My crossfit gym recently held a 40 day partner challenge and a friend and I signed up. We downloaded apps that helped us understand how many calories we needed each day in order to build muscle, lose weight, get stronger.
Now, if you are like I am, you have always thought – fewer calories equal weight loss. Right? Wrong!!! As counter intuitive as it seems, you NEED to take in enough calories for your body to survive day in and day out. I slowly got my head wrapped around that and discovered for my height, weight, and age, I needed to take in nearly 3000 calories per day. Yes, blink, you read that correctly.
Before pics and measurements were taken. Instructions on point systems and prizes were given. The process began. My partner and I chatted constantly via messages daily. We worked out together and separately. We tracked our food intake and our exercise both inside and outside of the Box.
Friday was day 40. We had done a certain WoD (work out of the day) back in July and this day was a re-test. We had also done our max on back squat back in July and re-tested that as well. I was excited and pleased to add 35 pounds to my 1 rep max back squat (from 150# to 185#) and cut 2 minutes and 37 seconds off Angie. (100 Ring Rows, 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, 100 air squats)
We did our after pics and measurements Saturday. My weight loss was nearly 5 pounds. Now, that may not sound like much to some, but it is exciting for me. Look at the pics and I think maybe you will see it, too. I replaced fat with muscle and we all know that the volume of one pound of fat is more than the volume of one pound of muscle. I call the past 40 days a success!
Oh, and I am not finished. I plan to maintain the same healthy eating and exercise program. After all, it takes 90 days to form a habit. This habit is my lifestyle choice.
p.s. it appears that my partner and I won the challenge also – all those extra point challenges on top of our regular points came in handy for the win.
Many thanks to Coach Nikki and CrossFit Certitude for the challenge and for the encouragement. Thanks also to my family who have supported me through these past 40 days – for your love and encouragement. Thanks to my coworkers who have had to listen to me daily yak on about it all.
