18 September 2011

why i love crossfit.


i've had a lot of people ask me what my workout is, what i eat... etc. my story is just that: my story.  my opinions and feelings about my own weight and body and whatnot have nothing to do with how i feel about anyone else... because honestly i don't worry about anyone else in that category.  it's their business, you know?  just wanted that to be clear before i explain some things.

i come from a background of athletics, meaning that growing up i played sports. my two main sports were soccer and volleyball, both of which required a lot of training, running, and conditioning. i've always loved being a part of a team, a part of a competition, and i've always loved being in shape. feeling strong and confident is important to me, you know what i mean?

after high school, i came to college and learned what it meant to be a part of a gym. i had always just used my high school gym and did whatever my coaches told me to do, so that was my workout. i wasn't familiar with 24 hour fitness or golds... this was a new concept for me. so i joined those gyms and did my usual stuff: i ran, "lifted weights", stair stepper, took classes, etc. while all of that was fun and kept me sort of in shape, nothing really improved my body. nothing i did really changed me, and going to the gym became more of a chore than anything.  when i wasn't in the mood to go to the gym, i would run long distance outside (which was therapeutic and wonderful for the most part).  i signed up for a half marathon and some other races and i completed them with pride.  i still weighed more than i wanted to weigh though, and i still felt larger than i wanted to be.

then i had two babies, very close together, and after annie came into the world i was very determined to change my body forever.  i didn't want to weigh 145 and be 5' 4.  that wasn't acceptable to me considering 5 years ago i weighed 130.  people would always say, "it's fine!  you just had a baby!"  but it wasn't fine and i didn't want to use that as an excuse anymore.  period.  i had always looked at these ripped women who were lean, healthy, and strong.  they had had two kids (at least) and they were often older than me, so why couldn't i look like them?  i finally quit telling myself that it was impossible.  i finally quit saying NO, when all i had to do was say YES and go for it.  so i did.

my husband started doing crossfit a little less than a year ago.  like me, he was a gym rat and would lift weights, do cardio, blah blah blah.  he also wasn't seeing the results he wanted.  crossfit changed him within months, seriously.  he lost 30 pounds and became lean, fast, and strong.  all the while i was simply getting larger and larger with annie growing in my belly.  i was happy for him, proud even, but secretly i was feeling so gross about myself.  i turned that into a little burning fire, which turned into determination for the 6 week mark after i had annie.  i followed jake's example and joined a crossfit gym in georgia while jake was away for work.  it was exactly 6 weeks after annie, and i hit it hard.  i became obsessed... 5 days a week, in the blistering georgia heat.  i made friends who came to mean so much to me that i literally had to just walk away on my last day because i couldn't handle saying goodbye to the people who helped me to change for the better.  i met people who motivated me, competed with me, and pushed me beyond anything i ever imagined i could do.  my body has changed ten-fold.  when i started crossfit, i weighed 151. i have lost 20 pounds. my body fat percentage is 19%.  i feel stronger than i have ever felt in my life.  crossfit has changed me forever.  i don't say this to brag at all, i say this to prove a point.

this is getting sappy... isn't it.

i'm simply telling you what i have done to change myself. not only have i physically changed, but my mentality has changed as well.  i have become a much more positive person.  i believe in myself.  i know i can do things, hard things, and i know i can be successful in whatever i put my mind to.  i don't say no anymore.  i accept a challenge and i even get excited about it.  i have become a friendly competitor... but when that clock starts, i am all business.  most of the time i am in competition with myself, which in my opinion is the best competition out there.  since moving to california, i have had to slow my pace a bit.  crossfit isn't necessarily cheap, depending on where you live.  but if you can afford it and if you can make time for it, you have to give it a try.  i promise you've never done anything like it.  i go about 3 times a week now, and it really keeps me motivated and happy.  i find that when i get to go and have a great workout that just kills me, i am a better mother, a better wife, and really just all around a happier person.

anyway, i wasn't planning on going into all of this but the above video pretty much sums up what crossfit is to me.  you don't have to be in shape to do it.  you don't have to be young.  you don't have to be ANYTHING but you.  you scale the workouts to whatever weight works for you, and you go to town.  you get one-on-one training and you get it done.

so those are my thoughts for the evening.  i'm simply an advocate for bettering yourself, and crossfit has really helped me to do that.  i know crossfit isn't the only solution, and i know there are other programs and workouts that give you results.  however, this was the best fit for me... and i'll do it for the rest of my life as long as my body is able.

hope you have a great week.

if you're looking into joining crossfit, all you have to do is google your town/city with crossfit and i'm sure you'll find a nearby gym.  they all are individually owned and have their own websites.  you just contact whoever owns the gym and get going.  good luck.

3 comments:

Law Rhen said...

you look smoking hot too! i also am 5'4 had two kids back to back (12 months apart) and I'm 143 and i feel so so gross because i also used to weigh 130. reading this i was like, YES YES YES!! ok i really REALLY want to do this! looking into it, so thanks sister! hopefully i can let you know how it goes!

Jamie said...

Geez. You have me sold. There is even one really close to my house. Too bad I am pregnant...Maybe next year will be my Crossfit year.

By the way, I have noticed that you look amazing. My little sister and i maybe even had a little conversation about it.

LoAnn said...

You look so good and are an inspiration to us all.