Recently, I’ve had a couple people ask me on social media as well as on my blog how I’ve lost weight or what I’m doing differently to change my body. I’ve talked about it in the past, but thought I would bring it back up because I know other people have gone through or are maybe going through the same thing. Here’s a summary: I began CrossFit in 2010, lost about 30+ pounds, then I began competing for a few years, where I slowly gained more and more weight. Of course, most of that was muscle but I was also gaining fat in strange places like my knees, hips and even love handles. It was very upsetting since I felt like I was being as strict as possible with my food and working out more than I ever had in the past. Problem was, I was lifting and working out so hard and wasn’t eating enough. So I was f*cking up my hormones while not fueling in the right way. Real smart, eh?
After I decided I didn’t want to compete anymore, I cut back on my workouts, started lifting lighter, took more rest days and said F*CK IT. Straight up. I ate what I wanted (gluten free still since I have a gluten allergy) when I wanted and rested whenever it felt right. I stopped obsessing about my body and questioning everything and just went about my day trying to be as content as possible. Over time, my body started to thank me. My hormones started to calm down: I lost weight that I had gained in strange places, I slept better, my appetite regulated, and I was just happier with how I looked.
When people say CrossFit doesn’t make you bulky, I fully believe it’s what your viewpoint on bulky is, what your genetics are like, and I believe it depends on what type of CrossFit you do. To me, I felt very “bulky” when I competed in CrossFit and was lifting very heavy multiple times per day. I didn’t like how I looked or how I felt. I felt, well “bulky”. I would see other girls who were incredibly ripped and I just felt fluffy. I tried to concentrate on my performance and performance alone, but outside of the gym I didn’t feel comfortable. So nowadays, I still do CrossFit usually 5x per week at much lighter weight which seems to get lighter each week, I’m 30 pounds lighter and I’m much more comfortable in my skin. I just had to give up some physical strength to improve my mental strength and I’m so happy I did that for myself.
I still CrossFit, I still lift, I try new things like our Fit classes and I’m even thinking about taking up some reformer pilates after so many people recommended it in last weeks post! At this point, I’m just trying to live a healthy lifestyle and accept my body for how it looks today and hope to improve it in some way with each workout I do. Not stressing out about every detail of every dimple seems to have helped me in the long run. So what I’m recommending here is for you to stress less. Life has enough stressors already.
If you have some sort of experience you’d like to share with CrossFit or any other workout you’ve done and how it changed your life or what you did to make it work for you, share in the comments below!!
Wait, before I go, have you signed up my Blendtec giveaway?! It ends tonight, don’t miss out!!
Sunday – Rest day means lake day! I didn’t surf at all, but I watched people surf. That’s exercise, right?
Monday – My own workout – I have recently been working out Monday mornings by myself so I made this one up on the fly. I’m trying to make sure I do some butt intensive movements and ab movements at least twice a week and I was sore for days after this!
12 minute AMRAP:
10 power snatch (95/65)
50 double unders
20 bulgarian split squat -10 each leg (65/45)
Then
5 100m sprint followed by 100m jog
Between each sprint – abs
1st round – 30 leg raises holding a 25# plate towards ceiling
2nd round – 30 russian twists with 25# plate
3rd round – 30 reverse crunches
4th round – 30 leg raises holding a 25# plate towards ceiling
5th round – 30 russian twists with 25# plate
Tuesday – CrossFit Class – The second part of this workout was a buuuuurner. Try to do all of your wall balls unbroken. I didn’t, but you totally should.
Gymnastics Strength:
6 Rounds For total reps of: (one number)
30 sec Max Effort Strict HSPU – I used an ab mat for a target
REST 30 sec
30 sec Max Effort Strict Pull Ups – I did a mix of chin ups and pull ups
REST 30 sec
I got a total of 76 reps
Then 4 Rounds For Time Of:
10 Power Cleans (155/105)
25 Wall Ball
I finished in 7:52 using 85#
Wednesday – CrossFit Class – As I’ve mentioned before, I hate ring dips. I’m fine with not having pecs. And I would much rather work on my triceps before my chest. So I always do parallete dips with my feet raised. Triceps = real sore.
Snatch: 2-3 Warm Up Sets, THEN
5 sets of, 1.1.1. Quick Reset between singles. Adding.
I finished at 95#
Then 10 min Ladder Of: (3,6,9,12,15…)
Ring Dips – I did parallete dips with my feet raised
Box Overs (24/20)
Burpees
I got through round 18 + 12 dips
Thursday – Rest day! I love week day rest days because I get to wash my hair and do my makeup. I feel so girly on rest days.
Friday – Fit Class – Come try a week for free, these classes are so fun!
Bring Sally Up Workout – I did mine with a 35# barbell on back
Then: 1 min/45 sec/30 sec*
lateral jumps over pvc/glute kickback with dumbbell in knee pit
100m sprint
TRX hamstrings curls/TRX ski jumps with knee touch
100m sprint
Uneven squats holding a kettlebell/Bridge raises with one leg in the air
100m sprint
Lateral band walks/One legged pistols to bench
100m sprint
*Do each movement for 1 minute, then each movement for 45 seconds, then 30 seconds, then do 100m sprint.
Saturday – CrossFit Class – Did you guys watch the CF Games this weekend? They did this workout, but with heavier weights. Ew. I was fine with using only 85# and that felt super heavy to me.
Hero Workout “DT”
5 rounds for time:
12 deadlift
9 hang power cleans
6 push jerks
*All weight is at 155/105 – I used 85# and finished in 8:55
I was doing crossfit 4-5x a week for 2 years and noticed my energy waning and gaining cellulite on my thighs, arms, and stomach. And unfortunately beginning to dread my workouts. Went to see a functional medicine dr and found my adrenals were shot and I was carrying too much fat for a crossfitter. Lessons learned: I don’t have the time or money to eat enough to keep up with that form of training and the mental exhaustion from the WODS combined with my extremely taxing job as a therapist was taking its toll on my body both physically and mentally. I’ve had to move on to fewer workouts, less intense beatings on my body, and really hone in my diet. I’m now thinner, feel more comfortable in my body, and have my energy back. I LOVED Crosfit, unfortunately it didn’t love me back.
Totally with you on this. I did a CF-like workout program, 3 hours of HIIT a week, which actually doesn’t sound too crazy compared to what many Crossfitters do. It only took 3 months of this regimen though for my body to break down. I started having fatigue, palpitations/high resting heart rate, cortisol off the charts and intense daily anxiety that was so bad I had to quit my job. It took me nearly a year to recover and that involved basically zero physical activity for a few months until I was able to walk/hike/bike and do yoga a couple times a week. I’m getting back into HIIT and TRX training but only once a week on top of my yoga and gentle regular movement and feeling so much better. Overtraining is no joke and for some body types it’s not that difficult to fall over the edge.
I gain muscle mass pretty quickly so it’s always been a struggle to find the right balance with looking defined but not ‘thick’, if that makes sense. Bootcamp classes/interval training really helped me to lean out and made me feel comfortable in my own skin. Changing my workout style has made me feel stronger than ever, even though I wasn’t lifting nearly half as what I was before. There are so many gyms that offer discounts or even free classes to try; I highly suggest it!
Great ideas for some alternative workouts. It’s so easy to just end up doing the same exercises week in week out so its great to get some new ideas.
I’ve never been able to get rid of the nice layer of fat that has perpetually clung to my body since being a teenager. I feel like I do everything right, and yet I can’t shake the fat. No matter how good my performance gets in running or lifting, my body looks pretty much the same. Last year I started training in Krav Maga, and I’m starting to come to the realization that while I’m still not happy with my body, at least I can throw a 200 lb. man off of me and kick his balls up into his throat. So there’s that. LOL! 🙂
Hi Juli – I noticed you’ve slimmed down quite a bit over time and applaud you on your outlook. YAY!
How did you figure out you weren’t eating enough? I feel as though I am bulking up as well. I have gained muscle and fat this year and learned that my adrenals were shot. I yoga 2-3x per week and crossfit 1-2x per week and try to walk or bike once a week. My goal is to be lean but I wonder if I’m undereating (mostly AIP) and overdoing the workouts with Adrenal fatigue and Hashimotos.
Any insight, suggestions, or resources? Thanks a bunch!
Juli, everything about this resonated with me – this is the first post I’ve read that says it’s okay if your goal is to fit into your jeans instead of squatting 500 lbs! It’s a huge mental battle when you are capable of Rx’ing a workout, but forcing yourself to scale. To take those extra (or any!) rest days. I still struggle with all of this, but thank you so much for the perspective!
i’ve totally been that person that said i would rather squat more than feel good in clothes, but that just wasn’t sustainable for me, i guess it is for others. to each their own! and glad you enjoyed a different side 🙂
Yes, lighter weights will make a difference. But somehow I also doubt that you eat any of the treats you post………
hahaha I wish you could talk to my fiancé because he wouldn’t definitely tell you differently
haha i do!
Holy cow. I’ve struggled with this for awhile now. I have also gotten quite “fluffy”. We stopped Crossfitting in 2013 after one year, and we outfitted our garage with workout equipment. We gravitated toward what we liked, which was weight lifting. Unfortunately, the metcons sort of dropped off and we were mostly squatting. I like squatting, but after awhile NOTHING was fitting me anymore. I’ve had to buy all new clothes. My husband insists he would rather have me strong than skinny, but I’m beginning to feel that I’d rather be skinny. Or at least weigh a little less. I carry it around my mid-section which makes me really self-conscious.
I am very happy for you that you found what works for you by cutting down on the weight and not stressing so much about achieving a “perfect” body which does not actually exist! One thing I will say, though, is to just be mindful about speaking negatively towards “girls lifting heavy weights”… I think it’s a truly empowering thing for females especially since the general consensus is that girls should just stick to the cardio machines and save the weights for the guys… Just making a point for you to consider in your tone 🙂 love your blog!!
never ever did i talk negatively about women lifting heavy weights. not once. crossfitting and lifting heavy was one of the most empowering feelings I’ve ever had, which I’ve talked about in MANY previous blog posts, for actually 3-4 years. I’ll link one for you (https://paleomg.com/finding-my-inner-strength/) 95% of my friends lift heavy weights every single day and I am only supportive of them. and they are supportive of me staying lighter. i explained my situation, why I didn’t like it and how I changed it. i think it’s important to have more than one viewpoint out there because people can feel alone, which I did. my tone never implied that women should “stick to cardio machines and save the weights for the guys”. did you read the post below with all my workouts? or only of my 30 previous weekly workouts? because i’m not exactly just “sticking to cardio”
This is a great post! I’ve done so many different workouts over the years and I’m genetically prone to getting bulky. I’ve been doing the Tracy Anderson Method for four years now and I’m completely addicted. Despite the fact that almost every move only uses your own body as resistance I’m stronger and healthier than I’ve even been before. It got me through two pregnancies with a much healthier body at the end. I get crap for how girlie it is, but you have to go with what feels best and makes you feel the healthiest and most balanced. Everyone is different. I have friends who look amazing doing CrossFit, but I have to do what feels best for my body.
never heard of that method before, i’ll have to look into that!