A story to keep you going!!!

Katie's Epiphany

Five days into the Fire Force Crossfit 30-Day Paleo Challenge, I find myself in a constant war with food. Every day I am reminded of what I cannot eat as I try to plan out my day’s meals, and up to this point it has left me feeling angry, annoyed, and defeated. I never would have imagined that I would struggle so much with food as I have been. I hardly thought this would be easy, but I also

never expected to feel such frustration toward something I never had to give much
thought. In the past, when I was running late for work and did not have something to eat at home, I would just zip through a drive-thru (breakfast AND dinner sometimes...don’t judge, a girl’s gotta eat). When I was too tired to cook or had not made it to the grocery store yet, I would head out to any restaurant I wanted for a delicious feast. When I had a hankering for something sweet, I would pop a truffle or five in my mouth from the candy dish in the living room. Easy.

Now, I am making conscious decisions about what to eat and when to eat it. I am (more often than not) looking at food labels. I am buying so many vegetables and fruits I forget I have them and they accidentally rot. I have to really decide if the homemade candy and cheese curds we brought home from Minnesota are really worth it. I am still getting used to cooking for myself and planning out meals ahead of time, and am really trying to squash my cravings for the convenience of eating out. Writing down what I am eating every day has forced me to eat more of the right things than the wrong. And boy, was I eating a lot of the wrong things.

During the team WOD this morning, I had a moment where I finally realized that my battle with food is not a battle at all. Eating better for just one week made me stronger today. Even with a cold, I had more endurance and strength than I have had in awhile. I was chilled to the bone and completely out of breath, yes, but I did not feel the exhaustion and nausea that I became used to feeling during the Saturday WODs.

I have seen how Paleo has impacted others’ lives, both at Fire Force and from my pals in Boston, but I never before made enough of an effort to let it impact mine as well. Sharing recipes with others, watching Kyle’s award-winning video demonstrations on the blog, and flipping through my two Paleo cookbooks has given me the encouragement to know that with a little more work on my part, I too can live a Paleo lifestyle. I understand how Paleo can have such a positive effect on oneself and one’s performance because I experienced it. I left today’s WOD feeling excited, strong, and energized. And of course, hungry.