69 weeks is, like, a really long time. It’s exacly 1.32692308 years. I know I’ve said it before, but it’s the longest I’ve ever done something consistently other than watching every single episode of Grey’s Anatomy (SEASON 12 DEBUTS THURSDAY, WHERE ARE WE WATCHING IT?!).
Working out is just something I do now. It’s a part of my life, a healthy habit – you know, like brushing my teeth. For the first half of this journey, it was exciting and awesome to see all of the changes and the gains I made with each new achievement. But those things slow down eventually, too. You get closer to your goals, and suddenly the gains aren’t as huge and the changes aren’t as rapid. It’s important to remember they are still happening, though.
Yesterday I came across an old picture of me from 2011. As I mentioned last week, I have hit a bit of a plateau as far as weight loss goes. I needed a reminder just how far I’ve come, because it’s really g-d far. I needed to be remember that this is a journey and not a sprint (and a total cliche) and that sometimes falling off the horse means you need to change up your routine. Routines can become mundane, and boredom can be a huge catalyst for veering off a designated path.
Don’t get me wrong, what I love most about CrossFit is that I’m never bored. The workouts change ever single day and keep me engaged and fresh and pushing my limits. I still see skills improve – heck, just yesterday I successfully did some kipping swings as I work towards nailing a kipping pullup. That’s progress. Just a few months ago I could barely do 15 hanging knee raises. Last Saturday, I hit a new 5# bench press PR of 140lbs! That’s after doing a bunch of doubles at 115#, 120#, 125#, 130#, and 135# (in other words, a lot of volume). Since I started tracking my food again and being more conscious of what I put into my mouth (iincluding MOAR WATER), I’ve managed to see 6 lbs magically fade away in a week and a half. I took a yoga class last week – restorative yoga with my dear, sweet, angel bb love Sally. It was magical. I felt stretched and refreshed and like I just spent an hour giving myself a gentle hug. I emailed Lucia about getting an appointment with her to talk about nutrition because maybe (gasp) there are (totally) other things I could change in my diet to make myself healthier and happier and, in turn, see more results both in the gym and in my body.
This last week, I did some things differently. I did some things the same. I saw results.
It’s kind of like the dream my co-worker told me he had about me. You know, where he was in the men’s room peeing and then I came in and started peeing in the urinal next to him? I know. In his dream, he asked me what I was doing and I answered with a simple, “Sometimes I just like to change it up.” Genius. Same applies here, and pretty much every other part of life.
And speaking of big changes, tonight I coach my very first all-by-myself class at 5:30pm. LOOK WHO’S ALL GROWN UP NOW! Who’s coming?!