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Wow I can’t believe I have the words to write this often.  But it wasn’t hard after what I experienced attending ElementWorks: License to Grill - Round 2! 

I wasn’t originally going to attend for 2 reasons:

1. I don’t own a barbeque or a grill
2. I’m a low-maintenance chef.  If the seasoning can’t be poured from a shaker, I probably won’t make it.

But I was convinced to go by a few ECF members, and am I ever glad I did go!  We walked into this amazing kitchen showroom where we were greeted by Astrid, a wonderful chef/nutritionist.  Astrid introduced us to the menu and talked about some of the main ingredients in the menu, how to select fresh products and random little tips.  Here are a few:

1. Grilling = cooking on a BBQ (or indoor grill/pan) with the lid open; BBQ = lid closed
2. Mushrooms go bad when they are in plastic.  After you purchase them, set them free or buy them in the brown paper bags.  They will last much longer.
3. Salmon is basically, to quote J Simps “chicken of the sea”....for anyone who has seen “Food, Inc.”, you will probably be able to imagine what I’m talking about.  For those of you who haven’t, you should.
4. To check if fish is “good” while you are in the store, press your finger into the flesh and if it bounces right back (i.e. no fingerprints left over), its good.  Also, don’t freeze fresh fish...it isn’t good after you thaw it out (I write this as I throw out my defrosted tilapia)
5. If your food sticks to the grill, it isn’t ready to be turned yet.
6. When grilling food on wood skewers, soak the skewers in water first so they don’t catch on fire.

The event was both educational and delicious.  Anyone who attended can attest to how much I enjoyed the food... especially the peaches!  All the food was Paleo-friendly too. I didn’t feel bad for eating any of the food and was extremely satisfied afterwards.  If you have a chance to attend a session similar to this again, definitely attend.  You will learn a lot, enjoy great food and great company.  I have even been inspired to get myself an indoor grill and maybe even formally take cooking lessons.  My mom would be shocked at that last comment!

Thanks for organizing this Element CrossFit, Steve Brooks, Fisher & Paykel and special thanks to Astrid of the Healthy Living Institute.

 

Just over one month ago I wrote a blog entry telling you a bit about myself and my journey and giving some tips on how to get going on your goals of a physical lifestyle change/transformation.  Since that time, I had a bit of a regression… my desire to get the body I kept saying I wanted (see any of the recent “What is Crossfit?” YouTube videos for my female inspiration) was overridden by my desire to eat whatever I wanted, not sleep enough and pretty much say “f” it all.  I continued to go to ECF 5-6 days a week, but since I was putting crap in my body, there was no physical improvement (except a few strength gains, including an press PB finally!! :) )  I continued to complain about the physical and mental state I had been getting to (clothes stopped fitting as well), but no matter what I or anyone else said, nothing was getting me back in gear.

It took several weeks of self-pity and lack of desire to eat the right thing before I finally decided “enough is enough!!”  I had to realize why I had gotten to the point I was at before I could move forward. I am a big fan of “The Secret” and my favourite quote is “All that we are is a result of what we have thought" – Buddha.  In the past I obviously had an 'eff' it attitude and it has begun to show in my physique. I did a lot of individual reflection and talking with close friends who understood me best.  I feel so strong today and know that my goals take hard work and it doesn’t come easy (see my last blog post.)  My actions and thoughts from now on will be consistent with the goals I have and I will no longer compromise those goals for anything/anyone.  Does that mean I won’t enjoy life still by occasionally indulging in the odd dessert or staying out too late, no of course not.  It just won’t be every day/every weekend.  I’m making everyone aware of my goals and I have no problem with people calling me out on things if it doesn’t seem like I’m acting consistent with those goals.

Now that I’ve rambled on about myself for two paragraphs, you may be asking yourself “Ok, so how does this story help me?”  Well I am telling you my recent experience to try and encourage you that if you too are in the midst (or even the start) of a physical transformation, that it is not always smooth sailing.  I’m sure that when you started out this journey, you probably figured “life is going to be so much easier when I’m ____” fill in the blank (thinner, stronger, etc.)  Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.  You often have to work just as hard (if not, harder sometimes) to keep something as you did to get it in the first place.

We all fall off the wagon sometimes, be it for one meal, one week, etc.  What’s important is to realize that all is not lost and we can undo that which we did.  I just wish I jumped back on after one meal instead of after several weeks. Words of advice if you are going through the same thing I have been (or in case you do in the future):

1. Stay accountable to yourself, but let people close to you know that you are struggling and you need help staying motivated and on track with your goals.  Saying it out loud (and even writing it down) will help you stick to it so you don’t have to “eat crow” down the line.
2. Use the power of positive thinking to shift your thinking to “I will”.  A positive thought is way more powerful than a negative one, but it seems to be much more difficult for people to think that way.

Stay tuned and stay positive! :)

This title of this blog post is my favourite saying ever, because it is 100% true.  When you decide you want something, does it feel more gratifying to have it instantly or to work hard to get it?  Sure, initially instant gratification wins out in the short term, but the thing(s) that you want and work hard for is the thing(s) you value for a long time.

A bit about me. My name is Michelle. I’m 28 years old and have belonged to Element Crossfit since mid-late March 2010. I can say by far that joining was one of the best things I ever did, but this is not a promotion for Element CrossFit :) What I want to share is some information and knowledge I have acquired over the past 6 years regarding body transformation.  I have had many conversations with people over the years and especially recently, about how I went from what I was (read the next paragraph) to what I am now.  I love to share information and help whenever I can, as I have been lucky enough to meet some amazing people who helped me along my journey as well.

I was never a small/skinny girl growing up. At 5’10”, I was usually the tallest in my class and my dad liked to refer to me as a “big” girl. Despite the many sports &activities my parents encouraged me to join, I refused to be athletic. Sitting around, watching TV, eating junk food was much more appealing to me. I continued to gain weight through high school. Before I went off to university, I recall weighing myself and seeing the numbers 187 on the scale. I didn’t let it phase me really. I somehow convinced myself that I weighed the same all through university, and then reality set in when I was done school and stepped on the scale, only to see the numbers 240. I remember that day like it was yesterday. That day was the day I decided to make a change.  I never liked being big, but it always seems you have to hit your “breaking point” before you are truly ready to make a lifestyle change.

Enough about my story (for now).  I asked Alex if I could write a blog post or two regarding what I have learned over the years, so I can help people who are looking to make changes and are either afraid to ask for help, or want something documented so they can go back to it.  Let me start by saying that the hardest part is making the decision to change your life.  Once you have made that decision, implementation is fairly straightforward if you believe in yourself and the outcome.  Lifestyle changes are simple, but they are not easy.  Here are the facts...you will change your body composition if you:

1. Eat a proper diet (including all food groups)
2. Perform anaerobic activity
3. Perform aerobic activity

In my opinion, that is the order of importance as well.  Let me clarify that I am not a nutritionist, dietician, personal trainer, etc.  Everything I write is purely from experience.

Before this post gets too long, I will give the few pieces of advice I give to people when they tell me they are ready to make a lifestyle change:

1. Log everything you eat (what and how much)....everything for one week.  Even if it is pizza!  Knowing how you got to where you are can help you figure out what you need to do to change your direction.  After the week take a look at what you ate and see if there are things you can remove, reduce, and replace. Ask Rachel or someone else that is knowledgeable to help you identify areas of improvement (i.e. eating less, maybe eating more, more often, more protein, etc.)  I’m available to help!
2. Move! Walk, walk faster, jog, run, take the stairs, lift something heavier than a bottle of beer.  It all adds up.  (Join ECF :) ).  Just get your heart rate up (within reason of course.  Make sure you have been checked out by your doctor before starting anything new.)
3. Write down your goals.  Writing them down makes you significantly more likely to achieve them.
4. Tell someone about your goals.  This helps you stay accountable.  Tell someone who is supportive and will help you when you are feeling down and motivate you when you are feeling great!
5. Realize that the body you have is a reflection of all your past thinking, eating and activity/lack thereof.  You can absolutely change what you are if you want to.  Believe it and visualize it.
6. Take measurements, with a tape measure, not the scale.  By using the scale you can get frustrated, especially if you are working out since you could be in the sweet spot where you are losing fat and gaining muscle.  The scale won’t tell you that.  How your clothes fit is the best indicator.  I only finally accepted this and that is why I no longer own a scale.  You can say hi to it as it now is property of ECF.

I think I will end this post with some visuals.  Most people don’t believe I used to weigh 240.  So here are some photos...one of me on vacation in Feb 2004 and one of me on vacation in June 2010 (note the bruise on my knee from doing burpees! Haha).  I’m not exactly sure how much I weigh now, probably somewhere in the 150’s.

  

Did it take me a while to go from A to B?  Yes. 

Was it difficult?  Yes. 

Did I want to quit?  Yes and I did several times. 

Is it worth it now?  Absolutely!  Am I where I want to be? 

No, but I’m a work in progress and I enjoy the journey.

I hope to share more information/experiences in the weeks/months to come.