Sunday, June 30, 2013

Motivation


This video is exactly what I want to hear! I don't want to look bulky! "I was just trying to be skinny"-that part hit me the most.  That's been my goal in the past.  It shouldn't have ever been that way.  I want to be healthy.  I want to be strong!

I finished Fran yesterday in 6:50 with 35lbs for the thrusters and jumping pull ups instead of regular pull ups.  Obviously I have a lot of room for improvement, but seeing every one else kick ass doing Fran gave me some motivation for next time!  I have decided to do pull ups and knees to chest every day after working out until I get a Pull Up!  Expect a very ecstatic post when I do! :) I don't think I've done one since elementary school...maybe.  I have a very faint memory of doing one for the Presidential Physical Fitness test.  I never got it, BUT I DID have the best score for the sit and reach (thanks dance!)  I can say that would not be the case now!  I need to be better about stretching.  I'm rather sore today and need to be back on my A game for tomorrow's WOD!

In other news- Tried on jeans today and went down a pants size!!! Now to find jeans that are long enough!

Until next time- Stay strong!


Friday, June 28, 2013

Boobs!

Just a quick post tonight...and it's all about boobs!

Not that having big boobs doesn't have it's perks, but from an athletic standpoint...it also has some set backs!

1. Gotta wear two sports bras to strap these puppies down..that's double the bras to wash!
2. Creates a bit of an obstacle (btw I had to google how to spell that...I need to go to sleep!) when doing any sort of clean, jerk, high pull...maybe I should wear three sports bras???
3. I swear they weigh me down!! Maybe that's why my pull ups and push ups suck???? :P
4.  When I start to gain more muscle and loose more fat...am I just going to be left with two tube socks flapping in the breeze???!?!?

These are serious concerns of mine!  

Tomorrow is the WOD named Fran..which would be:
21-15-9 reps of
Thrusters (65lbs for girls)
Pull Ups

Here is a beast doing it in 2:42
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTEJ-Ec9XOE

I will take MUCH longer...and have to modify hopefully only the pull ups and hopefully not be doing it to "Du Hast"!  Will post tomorrow and tell ya how she went!

Last note- I am so sad that my plain greek yogurt is non paleo...so I have tried Organic Raw Kombucha which is a good replacement for the great probiotics in yogurt.  It's a bit pricey, but if you can get over the fermenty taste...not so bad! 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Give Me All of the Bacon and Eggs You Have


Ever since I started modifying my diet towards Paleo...I feel like Ron Swanson (my dream man)!  Yesterday at Fresh Market 3/4 of my cart was full of meat!  This morning I had a Ron Swanson breakfast of Fresh Market brand eggs and turkey bacon from the butcher at Fresh Market.  I have always loved turkey bacon, but I used to just buy the Oscar Mayer packaged kind.  Boy, have I been missing out!  This turkey bacon looks like it actually came off an animal! It crisps up very well in the skillet and has a great flavor.  Do your self a favor and get REAL turkey bacon and farm fresh eggs (makes all the difference).

I made some great purchases yesterday at Fresh Market, but I had to spend a good ten minutes talking myself out of a pint of Jeni's ice cream.  It was Brown Butter Almond Brittle and was in and out of my hand probably 5 or 6 times.  It has 340 cal and 37g of sugar a  serving!! Woof!  Although, if I would have been in a different state of mind, that little pint would have been mine and probably gone all in one sitting!  (Not that I won't allow myself a cheat meal soon and go to town on some ice cream). They say not to go to the grocery store hungry, which I think is a great idea.  Go one step further and go after you workout!  Yesterday was a tough workout at Crossfit Clay United (not that everyday isn't tough!) and I couldn't justify ruining all of that hard work for 30min of bliss.


Speaking of Crossfit...it DOES force me to eat one non paleo food...pie!  A big ol' slice of humble pie!  I am still new to Crossfit, so I am doing a lot of modifications.  I have always struggled with any activities that require a lot of upper body strength.  I can't do a push up and definitely can't do a pull up!  Yesterday we did :    

Every Minute On the Minute
Odd- 5 Strick Pull Ups
Even- 5 Ring Dips

5 Rounds for Time
1  Rope Climb
20 Wall Ball Shots
10 Chest to Bar Pull Ups
                                     

Soooo....a LOT of upper body strength!  I had to use the bands to assist me on Pull Ups and Ring Dips and substitute Knees to Chest for the Rope Climb.  This can be frustrating for me, because I want to be able to do the prescribed workout and I want to post a great time!  I'm just not there yet.  I have to learn to swallow my pride and find a modification that is challenging but reasonable for me.  With time, I can start to taper back my modifications and start adding some weight.  The key is to not get frustrated!  This is the HUGE benefit of Crossfit for me.  I would never choose to go to the gym and do Pull Ups and Push Ups.  I know I suck at them!  At Crossift, I don't have a choice!  I have to suck it up and do it!  And that's the only way I'm going to get better is to just do it (Just like Nike says)!  Even with the modifications, I am sore all over today and had a great workout!  I even managed to get a bruise on the palm side of my finger :-/ (I'll blame that one on my clumsy awkwardness!).  Now to try to protect my hand until Saturday where I will meet a tough workout named Fran.   Stay strong my friends!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

The Back Story

Hello friends, family, and blog browsers!  I've created this blog to chronicle my  journey towards health and wellness.  Hopefully this can be a place to receive some input as well as bond with others going through a similar journey.  I plan to be as honest and candid as possible in my posts...needless to say I'm sure I'll be sharing some embarrassing, funny, and hopefully inspiring stories!

This will be the longest post!  Here is the back story...

Kiddo Julie-
Luckily, I come from a family that considers health and wellness very important.  Unluckily, I was a sneaky rebel with other plans for myself.  We never had any snack or junk food in the house.  I didn't grow up eating Lucky Charms, Lay's, or Oreo's.  We had plain Cheerios, skim milk, and lots of fruit and veggies.  Sweets only came around on special occasions like Birthdays.  I am the youngest of three and I remember us sneaking spoonfuls of sugar into our Cheerios when Mom wasn't watching or making a quick batch of no bake cookies and trying to clean the evidence up before she got home from work.  My two older sibling could get away this this more because they were athletic all stars!   I tried soccer and swimming in my younger years, but was very unremarkable.  In soccer, I always wanted to be goalie, because in little kid soccer goals are so few!  I loved swimming, but remember diving off the block at meets and either loosing my goggles or doing a slight belly flop.  I also rocked a zigzag approach to my backstroke that was very counterproductive.  I stuck with it until middle school where I decided I had no interest in practice every day after school.  I instead campaigned very hard for dance class, much to my parents dismay.  Even though it isn't a traditional sport, it did give me some exercise and a chance to work out some of my clumsiness that came with a huge growth spurt.  Around this same time, my brother and sister had a very rigorous sports schedule, so I would either be carted along to the games or be responsible for making my own dinner at home.  Danger!  I LOVE to cook now, but at that time my culinary expertise was limited to mac and cheese,  bagel bites, and bologna bowls (tear up some american cheese place in the middle of a piece of bologna and nuke).  My philosophy or mac and cheese was- why not eat the whole family size box?  Who likes leftovers?  Bad news bears!  Real bad news!  This brings us to high school...which I think deserves a  new paragraph.

High School to College Julie-

High School...Freedom!  New friends new cafeteria foods!  I think every day in High School I either got pizza and fries or a Mountain Dew and Starburst.  If my parents only knew!  It got even worse when I started to drive.  Weekends spent at Steak-n-Shake...always with a milk shake! ALWAYS!  DQ was also down the street...they have a nice chicken finger basket (you have to get it with the toast and gravy though!). It was an out of control mess!  I started playing soccer with friends and decided to try the team thing again my Junior year of High School.  When I say try, I really mean barely try.  I was so out of shape and so unmotivated to gain cardiovascular endurance!  Each practice started with a mile run down the street to the gas station and back.  A certain friend who will not be named and myself would hang at the back of the pack and either hide in the bus stop or wait until everyone turned around and join them again.  We called ourselves the L.D. JV (horrible I know), but clearly we were there for social purposes mainly.  By the time I got to the end of my Senior year of High School, I was quite a chunky girl...weighing near 200lbs :(  Although I never really have felt that I looked that heavy.  
When I got to college, my self esteem was pretty much shot as far as body image was concerned.  I wanted to make a change and be healthier and more fit, but my constant need to feel sorry for myself and excuses kept me away from any change.  I was shocked when a rowing coach approached me and asked if I'd consider rowing for Purdue.  Who? Me??? I think she must have been fooled by the height, but I thought it was worth checking out.  This was a big turning point in my life.  The first weeks of practice were the most mentally and physically taxing experiences I've had to that point.  Every day I thought about quitting.  I thought it was too hard, I was always the last one to finish, and I thought I was making a fool of myself.  I had friends and coaches who were constantly encouraging me, and eventually I started to feel like this was something I could actually be good at!  I used my height and weight to my advantage on the erg and in the boat.  I was pulling fast time and lifting heavy weights...me!! I was finally getting the fitness component, but neglecting the nutrition component.  All you can eat at a dinning hall is DANGEROUS for someone with no impulse control.  I would be starved after practice and get a giant bowl or stir fry and make my own pasta with loads of cheese and pepperoni.  Usually this was followed by ice cream or a cookie or two!  Even though I was working my ass off in practice, I wasn't eating the right food to foster a healthy lifestyle.
After two years of rowing, my academics were starting to take a turn for the worst.  I had to quit the team, and this is a decision I think about often and regret.  I haven't ever really felt like I had potential and was good at any sport before.  I would be interested to see what would have happened if I would have continued rowing.  I knew though I needed to make some changes to my life or I'd continue to gain and send my confidence down the tube.  That summer I lifeguarded at a pool a mile from my house.  I decided I would run or ride my bike to work every day.  Since I was at the pool, might as well swim laps or tread water during breaks too.  I started eating less and more clean!  I felt so good!  When I got home from work I started lifting and doing core work.  I felt even better!  I didn't realized until I came back to school how much weight I had lost. I think it was about 25-30lbs.  In one summer!  Ever since then it's been up and down 5-10lbs.  I've tried this and that, but have always had an extra 20lbs I wanted to take off.

NOW-
I'm not concerned with the next diet or exercise fad to loose this last now 17lbs.  I don't want a quick fix!  I want to put in place healthy practices that I can keep up with for the rest of my life.  I want to dedicate myself to making myself the best version of myself.  I am currently in my 3rd week of Crossfit and starting to modify my diet to align more with the paleo diet.  I am feeling great and feel like I am starting on a journey that will take me to great new places.  While I understand this might not be the same path to health and wellness as you, I hope you can follow my blog and we can share and learn together. :) 

If you made it through I congradulate you!  That was a long one...hopefully the longest.  From this point I'll start blogging about my exercises and diets...maybe some good recipes...who knows where this crazy thing may go!