3 years and still bouncing

This post marks number 100 for me on my blog!  Pure coincidence actually that is happens to be the post I decide to share something…….

So next month is my 3 year anniversary since I started to work out regularly again.  To me, I have come a long way but I still feel I have a long way to go.  Exercising for me isn’t just about getting my burn, trying to gain strength, or just the sheer enjoyment I get out of it.  I also do it because I’m slightly paranoid.  Paranoid about going back to the way I used to be.  Believe it or not I was not even close to being this motivated (some say obsessed) about working out.  My working out 3 years ago involved inserting any type of food into my mouth.  There was no way you were going to get me outside.  I was too busy playing video games. 

I was FAT.  How fat?  Well:  

Body Fat: 32%

Weight: 250

Waist: 50

Someone actually said I had a spare tire that was growing in me.  So I would say I was living large literally.  I honestly didn’t notice it.  I was in complete denial that I was overweight and unhealthy.  I ripped a few pair of pants that could prove that.  Can we say fat guy in little pants. 

So what in the world changed?  I had a very stressful life event occur.  Normally when I was stressed, I would just eat and that would be fine.  The more I ate, the better I felt, the bigger I got.  This time it was different.  20 days prior to said event, I had joined a local gym (not CrossFit).  I had gone a couple times but really wasn’t into it mentally or physically.  I mean who enjoys feeling like you’re about to die!  (I actually don’t mind now but back then was totally different).  Well instead of going straight for the junk food this time, I felt like I had a decision to make.  I could either sit in misery and drown my emotions away by being even more of a gluttonous pig than I already was, or I could actually get off my ass and try something actually productive to release stress.  I’m telling you I wanted to quit so many times.  It didn’t make sense to me in the beginning why anyone would want to subject themselves to this.  I was horrible at exercise.  I couldn’t do one pull-up, one dip, 100 jump rope, and barely a few push-ups.  A sad sight to see for sure.  I remember the one workout that I feel was my turning point. 

Now when I first started I had a trainer at the gym.  I didn’t know the first thing about exercise so I needed the guidance and the support.  I had to jump rope 100 times for the session.  I DID NOT FINISH.  The trainer literally had to leave me on the floor because he had another client that was coming in.  I couldn’t believe that I could not accomplish such a simple task.  From then on I was determined to not have that happen again.  Within the first 7 months I had lost 75 lbs.  Now keep in mind I had three things I needed to work on.  The first one was actually getting to the gym.  The next thing was eating the right food.  Finally I had to kick smoking.  I knew I wasn’t going to be able to tackle all three at once so I did them one at a time.  Obviously the first thing I took care of was getting into the habit of working out and making exercise a priority in life.  So many times people say they can’t go for this reason or that reason.  Yes it is easier for me because I don’t have kids or anything but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the time.  I know lots of people who do.  I would say about 2 to 3 months in is when I started changing what I ate.  Getting rid of little Debbie and trading it in for grapes or apple.  I had forgotten how much I actually enjoyed fruits and vegetables.  After the first year, I stopped smoking.  Yes on occasion I still have the urge to smoke but I just deal with it.  Now 3 years later I’m still actively working out, watching what I eat, and not smoking.  I’m not going to sugar coat it.  Working out and eating right takes work, and dedication.  There is no wonder drug.  You have to be willing to do it.  If you are, there is no limit to what you will achieve.  Like I said some people think I’m obsessed but I am slightly paranoid.  While I appreciate how far I have come, I still see the fat kid and I can relate to how overweight people feel because I was in that position.  I work very hard to make sure I never go back there.  

You may be surprised to know but I actually didn’t start with CrossFit.  Nope when I first started to workout it was your traditional exercise on the machines for 30 minutes then 30-45 cardio.  That was for the first month.  Then I met another trainer.  I liked working out with him because it was always different and we didn’t use the machines which I liked.  I didn’t know it at the time, but we were doing CrossFit like workouts.  I was telling one of my good friends about it and she was like you should try CrossFit!  I checked out CF and haven’t looked back since.  As most of you know I did not join a box (CF gyms are called boxes) until January.  I was hesitant to do so because it was in my mind that the regular gym does just fine.  Why pay more for a box that you can only go to certain times?  I will tell you why.  CrossFit isn’t just about working out.  It’s about the community.  The people you meet are awesome.  We all come from different walks of life with different levels of fitness but we are all there for the same reason.  To get our WOD on.  It doesn’t matter who finishes first or last you will still have the encouragement of all those around you making sure you don’t quit and to leave everything on the floor and you will still get the same fist bump.  No one comes in with a big ego thinking they are the best unlike regular gyms.  It’s hard to put into words how much I love CrossFit without experiencing it (hint hint you should come check us out!) but I’ll leave it at I love the community that makes CrossFit and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Before:                                  After:

Body Fat: 32%                      Body Fat: (When checked Nov 09) 12.5%

Weight: 250                          Weight: 180

Waist: 50                              Waist: 33

OLD broke me:  

New and improving: