oops....I almost forgot

It has been so long since my last post, I almost forgot I had a blog.  Pathetic.  I know.

So, since we last met Jenna broke her finger, school started, Jenna had surgery to put a pin in the finger, Shane turned 7, Jenna had the pin removed, Jenna turned 6, I missed two eye exam appointments, Danny did the 24 Day Challenge and went paleo (and he is doing a much better job than I am at staying 90-100% clean in his eating), I almost lost a relationship with a few people very dear to my heart, my brother, SIL and niece went half way around the world to see her brother get married, SIL's father passed away, my Dad and his girlfriend left on a Mediterranean cruise.  Pepper in several trips to the medical center, regular well check appointment's for the kids, a couple birthday parties, football practice, work, a few very far spread out WOD's, time with the husband, time with friends, time with family, stress, worry, love, joy and sorrow and you have.........life.

Holy Shit.

I have made a resolve with myself to get my crap together.  To be a better steward of my time and responsibilities.  Hopefully I can get it all squared away this week as hunting season is upon us and that means lots of time as a hunting widow.  Saturday morning will be proving grounds as I have two places to be at the same time.  This is not going to be pretty.  Wish me luck!

I need to get this Bacon journal to make a list for myself of things I need to do each day.  I love making lists. I love checking things off said list that I have accomplished!  

My Athletes!

As a coach at CrossFit Champions I have the pleasure of working with some awesome people - my athletes.
 
I have two classes - The Cereal Killers and The Bupree Social Club  

These athletes are up and at the gym ready to workout at 6:00 in the morning, ready to give it all they have.  I just wanted to post some pictures of have of them doing their thang!


Enjoy!

Rhonda

Tom

Mickey and Matt M.

Amy

Logan

Tommy

Noel

Shane

My Birthday 

Nancy

They get sad when their fellow athletes can't make it to class

Priscila

Shari

Tami

This is not everyone - but it's what I have for now!  I have so much fun with these people - plenty of jokes, smiles, smack talk, encouragement, support, prayers, you name it - we have it at 6:00am! 

My classes are cohesive units - each athlete working to become better in the gym and outside the gym.  I believe walking through the door at CrossFit Champions changes you - for the better.  When your body is strong, your mind is strong.  When you fuel yourself with quality nutrition, every cell in your being benefits, working from the inside to create a better you.  Does your gym offer a community of support?  Does your coach email you when you are missing classes?  Does the athlete next to you tell you that you are strong enough to finish your WOD?  Do they congratulate the one who finishes last equally as the one who finishes first?  If not - you need a new gym.  

School Lunch

Hey, bacon eaters!  Have you noticed that the school year is fast approaching?  A mere three weeks away here at our house. Yikes!

Packing lunch for my kids can be a challenge, especially as the year rolls on and they get tired of my limited ideas.  I am always looking for ideas of healthy school lunches to pack for my son and daughter. Feel free to send some my way!

I do have one handy kitchen helper, PLANET BOX!  Do you know Planet Box?  You should!  Planet Box is a stainless steel all in one lunchbox system.  I am not the most earth friendly person around, but I do love not having to buy plastic bags for lunches.  The lunch box has 4 compartments and one tiny square just big enoughfor a small piece of dark chocolate (or maybe a marshmallow :-)), an insulated carry case with an outside pocket the perfect size for a Thermos bottle and an interior pocket for a cold pack and straps for utensils.  You can customize your Planet Box with magnet sets, too!

This year I have even purchased cloth napkins so they have nothing to throw away - my son will really like that.

Since the kids get only 30 minutes for lunch, there is no time wasted opening packages or waiting for a helper to help them open something.  They simply unzip the carry case, open the hinged lid and eat!

My kids do eat sandwiches most days for lunch (I know, so NOT paleo/primal), so that is in one compartment, another gets veggie sticks, another gets some fruit, and on occasion some sort of treat/dessert in the 4th compartment.  Have the divided tray/lunch box also gives the kids a lunch that simply looks more appetizing than a lot of things in plastic bags.  When you can see a lunch full of fresh food, varying colors and textures - it just begs to be eaten!

Now, if only my little fashionista could be trusted to wear remotely matching clothes to Kinder this year, that would be great!

Coffee

Yesterday I did my weekly grocery shopping and decided to get some Heavy Whipping Cream (HWC) and treat myself to an old favorite - coffee with plenty of HWC.

It was.........horrible.  I was so looking forward to what once was my most favorite thing to eat or drink. It made my stomach hurt - bad.  So, now the nostalgia is gone, the desire is gone, any leftover feelings of deprivation are GONE!

I was honestly taken by surprise by this whole thing.  While making this cup of coffee, I knew it could send me back to where I used to be - drinking many, many cups of this each day.  Instead - I like my plain black coffee better than I thought I did.  I have one or two cups in the morning and once in a while a cup in the afternoon.  Down from what was an average of 5 cups a day with the HWC.

My sister-in-law asked me how I made this switch.  I told her I just decided to make the change.  It was about doing what I felt I needed to do - not what I wanted to do at the time.  I am still surprised I was able to stick with it.  Yay, Me!

Just one of those things that took me by surprise!  That's all I have for now!

Food - It Makes a Difference

I have been doing some work with 3 and 4 years olds in the area lately.  Lunch time is always an experience!  Notably what is packed by the parents of these children in their lunch boxes.  I am always amazed.

This picture was no exception.  This child had in the lunchbox a container of cartoon shaped mac and cheese, two ziploc bags of Fruity Pebbles, a ziploc bag of Goldfish Crackers, a Little Debbie brownie and a bottle of water.  I was so shocked, I had to get a picture of this.  Sorry the picture is so small but I did not want any of the kids faces in the picture so I had to crop it down quite a bit and all I really wanted to show was the food.  There were lots of Lunchables, the pre-made frozen PB&J sandwiches (really, you CHOOSE to not take 2 minutes to make a PB&J???), if it came in a single serving pack from the store it was there.  One child had a nutritious home made lunch each day.  There was meat, veggies, a small amount of fruit and sometimes a small dessert.  That was so nice to see!

I am not the least bit skeptical of the idea that what we eat greatly influences our brains and behavior.  When our bodies are given a diet of sugar, artificial coloring, flavoring, carbohydreates, hydrogentated oils, heavily processed items and other various chemicals we are unable to function properly.  Our bodies are designed to run on protein, fat and a few carbohydrates.  Without proper nutrition, it does not matter how much time and effort you put in to your workouts.  You simply cannot out exercise a poor diet.  Diet meaning nutrition and fuel for your body.

Like I have said before, I struggle with staying on a strict paleo diet.  This past week I have been having trouble sleeping, getting up on time, having productive WOD's I am proud of, staying fully on track with fueling my body properly and having a positive attitude about many many things.  So - I took a long hard honest look at my nutrition.  You know what?  It was horrible!  I don't like that I let myself over indulge.  It affects me on so many levels.  But - it was all my choosing.  I could have chosen differently in every situation.  I cannot blame being extra busy.  I cannot blame anyone or anything other than myself.  And, I know that I can and I will do better.  I have had so many headaches and migraines over the past month it has been a real struggle.  When I am tired, in pain, not at my best it makes it more difficult for me to take the time to cook and eat right.  But when I don't everything gets worse.  I have not been able to pinpoint my migraine triggers, but I know it must be food related.  I will figure this out.

I am a work in progress.  No doubt about it.  I try to be as transparent as I can so my athletes know that if they veer off their path, they are not a lost cause.  It can be very difficult to truly change your lifestyle.  It also can take a great deal of time to fully make the switch.  This change can be even more difficult if you live in a house where you are the lone paleo person.  When family is not fully supportive of the changes you want and need to make for your own health and there are still grain products (typically one of the biggest stumbling blocks for people) in the pantry.

There will forever be excuses as to why you didn't do this, that or the other.  Rise above.  Do what is right even when you are busy, tired, pissed off, happy, sad, whatever.  It will be worth the extra time!

BTW- I think this is one of my most disorganized, no real topic posts EVER!

REST! Getcha Some

My last post was written while on a true high from my AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge results!  Still very excited about those results!

Last week I spent on the beaches of Florida. Aaahhh!  A week spent in the sun, clear water and white sand.

Beach Burpee with my little man!

I was able to fully relax and take a much needed break from what has been a very busy summer.  Coming back to reality is always a total culture shock!  Especially when one of the air conditioners is your house decides to quit cooling.....in July..... in Texas.

The week before we left I did something that I have not done in months - WOD three days in a row.  One of these days included Tabata Thrusters - who comes up with Tabata Thrusters?!?!?!  MM, that's who!  I forgot how truly taxing that is on your body.  Rest is such an important part of CrossFit.  The demands we put on our muscles and central nervous system by being CrossFitters are huge!  If we do not give our bodies adequate rest, injuries begin showing up, inflammation becomes an issue, and general burn out is on the horizon.

Think about it this way - why do you CrossFit?  I do it because I want to live a stupid crazy long time, I want to be the fittest I can be, I want to be healthier than I was yesterday, I love being strong and picking up heavy things.  I do it because I love myself enough to invest in my own health and well being.  If you continuously work at the high intensity of CrossFit WOD's, your body is going to fight back at some point.  Who wants to be sidelined for a long stretch of time with an injury?  At CrossFit Champions (CFC) I am know for my grace - which often leaves me with broken bones.  They don't call me Bubble Wrap for nothing!  *(NOTE:  name has been changed to Cornholio due to my impersonation of Beavis as The Great Cornholio, but I will also answer to the name of Frankie Pancakes)  Where was I going with this, oh yes, it really sucks to NOT be able to do a WOD.  I know from several experiences.

This is what happens when you are not paying attention when you put your dumbbells down.

By rest - I don't mean you have to be a goddess on a beach for a week (hee hee) but listen to how you are feeling.  Are you able to put 120% into your WOD if you workout 3 times a week instead of 5 times?  On the days you are not at your box, do you do fun outdoor activities with your spouse, your kids or your dogs?  Use your time outside of the box to strengthen your mind and your soul and your relationships with those you love.

And Now Some Bacon........

So, while shopping in Downtown Fort Walton Beach, I came across this bakery and their cupcake flavor of the day.  Bacon AND Pancakes?!?!?!?!!!!  HOLY YUM!  I did not eat one.  Now I'm wishing I had.  Oh well.

24 Day Challenge Results!

Oh.  My.  Goodness.
I am in shock, totally surprised and oh so happy!

Little background first:  My body does not typically respond favorably to any weight loss plan.  When 99% of people will lose body fat, I gain.  When 99% people gain muscle mass, nothing happens for me.  This has been going on for 20 years.  Quite frustrating to say the least.

Introduce the 24 Day Challenge which involved CrossFit Training at CFC, AdvoCare supplements, and clean nutrition and I GOT RESULTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously - you simply cannot know how stinking happy I am!!!

The challenge began with this WOD (Workout of the Day):
3 Rounds for time of:
300 meter run
9 Clean and Thruster (I used 53#)
12 Pull Ups (band assisted for me)
15 Box Jumps (20" box)

The first time I did this WOD at the beginning of the challenge my time was 16:57
Repeated same WOD, same weights, same clothes, same spot in the gym 24 days later  my time was 15:49

One minute and 8 seconds faster!!!!!


My body weight dropped 4 pounds
My body fat stayed about the same
I lost 1 inch in my waist
I lost 1 inch in my hips
I gained almost 1/2 inch in my bicep

THIS IS HUGE!!!!!!!


Really, with my track record, I was not expecting much of anything.  I felt that no matter what, I would improve my overall health but was not expecting my body to actually respond in such an impressive manner. In 24 days, these are great results!  I did not feel like I was 'on a diet', I did not feel deprived.  Yes, in the beginning, I had some cravings.  As the time progressed the cravings went away or diminished significantly.  I no longer drink my heavy whipping cream with a splash of coffee everyday.  I will drink a cup of black coffee from time to time but I don't feel like I need it anymore.  I did have big plans for a treat meal when this was all over, but now really, all I want is some cheese and a beer.  Not together- yuck.


Along the way, I realized that I did not eat as clean as I thought I did.  I truly thought I was a solid 80% clean/paleo eater.  I no longer believe I was.  I know I am now.

Now that the challenge is officially over for me I plan to continue eating clean.  I will allow some cheese in my diet and see how my body reacts.  If I don't feel so great after eating it, I won't continue to eat it.  I have found that nuts make me feel not so great.  When you get your system functioning on quality nutrition it is so easy to see how one specific food can affect you.  When you eat mostly crap, there is no way for you to know how good you can feel after fueling your body on good food.  I will reduce my carb intake to hopefully lean out a little more.  I am sure I will add a little more healthy fat and keep my protein about the same.

I am now taking the AdvoCare MNS-C to assist me in my quest for leanness!  I like to convenience of the strips - I don't have to count out pills or take bottles with me if I'm not going to be home, just grab the strip for the day and go!  I like using the AdvoCare Arginine Extreme and Mass Impact before WOD's.  I am going back to my favorite tasting post-WOD protein from Integrated Supplements.  I will keep a close eye on how I am feeling, looking and how I am preforming during my workouts to see where I may need to make adjustments to my plan.

I am just crazy excited and happy!

I'll keep you posted!