10 in 21 Challenge...because I need another one!

Just when the 100 Day Burpee Challenge starts to get tough, I decide to throw another challenge in the bag. This time, the challenge is focused on cleaning up what I have come to know of my diet in recent  weeks.

The "10 in 21 Challenge" was introduced to me by CrossFit Central coaches JDP, Crystal, and Megan last month. Both JDP and Crystal completed the challenge and saw big results - JDP lost 10 lbs and Crystal lost 6% body fat! Looking at both of them, you'd wonder how that was possible, but they did it and feel great now. Megan is using some of the principles from the diet plan and adding her own twist for her upcoming, "ShowFit" program (details coming soon!)

Ok, so what's it all about?! Developed by Austin fitness trainer and fellow Crossfitter, David King, the program is designed to help you lose 10 lbs in 21 days. There is a list of low-carb, low-fat food options that you must stick to for the entire 21 days without deviating! Anytime you deviate from the foods on the list and "cheat" you have to run 5 miles to compensate. This is a definite deterrent for me!

A daily menu for women is approx 1,200 - 1,400 calories and includes meal replacement shakes*, lean protein, and veggies with the smallest amounts of sugar. I add in Advocare SPARK before my workouts and use Advocare Muscle Gain as my protein powder for dessert each night*. As David King says, the program is simple, but certainly won't be easy. It's only for 3 weeks, so I think that makes it do-able.

My starting stats on 9/12/10:

Weight: 165lbs

Body Fat: 22%

Learn more about the "10 in 21 Challenge" here: http://www.davidkingfitness.com/programs/10-in-21-challenge

*Important note: I am aware that this program is not Paleo or Zone-friendly and is calorie-restricted. THIS IS A QUICK FIX; a jump-start - not intended to be a long term nutrition program. I realize that the intensity of my workouts may suffer from lack of dietary fat during these 21 days. I will probably not set any new max lift PRs,  and I am ok with that...for 3 weeks. On Day 22, I will return to Paleo/Zone nutrition and setting PRs. :)

I'll keep you posted on my progress!

What Makes Us Stronger

I came across this post today that I think is worth sharing. It was written for a newsletter by AdvoCare's Ron Reynolds, who is also a US Air Force Veteran, aerospace engineer, and author.

Ron provides insight on how the challenges we face as children and adults actually enable us to grow to become much stronger than if we weren't exposed to it or were too protected from it. Word! 

There's a growing movement underway in our country that seems to have come from those who are inclined to want to protect us from ourselves and who want to pass any imaginable law that will make all of us more equal. The movement I'm referring to actually began several years ago; some parents got together and their cause was to change the grading system in the elementary school systems so that no child would receive a lesser "grade" that might make him or her feel inferior. After all, a child who becomes "damaged" by such life experiences may well carry those scars with them for their entire life, and how fair is that? These are probably the same people who allow their children to run and scream in restaurants and airports and other places, because to discipline them would do harm, and no responsible parent wants to do that.


Now, I understand the love of a parent and how we want to hover over our sons and daughters, and that's as it should be. But to "hover" to the extent that you will go to any length to shield kids from the negatives of life is to do them a disservice that won't become apparent for many years; sooner or later, the protected child will go into the world and become exposed to setbacks, disappointments, failures, threats, intimidation, performance evaluations at work, unfairness and insult, and they will be disarmed and unable to cope with such experiences. Some people will even send your kids "negative" e-mails.


I don't know about you, but as I look back over my years and all of the negativity I encountered - and there was lots of it - each one forced me to grow; they forced my brain to wire itself in such a way that over time, I would learn from those bad experiences and become strengthened by them, not diminished by them. I have a memory of being put on the porch of my grandmother and left there, because my parents decided they weren't ready for the responsibility I represented. As a few years passed, I looked with confusion and emotional trauma why it was that everyone else had a father and mother and I didn't. As more years passed, I came to understand, and it drove me to a level of understanding that it was my duty to make a place for myself. No one protected me; no one went to the school and appealed for me to get extra care and protection.


Later in life, I became a distributor in a direct sales company; within a few weeks, my sponsor quit, and there weren't any distributors between myself and the company, so whatever was to be was up to me. And, I think that if someone had protected me from all the adversities of life when I was much younger, my brain would have continued to "wire itself," but in much more of a dependent way. The officials in my school told me that when I grew up and went into the labor force, that I should not take any position that required writing, because I was the worst writer they had ever seen. Now, you may be one who will agree with that, but even if you do, it doesn't matter. What matters is what I think of me and how I am; what matters is what I choose to do about the bad things that happen - it's not "what happens," it's what those things force us to become that counts.

We all have the choice of our own approach to life, but for me, I'm grateful for the exposure to challenging situations that were part of my experience. God always has a way of fitting the back to the burden, so if you want a stronger back, you have to carry a heavier load. Be careful of those who seek to take care of you, lest your caretaker become your jailer.

Changes: Spartan 300, Oly Lifting, and Zone

This month I will be changing my training and nutrition regimen in hopes of seeing some major results. I've decided to take on the Spartan 300 Challenge, which starts in May. This is the workout inspired by the training the actors did for the movie, "300" (um, holy HOTNESS).

In preparation for this challenge, I will begin leaning out and working on two major skills needed for the Spartan workout: Push-ups and pull-ups. That means, practice, practice, practice on these skills as often as possible.

"Leaning out" will entail incorporating Zone blocks into my Paleo nutrition plan (14 blocks/day according to Dr. Sears' calculator), taking my supplements (including 5 fish oil pills/day), getting plenty of sleep, laying off the booze for a few months, and adding in some extra endurance workouts.

The goal is three 5K runs or rows per week in addition to 5 CrossFit WODs. Sounds like a lot, but a 5K takes about 20-25 minutes and I can do this in the morning before work, or on my evenings away from the gym before or after my WOD. Although it's not as fun as CrossFit WODs, the endurance work is necessary to build stamina and lean out.

In addition to this, Jess K., Lisa O., and I will be taking on some Olympic Weightlifting instruction from Coach JDP on Saturdays, starting 4/10. The purpose of this will be to work on form and gaining strength. I'm super-excited about this one!

How am I going to find the time to do it all, and still have a life outside of the gym and work?! Afterall, a balanced life is a happy life. Well, unfortunately, something's got to give. So, for the next few months, I've decided to drop my M/W Women's CrossFit class to make room for the challenge/new class. I think the this change is what I need to finally get me over this "hump". I'll miss working out with the ladies, but I know they support me in this decision. This is going to be an intense spring for me, but I am looking forward to the challenge. I am READY.

Videos and no shirts?! ...made you look!!

Some of the girls I train with were watching the video below, and thinking that we need to make our own video soon. Not sure if my iPhone camera will work well, but I'm going to try to start capturing more of our workouts, at least in photos, for us to document our progress. It really helps to see yourself in action! And, you can share with friends and family, so they can see what you've been up to. Check out some inspiring ladies of crossfit: We also set goals to be able to workout in our sports bras - no tshirts, this spring! If the guys can parworkout with their shirts off, so can we. Its all about confidence, ladies! So, its 100 sit ups everyday until the first day of spring. Then, it will be time for everyone to meet "The Situation". Re: Jersey Shore . Loves!

90 day challenge

I have about 2 months until I turn 31 and I feel like I am no where near where I wanted to be at this age. So, I've decided to challenge myself for the next 90 days to see how much I can improve physically, emotionally, and professionally. This is the first step towards a total rehaul of mind, body, and soul. I'll be doing things that will push me outside of my present comfort zone and hopefully allow me to improve the quality of my life. I'll be blabbing about it all here as a way to keep a record of how far I've come when this little experiment is over. I foresee lots of hard work ahead of me! Phase One: Physical development - begins tomorrow with a body composition test to see where I'm at today. My regimine will be clean Zone eating with 5X per week CrossFit training and 3X per week trail running for the next 3 months. The workouts will be tough, but I'm up for the challenge. I think the hardest part will be eliminating booze from my daily routine. Even though I only have a glass of wine on most nights, I'll have to cut it out if I want to be a lean, mean, fightin machine. I will allow myself only a few exceptions for special events. This will be rough, but in the end I will be a BAD-ASS. Hope I can do it! :)