Since summer has ended and winter hasn’t quite begun, I’ve seen a pretty large influx of people back in the gym, which is awesome! And it’s the perfect time to get back on track and back to feeling your best, even when baggy clothes and covering up is in season. But you know what never goes out of season?
- Your body.
- Feeling your best.
- Working towards your future.
So often people use the New Year as a time to start a new program, but why not just start now? Today. This very minute! Every single day we just keep getting older and losing time so why wait a couple more months when you can get going now? Sure, the holidays are coming and it’s harder to stick with your goals, but it IS still possible. I’ve eaten paleo/gluten free and I’ve done CrossFit for over 6 years now. That means I’ve been through 6 holiday seasons where there is sh*tty food and traveling and no gym and tough decisions to be made, but I’ve still made it through. And that’s because I set my goals and standards before New Years. The holidays are challenging, but if you hold yourself to a higher standard, if you set your goals and don’t waver, and if you decide your health is most important, than you’ll be able to make the best decisions during the holiday season. You’ll make it work.
The holidays don’t control your goals, YOU do. You control what you eat, you control what workout you do when gym times are limited, and you control how you perceive the challenges put in front of you. Remember, health is long term. It’s not a cleanse or just a 1 month challenge or a new resolution – it’s forever. And if you start setting your goals right now and start getting after them, you won’t have to start a New Year’s resolution. You won’t have to start back up at the gym because you’ve already been doing it. So start now! Start today! Don’t let worries or stressful environments (aka the holidays) slow you down or stop your progress. YOU are in control and YOU set the standard of your own healthy choices. Now go kick some ass at life!
Sunday – Open gym workout with my husband
20 minute as many rounds as possible:
250m row
10 hang power cleans
10 front squats
200m run
10 box jumps
Then 3 sets of 10/10 barbell one legged deadlifts using 85#
Monday – CrossFit Broadway Class
5 Rounds With Heaps Of Purpose: (17 min Time Cap)
10 Strict handstand push ups – deficit if needed.
10 Strict Chest to Bar Pull Ups
15 Double Kettlebell Russian Swings (2 x 55/35)
I finished in 15:30 using 1 ab mat for my HSPU, doing 7 strict pull ups and using 2×35#kb
Then 9 min As Many Rounds As Possible Of:
30 Hang Power Cleans (155/105)
60 Wall Ball
120 Double Unders
I got 1 + 60 reps using 85#
Tuesday – CrossFit Broadway Class
Clean & Jerk – squat clean into split jerk: (18 mins)
2 x 2 @ 70% – 100#
2 x 2 @ 75% – 107#
3 x 1 @ 80% – 115#
3 x 1 @ 85% – 125#
Then For Time: (10 min time cap)
1000m Row
30 Toes To Bar
15 Clean & Jerk (power clean into push jerk – 185/125)
I finished in 7:52 using 95#
Wednesday – CrossFit Broadway Class
Back Squats; 5 x 2. All sets at 90% (18 mins) – 165#
Then 21-15-9 Reps For Time Of: (10 min time cap) – video here
Deadlift (255/175)
Burpee Box Overs (24/20)
I finished in 5:44 at 135#
Thursday – Rest day
Friday – CrossFit Broadway Class
20 mins Moving With Purpose:
8 Strict Press. Adding every round trying to find a 8 Rep Max
8 & 8 Single Leg Deads @ 40-45% of 1 Rep Max Deadlift
100m Farmers Carry (2 x 70/55)
I finished with 4 rounds with 70# strict press, 90# deadlift and 2×35# carries
Then 7 min Clock: video here
470m Run
then as many rounds as possible of:
10 Front Squats (135/95)
15 hand release push ups
I got 3+9 using 85#
Saturday – CrossFit Broadway Class
20 Deadlifts (275/185) – Run 400m
20 KB swings (70/53) – Run 400m
20 Overhead Squats (115/75) – Run 400m
20 Burpees – Run 400m
20 Pullups (Chest to Bar) – Run 400m
20 Box jumps (24/20) – Run 400m
20 Squat Cleans (135/95) – Run 400m
I finished in 25:47 using 125#, 35#, 65#, 85#
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Free Travel Workout:
18 Minute As Many Rounds As Possible:
10 dumbbell front squats – 10 hand release push ups – 10 box jumps
12-12-12
14-14-14
going up by 2’s until that 18 minutes is over
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What I Ate in a Day:
I woke up around 6:30am and made my normal cup of coffee with a splash of heavy cream and some stevia extract.
About an hour later, I heated up a bowl of Simone’s potato chorizo soup from her new cookbook Paleo Soups & Stews leftover from the night before. It’s so bomb!
After working in the morning, I got stuck in my office while the rug cleaner guy came through. And while I was in there for a while, I got hungry. Luckily a coconut butter packet sat right there on my desk waiting to be snacked on!
After the guy left, I heated up a slice of my pizza spaghetti pie with some Jackson’s Honest sweet potato chips on the side!
Later in the after, I was craving something before the gym so I made a protein shake with frozen banana, almond milk, protein powder, great lakes collagen, and cold brew coffee then snacked on a couple tablespoons of gluten free granola!
After working out and coaching, I snacked on 4-5 larabar bites while I headed home.
While I made dinner, I ate 1/2 of a leftover tiny gluten free banana bread (I grabbed it at a restaurant nearby the day before and had eaten half of it) and a handful of sweet potato chips. Then dinner was a chorizo taco with Siete Foods cassava coconut tortilla with Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo with cilantro and goat cheese then had some extra chorizo on the side.
Then I ate a paleo lemon cookie for dessert!
I was definitely one of those people that said “screw it! I’ll start January 1”, but that’s changed over the last few years…although I still tend to get lazy the week or two leading up to Christmas. But not this year! I’m determined! Maybe a podcast about how to survive the holiday season would help? *wink, wink*
Just wanted to say I’ve been loving the podcasts, and sooooo looking forward to your holiday recipes!
Have a great week!
i actually have that planned to chat about in 2 weeks!! so definitely stay tuned for that one!!
Looking forward to it! Thanks!
Great reminder. For the longest time I always felt like I had to wait for Monday. Ill start that diet on Monday, Ill start that workout on Monday. I “screwed” up on Thursday so I’ll restart on Monday. I have been doing this paleo/crossfit thing since April, and it is the only thing that has Ever stuck longer than a month.
Love the podcast, I listen on Saturdays when I meal prep!
i did the same thing back in the day and it was a forever ongoing cycle. so awesome to free yourself from that!
Do you happen to have a link for a video of the single-legged deadlifts that would be good for reference? I’m not sure my form is correct. Thanks in advance!!
sure thing! here’s one: https://www.instagram.com/p/BKQ9FPTDUk_/?taken-by=paleomg
Love the at home workouts! Thank you for a new one each week. I keep them on my phone and then when I can’t get to the gym I have a workout ready to go! Thank you:)
I LIVE for these Monday morning pep talks! I’m on my final week of a 30 day Sugar free challenge and it’s nice to feel some extra motivation during the holidays since no one really cares around this time. Giving up sugar around Halloween was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! I don’t plan on giving up Thanksgiving dinner but I did make the decision to run a half marathon on that day to keep myself motivated.
I’ve always felt the best being disciplined during the holidays because once I start getting burnt out (around January), everyone else starts getting pumped up and I get that extra motivation…it’s a genius plan and works every time.
Do your Siete tortillas tend to break when you try to fold them? If not, do you (or anyone else!!) have a trick on how to keep that from happening? Thanks!!
not the cassava ones. and i heat them up over a gas flame before i make my tacos
I had that problem too! Like Juli said, I found that if I warmed them in a pan or the oven first they became much more soft and pliable (and didn’t break like before).
Hey Juli! How do you dodge the Holiday food offers from people without emphasizing that you’re eating Paleo (not that you have that problem I’m sure). I feel like people judge you when you say you’re trying to eat healthy or you decline the offer for a treat during the holidays…
i try not to mention why i eat the way i do or anything that has to do with diet or healthy eating around the holidays, so i just fill my plate with things i know won’t upset my stomach – i.e. turkey or ham, mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, whatever veggie is available and anything else that doesn’t look too shitty. and then if i’m trying to stay away from the dessert, i just say i’m full. if people are judgmental about that, it’s because they are insecure about their own eating and has nothing to do with me so i don’t care.
Isn’t it a sad state of affairs when you are NOT judged if you eat like crap but you ARE judged if you are trying to eat healthy! I find it amazing that people think nothing of eating the pizza, soda or candy but then make comments that I’m missing nutrients or fiber if I don’t eat “an entire food group”, i.e. grains…craziness! Ughh!
So true! I ate like crap for years and nobody said a word. Now, I get an earful if someone finds out I don’t eat beans. What the heck. I agree with Julie that judgmental people are most likely insecure about their own eating habits.
OT: made your spaghetti pie with taco ground beef, a litttle tomato sauce and Bam! Delicious!!! Thank you! My husband said “that’s a keeper”
Hi there! I just saw your instagram post with the delicata squash – they are my absolute favorite! I cannot wait until you post the recipe. I have two ready to go so I am ready when you are!!
Hi Juli! Question about protein powder (I know your favorite kind of question, right?)…in your podcast you mentioned how plant protein powders caused issues with you or your friend (I can’t remember exactly). I’ve always shied away from whey protein because it bothered my tummy. Are there underlying issues with plant protein powders? Or am I good as long as I feel fine digesting them? Anyways- love the blog, podcasts, workouts, food, etc. so thank you for all you put out there!
i just don’t see plant protein as the same type of protein as whey. i wouldn’t put a plate together for a meal and say i’m eating peas or a different vegetable as my protein. i would eat meat or fish or seafood. does that make sense? if you have an issue with whey, it might be worth looking into an egg white protein powder!