Saturday, May 11, 2013

Week 2: Team Challenge

Bleachers baby!
 
 12 rounds of bleachers per person on your team
 
 
Here how it's going to work:
 
You may choose your school, Riverton High or Herriman High.  Riverton seems to always be unlocked, where you may need to hop a pretty easy fence to get on Herriman's track.
 
Start on the southeast side of the bleachers. 
 


 
Continue going up and down all stairwells on the bleachers.  At the northeast side, exit to the track.


Week 2: Individual Challenge

It's a 2-fer!
 
Part 1:  All grains/starches must be WHOLE grain
(except for your 2 treats for the week)
 
Part 2:  No eating grains/starch/sugar after lunch
 
And now, for the details...
 
 
 
So, who remembers the low-fat craze of the 90s?  How about the low-carb craze of the 2000s?  If you lived through those times or followed those times, then you may remember the love of humongous bagels (fat-free) or Snackwell's cookies (fat-free...but full of sugar) or double bacon cheeseburgers, no bun (carb-free) or candy made with sugar alcohols so it had "no net carbs," but may or may not have left you running for the toilet if you had a few too many. 
 
Anyone?  Anyone?
 
If we can learn anything from our history it's that fads come and go and extreme eating will never last.  Yes, you may lose weight, but is it maintainable?  Can you always live without bread? It can be tempting to jump on the next diet or fad when you see someone who has lost weight by doing something extreme (HCG anyone?), but the reality is, it's not always the most healthy for your body. Diets don't work, they never have and they never will. 
They put your mindset in a "lightswitch" mentality...you're either "on" or your "off."  There is no in between.  If you messed up and ate a cookie, then you might as well have 5 more because you'll just start again on Monday, or at the beginning of the next month, or at the new year.  Sound familiar?  This can lead to a lifestyle of yo-yo dieting that isn't good for your body or your mental health. 
 
So, how do we combat this mentality?  Stay away from labels...not food labels...but labeling food or food groups, i.e. "Carbs are bad."  Are they? All of them?  If that label sticks in your head and you know you shouldn't be eating them because they are "bad," then what do you always want to eat?  Carbs. What are you always thinking about?  Carbs. It's like if I told you not to think about the color red.  What color are you thinking about?  (Well, being a BYU fan...okay, nevermind...you get my point)  Human nature is that we want the things most we can't have.  
 
Through participating in this challenge, I want you to form healthy habits...habits you can sustain for a lifetime.  Sure, you may need accountability (don't we all?), but I want you to finish this challenge drinking more water, eating more produce, eating more frequently, and not eating late at night, because you feel better when you do and you can sustain the changes your body has made by doing so.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

How to Post a Comment

If you are not comfortable with Blogger, here is a quick step-by-step guide showing you how to leave a comment.
 
First, click on the "Comments" button at the bottom of the post.

Next, click on the drop down menu to select a profile.





If you don't have a Google profile, then just go ahead and select "Anonymous" as shown in the picture below.
 




Hopefully that clears up any problems.  If you are still having issues, try doing it from a laptop or PC rather than your phone.  If that doesn't do the trick, let me know. 

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Week 1: Question(s) of the Week

 
What are your biggest obstacles that keep you from coming to CrossFit regularly?
 
How do you plan to overcome them in order to maximize your points for yourself and your team?
 
Fellow NutriFitters, feel free to offer your advice on other's comments as well if you've had a similar obstacle.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Week 1: Team Challenge

 
Jump & Core
 
 
150 min. Jump Rope
150 min. Core
 
In my line of work, one of the most common excuses I hear is "I'm too busy" or "I don't have time."  I am guilty of using that excuse myself...whether we're talking about planning meals, preparing food, or squeezing in workouts...time is definitely of the essence and an easy excuse.
 
Among this group of NutriFitters we have teachers, doctors, moms, business owners, sales associates, baseball game watchers, bankers, homemakers, dads, mechanics, soccer cheerleaders, orthodontists, chauffeurs, air traffic controllers, students, and contractors...just to name a few.  I think it's safe to say that we are all busy. 
 
It's a fact that the things that are most important to us will get done. If it is a priority, it gets accomplished.  I know this is why many of you signed up for NutriFit once again.  When you have a team that is counting on you, it becomes a priority. 
 
My goal here is not to inundate you with hours of extra work (...what?  why are you laughing?  I'm serious), but rather to show you how your body can change with an extra 20 minutes or less each day.  So...on to this week's team challenge:
 
First, the jump rope.  If you are dividing equally among your team, each person will need to jump rope 5 minutes each day starting Monday through Saturday.  You need to do a minimum of 5 minutes at a time, but you can do more if you would like if you'd rather do 3 days of 10 minutes, for example. 
 
Here's the breakdown:
For the first 2 of the 5 minutes, I want you to get your heart rate going at a steady rate...not too fast making sure it's sustainable.  If you get tripped up on the rope, get right back jumping without letting much time pass.  On a scale of 1-10, your heart rate should be about a 6.  You can do whatever kind of jump you want.
 
For the 3rd minute, I want you to take your heart rate up to a 9.  This is where you are almost at your max, can't say more than 1 word or 2, if any.  If you can do consistent double unders, that will take it to a 9 pretty easily.  If you struggle with double unders, try doing high knees for the minute. 
 
For the 4th minute, let your heart rate actively recover by going back to an easy jump, like the first 2 minutes. 
 
For the last minute, work your double unders.  Try single, single, double and see if you can keep that pattern.  If that's a hard pattern to keep, do 4 singles and a double under.  If you can only string 2 or 3 together before you mess up, I would rather you spread them apart and keep jumping as continuously as possible. 
 
Do this every day and you will complete this part of the challenge. 
 
Now, onto the core: 
 
This is a similar set-up where I want you to do 5 continuous minutes of core work.  You can do more if you want, but must do at least 5 minutes. 
 
Minute 1:  Wall-ball sit-ups 20/14
Minute 2:  Russian twists 53/35
Minute 3:  Scissor kicks
 
 
Minute 4:  Plank (no teepee bum)
 
 
Minute 5:  Sit-Ups or GHD Sit-Ups
(for those who are more advanced, go for the GHD)

**NOTE:  If you have to stop and rest during any part of the 5 minutes of jumproping and/or core work, you will need to add that rest time at the end.  It's not 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest...you need to be working the entire 5 minutes.**
 
4-Person Team:  120 minutes of each
3-Person Team:  90 minues of each
2-Person Team:  60 minutes of each
 
Q:  Can I do more than my share to help a teammate out?
A:  Yes.  You can divide up these minutes however you would like, but to earn the 25 points for your team, the entire challenge needs to be completed by Saturday night.  Remember though, jumprope and core are both part of the FIT Test and how each member of your team improves overall will help or hurt your team's results.  So, if at all possible, each member should try to carry his or her own weight, but I do understand that extenuating circumstances do come up. 
 
Q:  What if I want to do 7 or 8 minutes...how do I break that up?
A: After you have done the original 5 minutes as listed, you would just start over again.
 
 
If your team completes this challenge, you can each award yourself the 25 points for the team challenge.
 
Other questions? Leave a comment below and I will answer. 


Week 1: Individual Challenge


Keep a Daily Food Journal.
 
Studies show that keeping track of your food may help you lose up to 50 percent more weight than you would if you didn't record your daily diet. For those of you who may or may not have weight to lose, journaling your meals can do more than just track your intake and output; it can help you discover hidden eating triggers, undo bad habits, and learn how to energize your body by eating and staying active. Some of you want to gain muscle, journaling can be a great way to make sure you are getting enough protein, but not too much.