Coach Sarah: Healthy Habits Challenge

10 years ago, I stumbled into my first CrossFit gym after a lifetime of sports, essentially still wanting the six-pack abs I’d never been able to achieve despite tons of calorie counting and endless hours of long slow distance. I was scared of receiving nutrition advice after nearly a decade of disordered eating, so much so that I asked the owner for a discount if I opted out of the nutrition part of their offering (lest you wonder why we leave that an opt-in option at AR). I had also spent endless hours performing long slow distance (despite hating it), thinking that was the key to the physique I wanted, because I lacked an understanding of metabolic systems and the core effectiveness of high intensity exercise). Anyway, it wasn’t long before I came across the nutrition part of Coach Glassman’s Fitness in 100 words… “eat meat and vegetables, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Eat in quantities that support exercise but not body fat.” Learning to live by these simple sentences dramatically altered my body composition (and probably even my entire life).

As our January Healthy Habits Challenge begins (naturally, starting the Monday AFTER our Holiday Party, because clearly no one was making Spam musubi or banana cream pie so that no one could eat it!) I am reminded of the monumental shift that happened for me as I learned to eat as much as I wanted for the first time in my life (after years of restricting, thinking less was better, to no avail), and to keep my selections based on the stuff that people have eaten for centuries (none of the processed crap, including Paleo, Vegan and Keto fads in packages).

Each year as we introduce this challenge, I’m reminded how important it is to truly consider the impact our daily choices have on our every day wellbeing. I’ll also never forget the destruction my focus on all the wrong things had on my mindset and health for far too many years. The idea with this challenge is not for it to be a source of temporary motivation oriented around restriction and deprivation. It is intended to be an opportunity to focus on creating habits you believe will help you be a healthier version of yourself in the long run, and to give you a bit of accountability (and some shiny stickers) to support you in that goal.

I’m also reminded of my college coach, who emphasized to me time and again that the BASICS are the foundation for everything. It’s the simple stuff, like consistently going to bed on time, or eating fruits and vegetables, and keeping caffeine, alcohol and sugar intake in check, that is the most impactful to our wellbeing in the long run. So often we get ahead of ourselves and want to find the next big thing, when the simple things are really all we need to get the results we desire.

This year our challenges will include the perennial category “favorites” - drink more water, consume less caffeine, alcohol and/or sugar, get more sleep, and nutrition overhaul (which is an opportunity to test an eating style like Whole30, or Paleo, and I suppose macro tracking, Keto, Intermittent Fasting, and vegetarian or vegan if you’re so inclined, but please talk with me first!)

This year in the spirit of embracing the importance of a primarily plant-based diet we’ll also be introducing the 800g challenge, popularized by EC Synkowski of OptimizeMe Nutrition, which in a nutshell means to eat 800g or more of fruits and vegetables per day - increasing fiber intake and micronutrient consumption (and ideally variety). We haven’t seen research to support the removal of [high-quality, unprocessed] meat from your diet, but we’re entirely convinced that the presence of lots of fruits and vegetables (both raw and cooked) in your life will improve your wellbeing, and we’re all for encouraging this part of the primarily plant-based trend.

Also, another new addition will be the digital detox challenge — thanks to Coach Kim for the suggestion!

So, with all this in mind, please consider your current habits, and whether these habits are currently leading you in the direction of your goals. If you find discrepancy between your current habits and the ones you’d like to have, we’d love for you to join us in one or more of the challenges mentioned above starting on January 6 and continuing at least through the end of the month (hopefully you’ll love it and just keep it rolling).

If you’d like us to support you in a challenge not mentioned above, or you’d like guidance about which challenge would best suit your current goals please don’t hesitate to reach out.

-Sarah

WOD For 01-06-20:

Strict Press:

3-3-3-3

Push Press:

3-3-3-3

Push Jerk:

3-3-3-3

-then-

AMRAP 10 Minutes:

8 Seated Double Dumbbell Strict Presses @ 35/30 lbs (per side)

8 Plate Ground-to-Overhead @ 45/35 lbs

16 Kettlebell Goblet Squats @ 53/35 lbs