Urban Gets Diesel

Cortisol Management for CrossFitters

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:56:00 +0000

Once again, today's post is coming from readers' emails and comments. In my recent Derailed post, I wrote the following:

In it for the long haul? Here’s where you have to triage – and listen to me carefully. Eating well and sleeping enough come first. Just focus on that, and if that’s all you can do, that’s okay. Eat only Good Food, sleep as much as you can, and supplement for cortisol management. Those are your top priorities, and if you can keep those up, you’ll maintain an awful lot of your general “health”.

I received more than a few emails following that statement, asking about cortisol management, and steps you can take to help you manage your cortisol levels. Now, I'm not an expert on adrenal fatigue by any means, but I'm pretty good with Google, so I've pulled some basics together for y'all. I also checked in with Dallas and Mathieu Lalonde to see what their giant science-y brains could add. One word of caution - I've given you some supplement links as reference, but common sense should tell you to do your own research before you start taking anything new, right?

Let's hit the basic background principles first. The adrenal glands produce many of the body's hormones, including epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol. The function is to help us under stress - the release of certain hormones puts us into "fight or flight" mode, to help us deal with crisis situations. Trouble is, when you are under constant stress, the glands are working overtime, pumping out these hormones. The excess cortisol wreaks havoc on your metabolism, and seriously circumvents the processing of fat, protein and carbohydrates and fat loss efforts.

You can help to manage cortisol levels with the following supplements and common sense tips.

Supplements:

BCAA (branch chain amino acids). A general recommendation is to take 5g of mixed BCAAs per dose, 3-4 times a day, especially post work-out, and on an empty stomach.

Dallas adds that L-glutamine has been found to have immune-stimulating properties, and can help with muscle recovery when training hard. Supplement with 10 grams, twice daily on an empty stomach, with one of those servings taken right before bed. Powdered forms are inexpensive and easily mixed into a few ounces of water.

Phosphatidyl serine. Studies have shown that 800mg/day can significantly suppress cortisol, but this can get expensive.

ZMA supplements (zinc-magnesium-aspertate) or any other supplement that has zinc, magnesium and/or calcium, along with vitamin C supplements or Emergen-C Lite. Those should help with immune function and DNA repair during stressful times.

Avoid all NSAIDs (like Advil). Dallas explains that these anti-inflammatories not only negatively affect cortisol, but they decrease protein synthesis rates. This means that your body's acute response to the stress of high-intensity exercise is diminished, which potentially could slow recovery/adaptation. Stick to fish oils for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Training:

Perform your workouts but reduce the intensity. Exercise does reduce stress. However, excessively long bouts of training or too many intense workouts deliver too much stress to an already-stressed body, and will increase levels of cortisol.

M@ adds that intense met-cons should be no greater than 30 minutes, and ideally much less than that. Monostructural cardio at high intensity (running, rowing, cycling, swimming) should be less than 45 minutes. Weightlifting workouts should also be less than 45 minutes in total.

Sleep:

Get plenty of sleep, but it does not have to be all in one chunk. Don't freak out if you sleep for a little while, wake up, then go back to sleep (as you've been doing), or get up and take a nap later in the day. Research has shown that it is not the total amount of sleep hours that matters, but the number of sleep cycles achieved while sleeping.

Here’s something from the Center for Applied Cognitive Studies: "Studies show that the length of sleep is not what causes us to be refreshed upon waking. The key factor is the number of complete sleep cycles we enjoy." It turns out that short afternoon naps (75-90 minutes) are very productive sleep-cycle wise. So go ahead and get your sleep in whenever you can - it doesn't have to be a whole 8 to 9 hour block.

Nutrition:

With respect to your overall diet, we've more than got that covered, don't we? However, be sure to abstain from caffeine and other stimulants. M@ also adds that you may want to abstain from alcohol and fructose as well.

A small (no more than 2 blocks of whatever macronutrient combination suits your goals) PWO meal will help lower cortisol levels after exercise.

So now you've got a few options for helping you manage your cortisol levels, including some that come from a bottle. One obvious word of caution - this does NOT mean you can supplement your way out of stress and its negative effects on your health and fitness. Employing good life stress-management skills are going to do more for your efforts to manage cortisol than any combination of supplements. A little extra help never hurts, however, so add the above to see you through the stressful times.

The new math

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Note: Today's Whole30 check-in is also a CrossFit 603 update. It's all related, so use today's comments to check in with your 30 day adventure, provide feedback or suggestions for the program or weigh in on the changes going down over at the 603.

Now that we've got our ducks (goats?) more in order, here's a preview of what's going on over at CrossFit 603. First, and most importantly, we're changing our affiliate name to CrossFit Whole9.

I know, right? Kind of a big deal, and a little scary for us. But we thought long and hard about our new direction, and realized that an identity change had to happen. Rolling your eyes? Is this a little too "Prince-who-changed-his-name-to-a-symbol-and-then-back-to-the-Artist-Formerly-Known-As Prince" for you? Bear with me while I explain.

The 603 had an amazing run, with group classes in Tilton and Dallas' five-day-a-week programming for our local and long-distance clients. We've been known primarily for our innovative workouts, gymnastics and Olympic lifting focus and the heavy strength bias in our programming. Our new business model, however, has us branching out beyond just daily WODs. Our primary focus is still training people in the CrossFit methodology, sure. But we plan to incorporate everything CrossFit teaches and preaches into our program, from nutrition to quality sleep to stress management. Dallas' physical therapy background also allows us to bring injury prevention, active recovery techniques and rehabilitation into our scope of services. We're trying to offer CrossFit from a systematic, whole-body perspective... which is so much bigger than simply programming workouts for the 603.

So we made the difficult decision to retire the 603, and re-brand ourselves to better represent our new direction and focus. Enter, CrossFit Whole9. (Which is why the "Whole30" moniker works so well... get it?) The name really does fit what we're doing, and our manifesto (soon to come) explains everything from what we do and how we do it to exactly how the "9" fits in.

So what does this 603-slash-9 change mean for you? Well... not much, from a technical perspective. We're signing paperwork with CrossFit HQ to make the name change official, so you'll see us listed now as "CFW9" on the Affiliate Blog. The 603 site as it stands will go away, and the Whole9 site will go up in its place. (We're keeping all the 603 posts, though, and all the old links will still work.)

But as for you, well, we'll be giving you the same good stuff we always have... just more of it. (And who doesn't like more?) Whereas the old 603 site just included WODs and rest day post, the new CFW9 will have original articles on everything from nutrition to strength training to what it's like to run a CrossFit affiliate. We're filming kettlebell video tutorials, programming new custom workouts (with math!), and sharing our take on everything from nightshades to cortisol reduction to map-and-a-flashlight met-cons. And as always, we'll continue to provide high quality, personalized coaching and training in the CrossFit methodology, from a broad and inclusive perspective. Same Dallas and Melissa, same quality information, same cheeky monkey attitude... just a new name, and a much broader scope of practice.

Whew. That wasn't so bad, was it? Hang in there with us as we go through this transition, because we promise good things will follow. And in the meantime... you'd better get your 603 gear while you still can, because as soon as the name change is official, we'll be all CFW9, all the time.

If you should be in the kitchen, you'd better visit our store soon!

That covert yogurt: When food gets sneaky

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Today’s Whole30 check-in topic comes from a reader’s post. Heather wrote:

“I am currently in the testing part of Whole30 (completed 30 days, and am now reinserting certain foods back in to see how they affect me). One thing I gave up during the Whole30 was my morning organic, sugar-free yogurt with salt-free almonds and sugar free granola. I am now eating Paleo except for this breakfast so I can test the way I feel and my performance during WODs.

I had my first one yesterday and another one today. Physically, I feel good, and I performed well and felt good during yesterday's WOD... so I would like to know when I can declare my yogurt breakfast okay?”

Heather brings up an important question. You’ve followed the Whole30, and you’re reintroducing foods in a smart, scientific manner, one food group at a time. (Heather skipped the “one food group at a time” part of the reintroduction guidelines – but that’s not the point.) Pretend you’ve chosen dairy as your first test food group. You eat a small bowl of all-natural ice cream two days in a row, and feel no side effects. Your stomach isn't puffy, you still feel good and you PR'd your deadlift an hour after your second bowl. The dairy hasn’t appeared to impact how you look, feel or perform… so why can’t you just start working a Paleo + Ice Cream diet?

Warning: I’m about to burst your Breyer’s bubble.

First, and most importantly, because some foods are sneaky. Say you’re practicing temperance while eating off the reservation (limiting consumption to once every week or two, and eating “bad” foods in moderate quantities). After eating those foods, you may not notice an immediate reaction in any of your body's systems. However, your body is still experiencing some, if not all, of the negative internal effects associated with those foods, such as inflammation, gut irritation, and insulin spikes.

Dallas explains, “"Even infrequent consumption of foods (or food products) that contribute to elevated levels of insulin, cortisol, or the pro-inflammatory eicosanoids will set you up for inflammation-driven disease processes. Most of us already know the effect that chronic consumption of processed carbohydrates has on the development of Type II Diabetes, but this is only one example of how a previously asymptomatic ("silent") inflammatory process can manifest itself as overt disease. Unfortunately, just eating a bagel and a yogurt for breakfast once a week is enough to trigger grain- and dairy-related inflammation, causing an uptick in all the inflammatory processes in your body for days or even weeks afterward. You might not be able to feel a bagel and yogurt invading your system, but you cannot avoid the pro-inflammatory effects of those foods."

So Heather’s multi-cheat meal of dairy, grains AND artificial sweeteners (strike one) are each silently attacking her bodily systems from all angles... without her awareness. Sneaky, sneaky, in a very disconcerting manner, right? It gets worse. See, on top of the sneaky factor, the effects of these incidents are cumulative, especially if your “cheats” occur on a frequent basis. (Strike two for Heather’s breakfast routine.) Even if you're not noticing the negative effects of your dietary transgressions now, there's a good chance you'll start feeling the effects after a two or three weeks of regular "cheat food" intake. That old knee or shoulder pain may start acting up again, your skin doesn't look as clear, your digestive tract is less than happy, and your energy levels aren’t as consistent as they used to be. At that point, however, it's too late to put an immediate halt to the negative effects - your body is already hurt, and in distress mode. The fix? Spend another 30-60 days going cold turkey Whole30 to reverse the effects – reduce the inflammation, allow your digestive tract to heal, restore insulin sensitivity. Essentially, start over.

Finally, a potential strike three for Heather’s breakfast: Eating off the reservation on a regular basis, especially if incorporating multiple “cheat” food groups, may begin to trigger those old thought processes and behaviors that led you to crave sugars or sweets, over-eat, under-eat or artificially prop up your energy levels with carbs and caffeine. Remember, a primary goal of the Whole30 is to break old habits and overcome mental hurdles as related to food, eating and satisfaction. Now that you’ve graduated, don’t get too lax in your habits – those old thoughts and patterns are persistent, and may be just as sneaky in their invasion as the cheat foods you’re eating.

In summary, if Heather is digging her breakfast, I am all for her partaking of that particular combination once in a while. But making that a daily occurrence is a bad idea, for all of the above reasons. The good news is that there is nothing in that meal – no nutrients, vitamins, minerals or energy sources - that she can’t get from eating other, better, healthier foods. So put that meal on your F-Off list, Heather, but for the sake of your health and performance, base the majority of your breakfasts on quality food choices.

My recommendation to all of you is to follow these Cheat Smart guidelines when coming off the Whole30, and eat off the reservation only when you need to, to satisfy those mental cravings and quality of life requirements. Dallas wraps it up nicely, saying, "Don't be fooled if you don't have immediate, obvious symptoms when you reintroduce one or more of these 'non-Paleo' foods after completing the Whole30. Minimizing the intake of inflammatory food groups like grains, dairy, and legumes is always the smartest and safest way to maximize your performance and minimize the risk of chronic disease."

Post thoughts, observations, and recent cheat experiences to comments.

Back to gymnastics... come play at CrossFit LIC!

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:40:00 +0000

Feedback on the Whole30 rocks, and I LOVE how you've all adopted the title so quickly. Thanks for jumping on the bus with that one - I'm glad it caught on. We've been hard at work on the web site redesign, and we've got some local nutrition stuff in the works, so stay tuned for more developments.

This weekend, however, I'll be doing nothing but PLAYING. I'm heading to CrossFit USA in Berlin, CT, to help at Tucker's sold-out gymnastics cert. This is my fourth cert with Tucker, and they just keep getting better. He's constantly refining his material, adding new and innovative techniques to make you a better athlete. And his perspective on CrossFit, gymnastics and the role of strength and technique should not be missed. (Warning: don't you dare mention a kipping ring dip in his presence. Shudder.) You'll hear "build the strength, learn the movement" so often, you'll start repeating it in your sleep - as you should be - and he'll teach you how to incorporate that mantra into your daily training in a safe and effective manner.

I'll also be heading to my friend Vadim's box - CrossFit Long Island City in New York - on November 14th and 15th to help Tucker at another cert. That one is not yet sold out... and there's another reason that weekend will be a special one. Gillian Mounsey is staging a charity event that evening at CrossFit LIC, hosted by Tucker and attended by all the CrossFit superstars. (There's a rumor that Coach Glassman himself will be up in the spot.) So sign up for the cert, donate $25 to "Hope for the Warriors" and spectate the charity event on Saturday night - it's a double-fun weekend. (Triple, if you count the fact that I'll be there.) Register through the Main Site, and if you're heading to either cert, drop me a comment and let me know you're coming.

This week's upcoming Whole30 check-in (to be posted on Friday at noon) comes from a reader's comment on the site earlier this week. I love pulling your questions and comments into my posts, so keep them coming.

The Whole30

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:55:00 +0000

I am super happy to announce that the "Change your life in 30 days" program now has an official name! The 30 day program will hereafter be known as the "Whole30".

When I wrote that original post back in July, I never dreamed the program would take off the way it did. With hundreds of participants (and even entire gyms!) joining up every month since, I've realized that this thing has a real place in our affiliate future, and Dallas and I are happy to promote and support it on a permanent, go-forward basis. I'm also especially excited because this ties in beautifully with the training, coaching and consulting practice that we are developing. While those changes are still under wraps, our concepts, business practices, list of services and "manifesto" have been finalized... and the Whole30 program is an integral part of everything we are trying to do for our community.

The "whole" concept also tie in with many of the recent posts from veteran 30 day'ers. For example:

Oh, what have I done? wrote, "I did the 30 day thing and at the end of 30 days went to a 80% paleo daily effort. I continue to feel pretty good, and continue to do well in my WODs... The 30 days was easy to follow and I was super dedicated, but after that length of time and no weight loss, I decided the effort was not worth it. What kind of advice do you give to people like me who want to optimize health, but don't really see or feel any big changes when being really strict with diet? It is a confusing position to be in when the advantages are not glaringly obvious."

And Angie wrote, "It (the 30 day program) has changed me for the better. I have stuck with the Paleo lifestyle of eating since July. I felt better, more energetic, etc... I had a lot of inflammation in my back and that has greatly improved. I will say though that I haven't really noticed a weight or fat loss. Its just that I would have expected to see some sort of change after giving up all the junk and I haven't."

And this is where the "Whole" part of the Whole30 comes in. See, optimal health and fitness requires more than just a perfect diet. Sure, most people experience positive changes in how they look, feel and perform just by following the plan as outlined. But there are a whole host of other factors that contribute, and often compete with one another. As I've mentioned before, it doesn't matter how hard you train if you're not getting adequate sleep, and as some of you have recently commented on "Derailed", even a 100% Paleo diet isn't powerful enough to overcome the negative physical and mental effects of high stress.

These factors must be evaluated and triaged as a WHOLE. They all relate, and they're all an integral part of your current level of health and fitness. Which is exactly where we're taking our CrossFit training and coaching program - with the Whole30 acting as the foundation of the nutritional piece of the puzzle. Start there and you'll experience the same positive results that others posting here have seen. But when cleaning up your food quality isn't enough to get you where you want to be - looking, feeling and performing your best - that's where we come in.

Stay tuned for more details, but in the meantime... the Friday afternoon Whole30 check-in is live and direct, so let's hear what you've got to say.

Special thanks to Adam Kayce, web designer and creative genius, who actually came up with the new "30 day" name.

An (administrative) word from your sponsor

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:38:00 +0000

Here's a little bit about what's been going on behind the scenes, why the 603 has been quiet these last few weeks, and some follow-up on the "Derailed" post.

CrossFit 603/30 Day News:

First, we are in the process of creating a permanent home for our 30 day program. Which needs a real name, because (a) every time someone calls it a "challenge", I swear under my breath, and (b) calling it "Urban Gets Diesel Change Your Life in 30 Days" is kinda long, and (c) "That 30 Day Thingy" isn't exactly snappy. We're working on it. Until the 603 site gets a redesign and the whole 30 moves over there, every Friday on UGD will be dedicated to 30 day'ers. Welcome back, kids.

We are H.A.R.D. at work redesigning the 603 to better reflect the broader scope of training-related services we now offer. Until we're ready to relaunch, the 603 will be on hiatus. We're hoping to have things wrapped up in another few weeks, but that depends on how much time Dallas and I can devote to the effort. We're moving as fast as we can.

In the meantime, keep an eye here for the usual posts - training, nutrition and random musings.

Derailed follow-up:

Thanks to all of you who posted and emailed about your own "derailment", and how you are coping. That's the kind of thing we're going for with our new consulting and training program... fitness is more than just your training PRs, perfectly measured diet or zinc-and-magnesium induced sleep regimen. There are so many factors that play into health and fitness, and you need to treat them all as a WHOLE to keep moving forward. Sounds like you are all back on a good track as well - and if you're not, it's not too late to 'fess up, ask for help and state your case here. You've got plenty of support from me and the readers.

My PTP program is off to a good start -deadlifts and presses are light, but that's the whole point. (If you haven't read Dallas' intro to the program, you really should. It explains everything, including why he's a genius for programming this under our official CrossFit umbrella. In my opinion, CrossFit needs way more of this and way fewer map-and-a-flashlight met-cons*.)
*Map-and-a-flashlight met-cons are those excessively detailed, multi-round, multi-exercise, convoluted rep scheme chippers that require a map and a flashlight to follow along. It's a disturbing affiliate programming trend... more on that in a future post (that's probably going to get us in trouble).
I'm eating squeaky clean until Thanksgiving (my own 30-plus day program), and taking extra rest days when I need them, which is often, because (a) I'm still a little stressed out, and (b) my body can't take a serious beating more than two days in a row just yet. But as my Dad said in an email to me yesterday:

"You can’t fix it all at once, but you can fix one small part. You succeed. Success feeds on itself and you begin to climb out of the hole you were in. So here it is again: ‘Adversity is the forge that character is built on’.

Right on, Captain Tom. Need a kick in the pants to start changing your own life, one small part at a time? Recommit to the 30 day program. Do it tomorrow. We'll all be there, waiting for you.

Derailed

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:19:00 +0000

I am 100% ready to return to my regularly scheduled blog-writing here at UGD, but first, a little insight as to why my personal posts have been few and far between lately. See, up until recently, my life has been pretty steady. My days looked a lot the same – I do enjoy a bit of the Groundhog Day, so I tend to find a routine and stick with it. Wake, gym, my 9-5 job, coaching or writing for the blog or 603 site, early to bed, get up again the next morning and do it all over again. I liked my routine, and it afforded me the ability to eat well, sleep as much as I needed to and train five days a week, without fail.

This summer, my Fitness Train derailed when Life Stuff hurled itself across my tracks. I found myself skipping meals, missing workouts, sleeping nowhere near enough. Once I realized my tracks weren’t going to clear anytime soon, I did the best I could to run my own Health and Fitness trauma center. I triaged Life factors carefully, knowing most would survive, but accepting there would be some casualties along the way. Sleep and food came first. If I didn’t eat enough, I at least ate well. If I didn’t sleep enough, I at least took naps. Training only happened when I was well fed and well rested. Those days were sparse, but if I didn’t train at all, I at least kept moving.

As of today, my casualties are high. I haven’t trained consistently since July. I’ve lost a ridiculous amount of hard-earned strength, a ton of met-con capacity and, based on yesterday’s snatch grip deadlifts, most of my kinesthetic awareness for movements that I used to be able to perform in my sleep. My deadlift is down by almost 30#, my front squat is back where it was at the beginning of the year and I’ve lost a couple of dead hang pull-ups.

It was a Fitness train derailment of the most spectacular fashion, and there’s not a damn thing I could have done about it.

If you’re like me, health and fitness is one of the most important efforts in your life. You’ll do anything for the sake of your diet, exercise and sleep - working out while on vacation, bringing your own food to business meetings, cutting out of social occasions early because you’re training the next morning. But no matter how bad you want it, no matter how hard you try… sometimes Life Stuff hurls itself across your tracks. You get sick, your kid gets sick, work blows up, school blows up, families have crises and friends need help. It happens, and the only thing you can do is ride it out as best as you can, generating as few casualties as possible.

So how do you manage around a Fitness Train derailment, and how do you get moving again when your tracks are finally clear? Here’s my best advice, based on my own recent experience. First, when Life Stuff comes up, do your best to maintain your normal routine for as long as you can. You can juggle a lot for short periods of time, so if you can already see light at the end of the tunnel, suck it up, abandon extraneous activities and just stick to the basics. Deal with Life, eat well, sleep well and train. Narrow your scope for a few days to preserve what's important until the crisis passes.

In it for the long haul? Here’s where you have to triage – and listen to me carefully. Eating well and sleeping enough come first. Just focus on that, and if that’s all you can do, that’s okay. Eat only Good Food, sleep as much as you can, and supplement for cortisol management. Those are your top priorities, and if you can keep those up, you’ll maintain an awful lot of your general “health”.

If you’re eating and sleeping well, get to the gym when you can. Here, you’ve got two options. If you’re feeling good and up for training with some intensity, then get to it… but make those workouts count. Screw the Filthy Fifty – your only priority is maintaining strength. Met-con capacity is cheap and dirty – it goes fast and comes back faster, so save your "cardio" for better days. Instead, deadlift. Press. Squat. Do some clean and jerks. Hit the big stuff hard and heavy. But what if you're not feeling up for deadlifts? Mat Lalonde reminded me of a very important point a few weeks ago. Exercise, even at a slow and easy pace, is extremely effective in helping to manage stress and cortisol. So if you’re not able to train with your normal intensity, just do something. Walk your dog, swing a kettlebell or play with your kids. If nothing else, keep moving, because in terms of triage it’s better than nothing.

Once you put the Life Stuff behind you, now it’s time to get back into your routine. I am just this week ready and able to start fresh – and I’ll be the first to tell you it’s not easy. I did the best I could with what I was working with, but I hate that I had to let so much go in the process. I feel weak, uncoordinated, more tired than I should. And I’m so far off my routine that I’m having a hard time climbing back on board. So here’s what I’m doing to get back on the train to Dieselville.

First, I spent my first ten minutes in the gym yesterday doing nothing but complaining. “My deadlift feels awful. I’ve pulled way more than that with better form. I can’t remember how to snatch at all. My pull-ups are way too hard. Everything is sore, and I’m breathing too hard, and this totally sucks.” As unproductive as that might sound, I needed to get that out. I mean, come on… it DOES suck. Being as fit as you were and then having to start even a little bit over SHOULD make you want to pitch a tantrum of exit-gate-at-Disney-at-6PM proportions. So it's okay to complain. Take a few minutes and let it all out, because once you’re done - you’re DONE. Not one more word out of you on the subject of “used to” or “should be” or any other brand of self-pity, anger or bitterness. You simply leave all that behind and GET GOING.

Find your routine again. Make fitness your top priority for a few weeks. Get to the gym at all costs, eat good food no matter what it takes, kill your TV to get that nine hours of sleep. Get yourself back to that place where this is just what you do, where it doesn’t feel forced (even if you have to force it at first).

In terms of training bang for your buck, get your muscles back. I can't afford to care about my met-con just yet – what I need right now is STRENGTH. Dallas is starting me back on Day One of the 603 PTP program, deadlifting and pressing four days a week for the next eight weeks. Follow along if you like – there are hybrid met-cons, skill days and the occasional track day to break up the programming, but if you’re just starting out again and want to get stronger faster, this is the way to do it.

Don’t try to do everything all at once, either. The temptation may be to pile strength day upon skill day upon met-con upon “extra” cardio to get back in shape even faster. Uh, that won’t work. You’re probably still over-stressed, your body isn’t in peak physical condition as it is and if you push it too hard, too fast, you’ll end up over-trained, or worse, injured. Don’t be greedy – remember that it will take time to get back to previously enjoyed levels of health and fitness. Be patient, choose a program (whether it’s the 603 PTP, Catalyst Athletics workouts or the CrossFit Main Page) and just stick with it. Make each workout count, but make each rest and recovery period count just as much.

Finally, take your ego out of the picture. Yesterday, part of my complaining included the low deadlift numbers on my whiteboard. Dallas responded, “I don’t care what the number is, I just want them to be HARD. Are they hard?” Uh, yeah. They were hard. And we moved on. The lesson is, don’t spend any time thinking about where you SHOULD be, because that doesn’t make a lick of difference. This is where you ARE, so suck it up, stay in the moment, make your training sessions hard and stick with it. Rewards will come fast, and provide their own motivation to continue.

I’ll keep you posted here as to how my own training is progressing. I’m not a total lost cause – I’ve still got a bunch of dead hangs, my back squats are coming back fast and I pulled a 100# hang clean last weekend that practically flew up. But I’m checking my ego at this very public door in an effort to remind you that you are more than the sum of your one rep maxes… and that no matter how long Life Stuff gets in the way, it’s never too late to start fresh.

Are you stuck in Life Stuff right now, just coming back from a training hiatus or “fully recovered” from your last health and fitness break? Post thoughts and your best tips to comments.

Blog maintenance

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:54:00 +0000

The blog may be up and down a little over the next few days. I'm attempting to change the web address from "Byers" to "Urban" without losing any of my back-links, and that involves a lot of tech-y stuff with numbers and letters and settings that I don't understand. Which is why I've hired Adam Kayce, Web ninja, CrossFitter, and 30 Day participant, to do all our internerd work. You can check out Adam's stuff over at Bright Coconut - he's got mad coding skills AND the keen ability to translate tech-talk to English so us normal people can keep our sites updated all by ourselves. (He also specializes in Wordpress themes for CrossFit affiliates... very cool.)

Anyway, once we're done, you shouldn't notice any interruption in service or lose any of your links. I'll keep you posted as to our progress.

Community sound-off

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:36:00 +0000

This is another administrative-ish post - I'll return to actual content soon. But first, our "no box box" concept generated a lot of positive feedback. Thanks to everyone who contributed, and who sent me your thoughts via email. I was especially happy to receive encouragement from other affiliate owners - I think there's a whole lot of referral potential in both directions, considering our nutritional clients live all over the country, and a huge part of our program will involve getting their training in line. There are still a whole lot of kinks to work out, but we're excited and moving forward with the new concept. Which brings me to today's administrative topic.

I've been thinking about the big-picture direction of the blog, specifically as it relates to my "30 Day" program. To rewind for a moment, I first posted the '30 day' idea in July, and kept up a month-plus of posts exclusively tailored to that concept. After about six weeks, however, I decided to move on and write about other topics. To my surprise, however, (a) people continue to use whatever topic I post as a mechanism for their 30 day efforts, (b) there are still people jumping on the 30 day bus for the first time (hello, CrossFit Austin!), and (c) as Jake commented this weekend, some of you original 30 day'ers are coming back for rounds two and three.

So clearly, there still people out there following along. And that got me thinking about the program in general, and all the participants. What happened when you got through your first cycle? Did you abandon, re-up for another 30, learn from the experience and settle somewhere in the middle? Are you missing the community here, missing the support, wanting to ask more questions or get more advice but feel like you no longer have a venue? And THOSE questions got me thinking about what to do here on the blog, and/or over at the 603 site.

First and foremost, does this 30 day thing need a permanent (or long-term, at least) home, with weekly posts dedicated solely to the program? I can do that (and moderate, offering advice and answering questions), as long as I leave room for other good posts relating to nutritional, training, etc. On that note, what else do you want to see around here? Maybe you'd like to read more random, fun posts like "The Maureen Martone Rule" (coming this week!), or maybe I include some Q&A where I answer emails on the main page, or maybe you want more behind the scenes stories of affiliate ownership, or any combination of ideas.

In summary, I'd like to tailor the blog (and the 603 site) to what the community needs, and what it's currently missing. I want to make ALL of our stuff easy to follow, easy to keep up with and easy for readers to contribute and interact. So help me figure out where to take this, because things are moving quickly and I don't want to miss any opportunities here. I know, I know... you're used to ME telling YOU what to do. But I'm HAPPY to take some direction from the only people who matter - the people who read my stuff. So sound off. I'm listening. And thanks, because without you, it would just be me and my Dad reading this post. (And he has a genetic obligation to read whatever I write.)

Redefining the CrossFit Affiliate

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:16:00 +0000

Whoa.

I took an unscheduled week off from the internerd to try to get my feet underneath me a bit. See, Robb Wolf kind of threw my name out there last week as someone he's referring nutritional counseling clients to... and that made my life crazy six ways to Sunday. I mean, we'd talked about this, and I knew it was coming, but I was still unprepared for the volume of email traffic this announcement would bring. But I'm getting ahead of myself... here's a little bit about what's going on with me, and the 603.

First, the 603 hasn't had a physical training space since August. The space we were "borrowing" in Tilton, NH didn't work out, and Dallas and I frankly weren't in a hurry to look for new space. We both have full-time jobs, and coaching nights and weekends wasn't going to provide us with enough income to actually rent or lease the kind of space we would want to set up. So we put the idea of a box on hold for a month or two, but we continued to program for those that followed our WODs on line. However, without any actual clients (and not offering any classes), spending tons of time and energy on programming for a gym that didn't exist wasn't very fulfilling, and didn't make a lot of sense long term.

At the same time, I'd been talking with Robb about his nutritional counseling practices and the work I'd been doing in that area. So when Dallas and I went to California last month, we spent a lot of time talking to Robb and Nicki about their business, and our affiliate, and the direction we'd like to go with the 603. And during these conversations, Robb mentioned he'd be publicly recommending me as one of his "approved" nutritional counselors. From there, everything just sort of clicked into place, and our affiliate redesign began to take shape. Dallas and I decided to shift direction from an actual gym to more of a service, based around nutritional counseling. What we're doing is a lot more than just talking blocks and carbs... but I'll save our coaching and services concepts for another post. Point is, we're still a CrossFit affiliate, but we don't actually have a gym, don't offer any classes, and offer only private hands-on coaching and training. What we DO provide on a bigger level is a service that the CrossFit community needs (clearly, based on the volume of emails I've been getting) - help finding the right balance of diet, training, active recovery, sleep, stress management and a whole host of other factors that all add up to optimal health and fitness.

Weird, right? An affiliate without a gym? We're sort of going out on a limb redefining ourselves here. However, I am confident that we can carve this niche out for ourselves. There is room for us here. There's a NEED for us here. CrossFit is growing and expanding and changing on a daily basis, and we'd like to push those boundaries and expand the definition of an "affiliate". We won't run you through a team "Fight Gone Bad", but we'll help you nail down your nutrition and recovery so you stomp that workout heavier and harder than you've ever thought possible. We won't hold a kipping clinic, but we'll give you some ways to reduce inflammation and get those overworked shoulders to open better. We won't customize your Starting Strength program, but we'll share with you why we don't love the concept of a gallon of milk a day. So my assertion is this - while we don' t have an actual gym, what we're doing IS CrossFit, and there is a place for us within the community.

At least, I hope there is.

What do you think? You've been following the blog, which has taken a serious delve into nutrition. You've been following Dallas' programming for the 603, which has developed a nice reputation for unique, effective strength-based workouts. And you've been writing to us with questions about everything from nutrition to strength training to physical therapy and injury rehabilitation. Do you see the value in this shift in paradigm for us, or do you think without a daily WOD, an affiliate isn't really an affiliate at all? Post thoughts to comments.

Administrative Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:45:00 +0000

Quick administrative announcement.

Byers is now URBAN. Yep, the name change bus pulled up, opened its doors and let off the coolest last name on the planet - one which I am reclaiming as my own. So get on the bus, people... because now it's Urban Gets Diesel. Need some help wrapping your head around this one? Here's a handy primer.

What: Uh, try and keep up. It's now "Urban Gets Diesel."
When: Effective immediately, so please use "Urban" for all future links, references and general giving of props.
Where: For now, I'm keeping the same web address. I'll be registering Urban Gets Diesel soon, though. The transition will be seamless, as soon as I figure out how to be all geeky and forward my page and stuff.
Why: Don't you worry your pretty little heads about that.
How: Done and done - I waved my Moxy-Boss wand and it is so.

Finally, as a request, if you've got my page linked on yours, please change my name and/or the site title when you get a chance. (I mean, Robb Wolf has already done it, and he's a busy, busy dude, so...) As always, thank you for your cooperation, consideration and continued readership. This bus couldn't do it without you.

Big Ups - Dallas vs. The Koffin

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:00:00 +0000

**Special shout-out... Happy Birthday, Dallas!**

Here is the final installation in the CrossFit 603 "Big Ups" series. As some background... we traveled from Sacramento to San Francisco CrossFit with our friends Matt and Donna of MaD CrossFit to meet Adrian Bozman (Coach Boz) and take the Koffin's lunch money. When we arrived, Boz told us the creator of the Koffin - Larry Gallagher himself - was on site building some plyo boxes. How. Cool. Is. That?

The Koffin is essentially two big boxes, the top of which slides down over the bottom. They've built peg holes into both pieces, with brackets that slide into the holes from the outside. You raise and lower the top to adjust the height, and hold it in place with the brackets. At its highest, the Koffin measures 58"... just shy of 5 feet. It's... tall. And until we got there, only four people in the whole world had managed conquer its highest setting. (The requirements of "conquering" the Koffin are simple - jump from the ground, land with both feet on the box and stand all the way up at the top. They don't care if you run, skip or pas de bourrée your way up to the thing - just get UP there.)

I don't want to give anything away, so I'll let you watch the video to see how it all transpired. A big thank you to Coach Boz and San Francisco CrossFit for their hospitality, and to Larry Gallagher for some damn fine craftsmanship.

Big Ups - Five Oh Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:13:00 +0000

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Maine Man Detained Outside Local CrossFit Gym, Charges Still Unclear

By Melissa Byers
Chief Correspondent, The CrossFit 603 WORD

CHICO, CA (AP) – A Maine man found wandering outside a local CrossFit gym was held for questioning after alleged “mischievous conduct” involving a California Highway Patrol vehicle, although the police admit they are still not sure what charges technically apply.

According to a the California Highway Patrol (CHP), on Tuesday, September 6, 2009, Dallas Hartwig (a resident of Brunswick, ME) was taken in for questioning for allegedly disturbing the peace and endangering the welfare of a police cruiser. Mr. Hartwig was accused of repeatedly jumping on the roof of the vehicle, causing a public commotion and damaging state property.

One witness (who wished to remain anonymous) described the event. “There was this guy just, like, stalking this cruiser. It was weird, he kept walking up to it, bouncing up and down and then sprinting around the parking lot.” She described the suspect as a white male, 6’ 4” tall, with dark hair, wearing a light blue t-shirt and black board shorts. “He was just hanging out looking sketchy, and then he suddenly just, like, JUMPED on the car. Just jumped right up on the roof. From the ground. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Police immediately reclaimed their cruiser and detained Hartwig for questioning. However, further inspection of the vehicle showed no damage whatsoever, weakening the department's case. A CHP officer who asked not to be named added, “Uh, we’re not really sure what he did was illegal. Truth be told, we don’t know what the heck to charge him with. There’s always ‘criminal mischief’… but that’s just something we made up to use when we can’t think of anything better.” The officer goes on to say, “I’ve seen the video... it was pretty cool, actually. I wonder if I we can swing by my house on the way to the station so he can show my kids. They’d love it.”

Hartwig was released without being charged after several hours of questioning and a lesson in box jumping for members of the CHP Ball-Busters, the department’s co-ed recreational basketball team. Upon his release, Hartwig refused to comment, saying only, "I'm coming for you, Boz."

Later in the week, a suspect matching Hartwig's description was recorded jumping on a Sacramento city cruiser, leading the CHP to put out an all-points bulletin for his arrest. A CHP representative stated, “The guy’s got ups, that’s for sure, but he’s got half the force running around the parking lot trying to jump on their cars. It’s like Jackass, only with tasers and guns. Loaded guns. Someone’s gonna get hurt.”

Melissa Byers
The CrossFit 603 WORD

Big Ups - Fun With Lu Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:00:00 +0000

About two months ago, CrossFit 603 got really into jumping on stuff. Or over stuff, or across stuff... jumping, in general. Dallas set his sights on San Francisco CrossFit's Koffin, and I set my sights on, well, anything over 24", because that was as high as I've ever tried to jump. (I'm not a good jumper. No, I'm a TERRIBLE jumper. It's an evil, evil Goat.) So we've been practicing, hitting 60.5" box jumps (Dallas) and 34" car jumps (me - see blog header).

Fast forward to last week, as Dallas managed to jump his way across two states on our Affiliate Tramp through Oregon and California. We enlisted the help of Lu Crenshaw, owner of CrossFit Allegiance and our shared CrossFit Crush. Seriously - Lu can out-up me by 10"... and she's only 5' 3" tall. So she was all too happy to jump around with us for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning.

Everyone loves a good montage, right? Here are some successful (and not so successful) jumps shot during our morning of fun at XFA. Also, in case you were wondering, tires are not soft, people - as you may be able to tell by the look on my face after some of those fails. Hey, we should all be working our Goats, right? (Even if our Goats make us look awkward and uncoordinated in front of hundreds of blog readers. At least my socks are cute.)

Stay tuned later in the week for the "Big Ups - Five Oh Edition"... and the final results of Dallas v. The Koffin.

Affiliate tramping - NorCal edition

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:10:00 +0000

Good morning! I spent all of last week in Oregon and northern California, affiliate tramping and working on some fun and exciting new projects. We went to visit Matt and Donna Dyson (MaD CrossFit) before their big move to New Zealand at the end of the month, and ended up doing a whirlwind tour of the area. I put 4" on my box jump (and a whole host of bruises on my shins) with Lu Crenshaw at CrossFit Allegiance in Medford, OR, worked the box squat and snatch with Nicki Violetti at NorCal Strength and Conditioning (Robb Wolf's joint), nailed some pretty 93# cleans from the high hang at CrossFit East Sac and watched Dallas jump on the Koffin at San Francisco CrossFit.

More on all of these shenanigans later in the week - I'm trying to shake the effects of a red-eye, a time change and a momentary lapse of good judgment (when I told Dallas I'd go 30 days caffeine-free with him). In the meantime, congratulations to all you 30 day-ers who are still holding strong. There are still people jumping on the bus, so keep posting to comments and keep encouraging, supporting and inspiring.

Mischief at CrossFit NorCal... stay tuned to see what brought the CHPs.

Go green

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:17:00 +0000

Here's a blanket statement that I feel extremely confident making, right here, right now, in a public setting. You need to eat more vegetables. Yes, you. ALL of you. Today's post is all about going green - green, leafy vegetables, that is.

The "CrossFit dietary prescription", Dr. Loren Cordain's Paleo Diet and Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint all have one thing in common... after the number one recommendation - "eat meat" - comes the second most important edict - "eat vegetables". Everyone knows vegetables are good for you - but why, across the board, is there so much focus on the green leafy stuff? Here's a short (obligatory, if not boring) list, to reinforce what we already know. Nothing here should be a surprise, and it's all taken from Dr. Cordain's FAQ.

Nutrition. Fresh vegetables are high in beneficial nutrients, such as soluble fiber, antioxidant vitamins, phytochemicals, and low-glycemic carbohydrates.

Insulin sensitivity. Most veggies are of a low-glycemic index, meaning that they cause slow and limited rises in your blood sugar and insulin levels. (An we all know how important it is to get your insulin situation in check.)

Health. The nutrients in vegetables not only promote good health, but exclude all of the "traditional" carb ingredients (refined sugars, grains, salt, and processed additives) that frequently cause weight gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and numerous other health problems. In addition, the high soluble-fiber content of vegetables will improve most diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Alkalinity. Because vegetables are alkaline in nature, they promote a healthy acid/base balance. Diets too heavy in acidic foods can contribute to a host of health issues, including inflammation, osteoporosis, kidney stones, hypertension, stroke, asthma, and insomnia.

So assuming we're all on board with the Science-y reasons you should eat copious amounts of vegetables every day, the obvious question is... why aren't you? The excuses I am given are endless, but can be summed up in a few categories:

I don't like them

I don't know how to cook/prepare/eat them

Fruit is both easier AND tastes better

Let's tackle these one at a time. First, I don't care that you don't like them. Sometimes, grown-ups have to do things we don't like because it's for our own good. Eating vegetables is one such thing. Do you think I'd rather eat a bag of spinach with my eggs instead of fresh berries covered in coconut milk? No contest. But I eat the spinach because it's the best choice, and contributes more positively to how I look, feel and perform. Suck it up, people. You are no longer allowed to tell me you don't like (fill in vegetable here), because for every vegetable that you don't enjoy eating, there are 17 more out there that would do you just as good. Which brings me to point #2...

Learn how to shop for, prepare and cook vegetables properly. There are probably a whole HOST of vegetables out there that you do, in fact, like... if you only took the time to seek them out and learn how to cook them. So do your homework. Talk to your local Farmers' Market vendors, call that friend of yours who would know exactly what to do with all that rutabaga or surf the web and let Emeril, Oprah or that hot Italian lady from the Food Network show you what's what in the produce section. Experiment. Try new things. Put the effort in, because if you're going to comply with point #1 (eat them, even if you don't like them), wouldn't it be easier if you DID, in fact, like them?

And finally... fine. I can't argue with the fact that fruit DOES, in general, taste better. Who wouldn't take a fresh mango over, say, mashed cauliflower? But... if you refer back to point #1, end of discussion. So let's address the "fruit is easier" part. Sure, fruit can be eaten raw and on the go, but so can vegetables. Carrots, snow peas, sugar snap peas, red/yellow/green pepper, cucumber and celery are just as portable and crunch-able as fruit. Try swapping out that side of fruit with your lunch with carrots or a red pepper... same crunch, same sweet taste - it's like sneaking in your vegetables when your taste buds weren't looking.

Please understand, I do have some sympathy. For those of you who are REALLY having a hard time getting your vegetables in, I'm willing to make some concessions. If you MUST dip your veggies in hummus, salad dressing or some other non-compliant dressing, I'm okay with that. In this case, the benefits (you eating your vegetables) outweighs the potential negative consequences of the dressing. Just be smart about it, and use as little as possible to satisfy your taste buds. I'm also okay if there isn't as much variety here as there should be. If you're like my friend Brandon, and I can get you to go from NO vegetables at all to carrots and green beans every day... I'll take it. I'd prefer that he branches out a bit more, but for now, I'm just happy he's eating SOMETHING green.

And for those of you about to blast me for recommending snow peas and sugar snap peas (technically legumes, and not okay on a strict Paleo diet)... if you try to tell me "Grok wouldn't eat those", I will literally come to your house and kick you in the shins for missing the bus. As Dallas says, "Green beans, sugar snap peas and snow peas are far more 'pod' than 'bean'." And, again, if those are the only vegetables you'll eat, then I am more than happy to give you my blessing. They're VEGETABLES, people. How bad can they be for you?

Finally, in a last ditch effort to get you to eat your greens, I'm busting out my secret weapon... Melicious' Sunshine Sauce. This spicy Thai dressing is 100% Paleo compliant, easy to make, doesn't need to be refrigerated and one of the Top Three Most Delicious Things To Ever Come Out of My Kitchen. Mix up a batch - it's easy to scale the recipe - and slather it over every one of your vegetables. I guarantee it will make even the most hard-core veggie hater fall in love.

Now I'm off to Google "rutabaga", because while it's a really fun word to say, I'm not entirely sure what to do with it now that it's sitting in my refrigerator.

Welcome home, Karl

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:25:00 +0000

I'd like to take a minute to welcome Karl Schirrmacher home from Iraq. Karl is a Staff Sergeant in the Army and recently returned to his wife, family and friends in California safe and sound.

We're glad you're home, Karl.

The serious business of sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:24:00 +0000

I've been giving a lot of thought to the role sleep plays in our overall health and fitness pursuits. It's a factor often discounted, placed well behind training and diet. We weight and measure our food, we diligently count reps and record times, but we get home and put bedtime off for a few hours in favor of watching our favorite TV show or surfing the internet. I've been guilty of it myself - staying up late writing blog posts but still dragging my butt out of bed at 5 AM for a workout. I would think, "Suck it up - once you get up and slam a coffee, you'll feel much better." And I prided myself on my discipline and motivation that early in the morning.

Let's face it - our Western society encourages this. I won't even get into our long work weeks, self-created family demands, or the technology distractions that keep us up late and wake us up early. No, I'll just wrap all of that up by saying that somehow along the way, functioning on less sleep has become a point of pride, and a trait to be admired. You shake your head in awe at the guy who claims he runs just fine on five hours of sleep a night. He's a superhero, the model of efficiency, a Person Who Gets Things Done. I'm here to tell you, he is also sorely mistaken. NOBODY runs really, truly well on five hours of sleep a night. He may think he's doing just fine, but Google "lack of sleep" + "(insert disease here)" and you'll quickly realize that sleep deprivation will smuck up a whole host of bodily systems, and contributes (in part) to stress, inflammation, cancer, heart disease and diabetes. As one University of Chicago researcher puts it, "Lack of sleep disrupts every physiologic function in the body... (and) we have nothing in our biology that allows us to adapt to this behavior."

And here's where I hit all your 30 day'ers where it hurts. I'm not just talking about sleep affecting your recovery from training, or reducing your stress... no, I'm pulling out the big guns. While diet plays a crucial role in body composition, sleep also plays a significant role... specifically, in fat loss. There are all kinds of studies relating sleep to insulin resistance, leptin levels and cortisol levels... all related to fat loss. Robb Wolf also has a great post on the effects of sleep on those pesky love handles - read the article and all the comments for the details. And here is a quick abstract that gives you yet another reason why getting that 8-9 hours of sleep a night is CRUCIAL to fat loss. (Have I said "fat loss" enough? Do I have your attention?)

So, it looks like we've been missing the bus here. Sleep is more than just lovely - in fact, from everything I've been reading and researching, my working theory is that getting good sleep is the second most important success factor in your health and fitness pursuits. That's right, NUMBER TWO... just behind cleaning up your diet, and AHEAD of perfecting your training routine. I've been preaching sleep to my clients for a few weeks now, and I'm about to step up my game with the rest of you blog readers. Think of sleep as a factor JUST as important as whether you're eating grains and dairy, or how often you're picking up heavy stuff. Experiment, just as you did with some dietary factors. Try getting 8+ hours of sleep every single night for two weeks, and see how you feel. And don't tell me you can't, because you have some special circumstance that the rest of us don't. We all work, we all have families, and friends, and outside pursuits, and stress. Figure out how to make it happen, because it's as worthy a pursuit as changing every aspect of your diet was more than thirty days ago. Easier said than done, I'll give you that, but Mercola has some good tips on how to improve the quality of your sleep. And consider getting the book Lights Out - Sleep, Sugar and Survival for what I have heard is a good read on the subject. (I just ordered it, in an effort to educate myself a bit more about the importance of sleep as a factor in nutritional and performance coaching.)

By the way - I AM taking my own advice, I assure you. Yesterday morning, my alarm went off at 5 AM for the gym. It was a less than stellar night, however, as I was up tossing and turning until after 11 PM. So I turned my alarm off and slept until the sun woke me up at 7:20. My "training" that day consisted of eating really well, taking all my fish oil and getting a massage to help me de-stress. THAT'S what I did to take care of myself, and I know it did me far more good than dragging my bleary-eyed butt out of bed for some mediocre met-con action.

So do your homework, plan ahead and turn the lights out nice and early tonight. And if anyone does take me up on my two week Sleep-A-Palooza, let me know how it goes.

How to win friends and influence Paleo

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:58:00 +0000

Welcome to the new people who are just jumping on board now. In fact, all of you newcomers inspired today's post... better late than never, right?

Today, I'd like to talk about one of the first struggles you'll most likely hit when you start practicing this new way of eating. No, I'm not talking about the cravings, or the energy fluctuations, or even the grocery bills. I'm talking about the negative reactions of your friends and family. "You're eating all that fat? That can't be good for you." Or, "That's like Atkins, right? That's just a fad diet." Or, "It so restrictive - you can't eat anything!" I'm sure you've all heard these statements and then some since you began your 30 day period. And Oprah knows, it can be tough enough to stick out the 30 days on your own, never mind if you have to defend yourself against the negative reactions, doubts and criticisms of your spouses, friends and co-workers. So what's a 30 day'er to do? Here are some of my best tips for dealing with the nay-sayers (in a way that won't get you divorced, de-friended or fired).

Lead by quiet example. This one is first for a reason, people, and it's your most powerful ally. Your results will speak for themselves. After 30 days, when your energy is rockin', your skin is clear, your aches and pains are gone and you've shed some fat or built some muscle, people will notice, and they will ask you what you've been doing. It's kind of hard to doubt the method when the results are right there in front of them. So let your experience shine through, answer questions if asked but don't waste your breath trying to convince, cajole or persuade others before they're ready. Just be a living example of what this way of eating could potentially do for them.

Pick your battles. I guarantee on thing - you can make people feel bad about themselves just by rolling up to the lunch table. The way you eat may very well remind people that they aren't eating the way they should, or could, or might want to. As such, they're on the defensive the minute you plop your salmon and vegetables next to their Lean Cuisines. Now is not the time to point out the dangers of grains, or comment on the study you just read linking diet soda to obesity. Keep your lunch to yourself, and encourage others to do the same by not responding to blatant pokes, jabs or attacks on your "weird diet". If someone is truly interested, have the conversation away from the crowd, when you can speak privately and not be interrupted by the haters.

Educate yourself. You know you'll have to deal with questions, comments and straight-up challenges from time to time, so you'd better be prepared. If I asked you right now, "Why don't you eat dairy?", how many of you would have an immediate answer for me? That answer could range from the documented inflammatory properties to the fact that as soon as you stopped, your skin cleared up - anything from reference to personal experience. The point is - you'd better have an answer - and it can't just be, "Because Byers said so." (Although I really like that answer.) So, do your homework. Figure out the difference between Atkins and Paleo. Learn why certain foods are excluded. Understand how a diet high in good fats helps promote body fat loss. Prepare some remarks based on your own experience. Just don't show up empty-handed, because if you do, you'll lose any chance you may have had to get the other party to buy in. (And if that other party is your Mom who shops for all the food, your husband who cooks all the food or your roommate who pays for half the food, you really can't afford to lose that chance.) On that note, however...

Refer to "scientific evidence" cautiously. I'm not saying you shouldn't research and cite information from the likes of Loren Cordain, Robb Wolf or Gary Taubes. What I am saying, however, is that for every science-y article you find that talks about, say, why dairy is bad... there are a hundred just as science-y articles that will say the exact opposite. My recommendation? Unless you're totally on the ball with scientific references (and able to smartly refute the opposing side on the fly), don't let the scientific research be the only leg you choose to stand on. Refer back to point #1 - lead by example, and cite REAL people who have had REAL results. Hell, point 'em here. We're not a clinical study - we've got thousands of comments (literally) from real people who can attest to the real benefits of eating this way. Kind of hard to argue with all that, you would think. Which brings me to my final point...

When outnumbered, fall back. You may very well find yourself stuck in a battle that you just can't win. It's a family dinner, your parents, siblings and children are at the table and you're being hammered with doubts, skepticism and outright criticism. Take a deep breath, smile and simply fall back. In the end, the only person whose health and wellness you are responsible for is YOU. And while it may pain you to see the unhealthy behaviours exhibited by your friends and family, ultimately, they are responsible for their own lives, and their own choices. So rather than spark a bitter feud or ruin a birthday party, swallow your ego, your pride and your frustration and simply say, "Well, this is actually kind of working for me right now, but I hear what you're saying and I really appreciate your thoughts. Now let's get back to enjoying this delicious meal!" Sometimes, that's all you can do... and that's okay. Refer back to point #1... if people are open to change, eventually THEY will come to YOU, and you'll get that opportunity to help them.

I hope some of these ideas clear a wider path for your 30-day and beyond journey. I'm sure some of you have also arrived at your own strategies for dealing with negative reactions to all of the wonderful and healthy changes you are making in your life. Share them here with us, so that we can all learn and benefit from some of the difficult and painful conversations you may have had along the way. And, as always, thanks for reading, and thanks for contributing. My community rocks, and I'm super proud to be your hostess.

Karl's Story

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:34:00 +0000

Let's end the week on an inspirational note. I've been chatting with Karl Schirrmacher, a Staff Sergeant in the Army and currently deployed in Iraq. Karl wrote to tell me about his efforts to change his diet, and the specific challenges he faces as a result of his deployment. After reading his note, I will never again bitch about having to drink my coffee black. Karl wrote:
________

Melissa,

Our adventure started while surfing a CrossFit forum where I stumbled upon a link to the blog. I dug. I read. And I found an attitude and approach that I really appreciated--sprinkled with f-bombs. Fanfreakintastic! (Note from the Author: We haven't dropped the f-bomb since the inception of the the "Maureen Martone Rule" almost a year ago.) I was hooked and I wanted in. I printed the "Change your life in 30 days" page, and one of our other Team Sergeants wanted in too. We started right there and then.

The tough part is that we are currently deployed in Iraq. That means we have some limitations to the "super strict, no cheat, by the book, Paleo" concept. We are limited, for the most part, to what we find at the Dining Facilities (DFACs) and PX where we live and work. So, that means we have to cope with the following:

Little or no control over the cooking process. Our control comes in our choice of what goes on our plate, but we don't cook it; little men from Sri Lanka, India, and the Phillippines do.

We still have to live with vegetable oil. Olive oil is available in squeeze bottles to add to veggies and such, but nothing is cooked in it--it's all industrial vegetable oil.

No access to anything raw, organic, or grass-fed. We have lots of fruits and vegetables, but again it's all industrial grade picked and prepped by little men from Sri Lanka, India, and the Phillippines.*

Limited on meat, nut, and seeds options. We only get big brand almonds and cashews at the PX, and we are at the mercy of the DFAC on what meat is available every day.

But, we can hold to eliminating dairy, legumes, grains, and sweeteners from our daily intake. Alcohol is taken care of by General Order Number One (no alcohol in theater), so it's not even a temptation. But the temptation to cheat is a constant, as at every meal we see piles of burgers, fries, chicken fried steak, desserts, ice cream shakes, and... it's everywhere. Most military people eat terribly. We have resolved to do otherwise.

When we looked at the calendar to figure our 30 day window, we realized we would finish the cycle just as we get back to the United States (we're at the end of our tour). So our countdown to completing the challenge is also our countdown to the end of a very long year filled with suicide bombers, grenade attacks, politics, heat, and dust. I can't think of a better way to set ourselves up for continued success. Again, Melissa, thank you for opening this up to us.

Feel free to hit me up with questions (email, blog comments, wherever). Otherwise, I'll be keeping up on regular check-ins with the rest of the community.

Regards,

SSG Schirrmacher, Karl M.

________

I can't thank Karl enough for his note. In an environment as stressful as his, with challenges as life-threatening as they get, I would imagine it would be all too easy to abandon something as "trivial" as trying to stick to a strict Paleo diet. However, Karl has made it a priority for his health and wellness, and is choosing every day to do the best with what he's got. It sounds like you'll be coming home soon, Karl - until then, stay safe and keep leading by example. I'm honored to have you as part of my little community.

Question and answer-penance

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:00:00 +0000

I have fallen behind in my own blog. Shameful. I can't keep up with all the good comments, questions and answers and stories! I go away for one little weekend and I'm hopelessly behind. Thanks to all of you for keeping the 30-day ball rolling. You've done a fantastic job here.

To those of you who said you were PLANNING dietary Armageddon on Day 31, but have since rethought that strategy (Dan from my kettlebell cert...) virtual high five. You've just saved yourself a few days of unhappiness and feeling like crap. Trust me - I've been there. We've ALL been there. Way to take the smarter route.

For those of you whose idea of "cheats" have changed from weekends full of pizza, booze and ice cream to the occasional sweet potato, something covered in maple syrup and one microbrew while out with friends - I'll cheers to that. My cheats are now hummus, a small amount of Soy creamer in my coffee and the occasional Junior Mint. (Swear to Mary Kate and Ashley, those things are so delicious they should be illegal. I suggest you have a friend dole them out, just to make sure you don't get carried away.) And I enjoy my "cheats" more, because (a) I know they're not going to make me feel like crap because they don't include ingredients I don't tolerate well, (b) I'm not eating anywhere near enough in a single sitting to have a negative impact on how I look, feel or perform, and (c) I have them infrequently, so they're more special when I do eat them.

So, back to my serious weekend slacking. For those of you just getting started and having a hard time wading through all the comments, posts and information on the site, I'll give you a day of grace. Feel free to repost questions here, and I'll make efforts today and tomorrow to answer all of them. (Veterans - feel free to jump in and help out too!) This is just a way to get some quick questions answered without hearing the obligatory "we've already covered that..." response.

Note: Please do not ask me to analyze your diet block by block. I really don't have time to get into everyone's business at that level. However, I'm feeling guilty for being away all weekend, and as a recovering Catholic, guilt is a powerful motivator. Take advantage and post questions now, people.

Fishing follow-up. (You did me proud.)

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Happy Friday! This week could not have been more crazypants. I gave a huge presentation at work yesterday (which sucked up my 9-5 all damn week), and decided to take off for the weekend early, so today I'll be prepping for that all day. I've been neglecting my Paleo People... but from the sounds of it, you are all taking really good care of each other. Sweet.

Everyone did a FANTASTIC job with answering my three questions from Monday. You, collectively, hit the nail on the head on all three. Way to go! All I'm going to do here is repeat YOUR advice in my own words. So, for those of you heading into (or a few days past) the big Three-Oh...

1. If your tastes haven't changed yet, if you are still craving all your "old" foods or if you haven't noticed a reduction in body fat or improvement in performance... please consider sticking with this whole super-strict thing for a little while longer. You've already put in thirty long, hard days of reconditioning your body. And I bet, if you're in this stage right now, you're trying to counteract twenty or thirty YEARS of eating poorly. That damage doesn't always come undone in thirty days. There is no magic number. But what I can promise you is that it will, at some point, come undone. At some point, you will notice a reduction in cravings, a shift in body composition, an improvement in energy level. Guaranteed. So stick with it, as long as it takes. You owe it to yourself,and you owe it to your body. But let's also address one really important point right here.

This is not just about your body. This is about resetting your BRAIN. If there is one thing I've learned from my experiences coaching and running the blog, it's this... food is emotional. It's comfort, it's celebration, it's punishment and it's reward. Food is often the ONLY thing people come together over. It's used to establish common ground, form a bond, smooth over rough personal interactions. And you cannot take that piece out of this equation. (I addressed this to a degree in my Zone Gone Bad CrossFit Journal article, but I think this topic deserves more attention. Look for a write-up on this next week.)

So if you're still feeling the same way about food after your initial 30 days... hang in a little longer. Allow your body and your mind to catch up to this new way of eating, this new way of BEING. I promise you, things will change, and you owe it to yourself to be patient.

2. Cheating smart, in a nutshell. You've dropped grains, dairy, legumes and maybe nightshades from your diet. But every once in a while, you'd still like to drink a beer, have some ice cream, slather a piece of toast with peanut butter. And if you've read my H/FO Scale, you'll know I am one hundred dollars on board with that. So let's use the last 30 days as a springboard for approaching this Smart. Be patient with your cheating, too.

Introduce these foods back into your diet one group at a time. One night, have a bowl of ice cream. Then, evaluate how you feel that night, and the next day. Stomach feel like you're about to birth an alien? You may need to limit your dairy consumption to very small quantities - or, like, me, you may decide it's simply never going to be worth it. Another night, have some grains. See how you feel that day, the next day. Get the picture? Don't waste the last 30 days! You've spent valuable time cleaning out your system and allowing your body to heal. Use that platform to identify what foods are okay to cheat with and what foods may not be so much fun anymore.

Note, I am not telling you where to draw that line. Maybe ice cream makes you sick for the next three hours, but you REALLY love ice cream, so you decide it's worth it for you. That's entirely your call. But don't you at least appreciate KNOWING how it affects you, so you don't have a bowl of ice cream before, say, a big workout or while out on a date? Cheat smart.

3. Three was kind of a trick question. On a go-forward basis... apply this knowledge however you damn well please. I'm not trying to tell you how to live your life and eat your food. You've worked your own process, so all I'll ask is that you spend some time thinking about if and how you want to incorporate these principles into your daily life.

For me, I decided to stay strict a vast majority of the time. My "cheats" turned into maple syrup and hummus - both not technically allowed on a super strict diet, but still pretty damn clean "cheats". I reintroduced new food groups one at a time, and figured out that grains and sugars in small-ish quantities are totally okay, and dairy in ANY quantity is not. So when I cheat, I have, for example, one piece of french toast covered in Nutella. Not a plate of french toast, and not french toast and pancakes and a big sandwich at lunch and pasta for dinner. Just a small amount, here and there, to satisfy those mental cravings and eat something delicious.

What it comes down to is - work your own program. Just don't treat the last 30 days as something disposable - something you muscled through and can now forget about while you get back to your regularly scheduled life. Learn from the last 30 days, and figure out for yourself how to carry that with you. And, I might propose... carry that to others. (But that's another topic entirely.)

Stay tuned for Karl's story on Monday (I dare you to feel bad for yourself while struggling to eat clean after reading about Karl) and some more thoughts about the ties between food and emotion, and breaking those unhealthy strings. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Teaching you to fish

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Okay, kids... I have a ridiculously busy week - morning, noon and night, my "real" job, my CrossFit job and my personal life are all packed full of activity. Right now, I simply don't have time to compose a thoughtful, well crafted, detailed post about what to do if your 30 days are up. But I will NOT leave you hanging. We've come too far for that, I assure you. So, instead...

Let's play a game.

You've been working this with me - and the group - for the last month. You've been posting questions, posting your thoughts, researching and reading and experiencing these concepts for yourself. You must have learned SOMETHING in the last month, right? So, answer your own questions.

What do you think I'm going to tell you if, at the end of your 30 days, you're still craving McDonald's, jelly donuts and stuffed crust pizza? (Like, all you can think about at the zero hour is loading up on as much junk food as possible and having an entire weekend full of decadent "treats"?)

What if you're not having those extreme cravings, but are still looking forward to relaxing your diet on your 31st day? How would I recommend you approach that?

How do you think I would advise you to proceed on a go-forward basis, applying everything you've learned during this 30 day process into your "real life", for long-term success?

Answer any one of the above questions in comments, or take a crack at all three. I'll jump in where I can and provide direction, but I'm confident at this point that you already know what you need to do, and how to do it. Prove me right and make me proud.

The Weekend Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:29:00 +0000

Happy Friday. I'm off to coach the CrossFit Kettlebell Instructor Certification, down at North Shore CrossFit. (That's my boy Danny Vee's joint, which is what is going to make this gig extra fun.) Vee and I will be helping Martone sling some 'bells and teach some stuff all weekend, which means the blog will be without parental supervision until Monday. You kids better behave yourselves.

Also, I know there are a bunch of you coming up on your 30 day mile marker. I'm drafting a post now about what NOT to do when those 30 days are up, but I won't have time to get it up on the site until Monday or Tuesday. So, for those of you whose 30 day period may be up before then... wait for me. Seriously - what's another day or two? You really don't want to waste the last 30 days, and I'm going to help you make the most of them. But I'm busy, and I can't do it this weekend. So... wait. That's an order. No complaining, either.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Jesse's Story

noreply@blogger.com (Melissa Urban) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:51:00 +0000

Here's another email I received, from Jesse Richards. Jesse has been with us from the start, beginning his 30 days on July 5th. He shared his experience with me as a testament to how this process is about so much more than just your diet. For Jesse, this really has changed his life. Read, and be inspired.

_____

Dear Melissa,

I just had to tell you how wonderful this Paleo journey has been for me, and what a great impact it has had. I've been doing CrossFit since January and have gotten stronger, faster, and better at everything, but I was still gaining weight. Life has been really stressful for me the past several months, and doing this challenge has helped me put myself on the path to a better me. I started on July 5th, and as of today I've lost 17.5 pounds. I'm down from 241.5 (the highest I've weighed in several years) to a much healthier 224. I feel wonderful! I look better as well, which I know isn't the point of the challenge, but it certainly has helped me stay focused. Finally, there has not been a single workout that I haven't PR'd while I've been doing Paleo. This first week or so I had some problems with recovery, but then I upped my fat, and everything has been taking care of itself. I put 25 pounds on my deadlift last week alone (375, heck yeah)!

However, the single biggest thing for me has been that I have re-evaluated how I interact with food. I no longer feel cravings for something whenever I walk by. My friends can be having my favorite pizza, brownies, and cookies and I'll just watch them and eat my tasty meat and veggies or fruit. I am no longer bound by my past habits, and after a little over three weeks, I'm not even looking forward to that perfect cheat meal that I planned and savored to get me by in week one. I don't want to cheat anymore. This isn't a challenge to me. It's just how I eat now. For a guy who has been overweight his entire life, after 23 years I'm the one who is in control. Not the food.

So keep the tough love, sassy fun, and good information flowing! You've started something really great. I can't wait to see where it goes. Stay awesome Moxy-Boss!

Sincerely,
Jesse

_____

The last few highlighted lines make me want to hug Jesse, wherever he is. I GET what he is saying, and I am so glad that particular light bulb came on for him, as it did for me, and as it can for you. Thanks for sharing your story, Jesse. If you promise to keep us posted as to how things are going - I will make a giant flippin' announcement here the day you pull 4 bills off the floor. Deal?