Starting Crossfit

Getting Off The Couch and Starting Crossfit

Recently downloaded an app that transforms me into an aged version of myself roughly thirty years down the road.  This technology magic would put me at my father's age of 88 years old. I hope I make it that far, but with one caveat, "I want to have an acceptable quality of life while I'm still breathing (which my father has)".

We're attempting to accomplish our goal of quality living with diet and exercise.  Gina and I have always been conscious of our diet and tried to maintain an active lifestyle, but as the years have trickled by we've noticed how difficult it is to stay in shape while maintaining our active goals.

When we started CrossFit training this February it wasn't a New Year's resolution.  Gina and I started a trial run to see if we'd enjoy something other than the traditional gym.  Over the years I've tried the gym and failed to follow through for more than a few months, then losing interest and failing in my endeavors to regiment my time into a routine.  I don't believe this is a unique failure as most people don't watch their diet and exercise.

We'd both taken notice to a new Crossfit facility two blocks from our home in Cocoa Beach and mentioned it to each other.  "The hours seem odd", said Gina, "Early mornings and evenings".  "Yeah, just another iron-pumping schedule to try and quit after we miss a few days," I responded.  "It's difficult to stay focused and accountable when I get off the water every day from charter fishing and I like the air-conditioning."

Gina is amazing, she's quickly gained muscle and tone.

We Always Diet

Our friends and family have always heard about our newest diet plan. Weight loss diets have never interested us and we've always strived to keep our weight in check with our semi-sedentary lifestyle. Don't get me wrong we've tried a few trendy diets over the years and the recent "Kito" diet was one of our last endeavors before going back to a strict calorie based plan.

Fitbit from Both Sides

It's a simple equation [calories in - calories out = net calories]

In the last decade, I was introduced to the Fitbit by a neighbor that had lost an incredible amount of weight in a short period of time.  It was impressive! I spent an evening at her house listening intently about her weightloss adventure where she explained, it was all about putting your calories in the app that you consume and letting the Fitbit (watch) take care of your calories burnt.

What the Fitbit taught us is this, "Exercise Cannot Overcome A Bad Diet". As I started recording my intake (things I eat), it educated us about calories.  Calorie watching has become an obsession and to an extent always will be. Excercise was the missing link, we both hated the gym and relied solely on our regular activities like surfing and infrequent walking.

"Exercise Cannot Overcome A Bad Diet"

I'm approximately 165 lbs and have struggled to maintain a weight below 180 lbs for years.  I feel awful when my weight goes above 172 lbs and notice things like acid reflux, bad posture among other ailments.  I also notice my weight affects my surfing and the ability to simply pop-up quickly. Recent years have been a struggle to maintain in the lineup and paddle for waves.  My lifelong buddy Andre was out-paddling me and getting more waves, this really needed to come to an end, but diet alone didn't seem to be the answer.

My sedentary lifestyle only allowed me to consume a net of 1,800 calories to maintain my weight.  Each beer and dessert were killing my daily intake and had to be monitored.  The struggle is real and each cheat day was fraught with guilt and extra pounds. There must be a better way?

Enter Crossfit

When we signed up for Crossfit there was a seven-day foundations class with a personal coach to greet us. He evaluated us and taught the basics of CrossFit,  their movements and disciplines. Each session was one hour with a personal trainer.  What surprised us was that each time we came to Crossfit, we are welcomed by a personal trainer to guide us thru each workout! Brainless!  Just show up and do what they tell you to do.  It's that easy!
An hour a day 3-5 days a week is all we needed.  Gina and I have lost the extra pounds and are eating four meals a day along with an additional protein shake. We're presently learning more about nutrients and how they complement your calorie intake. Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in different combinations have drastically changed our foods intake while maintaining a healthy calorie diet.

It's been six months since our CrossFit journey started and I'll keep you up-to-date on our progress.  For now, it's been a joy to stick with and the friends we've met along the way are becoming a sphere of influence that has been healthy and enjoyable.