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| Donna, Sharon and Donna's kiddies. |
How have you fared one month post-Challenge? No change at all, still clean-eating all the way? Fallen off the wagon completely? Maybe just one indulgent week then back on? Or are you incorporating a more 80/20 approach?
In the count down to May's close, I'll be featuring testimonials from the top 4 finishers of the April Clean-eating challenge. We'll start with overall challenge winner Donna:
"I’ve worked out pretty consistently for the past 20 years. I never really watched what I ate because I reasoned that all this working out would allow me to eat whatever I want. I was never happy with the way I looked. I always felt I had 10 pounds to lose. Since starting this clean eating exercise I’ve finally started to lose weight. Also, I’m getting stronger and slightly faster.
I wasn’t even interested in entering this contest until the very last minute, but then I thought what have I got to lose but weight and I can quit at any time, right? My excuses were ready—working, kids, etc....
The first thing I did was clean out the pantry. Next, I started planning meals. I discovered a multitude of websites devoted to Paleo recipes. I printed lots of recipes and made shopping lists. I’ve always found it easier to cook or assemble several meals on Sunday for the family to eat throughout the week, so I planned on continuing that.
The first couple of days were hard for me. I was used to drinking my coffee with 4 Splenda and some cream, so black coffee wasn’t cutting it. I started drinking plain green tea. I was light- headed, hungry and had a constant headache, which I surmised was secondary to not eating enough. Once I adjusted the amount of food I ate I felt much better and more energetic. After about a week people would comment about how clear my skin was. After about 2 weeks I got comments about looking thinner. By this time I was invested. I was having a lot of fun finding recipes. Having to fill out a food diary made me feel accountable to Camilla to do the “right” thing. Having other people at the gym going through the same experience helped a lot and I don’t think I could have made the changes necessary without their comraderie and tips. Then when I started accumulating points I got REALLY competitive. I brought more intensity to the wods and running at home.
I find the most important part of changing your eating habits so drastically is to plan ahead. I am more likely to eat food that’s good for me if Paleo food is available right away. I make 3-4 meals at the beginning of the week as well as roast all kinds of vegetables and boil eggs. I always have a big container of baby spinach to add to my meals as well.
Today 8 weeks after starting the challenge, I’m still eating clean for the most part. I do drink coffee again and allow myself a treat meal, snack or an adult beverage occasionally. I don’t miss eating rice or pasta-which shocks me and I weigh less now than I did in college and before I had children. I’m really glad I participated in this contest and pay much more attention to what I eat.
Aside from continuing to eat clean 90% of the time I think it’s important for me to set goals in fitness. Over the past month I have begun to Rx a fair number of the Crossfit Wods-something I never did before. As a short term goal I’d like to be able to Rx all of the Crossfit Wods, though I will continue to dread the unassisted pullups and double-unders. Another short term goal is to continue to increase my running mileage. Long term I’d like to show steady improvement on the Wod time/scores with an emphasis on technique. I am becoming more competitive if only with myself. Another long term goal is to continue increasing my weekly mileage in running to pull my long run days north of a half marathon.
WOD FOR TUESDAY
Javorek barbell complex
8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Deadlift
Hang clean
Front squat
Push press
Back squat
Good morning
Complex must be completed without dropping the bar. You have 2 1/2 mins per level. For every time the barbell is dropped, complete 10 burpees and 1 sprint at the end of workout. Pick a weight and you know you can do for 8 reps and try to add weight each time you start again. For every time you dont add weight, you must complete 25 double unders and 25 situps at the end of the workout.
Now you know the WOD
- CLICK HERE to sign up for your class.
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