The Importance of Nutrition: Physical & Mental

"You are what you eat."


Does that thought scare you? It kind of does me; although, it doesn't scare me as much as it used to. I have made progress and now eat healthier than I ever have in my life. It has been a long, slow and some times frustrating journey. I'm not where I want to be, but I've made progress. I think that it the thought process we as CrossFitters should all have. Fitness is a life-long journey. I don't have to be able to do a kipping pullup, a muscle up or a 200-pound backsquat today, but I am working toward those goals. Just like with my nutrition, I don't have to be perfect or have the exact perfect balance everyday of carbs, protein and fats, as well as vitamins and minerals. I just have to make sure I am working down that path. Just like my performance in the gym can always be better, so can my diet. This is a very difficult concept for me because ...

"You are your own worst critic."


... I can beat myself up with the best of them. You can ask my husband. If the WOD was 'Beat yourself up for time', I'd be the fittest woman on earth. It's easy for me to encourage other people, celebrate their small victories and tell them not to get discouraged, but I am awful at practicing what I preach. That is why Justin (my husband) and I are embarking on a seven-day physical and mental challenge. Our diet is the physical side. For seven days beginning Monday, June 25, Justin and I will eat strict Zone, focusing on strictly measuring our meals and getting our carbs from fruits and vegetables. That part will be challenging, but the hardest part for me will be the mental challenge. For seven days, we will work to consume only positive words and thoughts. I will not tell myself that I can't do something or that I am not good at something. I will work to replace those thoughts with positive ones, such as "I can do this," "I will give this everything I've got," and "I am getting stronger and better." I will not compare myself to other people or be negative. If I have a negative thought, I must immediately replace it with a positive one. If I verbalize a negative thought, the challenge immediately starts over; and if the mental part starts over, so does the physical part. If I want to have a sugar cheat, I better be positive!! I will keep all of you posted, and I promise to be honest.

I understand the importance of nutrition. Nutrition is the basis of our training. According to Coach Greg Glassman's pyramid, if your nutrition isn't sound, your metabolic conditioning, weightlifting, gymnastics and sport will all suffer as well. That means you can't ignore nutrition and just focus on training; they go hand-in-hand. Like I said at the beginning, what we do as CrossFitters is a life-long journey; so even if your nutrition isn't going to be perfect, start making positive changes. Get headed in the right direction. You will start to notice a difference in your performance and in the way you feel. Take a challenge of your own. Eat better for a week or two and see how you feel. I know I've rambled (I could keep going, believe me), but this is a subject I am getting more and more passionate about, but I haven't arrived myself. We can all work on getting there together!

This blog is based on Psalm 139:13-16:  
     "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.
     Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
     Your workmanship is marvelous-how well I know it.
     You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of 
          the womb.
     You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. 
     Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."

You were created for a purpose, and God made you exactly the way you are on purpose! You truly were created to be fabulous!