossFit but are intimidated because they have beyond the 6 pack abs, just know it’s not all about outrageous workouts or insanely perfect people. There’s a lot of people similar to me. The girl next door. Or in my case the mom next door.

images4

11/13 – 11/14 WODs
My body hates me, For real! Everything hurts. I told myself on Tuesday when I finally hit up the BOOM Box after a tiny hiatus that I would go Tu/Th and then baby step my way back into everything. I’m still a wounded birdy so I’m still limited. But by last night, I was so achy that I knew I had to WORK the soreness out. I was glad I did but I wasn’t sure if my bed would keep me hostage or if I would be able to walk this morning. I set my alarm anyways. Barely by the hair on my chiny chin chin did I make it in. Only to find out I’d be the lone ranger today.

It’s been cold in the mornings and it takes a while to get these old bones ready to go. My ankles, hips and shoulders are sooooo tight. And well everything else is sore.

11/13/13
Strength: Max distance sled pull in 30 seconds x3 3plates/2plates
Well it was still cold at 7pm but probably not near as cold as 5am! I have never like sled pushes, sled pulls, sled anything! And as refreshing as cool air can be, it can also burn your lungs. Whew it was bittersweet. In 30 seconds, my first and best run was for 220 yds. After that I got close but my butt was on fire! That pretty much felt like that was all the workout I needed. Time to go home.

11/13/13 WOD

11/13/13 WOD

MetCon: 3 min EMOM of 5 Box Jumps, 10 Push Ups, 15 Air Squats; 5 min EMOM 2 Power Cleans 225/135; 3 min EMOM 5 Box Jumps, 10 Push Ups, 15 Air Squats
But we had 11 whole minutes more of MetCon to complete. While 11 minutes doesn’t sound like a long time, why don’t you do the above work. I was barely finishing the reps in the minute. I’d get 5-10 seconds of rest and then bam, start again. No I can’t do Push Ups right now so I did Hollow Rocks. And to substitute for Power Cleans, I did Deadlifts. I completed all my rounds, but some of them were too close for comfort.

11/14/13
Lone ranger this morning! Boooooo! Who knows I may have had the best time. Ok really, I know I didn’t but one can hope.

Midline: 30 evil wheels
Not knowing what my wrist is capable of is scary. Just nerve-racking. I realized I could do 30 evil wheels, damn it! My abs will be dead in the morning.

Strength: Strict Press 5,5,5
This a no go so I did rows. I didn’t do too much weight. Started at 65lbs and ended at 80lbs. It did feel good to work my back vs. LEGS. Even though squatting is the best and deadlifting is nice… sometimes the lower body needs a break!

11/14/13 WOD

11/14/13 WOD

MetCon: 5 rounds of 10 Burpees, 20 Lunges and 25 Double Unders
Ya, not bad for 1 round. 5 rounds is a different story. Remember folks you want to kill this workout As Fast As Possible. To substitute for Burpees I did GHD situps. I thought the time it would take to get up and down from the GHD would hinder me, but who am I kidding, Burpees would hinder me just as much. The lunges were killer. Halfway through each round, my hips would just ignite and burn soooo bad. I just had to chip away and put that pain elsewhere. DUs weren’t too bad. I’d be so close to getting unbroken each time but would trip up close to 20. Doh! So frustrating. Time: 9:26

The End
That’s a little bit of everything don’t ya think? It’s almost the weekend y’all. Smile and be happy! Get active, eat clean, sleep and as always be AWESOME!

images3

Showed Up, Didn’t Die.

It’s been 17 days since I’ve done anything remotely active. And I was getting close to just being OK with that.

day-one

Wow, sounds like I’m at an AA meeting but instead it’s a lazy ass meeting or something. Thanks goodness the fit girl that got eaten by the fat girl inside of me is fighting. And it’s true, I let my injury get in the way of everything. But that’s the lazy part of me. It’s the fat kid inside of me that just doesn’t want to leave!

K_FitKid1

And of course I pick one of the first cold mornings this fall to get my ass up and moving. Ah well, we all have to start over/get back to it/etc at some point. I showed up at the BOOM Box, still injured, but I was there and I didn’t die. Whew. Day 1. I survived.

11/12/13 WOD
Strength: Dips 3×20 Strict pull-ups 3×10
Skipped the dips since my wrist is still brokedown. Pain is much better now that it’s stabilized. Hoping it heals up quicklike. Coach T had me go ahead and knock out Pull Ups. And boy was I scared. I shouldn’t have any problems hanging from the bar but I really didn’t know. Got my bands set up and just sat there overthinking everything. When I finally did one, a bone popped but not sure from where. What mattered is that there was no pain. I was able to knock out the pull ups but at a slow pace and boy oh boy my forearms were smoked. 17 days! Why is it so easy to lose strength but so hard to gain it?!?

11/12/13 WOD

11/12/13 WOD

MetCon: 15-9-3 of Deadlift (225,155#) OHS (135,95#), 200m run before each round
I wasn’t ready to go balls to the wall. Baby steps. So I opted for 135lb Deadlifts and substituted 65lb front squats for the OHS. I can’t rack the bar like I normally would and holding it on my arms isn’t as stable as I would like so I went for less weight.

3.2.1 – Go! I took off like I’m a runner or something and it actually felt good. BUT, 3/4 of the way in I could feel my abnormal powers draining. Then my brain realized what was going on and shut it down. I did a slow trot to finish out the 200m. Although I had just warmed up Deadlifts, they sure felt heavy now. Did 3 sets of 5. My right hammy was not happy with me AT ALL. Moved onto Front Squats and my out of shape self was just huffin and puffin. I barely made it to “jogging” status on the 2nd 200m run.

homer_running

The second round of Deadlifts and Front Squats were that much easier cause we dropped to 9 reps each. The whole time I’m thinking, why does this suck so bad? Well you took almost 3 weeks off and it’s gonna suck for a little bit. Went out for my 3rd run and pushed a “run” for half way then slowed down to a walk the second half. Knocked out 3 and 3. Time: 13:27. Not a good time at all but I showed up! I just have to keep telling myself that.

And that’s all I got folks. There’s a butt ton of busy outside of working out but it’s only probably entertaining to me and my own. So I’ll stick to the physical activity and every now and then the clean eating. Which by the way, I do have a link to share. I tried it and it was fantabulous. So if you’re up for some tasty chicken soup then make it. It’s easy and tasty. SLOW COOKER MEXICAN CHICKEN SOUPISH.   I hope everyone has a perfect day and of course don’t forget to be awesome.

images

I’m Squatted Out

3tfowz

After two days of (heavy) Back Squats and Front Squats, I can squat no more. My legs are J-E-L-L-O! As much as I know how great squats are for you I do hope we are done for the week at the BOOM Box.

As for my wrist, it’s still a pain in the buttocks but it is what it is, right?

As far as the BOOM Box, instead of having my poor poor petri moments, I sucked it up and showed up last night and this morning. I just gotta push through and modify where I need to modify. I still have the work weight loss competition and WODAPALOOZA is a month and a half away.

10/22/13
Midline: 100 situps
It’s situps. Wooooo. Not sure how long it took me but I was chatty so I took some breaks :/

Strength: Press 3,3,3,3,3
Wasn’t sure how this would go with the hurt chicken wing but as long as I held my wrist vertical without letting the bar roll back, LIKE I ALWAYS DO, it was fine at lighter weights. Got to my max weight and I just couldn’t do it. So I dropped back down to 65lbs and finished it out.

MetCon: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Front Squat (185,135) 5-10-15-20-25-30-35-40-45-50 Lateral bar jumps
My legs are still smoked from the Back Squats on Monday. And I know I can’t do 135lbs for that many reps. My 1RM is 155 which is nice and all but 135 is still heavy. The idea was to Clean the weight. But that’s a no go for me. I tried to Zombie it out but I wasn’t comfortable.

index

Example of a “zombie” front squat 😀

So I Frankensteined it and still struggled but managed to complete the reps at 85lbs.

Heheh Arnold showing you what I call a "frankenstein" front squat.

Heheh Arnold showing you what I call a “frankenstein” front squat.

The killer part was the Lateral Bar Jumps. We had to do 10 Front Squats, then 5 Lateral Bar Jumps, 9 Front Squats, 10 Lateral Bar Jumps, etc. After the 30 lateral jump mark, I was just smoked. I’d do 5 at time, 10 at a time, etc. And the Squats got easier. Damn those JUMPS! Time: 22:25

10/22/13 WOD

10/22/13 WOD

10/23/13
Midline: 30 russian Kettle Bell swings heavy
We sure are doing a lot of MIDLINE lately. I guess it’s good for me, right? The other day I used the baby 26lb KB because I didn’t want to wait for the second heat. Today I warmed up with the baby KB, then tried out the 35lb then went ahead and did the 53lb KB for the 30 reps. Boy did my back feel that. All the dang squats we’ve done. And me losing some form on Monday and my back is tired!

Strength: 10 min EMOM 5 Power Cleans 165/115
More stuff I can’t do and I LOVE Power Cleans! Ah well. I went with Deadlifts at the same weight. My grip is sucky but I didn’t have any other problems than that.

10/23/13 WOD

10/23/13 WOD

Conditioning: 3 rounds yoke push 100ft (yoke + 140/100lbs) sprint 200m rest as needed
When I was crusty eyed this morning I failed to see the 100lbs part of the YOKE push. Seriously. I have a hard enough time pushing the darn thing with NO weight on it. Coach T asked if I wanted to try it with 50lbs first. I said eh, I better try with 100lbs and if I can’t then I’ll drop to 50lbs. Surprisingly, I started pushing well. SLOW, but the thing was moving. I stopped several times after my big initial push but I made it to the cone and took off running. That took me about 4 minutes. My 2nd Yoke push would now be uphill and I really wasn’t sure if I’d move it this time around. But I did! WAY slower than the first one but it was moving. Talk about calves and lungs wanting to explode! That round took me 4:35. Still not bad considering how long my rests were on the yoke push. At one point, I even compared all my “pushing” to giving labor! Not even remotely close to the same kind of pain. But pushing with the same kind of gusto. For the third round, I was fully prepared to practice my non existent telekinesis. Maybe my brain would just move the Yoke. Sadly, I still have zero superpowers so I had to push it. For some reason it seemed lighter and I went much further on my initial heave ho. Took off on my trot and finished in 3:43! How’s that for being AWESOME?!?

In other news
You know I’m always rambling on about quitting with the excuses and just get moving. And maybe you recall me talking about walking around our building here at work with one of my co-workers. Maybe? Maybe not!

What I’m trying to get at is that any little activity is better than no activity at all. Sure I LOVE the CrossFit and will probably always love the CrossFit but I enjoy doing other things as well. And maybe you’re aren’t confident in doing too many things but if you can just take a lap around your neighborhood, then you are one step closer to a healthier you. You may start off slow but that’s ok. You will pick up the pace. We measured one lap around our building is .33 miles. When we first started we were taking well over 9:30 minutes. Now just a few weeks later we are at 8:10 minutes. My co-worker doesn’t live the most active lifestyle but with baby steps we’ll get there and sure enough progress is progress!

index2

We decided to take our lunch to some local walking trails yesterday. Not only was it a great mental break, we got some movement in too!

I did a quick search on the interwebs and mayoclinic.com lists some benefits for brisk walking:

  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes
  • Strengthen your bones
  • Lift your mood
  • Improve your balance and coordination

So there you have it. Before you know it, you’ll be running, hitting up your local gym or even trying out CrossFit! Be a healthier you! It’s worth it, I promise ツ

And that’s all for today! Get moving. Eat clean. Enjoy life. And of course be Aaaawwweeesssooommmmeee!

beawesome_on-mountain-top