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About a month ago, a few people from my box decided to do a team CrossFit competition. As they were putting the team together I toyed with the idea of doing it but I didn’t feel like I was “ready” to compete. So I declined.

I want to compete…eventually. When everything is just right. You know, like when I’ve reached my 100 pound goal, then made it to 160, then when my knees are better, when I can do a handstand push-up, and when I find just the right competition for me.  In reality all those things are never going to line up just right and it was an excuse for me to keep putting it off. I have a competitive streak that runs pretty deep in me. (I’m pretty sure that’s where Lauren gets her “Eye of the Tiger.”) I walk up to the whiteboard everyday and look at the numbers and time my fellow CrossFitter’s put up and see who I can beat. I also keep track of my own personal WOD’s and try to beat my own times. I’ve never felt like I was ready to compete outside the safety of my own box.

Today one of the competitors had to drop out of the CF competition on Saturday. There was no one else to do it on such short notice. I guess fate stepped in to tell me I’m ready to compete whether I think I am or not.

http://californiaaffiliateleague.com/

It’s just another WOD. (Well 3…all in one day actually but you get it.) It’s now or never.

When my “Testimonial” was published in the CrossFit Journal I felt really proud of myself. I’ve come a long way. I’ve learned a lot about health and fitness. I have 5-6 pounds left to hit my 100 pound weight loss goal. The one problem is…I have been at that 5-6 pound mark for quite some time.

I went to dinner and the Colbie Caillat concert with 2 amazing beautiful CrossFit woman on Friday night. We talked a lot about CF of course. My friend Sarah asked me a really raw and important question. “What are you going to do to lose the last 5-6 pounds?” It struck me at that moment that I needed a plan. I can’t keep doing what I’m doing because it’s not producing much (if any) weight loss at all.

It’s time to change-up the plan. Nothing like a quiet Sunday night to get me motivated to plan the start of a new week. I’ve figured out the key! The magic is in the journal. Yes, the journal. I used one faithfully for almost a year when I first started. I counted every calorie and knew exactly where I was and how hard I needed to work out. But lately, I’ve just been winging it. Guessing. When I’m hungry I eat. I don’t eat very much junk but I have noticed that I am eating a greater quantity than I used to of regular food. I allow myself to eat a lot of the good stuff because I work out so hard. Some days I am as hungry as T-Rex. But when all is said and done…I have learned that I have to create a deficit of calories in order to lose weight. Even if I eat the most perfect Paleo diet, if I eat too many calories I will be putting weight on. So I dusted off my old journal and sharpened my pencil. I’m headed into the kitchen now to hard boils some eggs, portion out some almonds and prepare for the week ahead. With any luck, I’ll hit my 100 pound weight loss at the weigh in on Friday.

Sarah, Myself and Tiffany at the Fox Theater.

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I was a moderately fit and athletic young person, but because of health problems and life in general, I spent the better part of my 30’s 100+ pounds overweight. I was married, had 2 children and was just getting by on a daily basis. I finally hit “rock bottom” one hot summer day at Sea World. I was so heavy my knees were hurting and I was a sweaty mess.  I went to the rental counter to rent an electric scooter. All of a sudden, I realized that I was so fat and miserable I was actually going to rent a scooter. I was beyond disgusted with myself.  The next day, embarrassed and unsure, my friend Jena (AKA G.I. Jena) and I walked into a Globo gym and signed up for a membership and personal training. I didn’t know it then, but my life was about to change.  I was so lucky to be paired with Mando. At first I was sure he was too quiet and that I’d be able to get away with being a slacker. I thought I’d be doing leg lifts on the machine or walking on a treadmill. But he had me doing crazy things. “You want me to carry this medicine ball up and down the stairs how many times?”  I had never once in my life even touched a loaded barbell and there I was lifting it over my head. One day I asked him why all the other trainers put their clients on machines and I had to lunge around the gym with dumb bells above my head. He just said, “CrossFit.” I went home and Googled it and thought there was no way I could be doing what these people were doing. Certainly I was too old and overweight.

About 6 months after starting with Mando at the gym, he had the opportunity to be part of his own CrossFit gym. Without hesitation I cancelled my gym membership and went with him. Over the last 2 years, CrossFit (and Mando) have  transformed my mind and body from an unhappy, frumpy, overweight, stay at home mom to some sort of super hero who can do just about anything. (At least that’s how I feel.) With over 90 pounds gone and the strength of an Amazon woman, I feel like a whole new person and I love it. I never knew I could love Olympic lifting so much. And each time I PR on something I think about the old me and how far I have come. An important moment came about 3 weeks ago when we were trying for our 1 rep max deadlift. I PR’d at 272 pounds. The number 272 made me emotional because 272 pounds was how much I weighed when I started this journey. To lift that heavy weight up and feel the burden it put on my whole body as I lifted it, just resonated through my mind about how far I’ve come.

Sometimes I wish I hadn’t wasted so much of my 30’s being fat and unhappy. But regret won’t get me anywhere. Instead, I am focusing on my 40’s and hoping to be able to compete in CrossFit Masters competitions some day. I still have a lot of CF skills to master and I look forward to reaching all my goals. “Thank You” to CrossFit, Mando, Ivan and all my amazing friends at RC CrossFit.  www.rccrossfit.com A special note to all women who think they are too fat, too old, too weak, too out of shape to walk through the doors and try CrossFit…There’s a super hero inside you trying to get out.

Lauren, my wonderful, amazing and talented daughter is a little girl with big dreams. She is really gifted in the sport of swimming and I do all I can to help her reach those goals. In between being a wife and mother, teaching part-time, home schooling, and of course CrossFit, I manage to get her to and from private coaching, team training and swim meets. Whew. I need to go to bed.

I grabbed the bar and kept going. Most normal people stop when something hurts. Most people stop when the callous on their hand rips open and bleeds. But I couldn’t stop. 18 months ago…the 96lbs. heavier Lisa would have stopped. Given up for sure. I had a great pattern of starting and quitting things. One of the reasons I spent the better part of 10 years 100+ pounds over weight. It would have been easy just to walk away from the pull up bar and say “I’m done, this hurts, I quit.”

There was  a quiet moment when I didn’t even hear the music or the people cheering me on. And I thought to myself… if I quit now then I might as well go back to being the old me. Getting fat is easy, getting fit is not. I am a new person now. I finish what I start no matter how uncomfortable it might be. So with torn up bloody hands I just did them. One pull up at a time. I didn’t even have a tear to shed this time as I usually do when a WOD gets tough and painful.

After Josh, I answered my own question. Why do I do that?

1. I do it because I am finally able to.

2. I do it because I am not a quitter.

3. I do it because I feel like a bad ass when I am done.

4. I do it because I don’t want a DNF by my name.

5. I do it because Mando has this “way” of making my know I can.

6. I do it because I finish what I start.

7. I do it because I have lost 96 pounds and I’m not going to stop now.

The list could go on and on….

P.S. Looking for volunteers to help me wash my hair for the next few days.

I’m in the middle of swim season with my kids and we are crazy busy right now. I just wanted to update you and let everyone know that I have 4 pounds left to lose to get to my 100 pounds weight loss goal. Almost there!!!! Seems like the end is taking longer. I am hoping at the end of July to be there. Wish me luck!

Today I stepped on the scale. I hadn’t gotten on in about 4 days. I was down another pound! I am officially in the home stretch. I have 9 pounds left to lose to get to the 100 pound goal. It feels so great to know I am that close. However, I also know this means there will be a fight. These last pounds are not coming off easily. I can tell that my body is “OK” where it’s at. I don’t look fat and I am able to do so many things I never thought I could. My clothes fit good. A size 10/12 is the average American woman size, right? But I am not listening to my body this time because I know I am right. It’s time for these 9 pounds to come off and not come back.

I wanted to share this picture. I love my CrossFit family. It will really bonds people together when you go through a tough workout together and survive. This work out was 21-15-9 of pull ups and squat snatches at 65 pounds. Mando our coach took this picture. Me in the middle of pull ups and Jena and Amber at different stages of the squat snatch. 

I have read many articles about comparing carbohydrates to drugs. I am now convinced I need to check myself into the Betty Crocker Clinic. Hi my name is Lisa and I’m a carb junky.

I spent this whole last week trying to stick to Paleo. And I did…for the most part. There has to be something wrong in my head because carbs really have a hold on me. I don’t mean carbs from vegetables and fruit. I mean carbs like bread, pasta, rice…oh and Easter candy.  I did really well on Paleo this week. I had a 5 pound weight loss, which is 2.5% of my body weight. (Jim showed me how to calculate my % of weight loss.) I am really happy with those results. It puts me 12 pounds away from my 100 pound goal. Here is my question: How can I feel this good and be so happy about losing this much weight and still have the overpowering urge to eat something I know is bad for me?

Well, week 2 of Paleo might be a little tougher. We are camping for a week. Although I still buy healthy food, there are some things that are a camping must in  my family. For example, smores, hot chocolate, chips and dips, and extra kid snacks. I loaded up the trailer with my good stuff but after a couple of cocktails the ability to resist is harder and harder. I plan on doing a lot of bike riding and I might even visit a local CrossFit gym while there. Now if I could only motivate my camping friends to join me I would be more motivated! (Wendy are you reading this???)

Here is an article that talks about carbs and how they are addictive and bad for us. It’s not too long and really worth reading. http://www.theironyou.com/2011/03/carbs-ultimate-enemy.html

Do you know how to calculate your percent of weight loss? Here you go…

lbs. lost divided by your starting weight=(That Number) times 100

We decided to do another Paleo challenge at CFR. I made a menu of sorts. I will try to link it to my blog. Let me know if you want to try it with me. I am starting it tomorrow. Even though I sort do Paleo about 75% of the time. I will restart with a new challenge. It’s always motivating.

CFR 30 Day Paleo Challenge Week 1

NO – Dairy, bread, pasta, rice, gluten, processed food or sugars

Recommended Reading- The Paleo solution by Robb Wolf and The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain

http://robbwolf.com/

http://everydaypaleo.com/

This week not only did I build muscle, but I built emotional muscle as well.