Crossfit and Women Athletes

I can't speak for every Crossfit gym across the country, but it seems to me that there is a push for women athletes in Crossfit. Not so much like we need more, although there is a bit of that. But everywhere you look in Crossfit environments, everyone is cheering for the women. I have to say, I'm really proud to be a part of a sport and organization that supports women being strong and athletic.

So many times in athletic competition based settings there are only so many sports where women are 'allowed' to excel, gymnastics for one. But if women excel in a male dominated event, like say NASCAR, they are pretty much written off. Entire leagues created for women's sport are often completely forgotten about. WNBA? Is that a TV station?

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But that's not Crossfit.

Women athletes are talked about with the same idolized awe as the men. There is a specific division where men and women compete side by side on a team.

It's awesome and empowering, even as a woman that would never make it to the Games. I'm so excited to see women seen as athletic and that to be a good thing. For someone to call a woman a 'beast' and mean that she is awesome and strong. And not implying that she's ugly. It's an environment I'm okay with my daughter growing up around.

Every once in a while you'll hear someone call a woman a man. As if only men could be so strong. Men don't have the market cornered on being strong and powerful anymore. Just like women aren't the only people on the planet that can be wimpy and passive. Using anatomy to determine personality and strength is just as insulting as using age or nationality or skin color or any of the many stereotypes that we are working so hard to break down.

It's nice to know that some sports are helping to bring down those walls. And that my kids will be growing up in a world where being strong isn't just a man thing.

Personal Paleo Challenge Day 1: Fighting!

In the last few months, I've gotten really bad about wanting to start a Paleo Challenge and actually doing it. It seems like a really good idea on Sunday. But come Monday morning, I'm still headed toward to my chocolate Rice Chex and sugared flavored coffee creamer.

It's really easy to think about all the things you want to change and all the things you need to do differently. At least it is for me. I can come up with a good plan for what I should be doing in a heartbeat. I'll research it until I could be a professional. But execution is something very different.

I could blame a lot of things, bad habits, lack of willpower, no self-control, tasty tempting cupcakes. Whatever the excuse, it's still just an excuse. It's a matter of me just not doing it.

Today is different. Today, I have a team. The family is getting in on it the plan. And while we aren't doing a Whole 30, the plan is about 90% Paleo, which is more reasonable for us.

For me it's about weight loss. I need a plan that will keep me motivated and something I feel I'm capable of sticking to. It's no good coming up with a great plan, starting, and then realizing it's just too much for me to take on long term. For me to get the best results without getting frustrated, I have to start with a few extras. My big one is peanut butter. I just don't like almond butter. It's not a good substitute for me. And an apple with peanut butter is a staple in my diet. My other big extra is rice. While a grain, it has a weird 'not as bad' thing about it. At least that's what I keep telling myself. And it's better for me to include it while I dump all the other processed things and then worry about it after I'm in a more comfortable place with all the changes.

And really that's the best way to come up with a plan. Some people are the type that can make a big change all at once and not look back. Some people need to do things slowly, building a foundation and working from there.

That time of year...

It's that time of year again. Oh you know what I'm talking about. We've been making the list all year with the tag, I'll do that at the New Year. Whether or not you've written something down, everyone has something that they plan to 'work on'.  I do.

There is something about the New Year that makes me always feel guilt about not making it to where I meant to be. I had lofty goals of health and weight loss last year. I lost 18 pounds last year. Not so shabby really. But when I compare it to what I wanted to do, I feel lacking.

In today's world of social media, it's really easy to feel lacking. After all, no one blogs about the crappy things. Who wants to read that? If I wanted to feel bad, I can manage that on my own. I want to see happy perfect people that I can aim to be like. And as I aim to be like them, I often get stuck thinking about where I'm not.

I don't think about the good things, like how I've lost 18 lbs and kept it off. Or how I've been doing Crossfit (mostly) regularly for almost a year now. I'm stronger and far more confident than where I was last year.

It's easy to forget those parts when I think, why didn't I lose 20 lbs? Why didn't I go to Crossfit more? Why didn't I stick to my healthy eating plan over the holidays?

But my theme to this blog is Own It!

I made my choices. And I'm going to own them.

In addition to that, I'm moving on. It's a new year. All that was last year. There isn't a reason to dwell on it. Remember the good. Forget the bad.

My resolution is to not compare. I will not compare myself to other people. And I will not compare my reality to the imaginary. I resolve to live in the now.