Ring in the New Year

I cannot believe I haven't posted since the summer! WOW! Alot of things have happened that I really wish I would have logged!

I am still pushing myself further than I ever imagined. Both mentally & physically.

I am down to 246lbs. This time last year, the scale was bouncing back and forth over the 300 mark. Even sometimes reaching up to 310lbs! I am down from my all time high, if I remember correctly, was 352lbs! YIKES!

I have made so many accomplishments since June! Those 150m that I was struggling with running, well on a good day, I can now manage 300m! (At least on the first round!). Even though I still dread the gym whenever  I see my fellow crossfitters running, I suck it up, and run with them. Or well, more like behind them. lol

As far as Pull Ups go, I keep surprising myself, by being able to go down in band size! I am far away from an unassisted, but 6 months ago, I was just able to do my very first assisted Pull up!

Along with a group of people, we have decided to jump into the new year with a Whole30 challenge. If you don't know anything about it, you can check it out here.

http://whole9life.com/2012/08/the-whole30-program/

I have also started school to become a massage therapist and will graduate in October 2013!

More to come!

Milestones!

I don't want to brag (although it is fun!!) about all of the new milestones I have been reaching in just a few short weeks.

I went from being able to do NO Pull Ups, to 3 days ago, doing 3 in a band, and today I got up to 7! WoWzers! I have also been adding running to my warm ups, even though I dread it, but I push myself past the markers from the last time I ran just to get that much further! At the beginning of CrossFit, (rampup) I was only able to run approx. 50m before I was out of breath! Now, I can go about 100m further and hit the 150m mark before I need a break! WoWzers AGAIN. That is 3x the distance in about 6 months!

Some of you reading this are probably thinkin', yeah yeah, 150m, that's peanuts...but seriously when you have been told since childhood you suck at especially this particular sport, you really loose the will to even try, any meter more is awesome.

So all this bragging isn't to one up anyone, or try to compete with anyone but myself! It is amazing to watch and be apart of so many people pushing their limits and reaching new milestones...

With that said, I learned something very important yesterday at a business meeting. YES, I said a Business meeting....

A motivational speaker/business success counselor spoke about ones Value. Basically, her point was, you need to value yourself, ideas, talents, or why would anyone else? People WANT to see the confidence in you, especially in a business setting. Why are you providing the services you do, and why would someone come to you for them? So when I went home, I took this info a little bit further and realized even more.

Jesus told us "to love your neighbor as yourself." You can find this in Luke 10:27 as well as a couple other places in the NT.  I was thinking...I mean come on, Jesus gave His life up for me...!!!! The creator of the universe holds me to a higher value than I have ever had for myself, and every time I feel like I'm not good enough, I just need to think of the cross and what Christ did for me.... but to take it a step  further, if I have a low value on my own self, then that translates in to how I can love and value others! (not very well) So I am holding myself at a much higher value, because God's creations are valuable! He sure thought so, and so should I.

Conclusion: The more I turn to the Cross, the more I learn how to value myself because of what Christ has done for me. This will then translate into being able to value and love others as much as I value and love myself.

Consistancy!

Even though I haven't been consistent with my blog, I have been consistent with trying to be consistent in real life.

The BBC is now over, and I am excited to announce that I lost a total of 17lbs in 30 days! Adjusting to Paleo wasn't as difficult as I had expected, and I am excited to continue this journey. I have also committed to continuing the Paleo lifestyle, along with going to CrossFit on a very frequent basis to keep up with my weight loss goals.

I also have a few other milestones to brag about. I can finally job about 150m before I need a break, compared to the 50m I was able to complete just a few weeks ago. And I can do 3 assisted Pull ups, compared to the 0 I could do before. So my boundaries, on a physical note, are getting much larger, and I can't wait to see how much more I can push myself, and where I will be in 1 year.

I love hearing/seeing of all the success's of my fellow CrossFitters that it just fuels me to keep on workin those boundries!

Struggles...

This week has been nothing but a huge struggle! I haven't really had the energy to give it my all at the Fort during a WOD, and I feel like when I make my meals, I am just eating to eat and make my ratios.

I really need to plan the next week out better, make more time for myself, and get organized and give myself the nutrition I need. The weather is getting a little nicer and I want to spend some time outside with the kids instead of slaving in the house all day.

I haven't lost ANY weight this week yet, and I was feeling so great with my 11.5lbs loss last week! BUMMER! I think that has me a little bummed too. I try not to "look" at the scale like so many people are telling me, but honestly, how many of those people have been at over 300lbs for more than 4 years of their life, struggling to get ahold of it, and just waiting for the breakthrough in energy to come their way. I hate trying to justify it this way, but only a hand few of people can really relate. Although I do love the motivation that those who have never been in that position try to give me. The scale is just 1 tool, that when it stays idle for any certain period of time, I feel I have left myself down again, especially when I am giving TONS of effort.

So anyway, just 2 mroe days left in week 2, and on to week 3 we will be! I am struggling more with my emotional motivation, and energy than I am with craving certain types of food. I think I am totally over the food battle. Now it is a battle of the mind. Telling myself I can battle through the workouts....and push myself past my limits....

Week 2 has begun...

My intention was to write every day, but well that isn't happening obviously. Week 2 of the Better Body Challenge is already here! I am happy to say I am down to 277.5 after starting week 1 at a solid 289! I cannot wait to see what week 2 will bring.

My challenges from last week : Being Creative. I found myself just being ok with the same thing most the time as long as I stayed within my macro nutrient restrictions. This week I am going to try a few different things and get a little more variety in!

I definitely am pushing myself further and further when it comes to my physical limitations. I knew I was a person of endurance, persistence, and patience, but never in my mind did I think I would push myself this hard. Yesterday at team Saturday with Steph at my side, I pushed myself so hard that my arms went numb, and felt like a blob of Jello once we were done. And the great thing..even though I am sore, I am not that painfully stiff sore I used to get after first working out.

Although I'm giving myself all this credit for pushing myself so hard, EVERYONE who works out at the Fort gives pretty much their whole entire "What they got" when they work out! That is why I love it so much! I don't think I have encountered a single person who swiftly gets through a WOD without putting in a huge amount of effort. And this is why this place is so addicting!

So, here is to the start of Week 2, more Boundry Breaking and way more energetic life!

Day 1 - 4/22

So yesterday was Day 1 of CrossFit's Better Body Challenge.

It was actually easier than I thought. I did have a few challenges getting my entire fat intake down, but staying within the carb range, and protein range wasn't quite as hard as expected. And I did enjoy the food I had, and didn't feel deprived.

I was at a Craft Show all weekend, so I ended up taking my lunch with me so that I wasn't tempted by any of the junk they offered at the show. (hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos..etc).

So I got the maximum amount of points, minus workout points, so I am happy about that. I did do something to my knee, which I am hoping is just a minor injury that heals fast. We will see! I will be working out tonite nevertheless!

Prepping for the next 30 days...

So CrossFit is doing a 30 Day Better Body Challenge (which, if you are reading this, it is probably over, and you are hopefully seeing some great results of hard persistance, or a total flop on my efforts!) I am getting a little antsy about all of this. Not sure why, because I have been avoiding grains and eating Paleo, "for the most part" for awhile now but for me to "forbid" it, is just scarey territory. But that is just silly, really.

Hang on while I play Kelly Clarkson's "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" to remind me I am going for BIGGER and BETTER here.

Ok. So now that I am done ranting about my weaknesses, I did download a great app from www.sparkpeople.com on my phone so that I can track my food intake whereever I am! And on this challenge I SHOULD only be eating at home. But it will still come in "handy." And for a little german lesson, handy, means cell phone. ;o)

Anyhoo, I did WOD last night, and I didn't get all whiney and feel like I wanted to quit, but it was tough. I hope to make it tonite, but I have a craft show this weekend and am sopposed to be preping for that, so if I can get everything done in the next few hours, I will be meeting another WOD before the weekend.  So here we go! I will write my Goals for and stats for the start of the BBC on Monday!