Familiar Directions (Finally) and New Ones Too

Into the final week of a chosen 8-week Health and Habits session offered by my local ‘box’–which may actually include a Week 9, for kicks–I am smiling into being back into a familiar, desired direction: toward health & easing of mind. Bemused by what I always relearn–bathroom scales are notoriously UNinformative for true processes unfolding–I am pleased to be into a seemingly more-sustainable rhythm of habits, once again. Familiar directions. I am immersing more and more into the Peloton world and a bit of beginner’s yoga, alongside my CrossFit habits. [You can find me @LateOnsetPaleo]. New directions. Time for some musings on both…

Familiar Directions…Finally (Again)

We were nearing time for the end-of-H&H sessions InBody scan, so I decided to tend to it yesterday, given my frustration with the slow-pace of ‘weight loss’ that was preying on my attitude, my mind. I couldn’t get to the comparative results until after the morning’s WOD, but it seemed ‘not enough’ in my current mindframe. I felt disheartened. The WOD was good though–a bit of cardio for me while the class did freestanding handstand holds–and then a nicely spicy EMOM with dumbbell C&J’s, situps, handstand-hold-walking around a 20” box, and a max-calorie row. I’ve not rowed in a WOD for months, given my November back-injury foolishness, but I decided to see what it felt like. [It was good, if I can tell I did so this morning. No significant discomfort really, but I do feel myself more care-full today, feeling for any back messages that might be spoken today].

When I could finally retrieve the first InBody, to compare to this Inbody, the grin on my face went wide and happy. In what was really 6 weeks of relearning and tending anew (given I was on a Caribbean cruise for the first 2), I’m down 10 lbs body fat and up 3 lbs muscle. There we go, I thought to myself. Finally back into the right direction.

What arises in my awareness now, then? Beyond bemusement, a little eye-rolling at learning again things I already know…but seem to know in new ways as I go…?

I do best with a bit more play in the carbs-realm, if necessarily tracked to my plans for working out that day. I know the weight falls off, stays down, when I aim for the ‘less than 50g carbs/day’ learnings, but the dances with social-eating (Brian, some others) and my own food-artistry-delight become un-sustainable. I am happier when there’s a bit more variety in my fueling as well–some black beans, some brown rice, some whole-grains, in small amounts.

I love the freedom of mind in the non-alcoholic journey as well, though it doesn’t feel like alcohol is a problem for me as much as a social-glue-enjoyment. Coming off the cruise, Brian and I named our intention to go alcohol-free for Lent [most of March and first 20 days of April]. It was less a Lenten-spiritual-practice for me, however, and more an experiment for connecting in body and emotion without the easy-debrief-cocktail hour that began during Covid, waxing and waning alongside work-stressors for us both. The surprise for me is how little I miss the alcohol, having now found an easy symbolic-ritual to signify our intention for that kind of space–perhaps a CBD gummy, or a sugar-free kombucha in a fancy wine-glass, for me while Brian enjoys his stiff-margarita. [Shout-out to Liquid Remedy Kombucha, btw. Sampler pack is arriving today, having loved the Mixed Berry can I decided to try, from Fresh Thyme grocery.] I’m toying with the basic intention of “I drink on Caribbean cruises,” “perhaps on vacations,” and otherwise, not so much. I don’t have a strong aversion or policy-statement about any of this yet. Simply a curiosity each day, whether it might pair well with something…or remain really unchosen for a while to come.

I'm getting better at higher-protein intake, even as I'm also gentler with myself when I have days I don't quite muster it all in. Hydration still requires more focus, intention. I'm less prone now to higher-fat meats than I used to be, even as I don't consider fat a problem or enemy. Probably, the best landing place is landing in a really balanced, "everything has its place/need" attitude about fueling and activity. No particular macro is better or worse than any other--each has its purpose and contribution to fully thriving, full delight in being a human being that loves to eat AND loves to move.

Yesterday, in one of the final-check-ins for the H&H program, I learned of the Broken Science Initiative, the recent (and post-CrossFit non-competition-clause years) brainchild of Greg Glassman. I’ve signed up for the newsletter. I’m curious about their Daily Fix recipe offerings. And curious how some Crossfit affiliates are supporting the work by subscribing/joining-into MetFix, an educational-curricular program for boxes-gyms-workout centers today. It feels like a good place to explore and find community in valuing health, moving toward fitness.

New Directions…

Not unrelated to the marked shift back into health, ease of mind, is my jump into the Peloton world and a beginner’s mind yoga class on Tuesday nights. I’m reminded of a bit of CrossFit-in-100-words: learn new sports. I get it now. It enlivens everything else, trying new activities and invitations into movement from different streams/walks of life.

In the Peloton world, I began by exploring a variety of course-types for the first couple weeks–tabata, HIIT-climb, low-impact, “experiences” (biking a park in Scotland, for instance). Eventually, I got curious about the Power Zones “programming” available On-Demand/Digital. Signing up for one of those–Discovering Your Power Zones–has been a really good cardio-complement to my 3-4 Crossfit WODs per week. [See previous post for a bit more on that…]. No strain on my recovering-back, yet heightened expansion of cardio-capacity and enjoyment of a good sweat without so much challenge to my joints (running, for instance). This morning’s ride will be a 45-minute one that feels both fun and perhaps a bit of a challenge, given my overly-high strain (15.2, highest in a while) yesterday. But my body still wants the movement… I was also delighted to find out my best friend from high-school–Ellen–is a Peloton fan as well. I have a new friend and follower on the Peloton-media feeds (which I don’t understand/use well yet…)!

Beginner’s Mind Yoga on Tuesday nights has been a gift for my peace of mind, breathing-practice (box-breathing, mostly), and mobility-awarenesses. A studio about 5 minutes from my home, Indigo Yoga feels a nice practice-community with a wide diversity of people exploring yoga for diverse ends–spiritual understanding, relief from chronic pain, third-place-community, and more. Once the 8-week session concludes (week after Easter, I think), it will be easy to drop in once a week (or more, as led), feeling at home and curious about this manner of movement, growing-awareness and mobility.

An additional surprise-possibility is a geographically-local spin-community I explored for a week while waiting for the Peloton bike to arrive: Rinse Cycle. While I know the Peloton will be my standby for all things cardio, I suspect I will drop-in to Rinse Cycle from time to time, simply for the fun of it. The bikes move, for one thing, which instigates much more intentional core-muscle development amidst a spin class. And there is still some itch in me that a ‘live’ class, in-person, scratches that the Peloton digital-social screen simply does not. It’s no secret–especially since I work from home a lot, in isolation–that I thrive best with more social interaction than most others I know can sustain in their workaday-family lives. The fact that you sign-up for the classes brings an air of intention I value as well.

So…familiar and new directions. A good season. An easier body-season than 2024 apparently was. Always asking now…I wonder what today will bring?