Health and Well-Being

Although this is over 6 minutes, I think it is a worthwhile view for those of us who struggle with body image and keeping our perspective. My favorite quote?

At 4:39 when she says, "If we could get people to focus more on their own health and well-being, I think everything would just become secondary to that."

Yes.

Cheers to focusing on health and well-being in 2014. (And to keeping my butt off the scale and away from the darn measuring tape....)

Cranky About Crossfit

I'm getting a little cranky with the way Crossfit is being vilified in the media these days. As it has grown in popularity, there are two things that I think are really missing in the message.... and those things happen to be why I spend money out of our family budget that could definitely be used elsewhere.... hey, I could pay 1/10 and go to the little purple gym not too far away!

Those two things?

1. Coaching
2. Community

Coaching is very important to me. In the past, I have paid personal trainers but that is cost prohibitive for us at this point. Crossfit is a total steal in this respect- you can actually get regular personal training for around $100 a month. I go 12 times a month... which means my 'session' with my trainer is roughly $8 for an HOUR. Check out your local gyms- most start at around $45/hour for personal training. Yeah, it's not one-on-one at CrossFit, but in a good box with good coaches, I think it is better than. (Let me repeat: with GOOD COACHES.) Mostly because I don't particularly like having a coach stand over me- I'd rather get some help on form and be pushed a little during a workout than have 100% attention. I meet with my coaches every quarter to set some new goals and to be accountable to someone other than my husband. (We learned very early in our marriage that my asking him to help me with food and fitness was a bad idea.... and very unfair to him! Talk about a lose-lose situation. "Hey honey? You sure you wanna eat that?" Dead man.)

Community is also huge for me. One of the things I love most about rowing is the group dynamic- 8+ in a boat working together towards a common goal. Rowing is expensive in my area, and doesn't fit with my family schedule (hello 4:45a alarm clock!) so I choose to find this kind of community through my Crossfit box. You see all the pithy sayings about how the family who works out together, stays together, etc., but there is real truth there. We get to know people in a very real way- their strengths and weaknesses. We learn who wants a cheerleader and who wants us to just be still. It becomes family.... some weeks I spend more quality time with these folks face to face than just about anyone else in my life. Sad, but true. And they can be part of your fitness support system beyond just the coaches. Everyone who comes in goes through the same torture and is also committed to being there. Instant community.

Where do you find coaching and community?

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• Thriving, Not Just Surviving
• Early Morning Alarms
• For the Record: Why I Blog About Food and Fitness
• Scale Wars

Thriving, Not Just Surviving

credit: big thompson crossfit

Well, I survived my first week back in regular CrossFit classes. I would even say I thrived. I made it in three times, completed the workouts, and lived to tell about it. Better yet, my attitude was good. I'm happy. (I did smart off to my coach that I swear he is programming to make sure he runs my a$$ off, but hey, even all the running was fine. Really. You can get up off the floor from your dead faint now.)

It's also been really fun having my 12 year old in class with me- he's really working hard, and I'm very proud of him. That's him in the only photo he would give me permission to use here. :D Even though I jumped him in the box the other day for "mom. mom. mom. mom."-ing me... "Buddy, this is MY space. I am happy to have you here, but do NOT do that to me while we are in the box. Period." Message delivered, message received. (Poor kid- he won't do it again, I'm sure of that.)

My major ah-ha moment was working on the hang snatch yesterday. BTW, any of the lifting stuff = fabulous. Love it. Anyhooo, I learned that I wasn't pinching my shoulder blades before starting the movement. HUGE difference. I can't wait to work on that some more.

And yesterday the WOD had kettlebells. Which I love. That is all.

One more week down...

#consistency

#52weeksinayear

#crossfitopen15.1iscoming

Related articles

• Pre-Before Pics
• Moving Beyond Basics

Moving Beyond Basics

credit: big thompson crossfit

This week, I started back to regular CrossFit classes after the four weeks of Basics at Big Thompson Crossfit. Although I have been involved in CrossFit before, I chose to go back through the introduction class just to get my fitness level ramped up... and it's a really good thing!

Most of my Basics class just moved from one class time to another en masse, so it is nice to have the camaraderie present as we progress to more difficult workouts. The photo above is from the last basics workout... and that's me doing air squats in the front.

I think this week's programming theme has been "Thou Shalt Run. Lots. And you will LIKE it." Thanks, Cliff, for the opportunities to work on my weaknesses. <rolling eyes> Welcome to class with the big kids! Goodness gracious... (wonder if I can get through each round of tomorrow's WOD by pacing out that song- the boys would kill me if I asked if we could put this song on repeat... mwahahaa. not sure using the iDevice is a great idea with the squat cleans)

To Control My Body

I'm nearing the end of my first month back in the world of Crossfit. Tomorrow is my last 'Basics' class WOD... and I'm nervous. Why?

Not so much because of the increased work load to be found in the mainstream classes, but because of the mental battle that I know I will face in those classes. To be happy with myself. To not compare myself. To only do what my body can do at this point and time without pushing myself. To be present and content with the process and my location in this journey.

This morning our coach asked us what we wanted to get out of Crossfit beyond weight loss. I have to admit that the first thing I wrote was "to control my body".

Wrong answer.

I understand that this is a control and perfectionism issue- both of which are the genesis of many an eating disorder. Honestly, that is how I feel... I have fought this weight loss and fitness thing for decades, and I would just like to be able to *know* what will net me long-term results. I don't feel like I do right now. And I need to be okay with that.

For now, patience.
Releasing control.
Trusting the process.
Enjoying the journey.

(On a different note, Women's Health Magazine March 2014 is telling us that 40 is the new 20.... aren't you glad to hear it? And I promise I wasn't reading it... it was just sittin' here next to me on the table at the library. That kind of stuff I know isn't great for inspiring patience in this journey... did you see those headlines? Flat Abs NOW! Lose 5, 10, 15+ Pounds: Start Today.... blah blah blah No one wants to hear the reality.... Change Takes Time! Lose 15 pounds This Year! Flat Abs in 5 Years!)

Pre-Before Pics

photo credit: big thompson crossfit

I want to put some before pics up here, but I don't really want to take any. #catch22 I'm working on my attitude towards my body, life, food, and fitness- not sure pics will be positive for me at this point any more than getting on a scale or measuring (both of which I have abandoned for the foreseeable future). 

We'll see how I'm handling that part of things mentally. For now, I give you this surprisingly flattering pic taken at my box. (My preferred squat location is anywhere that I can be butt to the wall away from people.... ahem. You might not care, but my first thought was that my butt didn't look big. Oy, do I have some mental reframing to do! I actually really like my form here, so I need to focus on those things and let my journey just happen.)

Systems Not Goals

Last week, I told one of my coaches at Big Thompson Crossfit that my goal was to not set any goals. I'm sure he thought I was being goofy, but I was dead serious. I am such a driven, goal-oriented person that I tend to suck the life out of my efforts in the gym and in the kitchen.

As I am re-entering the world of fitness, I'm trying desperately to ensure that this isn't yet another year that I work to lose 20-30 pounds over the spring and summer only to regain it all over the fall and winter. I also ran across an article on inc. that talked about setting systems and structures in place that will get us to where we want to be without setting an actual goal. This was a huge revelation for me.

I set up an appointment with my coaches with the intention of gaining some accountability for my 'systems'. Here is what we collectively decided on as my 3 month plan (note that they don't look much like goals at all):

Have you recently set some systems in place rather than goals? How is that working for you?