Crossfit and weight loss

[putyourhatonsweetie]

Hello fitties!

I have started doing cross fit and bloody LOVE it. However as I am basically tubby a touch overweight can you give me any tips to make sure I dont just get bigger? I have moderated my diet considerably, but what are your tips? I would love to be slim, lovely and toned...

[RaspberrySnowCone]

Diet diet diet. None of that slimming world/weight watchers stuff though. Eliminate processed and sugary food, concentrate on protein sources. Drink three litres of water a day, reduce your remaining carbs ie startchy veg (think potatoes in particular). Good fat is good (like nuts/avacado/oily fish) your body needs it so eat eat it generously. A good body is 70% diet and 30% exercise.

Finally, lift weights, cross fit is brilliant but sometimes concentrates on speed rather than technique whereas a mixture of both speed and good technique is best.

[putyourhatonsweetie]

Thanks... Makes sense, no weight watchers for me, just not my cuppa tea really. i eat a good balanced diet at the moment but with too many treats, and as i was veggie for donkeys i got into the habit of carbs, especially pulses.

do you know where I might get a basic list of foods that are in or out? Do you have to measure or just stick to the good stuff?

[RaspberrySnowCone]

well, we loosely follow paleo diet so if you have a look at 'Mark's daily apple' on t'internets that would be a good start. Basically, try and avoid anything that's been 'made' IYKWIM by someone else, generally things that come ready made - anything from ready meals to cakes/pasta/bread etc. I don't measure anything, I can't cope with that but my husband keeps a list of everything he eats on My Fitness Pal, just because he's interested really, it doesn't stop him eating anything much.

Things that worked for me were:

• increase protein, so instead of cereal for breakfast have scrambled eggs/avocado or smoked salmon or protein shake with nuts/seeds or fruit
  
• snack on things like feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, nuts/seeds
  

-lunch have a massive salad with lettuce, beetroot, chicken, turkey or fish
-dinner have some sort of meat and veg (loads of veg). We tend to roast veg a lot, its quick and dead easy, just chop up a red onnion, a couple of peppers, courgette, garlic, cherry tomatoes - it's lush!

We tend to steer away from root veg and go for things like courgette, leafy greens (baked kale is AMAZING), peppers etc. We eat a lot of broccoli, sprouts and make cauliflower rice instead of using actual rice. Its a different way to get another veg in and means you aren't getting the ridiculous amount of carbs you are with normal rice. Ummmmm, cook with coconut oil rather than olive oil and most definitely don't cook with any other type of oil (think veg or sunflower etc).

Husband swears by having strong black coffee before working out for a bit of a boost. I don't, not my thing but might work for you?

[Mitchy1nge]

I like michi's ladder but it's a struggle to get enough calories in sometimes

would love love love to try cross fit but need to widen my interests beyond exercise I think

[Mitchy1nge]

link to the ladder

[TotallyEggFlipped]

Exactly what Raspberry says. DH tries to follow a broadly paleo/clean eating diet.

Usually eggs +/- meat/cheese for breakfast. Maybe some fruit too. Sometimes a protein shake.
He snacks on cashews, meat, cheese, fruit. Occasionally bounce balls (or home made versions) As a treat.
I usually cook up plenty of meat/fish and roast or stir-fry a load of veggies and he has the same re-heated for lunch at work to avoid sandwiches, crisps etc. In the summer it's meat & salads. He doesn't have much root veggies or potato.

When he eats well and goes to crossfit regularly the weight just falls off him.

Unfortunately when he gets busy at work and doesn't finish in time to make it to crossfit, he often falls off the clean eating wagon too. He has a real weakness for chocolate & wine.

[Sconset]

Whatever are bounce balls, please?

[TotallyEggFlipped]

bounce

[nickymanchester]

Nutrition is an absolutely huge subject, but if you're looking to follow a Paleo type regime or ''eating clean'' as others have mentioned above then Robb Wolf is seen as one of the most forward thinking of the Paleo promoters and has a lot of good information on his website:-

robbwolf.com/what-is-the-paleo-diet/

You may also want to have a read of this article for more about the benefits of paleo, ''eating clean'' and also some recent backlash against it:-

www.nickmitchellblog.com/paleo-diets/

Personally, I am a ''mostly'' paleo person, but I do eat things that aren't really allowed.

With Crossfit there are a lot of really good places to do it - however, anectdotely, some are less good.

If they have separate classes on technique, eg how to do olympic lifts properly, then I really would recommend going to them as well as just doing the WOD rather than just trying to pick up the technique during the class.

[RaspberrySnowCone]

Second Robb wolf. And if you like podcasts look up barbell shrugged or they are on you tube. Lots of cross fit and nutrition stuff. Funny too :)

[putyourhatonsweetie]

Thanks all. Will look into this clean eating lark. It is quite a change for me as I was veggie for such a long time. In relation to the crossfit, the place I am going is super, they do four functional movement classes before you really get going, and are obsessive on technique, small class sizes and tailored support.

[nickymanchester]

they do four functional movement classes before you really get going, and are obsessive on technique

That sounds really good - have fun with it

[issywood]

Hiya
A family member runs and owns a crossfit gym and whilst training you can do something called the paleo diet...which i would call a lifestyle rather than a diet.
Basically cut dairy, sugar, grains, potatoes and pasta.
Something that is nice to have for brekkie is a fruit smoothie or poached eggs on a bed of wilted spinach with parma ham
Hope this helped.

[parasaurolophus]

I think for most women, increasing exercise without changing your diet won't really result in weight loss. You also need to diet.

I do crossfit and am in the best shape of my life. I have good muscle tone, all my niggling knee and hip injuries are gone. It has been great for me.

I have lost and gained and lost about 10 pounds since I started, and it is all down to food. I've been dealing with these 10 pounds my entire adult life. I don't like the paleo diet. To me, any diet that cuts out entire categories of food verges on an eating disorder. I do limit try and avoid refined carbs and not eat processed foods (too often).

[parasaurolophus]

Sorry, that last sentence wasn't edited:

I do limit refined carbs and try to avoid processed foods.

[nickymanchester]

all my niggling knee and hip injuries are gone.

I've noticed that as well. I also used to have some problems with one ankle and that's gone away as well.

I don't do crossfit now but I still incorporate a lot of weightlifting in my exercises and it really does make a difference with my joints.

[putyourhatonsweetie]

Have looked into paleo but not sure it's for me....I think I am more an eat less and exercise more type of girl! Though I am seduced by the results people talk about on low carb threads! Thanks for replies, lots to think about.

[nickymanchester]

I really do understand what you mean and, as parasaurolophus says above:-

To me, any diet that cuts out entire categories of food verges on an eating disorder

Also, as I said above:-

I am a ''mostly'' paleo person, but I do eat things that aren't really allowed.

So, I still have toast for breakfast when I want it and I do like lasagna from time to time. It's just that I've cut down on the amount of these sort of things that I eat.

If you used to be very veggie then it can be difficult adapting to a diet with meat in it. Don't feel that you HAVE to eat meat - where ever any diet mentions meat then just replace that with vegetable proteins.

[putyourhatonsweetie]

Thanks nicky, at the moment I am significantly reducing the carbs, eggs spinach and avocado for breakfast as opposed to my preferred cereal or toast, and I eat very little highly processed food anyway. I have always eaten healthily, but big portions and too many treats and glasses of gin. I am going to try just exercising loads, cutting out treats and booze. Tbh I am almost expecting that that will only mean maintenance and toning, and if that turns out to be the case, then i will move on to something stricter.

I really appreciate the insights, and am slowly teaching myself to eat meat, but it is quite a change.

[nickymanchester]

big portions and too many treats and glasses of gin

cutting out treats and booze

To be honest, I think you'll be surprised just how much of a difference that will make. It really shocked me when I found out that a bottle of wine has something like 450 calories - never mind my liver, it was the calories that made me give up.

Also, just eating slightly smaller portions can also have a quick effect as well.

I'm sure everything will go well for you.