The Turning Point

So, I've now been ETPing (eating to perform) for approximately 8 weeks and I am loving the way I feel. I've improved in my lifts, and I feel so much better during WODs. There has been a dramatic change in my perspective since beginning this latest dietary experiment. For one thing I'm much more focused on improving my fitness than my body. Don't get me wrong, I still want to look good, but I gain so much confidence from killing a WOD that my focus has really shifted. I'm also far less paranoid about avoiding certain foods. Yes, I do try to stay away from gluten and anything processed but I don't restrict myself the way I used to. I still wholehearted believe in putting quality food in your body, but I'm open to exploring the benefits of a wider variety of foods.

I wanted to check in today for one specific reason: before and after photos. I've mentioned in previous posts that since starting CrossFit, I've put on a good 15lbs, and about half of that has been just since starting ETP. I starting digging through old posts from my paleo challenge because I really wanted to see what the extra pounds looked like.

This is me January 9th at 148lbs:

 This is me July 25th at 158lbs:

This is a side by side of me half way through the paleo challenge at 144lbs vs. this week at 158

I don't know about you guys but to me the pictures look almost identical. It absolutely blows my mind that I could be 14lbs heavier in the pic on the right! The truth is, yes my pants fit tighter in the thigh area and yes, I'm once again having to deal with "chub rub" when I walk.  BUT let me just tell you, those are some powerful thighs and I can't wait to see how much my squat PR improves over the next year!

According to the lovely BMI (which I am forced to use with patients) I'm now considered "overweight" and by conventional standards, a 5'6" female weighing 158 lbs is "heavy." It is unfortunate that we don't have a better way of measuring fitness in clinical practice because this is perfect example of why weight is not reliable. More importantly, this has been a huge wake up call for me. I know that I am capable of getting my body down to about 140lbs (the lowest its ever been) but at what cost? I like having muscle and I enjoy eating, neither of which are super conducive to me dropping weight. Whats the ultimate goals? Honestly I think working towards becoming competitive in CrossFit would be amazing, so that is where I want to put my focus. I want to keep getting stronger and fueling my body with what it needs to perform to its fullest potential.

Self Care

I realize the majority of my posts over the last several months have revolved around diet and exercise so I'd like to change that. After all there is so much more to health. Over the past couple weeks I've really started to take a hard look at the things I do to promote both physical and emotional well-being. Yes, eating well and going to CrossFit are important components, but what about things like going to church, taking baths, reading for pleasure, going out with friends? These are all examples of actions that promote well-being. When I attended the integrative health coaching program at Duke there was an emphasis on working with 6 different facets of wellness. They are illustrated below:

As a health coach, I asked clients to use this wheel as a guide for initiating changes that promote optimal wellness. With all the crazy changes going on in my life right now I think its time to do some personal reassessment, so that I can implement changes as needed.

I am very excited to be starting a new job and possibly furthering my degree, but I'm highly prone to spreading myself too thin so it is imperative that I have stress management strategies in place.When I look at the wheel I am pleased to say that my physical movement and nutrition are where I want them to be, and our new house is a beautiful, evolving space. So, going forward I'm really feeling called to developing/nurturing physical relationships and my spirituality. I think that both these areas are key to coping with stress. I'm becoming more accepting of the fact that Nashville will be home for  the next several years and I find myself open to putting down roots. After all Nashville is where I started my nursing career, met the love of my life, bought my first home, attended graduate school, got married, and built a house. I'd say the roots are pretty established! I've had difficulty letting go of the idea that we'd be moving back to California in the near future, so for a long time I reasoned that it'd be best not to form attachments. This has only served to isolate us and has prevented us from really establishing deep relationships.

My goals over the next 3 months are:

1. Attend Church on a consistent basis
2. Set a time to pray with Chad every day
3. Make plans with friends at least twice a month
4. Take time to connect with friends and family by phone, email, or card

I feel a renewed sense of excitement about our home and I'm looking forward to what the future brings.

TOTALLY INSPIRING

Well apparently the post I typed up, whilst sitting in San Diego on vacation mind you, didn't save. Oh well, not to worry cause I think this amazing post from GoKaleo pretty much sums up my thoughts. It's time we women stop hating ourselves, stop comparing ourselves the images in magazines, and stop feeling like we have to be something we're not in order to be accepted. Being healthy is about loving yourself, and when you love yourself you take care of yourself! It's not easy, but imagine shifting  your focus from looking good in a bikini to achieving a fitness or health goal. Chances are, you'll be way less hard on yourself about the way you look (super liberating!!!) and by reaching your goal, you'll consequently end up looking and feeling awesome. As for me, I want to legitimately be able to compete in the CrossFit games. What's your goal?