Sophie's Blog

When I first started this challenge I was skeptical about whether or not I could last 7 weeks with out my favorite foods such as sushi, orange cup desserts, and chocolate brownies dunked in milk. People would ask me, “what  is paleo? and why do you need to do it? you don’t need to lose weight!” Well true- I don’t need to lose weight. And I did not sign up for this challenge for that. I wanted to learn why I always felt bloated after I ate and why certain foods made me sleepy, and why sometimes I was just too tired to go to the gym. THAT’s why I decided to try Paleo. My end goal was to lean out, get definition in my stomach, and get stronger and faster… and the ultimate goal—– to graduate away from the pull up assistance band and be able to do pull ups on my own. Even for a petite girl like me, I wanted to see myself in better shape. To never settle. Because one day my metabolism will slow down, and my genetics will kick in. I would rather start preventing some of those possible future hardships now by continuing to challenge myself now rather than later.

The first 2 weeks of Paleo were eye opening. I took my first step into Whole Foods and saw all of the new available options to me rather than a list of things I couldn’t eat. I learned that I prefer coconut milk to regular milk, that I enjoy having a multitude of fruit options to snack on, that I love not feeling bloated after I eat a meal. I began to look forward to going to the grocery store and seeing what new paleo recipes I could try. I made paleo spaghetti squash, paleo brownies, cauliflower rice, beef stew, paleo chicken curry…. all delicious! and what else?? the meals are good for me too! Sure it was rough seeing my boyfriend eat chocolate cake, macaroni and a bunch of other things I couldn’t. But in the end, I was the one seeing results every day. I noticed that my face got leaner and that my arms started to have some definition, and my stomach!!! what I have abs??

During the 7 week process, I began to crave an almond butter banana shake before a chocolate bar.  Whenever someone spoke of burger and fries all i thought of was grease… and how I would feel afterward. I lost 5 lbs during the challenge, totaling 10 lbs in 2 months. I graduated from box steps to box jumps. I graduated from modified pushups to CF pushups. I have increased my weight in almost every area! 135 lb deadlifts, 65lb SDHP- which may not be a big deal to some, but it is to ME! and my opinion is the only one that matters. As long as I am happy with how I look and feel, no one can bring me down. Even though the Paleo challenge is done, I will continue to incorporate it in my lifestyle along with my Crossfit workouts. This challenge has opened up my eyes in regards to what I was eating before EEEEK…. no more of that for me!

Alamo CrossFit: THIS is CrossFit from Alamo CrossFit on Vimeo.

” Everyone has their baggage, their demons and their pasts, but its how you decide to fight them, forget them, or live with them that helps define who you are a person.” God give me strength.

Sometimes we forget that family is  about trust, consideration, honesty and love. When you have a family or are part of one…. you are no longer a lone entity. What you do affects others whether you think it does or not. If you spend too much time at work, you may be neglecting your kids, or your wife. If you spend your time partying with friends and are too busy socializing, you are neglecting your parents, or your younger siblings. If you spend too much time with one parent, you may be neglecting the relationship with the other. You kinda get my point….

The thing is, we can never make someone 100% happy, because there is only so much of you to go around. But the thing is you should at least TRY to spend time with the people that will be a part of your life forever….. no matter what may come your way. If your grandparents, parents or siblings live far away, make sure to call them and check in. Stay in touch with each others lives and share your news. But do it in all aspects of your life. Don’t simply call when something is wrong, or you are having a bad day to vent. Share that you met someone new or that work is going really well, or that you miss them. If you only call when there is bad news or something bothering you, you become the bearer of bad news and the person who always brings everyone down. No one wants to be that person.

All families argue… that’s normal. Think about when you were a teenager and thought you were invisible and your parents had no clue. Now fast forward 10- 12 years. You see things a little differently don’t you? You begin to see that your parents had good intentions and they were only trying to protect you. They  may have not been right about everything… but they were right about alot of things. And if they happened to be wrong? Well then, the parent learned from that experience and hopefully grew from it as a person.

Now as adults, we do the same for our parents. We sometimes try to protect them from themselves and the dangers they may not see in front of them…. and what do they do??? They react like the ungrateful teenager you used to be. Funny how the tables turn sometimes. When families fight and emotions are flaring, the brain does not fully process the entire situation simply because your heart and your emotions are clouding your judgment and not allowing you to see the WHOLE situation. At the time of an argument, you only see YOUR point of view. It takes time to step away and see all aspects to realize a true logistical solution to your problem.

People will argue and disagree…. that’s just part of who we are. We are all built differently, with different emotional and physical builds. We all react to situations differently, we all have  have our opinions. Its not until you put yourself in the other person’s shoes that you will realize whether you were right or wrong…. or both were wrong. That’s the beauty and torture of family….. you are all different people.

I leave you with these quotes to put things in perspective:

Families are like fudge – mostly sweet with a few nuts.  ~Author Unknown

The thing about family disasters is that you never have to wait long before the next one puts the previous one into perspective.  ~Robert Brault

When our relatives are at home, we have to think of all their good points or it would be impossible to endure them.  ~George Bernard Shaw

Family quarrels are bitter things.  They don’t go by any rules.  They’re not like aches or wounds; they’re more like splits in the skin that won’t heal because there’s not enough material.  ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

Family is just accident…. They don’t mean to get on your nerves.  They don’t even mean to be your family, they just are.  ~Marsha Norman

If the family were a fruit, it would be an orange, a circle of sections, held together but separable – each segment distinct.  ~Letty Cottin Pogrebin

and last but not least:

You don’t choose your family.  They are God’s gift to you, as you are to them.  ~Desmond Tutu

Xoxo,

Sophie Cruz