Success story : Meg S.

I love a good success story. It always impresses me when people really embrace a challenge. Our fellow athlete, Meg, did just that. She went into the Whole30 dedicated from day 1. In just one month she lost 8 POUNDS (!!!) and, as you can tell from her photo, body fat. What I love more is that she looks happy! She's learning how to live a healthy life. There's also a pretty awesome video of her recent snatch PR floating around the Internet 😊 congratulations Meghan we are all proud of you!

I started Whole30 almost immediately after completing Whole Life Challenge. WLC changed SO much for me and jump-started my good eating habits. I saw a ton of success with 13.4 pounds gone in the 56 days.

Whole30 on the other hand created a whole new experience for me. I combined this with the initiation of 'Zoning' in my diet and saw tremendous results because of it. But I think there were 2 bigger gains I experience during Whole30 that I wouldn't trade for anything. The first being my relationship with food. I had a good amount of cravings throughout the experience, but didn't break. I think the biggest thing that I learned was that for me it's important to have balance. I become so obsessive that all I can think about is the things that I am choosing not to have. As I move into this next step of reintroduction and balancing daily life, I am going to allow myself to enjoy something every two weeks. This will give me the balance of enjoying life and not obsessing over being perfect, but helping me to maintain my results and continue to progress. In addition to that, the improvement I have seen in my workouts is astronomical. I'm lifting heavier, moving faster, and feeling more confident. Never in a million years did I think I would ever be comfortable enough to work out in just my sports bra. Now? I do it every day because it's hot and who cares?!

All in all, the experience of starting CrossFit, which though it's crazy to say, has only been an 8 month experience for me so far has completely changed my life. I'm stronger both physically and mentally. I know how to preserve and cherish the body that I've been given. I know that life is about balance and that no one is perfect. And all of this has given me the true confidence to know that I will reach the fitness goals I have for myself.

I can't thank you enough for your support, the blog posts that popped up just when I needed them and for being a resource. As of today, I am down 8 pounds in this 30 days and couldn't be happier. I am looking to lose 5% more body fat to reach a goal I never thought would be possible. And now, I can celebrate :)

Congratulations!!!

A HUGE congratulations goes out to all of the Whole30 participants!! I am so proud of everyone's dedication to transforming the way you eat and feel. I hope you learned something about yourself the past month and continue to use what you learned from here on out. Maybe you are going to keep this up because you are feeling SO good! If you are choosing to reincorporate foods (dairy, rice etc) do so slowly and deliberately. Remember these foods were off limits for a reason. They can be inflammatory and cause problems for some people. I would suggest reintroducing one thing at a time. You are eating so clean now that you'll know immediately if something is upsetting your guts, performance, mood, skin, etc. 

Now it's time to celebrate! Remember how you learned to reward yourself with non-food items... give that a try now! I am positive you will be more proud of yourself for celebrating with a massage rather than an ice cream cone. (Leave those treats for TRUE special occasions). Here is what the Whole30 has to say about reintroduction READ THIS

Last, but not least, please send me your successes!! nicoleraustin@gmail.com or Facebook I want to share them with others so that you may be the inspiration for others. You worked hard, be proud of yourself

Final countdown!

For those of you that started 8/17 your Whole30 is coming to an end, already! Tuesday 9/15 will mark the last day of your journey.

• Don't forget to redo the baseline workout on Monday (or whatever wod you did for a test/retest)
• Weigh, measure, take pictures.
• READ THIS BLOG ABOUT WHATS NEXT! (Hint : don't go off the deep end)
• Celebrate your success-woohoo!
• SEND ME A SUCCESS STORY - nicoleraustin@gmail.com It does not have to be a novel, it can be if you want. It can be just one thing you learned/experienced. It can be photos, before and afters etc. I really want to hear how this impacted you! 

Food Pride

Something pretty awesome happens when you a) dedicate yourself to something and b) eat very clean. You start to be proud of your food choices. I've noticed this feeling of pride a lot lately.

• At the grocery store checkout lane when my cart is full of meat, fruits, and veggies (and a crying Baby) 
• During prep days when I know I'll be ready for anything that comes at me
• After workouts when I actually feel better eating real food rather than powder
• At birthday parties when I pass up the lame grocery store cupcakes (they really aren't worth it) and I still was able to celebrate eating watermelon (concept!!!)

I'm sure your noticing these little victories too! It's so much nicer than sugar crashes and disappointment in bad decisions. I just wanted to say stick with it!! You're doing awesome!! Look for little victories and BE PROUD OF HOW HARD YOURE WOKING TOWARD A HEALTHIER YOU! 

Half way point!

We are half way through our Whole30 folks! I'm hoping that you are all feeling great and crossing off the days on your calendar. If you're the kind of person who responds to rewards (I totally do) now would be a great time to treat yourself for making it this far and recharge yourself for the second half of the challenge. The Whole30 is all about resetting your habits. Food rewards may just be one of those bad habits you can work on now!

Here are a few ideas on how to reward yourself that don't include an ice cream sundae 😉

1. Spa day! At home or away - pedicure, massage, chiropractic care, facial. Think relaxation. 

2. Buy a new workout outfit OR shoes

3. Treat yourself to a night at the movies

4. Buy yourself flowers

5. Make time for a fun hobby (shooting, drawing, painting ...)

6. Enjoy a laugh at a comedy club 

7. Treat yourself to something you've been wanting to buy but haven't 

8. Get outside! Hike, picnic, tennis...

What are the ways you are rewarding your Whole30 successes?

I also wanted to share this recipe I make that is super easy and perfect for snack time. 

Chia pudding

1 can full fat coconut milk 

1/4 cup chia seed

1 Tbs vanilla 

1tsp cinnamon (optional)

Mix all together in container you can put a lid on and shake. Shake well. Refrigerate for 15-20 mins and then re shake and put back in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour. Top with fruit of your choice 

High performance fuel

I try to read articles/books/blogs that focus my efforts when I'm participating in a challenge. I feel like it solidifies my commitment and sometimes it's all I need to help me walk away from that tub of ice cream my MIL left in my fridge (true story). This article (http://sealfit.com/sealfit-blog-a-30-day-challenge/) from Mark Devine of SEALfit is one of those articles that hit home for me. I personally see treats as just that, treats. So when I see athletes posting about how they are making "gainz " eating Oreos I often wonder how that's hindering their potential success.

Use this challenge to see how whole food actually gives you real "gainz". Don't trick yourself into thinking all calories are created equal, because they are not. Inflammatory food choices are HURTING you at a cellular level. Oreos are delicious, yes, but can you live without them for 30 days? Yes. Can you realize at the end of this month that Oreos (insert junk food of choice here) are not "gainz"? Yes! Just think about all that hard work in the gym, work that hard on your diet and I promise you will be happy with the results you see. 

Welcome to the party! (and some light reading)

I'd like to say "Welcome!" to the CFME athletes that are joining the Whole30 this Monday! I'm so excited to have you! Maybe some of you were hesitant to start last week. But guess what?! The people who are a week in already are reporting back some pretty awesome and powerful stuff.
If you are starting this week ...

1. print out your calendar (see earlier blog post) and label from 8/24-9/20
2. Prep!!!!
3. Do Monday's WOD so you can repeat and see your progress
4. weigh (once) and take some pictures
5. Let me know if you have questions

Now for your reading assignment. Please take the time to read THIS ARTICLE and it's sequel, ARTICLE (PART 2). Melissa Hartwig, co-creator of the Whole30, goes over the WHY's of the Whole30 - specifically why it is strict for 30 days. I love her analogy to the "Sugar Dragon" and I have read this several times, especially when I am craving a treat. Tomorrow I will post another article from another health/wellness expert, and former navy seal (not Zach ;) ) so tune in for that. 

GOOD LUCK on week 2 for all of you who started last week! Stick with it, you will be SO proud of yourself