Grrrrr, WALL BALLS

Oh if you know me at all you know I have a great dislike for those darn wall balls, but I’ll get to those in a bit. Right now, I’m on Day 9 of my Work Weight Loss Challenge. I’m probably gonna try to stay off the scale until Day 30 and that will just to kind of gauge where one month has brought me. Overall I’ve done marvelous. I had one poor showing for dinner on Saturday but really that’s the worst I got and it wasn’t that bad! But boy was I craving SUGAR. I’m still having those sugar cravings but I keep telling myself it’s not worth it. So far that’s working just fine. Just STAY THE COURSE. 51 days to go!

I can already feel the snugness in my clothes slowly disappearing. Thank goodness, because I really didn’t want to have to buy BIGGER clothes because of my expanding waistline. I know for a lot of us that’s where the line gets drawn. But some of us just go out and buy those new clothes and just throw your hands up. The battle of the bulge wins! It doesn’t have to be that way. Clean eating and a little bit of movement will do wonders. All you have to do is take the steps to a better healthier you. For me I pretty much go cold turkey. But I know that’s not something everyone can do. So take those steps. Big or small! Below I’ve listed some things you can do to start the process. Please NOTE, I am not a Dr. or professional. And also know these are just baby steps which are better than NO STEPS at all!

1. Cut out sugary and diet drinks – sodas, sweet tea, diet sodas, other diet beverages. Boy I know that’s a hard one for some folks. Why the diet? There’s no calories. Well my friends, those diet drinks are still made of chemicals that are NO GOOD for your body. And to top it off the “fake” sugar still triggers the same response to your body and brain as if there is real sugar in your system. But in fact there is not SUGAR in your system. This starts a whole new bad reaction in your body.

After about a week of letting go of those drinks, you should be feeling ok about the whole situation. Please note that FRUIT JUICE is alright but only once a day or better yet, once a week.

2. Cut out Fried Foods. Let go of those deep fried yummies. Replace them with baked versions. I know it’s not the same but it’s not about being the same. It’s about taking changes to be a better you. Eventually, your taste buds change and you will appreciate food differently.

3. Try new vegetables. Have you ever had Cauliflower Mash? Or roasted Broccoli? How about Spaghetti Squash? These are all foods that you may not have tried, but should at least give them a whirl. These veggies cooked different ways provide nutrients you wouldn’t get from french fries or deep fried veggies.

4. Get moving. Take short walks around your block if you’re new to being active. Or try a new sport if you’ve just become complacent in your everyday activities. It’s important to get that blood flowing and those muscles working. Although I do enjoy CrossFit, you can find that NO EQUIPMENT is necessary to get fit. Body movements such as squats, lunges, push ups will do wonders.

5. Sleep. Proper rest is KEY to becoming healthier. Hopefully with eliminating foods and getting some exercise sleep will come more quickly but it may take some time. Make it a priority to get proper rest. This gives your body time to take care of it’s self.

Those are just 5 simple things. There a plenty more tips and suggestions but I don’t want to overwhelm you. If you’re starting from ground zero or trying to nudge that friend or family member into better health, just do something positive. You can see it’s not that hard. Remember we are grown. We make these choices. Make choices to feel good about you.

Since I mixed up the blog today, I’ll be short and sweet with my recaps.

9/20/13 WOD
MOBILITY: Calves, IT bands
Hurts so good! I never do enough mobility. So it’s nice to dedicate during class time.

Sprints: 3×400 m sprints (record times) If it’s raining we will row.
So thankful for RAIN. Rowing is much better and I need the practice. Unfortunately I only rowed well for the first 200m of each 400m, then I fell apart. I started of with great 500m pacing around 1:50 but by 250m I would be at 2:06, 2:19 and who knows. I think I averaged around a 1:40 400m. For some reason I left that out of the picture on the whiteboard

9/20/13 WOD

MetCon: 10 Rounds of 20 Sit Ups, 20 DU
Cakewalk! WRONG! After 5 rounds, I’m pretty sure I was somewhere right past the 5 minute mark. I’m thinking WOOOO, I got this. But right after 5 rounds, I started slowing down on those Sit Ups and messing up on DUs. Oh how it pained me to mess on DUs so much. It’s only 20. But fatigue does set in. Time: 12:36

9/23/13 WOD
I didn’t get any good sleep Sunday night so I totally missed the 5 a.m. My guilty conscience got to me so I HAD to show up to one of the evening classes.

Warm-up: 400 m run and 30 TTB
Run. Meh. Toes To Bar for 30. Double Meh. For me, it was 30 GHD sit ups.

Strength: in 12 minutes find 1RM Front Squat
I had just PR’d my Front Squat not too long ago, so I wasn’t sure if it was in the cards today. And 12 minutes is not long at all! WTH? Let the work begin. I was feeling extraordinarily good doing these. Front Squat is not by best lift. But today everything was feeling good. By the end everything was tired. And that was in just 12 short minutes. Good news is that I got a 10lb PR. 155lbs suckas! Wooooo! I’m a PR MACHINE, well lately I am. Not always!

9/23/13 WOD

MetCon: TEAM 15 min AMRAP 3 Rope Climbs 12 Push-press (185, 125) no rack Teams of 3. One person going at a time.
Rope Climbs are a NO GO for me. So 6 ring rows were in my future. We decided to each do 1 rope climb/6 ring rows and then move onto 4 Push Press each. This worked out really nicely. And when Darrin, our only team member doing rope climbs just couldn’t go anymore he moved on to Ring Rows. The only down time we really had was the transition between our two guys, Andy and Darrin, on the Push Press. Even though this workout was intense we each got a little break since only one person could do the work. I worked at 85lbs because I just barely 3RM at 95lbs the other day. Final: 10 rounds, 18 ring rows + 1 Push Press. 15 minutes flew by!

9/24/13 WOD
Warm-up: 100 ft yoke push, 50 hollow rocks
Nothing like a yoke push to wake you up in the morning. That gets the blood rushing and really widens those eyes. The Hollow Rocks are miserable since I’m still sore from all those Sit Ups on Friday.

Skill: 3 Snatch positions top down
I am always in need of good mechanics. And as long as it’s not Squat Snatching I’m GREAT! Add the squat and I’m a mess. So frustrating!

MetCon: 60 Wall Balls in the black (20/14), 50 Pullups, 40 Barbell Burpess, 30 Snatch (75,45)
I’ve said this before and I’m more than happy to say it again: WALL BALLS CAN SUCK IT! Oh my goodness, it’s been a while since we have done these ugly lil monsters. And my butt was not ready for them. There was just sadness all around me when I was only 10 in and ready to die. 50 to go. It was slow and miserable. I just don’t know when or how I will ever find peace with this movement. I knew I moved slow but I didn’t look at the clock to see when I finished. Probably for the best. 50 Pull Ups. Now this is where I typically drag ass. I can rest for minutes before getting on that bar. Maybe my anger from the Wall Balls helped fuel me me to knock out 50 reps. There weren’t awesome but I chipped away better than I have known myself to do. Then came the burpees and right around 10 something cramped in my back BUT only when I was jumping left over the barbell. It finally went away but it slowed me down mentally, because I’m a big baby, for a little bit. It was like I was in molasses doing those damn burpees. Finally to snatch. I thought I will do 5 sets of 6. It was a good idea for the first 2 sets. Then I dropped to sets of 3. I just didn’t have any PUSH in me to fight through so I was taking a lot of time between sets. Ah well. Time: 21:16

9/24/13 WOD

Barbells For Boobs
Y’all know the drill. I love B4B. I have met the people B4B helps. I have met the community that comes out to help. They are a non-profit organization that provides funding to pay for breast cancer detection services as a last resort for thousands of people who don’t qualify for assistance elsewhere. Their aim is to help anyone that needs it, anywhere, whether they are male or female, no matter what their age or situation in life.

It’s a good cause and I’m participating in BOOM for BOOBS at my CrossFit Box, CrossFit BOOM. I have set up my fundraising page over at B4B and am asking for you to donate to the cause. It doesn’t have to be much. $1 would help just as much as $20 would. If you are unable to help out this year, I get it. There’s lots of people asking for money for all sorts of things. But do know, this is an organization that works for those who get left out. They work hard and bring a great time on their Pink Bra Tour. So donate if you can or share me to friends and companies that are looking to help out. I have a $100 goal, but more than happy to go above and beyond. You can go here: HELP SAVE BOOBIES! Thanks!

The End!
Ya, that was a doozy today folks. It’s only Tuesday too! Argghhh! Well chip away at the day. Make a change in your life. Drink more water, get active, eat clean. But above all BE AWESOME!

Why I (still) CrossFit

Slightly inspired by the video (below) I watched this morning, I decided to talk about WHY I CrossFit and why after 2 years it’s still something I want to do pretty much FOREVER. Not to mention that there are articles popping up left and right on steps to begin CrossFitting or the do’s and don’ts of CrossFit or why you SHOULDN’T CrossFit.

I watch this sport exploding yet there are still so many folks out there who don’t have a clue what it’s about. I’ve seen the positive reports and the negative reports. I’ve seen people show up for a workout and are never to be seen again. I won’t say I’ve seen it all because I’m just a busy mom living in her small part of the world. But I will say CrossFit can be for everyone.

What is CrossFit? It’s weighlifting. It’s cardio. It’s gymanstics. It’s body movement. It’s eating clean. It’s EVERYTHING!

I don’t remember all of the details of my first workout mostly because it was about 2 years ago, but I went to a free CrossFit Boom Community WOD with Ernie (who had been going for a couple of weeks already). We did Kettle Bell Swings and Thrusters for 21-15-9. I don’t recall if we had a time cap or what but I remember it kicking my butt! I had no idea what a Thruster was. I had no idea what going below parallel was. I just knew it was kicking my butt and here I thought I was in pretty good shape. I also knew from that moment on I wanted to swing kettle bells and lift barbells. I had no idea what was in store for me but I was ready to take it on.

The EARLY Days!

The following weeks were all about learning how to properly lift weights and properly do a whole bunch of other movements! Mechanics, mechanics, mechanics! I didn’t know then but I do know now that not all Boxes (term for the CrossFit Gym) are created equal but I felt fairly confident my Coach had his head on straight and was there for the love of CrossFit. He was educated, he was eager and he taught us well. He was there to make sure we did things properly to avoid unnecessary injuries. He was there to make sure we were having fun. As for me I was seeing improvements, I was seeing myself get stronger and yes I was having fun. I was ready to take on the world. So much that I eagerly signed up for a charity event called Barbells for Boobs and even more so that I signed up for a competition only 3 months into my CrossFit Journey.

It was at Barbells for Boobs that I first witnessed the awesomeness of the CrossFit COMMUNITY! All of these folks coming to workout to raise money and awareness for Breast Cancer. The workout was “Grace” – 30 Ground to Overhead for time. I was so nervous. I had never worked out in a situation like this. And boy did it suck. But the whole time it was sucking, so many people were standing around cheering me on. But not just me, EVERYONE! It was so rewarding to finish and to watch all the other heats start and finish. I saw the fittest of fit, finishing in insane times, I saw the newbies such as myself just trying to push through. I saw young, old and everything in between. And that was just the beginning. From competitions to visiting other Boxes in different cities – CrossFit is a Community that can not truly be explained until it’s been experienced. It’s a supportive community that shares the same success and failures as you do. We all experience the same highs and lows. We all see that we have similar strengths and weaknesses. It doesn’t matter at what stage in life you start CrossFit, we all share the same insanity.

Struggling with 65lbs (2011 B4B)!

85lbs EASY! (2012 B4B)

And two years later I STILL love to live in the CrossFit world. There are ups and downs but I’ve never been bored or plateaued. I’ve been lazy and tired but that hasn’t stopped me. I’ve watched extremely fit people come in and just kill it and I’ve seen first timers have that look of defeat in their faces. No matter what level of fitness they are at they keep coming back. All for different reasons, of course, but they keep coming back. For me there was a small pipe dream that I would become some super athlete and be a 30-something CrossFit phenom but in reality I just want to be healthy and strong. And after two years I’m not some bulked up SHE HULK. I’m still an average mid-30s woman. I don’t dedicate my life to working out because I have too much other shit going on. I don’t live at the BOX but I’m pretty sure I would if I could. The Community at our Box has only grown. We moved into a new and bigger facility. We form bonds and friendships at the BOOM Box. We support each other through and through.

NEW BOX, BIGGER FAMILY

After last night’s workout which included fear, stress and lack of want to, I realized that no matter what I’m going to finish the workout. Sometimes my strategy is more relatable to a mouse up against a bear, but sometimes I’m the lion in the field of lions. I had to work on rope climbs… scares the crap out of me. Like seriously. Why do I want to climb a rope that’s not even that high although it seems like a mile up there? I don’t but it’s all part of conquering fears and becoming stronger physically and mentally. Then we went onto 10 rounds of Rowing for 250m and 5 Overhead Squats. It sounds eh. But it was HOLY CRAPOLA. I scaled to 65lbs for the OHS and it’s a good thing because after about round 3, my legs were not a great source of stability. Strangely though I felt better rounds 4-9. Then went back to wonky for the last round. OH WHY AM I NOT A GOOD ROWER?!? But I finished as I always do – sometimes first, sometimes last … but I’m not quitting! Time 19:52

7/9/13 WOD

And for those of you wanting to be pretty and cute, well there’s that as a bonus from the hard work and clean eating, but I’ve taken away so much more. I leaned out quite a bit but never to where I “thought” I wanted to be physically. The way magazines and TV idolize super skinny women. I realized really quickly that’s not so important anymore. While I don’t like my current state of fluff – I’m not as hateful to myself as I once was in the past. I know my strengths. I know my weaknesses. I know I can lift heavy shit and I know I will get back to a good place. I’m sure a lot of women can relate at the discomfort that comes with body image. The scale was OHHH so important to me for entirely too long. Weighing day in and day out. Counting calories. Stressing over foods and how many calories I’ve burned. With CrossFit I’ve learned to let go. Two years later I’m still a work in progress. But meeting goals and doing things I have never done trumps the extra jiggle or dimples I have. I’ve learned to love me, still learning as I have setbacks every now and then but I don’t cringe at my imperfections. It’s what makes me … well ME!

CrossFit is more than getting your daily exercise in. It’s learning to have a mental force to push you through anything. It’s pushing your body past it’s limits. It’s forging friendships with like minded people. It’s family.

So if you’re scared of giving it a go. DON’T BE! If you’re afraid you’ll become a sheMAN or the HULK if you’re a dude. Don’t be! If you’re afraid you’ll get injured. Don’t Be! If you want to be strong, empowered, fit and part of a great community then just TRY CrossFit out. There are boxes popping up everywhere. Most let you check them out for FREE to see if it’s something you want to do. Don’t feel obligated to go to just one and stick with that one. If there are several try them all out. And what you put in is what you get out. Hopefully you find a great Coach that will push you and not let you slip through the cracks.

Hello Again

Today’s post isn’t a recap of what I did at the Boom Box or of what I ate or how I’m winning/losing in my battle to get back to fit. It’s more of a refresher as to why I’m here, who I am and to say HI to the new folks following. So HI everyone. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for sticking around and dealing with my ups and downs over the past year and a half.

I had made “GET HEALTHY” a priority for myself in February 2011 and that’s just what I did. I knew I was at a pivotal point of becoming another OBESE person of society that made excuses to justify my non existent happiness. Because if I said I was happy then everyone including myself should believe it, right? WRONG. I needed to shift my poor thought process and change! And CHANGE I did. I was the poster child of doing work, eating healthy and sticking to the plan. Even though I had met goals and was a leaner version of me I was burning out and losing interest.

Then I found CrossFit. For years it was a mysterious thing to me. I’d hear about it, go online and look it up but it was all gibberish. A foreign language with weird numbers and abbreviations in the workouts. I stayed away, never calling or inquiring more because it surely wasn’t something that I would understand. And if I can’t understand it then I will FAIL at it. But low and behold a BOX by the name of CrossFit Boom opened 2 miles away from me. My boyfriend Ernie found out about it and signed up. For someone who despised working out but kept going back had me intrigued. He was miserable and committed all at the same time. A few weeks later I was “trying” it out and was hooked.

I started changing Mentally and Physically. I learned that I just wasn’t persistent at working out. I learned I was strong. I learned I was tough. I was getting better and I could measure progress. I was lifting weights and not turning into a SHE MAN. I was doing things I had never thought possible. It was empowering.

A couple of months in, I was trying to keep logs of what I did via online sites that allowed you to input the workouts but it was too much of a hassle so I started blogging. And guess what? Having a conversation with myself online was perfect for me. And here I am.

You’ve seen the highest highs of me and the lowest lows. I’m in one of the lows right now climbing my way back up but it’s all part of my everyday journey. I want to speak to the one or to the thousands of folks out there struggling. I also want to be a part of the community of Crossfitters out there because we can all relate. And I want to speak fitness and health in general to anyone willing to read about my journey. Even if you think CrossFit or Paleo is insane! I’m not here to be your mamma, I’m here as an example.

Over the years, people ask me what I eat, why I eat the way I do, etc. And like a broken record I tell my story. And even though it feels as if I’m speaking to a brick wall day in and day out, I will still be that broken record. There’s been several occasions where people have physically seen me change, they know EXACTLY what I have done to get here but still don’t believe. A few months down the road they buy into it all and are preaching to me as if I had never shared my story with them. But you know what if I was the ‘bug’ that was in their ear that had them intrigued at one point, I’ll take it. Then there are the other folks, that gather all the info, seemed interested but still don’t want to change. They say they do but nothing happens. I can’t make you change, that has to come from within. You have to light that fire from within you.

At the end of the day I just want people to find a healthy path in life. To be able to enjoy their families and enjoy being active. We weren’t made to sit around in front of tv. Hell we weren’t made to sit at our desks either but we’re a conformed people and that’s part of it. So when you have 30 minutes or an hour, I don’t care if you have 10 minutes – Take a walk. Get some fresh air. We get so wound up with gizmos and gadgets and instant gratification we forget there’s a world out there that’s to be enjoyed.

If you’re sitting there, reading, saying “ya right” whether it be sarcastically or hopeful, then I’m talking to you! I wish everyone could know what “feeling” great on the inside and out feels like instantly but I can’t. It takes work. It takes time. And as with anything, once you start doing it, it’s not such a chore. It becomes part of you. It’s your lifestyle. Ya, Ya, I can almost here the sighing and see the eye rolling. LIFESTYLE is such a buzz word I know. But it’s so true. It’s not a temporary thing. It’s an everyday thing.

Even in my the midst of my chaos I haven’t completely abandoned the “newer” me. I still have the foundation that I built for eating clean and putting in physical work for my body. I did let the busy drag me down. I have eaten like crap. But I still make efforts. I’m six months off the EATING CLEAN TRAIN but I still show up at the box even thought the saying goes “you can’t out train a bad diet”. I could say SCREW IT. But I don’t. And if have 5 Mondays where I start over or 20 Mondays where I start over – I’m still getting back to it. And let me tell you that’s a mental battle. I know it is. I’m not saying it’s easy breezy. Once you fall down the rabbit hole it’s tough. I’m there right now. I can barely walk right now. Not because I was trying to kill myself but because I was MIA for two weeks. I pushed hard because I needed to mentally do it for me. I’m not broken, just sore. But it’s that sore that makes most people quit. The sore that says “why the hell would I do that everyday”. Well I won’t be THIS sore everyday. And in a couple of months when I’m back on track and my body has changed from being fluffy to being lean again then I will KNOW it was worth it. And I’m not going to quit.

So don’t quit folks. And if you haven’t started…. START. If you fall down, GET UP. If you fall down again, GET UP AGAIN. Commit to 30 days of eating clean and moving. Shoot commit to 10 days. Do one push up and one sit up a day. Add one rep to each day. So on day two you are doing 2 push ups and 2 sit ups and on day 3, it’s 3 push ups and sit ups. Just keep adding. Walk up and down your stairs 5 times. Do 50 jumping jacks. It really doesn’t matter. Just start moving. And move everyday.

And since you’re committed to moving now, put down the burger or the pizza. Don’t go for the cookie or the ice cream. All of the foods we eat that are part of the Standard American Diet aka SAD are killing us from the inside out. It’s inflamming our insides. Killing our joints. Suffocating our organs. But it’s so tasty you say! Life is short, I shall enjoy it and I shall consume all the fatty fried, sweet and toxic foods! There are food scientists out there that use chemicals our bodies aren’t meant to ingest to make that food oh so tasty. And we say bottoms up. And we feed it to our families. And then life becomes really short when we get oddball diseases. Even if you don’t get something life threatening, you are plagued with sickness. You write it off. I’m wired this way. It’s genetic. It’s allergies. I’m destined to be a sickly person. WRONG.

But everything in moderation is fine, right? The problem is WE as people LIE to ourselves as to what MODERATION looks like. WE may tell ourselves we ate 3 cookies but in reality we ate 5. But it’s ok cause you don’t eat cookies everyday, right? And it’s true you may not eat cookies everyday, but you probably eat something bad for you EVERYDAY. It adds up. I eat salad everyday. But do you put 5 tablespoons of dressing on it too? Low fat, no fat, it doesn’t matter. The less fat in it the more chemicals to make it taste good.

OR just maybe you aren’t eating enough. Once you are eating less than what your body needs to function, your body goes into starvation mode. Your BODY HOLDS ON TO YOUR FAT when it’s not sure of what to do. Your body needs to store fat, aka energy. Just in case! Then you splurge on a bunch of fatty foods and your brain and insides don’t know what the heck is going on. There are mixed signals going on everywhere. Your body is in chaos. And it’s a vicious cycle that goes on hour to hour, day to day. You are destined to hold on to your extra layers if you continue to starve and splurge, then starve again.

So I ask you to cut the junk. Start moving. If you already do those things and you are on your path to good health then share your story with just one person if you’d like or a hundred people. I’ll share your story if you don’t want to yourself. And don’t get defeated if the one person doesn’t “hear” you. Just stay positive and keep walking your walk. That’s all I can do. If I have zero readers or 1000 readers – I keep walking my walk. There have been many detours, distractions and other things that have made my journey unique but I still stay on path the best I can.

Whew. Like I always say when I have a post like this …. I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. I have never had MAJOR ILLNESS or LIFE THREATENING situations. I can only share what I have learned and what I do for me. I really don’t think “eating clean” can hurt you. I’m not suggesting some weird supplement or fru fru thinking. But I am just another person. I have not had weird growths, mutations or sickness come upon me from cutting out processed foods. Please consult with your doctor if you are experiencing negative side effects.

Other than that. YOU KNOW THE DRILL….. BE AWESOME!

ROCKIN IT OUT 1 YEAR LATER!

I’ve only been blogging for a couple of months but I’ve been on my fitness and good health journey for a year now! It was this week ONE YEAR ago that AJ Tucker from iChooseFit bootcamps called me up and told me I had no more excuses! There was a location practically in my backyard and it was my time to get moving.

iChooseFit

That phone call couldn’t have come at a better time. I had lost my mother a few weeks before that phone call. I was a hot mess of overeating and drinking a few too many alcoholic beverages. I was a round butterball standing at 5’2″ tall and about 160lbs. I know I wasn’t 250lbs but I was on my way there. I’ve had my roller coaster with eating right and getting fit since I had my first child almost 13 years ago. But I was in a bad spot getting worse at this point in my life. I was supposed to start Feb 7th but there was a ton of ice that week and I had other “excuses” pop up. It was actually Feb 14th that I started working out but it was this week a year ago I prepared myself to kick my own ass!

A year ago! Look at those chubby cheeks!

I’ll be honest the first two weeks of bootcamp were tough but I was still coming home and eating too much and having the occasional cocktail. After that first two weeks I had not lost a pound (even gained a pound if I remember correctly) and I was furious with myself. Why put in all the hard work at 5:30 am and NO RESULTS. I knew I had to change it ALL up at once. Jump in the DEEP END of the pool and get to work. And so I did. iChooseFit wasn’t only about getting your butt beat down it was about nutrition. There was a FoodCamp program included and I got all the info I could and I got to work. I got serious. I went shopping for good stuff, jumped in with Advocare and got my head on right and my tail into gear. In the first week of the program “shakedown” I lost 7lbs! HOLY SHIT! Are you kidding me? Who is this girl? I didn’t know her but I was already liking her. I’ll never forget I could barely do a pushup without falling to my knees and after that week I had lost 7lbs I was doing KNEE PUSH UPs. AJ was going on with some cadence about how you grew so it’s up to you to move it, in regards to weight. Then all of a sudden I hear “Stephanie, Get OFF your knees!” It was all nice and sweet in the cadence but it was serious. I surely thought that couldn’t be me he’s referring to (there’s at least 5 Stephanie’s enrolled) and sure enough he was talking about THIS STEPHANIE… he says you’re 7 lbs lighter get off your knees and do regular pushups and SO I DID and from there on out I did regular pushups to the point where I HAD to drop to my knees.

I never stopped pushing myself from that point! In 3 months I lost 20lbs! I was stoked! And maybe I was a little too stoked! I started eating a little more, indulging a little more and even though I was working out like a crazy person I started to feel like poo again. I would gain some lose some, gain some more, lose some more but just hovering. I had got myself into a funk of sorts. I needed another kick in the butt and I just wasn’t able to do it myself.

This was about the time I started CrossFit in August. CrossFit Boom to be more exact. I had met my coach, Grant Coomes, at a CrossFit challenge in Dallas. It was soon after that he opened his box and Ernie signed up. It was only a couple of weeks after that and I was “trying” it out. I was excited for something new and the competitive aspects of it all but I was hesitant because it involved a lot of NEW movements and a lot of learning and I wasn’t sure how competent I would be! I can’t even begin to tell how silly I was in thinking such things. As with anything you train, you learn and you practice. Baby steps! Before I knew it I was doing olympic lifting, slinging around kettlebells and doing “dirty girl” WODs. I even entered my first “competition” (for beginners that is) only 2 months after my start date! I didn’t KILL it but I came in 26th out of 50 women.

2 months in.... FIRST Competition... WODAPALOOZA

I was feeling better than ever, stronger than ever and started dabbling in the PALEO world. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve changed in the past year. And thus my blogging commenced. I should have started a year ago but I knew myself and I was a mess. I would try something for a few weeks then quit. I was a binge worker outer. But a year later I feel confident I am no longer that person. I’m an ATHLETE, in progress still, but an ATHLETE none the less!

I can’t say that I didn’t know this was in me because once upon a time in a land far far away I was a tiny little athletic thing. But I hadn’t been there in such a long time. I’m a different person now for certain with goals and long term thoughts of good health. Back then it was just who I was, a kid, ignorant to what laid ahead of me in life. I can’t say that I’m that much more knowledgeable now, haha, but I have 3 kids I want to LIVE for and that I want to lay the foundation for them. I want to be around for their kids and be the baddest grandma in town!

So now I’m a good 30lbs lighter. I still fluctuate and probably always will. Right now it’s between 30-35lbs lighter. But I’ve truly learned to not let the scale lead the way. Sure mentally I’d like to lose a few more lbs. I’m only 5’2. And sure I’d like everything to be rockin but the fact and truth is that I’ve had 3 boys and I didn’t take care of myself like I should have but I’m on the right path now. It doesn’t happen overnight. I do know I feel strong. I don’t weigh everyday, not even weekly. I know I’m putting good things in me and I’m taking time to work on my physical self. With that comes confidence that helps me work on my mental and emotional self! It’s a WIN/WIN!

I know this wasn’t a workout update or a food update…. just a personal one to let you know, YOU CAN DO IT TOO! I wasn’t already skinny, getting skinnier. I wasn’t healthy and just dialing in on better health. I was and still am a regular girl, lady, woman….whatever, hahaha, I still call myself a GIRL. Life hits me hard sometimes but I know I can take it on. I have a great family. I have great support systems in both iChooseFit and CrossFit Boom. I’ve met a lot of like minded folks who inspire me. I FEEL GREAT. It’s a good feeling. Find your path. Find buddies. Find HEALTH! Live life. Don’t sit on the sidelines watching it go by. Don’t just WATCH the reality weight loss shows or READ the blogs. DO SOMETHING. MOVE YOUR BUTT! I promise you’ll feel better. You can see on my About Page my befores and afters. I don’t take many pics cause I’m still critical of myself in picture form! I’m working on it. But I did snap a shot of me today.

2/8/12 ME TODAY!

Have a super great Wednesday. Half way through the week. Start NOW, not later. Move NOW not tomorrow. Live TODAY!

Rain, Sleep, and Realizing I’m Addicted to the Kool-Aid

Texas NEEDs rain, hell everywhere does but I wish (a petty wish) we could have the rain stop for rush hour traffic times. It really drains me! I don’t get the privilege to work from home and I have a 72 mile round trip commute. So YES I get to complain and rant about how I wish the rain would stop so I could get to and from work without so much trouble! Flooded roads, dumb drivers and other insanity drives me bonkers. Other than that I got no beef with the rain. I sleep really well when it’s storming or even drizzling, it’s like my brain/body get something from the sound of rain. Who knows why, but it’s nice.

As for dinner last night. Nothing super special, some grass fed ground beef tacos with guac and MEXICAN RICE! LOL, not really, but Cauliflower Spanish Rice! I learned how to make Asian Fried Rice and figured I could wing it in the Spanish department since I’m Mexican. I know most people I know still don’t believe I am because I don’t speak Spanish or whatever. I’m American but I come from Mexican roots 🙂

Tacos with Cauliflower Spanish Rice

Soooo moving on… I threw some cauliflower in the food processor and chopped it up till “rice” like. I added a little olive oil to a preheated pan and tossed in the cauliflower with some garlic and sauteed for a minute or two. I seasoned with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder and cayenne pepper (i like spice). I then poured some salsa in (probably a cup, maybe more) and stirred it all up. Let it cook on medium for a couple of minutes. I then reduced temp to low/simmer and covered. I left simmering while I cooked ground beef and prepped taco toppings. There wasn’t a real science or perfect recipe. I just played around. I used to make it very similar when I ate Minute Rice! It’s the easy quick way to make Spanish Rice. It turned out a LIL TOO Spicy for the family. Edible but I should omit the cayenne pepper next time around! I really enjoyed it and even though it was spicy, kids asked for more. I think it was Ernie that was most affected by the spice. Hehe, next time I will lay off the HEAT.

Today was a much needed REST DAY! Mentally I’ve been stressed with the world around me and I’ve been pushing it hard at the box so it was good to sleep a little later than normal. My body thanks me! In my rest though I do realize how much I LOVE the KOOL-AID. I realize I named my blog in reference to drinking the CrossFit KOOL-AID but truly I LOVE IT. I’m addicted if you will. I don’t think I could be addicted to Step Class, Spin Class, Body Pump or Whatever other “class” is out there in the fitness world. BUT I can honestly say I look forward to my next workout, sometimes wishing I could fit in more WODs, but I don’t think physically I’m ready for such insanity.

I Want to Be Like Camille When I Grow UP! Seriously!

I think I adore CrossFit so much not only because it’s OVERALL fitness but it sets a bar daily for me personally. I have to do things I’ve never done before, I have to compete against myself for time/reps/rounds. I also mentally compete with others on the white board. I want to be the one who posts the best time and if I can’t then I want to try and meet the level of fitness of those names I see on the board who KILL it daily. It’s hard for me to express myself because there’s so much I want to say about it. I feel GREAT after every WOD. I’m ready to take on the day in all aspects.

Again All Shapes, Sizes and Fitness Levels

I see the COMMUNITY that evolves around CrossFit. I have yet to meet an elitist attitude or a debbie downer personality. Everyone wants to better themselves no matter what stage of fitness they are in. I have seen all shapes and sizes: super fit athletes, pregnant women, overweight folks, young, old, physically challenged… you name it and I’m pretty sure there’s someone in that category that CrossFits. Everyone has a goal to eat better, live better and be strong. It’s been a while since I’ve stepped on a scale to SEE where I’m at… my whole attitude and thought process that is EMBLAZONED in women’s brains to be a certain size has dissipated from my from thinking. I just want to be strong.

This a before and after - 1 year after CrossFit

82 years young, Jean nails a new deadlift 1RM PR at 153 lbs

I want to lift that bar and set a PR (Personal Record). I feel good. I realize my body has faults but I no longer hold them over my head. I’ve moved on. And no I’m not going to become a veiny, muscle head. Yes there are women out there who want that, I surely don’t and that takes a lot of “extra work” to get there. Lifting heavy doesn’t make me a freak of nature. It just makes me strong. I still have pregnancy damage to my stomach, I may never have a washboard for ABS again, I still have stretch marks, I still have jiggly spots but I know I’m leaner and more physically fit than I have been in a long time. And I am impressed daily by the CrossFit Community. I read the stories of success and failure. I am INSPIRED daily. I even registered on the CrossFit Games website for the OPEN! I may not make it past the first WOD but I signed up anyways. I’m not a firebreather and may not be one anytime soon but that’s how AMPED up I am on this sport! I get goosebumps when I see the Reebok CrossFit Commercial on primetime networks. I anxiously await my coach to post the next WOD. I look for the next competition I can attend or compete in. It’s an insane addiction I know. But it’s something everyone can do no matter where you are in life. It gives you the support system that will steer you in the direction of good health, strength, confidence, inspiration and so much more. I don’t get paid to say these things it’s just how I feel. Like I said it’s hard for me to explain because there is ALOT I want to say. And I just don’t know how to express it in a super great way. Just how my brain allows me to at this moment in time.

Strong Women!

Women All Shapes and Sizes

With all that said… it’s a great feeling to be strong. Happy RAINY Wednesday! Hopefully I don’t need a boat to get home later. Thanks for reading my “crazy”, unorganized thought process.

Not sure where this originates from... I believe CrossFit Ramstein but now sure.

Take That Tuesday!

1/17/12 WOD

Today feels like a rant and ramble kind of day. I kicked off my day with a kick my ass workout at the BOOM BOX. Holding Back Squats for 5 seconds at the bottom… SOMETHING I’ve NEVER done before and woowowowowow it was tough! But you practice full depth and learn to love it (kind of, sort of, maybe?), well love it enough you don’t want to come back up! I managed fairly well when I got my breathing down and stopped crowding my brain with thoughts of FAIL.

The MetCon looked fairly do-able, if that’s the right word. Maybe more along the lines of less intimidating than other days. Those are the moments when I should say there’s NO SUCH THING! But I don’t, I just think this won’t kill me. Sure enough it was freakin HARD. Broad Jumps?!?!? ARE YOU F’ING KIDDING ME? for 200 ft! Major SUCK in the world of workouts. I promise. I was gassed, dying, melting, etc. I only had 3 rounds, I was spent. WTH is wrong with me is all I kept thinking. Why can’t I kill this WOD? I tried with all my might and I finished and that’s all there is to it, RIGHT? YUP, I FINISHED. All is well and life goes on 🙂 9:54 was my time and only because Grant pushed me on my last 10 KB Snatches. Glad he was there cause I would have dropped the ball. I did my last 10 unbroken and finished under 10 minutes.

Even though mentally I was defeated, Physically I felt good which in turn works on my mental state and I was feeling good overall. I got out the door in good time, early even and in good spirits! UNTIL traffic HIT…. It’s like finally everyone is off vacation mode and back to work and it was chaotic on the road, stalled cars, accidents, major traffic delays. I was HOT! FUMING! Traffic can make my blood boil. But in that boiling state sitting still on the roads, like a bad driver I’m checking the interwebs and I find this post by FitBomb about a High School CrossFit Class and there in my anger I totally let it all go as I listened about Maddy and her journey with CrossFit and Cerebral Palsy. I’ve shared it here for you to watch.

It’s truly amazing what this young girl is accomplishing daily in general and to throw CrossFit in is even more amazing to me. I’m sure she would try anything but it seems like she’s found a good place for her. Just like with any of us. CrossFit isn’t everyone’s cup of tea or KOOLAID but if you find something that works for you then DO IT. FULL ON. NO EXCUSES! You aren’t going anywhere if you keep making up crap to avoid eating right, working out… Life in general! Ya know? You hear me?

Day in and day out I hear excuses. I hear the if’s the but’s the shoulda woulda coulda’s….. Sometimes life throws you curveballs, I know. I live life too. But you gotta press on!

Out of my 3 kids, my oldest is slowly but surely grasping where I’m trying to go with health and fitness. It’s clicking and it’s amazing that’s he’s learning so young. My other two just go with the flow. If my mom “says” then cool, we dig it. But now in the past week they have been asking the why’s and what’s and opening their little brains up. I don’t just brainwash them in case you are wondering. I explain to them what I thought was right, what I’m learning now and how I feel about it all. They have a long way to make up their own minds but hopefully they see the POSITIVE impacts that eating clean and taking care of our bodies helps us all around. And well of course they eat what’s put in front of them 😛 And they do it well. So I don’t have problems when it comes to eating.

All in all, the rant and ramble and disconnected paragraph to paragraph is just another day of me wanting all of you that I know and don’t know that it’s possible to get your life in order. It’s possible to live a happy healthy life. I have my ups and downs too. I don’t want to cook dinner some nights. I don’t want to wake up from my cozy bed. I don’t want to be in traffic. But I am grateful that I do. I’m happy my family is HEALTHY and WHOLE. Not everyone can say that. We are truly blessed. And I’ll be darned that my kiddos make it through all the CRUD that goes around school (with the exception of the occasional stomach bug). I truly believe it’s because they are outside playing in the SUNSHINE and eating a variety of good foods. Same with Ernie and I… we aren’t calling in sick and feeling like poo… we are good. It’s a good life.

So TAKE THAT TUESDAY! I got this! Hahaha… until tomorrow or the next day. 😀

idrankthecfkoolaid

and it's good

health

Grrrrr, WALL BALLS

Why I (still) CrossFit

Hello Again

ROCKIN IT OUT 1 YEAR LATER!

Rain, Sleep, and Realizing I’m Addicted to the Kool-Aid

Take That Tuesday!

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: