I Am CrossFit: Day 1

This is not a resolution.

I don't believe in resolutions. Here's a little known fact; "resolution" is actually a synonym for "lies we tell ourselves on January 1st." True story. 

No, this isn't a resolution. This is a jump start. I Am CrossFit is a jump start to a lifestyle...um...tweak. I definitely wouldn't call it a change for me. I've always worked out and followed a healthy diet. I just haven't been exercising and dieting the right way. For me at least. I mean...do you SEE the photo? I'm in the middle and am a big soft softy! Not exactly what I want to see when I look in a mirror. I'm kinda embarrassed to post it, actually...but that's why I'm doing this, isn't it?

Ah...vanity. It is an excellent motivator!

Anyway, a couple of months ago I was talking to Megan, one of my coworkers. She had been looking absolutely incredible, which is saying a lot because I never would have thought of her as looking bad before. She told me about this workout thing called CrossFit. She knew that I worked out a lot and, like her, was an athlete in college and she highly recommended that I go through the Elements program and give CrossFit a try.

Well, I was sick and tired of running endless hours of cardio and getting no results. Sure I was in shape, but I hadn't shaped up at all. And, because we were all treated like sumo wrestling line backers in my college weight room, I've had an irrational fear of lifting weights on my own and getting bulky. But Megan looked great, I needed a change, and everything I was doing on my own wasn't working, so I signed up. 

Here are some things that I've learned about CrossFit in the past 2 months.

• CrossFit is hard
• CrossFit is only as hard as you push yourself
• You are the only thing that holds you back
• I'm not a quitter, but I would never want to quit in front of these people. They are hardcore! 
• It is a really awesome and supportive community
• I do more in 20 minutes at CrossFit than I would accomplish on my own in an hour before.

So here I am at the beginning of the year, and I am signed up for I Am CrossFit. It is an 8 week program that involves diet, exercise, and supplements. Do I think it will be easy? No. But I've been trying to lose inches off of my body for over a year now - 8 weeks is just a drop in that bucket. 

We have to keep a food and exercise journal, and I figured I might as well keep a regular journal too. Maybe it will keep me accountable. Maybe I can use it as a reference point for talking to my coach. Maybe it won't help at all. Who knows!

Day 1 Stats: (I don't remember all of the measurements, but they are written down and with my coach in all of their embarrassing glory!)

Weight: 178 

Body Fat %: 28.5% (or 29.5%...I don't really remember...I think I was blocking it from my memory)

Benchmark Workout: (400 M Run, 15 pull-ups, 7x 65lb hang cleans) - 10:14

I've never been too hung up on weight...muscle weighs more than fat, right? But I'm not too happy about the body fat%. Or the inches. But that's what these next 8 weeks are all about, right?

So here goes nothing!