Who's this!? It's meeeee...

Well, hello!

Fancy seeing you here ;)

I've been toying around with the idea of bringing my blog back to life, and now look where we are today!

SO much has happened since my last post. Let me quickly fill you in...

• I had my son, Brandt, in 2014. He is now 3.5 years old! What the heck!? Where does the time go!? He continues to be the light of our world and simply amazes us each day. But MAN, there are some days where I need a little light and some Jesus to get through. I wouldn't call them terrible 3's... trying. It is a VERY trying time in our lives 😝 I wouldn't change it for the world.
• My husband continued to work for Cal Fire as a Seasonal Firefighter up until June 2017 when he promoted to an LT Engineer. {difficult time in my life which I will address on another post} January 2018, he accepted a permanent position as an Engineer, and now is currently separated from Cal Fire {again, maybe another post, who knows. I do want to keep some of my personal life personal} after 13 years working for them. This has been another obstacle in our lives, but Jesus take the wheel we are getting through it. If this is the WORST of our problems, I'd say we're doing pretty good.
• I joined a Network Marketing company in 2015, whom I still love very much, and quit in 2017. Met some incredible badass {sorry I'm not going to censor myself here} women along the way! Sometimes, I regret my decision to quit, but for now I think it was best. 
• Summer of 2016, my anxiety started coming back, and it continued to get worse over time. I feel like I'm just now starting to get a grip on it, but have my set backs here and there. {stay tuned.. more to come}
• We lost some pretty amazing people in our lives over the past year. I continuously remind myself that some day we will meet again. But shit, sometimes it just freaking hurts that they are no longer here.

I stopped CrossFitting in August of 2017 when the location I was going to closed. Broke my heart to not be able to workout in a space I felt so comfortable in and see so many familiar faces who ultimately became family. Since my anxiety was pretty bad, I took it as a sign to venture onto something WAY out of my comfort zone.. Yoga/Pilates! I absolutely LOVE them both, but my schedule no longer jives {adding: working mom to resume now} with the studio I was going to 😭

Starting February 2018, I started heading down a deep dark slippery slope. I would wake up anxious, wouldn't want to do anything, lost drive and motivation. I would have to beg myself to leave the house because in the end I knew it would be good for me. I had a hard time accepting what was happening, but thoughts and feelings that I had felt in my past kept creeping up on me. There have been very few people I have shared with the thoughts going through my head, but I knew I needed to. These thoughts/feelings needed to be faced head on, and I have the support of my amazing husband by my side. 

All of this lead me to wanting to get back into writing and bringing my blog back to life. Having this blog was extremely therapeutic for me in the past, and it's why I came crawling right back. I've also felt sharing my struggles, might just help someone else out who might be going through similar situations.

This past week had me feeling a lot of lows. I woke up yesterday and looked at myself in the mirror, and said I'm not happy with where I am, what I've become, and how I look. I need to do something... NOW. I got myself dressed and signed up for a membership at a Globo Gym. There is obviously NOTHING wrong with Globo Gyms.. they just personally haven't been for me, and I never saw results from them. The machines are intimidating {maybe because I don't know what the HELL I'm doing}, and there are a thousand treadmills {have I ever mentioned I hate running!?}

I MISS all things CrossFit, but I will be experimenting and CrossFitting with the equipment they have available! The past two days have been interesting as I'm adjusting to my new environment.

Here are the workouts I've done each day:

Day 1 - Warm Up: Run 1 mile {ok, so walk - with an incline - then run, and back to walk, then run} 12:31 not too shabby! I'll take it.

then...

5 Rounds of 30 sit ups & 20 dumbbell power snatches {12lbs} 

Day 2 - Warm Up: 200m row on the rowing machine {this thing is SO weird & is most definitely NOT a Concept2 Rower} 

Started with some Yoga Stretches before hopping right into it.

For Time: 25 Dumbbell Goblet Squats {12lbs}

25 Push Ups

25 Air Squats

25 Push Ups

25 Dumbbell Goblet Squats

I REALLY wanted to use the pull up machine {some lady kept hogging it} my next workout I decided to improvise and change up

5 Rounds of 20 Dumbbell Hang Power Cleans {12lbs} & what was supposed to be pull ups I changed to 10 Dumbbell Push Presses. 

I feel SO good, and I'm surprisingly looking forward to tomorrow's workout! It's been so long since saying that, but it feels good to be back on track and back here 💕

Until next time...

XO Crossfit Blondie 💪

You down with ATP? Ya you know me!

I've been taking ATP Mechanix Pre and Post Supplements for about a month now.

In order to test out ATP's fullest capabilities, I cut off my other post supplements.

The first week I felt a difference; I wasn't feeling "full" or "heavy" after taking my post and the pre gave me more energy that would kick in right when I felt my feet were dragging.

The true test though would be how I would feel after my competition.

My first competition on the way home I felt sick, light headed, wanted to vomit; yes some of this was my diet wasn't quiet dialed in, but the next day I felt like I wanted to DIE! My body was so sore I couldn't move and I took a week off from the gym.

Well today, 2 days after my competition I feel GOLDEN, ready to kick ass and get back to training for Battle of the Boxes next month! Yesterday I had very minimal soreness, and today I have none at all!

When I say ATP Mechanix is like gold, I mean it! Now what are you waiting for!? Go get some!

Visit ATP's website to make your purchase: http://atpmechanix.com/

Palio?

I think it's cute (yea I say cute because I'm a GIRL.. and things can be cute.. except in the gym.. Kettlebells aren't cute) when I hear people call paleo, palio!

What is Paleo?

Paleolithic diet/lifestyle (for me it's a lifestyle, not a diet) also known as the Caveman Diet, Primal, Hunter-Gatherer is based on the paleolithic era; eating lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. Pretty much if the cavemen couldn't eat it... You can't either!

This as I will call it.. lifestyle.. teaches us to eat whole, natural, unprocessed foods steering clear of refined foods, trans fats and sugars. Foods you are not allowed to eat are dairies, grains, processed food & sugars, legumes (such as beans & peanuts), starches, and alcohol.

What you say? Isn't wine paleo?

Depending on what your ending goals are, I would refrain from all alcohol in general. Although if you want to drink I would stick with 1 glass of red wine... Not the whole bottle.

First thing to get started: Throw everything thing out that is on the DO NOT CONSUME list.

I know depressing. But having that food in your cabinet will lead you to temptation.

Second: When shopping for food buy no more than two weeks worth of food. It might be annoying to go grocery shopping every 2 weeks, but you'll get over it when you get the hang of things. The foods you're buying are fresh so purchasing items in large quantities that you might not be able to eat quickly will be no bueno for you and your wallet. But again, I could be wrong, this is only what I do and I'm just giving you suggestions.

Third and lastly, look up a few Paleo blogs and purchase Paleo cookbooks and get to cooking!

For those that are making this a lifestyle, start your diet off by eating strict. After the first 3 weeks once you get the hang of things give yourself 1 meal a week for you to use as a cheat. Unless you're balls to the wall and want to live a clean living life.. Then freaking HIGH FIVE, because YOU'RE AWESOME! Now if I wasn't doing the Lurong Paleo Challenge, you bet your ass I'd be eating a freaking cookie if I wanted. Or a few pieces of the 3 1/2 pound bag of tootsie rolls my husband MADE me buy him. Ugh! (I actually almost hid it from him this morning on my way to the gym tehehe)

I hope this helps for some of you who are curious about what paleo is and how to get started!

Good luck! :) :)

Xoxo!

Trying Something New

With not one, but two competitions coming up I thought I would step up my game in my pre and post supplements.

I made my first ATP Mechanix purchase and cannot wait to see some results! 

ATP worked together with some of Crossfit Inferno's athletes to develop a better line of nutritional supplements geared towards Crossfitters with their main goal to optimize athletic performance in an all natural way. 

Many of the current performance enhancing products boost energy artificially, pushing a single higher level performance. In order to accomplish this result, the products/supplements use harsh stimulants to force the body into higher output. Potentially, this causes your body to increase the release of adrenal hormones as it engages in the fight or flight response which taxes your nervous system and depletes your body's natural vitality. 

After analyzing the athletes before, during, and after each workout session ATP developed a product line to boost both immediate performance needs, and to support the body as a whole. All while keeping their products clean and in the purest form that would not include sugars or artificial flavors. YES! It's Paleo friendly! :)

In the coming weeks I will report back how my performance, and recovery has been :) 

In the meantime check them out at: www.atpmechanix.com

Thanks for reading! 

Xoxo!

Uh.. I should do this more often!

Ok I'm HORRIBLE!

I decided awhile back.. Oh I'm going to start a BLOG!

Then what do you know...... I make one post.

FAIL!

Alright so I'm here to say, I'm back and WILL make a point to write. It might not be everyday, but at least ONCE a week. 

The thing I wanted to write about today is how amazing it is when I have people message/email/text me asking me about Crossfit, my eating lifestyle and tell me how inspiring I am! Hearing that makes me beyond the happiest person in the world! I LOVE inspiring others and motivating others to achieve levels of fitness that they've never been to! Don't hesitate to ask, and don't feel silly! The only silly question is one that is not asked, I think. If I don't know the answer, I will certainly find out for you! :)

Since I've last posted I had my first Crossfit competition which I placed 15th, and I have two more coming up: Crossfit Inferno's Beach Bash and Battle of the Boxes (my first team comp)! I'm super excited and have been training even harder!

Currently I started yet another paleo challenge: Lurong Living Paleo Challenge. I'm finishing up week two and feeling GREAT! I've also been taking the Lurong Living Essentials. I haven't felt any different yet, but I have heard it takes 3-4 weeks to notice a difference. 

For those that stuck around and read this.. THANK YOU! :) :)

Xoxo!

First post

Here it is my first blog post....

It has seriously taken me FOREVER to do this!

My thought process behind wanting to write a blog was to give insight/talk about what I enjoy doing with my life... Crossfit!

My husband had been trying to get me to do Crossfit for awhile and I just would not budge! I did not want to be "bulky" or have any muscle. To be honest, my brain was so warped by society that I thought women were only pretty or felt pretty if they were skinny.

After struggling with anxiety attacks to the point where I could not stay home alone (my husband is a firefighter so he's gone for 3 days and home for 4), my therapist suggested I start working out to relieve stress.

We started out with walking.... Well that got boring quick, and soon the desire to want to walk died off. I tried P90X, but soon fall off about 2 weeks in, bored with the fact I know what the workouts would be and I didn't want to do them.

FINALLY... I sought out Crossfit! Why the HELL did I wait so long?!

I met up with a Crossfit gym who were just starting up in Atascadero (Atascadero Crossfit), and thought I would give this crossfit thing a go!

Now I KNEW I was out of shape... But I didn't realize HOW out of shape I was!

After my first WOD as I'm gasping for air, and trying to fight back the urge to puke (I ate food 5 mins before I was going to workout... I do not recommend that!), I was HOOKED!

I signed up with Crossfit Inferno soon after and have yet to regret my decision.

After being with Inferno for... 3 weeks or less than that I signed up for my first 8 week Paleo Challenge! I started off weighing in at 145, and ended off close to 125!

I had never in my LIFE felt so amazing, yet felt so good about my body!

And yet..... This is only the beginning! :)