Workin' on my fitness...

In January my CrossFit coach Jared started up another health & wellness challenge within our gym. Some of us changed our diets to Paleo while others took their own route. The new year was the perfect time to start this up, as all of us were carrying around some extra weight from all the holiday treats. Clean eating = healthy and fit body.

We started with a baseline WOD, weighed, measured and body fat % taken. After 30 days of clean eating and 5 days a week in the gym we were then to perform the original baseline WOD again. Along with measurements to see improvements. Since I had been through this once before I knew how much it transformed my body (basically lost water weight/bloat and several percentage points of body fat...while my muscle mass increased). The results are very motivating, but it's definitely hard work and a strong commitment to eating clean.

In conjunction with our Paleo challenge, my company rolled out a wellness program where we have to wear a pedometer daily to track our activity. The more steps = the greater health insurance discounts we receive. It's gotten a lot of employees into both of our gyms and motivated many people.

I have had some issues with my pedometer (washed it once) and to this day it just isn't the same. But I will tell you the full rice submersion brought mine back to life after a tumble in the washer!

Since I loathe my pedometer (it's not convenient for athletes to be wearing a dangling pedometer, and when you put it in your pocket or sports bra the sweat shorts out the little bugger)...one of our Nike reps sent me one of these beauties:

I'm in love with my Nike Fuelband. Not only does it count my steps, but it also keeps track of calories burned. Love comparing a long run to a CF workout (I burn more in 1 hour at CF than I do running for 1.5 hours!).

My birthday fell smack dab in the middle of the challenge and our coach always puts together birthday wods. Mine consisted of 36 reps of all my favorite movements (all the gymnasty things: handstand pushups, pistols, pull ups, etc). Some teammates of mine cursed me under their breath during the wod...but my closest friends found humor in my age = number of reps we had to do. Kristi said while box jumping, "If it were my birthday I'd be done by now!" She's 11 years my junior. Her birthday wod was much shorter than mine :)

My CF FINL buddies post birthday wod.

So true...

With 5 wods a week comes a little sacrifice. You know, like sacrificing my ability to grasp objects. I've had to start pulling out old gymnastics tricks: sleeping with Aquap.hor on my covered hands and making good old fashioned tape grips to work through the bloody mess.

The working out is the easy part for me. It's the clean eating that comes as a more difficult lifestyle change. What helped me this time around is that Mike started clean eating a few weeks before the challenge started, so our fridge was already stocked with fresh fruits, veggies and meats. Sundays we both do food prep...I'll chop veggies while Mike prepares meals for the week (chili, chicken salad, pork ribs, hamburgers, salmon). It definitely is more expensive and time consuming to eat clean, but it's worth it in the end.

I'm typically known for being a junk food junky (not proud of that and am making changes in my life towards healthier choices). So the day before the challenge started of course I had one of these beauties:

Then my desserts from then on out looked more like this:

Baked apple with raisins, cinnamon and walnuts

And my favorite dark chocolate chip Paleo cookies. I'm addicted (made 4 batches in 4 weeks) and both Mike and the girls love them, too. Score!

As for my endurance training, running has been happening only once a week these days. I've only hit the trails twice this year, opting for the indoor track instead. It's warmer. And I can wear 10 pounds less in apparel.

Kristi joined me one week...

The next week I was solo...

And last week Jaime joined me.

Throughout the 30 day challenge, I hit a few PRs on some lifts and felt overall stronger than I did before. The clean eating allows me to perform better as I'm fueling my body better. I'm slowly getting stronger at some of my weaker moves (ie snatches, deficit handstand push ups and bar muscle ups). It's just rewarding to see what hard work and dedication can do for my performance.

I'm still eating Paleo the majority of the day...but I allow more "cheats" without the guilt or the looming weigh-ins. Next up? The CrossFit Open!