You do crossfit? That's so dangerous!

When I tell people I've recently started doing crossfit I typically get 1 of 3 responses-

That's so cool, I'm not hardcore enough for that!
That looks hard, no thanks.
You shouldn't do crossfit, it's so dangerous you will hurt your back.

I understand the responses, my initial thought when I learned my friends did crossfit was that I'm not hardcore enough but I changed my tune soon after! I have so much community support I know people are just looking out for me hopefully this post will relieve some of the safety concerns!

I was so nervous before my first crossfit class (bring a buddy workout with like 40 people), I wasn't sure what to expect or if I would be able to keep up with the class. Even though I have been working out for 6 months I'm out of shape, overweight, and slower than a turtle. I am ok with it because everyday I get a little bit stronger, eventually I will reach my goals but I'm at the in-between stage right now. During that class everything had to be scaled you couldn't tell I was the slowest but my score was the lowest and I didn't even care. I finish the workout and I loved every minute of it even when I had to do a scaled version of the WOD I wasn't embarrassed I was putting my best foot forward to get through it.

I started taking a fundamentals class the next week, I was amazed at how focused they were on proper form and not doing too much too fast. This class was the perfect introduction to crossfit, I learned proper technique for most lifts plus other important crossfit skills and I got to know some of the trainers better. Last week I started taking regular classes, there are no leveled classes so I was in with everyone else which obviously had me a little freaked out- I asked one of the co-owners if there were any classes that had more advanced students, I didn't want to hold the class back. Not only did he reassure me that I could fit into any class, he took it a step farther and told me that he didn't want trainers that couldn't make everyone feel welcome and confident in the workout.

I assumed that when I started real classes I would have to catch up and ask the coaches to explain the moves to me but for the most part I don't. It's not that I've suddenly gained all of the crossfit knowledge I will ever need but the trainers at my box are so focused on proper form and safety that we spend time during the warm-up breaking down all of the motions for whatever lift we are doing. The trainers ask about injuries, sore muscles, and overall health all the time I feel safer doing crossfit than when I tried to do piyo lol that was a hot mess! I hate that to some people crossfit has such a bad rap, it's not a dangerous sport at all- if you push yourself too fast or too hard in any sport there will be injuries not just crossfit. For every person you see on social media posting pictures of extreme lifts what you don't see is the thousands of hours that athlete has dedicated to getting better.

The support from the other students is so important, I'm the last one to finish my WOD if it's timed and the people that get done quickest cheer on those of us still going. I had a ton of assumptions going in- that it was crazy (and it kind of is but not in an unsafe way), that the competitive atmosphere would pit us against each other, and that I wouldn't be able to keep up. You know what they say happens when you assume ;) obviously I loved it and still do!

Maybe this view gave you a different perspective of crossfit or maybe you will dismiss my opinions because I haven't been doing it long enough to know better. Either way I hope you give crossfit a chance, take a trial class at your local box or if you are in houston try U Can Crossfit (this post is not endorsed or sponsored by UCan I just think they are fabulous!) I don't think you will regret it, the camaraderie among the other students is fantastic! But if you hate it feel free to let me know maybe we can find something else you might like! Pole dancing classes maybe?

Review- Raw Revolution Bars

Raw Revolution sent me some of their new Raw Rev Glo high protein bars free to sample and review, I was not paid to give a specific opinion on their product.

I sampled the Raw Revolution Bars creamy peanut butter & sea salt, mixed nuts caramel & sea salt, and peanut butter dark chocolate & sea salt. These have a fairly high protein content (10-15g per bar) with no GMOs or artificial ingredients.

Pros-
Texture is similar to cookie dough just a little drier, not chalky like some bars I have tried.
High protein content, perfect to store in the gym bag for emergencies.
The peanut butter wasn't overpowering flavor-wise which is perfect for someone like me who doesn't like a love of peanut butter at once.

Cons-
A little oily, it didn't taste greasy but the peanut oil felt gross on my fingers.
The peanut butter/dark chocolate was very sweet, too sweet for me.

Overall opinion-
Above average, the texture was not bad at all and in a pinch I would use these post workout! While the flavors were a little bland it's much better than the overly potent bars out there. I think I would like some of the other flavors better, I try to stay away from peanuts since my diet is primarily paleo however they do help increase the protein content significantly over the other peanut free bars.

I gave a few of ther bars away and asked for feedback, my husband was not impressed although I think he was expecting them to taste similar to a Reese's cup which is obviously not the case.

Another friend of mine sent me this review "The bar was ok. Good points- it had a good texture, wasn't hard or crumbly so that was a big plus. Once I'd had a couple of bites, the peanut flag I was good and not overpowering. Negative- it was a little bland in the first couple of bites and there was no hint of sea salt at all. I would rate it as pretty average. It didn't have the bad after taste that some do so that was good. I just wish it had a little more flavor because the texture was really good"

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The perfect workout

What is the best workout?

Runners will tell you to run- cardio, cardio, cardio.
Beachbody coaches will tell you to get one of their programs 21day fix and Insanity are top answers.
Body builders will tell you to lift weights.
Crossfit followers will tell you crossfit is all you need.
Zumba instructors want you to get up and dance.

There isn't one perfect workout it depends on your goals and what makes you happy. I have a few big goals- I want to do a triathlon and a marathon, in order to do this I have to run but I'll let you in on a secret I hate to run. I will keep running to accomplish my goals but it is not fun for me, it's not my perfect workout at all. I recently took a few crossfit classes and loved it, everyday is different, you are constantly learning, and it's super competitive. Crossfit is perfect for me, I love to compete even if it's just against myself and I love the variety, doing different things everyday is something I crave otherwise I'm bored. Zumba is fun every now and then but I can't do the same dances everyday it gets repetitive and stale, other people love it though! I'm the type of person that will try any exercise at least once even if I hate it at least I tried. If you stick with the same routine that's ok but what if there is something you haven't tried yet that is YOUR perfect match? If you aren't in love with your current workout try something new, otherwise working out will feel like a job and you will no longer be enthusiastic to go. So think about your goals and something you enjoy- maybe it's recreational basketball, swimming, or a million other active things you can do just get out there and move! Do not let your workout become a chore when there are so many amazing options out there.

Let's Talk About Nutrition

The most important thing you can do when starting your health journey is to clean up your diet, weightloss is 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. In fact if you don't ever exercise just change your eating habits most likely you will shed the excess fat, I don't recommend this- building muscle is so important to everyday life but you can. Everyday I am asked what am I doing to lose the weight, I follow a primarily paleo diet (no grains, no dairy, no legumes, no refined sugars, no soy) I do not believe any of those things are necessary to live and you can not convince me otherwise. I have the taste buds of a 6 year old so it was a hard transition but for the most part it's is second nature to me now, I've even completed a Whole30 challenge! Cheese is still my weakness but I do so much better without it so I'm trying to listen to my body more.

A typical day for me is-

Breakfast- 3 eggs cooked in coconut oil, handful of blackberries, tablespoon of almond butter

Lunch- Tuna Salad, lettuce for wraps, carrots, sliced cucumber, toasted coconut

Snack- Grapefruit or Grain-free Granola

Dinner- Grilled Chicken, asparagus, lettuce with raw broccoli slaw & sliced almonds

Sometimes I drink a protein shake after my early morning workout if I'm not ready to eat breakfast yet, the one I currently use is not paleo but it is vegan so there isn't any dairy in it. I'm looking for a paleo option that uses egg protein instead of pea protein though because the one I use right now only has 18g of protein. I use cashew milk in my shakes because it is so much creamier than almond or coconut milk, yum.

I only drink water but sometimes I flavor it with lemon or fruit, caffeine gives me heart palpitations and really bad anxiety so no coffee or green tea for me. I try to do 1/2oz of water per pound I weigh so I'm trying to drink over 100oz/day which feels crazy plus it makes me pee all the time, however if I don't hit my target I can instantly tell the next morning. If you aren't drinking any water at all or very little shoot for the recommend 64oz but I need so much more than that!

I hope this helps, I'm not a nutritionist so please consult one or do the research yourself this is what works for me and what I am happy following.

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Get to know me!

Hi I'm Kaia and I'm on a journey to lose more than half of my bodyweight, if you think it sounds daunting you are right. My goal feels impossible about half of the time, I am incredibly driven to succeed but that doesn't mean it's easy or that I never slip up because I do, I'm human not a robot. I am almost 29, I have an amazing husband of 6yrs and a fabulous 2 1/2yo daughter. At my heaviest I was 309lbs- yes you read it right I let myself get over 300lbs that's when I woke up and realized I needed a huge change to happen so I woke up the next day and did something about it! October 3, 2014 I sat in my doctors office crying about my weight but October 4, 2014 I wasn't crying anymore I formed a plan and stuck to it 6 months later I've lost 82lbs! I feel better than I have in years, I'm more confident than ever plus I am working on becoming a health role model for my daughter. The community support I have received has been overwhelming and I hope that my journey is inspiring other people to start their own journey's as well! This blog will feature tips, inspiration, motivation, and my emotional journey, you can't lose this much weight without your perspective changing too!

Until next time,
Hot Fit Mess Kaia