Tennis Revisted

Today was the first time I'd played tennis in a couple years. I brushed the dust off the old racquets, picked the leaves out of my basket of tennis balls, & headed out to the courts to play with my dad. 

This was scary for me... When I quit, I was at my best. So ever since then, I never wanted to go back because I knew I wasn't the player I once was.

I would have never had the courage to get back on the court if it wasn't for the work I've put in at CrossFit. It's given me the confidence to do things I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to do again & the stamina to make it happen.

Gaining all the weight that I did had pretty much condemned my tennis career to nothing but memories. Which is why getting back on the court really meant so much. Though it was fun, it was definitely a disappointment as well. 

My stroke is still strong, but my accuracy was way off. My mind knew what footwork needed to be done, but my body was incapable of performing. It was upsetting to say the least. 

The one thing I was proud of was the strength of my serve. It was on point and my dad could hardly return them. I don't like posting videos of myself... but my dad did catch one (of my worse) serves on camera. For your enjoyment... (or criticism)

Even though it doesn't show it, of course it went in!

As I've mentioned many times before, tennis was always my number one passion in my life. A reader asked me awhile back if I love CrossFit as much as I loved tennis. I wasn't 100% sure how to answer that question, but here's the truth:

The things I love about CrossFit are the same things I loved about tennis...

It's the competition with yourself, constantly trying to get better, to be more powerful, and to perform to the best of your ability. 

It's the fact that whether I learned to do a drop shot or got a PR on my back squat, I feel the same kind of accomplishment.

It's when I FINALLY learned how to use slice or when I FINALLY ran a mile without stopping. 

When it's the climax of waiting to see if that lob will land in the court or if you will make those 20 last reps before the time cap.

It's the excitement of winning & the frustration of losing. 

When I want something, I work hours on end to get them. When it came to tennis, I was the first person at practice and the last to leave. The same goes for CrossFit. I want to be the best me I can be. I want to push my body to every single limit and discover new ones. 

So I'm willing to admit it, CrossFit may be my new tennis. What can I say? I like to be the best. 

Dear Me...

Dear Sixteen Year Old Lizzy,

Me at 16.

I know that 21 seems too far away. You'll finally be able to drink without bribing the guy at White Star or calling your friend with "connections." But trust me, it'll be here before you know it. 16 feels like yesterday. You may think you know everything now, but girl, you've got it all wrong. You think you can pass classes without doing homework, you can eat anything without getting fatter than you already are, that mommy and daddy's money will carry you forever, that you could get a job if you tried, that it doesn't matter who you hang out with, that you're above the law...

Before you yell at mom and dad for reminding you of the right things, remember they may actually be right. I'm not ready to fully commit to this yet, but I will tell you, they've never been wrong. In the last six years I've done a lot of growing up. I've learned a few things that I'd like to share with you. If you're not too stubborn to listen, these things will save you a lot of pain, heartache, money, and time. I know your attention span is running out, so here it goes...


Take the swiss rolls out of your backpack.

I know it's where you hide them. They are soooooo yummy. I know you feel fat now, but would you believe me if I told you you would gain 100 pounds in the next 3 years? It's true... You may love them now, but do you love fat rolls? At 21 you will be fighting the hardest battle of your life to get all the weight off. 

Wear sunscreen.
When you are 18 you will get a burn that will forever alter your skin. You couldn't sleep for a month and had blisters on every inch of your skin. You will sleep in a recliner for three weeks. For your sake, I hope you take this advice seriously... Hate to break it to you honey, you'll never tan well.

Nothing good happens after midnight.
This is true. true. true. Everything that goes on after midnight is bad. Ditch the drinks, the cigs, and the boys. It's just not worth your time.

Don't quit tennis.
You are a STAR. You have potential, drive, and a bright future. You wouldn't believe me if I told you I hadn't picked up Wally (our favorite racquet) in over a year.

Wear your seatbelt.
This is one of the lesser laws you've broken but one of the most important. If it's a law, there is a good reason for it. 

Call your grandmothers.
They aren't doing well and they are lonely. They may be the sweetest ladies in the world and you could use a little more of that in your life. 

People die before their time.
The boy that gives you your first Michigan kiss will die in two years. This will turn your life upside down. So appreciate and nurture the relationships you have now, because you never know how long you have them. 

You can always call your sister.
I know she seems old and she makes fun of the clothes you wear, but she is so smart. She will help you more than you ever know. She is a phone call away and is one of the best resources you have. 

Don't hang on to people who aren't adding value to your life.
This may be the hardest of them for you... The people you're hanging out with don't deserve your loyalty. They would drop you in a heart beat. Stay true to your church friends and when you move away, don't forget to call. You know the ones that aren't good for you...

Be careful what you post on the internet.
After all, this is the first picture that comes up when you google your name....

Mission trips will change your life.
Giving back to people is important. Remember to think about yourself AFTER you think about others. God gives you amazing opportunities now, take them!

Do your homework.
I'm saving this one for last... because it is the most important. You think you can get by without doing your homework but you can't. You will spend three years making up for these mistakes. If I could go back and change one thing, this would be it. 

Life goes by fast. You will never be younger than you are today, and "older" will be here before you know it. Everything you do has it's consequences and you will pay for them. Live the lifestyle that is best for you... Your older self will thank you.

Love, E

Random Inspiration

Hey y'all! I hope you're having a fabulous Monday. Nothing crazy, awesome, or eventful has happened the last few days but I saw a video today that was sooo inspiring & I thought I'd share it. So if you have a couple minutes to spare, please watch it!

I often get down on things in my life, but was so moved after watching this.

On a different note.... I PR'd my overhead squat today... 90lbs (Still weak but improving)

Also, I decided to join in on the fun & go blonde :)

That's all. Have a great week! Bye!

What More Do You Want From Me?

Emotions are running high today so I thought I'd get it down on paper laptop.

Well, I've been awake for over 36 hours now. I've been fighting off a summer cold all week & finally last night, being sick caught up with me. I was up all night with some sort of stomach virus. I tried to go to work this morning but got sent home. After laying in bed for about two seconds, it hit me.... "Quit being a p*ssy!! You could be at CrossFit right now." This is the same thought that keeps me from missing workouts. The same thought that gives me drive when I can't go anymore. So I went...

I put on my happy face, made the choice to not tell the coach that I'm sick (because that would just be an excuse to not work hard) and sucked it up. I ran the 600m warm up (without stopping, woohoo!), kept up in the warm up, started off the WOD with a strong 1000m row, & at that point I was thinking, "Take that stomach flu!"

Maybe I spoke too soon... because that workout was just going a little too well. 

Somewhere on the second round it hit me, I'm going to be sick. It's gonna happen. 

My stomach was in my throat. I felt like an obese Norwegian man was sitting on my chest while yodeling and making goat cheese at the same time.

After getting sick, I quickly rocked out the rest of the workout so I could go home. I really just wanted to go home. 

Here's the thing, that's really on my mind... 

When I started off at the gym, I did it for me. I did it to get healthy. I continued to go to CrossFit to prove to myself that I could do it. Somewhere along the way I got hung up on what other people thought. I continued to go to prove to THEM that I could do it. 

I never really had to prove myself at CrossFit Glory. Everyone was accepting from day one. There were certainly others that doubted me though. Which really doesn't surprise me, it's a rough journey. 

Lately though, I've been feeling like people just want more and more from me. Whether it's that I'm not rowing "good enough", resting too much, not lifting heavy enough, not eating enough, eating too much, or just not eating the "right" things... It's never enough. 

I show up every. single. day. I stay after often. I push myself to do more. I'm swimming. I'm training with Doc. I'm eating close to nothing. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME?

Here's the thing, Olivia, a fellow CrossFitter, reminded me of today. As long as I know I did my best... that's what really matters. And honestly, today I did do my best. I was so tired, feeling so sick, I gave it all I could, I tried.... and it really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. 

Cheating Yourself

Wait, what number was I on?

That was me today... in the middle of killer overhead squats.

I knew I had done at least 13 squats... So at that point, I had two choices, start at a lower number and ensure that I get the best workout, or start a few higher & shave some reps, because after all, I probably did them.... I think?

Today, I made the wise choice of starting from 13 but there's been days when I've given myself the benefit of doubt. But here's the straight up truth....

The best of the best didn't get to where they are by cheating reps. Do you think Garret Fisher got to the CrossFit Games by cheating reps? I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT.

I know that shaving reps is tempting,.. Believe me, there's days that I just want those rounds to go by fast & if it's a AMRAP workout... I want to be the best.

What I lose focus of, is I just need to be the best ME. No matter what kind of workouts you do, cheating reps, is cheating yourself.

So that's what's on my mind today...

This week for me has been an emotional roller coaster. It's going great now, but if you had asked me 3 days ago I probably would have had a different answer.

Tomorrow is weigh in day so that gave me the drive to go extra hard tonight. We had a crazy hard WOD where I did:

50 Thrusters
60 Jumping Pull-Ups
30 Overhead Squats
10 Power Snatches

It was pretty hard... Although I'm kind of disappointed in myself because I definitely could have used more weight. So to follow that up, I decided to row a 10K. Cardio is so important to lose weight on this journey, so that just put me one step closer. It took me awhile because I'm such a chatter box BUT I finished :)

Failure...

So today's WOD sucked. Saying it was a rough one is an extreme understatement. Lifting is the only part of CrossFit where I find complete and total confidence, and today my body just wasn't having it.

I'm going to complain here for a good 5 seconds....
My knee STILL hurts.
My left ankle is swollen.
I have a pulled calf muscle.
My neck is bruised.
And worst of all, my lower back feels like someone slugged me with a bat.

I'm in so much pain that getting off the couch is seriously a looooong process.

On the bright side, I handled the WOD like a beast. We did a 1500m row followed by 5 rounds of:

15 slam balls (20lbs)
7 front squats (103 lbs)

Sounds easy? I thought so too... but I was so so so terribly wrong. The hardest part of the whole thing was getting that 103 pounds up to my front rack position. Especially by the last round. I did it so of course I felt awesome... but my body had reached total exhaustion.

After ALMOST puking, catching my breath, changing my shoes, I made my way to do the strength portion of the WOD. This was 5 sets of 2 back squats. The goal was to find my 2 rep max. My 1 rep max is 220 pounds so coach Mike (he's new & AWESOME) told me I should aim to be around 185 lbs. Having the cocky, "I'm awesome at lifting" mindset, I thought it'd be a piece of cake. In fact, I had fully intended on passing 185.

Boy was I wrong!
I warmed up and began to increase the weight from 120. On the third round I did 153 pounds... It. Was. So. Difficult.

I moved up to 160... FAIL. Everything hurt so badly and I was so pissed off that I just cried & cried.

I was mad that I couldn't do it. I had the focus. I had the drive. WHY?? Why couldn't I just lift it?

The whole way home I asked myself these questions...
Talking down to myself... Yelling... Telling myself I should have pushed harder.
I should have done it anyway.

But the truth is, everyday won't be a good day. Some days will suck. Some days you'll suck.
That's just life. The important thing is, is trying your best. Showing up even when you don't want to. All of the most successful people failed at some point in their life.

50 days of CrossFit!

Today marked my 50th CrossFit WOD. It definitely hasn't been easy, but it's been totally worth it! I've come so far in such a short time & I can't wait for many more days.

20 pounds, 20 questions

Hey folks,

Yesterday was a pretty big milestone for me, 20 pounds down. Even though I have many more to go, people have started noticing that whatever I'm doing is working for me. Losing weight is such a big deal in America today. Tons of people could lose a few pounds, if not more. In passing people will often talk like they need to lose weight, some serious, some not, and some just lack the time and commitment to do anything about it.

They say it takes 4 weeks to notice your body changing, 

8 weeks for your friends and family to notice.

12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice.

It's funny because some days I notice more than others.. but lots of other people are noticing which is really encouraging :)

Since everything is going so well for me, I've gotten plenty of questions about just everything to do with weight & weight loss.

Yesterday, I got TAGGED by another blogger. I figured it was a good time to do it since I've had so many new readers lately. So here it goes... 20 Questions weight loss style. 

1. When did you start gaining weight?

I've always been overweight, a least a little bit. It really started increasing when I quit tennis at age 16. I didn't become MORBIDLY OBESE until I was 18 I think. 

2. What's your heaviest weight?

359 POUNDS and that's heart breaking... I remember when I was 190 and said I'd never reach 200. The day I was 298 and said I'd never get to 300. The day I was at 330 "for the last time." It's scary to think I weighed 352 only 2 months ago...

3. How many diets have you tried and what did you think about them?

Weight Watchers 

Medifast 

Wellspring 

Weight Watchers

None of them worked for me, but that's because I didn't try hard enough.

4. Is your goal a number on the scale or a clothing size?

Neither, I'm working out until I feel happy and forever after that! I'm not too concerned with the scale. Can't wait to buy cute clothes though! The scale is just a number, it doesn't determine how healthy you are. There are so many other factors like my bloodwork, body fat percent, etc. I just want to look fit. 

5. What WAS your favorite food?

Mac N Cheese & Buffalo Wild Wings

6. What's your favorite food now?

Cottage Cheese & Asparagus. Yes, together!

7. What food would you never give up?

Lucky Charms. No joke!

8. How do you reward your accomplishments?

I buy myself awesome things every ten pounds. Hey, whatever works...

9. What are you going to do at your goal weight?

First, I'll cry. Then I'll do a cartwheel & some handstands. I am going to be healthy and fit forever. I hope to help overweight teenage girls get their weight off young! I think it'd be cool to be some sort of trainer, but who knows... I want to go on a HUGE shopping spree & audition for Big Brother.

10. What's your favorite thing about your appearance?

Probably my eyes and hair. Good genes!

11. What part about your body are you most self concious about?

Probably flabby arms. It's hard to wear cute shirts with those! But they're getting better (:

12. Describe a time when being unhealthy ashamed you...

When I had to ask for a seat belt extender on an airplane. Worst feeling ever.

13. What numbers are you looking for on the scale?

Getting below 200.

15. What are your non-scale goals?

Getting out of plus sizes. Being able to run a 5K. Being able to overhead squat 150lbs. Being able to do pull-ups.

16. Would you ever consider bariatric surgery?

Yes, I have considered it. I really want to lose weight the RIGHT way. My biggest fear is getting a knee injury and resorting to surgery.

17. What makes losing weight hard for you?

I love to eat. I love flavors. I'm an emotional eater. When something goes wrong, McDonalds is my best friend. I've replaced McDonalds with cottage cheese.

18. What training style do you like?

I like trainers that push me as hard as possible and don't let me give up. I also like trainers that can recognize when I need to stop and let me know it's okay to take a break.

19. What diet plan are you currently following?

Brace yourself, for the last 2 weeks I've ate 3 protein bars a day. A small piece of meat for dinner and one serving of vegetables. I eat one Weight Watchers Popsicle before bed. That's it and it's about 1200 calories. 

20. What's your favorite exercise?

Uhmm anything CrossFit related.

Thrusters, sit-ups, and rowing are my fav!

If you read all of these, hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for Misconceptions of CrossFit