Thursday Week 3

Today was a good day for eating but not much in the way of exercise.  I was/am sore from yesterday's CF and softball.  My legs especially are sore, I was walking like Frankenstein last night and early this morning.  The plan is CF tomorrow and getting a good jump on the weekend.  I feel like I am progressing in my weight loss and look forward to Monday's weigh in. 

Jon

Amanda - Week 3, Thursday

Big News this morning! I am now back down to where I was at the end of the Crossfit challenge - I have lost those dreaded 3 pounds! I woke up this morning and had lost 1 whole pound from yesterday. I followed my meal plan yesterday except I didn't eat any applesauce last night. The big test will be from here on out. I always say that the weight you've recenetly put on is the easiest to take off, although that didn't seem to be the case at first. It's been since last December that my weight was any lower than it is now. I am now working toward those 6 pounds that I set out to lose at the beginning of this challenge, and I have about 6 weeks to do it. At this point, a pound a week sounds doable, which it didn't a week ago. I'm excited to keep up the same meal plan and see what happens!

I woke up at 4:45 this morning - not sure why, perhaps I was excited to weigh myself! Anyway, I got up and got a bunch of work done. I then did my my Gym Workout at 7:30. It went well. I keep plugging away on my mile goal and not hanging onto the treadmill. When we started the challenge, on September 13, I was hanging on 4 minutes and 45 seconds. Today, I hung on for 3 minutes and 20 seconds, which means I am now hanging on less than not. To not hang on at all would be a HUGE accomplishment for me by Nov 13. It'll definitely be a stretch, but I didn't feel as much like I was going to die when I got done. A good sign! The rest of the workout went well and I cut another 3 minutes off my workout time. I don't think I want to cut much more than that as I want to make sure I'm not going too fast through my excerises. My pushups are progressing...I now do 23 without rest. I started at 18. My goal was to get to 40. We'll see how that goes; I'm not as motivated by that goal as I am with my mile and pullups.

Jon-Wednesday, Week 3

Good day today!  Sun is shining and I have my last night of softball tonight so that's great.  Typically it's cold by this time, so I'm looking forward to it.  Today at CF we did a warm-up that should have just been the WOD: 4 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups and 15 air squats.  I was beat after the warm-up.  For our WOD we did 2000 m of rowing and then 10x1 push press that you had to finish immediately after the row and do the 10 within 10 minutes.  You then take your time from the row (9:51) in my case and then take the weight you lifted (1180) in my case and divide by 100 and subtract that in seconds from your row time and this your number.  The math is crazy!  I started at 95# and finished at 165#.  I was pretty excited about that, I'll be curious to see what my push press will be without doing the row first. 

I'm off to softball for some more running and NO BEER! 

Jon

Amanda - Week 3, Wednesday

So, another half pound this morning! For someone who is used to losing a half pound in a week, I can't say enough how motivating it is to lose a half pound a day, 4 days in a row. It makes me want to work harder. I don't remember the last time I was this encouraged reaching my goals!

I've eaten the exact same thing in the exact same amounts as I posted earlier...let's hope it keeps working...the cravings and hunger have been at a minimum!

Crossfit Schedule Today:
Back Squat - I did 5 at 135#. On Sept 7, I did max 3 at 140#...so, a little progress, I think??
5-5-5-5-5

WOD For time:
Burpee Box Jumps (20")
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Jumping Pullups
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
10 Air Squats b/w each couplet.

I finished in 13:19, which I felt pretty good about. I was spent afterwards, which is a great feeling. I knew I gave it my all.

My exciting news for the day (in addition to another half pound) is that before class, I did 2 unassisted pullups! My goal, by Nov 13, is 3 unassisted, so I think I can do that! I also worked on the kipping pullup a bit. I guess the key is to not have your feet swing really far forward or really far back, to keep the swing to maybe 24" back and forth. Jen said I just need to keep practicing the swing and that the Kippings will eventually come. Right now, it doesn't feel like I'll get the Kipping by Nov 13, but I will keep trying. 

Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Week 3 Tuesday Jon

Today was about focus and getting back on track with the schedule and STRESS removal.  I ate well again so that is positive.  I haven't felt overly motivated to do much more than work and home stuff, but I feel better now.  Wednesday I will go to CF in the morning and continue to work on keeping my focus.  One thing that will help is the new season of BL started last week, so that was good to see.  Tivo is a wonderful thing, I should be able to catch up on last night's episode and see those huge week 1 weight loss results. 

Jon

Amanda - Week 2, Tuesday

Well, another half pound this morning! So, basically another 1.2 pounds and I will have taken off those dreaded 3 pounds. I'm trying not to get too excited. I'm sure these 3 pounds, because I had only recently put them on, are coming off more quickly than the additional 6 that I want to lose. I'm not worried about that right now. Though I will say if I lose those 6 pounds, even half as quickly as the 3, and I still feel as good (not craving stuff and have good energy) I will be sold on this coconut oil. Let's not jump the gun though. I've done that in the past and have only been left disappointed. I'm excited about what the week will bring.

Here's the scoop on the workout today.
The good news is that I did my pullup program, and I am now using the Purple band (least resistance) and did 6 Pullups with it, which I think is great. I think that puts me on track to be able to do 3 unassisted. I have yet to work much on the Kipping Pullup...I figure that will come.

Today's Crossfit Schedule:
Bench Press 5-5-5-3-3-3 (My 3 rep max was 85#, which is a 10# increase from 6 weeks ago.)

5 Rounds for time: (I did this portion in 7:14 and used 35#KBs for the first time - they were killers)
15 KB Swings (55/35)
10 Shuttle Runs, 10m
Rest 4 minutes

“Annie”
50-40-30-20-10
Double Unders  (Singles: 200-160-120-80-40)
Abmat Sit up

Annie took me 11:45, which isn't great but considering I did all sinigles it took me longer than those who actually did the Double Unders. I'm ok with that. I haven't been too motivated to master DUs yet. Right now, I'm just focused on my Pullups, Pushups, and Mile.

I'm feeling great about my program, especially now that the scale is actually showing a difference. On top of that though I have good energy and feel like my mind is healthy!

Monday Week 3 Jon

Today I worked on regaining my focus.  I didn't do a great job, but overall I feel better today than yesterday.  I ate well for the day which was nice, but didn't make CF.  The weather today in MN was beautiful so I decided to try my 5k run.  Well, I finished, that's about as good as I can say I did.  I was :30 seconds better than my last time, but I was hoping for at least a minute or two.  My knees and feet were/are sore from running outside, I don't do that enough at all.  I'm still working on perfecting my schedule with CF and the gym with my wife and her new schedule.

Jon

Amanda - Week 3, Monday

Well, I woke up this  morning and lost 1 whole pound! That's 1.4 pounds in 2 days!!
I'm going to just keep doing what I'm doing, which is the 3 meals I previously posted, no snacks and have my last meal before 5. I'm only eating like 1000 calories, which I know totally contradicts all the 'experts', but it is what it is. Every time I've lost weight, that's what I've had to eat. The argument is that people can't sustain that low of calorie, but I think the trick is to eat more fat. I've become kind of sold on this idea since crossfit. About 5 years ago, I tried to keep my fat intake around 20%, then I gradually moved it to 25%, which was what it was at last year when I lost weight (5lbs in 6 weeks). I had a hard time maintaining that weight loss, and it took me another 3 months just to lose 2 pounds. That included having a "cheating weekend" every 3 weeks. Now, my fat intake is about 35%. I'm not sure if it's the Coconut Oil specifically or just the extra fat in general, but I feel like my mind is healthier, like I'm not just trying to 'hold out' for some weekend when I 'allow' myself dessert. When I was doing the Paleo Challenge, my fat intake was actually higher, but most of my fat came from almonds and walnuts. It didn't feel the same. I was still craving things. Maybe there is something to this Coconut Oil. I even noticed that when a friend asked me to go to dinner, my mind didn't automatically jump to thinking, "ooh, I can't, I'm on my program." That's what would ALWAYS happen in the past. This time, my reaction was, "yeah, that'd be great." And when I thought about having a salad and some chicken/fish, I didn't automatically think "deprivation" or that I'd be missing out on something I really wanted. It actually sounded really good. My mind didn't go to creamy pasta and carrot cake. Very odd for me!!!

Hopefully this is real and not just some fluke. I will keep monitoring!

This morning I did my gym workout.
I decreased my workout time by 3 mintues and I made more progress on my mile. I cut another 20 seconds from hanging on to the treadmill. I'm almost to the halfway point of hanging on vs. not hanging on. I'm feeling good about my progress.

End of Week 2 Jon

This weekend was a long, long, long one.  I haven't blogged since Thursday, which won't happen again.  Friday and Saturday were both good days, I worked out and ate well.  I did have my limit of beer on Saturday but turned down the offer for more on Sunday.  Sunday was a tough day though.  I didn't work out and didn't eat great.  I ate in moderation, but overall it was a depressing day even though the weather was beautiful.  This week will be working to gain my focus back and re-motivate myself despite all that is happening.  The journey never gets boring!

Jon

Amanda - Week 2, Sunday

When I woke up this morning, I had lost a half a pound, which was great! That means what I did yesterday worked. I had 2.5T of Coconut Oil and didn't snack at all. I cut about 300 hundred calories.
My first meal was 1/2 an Ezekial English Muffin with a 1/2T of Coconut Cream and a Boiled Egg
My second meal was 1/2Cup Steel Cut Oats, 1/2Cup Greek Yogurt, and 1C of Strawberries
My last meal was 6oz Chicken, 1 Cup Broccoli and Onions, 2Cups Spring Mix and Herb Lettuce, with homemade Balsamic and Coconut Oil Dressing. I used 2T of Coconut Oil. For dessert, I had 1Cup of Applesauce (nothing added).

My last meal was at 3:30 and I felt very satisfied until about 7:00. I had a few dried cherries and then I stayed strong. It helps to have my last meal early and not eat anything after. That has worked for me before. I also didn't have any nuts throughout the day, which I usually grab here and there. I think eliminating the nuts/snacking and keeping my last meal early will help. My plan is to do that again today and see what the scale says tomorrow.

I just got back from my crossfit workout. It was Open Box so I did the workout from Thursday:
10 Man Makers (25/15)  - I used 15lb
20 Knees to Elbows
30 Burpees
40 Walking Lunges
50 Situps
60 Double-Unders
50 Situps
40 Walking Lunges
30 Burpees
20 Knees to Elbows
10 Man Makers (25/15)  - I used 15lb
I finished in 24.40. I could definitely tell the difference in my level of intensity from doing it on my own vs. doing it in a structure class. I felt tired after but not exhausted.

Week 2 Checkup:
I worked out all 7 days - 3 Crossfit, 2 yoga, and 2 gym workouts.
I followed my meal plan and hopefully found the combination to start losing weight
I blogged all 7 days
I didn't have any alcohol and I didn't cheat

Amanda - Week 2, Saturday

Ok, so, enough is enough. I've gained 3 pounds and my weight has not budged. I'm going to have to cut down my calories and cut down the amount of coconut oil I have been eating. I love what the oil is doing for my hair and skin and energy, but my weight is not moving. This weekend, I'm going to cut my calories by 300 and go down to 2T of coconut oil. On Monday, hopefully I will see some movement on the scale.

I did my gym workout this morning. It went well. I cut a couple minutes off my last time and another 10 seconds from holding on to the treadmill.

My biggest fear in cutting my calories is that I'll be ridiculously hungry...I'm hoping for the best!

Amanda - Week 2, Friday

Well, I decided to go to yoga today. It was a yoga kind of day. Class was at 4:00 with Calle. It was an intense class. I don't ever remember sweating that much from yoga. It was almost as much as from crossfit!

Aside from yoga, I have been working on the book all day. I feel good about the changes and that I've finally made some progress. We are on the home stretch!

My eating was good today. Everything went as planned.

Jon Week 2 Thursday

Today started off quite interesting.  At Crossfit today the WOD was max box jump and then 12 rounds of 1 snatch deadlift and 1 snatch high pull on the minute followed by 1000 m row.  While doing the box jump max I fell and bruised and scraped my left arm, left leg and potentially broke a rib!  I'm thinking it's not that bad on the ribs, but I've been pretty sore today.  I did do 27 inch box jumps which was great, especially after failing on the first attempt.  I did 135 pounds on the snatch DL and HP I think I could do more DL but not HP.  On the 1000 m row (my first time) I finished in 4:44.  Overall I had a great workout and it does start the morning off right. 

I ate well all day, but have been tired all day.  I took a day off red meat and chicken and focused on beans and turkey.  Perhaps not enough protein or I didn't eat enough but I felt lethargic most of the afternoon and into the evening. 

Jon

Amanda - Week 2, Thursday

I did my gym workout today. The mile at 9.0mph, once again, was a killer for me. I'm not sure how much progress I'll make from that, but I will keep pressing on until the 9 weeks is up. My meals have been good today. I haven't had much in the way of cravings, which is great. I'm considering adding in beans and quinoa. Last years when those were in my diet, it seemed to really work well for me. I was going to get through the weekend and then decide.

Jon Week 2 Day 3

Today was a good day.  I ate well all day in order to enjoy some prime rib and cheesy potatos with my fellow Those Guys friends.  It was AWESOME!  Prime rib once a year after softball is a wonderful treat.  Enough about gluttony. 

I ran 3 miles this morning at the gym and felt okay.  I'm struggling to get back my running endurance so I know it's something I need to work on.  I will be going to CF in the morning and am excited!

Jon

Amanda - Week 2, Wednesday

4 Rounds for time:

21 KB Swings (55/35)

15 Overhead Squats (95/65)

400m Run

I used 30# for KB and 55# for OH Squats and got done in 20:18. It was a great workout! Beforehand, I did my pullup program and did one extra pullup per round than I had done the last time. Next week, I hope to be down to the purple band.

Eating has gone well today and I have not felt bloated, which is great. I had some turkey, nuts, and dried fruit today. So, I guess that just leaves the carrots or hummus that was causing the bloating.

I have been really hungry lately. Hopefully that passes...I know I have to eat low calorie to lose the pounds. Being hungry doesn't help!

Jon-Week 2 Tuesday

Tuesday was a good day.  I ate well and did this CF WOD:
1x1x1x1x1 Overhead Squat (95 pounds)
For time 20x10x5x10x20
Overhead Squat (95 pounds)
Sumo Deadlift High Pull (95 pounds)

My time was 19:14 which wasn't great but I find just finishing these WOD's is a great thing.  I also did 3 more 24inch box jumps after my WOD which was good.  I think they are getting easier.  The WOD this morning is Angie: 100 pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups and squats.  I am not going, instead I'm heading to Bally's to run.  I can't wait for the day when the WOD won't scare me away!

Jon

Amanda - Week 2, Tuesday

For time:
50 Air Squat

15 Lateral Jump Burpees

40 Air Squats

12 Lateral Jump Burpees

30 Air Squats

9 Lateral Jump Burpees

20 Air Squats

6 Lateral Jump Burpees

10 Air Squats

3 Lateral Jump Burpees
Each lateral jump must clear entire width of platform.


I finished the WOD today in 9.54. It was an intense hour as we also did quite a few dips - bench, box, and rings. We also did several pushups and 4 rounds of 250m row. My fastest was 57 seconds.

I didn't get in my pullup program today. It was the first day class was at 8am and I was running a bit behind. I can't let that pullup proram slide though...I really need to be consistent with that if I'm going to be able to do a couple on my own.

Well, it's 6:40 at night, and I'm not feeling bloated tonight. I had the same amount of coconut oil, but I didn't have any turkey, carrots, hummus, nuts, or dried fruit today. Perhaps it was one of those things that was causing it. My guess is the hummus, so I'll add in a couple things tomorrow and see if I can narrow it down. The good news is I'm not feeling bloated, now I just need to take those extra few pounds off, AGAIN!

Amanda - Week 2, Monday

Since probably last Wednesday, I’ve been feeling really bloated. I’ve cut down on the amount of coconut oil I’ve been eating over the last couple days, thinking that’s the culprit, but it hasn’t helped yet. I also had some Senna Tea Sunday night, and I did feel a little better in the morning, but it just built up during the day again. I had a glass of Senna tea tonight as well. Perhaps I’ll cut out the oil altogether just to see if it goes away. It’s been really uncomfortable and I feel very heavy. Hopefully it will end soon.

I went to Yoga today at 4:00. It was a really nice class. I’ve been feeling more connected to yoga again. I like the idea of balancing Crossfit and Yoga.

I made some cucumber and avocado salsa today to put with my Turkey or Chicken. That stuff is so good!

Jon-Day 1 Week 2 Monday

Well, today was a tough day.  I ate fine and did a good job saying no to all the good things people brought in today at work, but at the end of the day I went home and slept.  There's been some outside stress that is new in my life and have been working on dealing with that.  Now that I'm awake and feeling better I wish I would have worked out tonight instead, but tomorrow is a new day. 

Jon

Jon Week 1

Well, the weekend is almost over and I feel like I conquered it!  I didn't eat perfect last night, my friends served pizza for dinner, but I had a plan going in and felt good. I ate a bit before we went, so I only had one piece of pizza and two lite beers. Typically I would eat and drink much more so I feel good about the progress.

Today was football day and again it can be easy to sit on the couch and eat bad food all day. Instead I did a homemade WOD first thing. The WOD for the day at the gym was 5 rounds of 400 m run, 30 wall balls and 30 box jumps. I did 3 rounds of 400 m run, 10 burpees and 20 situps. I figured since I was so bad at them for my baseline WOD I should concentrate on them. They weren't any easier and my back was wet from the sweat and morning dew, but it did feel good to get the workout in. 

Tomorrow is the start of week 2 and I have my breakfast, lunch and dinner already planned for the next three days!

Jon

Amanda - Week 1, Sunday

Before Mom and Dad left today, we had breakfast at Eggsperience. I had an omelet with fruit and rye toast. I went to a Vinyasa class at 4pm. So, for the week, I got in all of my 6 workouts, and I did pretty good with my meals. Except for the two meals I had during the weekend, I ate everything according to my meal plan. I didn't overdo it with those 2 meals, and though the foods weren't perfect they were decent.

During Yoga, it occurred to me that it was important during the next eight weeks to focus on balance. It’s important to listen to myself and eat when I want to eat. Sometimes I find myself eating because it’s on my ‘plan’ and not because I really need/want to. Likewise, I need to listen to myself about what to eat. So, if I need protein, or carbs, or fat, whatever it is, that’s what I’ll eat. I think if that is my mine main focus over this challege that it will assist me in making better choices when I travel, which has always been my struggle. It also felt really good when I was at the restaurant on Saturday night, that I didn't completely restrict myself yet I also didn't indulge. It felt natural...how it should feel when I go out. Between that experience and yoga, it helped me decide to focus on balance and listening to myself.

Amanda - Week 1, Saturday

So, mom and dad got here Friday night. On Saturday, Mom and I walked around a lot and I ate my standard meal plan. The chocolate muffins mom brought, sat on the kitchen counter, but I never touched them. That night, we went to Wildfire, which was fantastic. I had a salad, with mushrooms and onions and mustard dressing, a glass of wine, and a 4" thin crust, whole wheat pizza with chicken, mushrooms, and gouda. The pizza was light and airy, which I knew it would be because I had seen it on someone else's table. If it appeared heavy, I wouldn't have ordered it. I also had a bite of mom's dessert - key lime pie. It was a small bite. I know the dinner was more calories than in my standard dinner, but for going out to eat, I felt really good about it.

Jon Day 6

I did my baseline WOD today.  It was the first time I have done CF sit-ups or burpees and it took me a long time to finish both.  I did it in 16:16 which wasn't great, but most of my time was spent doing the sit-ups.  The push-ups went much better than I thought they would, in the first round I knocked out 10 straight without rest, the second round I did 8 without rest. 

Yesterday I didn't blog, it was a long day with work and home stuff.  I ate pretty well, though I did have an Italian beef sandwich on wheat bread for lunch with work.  Today I've eaten well and feel good.  We are going to a friends house tonight for dinner so I've really been watching my calories today so I can allow myself a bit of room. 

Jon

Amanda - Week 1, Friday

I had a great Crossfit workout today! Before the workout, I did my Baseline workout. I didn't do as well as I did it the last time (7.24), but I did real push ups this time!  I did it in 8 minutes flat. I also finally got under 2:00 for the 500m Row portion. I did it in 1:57!

The WOD for today was:
Press
5-4-3-2-1

* "FIGHT GONE BAD TRAINING II"
2 Rounds:

90 seconds Box Jumps

90 seconds Push Press (75#/55#)
Rest 2 minutes

2 Rounds:

90 seconds Box Jumps

90 seconds Push Press

 (75#55#)
Rest 5 minutes:
Max Effort 500m Row ( I did this in 2:05)

We didn't have to log our reps or anything. We were just supposed to be consistent, not rest, and have good form. It was a tough workout, especially right after the Baseline! I did 55# for my Push Press and 18" for my box jump because apparently for 'fight gone bad' RX is 18".

I was pretty tired for my press. I matched my 1RM at 67 pounds.

Other than Crossfit, my parents are coming this weekend. It was an unexpected thing. My mom says she's bring chocolate muffins, but I'm not worried. It's easy for me to say no when I make a commitment and put things in writing. We'll see how the weekend goes. I have to get in one more workout this week.

Jon's Day 4

Today started with a great WOD.  I did pull-ups with the orange band and felt good about them.  For our WOD we did 5 rounds of 12 deadlifts, 9 hanging cleans and 6 push jerks. I finished in 15:53 and was spent, I felt really good though.  After I tried doing 24 inch box jumps and did 3 of them!  I was excited as I tried them when I first got there and couldn't do it.

My meals today were pretty good.  I ate oatmeal today for breakfast and had some veggie sticks to mix things up a bit.  I'm planning on going to CF or the gym in the morning, depending on how well I sleep tonight.  Last night was fantastic so I'm hoping for two nights in a row!

Weigh in tomorrow!

Jon

Amanda - Week 1, Thursday

I got my gym workout in this morning. It was pretty much a repeat of Monday, except for my mile, I hung on to the treadmill for 25 seconds less. It was a tough 6 minutes and 45 seconds.

I slept great last night.

My meals have been going well, but I think I'm going to cut down to 2T of Coconut. Usually, after a few days, I would feel lighter and I don't. I feel good but not lighter. We'll see how that goes.

Jon-Day 3

Well, sleep has been an issue! My attempts to go to CF this morning were thwarted by 2 hours of sleep last night. Instead I did 2 rounds of push-ups (15-12-9) and 2 rounds of sit-ups (15-12-9) at home tonight. In my hurry to get a work-out in I forgot to time myself, but I feel good that I was able to do some activity.


I had another good day of eating which is ALWAYS positive for me.  I will be taking my weight and measurements this Friday and will do that on Fridays from here on out.


Jon

Jon's Plan

Jon’s Commitments
1. Take Weight and Measurements weekly
2. Blog 6 days per week
3. Follow my meal plan below
4. Follow workout schedule I have outlined below
5. Restrict alcohol consumption to twice a month no more than 4 drinks
6. Only cheat 4 days in 9 weeks
7. Not eat any desserts on non-cheat days. No going out to lunch and pizza only 1 time in 9 weeks

Jon’s Meal Plan (can interchange with comparable exchanges)
Bkfst – 2 eggs, 2 egg whites and piece of fruit

Snack – turkey jerky or trail mix

Lunch – 16 ounces of chicken or lean steakPiece of fruit

Dinner – Either chicken, steak or turkey taco

Jon’s Workout Schedule
Crossfit 3 days/week
Gym Workout 1 or 2 times a week
I will work out 4-5 times a week except for 1 week during the 9 weeks

Jon’s Gym Workout
Run 3 miles and situps

Jon's Crossfit Workout
Alternate pull-ups and box jumps at each CF class

WOD 3 times a week

What’s my definition of cheating?
My definition is basically going off the reservation food wise. If I have a sandwich which is whole wheat, veggies and lean meat I won’t sweat it. If I have a cheeseburger and fries, that’s a problem.  I will write down any deviation from my normal meals and determine how I feel about it in the blog.

Amanda - Week 1, Wednesday

Here was my WOD for today:

For time:
15-12-9-6-3

Deadlifts  - 70% of 3RMToes-to-Bar

Pushups



I got done in 7.53…my hands are killing me! It feels like my calluses are ready to just burst open. I have yet to draw blood though.

70% of my 3RM was 110lbs. I think I could have done more than that. As far as Toes to Bar, I can do about 5 really good ones and then my knees just go up, so couldn't consider myself doing RX. Because of that, I did pushups on my knees. I have this mindset that if I can't do RX in one of the things then I should just shoot for a good time. It's probably not the best attitude, but I am really looking forward to the day when I can do RX in anything...including Pullups! Oh, how long will it take?

Meals - going well! I'm right on target and haven't been craving anything really.

Sleep - Been sleeping great!

Jon-Day Two

Today was a pretty uneventful day. I had my typical breakfast, eggs and banana. I am a creature of habit. I'm like Steinbrenner for all of you Seinfeld fan's out there. Eggs and banana is my Paizano's. Though I admit today I had two eggs and two egg whites which were a bit of a deviation, though it filled me up.

I had two handfuls of nuts and another package of turkey jerky (my new favorite!) for a snack before noon. After that I didn't eat until 4:30. I had an apple and steak. At 6:30 I ate 1/2 cup of oatmeal with honey, nuts, dried banana, mango, and cinnamon.

I don't feel hungry like I did last night so that's positive. No workout today though. My plan is Crossfit tomorrow morning and softball tomorrow night so I should get plenty of exercise. And I will make sure to steer clear of the beer, even though I owe a 12 pack for my poor performance last week.

The highlight of the day today was almost 3 solid hours working on the book! I felt like a got quite a bit done, but when I looked at it after I wasn't too impressed. I know it's going in the right direction though and it will be the masterpiece we both want it to be once we're done!  Have a great night.

Jon

Amanda - Week 1, Tuesday

Just got back from Crossfit. The WOD was "Fight Gone Bad Training"
4 Rounds:
300m Row

30 Wall Balls

Rest 3 minutes

Completed it in 20:16. I used a 12lb ball and think I could have done the 14. Next time I think I'll go for it!
I also did my Pullups prior to the workout. I used the Red band (2nd for least assistance). I could do 6 initially but then could only do 3 at a time thereafter. I'm exciting to see my progress for the pullups. It would be so cool to knock out like 10 pullups without help!

My meal plan has been going well...I have not been hungry or craving anything. God, I love Steel Cut Oats! I swear they make all the difference. My coconut experiment has also been going well (I think)...time will tell!

Jon - Day One

Well today was a challenge! Didn't sleep well and the car wouldn't start this morning. Is anyone else thinking omen? Finally got the car running and off to work, but I was EXHAUSTED! I am proud to say I made it through though and feel great that I did!!


My meals today were:

3 egg whites, 1 egg and banana for breakfast

1 package of turkey jerky for snack

16 ounces of chicken breast with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil with an apple for lunch.



Now it's 8:00 and I should eat but I am not hungry. I just got home from Crossfit and finished my WOD:

1x1x1x1 snatch squat. I don't squat so well, but the snatch is good. 95 pounds focusing on the squat.

Then for time:

4 rounds of:

10 ring rows

15 box jumps (20 inch box)

20 kettle ball swings (53 lb ball)

I was challenged and tired. I finished with a time of 16:05. I was the WORST in the gym all day for time, but I FINISHED and I feel great!

Tomorrow is another day and I have to carry over the momentum from today! It's good to feel good.
Jon

Amanda - Week 1, Monday

So, I did my first gym workout today, per my plan. It was a worthwhile workout, lasting about 45 minutes. I was dying during my mile. At this point, being able to run a mile at 9.0 miles per hour feels like a stretch, but it can only get easier from here! I did 18 consecutive pushups and then I needed a break. My goal is to get to 40 nonstop, of course, so I feel like that's achievable.

Amanda's Plan

Amanda’s Commitments

1. Take Weight and Measurements weekly
2. Blog 6 days per week
3. Follow the Meal Plan I have outlined below
4. Follow workout schedule I have outlined below
5. Restrict alcohol consumption to 2 drinks/week (with the exception of my one cheat weekend, which I can do whatever I want.)
6. Only ‘cheat’ one weekend (Sat & Sun) out of the 9 weeks. (See definition of ‘cheating’ below.)
7. To not eat ANY dessert/sweets over the 9 weeks (this includes my one cheat weekend), except allow myself one time to eat Karyn’s Vegan Carrot Cake

Amanda’s Meal Plan (can interchange with comparable exchanges)
Bkfst - Steel cut oatmeal 1/4c dry
Greek Yogurt ½ cup
Coconut Cream 1 T
Snack - Ezekial English Muffin ½
Coconut Cream ½ T
Lunch - Turkey Breast 4oz
Carrots, baby 3oz
Hummus 2T
Applesauce, Raw 1/2c
Dinner - Chicken/Beef/Fish 6oz
Broccoli 1c
Coconut Oil 1T
Snack - Dark Chocolate 1 square
Coconut Cream 1/2T
**Subject to change depending on Coconut experiment (see followup post for explanation)

Amanda’s Workout Schedule
Crossfit 3 days/week
Gym Workout or Yoga 3 days/week
**Will workout 6 days per week (ok to workout 5 days for 2 of the 9 weeks)

Amanda’s Gym Workout
Run 1 mile at 9.0 (work toward not resting hand on treadmill)
3 X 10 Pistols
3 X 10 Front Squats
3 X 10 Romanian Deadlifts
3 X 10 Leg Extensions
15 Jumping Lunges and 15 Air Squats (Circuit X 3)
Max Pushups and 25 Situps (Circuit X 3)

Amanda's Crossfit Workout
Pullup Program – complete Max # of DH pull-ups with a red band, rest 60 secs and repeat until I get to 40. If I can do more than 10 PU on the red band, then go to Purple (least resistance). Note the number of rounds to complete the 40.
Do WOD

What’s my definition of cheating?
Anything that deviates from the standard plan, commitments, or eating foods that are not comparable exchanges. For example, a sandwich is ok if it’s on whole grain bread, contains lean meat, veggies, and a healthy oil. However, it should not have cheese, trans fats, jam, etc.

Amanda

Jon-Getting Ready

Today I prepared my meals for the week.  Not too exciting but I have hard boiled eggs, lean sirloin steak and chicken breasts.  Throw in some fruit and veggies and you have the next eight weeks of meals.  It's not exactly a culinary masterpiece but it will fill me up.  If things get crazy I have a homemade trail mix of raw almonds, walnuts, dark cherries and pineapple to fall back on. 

Jon

THE PURPOSE

Why Blog?
Since we had gotten involved in Crossfit, because we live in different cities, we had been emailing each other how we did on our WODs each day. We each have health/fitness goals and goals related to a book we’ve been writing (unrelated to health/fitness), so we figured instead of emailing each other every day, we’d start a blog. The blog will mainly be centered on our health/fitness goals, but I’m sure we’ll throw in a little ‘book’ stuff along the way, as it’s been such a big part of our lives over the last couple years. So, here we go…the journey begins!

What is the Crossfit Contract?
The Crossfit Contract is a 9-week challenge from Monday, September 13, 2010, to Friday, November 13, 2010, where we are committing to a self-prescribed meal plan and workout schedule. We will take our beginning weight, measurements, pictures, do a benchmark WOD, establish goals, define and schedule our ‘cheat’ days, and state our allowances such as alcohol consumption. These will be posted and then measured again at the end of 9 weeks.


Jon's Goals
1.  Lose 30 pounds
2.  5 band pull-ups (single band)
3.  Improve my 5k time by at least five minutes (34.10 original time)
4.  Use 24 inch box for box jumps

Amanda’s Goals
1. Lose 6 pounds
2. Run a sub-7minute mile (w/o holding on treadmill)
3. Do 3 Pullups without assistance and learn Kipping pull-ups
4. Do 40 CF Pushups without rest

We will be posting our 'plans' shortly to detail how we plan on achieving our goals.

Come along and see the fun and games that will no doubt ensue the next nine weeks!