checking in

I knew it would be a while before I'd find time to post anything, but I didn't expect it to take me four weeks. Alas, here I am and a whole lot has happened in the past month. The last time I posted I was complaining about my knee issues, specifically my right knee. Though my knee feels a million times better, I don't know if it's because I haven't done much in the way of physical activity as I had been. Or because it actually got better. Maybe a combination of the two? Maybe. I will only know once I get back into a normal fitness routine. Because of my knee I had to take some time off, allowing it to heal and rest, but I was also forced to back down on the days I CrossFitted due to school.

As you may recall I was beginning my first term in the Fit Tech program at PCC. Well it's been about five weeks now and it is safe to say that between school, work, and the little time I find for CrossFit, I have no life. I'm having to write myself "to-do lists" for school, for work, for home life, etc, just to keep up. In no way is this me complaining, far from it. I am so absolutely happy with the decision I made and even though this term feels more like "busy" work than learning much, I am gaining some perspective on the person I am becoming. It's all good!

I did sustain a new pain (injury?). A few weeks ago, during a WOD I noticed that my left sacroiliac (SI) joint was becoming bothersome. Going into round three of the WOD I was in the middle of a 400m run when it became apparent that I needed to stop. The next day my chiropractor gathered that it was my SI joint and I have irritated all the local muscles. In all of my stubbornness I ignored his orders to take a few days off from working out, the pain persisted. I am now doing as ordered and have taken the last week off. Today I will go back to the gym to row and get something in so I don't feel like a slob (I really do feel gross for not being active). I am hoping to be able to get back into a normal CF routine soon.

I am still hosting monthly fitness challenges though I decided to change things up for the month of May. Head on over to Challenge Me Fit's Facebook page and check out May's challenge(s) and join me! We can inspire each other to stay on track!

Well my friends, until next time (and I really do hope it's sooner than later), take care of yourselves!

Photo taken from Pinterest.

day 8 & 9/30: resting squats & measurements update

On day 8 of the resting squat challenge I was having some issues with my knees. I knew I wasn't 100% out of the pain zone, though I have been having many more good days. The act of squatting or doing lunges was too much and so I opted to refrain from the challenge on day 8. Today, day 9, I worked on my resting squat for a little bit. More to work on some stretching for my thighs and hips than anything else. Soreness has decreased some and I think I should be able to get back to working on my resting squats tomorrow. 

Today was my 5th appointment in getting my body fat percentage and measurements. With a couple of hiccups along the way I am still managing to shed some inches. Here is where I am after 10 weeks!

Body fat: 28.09% with a 0.97% loss

Neck: 13 inches with no change

Arm: 13.75 inches with a 0.25 inch loss

Forearm: 11 inches with a 0.25 inch gain

Chest: 40.25 inches with a 1.75 inch loss

Waist: 38 inches with a 1 inch loss

Hips: 45.75 inches with a 0.25 inch loss

Thigh: 24 inches with a 1 inch loss

Calf: 17 inches with no change

I am feeling pretty good. I think I will see even bigger losses in the coming weeks. I will keep you updated!

day 6 & 7/30: resting squat challenge & pr's

Last night my knees were pretty sore from all the pounding it's taken this past week. While at a sports bar checking out the Portland Timbers game, I finally had to stand up from my stool and just stand. I didn't get a lot of resting squat in yesterday but working on more of it today. The knees aren't as sore today either.

Yesterday while at the CF Open 14.2

At home after an Olympic Weightlifting class & Tabata Sit-ups

Every Sunday I attend an Olympic Weightlifting class at my box to fine tune the movements. We work on Snatches, Cleans, and Jerks. Today I managed to PR on my Clean & Jerk. My snatches are getting better too! And on Friday, while doing the CF Open 14.2, I PR on the OHS. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it!

day 4/30: resting squat challenge & the first step to my new road

I've made it to day 4 of the resting squat challenge, and even as I type this I am squatting. I am experiencing no pain in the knees and my ankles aren't feeling strained. However, I can only hold the resting squat for about 3 to 5 minutes at a time before my legs get tingly. This is still an enormous improvement from my first go around of the challenge. I'm still using a heel support as well but some moments I will squat without heel support and let my heels hang so that the ankles can get some stretch in them. I have been working on mobility in my ankles as I know they are pretty tight.

Took a minute at work to squat.

As for my first step to my new road is with the change of my work schedule. Today was my last day at Lula Health Center, a bittersweet day. I will miss the ladies I worked with tremendously as they are all very talented and have big hearts! I will now only be working at one job while attending school. I am very fortunate to continue to have an awesome boss that is willing to be flexible with my work schedule so that I can attend school at the maximum hours possible. I'm ready for my new adventure to begin!

day 3/30: resting squat challenge & understanding the snatch

Now I know I didn't do an accumulative 30 minutes of a resting squat today, I'm pretty sure it's more like 15, maybe 20 minutes. I have a great reason though, my legs are crazy sore! And it didn't help that in today's WOD we were working on a 1 heavy rep on power snatches and then snatches for 20-15-9. But here's the amazing thing, today I finally got a grip on the snatch. I haven't been able to get beyond a 55# power snatch and a 35# snatch. After attending an Olympic Weightlifting class at the gym on snatches and then tonights more in-depth breakdown, something in my head just clicked. The weight didn't feel as heavy as it normally does. My 1 heavy rep on the power snatch tonight was 75#, a PR! And after some practice on the snatches, I can comfortably do 35# (which is what I did within the WOD) but I know I can do 55#, it's just sloppy and I wanted to focus on technique tonight. I feel amazing! After the WOD tonight I had to complete my Tabata Squats for the the March challenge, so a few others who are in the challenge as well joined me for 4 minutes to get them done. I got 85, I am pleased with that number.

Anyway, after all that, I worked on my resting squat and I felt incredible. My hips are definitely opening up and my knees are feeling less strained/pained. They are exceptionally sore this evening but still functional! I am making progress!

Using 10# bumper plates under my heels.

day 2/30: resting squat challenge

So today I did not do a full 30 minutes of a resting squat. After yesterdays WOD and my constant knee issues, I was feeling far too sore and some slight knee pain to keep at it. Maybe I will make up for it tomorrow, we'll see how the knee feels. I do notice though that I am getting deeper in my squat and I don't instantly fall backwards when I don't use heel support. My ankles are regaining some mobility/flexibility. AWESOME!!

Squatting in jeans is a challenge!

day 1/30: resting squat challenge

So a while ago, not exactly sure how long ago, I joined a 30 day squat challenge. Every day you hold a resting squat for as long as you can for up to 30 minutes. I wasn't being very consistent with it so I decided to start the challenger over, today. In fact, I am finishing up my 30 minute squat as I type up this blog posting. It is kind of a weird position but it works. I highly recommend this challenge to anyone who has issues with squatting, because the truth is, there is NO reason why you can't squat. Check out the challenges Facebook page and give it a peak and a try. I promise you will be thankful you did!

Myself, working on my squat earlier today. 

post reflection on the sugar challenge

So it's been four days since the sugar challenge I was in ended. And you'd think that I went out and indulged in sweet treats, right? Well I didn't, not exactly. First it didn't help that right after Christmas I caught the Flu bug and was out of the game for a week. I am feeling tons better but still walking around with a nagging cough. So my diet didn't change a whole lot since my taste took a while to return to normal, though I think it's still off a bit. This down time gave me some time to think and reflect on what I learned from this challenge and how I want to proceed from here. For starters, I no longer crave any of my old favorite treats, which is a fantastic thing. I broke out of a bad habit and formed some new ones due to this challenge. I was hoping to accomplish not wanting to fall back to my old ways. So yesterday I decided to indulge in a sweet treat. I purchased this small little SnackWells pack of four cookies. These were one of my go to treats that were suppose to be a healthier choice but were riddled with not so good things. I managed to eat two cookies when I decided to throw the pack out. Not because I had had enough, but because the taste of the cookies were awful. I am amazed how I can now distinguish the taste of something made with good quality ingredients, and bad stuff.

I have no desire to go back to my old eating habits. I have full intentions on continuing on the same path I established during the challenge. I will allow natural sweet treats from time to time, and the occasional alcohol induced outings but I have no desire to ruin all that I have accomplished. I got goals I want to reach. This is the only body I have, I want to treat it right!

day 60 of 60: sugar challenge

The End.

It is the official last day of the sugar challenge for me and my last weigh in was this morning. The result? Well surprisingly I lost another 3#! I say surprisingly because last Friday I got hit with the Flu and have been home sick all weekend couch bound. Today was my first day out of the house to go to work for a few hours and I really wasn't expecting to see much of a difference on the scale. Now I know the loss could be contributed to having been sick and not eating a whole lot, but I know it could also be that I've reached a point where my muscles are burning enough calories on their own. It could be one or the other, or more probably a combination of the two. Either way, I'll take it. I've lost more weight than I had expected to during this challenge. I'm pretty stoked!

Total weight lost from November 1st thru December 31st is 17#. I averaged a loss of 2.125# a week, but in reality that is not how it unfolded. I suspect I will reach my first weight goal in mid-January. If I keep up with my current success I will reach my second goal weight in one years time. Sooner if I am ambitious. I will continue to track my weight loss on a monthly basis as I will continue to keep a cleaner diet and not bring refined sugar and unbleached enriched flour back into my regular diet. This wasn't a temporary thing, it was the road to a new way of life!

I do want to take a moment to thank my wonderful partner, Aaron, for his encouragement and support during all of my challenges and on my road to making a better me. You make me stronger and stay on track with your positive words. Thank you my love.

This photo was taken from Pinterest.

day 54 of 60: sugar challenge

I had an exciting Christmas Eve weigh in!! I had not expected much of a loss, I was shooting for maintenance. But this morning I weighed in 3# less than my last weigh in. WHAT! Yes... I am so excited. This obviously proves the lack of working out two weeks ago is what inhibited any loss in last weeks weigh in. I am now officially 10# away from my first goal!! Give me a moment as I do my happy dance. :)

So in one weeks time I will be doing my last weigh in for the sugar challenge, as it is coming to an end. The end result of this challenge thus far? I will not go back to eating refined sugar on a regular basis, if at all. I have seen too much progress and feel too good to want to put much of that crap back into my body. I will, however, begin a monthly weigh in on the last Friday of every month to keep record of my progress with my continue healthy eating and CrossFit workouts/monthly challenges. So stay tuned!

day 50 of 60: sugar challenge

Alright, so I had my weigh in this morning and I managed to lose the 0.5# I gained last week but that is all. That is ok. As I suspected with the reintroduction of beer into my diet and having a couple of outings that involved drinking and the lack of working out last week, this was bound to happen. I also know that I should not always expect a weight loss as I am still building muscle. What I should be happy with is that I am able to maintain my weight at the very least.

In 10 days will mark the end of this challenge and my 7 month CrossFit anniversary. A lot has happened for me between the two. I have lost more weight than I had expected to see on the scale in the past 50 days, and in the last 4 to 5 months I have really noticed the changes in my body. I know that if I keep up with eating right and training hard I will achieve my fitness goals. I know I am on the right track. :)

sugar challenge still going strong

I realized that I never posted about my weigh in last week. Probably because I was a tad bit disappointed with it. I gained 0.5# during that week and I know I can attribute that to the introduction of beer back in my diet as well as being out of CrossFit for a full week due to my knee. But that is alright, it was a slight increase and not the end of the world for me. I am not drinking beer everyday, just had a couple of events I went to. Plus I have gone everyday this week to CrossFit. I expect a better outcome in my weigh in this Friday. Stay tuned…

This photo was taken from Pinterest.

plank challenge ended

Today was the last day of the 30 day Plank Challenge, which I unfortunately was not successful in. A combination of the challenge calendar being far more advanced than I had anticipated and my right knee being a bit of an issue. But that is ok, I will be better prepared next time the plank comes back around. I will now go off and enjoy the rest of my holiday season and join in another challenge in January… the push-up! Interested in joining myself and some of my friends? Check out Challenge Me Fit and let me know if you are interested. The more, the merrier!

knee pain & the plank

Ok, so I'm 13 days into the plank challenge and we've made it to the 1.5 min hold. This is proving to be more challenging than I anticipated. Not so much the plank itself, I knew it would be a challenge… that's the whole point of a challenge. But I didn't factor in that my knees would potentially be a problem, and they are. For a while now my knees have been a source of some discomfort, so much so that I have had to modify or avoid some workouts at my box. This is utterly frustrating to me. I just want to be able to do or try to do what everyone else is doing in class. I'll admit, it makes me feel like a pansy. I have been working on an array of mobility work to help my knees and the surrounding areas, as well as strengthening other muscles, and practicing proper form in other movements. Some days my knees will not cooperate with me and other days I feel like I can climb a mountain with no issues. I'm trying to remain positive and continue to work on what needs to be worked on. But I'm not going to lie, the time it's taking for things to change is frustrating me and mentally draining me. I have little to no patience.

As for the plank, I am not able to hold it for a minute without going into a modify hold. Even if I try to ignore the pain, which I know I shouldn't, I can't. So in lieu of giving up, I will modify the challenge so that I am still able to participate. I will begin to hold the plank for as long as I can until the pain sets in, then I will rest for 30 seconds before continuing on. The time is only counted when I am in a plank position. I encourage anyone else who is participating in the plank challenge to modify the same way if needed. I will not allow my knees to defeat me. This is all just temporary and it will pass… plank on!

day 22 of 60: sugar challenge

Oh. My. Goodness. I am not sure how to react to my weigh in today. Should I jump up and down? Scream with excitement? Do cartwheels? Wait... I can't do cartwheels... yet! Ok ok... so this week I lost a total of 3.5# adding to a complete total of 10.5# in three weeks. How?! I mean awesome, but how?!

               :::BREATHE NIKKI:::

Ok, I am better now. I am feeling pretty happy with this development. I honestly thought the weight loss would slow down to a pound a week, which would be awesome, but never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd have a large loss like this week. Maybe this will be the last of the large losses, and that is ok. But apparently whatever I am doing is working... and so I shall continue with it.

day 4 of 30: plank challenge

Today was day 4 of the plank challenge and the last of the 30 seconds. Tonights plank was a bit of challenge due to having just had an intense workout only an hour before. I had to be reminded to breathe. And what you will not see in the video is how much my arms are shaking. However, my form has gotten better (butt is staying down). Whenever you see me arch my butt up and shake my leg, it's due to having some knee problems… bare with me, I do add a couple of seconds to the plank to make up for it.

day 1 of 30: plank challenge

Today a few of my wonderful friends and I began our journey in a plank challenge. The last time I worked on doing the plank, which was about two or so years ago, I was able to hold it for a little over a minute. And now, well not so much. I've asked all the friends that have decided to join me in this challenge to record their first and last day, and if possible a few in between. At the end of the challenge I will collect all the video's and create a video montage, but for now, I will just post my weekly attempts. Today's attempt was to hold it for 20 seconds. I learned pretty quickly that I wasn't as flat as I felt I was… as you will witness.

I held the plank for 21 seconds, unintentionally. My way of dealing with discomfort or uncomfortable situations is to laugh, clearly this will be a very long 30 day challenge for me. 

Others doing the challenge with me:

Darci

Denisa

Robin

Christopher

Tonya

Todd

Ashley

Proud of you guys… get those video's to me!

only 2 days away from the plank challenge

So in two days I will be participating in a 30 day plank challenge with some friends. If you missed the posting with what the Plank Challenge entails, go here. This evening I had a breakthrough during my class that made me realize I have gotten pretty strong in the last few months and I think I may be successful during this challenge. We shall see. I want to thank the following people for joining me: Denisa, Tonya, Robin, Darci, and Christopher! It's not too late for anyone who wants to jump on board.

This photo was found on Pinterest.

no more excuses

I got lost on YouTube land today. What started as crazy domino challenges eventually led to CrossFit stories. I must've watched over ten inspirational stories of people beating the odds. The above video I shared from YouTube about Lindy Wall's story was quite powerful to me. What an extraordinary story of overcoming such a challenge, and proving that everything she was being told would be impossible was more than possible. When I hear of stories like this, some even more dramatic, and others much less… it reminds me how anything is possible… ANYTHING. This video really made me think about how often I use the excuse of "I can't" and how often I hear others use the same excuse of why they can not do something. I am done with the excuses. I may not be a 20 something year old on my way to the CrossFit games next year, but I certainly will be able to do many of the things these athletes do. I'm willing to put in the time and effort so that at the end of the day I can say, I DID. What about you? What excuse are you tired of hiding behind?

day 8 of 61: sugar challenge

So I am officially 8 days into my sugar challenge! So much has happened this week to be excited about. For starters, I didn't have any withdrawals like I expected to have. I was sure I would be a severe grump but besides momentary grouchiness, usually because I hadn't eaten yet, I was pretty mellow. Secondly, I have lost 6 pounds in 8 days! I honestly did not expect much weight lost as I believe I am still in the building muscle phase of my CrossFit training. But alas, I did. I'm pretty stoked to see such a significant change on the scale with just a change in my diet.

Yesterday, on the 7 day mark, I added fruit back into my diet. During the first 4 to 5 days of the challenge I found that instead of craving crappy stuff like cookies, donuts, chocolate, and so on, I was actually craving bananas and mangos. Mind you, I haven't had a mango in 15 or so years, so that caught me off guard. My first bite into a banana yesterday was a delicious one and surprisingly, a very sweet one.

I'll be honest, I really expected this challenge to be difficult. I was so certain that I'd be craving chocolate of all kinds. I don't seem to be missing any of it. I hope the challenge remains this easy for me. How about those of you doing the challenge with me? How are you progressing? Feeling?