Over the years, I’ve learned to think of my body as a science experiment. Our bodies are constantly changing along with our environments, so if we want a certain something, we have to experiment with everything else to get it right. I’ve talked about this before and I’m going through it once again. For me, I don’t want to get a whole lot stronger because when I get stronger, I get bigger. And when I say this, please don’t take it offensively. This has nothing to do with anyone else or anyone else’s size. I just honestly don’t want my legs or my shoulders to get bigger. But with CrossFit, and especially right now at my gym since we are in a strength cycle, putting on extra mass is pretty easy for me because I still get excited about getting stronger. I get excited about my lifts getting better and my engine increasing, but then I look in the mirror and I’m not content with what I see.
This isn’t me crying about my weight or complaining I’m not skinny enough. I’ve been there, I’ve done that. Nowadays, I just begin to assess what I’ve been doing lately to gain weight or mass:
- Am I lifting more?
- Am I not taking enough rest days?
- Am I going heavier in my metcons?
- Am I eating more than I usually do?
I go through all these thoughts and start figuring out what has changed and what factors need to be altered to still be happy both physically and mentally. Since we are in a strength cycle at our gym and constantly increasing weights, I had to pull aside the coach and let him know that that’s not something I want to do. I have also decided that for a while now I’m going to mix in some different workouts and try new things to see how my body reacts to it. That means I’ll probably do a CrossFit class, then a Fit class then a Barre class and I may start adding in some yoga. I like being more muscular because I prefer that look and since CrossFit has helped me gain more muscle than I would have ever gained doing anything else, now I am able to manipulate those muscles more and challenge them in different ways. Such as Barre class, which I’m absolutely loving even though it is completely different from CrossFit! I plan to change up my routine for a month or so and see what the difference is because at the end of the day, our bodies and environments are always changing, so we might at well treat them as an experiment and see what happens!
If it were years ago, I would never have been able to do this. I would have gotten frustrated and cried and just not cared enough to understand why things were changing. It’s easier to get pissed off instead of taking the time to evaluate what changes are happening and why. It’s also easier to say something doesn’t work and throw in the towel. Earlier last week, I got a little frustrated then I decided getting frustrated wouldn’t do anything. What would help is my perception on how to alter my situation. I think it’s pretty cool to be able to think of our bodies are experiments instead of things that we have no control over. Sure, we may go through things that we can’t control such as illness or stress or whatever else, but if we are able to mentally control how we see our situations and what will lead us in better directions, we are often able to feel more in control and happier with what we have now. I’m not sure if this is all making sense today, but what I’m trying to say is: remember that you can control your life, one step at a time. There are always hurdles and changes and ups and downs, but if you treat your life, body and mind as a little experiment, you will constantly open your eyes to new and exciting ways to live a healthier and happier life! Now go try new things and get excited about how you’re taking care of your body!
Sunday – Rest Day
Monday – Rest Day – 8 hour drive back home from Nebraska
Tuesday – Back at it after 4 days off!
EMOM x 12: 1 Clean & Jerk. Fist set at 65%. Add as you wish. Goal of 95%. – I got to 125#
Then 15 min AMRAP Ladder Of: (3-6-9-12-15…)
Deadlift (225/155)
Wall Ball
Pull Ups
I got 18 + 42 using 125#
Wednesday –
Back Squats: 4 x 5. All sets at 83% (15 mins) – I used 155# for 2 sets then went down to 145# for 2 sets
Then 3 Rounds For Time: (12 min time cap)
35 / 30 Cal Row
15 Thrusters (115/75)
I finished in 9:48 using 65#
Thursday – Rest day – too sore to function
Friday –
3 rounds for time (19 min time cap):
300m run
25 kettlebell swings (70/55)
60 double unders
25 burpees
Then 3 rounds of: 20 GHD sit ups and 20 jumping lunges
Then I did a Barre Forte Lohi Class!
Saturday – Fit Class
- 7 minute AMRAP warm up: 100m run, 7 goblet squats, 7 high pulls, 7 incline push ups,
- Core workout: 3×1 minute rounds: 1 minute to complete 10 floor press (with barbell or plate) and 10 wipers with weight raised over head then in the remaining minute v-ups, russian twists, and ab mat sit ups. So you’ll do 1 minute of the press, wipers then v-ups then 30 sec rest then do it with russian twists then 30 sec rest, then do it sit ups. And do that 3 times through.
- Then 5 rounds (25 minute time cap) of: (I finished 4 rounds with 3 minutes to go but had to coach so I left early)
- 400m run
- 3/3 kettlebell clean and squat – I used 35# KB
- 2 rounds of Cindy (5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats)
- 1 minute plank hold (I did weighted with 25# plate on my back)
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At Home/Travel Workout:
10 minute AMRAP:
20 hand release push ups
20 tuck jumps
1 minute rest
10 minute AMRAP:
20 jumping lunges
20 pike push ups
1 minute rest
10 minute AMRAP:
20 side skaters
20 bench dips
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This Pretty Blue Racerback Sports Bra (40% off)
This Comfy Tank Top (15% off)
These High Rise Shorts (33% off)
These High Waisted Leggings (33% off)
These Nike Flyknit Running Shoes (33% off)
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What I Ate in a Day:
This is what I ate on Friday! I started my day off at about 5:45am. I had a glass of cold brew coffee with some water added to it along with a splash of heavy cream and stevia extract.
After finishing up my Fashion Friday post and newsletter, I made breakfast around 7am. Breakfast sausage (find the recipe in Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook), sautéed arugula and spinach and Wildbrine kimchi. After breakfast, I took Jackson out for a little morning walk.
After going to the Social Security office to change my name, I headed to my gym to do a quick workout by myself then went to a chiropractor appointment. After that, I went to Barre Forte Lohi for a noon workout. After our workout, a friend and I grabbed bulletproof coffee at Carbon. Sooooo good. Seriously.
Usually a bulletproof coffee will hold me over for a while, but since I hadn’t eaten much, I was pretty hungry once I got home so I snacked on some Milton’s gluten free crackers (just a little bit left in the bag) and heated up one of my pancake breakfast sandwiches (they will be on the blog this week).
I worked on the blog for a while after a late lunch then took Jackson out for a long afternoon walk. Once we got back home, I made shake with frozen banana, almond milk, gelatin, unsweetened cocoa powder and maple syrup.
Since my husband tends to work pretty long hours in the summer, we don’t eat dinner until 8pm most of the time. Which means I want to eat by 6pm. I’m loving this Krave beef jerky for snacks. Yes, it has sugar in it, but I haven’t found another that I really love that doesn’t. All the others I’ve tried are SUPER chewy, like bubble gum, and I’m not a fan of beef bubble gum. So I had a couple pieces of this jerky before dinner!
For dinner, I made tacos with what I had in the fridge: Siete Foods cassava tortilla, Primal Kitchen Foods chipotle lime mayo, sautéed peppers and onions, grassfed ground beef with LOTS of spices and hot sauce, red jalapeños, lime juice, goat cheese, cilantro and homemade tomatillo salsa (which will be on the blog this week!). I was still hungry after one tacos so I ate more just without the taco shell!
If you have any questions about what I eat and why, feel free to leave them below and I’ll answer them ASAP!
I think a lot of the negativity toward you probably just comes from the fact that your lifestyle allows you to work out and eat the way you do while other likely juggle less flexible jobs, families, incomes, etc, and therefore cannot afford the cross fit, the barre, the afternoon coffees and the grass Feds and the worry about the fluff.
Being a paleo personality as afforded you this perfectly paleo TM lifestyle. There’s nothing really wrong with that. I think the negativity comes from people who just can’t identity with it, and a lot of positivity comes from people who can or at least want to fantasize they can.
To each her own, in the end. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the way you life your life. People who don’t identify should read elsewhere. There are blogs for those of us who do not have access to this kind of lifestyle. Those of us who do not have access to this kind of luxury to worry about the fluff or wether we should cross fit, barre, or whatever.
I’m one of these. I read your blog sometimes. I don’t identify. I have to work far more and receive far less and could not afford the things you do or eat but I do my best and it’s interesting to see the way the other half lives.
Anyway, do you and don’t listen to the hate. Many might choose your life if given the same luxuries.
just a little perspective Tara – just a few years ago, I was making below the poverty line. i was constantly working and barely making end. but i still figured out how to pay for a gym and i didn’t buy grassfed items, i just bought whatever was on sale and the cheapest cuts of meat. i still made eating healthy as possible and working out work when i didn’t have much. that was just a choice i made. i decided i wouldn’t go out with friends so i could pay for a gym. that wasn’t a luxury, that was a choice. nowadays, i have more options because of the industry i’ve been in for 6+ years. and since i have those options, i’ve taken what i’ve learned and share travel or at home workouts you can do with little equipment for people who don’t want to go to a gym or cannot. i would like to point out the fact that you said you work far more and receive far less…how do you know this? how do you know how much i work or how much i make? i work my ass off, working monday through sunday, i just don’t share me typing on my social media. just remember, we may see things a certain way because of social media, but that’s not always the way they are.
I thought that was a very odd comment too… every time I read Juli’s blog, I think “dang, this lady works really hard!”
I’ve said it before, but thanks again for sharing the at home workouts- especially those that require no equipment. I travel for work constantly and I feel like the hotel gyms are getting smaller and smaller, so with limited access to equipment, these are awesome. I usually just do them in my room, and skip the gym entirely.
of course! glad i could help! good for you for getting workouts done in your own hotel room, that’s some dedication right there!
First off, I love your blog! Always inspiring and I definitely need to be trying the recipes more! I am an avid climber and I add high intensity cardio, core and other strength training into my weekly routine. I was on a week long trip to Alaska, I got back the other week. I didn’t eat terrible but I did not have time to much working out. So here I am freaking out over a few extra pounds. But overall, I have been feeling not as lean as I have in the past. I eat pretty much the same thing everyday / week. Is there something that I need to be switching up? I’m 30, and my biggest fear is not being able to keep up as I get older. Whether it’s my diet or workouts, I was hoping you would have some advice 🙂
vacations or travel always throw things off, so just try to get back on schedule, back to working out and eating healthy again. hormones definitely change over time so that’s something to keep in mind, but bodies change and the only way to really stay on top of it is continuously working hard every day and listening to your body!