12 days of Big Island

Just returned from a 12 day sojourn on the Big Island of Hawai'i. The plans just fell together perfectly. While there, my wife and I renewed our vows. Before leaving Texas, I looked for a box to get in a wod or two,
BUT after arriving and taking a couple of days to settle in, I decided I was
going to 'relax'.

This was my daily routine starting the second day there:
wake up @ 5:30 am

surf from 6-8:30
eat breakfast
nap
eat lunch
nap
snorkel/dive 2-5:00pm
eat dinner
sleep
repeat x 10

I did 3 wods at Kim's uncles place. I found a 26 inch concrete platform to do some box jumps, and threw in some pistols, air squats, & push-ups for good measure (no burpees). Also did a few trail runs out and about. Did some snorkeling almost every afternoon with my bro-in-law (Will) . We would swim out to the reefs and dive as deep as we could. This was a blast and challenging. Thank GOD for snorkels & fins. It got a little sketchy a few times when I inadvertently took in a few mouthfuls of water but I got better the more I did it. Really had to keep your breathing in check.

I must say that I was extremely impressed by the way our host lived (Kim's & Will's Uncle John). It wasn't extravagant by any means, more like conservative and "self-sustaining". The house we stayed in wasn't even on the electrical grid, it was powered by solar panels and a gas generator. The panels and battery array were very modern. I could tell that John got a kick out of giving us the lowdown on the design, cost and maintenance of the system. Definitely made you aware of using anything electrical because if the batteries would completely discharge you would be S.O.L., which actually occurred on several occasions. Then you would have to find other means of entertainment until the generator charged the system back up. It wasn't too primitive either, John had a 28" flat screen tv and a satellite dish that we would spend an hour or two watching sports each night.



As for our diet, we ate out only while we were traveling, the rest of the days we ate produce from the farmers market and grass fed beef that John "acquired". Every tropical fruit you could imagine was available in South Point or Captain Cook. Mango's, pineapple's and apple banana's, (yep apple BANANA's, not sure why they called them that). Plenty of locally grown varieties of fruit and veggies were available and not too expensive.





Overall spent 2 days traveling and about 12 days on the Big Island. The real world beckoned us back and from the sound of it our family missed us too. Called my buddy Zach when I got back and drove over to do a chipper wod with Noah and a few others in Ingleside at CUTTHROAT BARBELL CLUB.


This is how Zach greeted me when I got back:

barbell lunges (45#)
farmers walk (100 #)
30 wallballs (20lbs)
30 squats
30 pullups
30 ringdips
30 box jumps
30 GHD's
30 true pushups
30 squats

with a 300m run between each.

my time 37:07

feeling sore today...

Merry CHRISTmas ya'll!!!

STRONG is the new skinny.

Is Paleo practical? It can be.........In my humble opinion.

PLEASE READ: Perfectionism and Self-Sabatage – Paleo Style…

My wife's response to a PALEO blog:

I have been studying foods, nutrition, and herbology for 15 years now. There are many diets out there that are paleo or a slight variation of paleo. I started eating one of them for my immune system. The major difference was that it included unsweetened REAL yogurt (there are ancient societies that had notable longevity eating yogurt). Keeping the inflammatory response in the body under control works. I am a totally different human being when I eat this way and feel so good that I prefer it. The trick being that I know what works for me! When my husband came home and said he would like to eat paleo I thought "that's easy!", and it was. It wasn't until this time that I started calling how I ate paleo, mostly because the group of people that we associate with recognize the term. We think of it as eating clean and we stay WELL and have incredible recovery time. Being successful at eating right for me, I've noticed a few things watching others TRY to be successful at this diet. one thing is that people complicate it by trying to portion. if you break into ZONE for a rest day from the rigid routine, then portion, but other wise it is unnecessary. Next, there are foods that are not allowed on paleo that have benefits far outweighing any derogatory effects. Stevia (has a balancing effect on blood sugar)and xylitol(kills bad bacteria in the digestive tract) are great to help you through this diet! The last thing I would like to mention is food source supplementation. This is the biggest single key to success. If you have cravings, your body is telling you that there is a deficiency. Our soils are depleted and we get little to no enzyme content in our food no matter what you eat! Believe me, you have deficiencies, and as a paleo eater, silica is probably one of them. Address these things and your conscientious food choices will work!

Post T day FALLOUT!!!!!!

OK, I did it!! In the week leading up to Thanksgiving I had many inquiries about how I was going to eat my Thanksgiving meal. Many were students in my class, some were friends, acquaintances as well as fellow crossfitters.
I gave the same answer to all, that I was going to break down, it was after all, just one meal. So the day came and my gracious wife and mom made an exceptional meal. There were paleo friendly dishes abounding BUT then there was EVERYTHING else.....

I was REALLY bad, even drank my a coke. The fallout was severe. You name it, I ate it. Rolls with butter, mashed potatoes, stuffing & gravy, apple pie with ice cream. By the time the time Drew Brees & the Saints had closed the deal with the Cowboys, I was in a semi comatose state. Friday was WORSE. I didn't leave the house. I slept all day. I was trying to get up to hit a 1200 wod, when I woke it was 1230. Back to the real world today. Got up this morning and had my preworkout meal.

On tap for today:
JACKIE
1000m Row
50 – 45lbs Thrusters (scaling up to 95 lbs)
30 Pull Ups

It really did shock my body, especially because I eat extremely clean. I'm NOT doing that again.

Peace.

The United States of DIABETES.

Just read an interesting article I found on the Drudge Report called: THE UNITED STATES OF DIABETES, written by United Health Group. I often find myself skeptical of media, so I dug around to find enough proof to satisfy my curiosity.

OK, here's a little review on diabetes:
(from the American Diabetes Association)

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin.

Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Only 5-10% of people with diabetes have this form of the disease.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and many more are unaware they are at high risk. Some groups have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than others. Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, as well as the aged population.
In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use glucose for energy.
When you eat food, the body breaks down all of the sugars and starches into glucose, which is the basic fuel for the cells in the body. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood into the cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, it can lead to diabetes complications.

Suffice it to say, the United Health Group, as well as all the other health care providers are banking on making billions even TRILLIONS of $$ on diabetes.

According to the report, "Diabetes and prediabetes will account for an estimated 10 percent of total health care spending by the end of the decade at an annual cost of almost $500 billion — up from an estimated $194 billion this year."

THIS CAN BE DRASTICALLY REDUCED!!!! If we decide to make personal lifestyle changes, AND YES THAT MEANS EVERYTIME we put food in our mouths.

It's no secret that type II diabetes can be regulated (for most people that have it) by modifying your diet.

There is a war going on inside our bodies. It is a war that can be won. How can you win? Help your body by eating right and losing weight!! Is your life important?  Get some exercise and eat right and watch your life improve drastically.

1 Corinthians 6:19
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

Peace












P.S.

Please read what Robb Wolf has to say about TYPE I Diabetes & Crossfit.
Who is Robb Wolf? He is a former research biochemist & is one of the world’s leading experts in Paleolithic nutrition and author of The Paleo Solution – The Original Human Diet. A student of Prof. Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet, Robb has transformed the lives of tens of thousands of people around the world via his top ranked iTunes podcast and wildly popular seminar series.

1-Gluten free, dairy free paleo diet.
2-Keep carbs on the LOW side ala-Benrsteins Diabetes solution (but better food quality).
3-Map blood sugar responses to activity, sleep and food.

This works, but it takes effort and time.

HANDSTAND CHALLENGE

Want to perfect your handstand? Never done one? LET'S TRY!!! I'm pretty good at HSPU's but not freeform handstands. I challenge you. It's a 90-day challenge (Thanks Crossfit Surf City for the idea!!).

THIS IS THE DEAL: do handstand holds every day for 90 days. Wall handstands are cool, but the point is to eventually perform a freeform handstand.

PLEASE BE SAFE.


Start with a spotter or use the wall when you are beginning. If you cannot do a handstand push up (HSPU), then this is good time to get proficient.

How long each day? It's up to you. I'm going to do it as part of my warmup everyday. I will start using a wall and I will try to do 30 sec handstand holds. Every day I'm going to start by trying to do freeform handstands.



Handstands: Against the wall or freeform
Day 1: 1 handstand
Day 2: 2 handstands
all the way to
Day 90: 90 handstands


You can do it ANYWHERE. Home, gym, office, wherever you feel comfortable.

Keep track of your progress. Take a picture.
REMEMBER: use a spotter or a wall until you become comfortable

One man making a difference.

I had the opportunity & honor to visit with Mr. Tony Reyes who is the Executive Director of Mission 911 in Corpus Christi, TX this morning (11/13/10). This happened because of my involvement in Leadership Corpus Christi class XXXIX (BEST class EVER!!). He is pictured on the left sitting down, Jimmy (the facility manager) is pictured standing. Jimmy was giving a short talk on the cold hard reality of not having a home. The Mission on 911 Park Street is now his home and his life because of Mr. Tony Reyes' dedication and hard work. Mission 911 is an old elementary school facility that Mr. Reyes attended as a child. He applied for a grant to purchase the property over 10 years ago and has been there since. While it has been cleaned up and repaired, this wasn't always the case. Mr Reyes informed us that it took 8 very large construction dumpsters to clear out all of the trash and junk from the old dilapidated school. From walking the facility this morning, you can tell that the people living here take pride in the property. The lawn is mowed, the trees are trimmed and it the facility looks tidy. There are people living here that want to change their lives for the better and Mr. Reyes does all he can to help them. The grounds and facility require constant upkeep and improvement. I urge you to donate time, or support in ANY form. Please check the following link: http://www.ccmission911.org/pages/Support.htm

SAPPY or not, written on the wall pictured here was this:

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is good and acceptable and the perfect will of GOD." Romans 12:2.

What does this have to do with a 40 something crossfitter? "Open Source" and renewal. Being open to change and ALWAYS learning. Everyone has something to offer if you're open to receiving it.

We as human beings tend to take advice and comments (constructive criticism) as a personal affront. We can sure as helk dish it out though. It's human nature. We've all been there. It doesn't take a 40 year old to know this. Integrity and honesty are large.  I'm not on a soapbox, I'm not perfect, never said I was.

If someone offers advice and you don't like their tone, don't get down, don't get upset and if you do, channel it in a positive way. WORK HARDER.

Mr. Reyes has AND he won't stop. He hasn't let anyone stop him from helping others. He has had countless obstacles that he has overcome. Those obstacles could not stop him. He is on a mission from GOD. He is an incredible individual. For 10 years he has been running Mission 911. He is driven, passionate and is always learning.

Anything is possible. It starts with setting a goal, then HARD work and tenacity must follow.

It's all about collaboration. Lumberjack 20.

I was invited earlier this week to attend an open wod at a brand new affiliate xfit gym in Corpus Christi, TX. SeaCity Crossfit. Doesn't take much to twist my arm, even after finding out the wod was going to be the Lumberjack 20 wod. Check the link, it's worth the read. If you have it in you, please donate time or money to the cause, even if you only do the wod and remember the fallen and their families.

Lumberjack 20

20 Deadlifts (275lbs)
...Run 400m
20 KB swings (2pood)
Run 400m
20 Overhead Squats (115lbs)
Run 400m
20 Burpees
Run 400m
20 Pullups (Chest to Bar)
Run 400m
20 Box jumps (24")
Run 400m
20 DB Squat Cleans (45lbs each)
Run 400m

my time: (Rx) 28:35

best time today: (Rx) 26:45 by Tony Reyes, who killed it.

Tim Hamilton had a great turnout, so good that we had to do 2 heats. Their was a diverse group in attendance. Tim is an encyclopedia of knowledge and is always spreading a good vibe and most of all he is an excellent trainer. He had been telling me for a while that he wanted to get a group together for a wod and collaboration on Saturday afternoons. This was the 4th one, 3 of which I have been in attendance and was by far the best. What's the big deal and why is this important to me? WELL because it embodies what has been called the 'open' source crossfit attitude. Crossfit Family. I have found this to be the case for most of the people I have crossed paths with since I started crossfitting in Feb 2009. What is the point? The point is there is much to be learned and everyone has something offer. People have different experiences, backgrounds, ideologies, & methodologies.  My dad raised me to   always be open to ideas and learning. I have had eye opening experiences from the most obscure situations and people. All that matters is that it is honest and truthful. This afternoon was such an occasion. People coming together to find a common bond and help each other improve and better themselves. That is, after all, what it's all about.

The SCOOP

Been extremely busy lately and haven't had time to blog. Made a list and started scratching things off of it and blogging was on it. So, here it is............I switched boxes early 2010 and have settled in nicely to my new one. TOP NOTCH. As life would present itself, since the time I switched, I have made some MAJOR improvements all around. This includes improvement in technique, strength and stamina. If you've seen my before & after story, my first year crossfitting I made gigantic changes in my life. This is a common story with crossfit. It is simply life changing. Things happen for a reason, things change and so must we. I got side tracked for a bit BUT, my dad taught me to set goals, achieve them, set more and keep going.....Don't stagnate, never stay in the same spot, always improve yourself. God is good, life is good and as a 40 something crossfitter, I will always keep learning & improving. I'll stop only when my soul has moved on past this plane. GOD willing.

HARVEST MOON

Had a harvest moon last night. This is the full Moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox. According to the Farmer's Almanac, in two years out of three, the Harvest Moon comes in September, but in some years it occurs in October. At the peak of harvest, farmers can work late into the night by the light of this Moon.

ANYWAYS.............

After a lecture last week, I had several students ask me about eating and physical fitness. It started out like this:
Student: "Are you a trainer?" "No, not technically." I said. The conversation turned quickly to physical fitness and eating. With another student asking me what I had been doing since last year because they had seen me around campus and had noticed I had "leaned up". "Oh don't get me wrong Mr. Sandoval, you looked like you were in shape, but now you look really in shape." Turns out this young man had recently lost 40 lbs by modifying his diet (Weight Watchers). I told him about crossfit and eating clean. The whole class overheard and I started getting bombarded with questions. "You don't eat bread, or dairy products?" "No, I don't and I don't miss them either."
I finally said the buzz word ("paleo") and the intensity increased. "What is that? Is it safe? Does it work?" If people want information, If I know the subject matter, I will tell them. I've been deprived, so I know the feeling. I said my general disclaimer and told everyone to look up the website. There's a TON of info out there, especially about supplements. You don't need to spend a ton of money on supplements in order to be healthy. Exercise and eating clean goes a long way. There are plenty of workouts on the web too.  IT'S  SIMPLE AND IT WORKS!.

"Just like riding a bike"

I did the EVA wod last Saturday (09/04/10). Yah, she's NASTY. I finished up feeling gassed, but pushed myself, especially through the pullups.
800m run
30 kb swings
30 pullups
5Rounds for Time.

Afterward, my wife and I had a great breakfast and decided to meet my younger brother at the beach. I loaded up my surfboard and ice chest (full of fruit and water) and hit the road. Sounds a bit odd considering 10 years ago it would have been an ice chest full of beer and junk food. I must admit that for several years (actually more like 5) I was too embarrassed to go to the beach, much less even paddle out to the lineup. You already know the story, I got middle aged, fat and  consumed with my career. ANYWAYS, I waxed up my board, put on my rashguard and paddled out on my 7'6" funshape. A funshape is a bit bigger style of board with a rounded nose instead of a pointed nose. They are typically a tad thicker than a normal board and with more buoyancy it makes it easier to paddle into waves. IT'S NOT A LONGBOARD. Nothing against longboarding, it's a blast too. It's all about timing. I duck dived and paddled to the peak just like the old days. Once out, I couldn't find my groove. Paddled around and couldn't catch anything. Finally caught one and barely stood up............ then caught another and did a small turn and fell off. That was it, I came in...... My brother laughed at me...... "You rusty old man?" "Yah, sorta." I said. You have to understand, he's always been better at surfing...... I just looked at him with a smirk and said my timing was off. I ate some fruit and drank some water and felt like a kook. Good thing about being a crossfitter, I was recovered and ready to try again in about 10 minutes. This time I paddled out on my brothers KG fish shape. He doesn't like using it any more and opts for his longboard because he's gained a little weight. It was just what I needed. Caught a wave within the first few minutes, then I was off to the races..............It's amazing what dropping even 10 lbs will do in the water. I've got the bug back. Been checking the surf report and buoy reports all week. Thanks to tropical storm Hermine which brought in some surf. NEXT STOP...... kiteboarding.  Been looking for a used rig.

FOOD for THOUGHT

PALEO......... hmmmmm, my 15 year old daughter cracks up when I say I eat the caveman diet.... I asked her why she finds it amusing and she said she gets a visual of me walking around in Tarzan attire trying to catch and kill something to eat.....  She's on an interesting diet herself, she claims to be a pescatarian. A pescatarian refrains from eating all meat and animal flesh with the exception of fish. A pescatarian is not a vegetarian. She uses that word loosely, (vegan gets thrown around quite a bit too). She says, "No Dad, that's vegan or vegetarian" when we start talking specifics. She does eat dairy products & breads, which I have been trying to convince her to change.




Paleo update:
I've been on the Whole30 for well over the 30 days now and I feel great......it's TRUE. I didn't do it to lose weight. I did it because I had hit a wall.  I'm eating about 3000 calories a day, or more. I have been eating clean for some time now, but finally went strict. Being disciplined is not hard, I remember when I was in the service (got out in 1993) people thought I was crazy because I would fast for 24 hour periods (and only drink water) once a week (did it for several years). I did it for focus and maintaining will power. I have fasted quite a bit in my life. My wife and I have done several 10-day fasts to clear our minds and bodies, I digress. Anyways, going clean on the whole30 really helped my stomach pains to go away. I was supplementing too much (every day) with protein shakes. You should really take the time to know what you're putting in your body. What supplements are you taking? Do they have artificial sweeteners? Artificial sweeteners are chemicals that trick your taste buds. What effect is it having on your body on a molecular level? Not blasting supplementing, because I do it too. Just make sure you know what you're taking and what it ACTUALLY does (not the blurb the company selling it tells you). Much safer, in my opinion, to eat fruit. ALL NATURAL. Take an inventory of your supplements and you may be surprised, (see supplements, Part I). If you over do it on protein shakes, it will take it's toll on you (see adverse effects of protein supplements). The Temple of Apollo @ Delphi said it the best: "Everything in Moderation".

BEFORE & AFTER

Friday, August 27, 2010

BEFORE & AFTER

This is my crossfit story. After spending most of my 30's working on my career. I found myself at 40, overweight and with extreme high blood pressure. According to my doc, I was a walking heart attack. After I finished with my grad degree (Dec 2008) I was weighing in at 225-230 lbs....I felt like a FAT SLOB (well, I was). I had stayed productive, but had let my self go physically. I had spread myself thin and neglected my health. That didn't stop me from keeping busy, I just didn't have the energy to do as much as I wanted. Creeping up to my 40's had finally caught up with me. I tried several times to get back in to shape. I started running, then my knees would swell up and hurt.  I fell into a deep depression. I really never had problems with my weight until my mid 30's. I gained about 10 lbs when my wife was pregnant with my daughter Thea. Then it crept up from there and before I knew it I was wearing 36-38" pants. I struggled mentally and physically but I knew I still had it in me to get in shape. I never took my my shirt off when I went to the pool or the beach because I had a huge spare tire around my waist. My younger brother would kid around with me and tell me I sported my weight pretty good, BUT I didn't feel good at all. I felt like CRAP, lethargic and weak. The smallest tasks would cause me to have labored breathing (like bending over to tie my shoes). One day, I ran into a high school buddy that I had played ball with. As we talked he sensed I was down and asked me what happened? He reminded me I used to be fit. I didn't have an excuse. Facing the quandary of my Doc's suggestion (high blood pressure medication) and considering some of the side effects (including insomnia, cold feet & hands, lethargy, depression, asthma, impotence, skin rashes, loss of taste, chronic cough, kidney damage, palpitations, swollen ankles, constipation, headaches and/or dizziness) I opted for my high school buddies recommendation (crossfit). That was Jan 31, 2009 a week after my 40th birthday.


First crossfit wod :
The Chief
Max rounds in 3 minutes of:
135 pound Power cleans, 3 reps
6 Push-ups
9 Squats
Rest 1 minute. Repeat for a total of 5 cycles.

3-2-2-1-1

I met pukie 3 times that morning. I was hooked......... Don't get me wrong... I still puke, but now I'm putting up numbers like 6-6-5-5-5 (Oct 2011), oh yah, and now I weigh 180 lbs and have a 32" waist.

MERCURY RETROGRADE

Well here it is, summer is over. Today is the last Sunday of our summer. Kids are going back to school tomorrow, like it or not. I think they're ready, truthfully. What does this mean? Well for one, it is a regimented schedule. It means 0530 am crossfit workouts instead of my more flexible summer schedule of whenever I can squeeze my wod in. It's all good to me. I make it a priority, my wife and kids know it. My schedule gets hectic, I'm geared up and ready. Besides my regular job, I've been blessed to be an adjunct professor at the local community college and University (Del Mar College & TAMUCC). This semester it's Del Mar.

How do I feel as a 40 something year old? Mind, body and soul are all in tune. Timing is everything. I've been tweaking my diet lately and it seems to have been working. Went on the WHOLE 30 PALEO about 3 weeks ago. I didn't feel the detox like I have before, I think it's because I was already on a generally clean diet.  I can't believe how good I feel. CLEAN. I've had a clean diet for a long time, but doing the whole 30, I eliminated artificial sweeteners, as well as making several other adjustments including no alcohol of any kind. I used to do the 80% /20%, stay on a paleo 80% of the time, but I have moved that number to 100% now and I can tell the difference. That didn't include eliminating alcohol until about 3 months ago. I used to drink beer, wine and alcohol regularly. Weening myself from alcohol wasn't hard. I just did it. With the same attitude I stopped eating 'reward' meals (20% of the time) which included sugar, bread, butter, french fries or any of the like. IT'S NOT HARD. Just made up my mind and did it. I eat plenty of good food. It helps that my wife has been doing something very similar to the whole 30 for a very long time. Our house isn't divided anymore. It used to be though! Traveling for work is more challenging where eating is concerned. Most restaurants have salads and some sort of protein. Just remember to use olive oil & vinegar or balsamic vinaigrette instead of the typical salad dressings and NO CROUTONS!!! If I did it, it can be done.  Truth be told, it's not as difficult as people say.

OK NOW FOR MERCURY RETROGRADE.
For you folks that don't believe in Astrology or Kepler's law of planetary motion, please skip this part.
What is Mercury retrograde? Retrograde is when a planet appears to be moving in the opposite direction of it's normal orbit (see Astronomy retrograde). Astrologically it means communication breakdown. Heck, everything breaks down. Just be aware of it. You will notice people arguing because of bad communication. You will notice computers, phones, electronics acting funny. Just be aware of it and if you don't believe in it, just notice around you if things are going a little crazy for the next few weeks. Mercury goes direct station (appears to stop moving in the opposite direction and goes back to it's normal directional orbit) on September 12th. This isn't all bad, Mercury retrograde can be beneficial, a time to focus on 'cleaning out your closet'. Follow through and finish up what you've left undone and you will feel much better. MAKE THE DECISION AND FOLLOW THROUGH!!!!!!! To quote the paleo whole 30 blog, which touts that making the decision to clean up your diet for 30 days will significantly change your quality of life, "It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Giving up heroin is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard." ENOUGH SAID, MAKE THE CHOICE AND FOLLOW THROUGH.

PEACE

I've come to the crux

Here I am, a 40 something crossfitter, neck deep in all sorts of ideas, but don't really know where to start. This is as good place as any; I've been traveling for a couple of days now and have successfully meandered my way through countless restaurants and fast food joints without succumbing to unhealthy food. Eating paleo on the road is really not that tough! It just takes discipline........  SUCH IS THE CASE FOR LIFE IN GENERAL.  I get asked all the time, how do you do it?  You just have to make the decision that it's what you want and then follow through.  I've been there.  I had to clean up my diet.  I  went through the DETOX.  Felt like CRAP, headaches, weakness, generally NOT GOOD.  Most people don't make it past this stage.  It's easier to revert back to your 'old ways' of eating processed/enriched foods (sugar, flour and anything processed), which in turn make your headaches and DETOX pains go away BUT ISN'T GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH!!!

YOU KNOW THIS!

The aftermath of the detox feels GREAT!!

One thing I'm working on is how to squeeze a workout (wod) in and still get to my regular job and jobsite to finish what I was hired to do..........It's pretty odd as I'm rereading what I just wrote, I'm growing OLD, but I don't feel like it.....Case in point, I didn't even have a beer. I have completely minimized and substantially eliminated alcohol consumption...... I've done it for many reasons, it takes it's toll. When I began my journey back to optimal health, I was still consuming alcohol frequently.  Took me almost a year to come to the decision to eliminate it.  With a year of crossfitting under my belt, my recovery from working out was improving drastically but so was my alcohol consumption.  Kind of peculiar but I felt that because I was in decent shape, I actually recovered from drinking much faster too. It's true! But it finally caught up to me.... I knew it was time to stop. It was time to put up or shut up. SO I QUIT, cold turkey, didn't want to hear any BS from anyone about it either. People point fingers and use the 'alcoholic' tag too much. Point is, if you want to do something, you just do it. MAKE UP YOUR MIND AND DO IT. FOLLOW THROUGH. My old man always told me when I was a kid, if you want something bad enough, you'll work and do whatever it takes to get it. You just have to make the choice.........  I did notice that my recovery improved, AND I lost that last 5-10 lbs that was sticking to me while gaining strength. 

I feel as if I've been on a roll lately. I'm tired of political correctness and walking on egg shells. I'm not holding back anymore. I'm in tune (440 Hz).

MORE TO COME...........

Take my eye
Do not wonder why
I've come to the crux

I've looked it up and down
Seen the trespassers trample themselves
As the miser makes love with his wealth
Convenience his love!