SARAH: 2012 Success Story

I started coaching Sarah in Relentless Boot Camp last January and since that time she has changed inside and out. She is fierce, strong, and determined. Sarah has a heart of gold and has truly transformed her life as well as the lives of individuals she interacts with daily. I am honored to coach this lady every Tu/Th in the 6:30am Level 2 boot camp at O.Henry Middle School. Meet 2012 Success Story!

Read Sarah's story below...

I had what I thought was an active, healthy lifestyle. I rode horses several times a week and worked out at the gym but there were no real results. My emotional and mental fitness actually declined as my disappointment grew with my lack of achievement. Even after training and running a ½ marathon, I still felt “soft” & out of shape. My diet was low-fat, and high carb consisting of grains, dairy, lean protein & some veggies, which I thought was on track.

I won a month’s worth of Relentless Boot Camp as a raffle prize at a charity event. I held onto the gift certificate for almost a year, but being at my heaviest & feeling pretty frustrated with my body, I was ready to try something different than the sporadic gym visits mixed with an occasional run at Town Lake.

Since joining Relentless Boot Camp my results have been amazing. My energy is consistent through the day, and I have never felt better. The physical changes have been dramatic, but the mental benefits were my biggest surprise. I feel like I can power through any challenge that comes my way during a workout or at anytime throughout my day.  I also feel a genuine sense of accomplishment as I am held accountable to my goals.  My diet is now primarily Paleo/Zone and is the foundation of it all.

I lost 26 pounds and dropped from a size 8 to a size 4

Every time I go into a class I feel I’m growing.  My mindset has changed from, “I can’t do this”, to“maybe I can survive a little more” and now, “I can & I love it!” I enjoy seeing how far I can push myself now and the boundaries being blown away. It keeps me moving forward, wanting to do good work because of the support and encouragement I get from my amazing Coach Megan Parsons, my partner Carrie McDonald, my supportive boyfriend, and the whole amazing group at O.Henry. Without the confidence and enjoyment I’ve gained from Relentless Boot Camp, I would have never also added CrossFit Indoor classes to my routine.

 

Congrats, Beatriz!

Beatriz attends my Tu/Th 8am Level 2 boot camp at Barton Hills Elementary. This past weekend she ran the Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco. In my opinion, the best part of the race is receiving a Tiffany's necklace from a hot fireman at the finish line. Now that's the essence of work hard, play hard.

Beatriz writes--

The first I did this race was 3 years ago, and I completed it ten minutes slower. Now this time around I was faster, and I felt stronger during the race with more power in my legs from the squats, lunges and kettlebell work. More importantly, the recovery has been easier. 

I am so proud of Beatriz beyond this race. After 2 years of boot camp, she made a decision to commit to food logging and following the Zone. The balance of the Zone with food logging makes everyday life easier for her with children and a husband. She does not find herself caught on the spot with no food options and can still "have her cake and eat it too." She has turned into the athlete in class that never misses and is always right on point. I can't wait to see where she is at this time next year.

What are you waiting for to get started? Right now is the right time to start CrossFit. If you have been on the fence, then I challenge you to come to our free workout this Saturday, 10/20, at 8:30am at Townlake under the Mopac Bridge. It is free for everyone! Arrive early because we cap the workout at 60 people. I hope to see you there!

Greens

I found this carton of greens at Whole Foods, and it had exactly all the greens I love to eat on a daily basis all together. They call the the bucket of greens, Power Greens, and it's a perfectly fitting name. It includes organic spinach, organic red & green chard, and organic baby kale.

I'm always on the go so it's easy to dump a big bowl full of the Power Greens into my plastic container and pair it with some protein and a little fat. I can easily consume a carton of these greens in 2 days. If that sounds crazy to you, then let's talk nutrition and the importance of green leafy vegetables in your diet. Over the past 4 weeks I have been very cognizant about my Zone blocks and getting plenty of vegetables in my diet. Stay tuned for a later post on the journey and success.

GET YOUR GREENS.

Weigh & Measure

Do you weigh and measure? I will admit I was very hesitant to Zone. The thought of weighing and measuring food sounded crazy to me and a bit over board. Simply eating Paleo or gluten-free/dairy-free was a much better philosophy for me. Two weeks ago I decided I would give the Zone a try and see what I thought.

The first day I was made aware very quickly that I was not eating near enough carbohydrates. When you get your carb sources from mainly vegetables and 1 block of fruit that ends up being a lot of food. I also realized that I was eating far too much "good" fat. Avocados, almonds, walnuts, almond butter, coconut oil, olives are just grand--but too much of a good thing will not get you to your fitness goals.

My scale (pic above) is my new best friend. It really helps me with getting enough protein in my diet and not going under or over. I highly recommend getting one. I found mine at Central Market for $25.

I am all about balance so I will not take the weighing and measuring to the extreme. However, I do challenge each of you to take it up a notch. Zone your meals and snacks for a week and watch the changes take place.

I am available for Nutrition consultations if you need some help tweaking and figuring out your Zone blocks. I am at 6 block carbs, 14-15 block protein, and 18-20 block fat. Every one is different. It is important to find out what works best for you and your goals.

Level II Nutrition Meeting at CrossFit Central on Tuesday, October 2oth at 7:00PM. In order to attend you must bring 30 days of completed food logs with you.

PALEO...PALEO...PALEO

(pic above: Deep Eddy boot camper working out in the parking garage because of rain)

I have been eating full-on Paleo and mostly Zone since last Sunday (the day after I attended Robb Wolf's Nutrition seminar). Bottom line-- IT WORKS!!!!

I am not constantly hungry, and I love to cook even more now. I typically do not step on the scale but I decided to today. I have been stuck at the same number for a while and I was 3 lbs lighter today, and out of no where I have lost an inch in my waist line!!! The biggest goal of eating Paleo for me was to get stronger and recover more quickly from my workouts, and as a byproduct I'm losing weight and inches too.

Tonight CrossFit Central is hosting a Nutrition seminar at the gym at 7:00PM. Lots of good information to share. I strongly recommend attending.

I am also looking for more people to take on the Paleo Challenge. I have 2 people interested. Who else is ready to get SIC FIT???

Favorite post-workout snack: small sweet potato, peeled and sliced. Coat the pan with coconut oil and sprinkle cinnamon on top of the sweet potatoes. bake at 400-degrees for 15-20 minutes. And if you need a little extra fat, sprinkle 1-2 TB of slivered almonds on top. YUMO!

Weight Gaining Behaviors

(pic above- CrossFit Central coaches/clients at Robb Wolf's Nutrition cert)

The information in the chart below is based on typical calorie counts of foods and beverages, as well as on scientific studies of the caloric cost of specific eating behaviors. The annual weight gain column is based on calculating the estimated yearly caloric cost of each behavior, then dividing by 3500 calories (the number of additional calories it takes to gain 1 lb). As I mentioned in a previous post, moderation and balance are vital to a healthy lifestyle.

EATING BEHAVIOR	WEEKLY CALORIC COST	ANNUAL CALORIC COST	POTENTIAL WEIGHT GAIN/YR
Eating 2nd helpings (200 calories per helping) 3x a week	600 extra calories a week	31,200 extra calories per year	9 lbs
Habitual overeating, every day, 380 extra calories a day	2660 extra calories a week	138,320 extra calories per year	40 lbs
Eating 1 glazed donut every day at work during your coffee break	1450 extra calories a week	75,400 extra calories per year	21 lbs
Drinking 1 regular soda a day, rather than having water	1008 extra calories a week	52,400 extra calories per year	15 lbs
Snacking on 15-20 potato chips a day	1050 extra calories a week	54,600 extra calories per year	16 lbs
Bingeing twice a week (1000 to 3000 cal per binge)	2000 to 6000 extra calories a week	104,000 to 312,000 extra calories per year	30-90 lbs
Eating out at fast-food restaurants 5x a week compared to having a healthy meal prepared at home (56 extra cals per fast-food meal)	280 extra calories a week	14,560 extra calories per year	4 lbs
Snacking while watching TV, 5 hours a week (136 cals per snack)	680 extra calories a week	35,360 extra calories per year	10 lbs
Late night eating, 5 episodes per week (270 cals per episode)	1350 extra calories a week	70,200 extra calories per year	20 lbs

PALEO CHALLENGE
One 1-on-1 Personal training session
Eat gluten-free for 4 weeks
Paleo/Zone booklet
Weekly meetings going over food log (4 total)
1 personal trip to the grocery store
Cost: $100

Are you in???????????????????

Knowledge is Power

I'm eating breakfast this morning, watching the Today show, and then stunned/disgusted. Meredith was discussing how "One popular chain restaurant is in hot water after claims that the calories listed on its menus are grossly inaccurate." Check this out--Class Action Lawsuit Against Weight Watchers And Applebee's For False Nutritional Advertising.

All the more reason to buy your own groceries, cook creative meals at home, eat Zone/Paleo, and be an informed consumer when eating out. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

Happy Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!