I have never ever been an athletic person. I have no coordination. I run from balls being thrown at me. I at least thought I can "work-out well" so why not do Cross Fit?
I have been doing Cross Fit since January. I haven't lost any weight, but I have gotten stronger. People have these transformations from doing Cross Fit and let me tell you that is not the case with me. I only do 2x per week. Hopefully Starting in Aug./Sept. we can up that to 3x/week.
Some of my PR:
Deadlift: 150#
Strict Press: 65#
Back Squat: 140#
Clean & Jerk: 75#
Snatch: 60#
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Thursday, December 20, 2012
My name is Amy, and I'm a vegan. Hi, Amy
Due to a highly disturbing documentary on the processes of the food industry, I have decided to cut out/highly reduce animal products from my diet. That documentary was "Get Vegucated". A vegan film-maker (well, I assume she is a film-maker), took volunteers to try vegan for 6 weeks and during that time she helped educate them on the food industry and the effects of consuming animal products.
This is technically "Day 2", so I am quite new to this lifestyle. I really wasn't living in stark difference to a vegan diet before, but a change is still a change and it takes time to adapt. I didn't eat much meat. I like chicken and would eat turkey on sandwhiches, but didn't partake in beef or pork very often. I had all ready cut out milk from my diet. About a year or so ago I read that dairy causes acne and I have never had a perfect complexion, so I experimented with almond milk and loved it. I don't eat very much eggs (by themselves), but I really like a good cookie, cake, brownie, you name it I will eat it. (Cookies in the raw form especially). Cheese is a nice addition to everything. OK, I exaggerate, but who doesn't love a nice greasy slice of pizza? Recently I have been falling in love more and more with Mexican pizza. Salsa instead of tomato sauce, corn/beans/peppers/onions/spinach/tomatoes as toppings, nutritional yeast sprinkled on top. Of course, I also added a hint of cheese. The thing is, I don't want to be dependant on soy substitutes. No tofu or VPT (I think it's called). I really want to try to be as unprocessed as possible.
So, why do I want to do this whole vegan thing you ask.
Well there are several reasons. I was first introduced to the idea that animal protein was bad for us. WHAT? All my life I've heard "Meat is good for building muscle" and "Milk is good for your bones". When I did some research I've found this is a fantasy America has created for itself to explain the immense consumption of animal products. When studies have been done around the world, the countries with the lowest rates of heart disease and cancer were all in places where the main diet was plant based. I have researched this more than what I can explain here, and I encourage you to do the same.
Animals in todays industry are just commodities. They are not seen as living organisms, but as dollar signs. Now, I am not of the belief that animals are not meant to be eaten. I believe God created animals for us and we have the right to "kill and eat" so to speak, but when we are completely ignorant of the "kill" part, I think we lose our connection with the earth. Long, long time ago when you wanted meat you would kill and prepare the animal yourself. I think with that came a sense of respect for mother nature and acknowledgement of what God has provided for us. A life for a life. Something dies for you to live.
Looking at what the food industry has done to animals made me physically ill. Parts of the chickens' beaks and claws are removed to prevent them from injuring each other in the tiny cages. (Because an injured chicken is a non-productive chicken, I would guess). Pigs tails are cut off and crammed inside a pen with no room to move. I am saddened because this was not God's design for his creation. We have re-created the natural cycle/process of nature to "get more money". (And ironically, the food industry would be better off economically replicating a natural environment. More of that is explained in the film, "Fresh")
I really don't want to explain the gruesome parts of how they kill the animal, but let's just say it is more like torture than humane.
All of that being said, I hope to update on here my experiences and attempts at living a more natural animal friendly lifestyle.
-amy
This is technically "Day 2", so I am quite new to this lifestyle. I really wasn't living in stark difference to a vegan diet before, but a change is still a change and it takes time to adapt. I didn't eat much meat. I like chicken and would eat turkey on sandwhiches, but didn't partake in beef or pork very often. I had all ready cut out milk from my diet. About a year or so ago I read that dairy causes acne and I have never had a perfect complexion, so I experimented with almond milk and loved it. I don't eat very much eggs (by themselves), but I really like a good cookie, cake, brownie, you name it I will eat it. (Cookies in the raw form especially). Cheese is a nice addition to everything. OK, I exaggerate, but who doesn't love a nice greasy slice of pizza? Recently I have been falling in love more and more with Mexican pizza. Salsa instead of tomato sauce, corn/beans/peppers/onions/spinach/tomatoes as toppings, nutritional yeast sprinkled on top. Of course, I also added a hint of cheese. The thing is, I don't want to be dependant on soy substitutes. No tofu or VPT (I think it's called). I really want to try to be as unprocessed as possible.
So, why do I want to do this whole vegan thing you ask.
Well there are several reasons. I was first introduced to the idea that animal protein was bad for us. WHAT? All my life I've heard "Meat is good for building muscle" and "Milk is good for your bones". When I did some research I've found this is a fantasy America has created for itself to explain the immense consumption of animal products. When studies have been done around the world, the countries with the lowest rates of heart disease and cancer were all in places where the main diet was plant based. I have researched this more than what I can explain here, and I encourage you to do the same.
Animals in todays industry are just commodities. They are not seen as living organisms, but as dollar signs. Now, I am not of the belief that animals are not meant to be eaten. I believe God created animals for us and we have the right to "kill and eat" so to speak, but when we are completely ignorant of the "kill" part, I think we lose our connection with the earth. Long, long time ago when you wanted meat you would kill and prepare the animal yourself. I think with that came a sense of respect for mother nature and acknowledgement of what God has provided for us. A life for a life. Something dies for you to live.
Looking at what the food industry has done to animals made me physically ill. Parts of the chickens' beaks and claws are removed to prevent them from injuring each other in the tiny cages. (Because an injured chicken is a non-productive chicken, I would guess). Pigs tails are cut off and crammed inside a pen with no room to move. I am saddened because this was not God's design for his creation. We have re-created the natural cycle/process of nature to "get more money". (And ironically, the food industry would be better off economically replicating a natural environment. More of that is explained in the film, "Fresh")
I really don't want to explain the gruesome parts of how they kill the animal, but let's just say it is more like torture than humane.
All of that being said, I hope to update on here my experiences and attempts at living a more natural animal friendly lifestyle.
-amy
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Recovery
On July 9 I had surgury on my ankle to remove a bone spur. It had limited my physical activity and finally decided to take care of it. Since then I have been in a boot and have not been able to do any vigorous exercise. This coming Monday will mark 4 weeks and I will be able to walk without the boot. I am so excited to start being active again. I realize how much I take my mobility for granted. Its a good thing the Olympics are on to keep me occupied during this recovery period.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Introducing Amy
I have created this blog to capture this journey I am on to a healthier, more balanced lifestyle. I will be including meals, recipes, exercises, healthy tips that I have learned, and other various pieces of information along the way. I hope for this to be a good tool for myself and possibly even helpful for you.
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