New Beginnings

So it's been a LONG time since I've taken any time to write a new post. Part of it is because I've been so busy with moving to Mississippi, settling in, and getting pregnant, and the other part is I really don't have much to talk about, at least I didn't. In the last few months I've gotten pregnant, taken and passed my AFAA Group Fitness Certification, and in the process of starting a group fitness class in the park, and starting Monday, hubby and I will be going back to the Whole30 eating plan (until Thanksgiving that is!)

Anyways, nothing that cool to report but in the next few weeks I'll update more with our Whole30 plans and the different workouts I've done with my group. 

How I Succeeded and Failed and Succeeded, Again

So recently I have been asked, by more than a few people for advice on how to get motivated, how to lose weight, how to get fit... basically, how did I go from this 

To this... 

then to this.. 

and now, getting back to this... 

(Proof that I'm not perfect.)

Truth be told, I haven't responded to a few people yet because there is so much to say and although there are a lot of generic solutions, which are incredibly helpful, I also want to make sure that it will work for the individual. As I thought about what I'd say to each person I realized that there are solid foundations that will work for everyone. Once the solid foundations are achieved, then it's time to tailor individual plans. The foundations I try to follow, I've found work for me by trial and error. I am not a dietitian or nutritionist. I am a CrossFitter, dog mom, military wife, and dreamer, but not a dietitian or nutritionist. So here we go!! 

1. Write down everything you eat. Everything. Don't just write down "chicken & veggies", write 6oz chicken breast, 1 cup asparagus, etc. Be specific. 
2. Know what you're putting in your body. Know your caloric intake, know your protein intake, know how much water you're drinking. If you drink pop, stop. Now. Or at least cut back a lot. Drink water and lots of it. I don't care that you don't like water, find a few times a day that you can just chug a glass of water if you have to. Drink.The.Water. 
• Know what caloric, fat, protein, etc. is in anything you eat at a restaurant. This is super irritating because you will be extremely limited but you need to know what you're eating. At all times. Yes I am serious. It's a pain in the ass but it's necessary. 
3. Plan your meals. Yes. Pick a day of the week and make it your day. Sit down, take inventory of your pantry and refrigerator, then make a grocery list. Plan to cook at least 5 meals, give yourself one "freebie" night and plan for at least one night of leftovers. If you're alone, your freezer will be your best friend. Use dinner leftovers for lunch. When you get home with your groceries, spend the time to prep them for the week. If you have something you pre-make for the week, this is your day to do it. 
4. Pick your time, but pack your meals and snacks for the day. I pack my food before I go to bed. When I'm really tired, I have to force myself to do it, but it has to be done. 
5. This is a big one - Some of your friends and family will not understand. They will think they are being supportive but they'll question what you're doing. When you're really disciplined, you won't be eating french fries and burgers, or even the "healthy" salad, you'll be drinking water and eating your homemade dinner. They won't understand that you would rather eat at home because that's what you planned for. Let me be clear. THIS WILL NOT BE EASY. They'll think it's weird not indulge from time to time, but what they don't understand is they're not the only person who wants us to indulge with them. If we say yes every time someone asks us to eat that way, we're right back to square one. 
6. The scale will be your biggest enemy. Yes you will see some amazing victories on the scale but the weeks that number doesn't budge or you happen to gain a pound or two, you lose any sense of accomplishment. It's so defeating to have that happen, so if you must step on the scale, limit it. I mean it. Once a week at MOST, if you can, weigh yourself once a month. Also measure your arms, hips, waist, chest/bust, and thighs and every month redo the measurements. Take pictures. I know you don't want to right now, but do it. Take pictures once a month. Do it. You'll thank me later. Make a list of some non-scale victories (NSV) and when your scale is betraying you, focus on those. 
7. Make yourself a priority. I really, really mean this. This is one of the harder ones for me to follow because I have always put my family first. It's so much easier to take care of everyone else rather than myself, which sounds crazy, but that's how it's been for me. In the beginning I really struggled to make sure I put myself first. I had to start a new routine which meant to make sure my car was packed the night before, my lunch was together in the fridge, my workout clothes laid out in the bathroom, all I had to do was make coffee, get dressed, pee, and get out the door. It was a glorious routine. It took me a bit to find a new routine when we moved, but once I found it; perfection. 
• Make it work. I used to wake up at 4:18am every morning to get to workout by 5:30am, got home from work by 6:30pm and did it all over again the next day. Yes it sucked but I made it my priority because I am my priority. Currently I work 2 jobs, have 3 dogs, and make time to workout, because again, I am my priority. I have to be. 
8. Something that The Biggest Loser has reminded me of is, I am slowly killing myself sometimes with my food choices. I think many people fail to understand that as well. The cookies, pizza, pop, beer, alcohol, all of it, it contributes to our long term health. Rarely do people know what they're eating anymore, I am guilty of this and I'm sure most of you are as well. Do you really know what is in that chicken nugget? Do you know where your meat is coming from? Do you know anything about the processed crap you're eating? At least start to educate yourself about the food you eat. This ties in to writing down everything you eat, you'll be able to see how often you eat "crap". 
9. Find a workout/sport/activity that you enjoy. Try new things. I have always done better in a group setting, doing something team related. When I lived in Georgia I looked high and low for a boot camp that didn't cost a horrible amount of money. What I found was a new family and the best workout I ever had. I had a trainer to tell me exactly what movements to do, how many reps, and what days to be there. I had other people in the class that were stronger and faster than me, which gave me a goal. I had people in the class that pushed me, told me to pick up heavier weight, and got me to hold that plank for 3 seconds longer than I ever thought I could. For me, that was everything I needed. I learned I could do anything for 30 seconds. 
• About a year after boot camp started I found CrossFit. This has the camaraderie I love but a greater intensity, I love it. It is something that you should experience at least once. It is so hard to explain but it is one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever been part of.
10. Eat clean. What does eating clean mean? Things that are grown naturally. Eat good meat, meat that is hormone free. Eat tofu without GMO. Stay away from the inner aisle's of the grocery stores. Don't let the "healthy" aisle's fool you, fat free means additives. Pay attention to your food. 

So that's basically it. Pick and choose what works for you. Try different things. Give your trials a few weeks though. Your body will go a little crazy when you start making these changes so give it some time to adjust. Give it 2-4 weeks and see how you feel. If your change is waking up early, the second week will be the worst. Ask someone to keep you accountable, you'll be exhausted but when week 2 is over, you'll be so proud of yourself. And honestly, when you get up in the morning and workout, you have no excuse at the end of the day for not going. That's just my humble opinion. Good luck!!! 

Perspective

Yesterday I was given perspective and I think I really needed it. There were 3 other girls at the 6am class, which we all know, never happens. I walked in really tired and really not wanting to be there. During the SWOD I was struggling to get 200 off the ground and failed 225 completely. Then I tried 65 for the thrusters and needed to scale it more still, so I did 55. I felt alright during the WOD but definitely not my best day.
As we were walking into the locker room we were telling each other good job then they both looked at me and said something like "you're really strong, I can't wait to be there [doing thrusters with more than the bar]" my response was something like "Come on a Saturday and you'll see some real strength"

After I said this I took some time and thought about what I said and when I decided to say it. I was just given an awesome compliment from some newbies and instead of saying thank you, I told them I wasn't good enough, in not so many words. Instead of telling them it's taken me 6 months to get where I'm at, which is always a work in progress. Instead of telling them, that doing a total of 55 thrusters with 35# for their first time is awesome. Instead of telling them, that as time progresses they'll find their form improving and their weight getting heavier. Instead of saying thank you. No, instead of all of this, I told them that I wasn't good enough for them to "look up to".

HOW STUPID!! Seriously, how stupid of me to react like that. I know that I'm strong, I know that I've worked my ass to get where I am, and I also know that I have something to be proud of. Yet, my initial reaction was less than stellar. I know that I look up to the other girls at the box and really use them as inspiration to push myself harder and pick up heavier weight.
I just forget that I have something to look up to. I forget that when I first started I looked up to someone similar to myself, as I got better, so did she, so I was always chasing her. I need to remember that I am someone to chase, maybe not every day, but some days people will chase me. This morning I chased Megan, I don't think she knew I was racing her, but I was.


The moral of this post is to remind myself and others that we all started at zero. Everyone was a beginner when they started doing crossfit, well maybe not everyone, but most have never attempted something like this. When I first started everything was a struggle, everything. It took me almost 3 months to get my first pullup without a band. After that, it took me another 2 months to get more than 1 at a time. There are days like yesterday where I come in, give my all, and still feel like it just wasn't good enough, which is OKAY. It's time to start remember this. Remember to be proud of yourself.

CrossFit Goals - Update 3

So in November 2012 I put together a list of CrossFit goals, which piggybacked on goals from September. You can read about my previous goals and the progress here.

When I joined Motor City CrossFit I made another list of goals for myself.

November/December Goals

1. Continue the struggle with eating. Eventually I'll win. Still struggling but it's such a mental game, time to get my mind right!! 2. Get that dang pull up I actually got this pullup shortly after making this posting. Then I lost my pullup but I found it again in December. Very exciting day. 3. Climb the rope to the top Last weekend I watched guys & girls fly up and down the rope, to say I was jealous is an understatement! What an accomplishment but I was able (I think!) to pick up a couple of pointers. Maybe I'll give this a shot on Saturday! 4. Complete a hand stand push up I can do this with 2 mats currently, which is a big step. Time to try them out with only one mat. 5. Complete a muscle up (this is a long term goal but I figured I should list it) Ha! I'm not even on this level but I will be one day!  6. Spend more time working on form and mechanics (doubleunders) I've been work on this lately. Paying attention to my form exclusively at the OLY classes and during the SWOD. I've been asking more questions and working on my hook grip and flexibility. I'm enjoying getting stronger every day! 7. Get 5 pull ups in a row Yesterday! YES TER DAY I got 5 pull ups in a row. I am so pumped about that. What a goal to reach!! 8. Get 5 T2B in a row Well lets master the T2B and then we'll talk. 

CrossFit goals as of 2/14/13

1. Keep focused on eating clean. 
2. Climb the rope
3. Complete a handstand pushup
4. Complete a muscle up
5. Continue to focus on form and skills
6. Get 5 T2B in a row
7. Get 5 ring dips in a row
8. Continue to be committed to your health

2013 Goals - First Update

2013 Goals

So I haven't done this yet this year. I haven't set any goals to achieve, fitness or otherwise. I guess now is a good a time as any to make some goals...

Originally Written 1/14/13 (I will update this every few months with accomplished goals and additional goals)

1. Find a consistent weight and stick with it. I'm thinking 145 +/-

• I'm the queen of fluctuating weight, not just a couple of pounds either. We're talking swinging 20 pounds either way. Time to stop that. We're working on this right now. Currently I'm in a Look Better Naked challenge but you wouldn't know because I have done a terrible job of keeping my food in check. Today though, I'm giving up sweets for 30 days, that's going to suck! 

2. Continue to make the time to exercise my dogs properly

• I have 3 large rescue dogs that need exercise to be well balanced dogs and a mile a day is not enough. I have committed to walking the dogs every day, I do a total of 6 miles on average, walking & jogging. This is making things much better in the house and it is necessary for my sanity. Goal #2 on course. We have missed only a few days in the last month due to weather or other commitments. We got a backpack and that has made things much easier. 

3. Get up the rope

• That stupid rope. This will be here for a long time I assume. I rarely practice this but I'll get there! 

4. Move to toe pushups exclusively

• I can do about 3 pushups on my toes in a row and if the WOD requires a large number, I usually scale to my knees. Time to get off those knees!! PERMANENTLY. I am half way there. I'm getting stronger and stay on my toes longer than usual so progress! 

5. Master Toe to Bars

• Those stupid things, time for consistency. In progress. 

6. Reduce my meat intake and dairy intake

• See my "going green" for an explanation regarding this. Well it's been almost 30 days without meat. I tried a couple bites at my sister's wedding food tasting and it just wasn't good to me, unfortunately. I'm getting good at this, no meat stuff. 

7. Make my bed every day 

• Doing this one thing will create a bit of structure in my life. Oddly enough. Need to work on being consistent with this but for the most part, I'm on point! 

8. Finally begin working with a rescue 

• I've been talking about doing this for some time and really, until now, I haven't had the time to do so. I don't have a ton of free time but I'm ready. I filled out a volunteer application so we'll see what happens! 

9. Find small ways to be more green

• Walking more. Reusing more containers. Recycling more. Educating people more. Making my own cleaning supplies, detergents, etc. Small steps. Making a list of what I want to "make" today so I can start knocking it out! 

10. Educate yourself weekly

• Watch the news. Watch documentaries. Read blogs. Read about things you don't understand. Learn more and be better. This is so sporadic but it's better than nothing! 

11. Become a more balanced pack leader

• My dogs are my world. I don't have kids & I am a military wife. I spend a lot of time with my dogs, most days, I spend more time with them than I do my husband. For all of our sanity, I need to be better and I will be. Getting there, I think?

So as of today, these are my 2013 goals. We'll see what happens a few months from now. I also got a physical today and will post my numbers and see how they improve with the lifestyle changes. 

2/14/13 - Updated. 

What I Ate Tonight

Tonight I made Tofu Parmigiana using this recipe here. 

This was the end product. And it was friggin delicious. 

Package of Organic Firm Tofu, drained. 

Seasoned breadcrumbs. (I used regular breadcrumbs and added garlic salt & Mrs. dash Italian blend seasoning)

You can barely tell, but that's the tofu breaded. 

I modified the recipe a bit and used Prego Mushroom sauce but still added the minced garlic. 

Should have taken a photo of it as it came out of the oven, it was bubbling deliciousness. 

Recently I have cut meat out of my life and I was very skeptical of this dish because I have made this traditionally, with chicken, and well, this isn't. I think the texture is the only thing that could turn someone away from this because it's really different. Anyways, this is always a great option for those thinking about meatless Monday's or just interested in trying something different. 

Enjoy! 

Weekly Wrap Up 1/21-1/27

Monday - 

I tried to walk the dogs on Monday but failed. Well, I didn't fail, but it was just too cold for the pups. We made it about a block away from the house before we had to come home. 
Good news is that I played soccer instead and OMG it was an intense workout.

Tuesday -

Same story with the pups today, it was just too cold. We didn't even attempt to walk. 


SWOD
BS 5x5 
115#, 135#, 165#, 175#, 165#
WOD
AMRAP in 20 mins
12 Box jumps 24/20 
9 HRPU (hand release push-ups)
6 Power cleans, 135/95 scale to 85#

6rounds + 2 cleans 

Had to really focus on keeping my knees out during the SWOD. It's different. My knees have always "wiggled" back in when I stand up and now I have to think about it so much. I know that eventually it'll become second nature but it's always weird to change something after doing it a certain way for so long. 
During the WOD I felt really good. I'm finding that my conditioning is improving and that I'm wanting and willing to push myself harder than I have in a long time. 

Wednesday - 

With a continuous running clock
EMOTM for 15 mins 2 front squats  115#
Then 8 min AMRAP of 
10 Goblet squats, 70/53 26#
10 Pull-ups RX
Then 2 mins max burpees
Score is reps and weights

I scaled the goblet squats, mostly because hanging on to the 53# KB was so hard! Gotta work on that grip strength. I felt really good about this WOD as well, which makes me think that I'm getting stronger. Which means, I'm getting better. 

Thursday -

REST DAY! Well, sort of. Took the dogs for long walks, almost 5 miles. They were happy and I felt good. Nice to "relax". 

Friday -

Snatch balance
1-1-1-1-1-1-1
45#, 50#, 55#, 60#, 65#, 70#, 75#

WOD
Row 1K
then 
21-15-9
Lunges
Pull-ups
Sit-ups

Ooh! Snatch balance was tough. As the weight got heavier and I got out of my head, I started to feel comfortable with the movement. Felt pretty good going into this WOD, minus rowing. I'm terrible at it but I did alright. Lunges I can rock out no problem, pull-ups and I don't necessarily get along but I was excited for the opportunity to get better and well, I suck at sit-ups, or so I thought. Yvette actually said "Nice sit-ups Paige" and that is officially the first time any has ever said that to me. Then I tore my hands open so half way through the WOD I had to switch to ring rows. 

*Lesson here, take care of your friggin hands. This is the MOST annoying reminder ever.*

Saturday -

Saturday was a busy day. Got in a good 4-5 miles first thing in the morning, really tuckered the pups out. Moved a treadmill into the basement and shit it was heavy! It was a busy but relaxing day. 

Sunday - 

Got up early and took the pups for another walk. Man they're spoiled! Can't wait to have the treadmill upstairs so we all can use it. 

20 Min AMRAP
10 Front Squats (50% 1RM) 60#
10 Box Jumps (24)

Completed 9 rounds + 1 front squat 
I really wanted to get 10 rounds but it was exhausting! Now I have new goal to work towards. Later that evening I played soccer. What a long day! 


Now will I update this weekly? Hell no. It's taken me 3 days to write this anyways. But I thought it would be nice to write out but then I did it and I don't think I like it. I'll continue to use my notebook to write my WODs in and MapMyRun to log my dog walks. 

2013 Goals

So I haven't done this yet this year. I haven't set any goals to achieve, fitness or otherwise. I guess now is a good a time as any to make some goals...

Originally Written 1/14/13 (I will update this every few months with accomplished goals and additional goals)

1. Find a consistent weight and stick with it. I'm thinking 145 +/-

• I'm the queen of fluctuating weight, not just a couple of pounds either. We're talking swinging 20 pounds either way. Time to stop that. 

2. Continue to make the time to exercise my dogs properly

• I have 3 large rescue dogs that need exercise to be well balanced dogs and a mile a day is not enough. I have committed to walking the dogs every day, I do a total of 6 miles on average, walking & jogging. This is making things much better in the house and it is necessary for my sanity.

3. Get up the rope

• That stupid rope. 

4. Move to toe pushups exclusively

• I can do about 3 pushups on my toes in a row and if the WOD requires a large number, I usually scale to my knees. Time to get off those knees!! PERMANENTLY. 

5. Master Toe to Bars

• Those stupid things, time for consistency. 

6. Reduce my meat intake and dairy intake

• See my "going green" for an explanation regarding this. 

7. Make my bed every day 

• Doing this one thing will create a bit of structure in my life. Oddly enough. 

8. Finally begin working with a rescue 

• I've been talking about doing this for some time and really, until now, I haven't had the time to do so. I don't have a ton of free time but I'm ready. 

9. Find small ways to be more green

• Walking more. Reusing more containers. Recycling more. Educating people more. Making my own cleaning supplies, detergents, etc. Small steps. 

10. Educate yourself weekly

• Watch the news. Watch documentaries. Read blogs. Read about things you don't understand. Learn more and be better. 

11. Become a more balanced pack leader

• My dogs are my world. I don't have kids & I am a military wife. I spend a lot of time with my dogs, most days, I spend more time with them than I do my husband. For all of our sanity, I need to be better and I will be. 

So as of today, these are my 2013 goals. We'll see what happens a few months from now. I also got a physical today and will post my numbers and see how they improve with the lifestyle changes. 

Biggest Loser Made Me Do It

So I'm sitting there catching up on Biggest Loser (apparently I missed 2 episodes already, oops!) and I heard one quote that made me want to post something on Facebook regarding it. Then as I was typing about it, there goes another quote that I liked, so now this is my Biggest Loser inspired post.
I feel like this blog is all over the place, all the time, but I guess that is similar to who I am. So there I was catching up on Biggest Loser and by catching up I mean watching the only episode that I have DVR'd thus far. I had heard that a bunch of the big name crossfitters would be on, well, if that's why you're watching, don't. They weren't introduced and rarely shown and it was referred to as functional movements instead of crossfit, just annoying.
Anyyyy whoooo, so I'm really into Biggest Loser when the cast doesn't suck (aka last season) but I have never experienced Jillian. So basically I've only watched it for a season or two. Bob, you're kind of scary, like seriously scary. I was surprised to see you have tattoo sleeves but it made sense, because he's scary. Then I got to see Jillian for the first time and a big WTF came to mind. She was insane, so overly intense and all you could see is her team breaking down and by the time she realized it, I think it was too late. Then when Nathan got kicked off she cried because she didn't have anyone to respond to her awfulness anymore, not because she was going to honestly miss him. Dolvett is extremely competitive and so intense, I like it. He seems like a great motivator and I think he'd make a great life coach.
So the episode that I watch is the infamous "doctor tells you how heavy you are and the many ways it's killing you" episode. While watching this specific sentence really got to me regarding obesity

"If I told you that you were dying from lymphoma, would you take 2 hours out of your day for chemotherapy?"

This quote pretty much blew my mind, which now that I read it again, it makes so much sense. Being overweight is unhealthy and is killing you, me even. I mean honestly! There have been times in my life that I was so overweight that it was probably starting to kill me and I couldn't take 2 hours to walk or do some sort of exercise. And on top of that, take some time out to just plan out my meals for the week so I don't eat like crap on a whim. This seems so simple to me now, it seems crazy that I couldn't find time to workout and plan & cook my own food. How ridiculous.
As of late I go to the gym at least 3 times a week and no more than 6 times a week, but truth be told, it's been a long time since I've done 6 days. And I've recently added in the extra long dog walk/jog, which since Tuesday has produced between 14-15 miles and 3 more days left in this week... All this exercise is good for me, I'm just ready to put a backpack on these kids and cut some miles back and put some better focus on crossfit.
Then there was another part of the show, during Bob's "functional movements" clips, one of the contestants (I can't remember his name for the life of me, which is terrible) had some breathing problems and Bob said this

"I want you to never forget how this feels right here and right now. I don't want you ever to forget this moment. I want you to remember when you're home and under 200 pounds and think about going back to your old life..."

That is so crucial to staying healthy. It's so easy to go back to eating whatever you feel like. If it were easy to be healthy and fit, everyone would be healthy and fit, but that's not how it goes. You need something to keep you driven, something to keep you motivated, something to pick you back up when you've fallen down. Remember how you felt when your fat pants became your skinny pants? Or when you feel so crappy about how you look that you'd rather stay home alone then go out? Yea, those times, that's when you need a moment like this. A moment when you realize that you did not die, you pushed yourself harder than you have in possibly your entire life, and you survived. And tomorrow when you wake up, you'll be stronger than you were today, and huzzzaahhh! you're still alive.
You're still alive. You didn't die. You survived the workout and you know what, you'll survive today's as well. Biggest Loser is crazy for sure, these people workout all day, every day, just about, for like 6 weeks or so. I don't honestly know how many weeks they're at camp. Then they go home and many of them don't work and just focus on getting healthier until the final show. THIS IS NOT REAL LIFE. Very rarely are people afforded the time to workout like that. To be so dedicated to losing weight and getting fit, not working, and only taking care of you. That's insane. In real life we are parents, siblings, partners, husbands, wives, children, aunts, uncles, and friends, which means we aren't given a plethora of free to take care of ourselves. This however just means that you have to make time, which isn't easy, but it's doable. 
So in closing, Jillian did finally have some good input when she said this.. 

"The people that watch the show really get deeply inspired by the things that happen here, they're not inspired by me. They're inspired by the changes you make." 

This is so true. Watch the show, I dare you not to be inspired.