This has always been my secondary blog and I've been quite lazy about keeping it up. Since I'm doing the Whole 30, I feel like I'm obsessed by diet & exercise. I don't want to bog down the other blog with my rantings and thoughts. This also, I'm hoping, will keep me focused for the the remained for the Whole 30.
So I broke my finger which brought my Crossfit to a crashing halt. Midway into month 2. I only had 3 months to do it because of schedule issues.
Here's what I came away from Crossfit with:
#1- You really DO need to have some base level of fitness to get the most out of it. I was soooo out of shape (comparatively speaking) that I had modified the classes to a new low.
#2- With that said, I loved Crossfit. I love the concept of pushing just past where you think you're comfortable. Now during my workouts I always push during the last set until I don't think I can- I don't have any set reps-- I do as many as I can. I also started increasing the weights significantly just to see what I can do. I got that from Crossfit. I don't want to hurt myself, but I keep pushing. The arbitrary 10 rep set, or 25 rep set really does seem arbitrary.
#3- I can almost run now. Weird. Still not in my Top 10 list of things I want to do. But rather than walk, I run (okay jog) between sets. I pass people on the track. Imagine that. I laugh every time I do.
#4- Diversity is the key. I do think diversity is important in life- in food, in the workplace, in music, in everything. Now I use that same ideology in my workouts. Every day is a different. We never did the same routine at Crossfit. I never do the same routine at the gym. There are a million (okay maybe a thousand) different machines at my gym. There are free weights. There is an area with medicine balls. Every work out I force myself to try something new. I always do abs, but everything else is a something different. I may do squats with the ball, or squats holding on to the railing, or squats with dumbbells, or squats with the squat machine. There are hundreds of ways to work my upper body. Why get stuck? Even cardio. I hurt my ankle last week. Hard to run, fine to bike or row.
#5- You don't need to be there for an hour to get a good workout in. Most of my workouts are 30-45 minutes. And I am soaked by the end. That has been my new goal- to be the sweatiest person in the gym (I swear a lot, so this isn't too terrible). I can keep my heart rate up, lifting the same as if I was in a spin class. Don't get me wrong, I'm not lying on the floor groaning like many Crossfit people are, but I'm leaving feeling like I did something.
#6- Stretching is important. Yep. I've always been a fan. I warm up. I stretch a little (the active stretching technique I learned from Crossfit). I work out. If I'm stiff, I'll stretch at the stretching station mid-workout.
#7- Paleo. See previous blogs.
Basically, I go MWF during my son's jiu jitsu class. It's a push to get us both there but now it's become our thing. We are workout buddies. It's awesome. I'm focusing on weight training with some cardio. We are planning on running a 5K next month, but haven't trained much-- school just started and we had some freaky hot/humid weather. This week, we should get in runs on T-R-Sa. Or that's the plan. Tap dancing and Zumba are fun things thrown in. Or as I like to say the reason I want to get fit is so I can enjoy doing them even more.
And, as you can see I'm doing the Whole 30 program to transition to a more Paleo based diet. The 80%/20% thing wasn't working for me, so I thought I'd give it 100%.
Wow.
I've had withdrawals. Today, my skin is clearing up. Let's just say this isn't the "time of the month" where it should be. I'm moving into the zit zone. Overall, I have no complaints. It's been much easier to follow than I would have thought. I think it's because I've slowly transitioned to it to begin with- going cold turkey wasn't the end of the world. It's been a week. I do want some popcorn. We are going to the movies today- that's going to be hard. And chocolate. I need to find something I can do about that. Especially since we're getting closer to that "time of the month." Trust me, it's better for society if I can find something chocolate!
I was happy with Weight Watchers last year- I loved the support- however, the diet plan didn't work for me. At all.
This seems to be working. I'm eating more. I'm losing. I'm working out smarter.
I still have a very, very, very long way to go, but for the first time in a long time, I feel like I'm at least on the right track. Being at healthy weight (not my goal weight) by my birthday in January seems entirely reasonable. Not a "Gee, I hope I can make it." I will make it. Besides, my party theme is White Trash and I want to look good in my tube top and inappropriately tight leggings!!
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