High Fat = Lean Body

That's right folks, high fat = lean body.  A lot of people at work and around my friend groups have asked me about what I eat now as I've lost 30+lbs since starting CrossFit and going Paleo.  As I gingerly talk about what the concepts of CrossFit and eating paleo are, I watch their faces go from intent listening to "I could never do that."  I know that a lot of people are stuck in the rut of going to the gym, lifting a few weights and then doing an hour of "cardio"  and in love with their bread and pasta, but have you seen changes in your body composition lately?  Have they been the changes you want to see?  I'm not going to go any further into CrossFit and High Intensity Training now, but I will humor you and discuss my thoughts on nutrition.

I've never been big on pastas and breads so for me this is a non issue.  Now for those of you who crave carbs: Just because there are one or two things about the paleo way of eating you "could never do" does NOT mean to disregard all of the information.  Research it and start with the parts about it that you like.  Then over time, start implementing more ideas and concepts to tinker with it.  Your diet/nutrition is seriously 80% of whether you lose weight or not.  Period.  Not calories in < calories out.  Make good choices for food. Stay on the perimeter of the grocery store.  If you eat 1300 Kcal of twinkies and burn 2000 calories a day, you might lose weight initially, but are you going to gain lean mass and look better naked?  Doubtful.  Quality of food supersedes  quantity.  Eat veggies, meat, nuts/seeds, some fruit and you'll be on the way to a healthier you.  This doesn't mean  you cannot indulge, learn that fruit is nature's candy.  Craving sugar?  Eat some blueberries mixed with peaches and a few almonds/pecans mixed in.  It will satisfy your craving. 
Start with Breakfast a few times a week:  few eggs with some mixed peppers, spinach, and a slice or two of nitrate/nitrite free bacon.  Take it all down with a large glass of water, add an apple and a few almonds to the mix and you have yourself a nutritious breakfast that will leave you satiated until lunch, no crash, no hunger pains.
Pack your lunch!  Cook up nutritious meals at home and bring them to work with you.  I cannot stress this enough.  Going out to eat for a "healthy" lunch is a great idea.  Does it really pan out how you envision it?    There isn't a lunch in the City that I would exchange for my Big MammaJamma grilled chicken salad.  Organic greens, 4-6oz of chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, some organic dressing, and an avocado make for another filling, delicious meal. Eating like this is not a "diet" it's a lifestyle.

Cook dinner at home.  It's a simple way to spend more QT with loved ones and helps with eating proper foods.  If you do go out to eat, don't be afraid to order with specific directions on how you would like your food prepared, just know they may not listen and the only way you have control on how your food is made is to make it yourself.    Make plenty of food, pack your leftovers for lunch tomorrow!  Experiment with new foods/ingredients find what you like and add to that list for variety. 
Focus on eating 1Gram of protein for each lb of body weight.  150lbs = 150G of protein each day.  Supplement that with leafy greens, and veggies, eat some fruit, add in nuts, good fats, and you will be on your way to a leaner body.  This is a "cliffs notes" version of Paleo and how to start down the path of healthy eating, do some research to find out more.
I suppose that is the end of my nutrition rant, if you made it this far: props to you Sir/Madam.

Short and Sweet

This is a video montage from interviews with Will Smith.  He has a lot of good things to say, I guess what started with "parents just don't understand" led to great intellectual insight such as my favorite quote from this video "Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity".  This short post brought to you by the letter D. as in Do Work, Determination, Dedication, and Discipline.

 

Current Journey: Operation Crossfit Games

I'm currently training for the 2010 Crossfit Games Sectional Qualifier being held on Sunday March 7, 2010 at The Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio.  Up to this point I have been really lax in how I feel about competing in this arena.  I said "up to this point," now, I am starting to get some nerves about the event.  I have not competed in anything since my boxing debut back in April 2003 see my previous post.  I am planning on taking a short break here in the very near future and then ramping up my training leading into the sectional qualifier hoping to peak out at the perfect time.  I have been adding more strength work into my schedule and have also added a lot to my warm up in the form of skill movements.  I've gone heavy a few times in the last week and I feel my strength is pretty good and my metcon ability is strong.  It's going to come down to how the Workouts play out, but I'm definitely gunning for placing in the top 20 and qualifying for the Regional event.  As of last week, there were about 150 men registered for the event, top 10% is my goal.
This is something that I've been thinking of since last spring when I heard about the regionals.  I didn't feel I was ready for competition last year, but solid progress has me excited for this competition in approx. 3 weeks.  The workouts will be posted some time the first week of March, and that will give me a few days to dial in the movements that are going to be required.  I'm hoping for a good combination of bodyweight movements and heavy lifting.  I guess I'll just have to prepare for the "unknown" these next couple of weeks.
Below is a little video I saw on Derby City Crossfit that I liked.  It is true that success has 1 denominator:  How hard you train and prepare for game day.  NO EXCUSES JUST HARD WORK.

My winter afternoons

Well my winter afternoons have been pretty busy since November.  I am an assistant coach for a wrestling program here locally, and it has kept me very busy the last few months.  Last year when I started getting involved in CrossFit and returning to fitness and a healthy body, I started reminiscing about the days of old.  While thinking it all over one thing came back to me very often.  Wrestling was one of the things that continues to shape my life to this day.
The sport of wrestling is in my opinion a way to follow our roots back to ancient times.  On the grounds of the Colosseum men proved their mettle in a lot of facets, and I believe wrestling had to be center stage.  There are few other sports that put a person up against another to demonstrate their indomitable will, technique, and perseverance.  It is just you and your opponent, no one else to rely on, no one else to blame.  It is a sport that reveals your weakness and demonstrates your strength.  There are many things that I learned through my years of wrestling that I cherish to this day.
First, Discipline.
For a person to be successful in wrestling, they must be disciplined.  Without self discipline one will not achieve the technique that is imperative to be successful against an adequate opponent.  We drill technique in the wrestling room for hours over the season, as do many athletes.  When a wrestler fatigue's it is ever more important to remain disciplined because if we get sloppy at this time, we will be sloppy in a match and it oftentimes leads to defeat.  It is also imperative to be disciplined outside of the wrestling room.  Wrestling taught me about staying disciplined while in the classroom, or out on the streets.  I had a very short fuse before I started wrestling and oftentimes would first look for resolve with my fists.  Through discipline learned in the "room" I learned to remain calm in the face of a storm.  This discipline has helped me to learn how to "turn the other cheek" and smile in the face of a transgressor.  Discipline takes one's "mental weakness" and reforms it to "inner peace" or "mental toughness."  I really feel in today's society there are too many weak minded people period.  Having a hobby or sport that is demanding of one's self, will help to alleviate this condition.
Second,  Goals.
There is nothing like achieving a goal, especially when it takes hard work and dedication to achieve it.  The beginning of every year I made goals for myself.  Some years I made better goals than others.  I didn't always achieve my goals, but I ALWAYS expected to meet all my goals.  I make high goals for myself and I'm my biggest critic.  One of the great things about this is there is never a time where someone coming down on me is any harder than what I've told myself.  Following the KISS method of goal setting, I know I have set goals that are achievable, but are also going to be a stretch to achieve.  A lot of people set goals too low so they know they will reach them.  There are times that it is more important to fail at a goal than it is to achieve it.  It isn't until failure that we can truly appreciate success.
Third, dedication/perserverance.
Ever bailed on something that you later regretted?  I have, more times than I like to think about.  Through wrestling I learned a lot about sticking with something until it is complete.  My very first wrestling match lasted 12 seconds.  I was totally embarrassed and humiliated.  Did I want to get back out on the mat again after that day? No, that is about the last thing I wanted to do.  But I had made a promise to myself and my dad that if I started the season I would finish it.  Guess that was a great lesson from dad!  But, I did stick with it, and had a very rocky first year.  My second year got better and I won a lot more than I lost from that point on.  Having a never quit attitude has helped me endure a lot of things that have made me better for finishing out what I said I would do, wrestling helped amplify these traits.
There are many more traits that wrestling taught me, but these are the big 3 that I wanted to elaborate on.  While I was sitting and thinking about what made me who I am I did come back to wrestling a lot.  These are some of the reasons, but while I was reminiscing, I also thought a lot about my High School Wrestling Coach and how he helped shape me.  I still talk to my Coach, not as frequently as I used to, but every time we talk he always has something to say that is worthwhile.  I try to listen intently and use his advice whenever I can.  This is the reason I contacted coaches in the area to see about becoming a part of their program.  I want to be able to mentor to others and pass on the traits that my coaches have taught me.  Being coach-able is a trait that far too many young people are failing at today.  I have made it a goal of mine to help reach out to kids and help them realize their potential and prod them to stretch themselves to reach what they can become.  I know I was viewed as what I could achieve and through my coaches persistence to get me there I became a better person, as well as, a better athlete.  For that I want to first thank my wrestling coaches as they pushed and respected me more than any other coaches I had, but also thank all of the coaches I have had through life.  It is a challenge and a joy to be able to coach others and this has been a winter of learning for myself through my coaching efforts.  Wrestling season is nearing an end and I am happy to report that I neither killed myself nor anyone else.  Chalk this one up as a success!

How the juice came to be

Some of you may wonder how the juice came to be. Well, it happened about 6 years ago, my senior year at Ohio U. During a January evening out at a local watering hole, my roommate Kyle saw a poster for "Friday Night Fights" and was adamant about me signing up. Kyle is the type of guy that some would call an instigator. Seriously, Kyle loves to get people into things that he would never do himself but thinks will be funny to watch. I took down the number to call to get signed up, but wasn't totally sold on the thought of letting someone punch me in the face for the enjoyment of others.
A few days passed and Kyle didn't let up in his excitement to see me get pummeled. Maybe he was mad at me and didn't want to take on the chore of hitting me himself? At any rate, I finally called the # and got the information on getting dialed in as one of the fighters for OU's return of Friday Night Fights. We trained a couple of times a week, nothing much, just some sprints and minimal sparring. As the event got closer we were told to make sure we had a proper name for the Fights, so I let my mind get to work and had some discussions with close friends on what sounded good. I came up with Joe "The Juice." Doesn't that have a nice ring to it? I mean come on, "The Juice is Loose!"
Fight Night came and went, I've had many journey's from that time to now, and I intend on beginning to log some of those past journey's, maybe a few tall tales, and also, the current state of affairs with all things "Juice."
By the way, "The Juice" retired after that fight, but I'll have you know, He won by TKO, ref's stoppage in the 3rd round. When I have the opportunity I'll upload the video of my heroic Rocky style battle of coming from knocked down and nearly knocked out to the glorious taste of sweet victory.