you didn't think i was joking, did you?

Per our tongue-in-cheek conversation last night, I told Cheryl "Girl Crush" T. that I was going to post photos of her in my kitchen to help motivate me for the Look Better Naked challenge. Yeah Girl Crush... and you thought I was joking!

Here's the story.... Yesterday I mentioned that my chiropractor inspired me to go balls out and do the challenge. Dr. Jones said that staying motivated is the key in doing any sort of challenge like this. (As someone who has dropped 50 pounds in the past year, I trust his advice.) He suggested that I think about examples of bodies I think are healthy and fit - bodies that inspire me. I should collect photos of these examples and post them in strategic places like in front of my refrigerator and such. Immediately, I thought: "OMG. I need photos of Girl Crush!" Laugh all you want Girl Crush ('cuz I know you're reading this!), but I'm doing it. I'm sure the One World flickr page has some photos of you in your cop uniform. That one's going straight to my fridge! ha ha! I'll post one more of Girl Crush on my goal board... maybe one more in my wallet in case I decide to head over to Sprinkles and have a cupcake. Hey, a sense of humor is key in getting through the agony of giving up cupcakes, right?!

Joking aside, I think it's actually a good idea as long as your goals are realistic. I have no desire to be built like Angelina Jolie or our very own Jolie G. for that matter. It's just not possible for my body type. Also, I'm not inspired or motivated by celebrities, ce-web-rities, and such. In fact, most celebrities bore me. I also know that 99% of the time, what I see in magazines is fake. I'm a real gal and I'm inspired by real people.

With that, I choose Girl Crush as my inspiration because I think Girl Crush is just an awesome lady. Granted, I don't aspire to have her exact body. Her body is hers and my body is mine. I'm sure those six pack abs have no place on my body. For as much as I'd love to have her guns, I don't think I have the strength to carry them. I do know that my body will develop as it will. Girl Crush motivates me because she's an island gal like me and though I didn't know her at the time, rumor has it she was forty pounds heavier before CrossFit and could barely run 800 meters without stopping (Though slow, I've never had a problem running. Victory!). I think of that relative to where she is now and I'm just amazed! This is why I'm using her as my motivation guru. (I don't care if Girl Crush objects to the objectification. I really don't!)

I'm also going to use my little bro Jerry L. (Okay, technically we're not related. But I call him my bro because he's like a brother to me. Also, my real brother is named Gerry! Um, but with a "G" of course!) Jerry L. is another amazing athlete who inspires me. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love lifting sessions with him. I'm sometimes driven to tears when I see how much he can lift. I'm also inspired by the coaching that Eric G. gives during these sessions. Don't believe me? Watch this:So there you have it. In case you come to my house and are wondering why Girl Crush and Jerry L. are plastered on my fridge and goal board, you all know why! (wink followed by cheeky grin)

I know the challenge doesn't officially start until after the new year. But as I've mentioned, I'm slowly preparing. It started on Monday when I tried to make peace with the photo thing. My chiropractor suggested I look at this site to understand why the photos are important. It documents this guy's journey - where he goes from couch potato to uber-fit guy! I don't have the patience to look through them, but I thought this image was good to see. Today, I started to keep a food journal. I'm also adding a "Today's Small Victories" section to my posts. They're just personal notes - mostly silly - that remind me of the small changes I'm making to improve my health and get on with this challenge!

Today's Small Victories
Victory #1: Though I ate at Great Khan's while picking up my mom's Christmas present with my siblings, I only ate half of my order. fathlete confession: I can usually chow down a whole plate of the stuff and not bat an eyelash. I packed the leftovers and right now, I'm not even sure I want to finish it.

Victory #2: My brother ordered a strawberry-banana-chocolate crepe and for as much as I wanted to take a bite, I didn't. Resisting the crepe was easier than I thought.

Victory #3: I spent the day at my sister's office getting some work done. It's quiet and filled with LOTS of sweets - See's candies, Mrs. Fields cookies, caramel popped corn, Ghiradelli chocolate squares filled with caramel.... (Did I mention that I love anything with caramel?) It's tough being six feet away from an abundant supply of yummy goodness. I really wanted to tear into some chocolates. But I didn't. Yea me! fathlete confession: I had half a piece of James's rocky road because he made it and gave it to me as a gift. I took my bite and gave the rest to my bro and his wife. I also shared my bag with Miss Lori!

Warm-up
For ten minutes:
jump roping; each time you mess up on the ropes, you have to do 15 abmat sit-ups

CrossFit One World WOD
Deadlift 1/1/1/1/1/1/1

Joanne's Final Weight:
95# - 8 reps / 135# - 5 reps / 185# - 3 reps / 210# / 245# (PR!) / 250# (PR!)

Notes (to myself) about this workout: I hit a 10# PR. That's always good news. I knew I had more in me. But the last time we did deadlifts hitting a 10# PR wrecked me. I've decided to go on the conservative side because I'm really trying to avoid injury. I like a challenge, but I don't want to end up hurt. Tonight felt good. For my next deadlift max, I'm aiming for 260#!