Goals, Goals, Goals

The title of this post has been my war cry for the last few weeks. Goals, goals, goals! Any time I’m in Crossfit and facing a tough challenge… I just say, “Goals, goals, goals.” If I think…Oh maybe I could get away with eating a little bit of gluten… Or even some gluten free cookies… Or something that’s just “not the best” when you’re training for a goal… Goals, goals, goals.

I have started to realize that this has helped me keep my goals in mind. Any time I’m sore and want to quit… Goals, goals, goals. And so on…so forth…

So.. Would you guys like to see my progress? Hear some stats? I’m a little excited to share. Can you tell?

I shared this with my family and friends a few days ago. But…What I failed to say was, I know that in the picture in December… I was still happy with that progress. A few months before when I received this shirt from a family member…It didn’t fit right or look right. I was happy in December that the shirt looked much better. I had been walking almost daily for about a month before the first picture was taking.

Now…For the current picture… I was a bit shocked. I haven’t lost weight since starting Crossfit. I haven’t gotten to a smaller pants size but I’m thinking I’m nearly there. (Will probably pull out the next size smaller jeans I have and check soon.) My shoulders look like they’re in better proportion. “The girls” look like they’re happier (thank you new bra). Although…That new bra I mentioned was a cup size smaller and I nearly went down in the band too. Also…For the first time in a long time, I look like I actually have a neck.

What you can’t really see in this picture is my legs. They’ve slimmed down and most of my jeans do not fit in the legs anymore and look quite baggy. My arms have also slimmed up too. I’m also told that my behind looks better…Thank you to my sweet husband for that info.

I’ve been doing Crossfit about a month now and I’ve seen those amazing “beginner gains” that you may have heard of. My first back squat on week 2 was maxed at 75 pounds. Last week I maxed at 125 pounds and probably could have gone up if I would have had more time. I’ve gone from a 35 pound thruster and falling on my rear to doing 75 pounds in time and 95 pounds after time was up. I kept trying for that 95 in time, but I needed a little encouragement just to get under the dang bar. I was able to run this morning (in the rain, mind you) down the road and back, around 400 meters in about 2 minutes and 50 seconds. A great improvement over a month ago. Squats are most definitely my favorite but I was able to do dead lifts on Tuesday of this week for the first time and loved those as well. I pulled 75 pounds for sure. I think I could’ve done more if I wasn’t using the same bar for 10 rounds of other movements too. We’ll see if I get a max on it sometime soon, I hope. Oh, and I did a 500 m row in 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Which is not something I think I was capable of a month ago and at the end of a pretty tough workout. I’ve even managed to be able to get my knees up while hanging on the bar (in practicing toes to bar). At first…Any work with the bars (or using the rings) and hanging scared me to death. I can even do jump ropes pretty well. There’s plenty of amazing things I’m probably forgetting that I’m good at too. I still have plenty of new things to learn, I’m sure… But, it makes me feel so good every time I’m able to complete a movement, emom, or amrap.

Am I perfect? No. I definitely have a lot of learning to do on my journey. I think that’s why I like Crossfit so much. I am learning in every class. Questions are never discouraged. Everyone cheers everyone on. We all look out for one another to make sure we don’t get injured. I think the environment is just a healthy for me as the workout.

I think having goals in the gym have been helpful too. Not just my personal goal of passing this physical test. When I went in for back squats the last time, I was determined to get over 10o pounds. I knew I was good enough on form. I just had to get the strength. Mentally and physically. I could’ve stopped at 95. But, I was so determined to get over 100 that I went to 125. Was I sore? Sure was… But I jumped up in the air, and high fived my coach and I knew, right then and there… I AM a strong *bleep* lady! I can hit my goals.

So this mantra of mine… I say it to myself often. It’s just a simple repetition of one word. If I find myself wanting to stray from my path…It’s my song that carries me back to the road. It’s my battle cry.

Even if I don’t pass this physical test on Sunday…I know I hit my goals. I know I’m better in the end. I know there’s next time. I know I invested, time, money, and energy into being my best self. I can have the confidence that I am a truly amazing person.

I want to encourage everyone who reads this to come up with their own little mantra for their goals. What is your goal? What is your short mantra? That one word that could get you back on track. (Do feel free to share in the comments!) How can you keep steering yourself in the right direction? A simple phrase. Goals, goals, goals!

I thank all of you for being on this journey with me. Know that there is a lot of love and appreciation going out to you. None of this would be possible without the love and understanding of my amazing husband, our parents, and a few good friends.

I look forward to updating you guys after Sunday. I can’t wait to see where this journey will take me. I hope you’ll come back and go with me. I also promise…I will try to get up a recipe by then too! Don’t forget you can subscribe and get a notification when I post. Or you can follow me over on Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, or Twitter (links on the About Page and side bar) so that you can follow all of the other shenanigans I post.

Keep Going My Friends,

-Ami M. Lee, Dead Lifting, Back Squatting, Crossfitter, Common Sense Cook

P.S. I seriously, now, want a shirt like Viv (@MissVFit on Instagram) that says, “I Can Dead Lift You.” For real… Check it out. This is a great company… http://thick-to-thin.com/product/i-can-deadlift-you/ (Not sponsored..Just a fan.)