So #elite right now...

Hey y'all.

I was informed by someone to whom I am married that my last post was a bit conservative for me.... So today I'd like to correct the imbalance by posting shit from my brain cavity without the filter button pressed firmly into place.

On Saturday 21.03.15 I did Crossfit Open WOD 15.4. I did NOT do the handstand push-ups and collarbone breaking stuff - I just did the good old 'pick things up and put them down' one (aka scaled). I nailed it. I did it in thongs, I ate a few grapes and half a banana, drank a few mouthfuls of coffee, changed my headband and still managed 60 reps in the allocated time.

Yeah I guess you busted me - I wasn't really trying - I was just getting a taste of the weight so I could give the girls from our box some support and advice as they did the workout.

I'll tell you why I was so half-arsed: I never really liked the Crossfit Open. I have just never seen the point. I'll admit I was attracted to Crossfit by watching the magnificent athletes at the Crossfit Games, achieving great feats of strength and wishing I was half as #elite as them.

But in reality, these athletes really are elite - they are representative of about 0.5% of the Crossfit population. They train 5-6 hours a day. They are born with natural ability. They are strong, tough and resilient but they are also genetically predisposed to physical greatness.

Now don't get your knickers in a twist. I am about to say why I LOVE the Open this year...

Last year I saw people gutted because one single movement undid them and they couldn't even post a score of '1'.  After all their hard work and commitment, one little rep broke them into pieces. I don't think this is a good approach to fitness.

Not only does it erode confidence in oneself, it defeats the purpose of exercise - to MOVE.  Let me be clear for a minute: IF YOU ARE CONTINUALLY PUNCHING ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT YOU ARE EITHER GOING TO HURT YOURSELF OR QUIT. If you quit you're hurting yourself too - mentally and physically.

So why do I love Crossfit then? I'm up here bagging out the main act of the show - what positive statement could I possibly offer? For me, Crossfit is about raising the bar. And I believe that GOOD Crossfit is about raising it in INCREMENTS. It's about the little wins that add up to a huge feeling of accomplishment. It's about trying and never giving up. It's about laying it all out on the floor (without compromising your physical health through poor form and technique). It's about getting faster through continuing to show up. It's about getting stronger by continually working on your form without chronically injuring yourself.

The Opens this year are inclusive! Hallelujah! The other 99.5% of us have a chance of moving, feeling a bit broken and actually ACHIEVING something! A sense of pride, a sense of accomplishment, a sense of being part of something bigger than our individual selves. We can compare notes, support one another and break a sweat.

F*#k your elitism. I'm here to have fun.

Don't fence me in

So this week I've been chatting to people about 'Paleo' and every time I do I cringe a tiny bit because I hate a label.

I like the idea of blending the best of many styles to find my own eating 'template' - one that suits my health goals, fits my budget and doesn't turn me into a social leper or obsessed monster.

With that in mind, I'm going to share my thoughts about Paleo- what I like, what I don't. But my opinion is just that: mine! Yours could be quite different!

Reasons I like Paleo: 

It makes sense to me to avoid overly processed foods and environmental toxins,

I like to eat meat, I think it's essential to health,

Fat makes things taste good,

Dairy makes me itchy and nauseous; and

Many grain-based foods give me 'preggo-belly' and 'zombie-brain'.

Reasons Paleo sucks: 

It sounds like a cult, 

There are very few restaurants in Perth that cater to Paleo requirements,

Fake food ('paleofied') is just an inferior substitute with its own myriad issues; and 

Sometimes you just need a little bit of rice or oats or cheese and there ain't nothing wrong with that.

Over the coming weeks I am going to review a couple of diet protocols and share my experiences with each. I'd love to hear yours too!

The Bitch is Back

Well, it's been a REALLY challenging couple of years for this tough little mother. Sorry for the extended absence!

In brief, by the middle of 2014 my depression had returned, my excess weight had returned and my motivation had completely left the building. I was unemployed, exhausted, miserable and unhealthy. My love for Crossfit was gone, my interest in healthy eating? Gone. I was one big old zombie mumma.

Around September of last year I started coaching at an all-female Crossfit box for a friend of mine.  I was filling in and helping out for a short while, certain that I had little to offer her members given my lack of fitness and my staggering weight gain.

Well wouldn't ya know? Turns out I got a job at the best Crossfit box in the world. Starting at this box reminded me about all the things I loved about Crossfit. The girls appreciated that while I may not look the part, I had knowledge, experience and passion- which are actually far more important than looks anyway.

In February of this year we kicked off our annual Fit Fab Feb (6 weeks strict Paleo and crossfit challenge) and I was quite unwillingly dragged into participation by our head coach and box owner, Sim. I wasn't ready to give up giant lattes and hot chips, but my doctor felt differently. I'd been abusing pain medications for nine months to help me sleep. My immune system was shit. I was constantly in pain or exhausted. This was all taking a huge toll on my body and my weight was edging up towards the 100kg mark. I needed a reality check.

I threw myself into Fit Fab Feb wholeheartedly. I didn't cheat (for fear of penalty burpees for my team). Very soon, I remembered how to cook Paleo food. I started to enjoy looking after my body again. I was reminded of how good I felt two years earlier and I was motivated to get myself back there.

I had personal success in the challenge with a good reduction in body fat. But more importantly, I rediscovered my passion for helping others achieve their health goals. I'm convinced that if I can do it, so can they.

I'll be updating regularly on here again and sharing on Instagram. I'm so thrilled to be here.

The bitch is back, baby.