My first CrossFit Class- A beginner's experience

CrossFit classes seem to be all the rave right now and I put it on my fitness bucket list. So imagine my excitement when I got into UK this morning and found a class just 3 minutes walk from my apartment. Well before I go further, what exactly is CrossFit?

Here’s the definition of CrossFit from the official site:

CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.

Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.

CrossFit contends that a person is as fit as they are proficient in each of ten general physical skills: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy


I emailed the Crossfit gym and asked if I could come in as a beginner and I was offered a free session. Excited, I arrived 10mins early for the 6:30pm class. I had the opportunity to watch the 5:30pm group finishing up and I got nervous and scared. They all looked so fit and the workouts seemed intense. I almost chickened out. lol.


The class started and I introduced myself to the instructor who was super nice. We started with a brisk run outside (it was so cold outside but I survived) and went back in to get the brief on the WOD (workout of the Day). Split into teams of 2, I paired with my friend I dragged in with me. Warm up was practicing the 3 moves of the circuit. Squats, Handstands on the wall, and Knee Toe Touches.
I got the hang of the moves and I was showed the modified version for the headstands (I can't do a handstand....well not yet)

The real workout began and started with weighted front squats (we did 15kg), modified wall climbs and knee/toe touches. 10 of each move, 3 times.

It was a bit intense but I didn't give up as everyone cheered each other on. Felt like a family workout.

I loved my first class and I will definitely give it a try again.

7 Day African Paleo Challenge- Meal Plan!

For the next 7 days starting on Sunday 19th October, 2014, we will be going Paleo
As promised, see below for my meal plan. Please feel free to modify, but remember whatever you modify with should still be in the What To Eat list I discussed here

Also remember just because we are eating low carb and healthy doesn't mean portion control has to go out the window.
Stay within your calorie limit and journal your meals. See more on this here

Share your meals and recipes with me and don't forget to tag me on instagram @myfitnessrebirth or on Twitter @fitnessrebirth

Running for Beginners

After failing and getting back up many times, I decided to take my weightloss journey more serious. You know when you get to that point that you know you had to make changes.

September 9,2012 was my turning point, Thanks to 3 of my friends. 5 weeks later, I have lost approximately 21.6lbs (9.8kg) I am still far from my goal weight, (I have 15kg) to go. I know I can do it. It's not about how long it takes, but how well I can maintain it.

A friend of mine told me how Running helped her tone up and lose weight and I was so motivated with her pictures that I dusted my running shoes and hit the streets.

As a newbie to running, I found a plan that has been working so far, and hopefully in a few months, I will be Usain Bolt....lol

You can view the plan here

Does anyone run? Any pointers?

Rebirth

Breakfast Ideas

Healthy breakfast cereals and eggs can be tiring for breakfast and I always assumed there were no healthier options.
However I stumbled on A Blog and found a few healthy recipes to share with you.

Cream Cheese Pancakes

Recipe ingredients:

2 oz cream cheese
2 eggs
1 packet stevia (or any) sweetener
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Put all ingredients in a blender or magic bullet. Blend until smooth. Let rest for 2 minutes so the bubbles can settle. Pour 1/4 of the batter into a hot pan greased with butter or pam spray. Cook for 2 minutes until golden, flip and cook 1 minute on the other side. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve with sugar free syrup (or any syrup of your choice) and fresh berries. A surprisingly satisfying substitute for the real thing. Tastes like skinny fried cheesecakes! Even if you aren't watching your carbs these are a delicious departure from the traditional doughy stack of pancakes. And you won't have the sleepy feeling that usually comes afterwards!

Approximate nutrition info per batch: 344 calories, 29g fat, 2.5g net carbs, 17g protein


Low Carb Breakfast Lasagna

Ingredients:

8 eggs, scrambled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 sausage links, fully cooked
12 cream cheese pancakes (unsweetened)

Cover the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan with 4 pancakes, it's ok if they overlap. Put down a layer of scrambled eggs, followed by a layer of cheese. Cover with another 4 pancakes. Add all of the sausage links. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Add last layer of pancakes, followed by scrambled eggs, and the remainder of the cheese. You can use more cheese if you like. Bake or microwave until the cheese is melted. 3 -4 minutes in the microwave or 8 - 10 in the oven at 350 degrees (F). Cut into squares and serve.

Spinach, Goat Cheese & Chorizo Omelette

Ingredients:

4 ounces chorizo sausage
1/2 Tbl butter
4 eggs
1 Tbl water
2 ounces crumbled fresh goat cheese
2 cups baby spinach leaves
sliced avocado (optional)
1/4 cup salsa verde (optional)

Remove chorizo from the casing and fry in a medium saute pan until fully cooked. Meanwhile beat the eggs and water in a small bowl. As a side note, I add the water because as the egg cooks the water turns to steam which helps the egg puff up and get fluffy. Some people like to add milk or cream and you could do that too - totally a matter of personal preference. Take the chorizo out of the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Wipe the pan of the remaining grease with a clean paper towel. Melt the

butter in the same pan over low heat. Add the beaten eggs to the pan, then put the Chorizo, spinach, and crumbled goat cheese on half the egg mixture. Cook on low heat for 3 minutes until slightly firm, then fold the empty side over the side with the filling on it. Cover the pan with foil or a pot cover and leave on low heat for another few minutes until the eggs are cooked through. If your bottom is browning too quickly, turn the stove off and leave the pan covered for up to 10 minutes and the residual heat should "bake" it until the center is fully cooked. Serve with avocado slices and salsa verde. So good you won't even miss the toast or hash browns!


Sweet Potato & Sausage Hash

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, chopped
3 medium russet or red potatoes, chopped
2 Tbl olive oil
1 tsp ground sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 lb turkey breakfast sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
1 Tbl fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt & pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a bowl and toss with olive oil, sage, dried thyme, salt and pepper. Spread out on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven for about 35 minutes at 375 degrees (f). Turn occasionally with a spatula while roasting. Meanwhile, put the turkey sausage and onions in a large saute pan and cook on medium heat for 5 - 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another few minutes, being careful not to scorch it. Remove from the heat and set aside. When your potatoes are done to your liking, remove them from the oven and add them to your saute pan. Turn the heat to medium high and cook the hash for several minutes - longer if you want it to get really brown and crispy. Remove from the heat and add the fresh thyme leaves. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Eat alone or serve with eggs, toast, pancakes or any of your other favorite breakfast foods! And coffee....LOTS of coffee!


(Recipes from I Breathe, I'm Hungry)

Let me know if you try any.

Love and Light....xx

Rebirth!

.....Introduction.....

SAMSOONA

My family had this running joke when I was little, if it were windy outside they’d say “Uh oh let’s get Samsoona inside before we lose her forever” or if someone was looking for me they’d say “Maybe the wind took her away”. I was a stick then I went through puberty and everything changed. I’ve always been curvy after puberty and I love it, I wouldn’t trade my curves for anything but I’ve come to the point where I’m uncomfortable with my weight and seriously want to do something about it. People think if you can still shop at “normal” shops your weight is not a problem, that is far from the truth and honestly my body is great at camouflaging the excess weight because of certain abundant body parts. Just because people aren’t running around calling you a fat, pregnant hippopotamus does not mean you’re healthy, and at the end of the day health is one of the most important things to stay on top of. There’s so much in life that we do not have any control over, a lot things have happened to me in the past year that I was unable to act against , so now everything that I do have power over that I’m not happy with I will change. This journey is not to impress anyone, or to fit into some kind of warped image of beauty, this journey is my first of many to embrace the person I am, be comfortable in my skin and work towards the person I want to be. This is my journey to lose weight, become fit and tone while still remaining curvy, I hope this stirs someone out there to start their own journey, whatever it maybe.

AQUA

Like most people, at the beginning of the year, my New Year's Resolution was to get fit and healthy. As with most things, I started out strong and as time went on, my enthusiasm began to wane. I didn't stop completely, but i was no longer committed. Then I recharged again at the beginning of the summer and was doing pretty well until about two weeks ago. So now it's time to recharge again. They say it's doesn't matter how many times you fall down, what matters is that you get up and climb again. This time it's a little different, I've decided to get up and climb again in front everyone. I am hoping this will keep me accountable because I know there are people out there watching me and hopefully supporting my journey. I will post entries about my workouts, nutrition, setbacks, tips, videos, pictures, and everything in between. So the journey begins, and with the support these two lovely ladies and everyone else, I hope to reach my destination. Please feel free to drop comments and tips.

REBIRTH

From the Atkins, to the Lemon, to the Beach body, to the low-calorie, you name it! Been there, done that, lost the few pounds which i gained back as soon as i stopped. I am not knocking off crash diets, but I have realized that they are temporary fixes and if I truly want to be happy and content with my body, I need to maintain a healthy lifestyle of good eating habits and exercises. It’s time to finally get to my desired goal and to do this, I need to be accountable. My goal is to be a UK size 10-12 with my curves in the right places (i don't wanna lose my D girls)so join me as I embark on this journey to my fitness rebirth with two of my friends.

We will be sharing our programs, stories, recipes, exercises, lifestyle changes, habits, and all that works for us on this journey. It won't be easy but we know it will be worth it.

Feel free to drop any advice or comments. We want you to be a part also.

Welcome, to our Fitness Rebirth.