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‘Tis the Season to be Paleo

Yes, the Holiday Party season has begun. With all the lights, festivities, enticing foods, and that rum-laced eggnog that only come once a year, you might be tempted to throw those dietary resolves to the wind for a few weeks. Besides, you gotta have SOMETHING for those New Year’s Resolutions, right? WRONG! You CAN be different this year and avoid the unwanted creep. I know, I know, it is easier said than done, but here are some helpful tips to get you through the holiday season and still maintain your Paleo resolve.

Begin a food log. Logging what you eat every day, all week helps you to get into the mindset of healthy eating. It also helps you to be aware of what is coming next to help you plan for those parties. And it makes you accountable. If you have to log it the next day, you might not eat it in the first place.

Continue exercising through the holiday season. I know, with all the hustle and bustle of shopping, parties, wrapping, family events, it is easy to forgo the exercise. Don’t! An added benefit of exercise in the holiday season is that it makes you more responsive to when you are REALLY hungry. It helps you manage your eating. Further, exercise relieves anxiety, so when you arrive at those parties you can do so relaxed and in control, which makes you less susceptible to emotional eating.

Have a plan of attack. For many of the events you go to you, know somewhat of what is going to be there. Decide ahead of time what you will eat, how much you will eat, drink and whether or not you will indulge in dessert or something special. Also, plan what you eat during the day of your event(s). Don’t overindulge at lunch if you know you are going to the office party that night.

Reframe how you view the holiday get togethers. Instead of looking at it as a whole month of parties to get through, take each day as they come. Try to focus on normal schedules and eating the rest of the days. Also, look at these events to be centered around focusing on relationships and seeing people you know, rather than centered around food. Food is secondary. Meet new people, rekindle and strengthen friendships and family bonds.

Manage Stress. Let’s face it. Parties, schedules, and family can bring on stress. Take some time before you hit the party scene or go to grandma’s to identify any triggers for stress. Knowing your triggers before going into the moment will reduce your desire to emotionally eat everything in sight. Have a plan for how you will graciously deal with each trigger.

Fill up before you go to the party. Eat healthy items, such as protein and veggies about an hour before the event. Also, drink at least 8 oz or more of water. Noshing on healthy options helps to stave off hunger and will keep you fuller longer. All this helps to not get caught up in the “eat, drink, and be merry” spirit where you consume too much of everything before you know it. Try this combo: a hardboiled egg, a handful of carrots and an 8 oz. glass of water.

Limit alcohol consumption. Drinking too much can lower your inhibitions and cause you to over indulge. Try drinking two glasses of water or club soda for every drink of alcohol. It will help you be less likely to throw your Paleo diet to the wind and will probably save you from seeing embarrassing photos posted on social media sites the next day.

Contribute a healthy dish and find healthy eats on the table. Ask your host if you can bring something. At least that way, you know there is one thing you can put on your plate. Then choose a YUMMY Paleo recipe. Most likely you can probably find some Paleo friendly items to eat along the way. Be on the lookout for some of these items: protein (shrimp, beef, chicken, scallops), veggie trays or crudités, and fruit. Fill up on those items. Skip the breads, dips, and cheeses.

WOW your friends with a great outfit and your fit self! Wear clothes that are flattering and show off how hard you have been working this year to stay in shape. Looking great and wearing form fitting, flattering clothes will motivate you when you are tempted to indulge. Hearing how great you look, and answering the questions of how you got to this point, will also inspire you to stay clear of that eggnog.

Now, are you feeling prepared? Let the festivities begin. In the coming days prior to Christmas, we will be posting holiday recipes for you to enjoy taking to parties or serving your family and friends. Just because you are eating healthy, doesn’t mean you forgo great tasting food and elegant dishes!

Until next time, may your festivities be merry and bright!

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Overstuffed from Thanksgiving?

We at CFWH hope that you had a wonderful holiday. Feeling stuffed from so much good food? Here’s a quick, light healthy drink that will fill you up, but keeps it light.

1 cucumber (unpeeled), cut into spears
3 stalks celery, cut into 2 inch lengths
3 leaves of kale, cut into 2 inch wide strips
1 apple (unpeeled), cored and cut into chuncks
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley
1/2 lemon, peel removed with a knife

Feed the cucumber, celery, kale, apple, parsley, and lemon into a juicer. Discard solids.

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Being Above the Line

So there is a blog from www.beastmodaldomains.com floating around social media. In it the blogger profiles certain CrossFit gym stereotypes. Every gym has them for sure, however this particular blogger colorfully describes them in manner that is let’s just say …interesting. The blog detailed certain specific behaviors that are counter-productive to achieving positive results. While I don’t disagree that there are these types of folks in CrossFit, I just think it can be discussed differently. To me all the examples can be summed up in a simple way, being above the line or below the line. This is a concept that I have learned from my business coach.

Being Above The Line….. OAR

Ownership is the first key to being above the line. As CrossFit coaches we are guides, teachers, motivators, (amateur) psychologists, friends, etc. The one thing we can’t do for you is perform the workout or eat properly for you. These things are on you. We will give you tools, provide resources and be a resource, but YOU have to put in the work and make the right choices. Take ownership of your lifestyle!

Accountability is the second key. At CFWH, we are your accountability partners, helping you be your best. We hold you accountable to the integrity and honesty of performing the workouts to the standards. But you have to hold yourself responsible. Be accountable to you. We can be your sounding board for nutrition advice, but we can’t be there when you are out with friends trying to decide if it is a good idea to have the double chocolate brownie cake dripping with ice cream.

Responsibility is the third key. As coaches we will help guide you through this journey safely, while trying to push you when you need pushed, pull you back when you need to pull back, but ultimately moving forward. For the most part we have a great understanding of each of your capabilities, but it is really impossible for us to know each of your maxes on every lift, your last Fran time, etc. Be responsible by tracking your numbers, listen when we say drop weight, and do homework mobility drills that will help you move better and prevent injury. It’s very important to follow the coach’s instruction, guidance and counsel. We see things you don’t feel, and we know the training response we want out of each and every workout.

Being above the line is like being in a canoe, digging deep and paddling hard. Staying above the line means you will improve weaknesses, make proper choices in your training and with your nutrition. Take ownership. Be accountable. Be responsible.

Being Below The Line…..BED

Blame is the first example of being below the line. We all know people like this. They are the first to point the finger at someone or something else, blaming being late on traffic for example. While this is Houston and that is a real possibility sometimes, being habitually late is not traffic, but time mismanagement. The heights we can grow to are limitless. Stop blaming and start growing! If you are habitually late, leave earlier, find a different route, listen to traffic reports….be better

Excuse is the second behavior. Again, we all know people like this. There is an excuse for everything. This is the “dog ate my homework,” “my alarm didn’t go off” person. There are all kinds of reasons why eating well can’t fit into life. The list can be endless. Listen to the things you say to yourself and others. Are they excuses? Live life with no excuses, then you will have no regrets.

Denial is the third behavior. From time to time, we all can fool ourselves into thinking that events are out of our control. There certainly are some things that are out of our control, weather for instance. However, most things we can control and should control. Introspection is difficult and admitting that we might be a bit flawed is a blow to the ego. However, being able to call BS on ourselves is a powerful tool. Much of the time it is our ego that gets in the way.

When we live below the line it is like being in bed. We are immobile looking for things to change or happen for us, rather than taking action and controlling our own destiny by taking ownership, being accountable and responsible. How can we be above the line in CrossFit?

• Follow your Coach’s, guidance, counsel and direct instruction
• Track your workouts AND nutrition
• Be on time
• Focus on the movements and performance, not time
• Be respectful to yourself, others and equipment
• Push yourself, but know your limits
• Mobilize daily to avoid injury
• Educate yourself on movements, recovery, nutrition and sleep
• Be serious, but don’t take this and yourself too seriously…laugh from time to time
• Ask for help
• Help others
• Be awesome

Live above the line and opportunities appear! Your growth is CrossFit and in life will change significantly if you can analyze (and be honest with yourself) about where you are.

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Tuesday 10/5/10 CrossFit West Houston

WOD

Push Press

3-3-3-3-3

Met Con

Row 500 m

Run 800m

50 Push Ups

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Monday 10/4/10 CrossFit West Houston

WOD

AMRAP in 3 minutes

Air Squat

Rest 2 minutes

AMRAP in 12 minutes

15 Double Unders

10 Renegade Rows

5 Pull Ups

Rest 5 minutes

AMRAP in 3 minutes

TGU

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Saturday 7/10/10 CrossFit West Houston

WOD

100 m BW Walking Lunge

30 Pull Ups

30 Push Ups

30 Sit Ups

30 Squats

100m BW Walking Lunges

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Friday 7/9/10 CrossFit West Houston

WOD

Hang Power Clean

3-3-3-1-1-1

Then

75 Burpees

**Must complete in sets of at least 15 i.e. if you stop at rep 15 then stop at 25, to rest then you must go back to 15 to begin your set again. If you go from 0 to 25 for first rest then you can not stop again until rep 40.

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Wednesday 6/30/10 CrossFit West Houston

WOD

AMRAP in 20 mins

400 m Run

Max Ring Dips

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Tuesday 6/29/10 CrossFit West Houston

WOD

Shoulder Press

3-3-3-1-1-1

Met Con

500m time Trial

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Monday 6/28/10 CrossFit West Houston

WOD

Double Timing Fran

50 Double Unders

21-15-9

Thrusters

Pull Ups

50 Double Unders

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