"Whole9 is a community focused on health, fitness, balance and sanity, all built on a foundation of real food and healthy nutritional habits." (Whole 9 website) CrossFit Akron athletes put their bodies to the test for 30 days. We've had nothing but success. Here are the stories to prove it. Please vote at the top of the page for the winner.
Krista Beckman
My Experience with the Whole 9
For most of my adult life I have enjoyed working- out and staying active. Eating a balanced diet on the other hand, has never been a priority. I worked -out to justify my unhealthy eating lifestyle – making the excuse that the two balanced each other out. I never saw drastic results from working-out, but I never gained weigh either…basically it was working for me.
overall results =3.4% body fat lost
For most of my adult life I have enjoyed working- out and staying active. Eating a balanced diet on the other hand, has never been a priority. I worked -out to justify my unhealthy eating lifestyle – making the excuse that the two balanced each other out. I never saw drastic results from working-out, but I never gained weigh either…basically it was working for me.
When I decided to take the 30 day challenge it was primarily because I like a competition and I knew I needed to do something to jump start better eating habits. As I looked at the list of approved foods, I realized almost every food I typically enjoyed on a regular basis was off the table….literally.
As each week passed I realized that sticking to the plan wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I’m not a creative cook, and I ate a lot of the same meals day after day (honestly, it just comes down to being a creature of habit), but overall I found that I didn’t crave the food that I thought I would, primarily the grains and dairy. I did however struggle with an INTENSE craving for sweets, which I found surprising because I am not really a sweets person. This craving for chocolate and the like never went away, and became a huge mental struggle for me.
Overall, I was extremely happy with the results that I have seen since embarking on the Challenge. Moving forward I have added some foods back into my diet…primarily complex carbs. As far as dairy goes, I’m off of it and very happy about it. Fruits and veggies grace the shelves of my fridge that used to be occupied with process foods and beer. I am happy to say that my fridge is now being utilized and filled with fresh foods, and for once in my life my freezer is void of Lean Cuisine frozen meals…and I am a healthier (and smaller) person for it.
The brain does funny things when you tell it that it CAN'T have something. Way to power through those sugar cravings - and for taking the lessons you learned during the program with you into your "normal" daily eating today. Thanks for taking on the Whole30, and sharing your story.
ReplyDeleteMelissa & Dallas
Whole9