In 3... 2...1 GO, Again!

Once again, it's Game Day.  Or Game Days, all 84 of them.  This is where you dig deep, find your motivation, check your attitude and revise as needed.  Preparation and Planning my friends, this is the key to a successful program.  

Many of you are doing the 2014 12-week Paleo Zone Challenge through Crossfit Frederick.  Some of you are doing it on your own.  However you choose to go about it, the good news is that you have made the choice to sacrifice those creature comforts that haven't exactly been your best choices.  Here's the good thing: You aren't alone.  We're all in this together, and I plan to write about all the challenges, the successes and failures, and the improvements we all see as we lunge into the next 3 months.  

Find your motivation.  What has driven you to take the challenge? We all have the Achilles Heel that blocks us.  Mine was my beloved Red, Red Wine.  Sigh...  I love how wine makes me feel, all warm and relaxed, and of course I'm so much more fun and funny when there's wine involved.  But, it's loaded with calories and sugar, so I will give myself the jump start my metabolism needs by eliminating it.  It also comes down to an internal battle of "Who's stronger, me or the Cab?"  I would say, "The Cabernet is GOING DOWN!" but that sounds like I'm drinking it.  Which I won't be after Saturday. My motivation is to get my strength and energy back, and to get rid of the excess hibernation layer I seem to have developed which is great if you're a bear, bad if you're a person.  

Also, I look back to the winners of last year's challenge.  Their before and after pictures were nothing short of amazing.  They worked hard, sacrificed, and completely changed their bodies and mind in just 10 weeks. I had my painful "before" pictures taken today.  Thank God I count Amanda May as one of my best friends, because baring my dry, pale skin for her camera and getting my "before" numbers was humbling, painful, and generally sucky.  I'm looking forward to the next check-in measurements, because I know they will show improvement, just like those of last year's participants did. 

Planning and Preparation.  Get your pre-challenge big butts to the store, and stock up on your favorite meats and frozen veggies, and make sure your plastic food container supply is bountiful.  Go primarily with frozen veggies, because the time constraint will hit you hard and fast.  I will be grilling and cooking a ton of meat over the weekend to get Chris and I through most of the week ahead.  We will grill and roast a bunch of fresh vegetables too, but the frozen ones are easy to cook quick.  Roast a few sweet potatoes or squashes. Portion out your fruit.  Make sure your scale batteries are good.  Stock up your spice cabinet.  Get yourself together, so that you aren't scrambling during your work week.  

Are you ready?  In 3-2-1 GO!