What Happened to FAHBG?

from Crossfit Oakland

I’m glad you asked! I have been meaning to put something up here explaining the lack of updates lately.

Simply put – we burned ourselves out. I think after about 6 months of hardcore WODs, 4 times a week, we were all getting to a point where Crossfit was taking over too much of our lives. I don’t want to speak for the whole team, as we may all have different feelings and ideas on the topic, so I’ll continue here from my own perspective.

For me it became an issue of commitment. For some reason, I had the hardest time getting back into the swing of the workouts after Christmas break, and being off-schedule really hindered my mental commitment to getting up at 5:30am. In addition, I injured my back trying to pull out a sub-10 min. Grace in Feb. and never really got over the “fear of the bar” after that (still haven’t). It just seemed like the excitement and investment I had in it faded sharply after a while.

The whole decline of our workout program really got me wondering – how do real people, with real lives, stay on top of a program like Crossfit without burning out quickly? I know it must be possible, but does one have to sell their soul to an exercise program in order to stay on track? I think we all can acknowledge that we talked about it waaay too much (at parties, restaurants, church…), and I hope it didn’t turn any friends away from leading healthful lives because of our passion about the program.

So whats the take-away point? Is FAHBG dead?

Good news is over the past year I have learned a lot about fitness, general health and “working out” that I think will stay with me the rest of my life. The number one permanent lifestyle change has been diet. While I may have fallen off the wagon more than I’d like to admit recently, I feel really confident in understanding and taking responsibility for my dietary choices. And as we all know, fuel is 50% of the equation of health and fitness. Other than that, I think Crossfit-style intensity in workouts is something that I’d like to maintain. Now, I haven’t done a WOD in a few months, and complain about working out all the time, but when I get back on schedule I plan to keep the intensity high and the duration short. Lastly, I’ve discovered a real enjoyment for gymnastic fitness that I’d really like to invest some time and work in someday. Not to eschew weight lifting or cardio, but my body seems to function well with balance-based, body-weight, cat-like agility fundamental movements.

As for FAHBG, it’s still up in the air. Summer is a regular downtime for us as Andrew is traveling with church lots and Josh & Mara are out of school and off for the summer. I’d like to consider reforming in the Fall, and starting fresh, with open minds and multi-varied programming. At very least, being together and being active is something we all care about and can make some time for. FAHBG is about community, relationships and spurring one another one to greatness. The hotification of our bodies is just a fortunate biproduct!

Friends and followers, what do you think? How does exercise fit into your daily life? What level of commitment is healthy for people with a lot going on?

Finding Willpower

Finding it hard to make the right food decisions?  Maybe you have too much going on in your head.  Check out this Radiolab podcast (short version or long version) and out how you can start making better choices.

Paleo Chocolate Mousse

This mousse is extremely easy to make, cheap,  and very tasty.  Micah doesn’t care for coconut milk but he loves this dessert.

Ingredients:

1 can Hokan coconut milk (not the lite)

2 tbsp Cocoa powder

1 tbsp Honey (I use tupelo honey since it’s local and tasty)

Dark chocolate bar, shave into little chips

Serves 4 people

Chill the coconut milk, it thickens it and makes it more mousse-like.  Using a wisk, stir in the cocoa powder and honey until the mixture is thick and creamy.  I always taste test what I’m making to make sure it’s yummy, I highly suggest doing the same.  Then chill a little longer, maybe 30min to 1 hour before serving.  Add chocolate shavings on top and serve.

Roasted Squash over Arugula with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts

This recipe comes from some friends of Abby and I who run their own design company in Chicago called Letterform. Julie was featured on the Design*Sponge blog for this recipe and when I saw it, I just had to share it with you all. In addition, they make “foodie greeting cards” called Nourishing Notes, which I think we all could get behind and enjoy.

So look at the picture, let your mouth water a little and head over to Design*Sponge to read the recipe. Then buy some stuff from Andy and Julie! Support unique art, local foods and creativity!