You Can't Hide Bad Nutrition

Well, I got "called out" today! It wasn't ugly, but it was honest. I was at the gym this morning setting up my bar for my first WOD, which was different from what was on the whiteboard. My friend Danny asked me, "Why aren't you doing the class WOD?"
I explained, "I am going to do that later today. Twice a week, I am going to do strength training in the morning and then do the WOD in the afternoon."
He asked,"What are you getting ready for?"
I told him, "Next year's Garage Games. I want to compete as Rxd this time and the only way I can do that is to get stronger." I went on to say, "I'm not sure how great I'm going to do today though. My stomach just doesn't feel right."
He asked, "How has your diet been?"
I said, "This weekend wasn't great with the diet"
He asked, "Well, when are you going to get back on track with your eating?"
"Well,..." I start to explain that I was at my dad's this weekend and blah blah and he cuts me off.
"No, that's not what I asked you. I asked, 'When are you going to get your eating back on track.'"
BUSTED!
Now this may seem a bit harsh to some of you, maybe not, but here is what Danny knows about me. He knows that this past February I did the Whole30, which is Paleo to the extreme. For 30 days, no grains, no wheat, no soy, no dairy, no alcohol and no sugar...of any kind, that includes honey, agave, maple syrup. This also means most condiments and salad dressings... NO SUGAR!
I did this and I DID NOT CHEAT! And I really liked the results. I leaned out, my recovery was better and my energy was much improved as well. I hit PR after PR. My times improved. My stamina was better and I felt great! I still didn't have that coveted washboard stomach, but I could actually see my top 3 abs (yes, lop sided! I've had 3 babies, what can I say?)
But here is the other truth of it...it's not fun, damn it! It just isn't. I know, I am whining but let me tell you another thing that I learned about food while on the Whole 30 challenge. Are you ready for it?
Sugar is a drug.
Hi, my name is Dawn and I am a sugarholic.
I do not say this to be funny. It's not.
Someone I love very, very much is a recovering alcoholic. I watched him endure rehab and struggle with his addiction and then finally take control of it. One of the most important things that has kept him sober is taking each day "One day at a time"
I honestly had to do this with sugar. The first week, my poor family, I was on sugar detox and I was not nice or very much fun to be around. I just wanted chocolate or a diet coke! The worst was that I missed my coffee. I loved it with Almond Milk and Agave (that's paleo, right?) But I drank it black and every morning I would ask my husband while looking into that black coffee, "WHY am I doing this? This is stupid! Nobody cares if I do this or not!" Then my coffee would start doing it's job at making me a nicer person and my day would get better from there.
And everyday of those first 2 weeks I would tell myself, "Just get through today". It was alarming to me and it made me angry that food had this much control over me!
Now don't get me wrong. I don't have an eating disorder. But when looking at a piece of cake, I should be able to say "no thank you" and move on. Not think about it for hours!
One night, I was talking with my "qualifier". I was only 7 days into the challenge at this time (rough waters) and he said, "You're addicted. That's all it is. Treat it as an addiction. Don't tempt yourself by keeping bad food in the house and just take it "One Day At a Time".
"But this isn't alcohol! It's sugar!"
Well, then I started researching this deeper and was pleased to find that it wasn't me just being over dramatic. Sugar is addicting and people do suffer withdrawals when taking it completely out of their diets.
Now the good news is that after about 9-10 days my sugar cravings were gone, along with all the withdrawals. I began to enjoy my coffee black (still do) and I was a much nicer person! When the end of the 30 days came, it was time for that special dessert, a Jim-N-Nicks lemon pie. One of my favorite desserts! I remember looking at that piece of pie and for the first time thinking, "I really don't want that."
But I had planned this cheat meal for 30 days! So I ate it. And it was good! And since then, I have battled going longer than 14 days pure paleo.
Can I do it? YES. I know this because I have already done it.
Is it fun? Aha, NO! and there we have it ladies and gentlemen, the truth of it. I LOVE SWEETS!
So, back to Danny. He knows, that I know all about which food is better to eat. I gave a class on it for crying out loud! I know what happens to my body when I eat bad food and what happens when I eat good food. And yet...I wasn't practicing what I preach.
Was he telling me I need to lose weight? Gosh no! This isn't about losing weight.
But he was calling me out on my training. If I want to compete, I HAVE to be just as serious with my eating.
Am I eating horrible. NO. Am I eating like a competitor? NO. And that is the point.
See, when I decided to do the Whole 30, it was because I was going to be giving a nutrition class and I wanted to be able to tell our athletes what the effects were. To be able to give them an honest opinion and to help them decide if this was the way to go. The positives and the negatives. I had a reason to be accountable. There was no way I was going to ask our athletes to try something that I hadn't tried. So I did it first. Accountability. That's what I need and that's why I am telling you this story.
Danny knew I needed accountability. That's why he said something. You can't hide bad nutrition and my performance today was a direct result of the bad eating I did over the weekend.
That's what friends are for. :)

So, today I started the Whole 30 challenge again. This time to prove to myself that I can do it for me, not just for the people in my gym. The only exception I am making is for my Progenex. I challenge you do this with me. You can feel free to fuss at me in my comments, I get it, but stick with it. If you are a CrossFitter, you know that CrossFit is about the "suck" as much as it is about the good stuff. We suffer the "suck" because the benefits make it so worth it. This challenge is worth it! It's only 30 days. If I can drink my coffee black for 30 days, you can too!

Strength WOD
All percentages are based on my 1 Rep Max for each lift
Deadlift: 128lbs 5reps, 153lbs 4reps, 173lbs 4reps x4
Hang Power Snatch: 43lbs 5 reps, 48lbs 4reps, 53lbs 4reps, 63lbs 4reps x2
Hang Power Clean: 73lbs 4reps, 83lbs 4reps x2
Push Press: 63lbs 5reps, 73lbs 5reps, 93lbs 5reps x3
Snatch Pull (off blocks): Find 1 RM -83lbs

Conditioning WOD
Practicing for Fight Gone Bad 6

12 minute AMRAP
15 Pushpress, 55lbs (1 round I loaded 65lbs by mistake!)
15 Wall Balls, 14lbs
15 Sumo Deadlift High Pull, 55lbs
15 Box Jumps
15 Burpees

2 Rounds + 35reps

Eating:
Breakfast: 2 hardboiled eggs, 2 cups black coffee
Post WOD: Progenex
Lunch: Paleo Chicken Salad
Snack: Grapes, Raisins and Larabar (over a period of 3 hours)
Dinner: Zucchini casserole (paleo)