More FUNGUS!

BUUUUT good fungus! Here's a recipe that is posted in our "Recipes" page but I wanted to post it again because it is amazing. I have the picture posted on my facebook page, but here's the delicious recipe that goes with it.Enjoy!



Chicken Paleo “Sandwich”

2 giant portobello mushrooms, stems and gills (underside of the cap) removed

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

1/4 cup grilled onions

3 slices bacon

1 cup fresh arugula

2 tbsp Paleo Mayo**

2 tbsp olive oil

In a large skillet heat the olive oil and add the mushrooms, starting with the caps up. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes, until the mushroom softens and starts to turn golden on top. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and slather each side with the paleo mayo, pile on the chicken, onions, bacon and arugula, put the two mushrooms together like a sandwich and dig in.


** Paleo Mayo:
about 1 cup of Olive Oil Mayo- 1egg, 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, pinch of sea salt, few shakes of cayenne pepper, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 1 cup olive oil

I'll be back at it in the box tonight! I'm so excited to start WODing again!!!

Incremental Improvements

Last week I posted about things we suck at and it made me think: it's time to reverse that. These months are depressing enough, so I feel like we need a little love in the house.

I don't know about you, but if you've been crossfitting and/or hitting the weights regularly enough you've experienced a plateau. It sucks. It's like a stalled car in the middle of the desert, it's fruitless.

However, one thing that has kept me afloat is the small incremental improvements I've been making. Yeah a 5lb pr on a press doesn't seem like much, but its an improvement. Same goes for the 10 second drop on my 2k row and the fact that I can finally string 30+ double unders together like it's nobody's business. Those are improvements, even if they are small.

Forget about the suck-list, what have you improved on in the last month or so? Dig deep, you may not even realize the gains you've made!

Stttttretch

Is it just me or has anyone else watched a dog stretch and thought, “that looks like it feels so good!” Ha!  I am pretty sure that my Yorkie-Poo, Maddux gets more calisthenics work and stretching done in one day than I do in one week.  Watching Maddux perform his downward and upward facing dog positions, I have decided to incorporate more movements that will help increase flexibility, improve stability and hopefully contribute to further developing my overall performance.

How do I plan on incorporating this?!  Pilates movements.

I have been practicing Pilates on and off for several years and have recently discovered the benefits of combining fundamental movements with my CrossFit training.  I don’t want to completely bore you so I will refrain from extreme detail, but if you are interested in learning more please ask me to show you a few movements before or after class sometime.

Leg Circles:  Strengthen and Stretch the muscles of the upper thigh and hip joint    

Single Leg Stretch:  Strengthen the core and thighs while increasing back and leg flexibility

Rolling like a Ball:  Improve stability while focusing on core strength

Spine Stretch:  Increase flexibility in forward bending movements

Neck Pulls:  Challenge shoulder stabilization

These are but a handful of the movements I have been doing on my own and have found that they are definitely contributing to increased flexibility and stability.

Very interested to know what everyone else is doing for flexibility and stability…



Am I Keeping My Muscles On Their Toes?

I apologize for the late ass post, but I'm in Cali and it is still early here. I'm so ready to get back to Chicago...if I hear one more thing about the Clean Water Act I may go off up in here! Lol. Any how, I started guzzling the Optimum Nutrition protein shakes suggested by our dear John A. a couple of months ago. I have finished my first container and I just ordered another. I am far from knowledgeable about protein other than knowing it rebuilds the broken down muscle tissue.

Basically my question for you guys is do I need to switch it up now that I have been on the ON brand for a couple of months? Does your body get used to it and therefore it loses some effect similar to doing the same exercise for too long? Any suggestions for another low cal protein powder that has worked well for you....oh and tasted magically delicious too? Also, any suggestions for a quality multi-vitamin or any supplements since I currently take none? Sorry for the lack of a cool pic but I'm posting this shit really incognito from my phone while dude speaks. Lol. Happy Hump Day! Can't wait to see you guys Friday! Stink and drink anyone?

Fitness Trailblazer Jack LaLanne

"The only way you can hurt the body is not use it. Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late." - Lalanne

I knew about Jack LaLanne but never realized how much of a fitness trailblazer he really was. Since his death, I have learned much more about him. He not only transformed his own life as a teen, but he accomplished a lot in his life time and inspired so many people.

A few of his accomplishments:
• In 1957, age 43, he performed more than 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes on the "You Asked For It" television show.
• At 60, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Fran — handcuffed, shackled and towing a boat.
• Ten years later, he performed a similar feat in Long Beach harbor.
• His workout show was a television staple from the 1950s to the '70s.
• He also founded a chain of fitness studios that bore his name and in recent years touted the value of raw fruit and vegetables as he helped market a machine called Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer.


One of his accomplishments that we can especially appreciate as CrossFitters: LaLanne opened a health studio in 1936 that included weight-training for women and athletes. At the time, it was believed that weight training made an athlete slow and "muscle bound" and made a woman look masculine.

"You have to understand that it was absolutely forbidden in those days for athletes to use weights," he once said. "It just wasn't done. We had athletes who used to sneak into the studio to work out. It was the same with women. Back then, women weren't supposed to use weights. I guess I was a pioneer," LaLanne said.

He didn't just preach it but lived by it as well. His own routine included two hours of weightlifting and one hour of swimming every day. "It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life," LaLanne said. "How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep eating? You just do it."

Thanks Jack for inspiring so many people!

Out of commission

So I haven't been around at the box last week and I most likely won't be around this week either. Last Tuesday night I was driving down I-90/94, went over a patch of black ice, lost control of my car and ended up crashing head on into a huge pole. My car is totaled and in pieces but thankfully I'm okay. I'm actually quite surprised because with the severity of the wreck, I only walked away with cuts and bad bruises. (My mom thinks its because of CrossFit that I was strong enough to survive such a huge impact with little injuries) Although I'm so blessed to walk away with these minor injuries, the impact of the airbag bruised my chest so much that I can't even do a push up, row on the rowing machine, or run for more than 20 minutes without feeling intense pain from my chest. I rested for the rest of the week last week, but I'm going to continue resting this week in hopes of a full recovery. My mother also said that it can take up to 6 weeks to recover from a chest injury like that. But I'm hoping to be back in the box next week.
I've never had such an injury that has kept me from working out for so long. It's driving me crazy. I think I'm going through CrossFit withdrawal! But at the same time, I'm glad to be alive and healthy so I guess I can't complain. Have any of you been out of the gym for a long time? What did you do to cope with your CrossFit/exercise cravings??
I hope to see you guys sometime next week!

BEAR DOWN!

enjoy your sunday funday all. let it be a massive faileo if need be. GO bears! boo pack!...and drywall, id rather play the jets in the super bowl, but your delinquet QB seems to step up in big games.

seacrest out.

Suck List?

Haven't seen or heard anyone talk about suck lists lately... whats on yours?

Mine:

Anything wide grip overhead (snatch, overhead squat)
Breathing technique

Much shorter than the last one I had, which is a good thing I guess. I've been working on improving both, through mobility stuff and swimming. I'll admit though, I haven't been in the pool in a while and it shows.

Here's another video, since we seem to be on a roll lately. That's 165#s by the way. 8 year olds, dude.

You eat like a woman

Apparently, I eat like a woman according to this silly 11 question quiz.  This quiz is ridiculous.  It has 11 questions with obviously biased answer choices.  I was also surprised that my results did not read, “You Eat Like a CAVE Woman”. Ha!

The most hysterical part of this quiz and my result is that I disagree entirely! In fact, over the Holidays as we attended many celebratory dinners with other couples and friends, when the servers arrived with our orders and said, “Who had the Skirt Steak with broccoli and a side of well done bacon?” it was me, my husband and usually 3 to 4 other males that raised our hands.  As opposed to the swirl of beautifully manicured feminine hands that went up in response to, “Who had the Cobb Salad, no blue cheese, no bacon, dressing on the side with a lemon wedge?”

“I am woman, hear me roar...And, can you pass the smoked turkey leg!?”

Diary of a Skinny Girl...then Fat Girl...then Skinny again Girl...then....

So reading Drywall's post the other day about Paleo essentially being a fad got me to thinking about my past and the crazy things I have done in the name of getting healthy (or let's just be real...getting skinny. lol). As I thought about the things I have tried, I came to the realization that I was concerned about my body image even during my young tenderoni years when I was skinny as all hell.

Back then I was a little estupido and knew nothing really about nutrition and how different food effect your body. Case in point, in 6th grade I decided that I needed to drop a couple of pounds to look good in my cheer leading uniform, so I decided to go vegetarian because clearly meat was the enemy. So for a month I ate nothing but Ramen noodles, Lucky Charms, and salad smothered in ranch dressing. Needless to say, I put on a couple of extra pounds and did not last long on that 'diet' lol.

After that I didn't worry about my weight until after I stopped playing sports in high school. I was pretty lean during the years that I was active, but as soon as I hit college I gained the freshmen FORTY...not even joking. I came home for Xmas break and mommy was horrified at my double chin. I was pushing 200lbs:( I knew something drastic had to happen, so I became active and gave up my addiction to orange soda. When I say addiction I am not even joking....I would dream about me pouring a two liter of orange soda all over my body and me rolling around in it. It had to go! Once I kicked it and got active I dropped almost 30 lbs quick.

Fast forward to lawschool...I get super skinny because of the stress of the first year and scare the hell out of everyone with my large head and skinny body. lol. I LOVED IT! But somehow those pounds started creeping back on. I was not having that mess again so I literally started fasting....or maybe starving myself. I would disguise it by saying I was doing a "Daniel's Fast"...yeah yeah...religion didn't have anything to do with it. You can guess that this did not work because I would just eat a pizza once the fast was over.

I am ashamed to admit what finally got me under control in law school...I seriously have never told anyone this....not friends or family, but drum roll pleaaassseeee.....Weightwatchers. lol. Yes, I attended the chubby chick meetings where I got gold stars and claps for every pound that I dropped:) And guess what...that shit worked! I got to my goal weight and promptly stopped going. Bogus I know. However, I learned a lot about nutrition and exercise and how they impact your body. Weightwatchers is simple and focuses around what Drywall wrote the other day...calories. Weightwatchers basically uses a Point System to monitor your caloric intake and physical activity. You eat lower calorie foods with high fiber so that you stay full for longer periods of time. You can eat more if you earn more points through physical activity. It is really very common sense and I refused to continue to pay $40/mo for common sense principles. The only thing that I couldn't get without WW was the motivation of the weekly weigh-in and the moral support. I still cancelled though...cheapness won out.

Since that point in my life my weight has been pretty stable. No more fad diets for me...just sensible eating and exercise. Through Crossfit I have made many friends who are also health conscious and motivate me when they do not even realize it. You guys have become my WW support group. lol. I am motivated by you guys to stay active and eat better. I incorporate WW principles and Paleo principles into my eating, and while I may not be perfect with it, I know I am much better than I was back during the Freshmen Forty period of my life:)

Am I the only one that has been on a health/weight roller coaster for some portion of my life? What crazy things have you tried in the past that you now know were ridiculous? Has anyone tried the 'raw diet' or Beyonce cayenne lemonade diet?

Funny Weightlifting Clips

Notice a few people that try the hang squat snatch. Ha ha ha!

Funny Weightlifting Clips - Funny home videos are a click away

The "Pump"

Happy Monday!

genius or cynic?

it is with distinct pleasure that i present to you "Proper Diet" from the "Life and Times of Drywall": (spoiler alert-his points are legit)

Here's my honest, non-sarcastic opinion on proper diet. It is all about calories and your personal metabolism. There's nothing else to it.

The Mark Haub article I posted on my blog is real. The guy lost weight on a junk food diet by strictly monitoring his calories. Plus, his cholesterol levels improved. It ain't a joke.

The truth is, there are a lot of healthy diets, not just paleo. Paleo is the fad du jour that became popular by playing on people's ignorance and providing a theoretical explanation. (I'm not calling anyone here ignorant, but it is pretty clear with the level of obesity in our country that 90%+ people have no idea what they eat on a daily basis and will buy into any plausible sounding bullshit.)

Here's why it works for people:

-It bans any sort of calorically dense food, e.g. grains, cheese, etc. You know how hard it is to eat 4000+ calories in a day eating chicken and vegetables? Impossible. No matter what, you're going to eat a low calorie diet and lose weight. There's nothing shocking about this.

-Many people have mild lactose and gluten issues that go undiagnosed. These disappear when your switch to a diet that eliminates dairy and wheat.

-It attaches a stigma ("cheat meals") to when people break it. People love feeling guilty about stupid shit.

Sure, there's probably truth to someone's lactose intolerance (or other digestive issues) stemming from an evolutionary cause. But some people digest dairy and wheat just fine. I'm one of them. Don't let some book or cultish following trick you into thinking you have problems when you don't.

I've never eaten paleo, but I've been eating a healthy, lean, protein rich diet consistently for 7-8 years now. I have a high metabolism and if I don't take in enough calories, I get weak and irritable (ok, maybe I'm irritable all the time). And because I have no digestion issues, if I need to take in another 200 calories on any given day, I'd just rather have 2 slices of bread than 4 apples. But that's just my personal preference.

My advice:

-Try cutting things out of your diet to pinpoint what it is that causes you problems. If you feel crappy after eating cheese but great after eating bread, then stop stressing about how you "cheated" because you ate bread.

-If you want to lose weight, take some time to figure out how many calories are in the foods you have. Then you can make your own smart decisions on a daily basis, such as eating the burger but passing on the fries, or getting the burrito with peppers/onions instead of beans and no sour cream and cheese.

Aww yeah

I'm just going to post this pic, you rate it. Thats me in the back there - old school globo gym style, prepping for my gladiator debut. I even had hair!

Wiki - What?

I have to be honest.  I had "Bloggers Block" today.  How do you compete with posts about Calluses, Fungus and Paleo Pancakes?!  You simply cannot.

With all the hype in the news about Wikipedia, I was curious what its definition of CrossFit would be.  So, here are a few phrases, taken out of context, for your reading pleasure: 

"CrossFit is a strength and conditioning brand"

"CrossFit athletes run, row, jump rope, climb rope and carry odd objects"

"They frequently move large loads quickly over long distances, and use powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting techniques"

 "CrossFit has been variously portrayed as a fitness company, a grassroots health movement, a nascent sport, a fad, a publishing business and sometimes, disparagingly, a cult"

I was amused by some of these.

The Paleo-ISH lifestyle....

It seems like I am not alone when it comes to struggling to live the Paleo-ish lifestyle. I remember when this blog started up I was super motivated to stick to Paleo and only had 2 cheat days in over a month of eating well. I felt awful on those two cheat days and could not wait for a fresh day to jump back on my Paleo wagon. Now fast forward a few weeks and EVERYDAY is a m-effing cheat day for me.

While I am a bit disappointed that I do not have that same fervor to eat Paleo, I can honestly say that I do make many healthy choices throughout the day. While I may have some bread now, I may have one slice instead of four. lol. I am definitely all about whole wheat and not white processed bread. I have even noticed that while cheese is cool, I do not need it on everything like I did before I did the Paleo challenge. American cheese is even kind of gross to me now because it just seems really processed...like it is fake cheese. lol.

So while I am far from perfectly living a Paleo lifestyle, I think it is still a step in the right direction that my overall eating habits have improved. I find myself making healthier choices everyday (minus the mammoth cupcake that I inhaled yesterday). While I did put back on 4 pounds once I left strict Paleo my weight has not went up at all since that point. I'm cool with that though. I just know that if I ever do want to loose more weight I will have to tweak my eating habits in some way.

So now I need some updates. How is everyone doing? Who is still all in with Paleo? What motivates you to stick with it? Also, if anyone wants to do a Paleo Challenge again soon I would participate. I am competitive, so there is nothing like a little challenge with a finish line to strive towards to motivate me:)

Happy Hump Day Everyone!!! Get your hump on!

Almond Banana Pancakes

One word: YUMMMMM! I rarely cook or go outside my comfort zone when it come to paleo recipes, but when one of my friends told me about this, I couldn't help but try it out. These pancakes are so easy to make and actually taste good. Well, that is if you like almond butter and bananas.

I added dark chocolate chips to mine because its like having dessert for breakfast. :)

Here is the recipe:

• 2 ripe bananas (I used only one the second time I made this)
  
• 1 egg
• 1 heaping tablespoon of almond butter

Instructions:

• Mash the bananas, add the egg and mix well.
• Stir in the almond butter, adding more than a tablespoon if you want a more pancake-like texture.
• Warm butter in a pan and pour batter into small cakes.
• Brown on each side and serve warm.

FUNGUS!!!

Yeah I know, this is kind of disgusting but I want to write about it anyway. So this past summer, after my wonderful trip from Hawaii, I started noticing small white patches on my skin, more specifically my back and thought maybe I was just peeling from a lovely sunburn. But months passed and the spots persisted. They never hurt or itched or anything. They just looked unpleasant. A few months ago I went to my dermatologist and asked about these white spots and he proceeded to tell me I had a fungal infection – GROSS!

This fungal infection is called tinea versicolor or pitryiasis versicolor. (Refer to picture, but it's obviously not me and my fungus isn't that bad) It is when naturally occurring yeast found normally on the skin becomes infected. After freaking out for a little bit, my doctor assured me that its actually a common fungal infection of the skin that is usually seen after returning from a place with hot and humid weather (check) and very common in people that sweat and work out a lot (double check). This hypopigmentation of the skin is usually most noticeable during the summer time when the skin is tan and are usually located in the upper back, chest and arms. There are no real major concerns or problems with it besides it looking cosmetically unappealing. The spots can be treated with antifungal creams. Go take a look in the mirror....have you noticed any spots lately??

So what’s the bottom line???? Well besides grossing you out and telling you about my awesome skin, the best way to prevent the fungal infection: WASH YOUR BODY ASAP AFTER YOU FINISH WORKING OUT and/or SWEATING!

Hope you have a good week ya’ll!

Travel-capable paleo snacks.

i need suggestions for paleo foods/snacks that can be transported on an airplane for 17hrs, make it through customs, and not be stolen by the lovely filipino workers in manila as they "check" my bags.

also, do you think it better to carry them on the plane or pack em in a suitcase?

thus far, i bought the steve's original paleo kit pictured ...anyone ever try this stuff?...kinda pricey but the convenience is well worth it...hopefully.

Concoctions!

Do you have any food mixtures that are quick, easy, and actually taste awesome?

I need more, give them to me!

I don't know about you, but I'm getting a lot more work lately and prepping food is starting to get harder.

Yesterday I took about 2lbs of chicken breast, popped it in the slow cooker, then took two jars of natural salsa verde and poured it in. Let it sit for a few hours on high, pulled the chicken, put it back in and then promptly destroyed it all an hour or so later.

Later I took a second attempt at "protein pudding" and finally succeeded. Basically just mixed together a bunch of protein powder, a packet of sugar-free Cheesecake jell-o, and cold almond milk. Stuck it in a blender and let it chill out in the fridge for a few hours. Recovery pudding is the best pudding.

Sorry, but the caveman in me is going to have to take a backseat - I am in love with cheesecake.

Pre & Post Workout Snacks

I have heard so many different theories about PRE- and POST- Workout snacking.  Some claim that working out on an empty stomach burns more fat – you burn through your glycogen stores in about an hour and then your body turns to fat stores for energy.  Problem?  Your body will eventually start to burn muscle tissue as well.

Lately, I have been reading a lot about catabolic and anabolic processes, glycogen formation and protein synthesis.  Wow – my brain hurts from writing that!  Here is how I understand the science:

PRE-Workout:  nutritional strategy is based on providing alternative energy substrates to preserve energy stores, Carbs & Proteins

Carbs (simple sugars) consumption before training can reduce the amount of glycogen used and prolong performance

Protein enhances the delivery of amino acids to the muscle tissue, taking advantage of increased blood flow to working muscles

POST-Workout:  recovery is based on a quick change to an anabolic stage from a catabolic environment.  Introducing carbs, protein and fats into your body allows damaged tissue to begin the repair process and restock fuel reserves.

            Carbs are important for glycogen recovery

Protein is essential to post workout anabolism, providing amino acids which help rebuild damaged tissue and, enzymes and carrier proteins essential for adaptation to exercise

Fats and essential fatty acids in adequate quantities have the ability to alter physiology

Fluids are extremely important for muscle growth (dehydration inhibits muscle growth)     

I realize this is OBVIOUS information for most of you, but I have only recently become interested in learning the science behind it all … and to be honest, only recently have I applied the patience necessary to read and actually understand it.

Having said this, what are your PRE- and POST- Workout snacks, meals, supplements??

Real Men Love Calluses....or Maybe Not? lol

So a few weeks ago I decided to take the protective gloves off, exposing my gloriously smooth hands to the bar. I cannot honestly say whether it has helped with pull ups, and at times I feel that I had a much better grip with the gloves on. There is also one other thing that I had....gloriously smooth hands:) Well, those days are long gone. I am walking around here with straight up man PAWS. I mean these paws are un-manicured and uncouth! I stopped my manis (I was a fanatic!) shortly after beginning CF once I realized my nails would be jacked up anyway after an evening at the box.

I have always informed the calloused ladies of WLCF that "the men love calloused hands"...I would say this while the gloves were still on:) Well here is a secret ladies...I may or may not have known what the hell I was talking about. Pre-glove removal my sometimes-boo told me that having some light callusing on the hands simply means a lady is a hard-worker and not afraid to get a little dirty....it can be sexy. I think he should have put emphasis on "light" callusing. lol. When I saw him over the holiday and gently stroked my mediumly-callused hand down the back of his neck you all should have seen the WTF-face he gave me. He looked at my hands and besides calluses there was skin peeling off. lol. He retracted his pro-callus comments quick!

Lately I have been having lots of callus laden incidents in the workplace as well. As you all probably know I am an attorney. I shake clients hands all day long. Earlier today, one male client actually gave the WTF look to my hand while I was shaking his. I responded by gripping his hand a little harder and a little longer...and thought in my head "yeah biatch, I can beat your ass you soft-handed cooch". lol. I know, I know...I am being inappropriate, but honest:)

Men, what are your opinion on callusy (so not a word, lol) women? Does it get your juices flowing or is it a major turn-off? Ladies, what experiences have you had with your calloused paws? I think I shall go and purchase that ped-egg today and get to sawing down this meat on the hands...I guess I can act like I care about my hands a little bit:)

**For your viewing pleasure I have included a couple of pictures of calluses just hanging out...doing their thing:) The second picture strangely makes me want a ham sammich! BON-APPETIT! lol.**

Happy Hump Day West Loop Family!

Ready to be back...

I am so ready to be back in my routine of eating healthy and working out! Since I have been on vacation, I have pretty much eaten whatever I wanted and have only run a few times. (I can relate to your post Yatta! I have been a piggy too. :) ) At least my back is healed enough that I can run now. Yay! But I am actually craving the intense CrossFit workouts. So maybe the small break in my regular routine was just what I needed to get motivated again.

Can't wait to see you all on Wendesday!

Do the Shuffle!

Sorry for the late post guys! I just got back to Chi and sooo happy to be home! As I was making my trip back to Chicago, I got to spend some quality time with my ipod and started wondering....what music do you play on your ipod/mp3 player/walkman?/cd player to pump you up for a workout? Start posting your favorites and I just might make and play a CrossFit playlist for your listening pleasure while you kick ass in your WODs ; )

Here are a few of my favs:

ANY Eminem song - especially Lose Yourself

Limp Bizkit- Take A Look Around

Three Days Grace - Pain

Jay-Z - On to the Next One

Any Beyonce song

will it be like a globogym?

usually at this time of year, the globogym, i.e. xsport, becomes so insanely crowded i want to slit my wrists and bleed out in a bathtub. yet, after about 3-4wks it returns to normal because most people are too "busy" (as stated before, just another word for lazy...trust me i use it all the time). now, i know our cult is a bit different, but since i have only been drinking the kool-aid since early june, it will be interesting to see how busy tomorrow's 5 and 6p classes are as well as how many new faces start poppin' up.

p.s. kurt and i have one thing in common...favorite faileo hangover meal, PEQUOD's pizza. saw him there yesterday afternoon still struggling. what are some other favorite hangover meal spots...these lists are just as important, trust me.