As of this week, I am 30 pounds down from my heaviest...
It has taken me 3 years, but I'm thirty pounds down.
It took three years because the majority of the time I was dabbling; Weight Watchers for diet and some mix of Zumba and/or running for exercise. I would go for several weeks being strict and making progress then some holiday or stressful event would happen and I'd fall off the wagon. I'd lose eight pounds and gain five back. While they were vital to my initial progress, I eventually hit a plateau. The problem wasn't any of those components- each of them can and do work. The problem was me and the lack of accountability at that time (I was doing Weight Watchers online). Even when I was regularly exercising by doing Run for God through church and running with friends at work, I didn't make much progress because I couldn't commit to a healthy diet.
Insert CrossFit...
About 4 months ago I got talked into trying CrossFit. It was a small investment for 5 beginner classes and several other ladies from work were going as well... so, why not? I honestly did not think it was for me. I thought it was going to be too hard, too dangerous, too intense, too much for me. I committed to 5 classes with the thought of, "We'll see how it goes." Well, after 5 intense classes of drilling form with a quick application workout at the end, I could already tell a difference. I could do more than 5 burpees or push-ups without being completely gassed. I could tell the coaches really cared about the health and progress of each athlete. There were athletes of all ages, shapes, and sizes and a modification for each movement of the workout if you couldn't do it exactly as designed. It was a community of folks working on their own goals while cheering and pushing other athletes to accomplish theirs. I really wanted to continue on so I talked it over with Clark-- it was going to be an investment. But I had been to the $15/month gyms-- and I wasn't committed to go and I didn't see results. While joining CrossFit Staunton would cost significantly more than a big box gym, I would have a coach present for each and every workout ensuring my safety, form, and progress. And I would see RESULTS.
Now, I know there are a lot of CrossFit skeptics out there. You don't have to look hard or far to find articles that question it's safety, efficacy, and expertise of the coaches who sacrifice safety and form for weight and speed. I had a lot of those concerns too before I started. I can't speak for every CrossFit gym (or "box" as its called in most CrossFit circles), but my coaches put safety and form above all else. Even though each athlete has completed the beginner's classes where form was first introduced, we go over and drill form again and again before and during each workout. Additionally, each athlete should listen to their body. There's a fine line between pushing yourself to reach a new personal record and working outside of proper from and/or your abilities and causing injury.
Not only do the coaches at CFS emphasize physical fitness, but everyday they discuss how without a proper diet, all the work in the gym is for nothing....
Insert Paleo...
You can't be in a CrossFit gym long without hearing the word "Paleo." At first I was pretty turned off at the thought. In general, I disagree with diets that exclude whole food groups. I personally feel that moderation is more sustainable long-term, prevents people from "falling of the wagon," and when done correctly should give you the right balance of macro and micro nutrients. There were other things about the Paleo diet that didn't resonate with me either:
1) The "fad" effect: I didn't want to follow a diet plan simply because it was trendy and everybody else was doing it
2) The premise that this diet is "what our ancestors ate:" As a concept, OK- yes I believe that our ancestors ate fresh, in season, and non-processed foods. But as hard fact specifics- I am doubtful. And this part of the Paleo conversation normally involves the concept of human evolution, and as a Creationist I have hard time processing that thought.
3) The anti conventional agriculture mantras: Most Paleo food guides push organic, "natural," and grass fed. I'm not against any of things things specifically. I believe that society should have access to these things if they can afford them and it's great that farmers can make a living filling that demand. However, I am against the shame and fear based marketing that comes along with those products. It seems that a lot of our society has taken for granted that we have a healthy and plentiful food supply produced for us by less than 2% of the population rather than having to participate in subsistence farming like a lot of the world. Even within our own country most family cannot afford to feed their families this way and they should not be ashamed of that.
4) No dairy!?: While my job is not exclusively dairy or food animal medicine, I consider the dairy and food animal medicine that I do to be the most important part of my job. In addition to loving dairy products, it pained a part of me not to be able to "support" an industry that I love.
But the challenge was only for 30 days. Heck, I had even given up meat for Lent one time to try to better relate to and understand vegetarians. So I put my money in the pot, weighed in, did the before pictures and measurement, and completed the pre-challenge baseline workout. After 30 days, most of my reservations still held true, but I found there were some things I liked about the Paleo diet:
1) I actually THOUGHT about what I ate: Where we live it is very easy to hit a drive-through, order take out, order delivery, or go out to eat. It's so easy to do when you're tired at the end of a long day. Paleo made me think and plan and prep. We had a lot more meals made from fresh ingredients rather than fast food or box meal.
2) It made me eat VEGETABLES: even with breakfast!
3) It made me try new things: Prior to Paleo I had never cooked asparagus or spaghetti squash. During the challenge my spice cabinet grew, as well as my cooking skills and familiarity with preparing various fruits and vegetables.
4) The Results: at the end of the challenge I had lost seven pounds, about 5 inches, and improved 36 seconds on the baseline workout. The before and after pictures were pretty incredible.
After getting those results, I wasn't sure what to do after the challenge. I was resistant to Paleo for the before mentioned reasons; but it had a lot of benefits as well. It didn't take long before CFS started discussing the next challenge: The Zone Diet. Zone had much more appeal to me- not exclusive (unless you make it) and pushing for a balanced diet. We're five days into the challenge and so far... I'm hungry. But I'll wait until after the challenge before making passing judgement.
Finally, losing weight and working out takes commitment. My fear is that it is approaching obsession. I want this to honor God and to be good steward of the body He gave me and it not be an idol and take away from my time with Him, Clark, or other important aspects of life.
I know that was long, thanks for sticking with it! I will try to keep you posted!
