Tag: commitment

You Can’t Exercise Away a Crap Diet…

by crossfitmomm, posted in Nutrition

The number one factor in how your body looks is the food you eat.  Period.

From my own struggles with food, I’ve learned this is the truth.

Exercise is key as well, but it’s not as important as food.

If you’re not eating healthy, you’re negating all the exercise work you do.  You can run, bike, swim, lift all you want and you’ll never have the look you desire if you eat fast food every other day and have ice cream and chocolate for dessert every meal.Image result for diet and exercise

This has to do with the hormones and insulin your body secretes in response to the types of food you ingest.  You are either triggering fat-storage mode, sustaining mode, or losing weight mode.

THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO WEIGHT LOSS:

  1.  Adjust your diet FIRST. Nail it down.  Research.  Find the “diet” (really nutrition plan) that works for you and your lifestyle and put all your focus on implementing it.
  2. THEN add in exercise and come up with a sustainable exercise program that works for you and your lifestyle, interests, and hobbies.  “Going to the gym” is not the only form of exercise.  Find your passion:  climbing, biking, swimming, running, kayaking, hiking, walking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, skiing, boating, etc.  If it’s a passion, you’ll stay with it.
  3. Finally, COMMIT.  You have to commit to both for the short-term and for the long-term.  Hopefully, we all lead long lives.  We need to be healthy for all of it, not just for a month or two every few years.  Commit to diet.  Commit to exercise.

Nail it.  Combine the two (nutrition for life and life-long exercise) and you’ll be happier, have more energy, and lead the best possible life you can.  Commit to you.  By committing to you, you commit to your family, your job, your community, society, etc.  But it has to start with you!

It’s THAT important.  Do it now!

 

Chasing Excellence

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

Image result for chasing excellence ben bergeronChasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their lives either in sports, professions, or any goal you may have.

Bergeron is a well-known name in CrossFit.  He trains CrossFit Games athletes and champions including Mat Fraser and Katrin Davidsdottir.  Many affiliates follow his programming (including us).  He is top notch in the CrossFit industry.

His premise is this:  train the person (character), the process (maximizing every minute of every day), ability (training), and strategy (plan).  This is his pyramid for success.  Day in and day out.

This book is packed with nuggets so I’ll break it down to the most important:

  1. You have to have a plan to get where you’re going.  You have to be willing to sacrifice every day, making small gains which will add up to the large jumps for success in life.
  2. You have to commit to the process of achieving your plan through developing character traits–grit, resilience, accountability, confidence, optimism, perseverance, and passion.
  3. You have to stay positive and focus only on the things you can control (nutrition, recovery, sleep, mindset, and training) and ignore everything else–the things you can’t control.
  4. Embrace adversity–the struggle is what grows us.  Not complacency or doing the things we’re good at or staying in our comfort zone.  We only grow when we take risks and do the uncomfortable things.
  5. You have to give your best at every moment.  You are only competing against yourself ever–never anyone else.  The goal is to know in your heart you gave your best effort every day in every situation.
  6. Practice must be deliberate.  You must maximize every minute of every day.
  7. Focus on the small steps that will lead to the big results.  We are our habits; we are the sum of what we repeatedly do.
  8. Create the right mindset.  Live in the moment.  Let go of the past.  Don’t worry about the future.  Focus on what you can control.
  9. Readily admit your problems and focus on them to change them.
  10. Success is a decision.  You must take action.  Do your best at whatever you do.

Overall, Bergeron says excellence is a habit.  You must take advantage of every opportunity every day.

Clarify what you really want and then work as hard as you can for as long as it takes.

This was exactly the book I needed to read at this exact moment in my life.  I had been diligent in some areas of my life but complacent in others–the big one being nutrition.  Eating healthy is a decision.  “Cheat” days shouldn’t be every day or even every week.  Excellence is a mindset.  It’s hard work.  It’s sacrifice.  It’s clarity.

This is a book you can apply to all areas of your life and all goals.  It’s prompted me to really sit down and figure out what are my goals and how to reach them.  I don’t have all the answers, but I have more than yesterday and that’s a start!  Happy reading!!

“Commit”

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

“Jen, you have to commit.  You’re not committed.”

I scowled.

What’s he mean “commit”?  I AM committed.

An hour later, I realized I wasn’t.Image result for commit crossfit

Practicing handstands in my house on a mat, I’ve been taking two steps and then always quitting.  I’d get in perfect position and then come down.  On purpose!

Because I wasn’t committed.

And because I was a bit scared of falling on my face (which as you know has enough bruises already)!

But mainly because I wasn’t committed.

My friend/coach, Alex, said this to me.  The instant he said it, I wanted to punch him in the face.  Because criticism and honest feedback hurt.  But we all need it.  Some more than others…

We all need people in our lives who will tell us the truth we so desperately need to hear.  Alex is one of those people in my life who does.  And I love him because of this…