Summer Is Here!

It is no secret that I LOVE summer. The sun, warm temps, beach days, excuses just to walk around--everything is better in the summer. I stored up my vacation days and am approaching the months where I have 3-4 day work weeks and it is exciting! I also tend to get a bit lazy about focusing on what I eat during the summer because it is just so easy to have a frozen yogurt or iced chai. Not this summer (at least not the whole summer!)....I have a plan...



Our wedding is quickly approaching--we only have about 2 months left to finish planning. Part of my plan is to be all toned up for my final dress fitting--so, I decided to take some action. I will continue with crossfit 3 times per week, fasted cardio 6-7 days per week, and continue to layer in some midday workouts. In addition, I am going to use Bikram yoga for a few of my fasted cardio workouts. I am still working on frequency method pushups and am up to 5 sets of 26 pushups per day. Next week, I will go to my first Bikram workout in close to a year, so I am really looking forward to getting back into that. Mark got me a pass at a charity auction for a month quite some time ago, now I have an opportunity to use it!



The last, and probably most important thing that I am going to focus on is getting the right nutrition. I am focusing on resetting my body through the Whole 30 program. Now, those who know me well know that I've been pretty focused on eating better since November. I usually cut carbs by 2PM and only indulge in a 12-24 hour "cheat day," Nonetheless, I want to see if eliminating sugar and dairy completely will improve some of the lingering stomach issues I've had over the last few years. It's worth a try for 30 days anyway! I'm also looking to gain improved energy levels for the lifting and cardio.

I'm certainly not going to document every day and everything that I consume because it isn't necessary and would be very tedious. However, I will do an overview of Day 1 and see where I stand by day 30. I did want to include what my day 1 looked like though just in case anyone else is considering the program. Several of my crossfit friends are also joining in so it will be nice to have moral support. Lifestyle changes are always easier when the people around you are supportive!

Day 1 of the Whole 30:

-1 Gallon + of water throughout the day
-Frequency pushups 5 X 26 throughout the day
-AM fasted cardio at 5:30AM (40 minutes elliptical)
-Breakfast at 7:00AM = Baked Egg & Sweet Potato nest with a slice of nitrate free, organic bacon cooked in a bit of coconut oil
-Snack around 9AM- Sea Snax
-Snack at 11:30AM- 1/2 serving roasted sage chicken & 1 serving of walnuts
-Boot Camp at 12:15-12:45
-Post workout "Bonus Meal" = Cherry Pie Larabar
-Lunch at 1:30PM = homemade tuna, apple, paleo mayo, walnut salad served over organic spinach
-Afternoon snack at 4:15PM (also my pre-workout meal) = serving of macadamia nuts & 1/2 serving of organic turkey slices
-Crossfit workout at 5:00PM (Press, chins, and conditioning)
-Post-workout "Bonus Meal" = serving of roasted golden beets & small slice of coconut, spinach, and mushroom quiche
-Dinner at 7:45PM = marinated organic chicken kabobs with cherry tomato, mushroom, and red pepper & boiled beet greens & avocado slices
-After dinner snack at 8:30PM = a few small pieces of roasted sage chicken
-Tea time at 10:00PM- Vanilla sleepytime herbal tea

The morning seemed a bit sparse on food, but after that, I felt like I had more than enough! I really enjoyed the egg/sweet potato nests--yum! The chicken kabobs for dinner were also delish.



So there you have it--one day on the Whole 30. Stay tuned to see what happens or better yet, try it out!

May Wrap Up

After the fourteen week challenge, I took a bit of a break from blogging, but not from working out! I managed to catch a bit of a cold after the final week of the transformation, but a week later I had recovered.

So what have I been doing the past month???


On May 5th, I completed my first 5K race since 2010 and it was my fastest 5K ever!!! The Ironheart 5K was a nice loop around Rollins Park/Concord area and I ran that with some of my crossfit friends. Then, on May 20th, I PRed on my second 5K of the season; I am convinced that I can do better if I sign up for another race this year.

May also was the first month I got out on the road bike and my legs were so much stronger than last year. My first ride up Oak Hill was much easier than last year. I am lighter and stronger which is a great combination on a road bike!

Also, I continue to work on my frequency pushups and chin ups. This week I hit 5 sets of 22 which will be 660 pushups for the week. On a good day, I can now do 4 chin ups in a row and I hope to continue to build that number.

In weightlifting, I did my first one rep max for my deadlifts @ 210lbs, so that was exciting! I want to continue to push the limits on that lift, but also work on improving my squats, and press.

Our wedding planning continues to move along slowly, but as with previous months, the working out piece seems to be the easiest part of wedding preparations!!!

I've added 21 bricks to my goal of 150 perfect bricks, so I am now at 105 bricks. Only 45 to go! If I do reach the 150 perfect bricks before September, I'll probably try to stick with that through the wedding though as a safety measure :) In June, I want to work more on making all of my morning cardio sessions--I relaxed a tiny bit on those in May and I noticed I was less energetic throughout the day. Waking up with energy is the best way to start the day!

Week #14

14 weeks, 84 days, and 84 perfect bricks later, the results for the White Mountain Crossfit Transformation Challenge are in! I have to say, when I saw how well my fellow challenge participants did, I was uncertain how the voting would turn out. I knew I had been committed to this project for the past fourteen weeks, but so had many other incredible women! It was so impressive to see the changes and growth that everyone made. In fact, I think we all met many of our goals--what an inspiring group of people to be surrounded by 3 days a week :)

With that said, Adam was voted the male winner, and I was selected as the female winner! Woo hoo!

My challenge results: 9.5 total inches lost, 10lbs down, 2 clothing sizes dropped.

Weightlifting Progress:

Press 45lbs --> 60lbs
G Row 55lbs-->65lbs
Back Squats 105lbs --> 120lbs
Dead Lifts 145lbs --> 180lbs
Chins 0 --> 3 consecutive
Pushups--> 5 sets of 5 for 6 days to 5 sets of 17 for 6 days

Week 14 Workouts:

Monday- AM elliptical/lunch boot camp/PM xfit
Tuesday- AM run
Wednesday- AM arc trainer/lunch boot camp/PM xfit
Thursday- AM swim/lunch run
Friday- AM elliptical/lunch boot camp/PM xfit
Saturday- AM elliptical
Sunday-AM short walk/rest

Congratulations to all the transformation challenge participants!

Now for the next challenge...maintaining these results...

Week #13

With the final week of the challenge fast approaching, it is hard to believe that I have been so committed to this transformation for over three months. I am curious to take my final measurements next week, but no matter what, this was a success. I will follow up next week with how much my weight lifting increased over the challenge as well.



In week 13, I took advantage of the beautiful, sunny weather by walking outside during lunch for my cardio layering. I'll jump back into lunch boot camp starting on Monday. I just could not stay inside when it was so nice out! I also had an opportunity to ride my road bike for the first time this season on Thursday--it was fantastic! I've missed riding my bike and hope to get out more for some cardio sessions.



Week 13 Workouts:


Monday-AM elliptical/ Lunch walk/ PM xfit
Tuesday- AM swim/walk/ afternoon walk
Wednesday-AM elliptical/lunch walk/ PM xfit
Thursday-AM elliptical/ lunch bike ride
Friday- AM stationary bike and walk / lunch walk/ PM xfit
Saturday-AM swim/midday walk
Sunday-REST

Bricks = 6 (78 total)
Pushups = 480 ( 5 sets of 16 reps)

Week #12

At the beginning of Week #12 I took my measurements again. For the transformation challenge, I need to measure/take photos at the beginning, week 4, week 8, week 12, and then again week 14. I made a bit of progress over the last four weeks but I also realized that I am so close to the end and have been very consistent; so, there is not as much to do. Nonetheless, I am down another 2 inches and .6lbs. Since starting the transformation twelve weeks ago, that puts me at 9.5 inches and 9.2 lbs lost! Not only that, but since I started crossfit in late October (when I really wish I had taken my measurements!), I am down 21 lbs. As a brief aside, I have struggled with my weight basically since I was 14 years old, but this is one of the first times where, even though I follow an organized and methodical food plan, I don't really feel like I am on diet. Very rarely do I feel hungry because I usually consume snacks throughout the day. In fact, sometimes in the afternoon, it is hard to intake all of my snacks but I know I need to get in my target protein goal for the day. The reason I mention all of this is because I think that I will actually be able to maintain most of what I am doing even after the challenge. For the next two weeks, I want to focus on having more veggies and good sources of protein. Also, I want to amp up my exercise program by incorporating more chin ups, burpees, and ab work. Those tend to get the least attention but certainly could help in the last few weeks.

Week 12 Workouts:

Monday-AM elliptical/PM xfit (Press, G Row, Squats & conditioning)
Tuesday- AM swim
Wednesday-AM elliptical/lunch run/PM xfit (Deadlifts and conditioning)
Thursday-AM swim/lunch stairs & pushups/ PM yoga
Friday-AM elliptical/lunch boot camp/PM xfit ( Bench press, G row, and "Big Baseline" conditioning)
Saturday-AM swim
Sunday- REST

Bricks= 6 (72 total)
Pushups = 450 ( 5 sets of 15 reps for 6 days)

Week #11

Week 11 was another productive week in the transformation challenge. It was exciting to be featured on the WMCF blog, but it also motivated me even more to focus on doing things right. Reading all of the other stories of my fellow crossfitters assured me that I was in the perfect place to meet goals.

Much like previous weeks, I kept the focus on my diet, but also tried to add in more second and third layers of cardio throughout the day. My work schedule will be changing a bit in the next few weeks, but I should still be able to get in all the needed workout sessions.

Early next week, I have Week 12 pictures and measurements--I am certainly curious to see where I am compared to four weeks ago. If my clothes are any indication, I have made additional progress.

Week 11 Recap:

Monday- AM elliptical/Lunch boot camp/PM xfit (press, g row, squat, and conditioning)
Tuesday- AM swim
Wednesday- AM elliptical/lunch boot camp
Thursday- AM swim/lunch walk/PM xfit (conditioning/dips)/PM yoga
Friday-AM walk/PM xfit (bench, g row, deadlifts, conditioning)
Saturday- AM run
Sunday- REST


Bricks = 6 (Total to date is 66!)
Pushups = 420 (5 sets 2 14 @14 reps for 6 days)
Fasted Cardio Days = 6

"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination."

Week #10

How long does it take to make progress? I remember when I started in January, and I thought about how long and difficult it was going to be to maintain my food plan and workout routine. It turns out, once you get in the habit of doing something (in this case good), each day gets a bit easier. As you can see from the photo above, I have made some progress in the past ten weeks. Although our chin up bar is a bit cramped in our small doorway, it still serves a purpose. I do not do a ton, but try to squeeze them in whenever I have a few minutes. Since my original goal was to be able to do one chin and I have achieved that goal, I am going to keep chipping away at more of those. Also, I have moved up to 5 sets of 13 pushups (14 next week) for 6 days in my week and continue to make the effort to get up early every day (except Sunday) for my fasted cardio workout. If I stick to my plan, I don't feel guilty about my gluttonous Saturday/Sunday 24 hour cheat window (trying to knock this down to 12), which is good because I could not even list everything that I managed to eat today!

I don't have too much more to blog about this week. Life is good. I have exactly who and what I need in my life right now.

Week 10 Workout Log:

Monday- AM elliptical/walk/AM xfit (press, g row, squat, conditioning)
Tuesday- AM swim/ lunch boot camp
Wednesday- AM elliptical/walk/lunch boot camp/ PM xfit (deadlifts and conditioning)
Thursday- AM swim/PM yoga
Friday-AM elliptical/walk/lunch boot camp/PM xfit (bench, g row, conditioning)
Saturday- AM elliptical/ AM xfit (conditioning)
Sunday- REST

Pushups = 390 ( 5 sets of 13 @ 6 days)
Fasted Cardio Days = 6
Perfect Bricks= 6 (60 to date)

"Above all else, never think you are not good enough."