I joined CrossFit... finally!

Well, I did it!

I'm finally a member at our local CrossFit box, CrossFit Appleton.

I had my first workout this morning, which was awesome. Lots of friendly coaching, which is exactly what I need. Better technique = fewer injuries. ;)

After 6 long rest days with only one night of ice skating for physical activity, I also tried re-maxing out on my deadlifts yesterday. I know I can do 240. I am positive. But then I can't do weight math and try for 250 instead of 240... And that was the end of that.

Sigh. Oh well, there's always another day, right? I'll keep my 235 for now. :)



I am also finishing up my Whole 30 (well whole 41, to be exact) on Thursday with measurements, my weight, and a body fat test. I'll take a few "after" pictures too. However, I'm pretty sure those will not reflect the true changes that the Whole 30 has taken me through.

So usual metrics aside, these have been my standards/benchmarks for change: (Sorry, these might get personal.)

-My hormones. I feel like they're finally balancing out. Finally. I still get mood swings, but they seem fewer and farther apart. I guess the true question would be to ask Joel if I'm any easier to live with. Maybe I don't want that answer. ;)

-My complexion. It got worse for awhile in the middle... when I was OD'ing on coconut cream (oh, so yummy), but then evened out after I gave that up.

- The Sugar Dragon. I feel like I've conquered it. You know that thing... where you have cravings for sweets? Especially at the end of meals? Or right before bed? Yeah. Me too. Nearly gone. Now, old habits die hard, but I got some serious work done on this one.

-Like I mentioned earlier, I had discovered how delicious coconut cream is halfway through my Whole 30. And since it was technically legal, I went for it. I used to be that way for almond butter... but that was pretty much off limits for me because it's what they call "food-without-brakes." And that's just like it sounds. Food that you can't stop eating once you start. Speaking of, that is the real beauty of the Whole 30....

-The physiological effect of food. They really delve into your emotional attachment in the book, It Starts With Food (which I highly recommend reading). This is why they say no to things that you can make or create within the guidelines, that still end up being comfort food and mess with your mind. Pancakes is the first one that comes to my mind. Also pizza. You can Paleo-ify these quite easily, but it's still a no-go. They actually call this "sex-with-your-pants-on," which they describe much better than I ever could. ;)

-My digestion is better. I'll leave it at that. ;)

-I'm eating more food than I ever have before. And I feel lean. This is amazing.

-I will never, ever keep track of calories, protein, carbs, fats again. Ever. If I'm hungry, obviously my body needs something. How can my conscious brain know what my body needs better than itself?? I'm still keeping a food and workout log, but no numbers.

-I feel a lot more in tune with my body. Now, I'm not going to start chanting, meditating, and saying Namaste, trust me. What does that even mean, btw? It's a good feeling though.

-My fingernails have skyrocketed. It feels like I'm cutting them every other day. (Random.)

And of course, about the food:

-I can survive 30 days without bacon. Granted, I have connections to sugar-free, junk-free, humanely-raised bacon. It's called U.S. Wellness Meats. But consuming that on a daily basis is waaaayyy out of our price range. And I'm normally okay with spending decent money on quality food.

-I discovered hot plates and weekly cook ups. Basically, you spend one day in the kitchen: you cook up a bunch of meat (ground turkey, beef, etc) and prep a bunch of veggies. Then you can throw your veggies in the pan with oil, add your meat, add in any spice you like (Asian, Mexican, etc) and BOOM. Dinner's on in 10. Yum.

-I developed a taste for green beans. Whaat?

-It's really easy to plan ahead for meals... more than I thought! :)

-I gave up my daily (and sometimes most of the time, 2x daily) protein bar. For good. I gave the rest away. Now I eat meat and sweet potatoes after my workouts. I get some strange looks... ;)

Anyway, this is just a small sample of some of the changes I've noticed, but if you're even thinking about trying it, definitely read their book. They explain everything in detail, but make the science and facts behind their theories so easy to understand.



And this is just funny to me. A lot of them really hit home. You know you're doing the Whole 30 when...

In other news, Joel and I went to my parents last weekend for family pictures, ice skating, and general laziness. It was perfect. And my lovely mother even let me cook everything in coconut oil rather than butter. And I said no to fresh Blue Bunny ice cream. And multiple other sugar-laden nuggets of deliciousness. High five! ;)

I didn't take along any cameras, so no pics here. You'll survive. :) We had a good trip.


Back to regularly scheduled programming... I'm exhausted and headed to bed. :)
(PS. None of these links are affiliate links, just fyi. I'm not making any money off of the Whole 30 program or US Wellness Meats, but I definitely believe in them.)