Whole Life Challenge™

You may remember at the beginning of all of this we created a forum we called "Vision" and invited you to post your vision for yourself in the Whole Life Challenge. A few of you did. There was a very distinct reason for this part of the challenge.

There is an enormous power in your word. Have you ever heard the adage "Thoughts become words, words become things?" What you declare has a special kind of potency. It gives an energy to your actions. It isn't magic, but the world has a funny way of aligning around a declaration. I want to point to a particular declaration from February 9, 2012:

For those of you who don't know Chris, he now, 8 weeks later on April 7, 2012 has 6-pack abs (#2), was awarded the Spirit of the Challenge award by you, the CFLA community (#3), has a team of people in his life who continue to cause him to take action in his health and fitness (#4) and is the winner of the Whole Life Challenge 2012 (#5).

Is this a coincidence? Maybe. But I encourage you to put skepticism aside and to consider that it is exactly the world that Chris created. This is a power that we all have. Sometimes we are just afraid to use it. What would happen to you if you got everything you ever wanted?

Congratulations to everyone who played this year. You all have something very special. Take it and run.

The day has arrived. You last score. What an accomplshment. I bet it felt sometimes like this day would never come!

The finals are tomorrow and you are ready. Everything you've done has prepared you for this. Whatever you did, whether you think you did it right or you think you did it wrong, you did it perfectly. This challenge is about taking something big on. There really is no "doing it right." You began to look, maybe for the first time, in a real way at how you operate around food and your fitness. One thing to consider is that the way you did this challenge is a huge piece of information about how you approach what this challenge was about. Was it easy and fun? Did you try to trick yourself? Did you make excuses? Did you get a perfect score but suffer the whole way? Did you use your friends or do it alone? Take all of the information you got, about food and about YOU, and complete this challenge - what worked and what didn't? What is the next step to continue to move this forward for you?

You've had the desire before now, but maybe until now you didn't realize how many obstacles you put in your own way, day after day. Whether you've removed them or just identified them you are exactly where you need to be.

This game ain't over for any of us. It's really just starting. Think of tomorrow like graduation day. The preparation is done, the groundwork is laid and it is time to take on the world!

So bring it tommorow! Rancho Park awaits awaits your best effort! No matter what happens you have worked miracles.

 

In Spanish they call it a "resuelve." It's a thing that you have that solves a general problem. As a coach here I have a pair of Lululemon pants that are a resuelve. If I'm teaching and need something loose that look professional (for my profession), they solve the problem every time.

One of the keys to my success during the Whole Life Challenge was such a resuelve. I've talked about it a bunch, but I can't emphasize enough how valuable it can be to have a go-to when it comes to lunch. I hit up Whole Foods, if not multiple times a week, at least once a week. Short on time and needing something that doesn't compromise I eat at their substantial salad bar often. There are two things that really sealed Whole Foods for me during the challenge.

Every Wednesday they knock $2 a pound off the price. While the normal $7.99 a pound isn't a killer, it can really get you if you're not careful. On Wednesdays $5.99 a pound is irresistable. I can make a huge salad for $6. The second thing was the discovery that the fish counter will grill anything they sell there for no charge. Finding a fish that is $6.99 a pound or less and combining it with the Wednesday salad bar means I am out the door for under $10. That is what you are looking at up top today -- whole grilled trout with a kale and chard salad with lima beans, grilled onions, roasted garlic and olives. That is a HUGE resuelve. Ten bucks for a lunch anywhere in Santa Monica is stretching it, let alone one like that! Even in the absence of a good fish I can always throw roasted chicken on top (from the salad bar) and am good to go.

Two pieces of advice I'll give about the salad bar that I've learned -- stay away from the heavy or water-logged ingredients. Most things like beets and sweet potatoes aren't worth the per pound price. Don't by eggs by the pound, buy tuna and chicken! The second thing -- pick a theme for God's sake! Don't just walk down the bar putting in some of everything! If you have pot roast or carnitas, make the salad make sense. Greens and a few key ingredients that complement the protein will go a long way. There's a lot of good stuff, but it's not all good at the same time!

Bon Appetit!

 

So I've been thinking about what I've been hearing about people's concern about the end of the Whole Life Challenge and I've been considering how to maintain the atmosphere that has been present during the game. I remembered something yesterday that might be fun if you've really liked the structure of games, points and accountability.

I was telling some people last night at dinner at The Misfit (**shameless sponsor plug**) that I'm really bad without putting myself in a box. The challenge is a box. It has limits, called rules. It also has eyes. They'd be your community. I'd be lying if I told you that I don't do better during these 3 months than any other time of the year because of anything besides scrutiny. I've already been fantasizing about stacks of Hershey's bars and mountains of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Now the funny/frustrating/confronting thing is that I know I can resist a massive indulgence. I have to rely, though, on myself without the public scrutiny.

Many people want to play the game all the time, but that'd miss the point. This is a training ground. Sooner or later you'll want to see what you've gained from all your work and that's only possible outside of the constraints. That doesn't mean that you can't play other games down the road!

There is a nifty website called Health Month that provides a platform for creating your own game. It's very flexible -- you make your own rules. They can be health related, life related, play related, mindfulness related...whatever! You can create rules daily or weekly. Just like our challenge you'll log in every day to answer questions about your rules. You earn points and if you want to, you can play with friends! Best part, maybe -- you only play a month at a time.

The most interesting part may be that you can create consequences and rewards. There is a little section when you start where you can promise to do something for yourself if you are successful after 1 month, and a section where you can choose a consequence if you fall short of your goal. It's a game where YOU are the game master!

So get out there and live the life you've created for yourself over the last 8 weeks through fun, community, practice, discipline, mindfulness and your own personal vision. But play a game if you want to. We'll be back soon -- promise. But until then, you can do it!

A misunderstood and underappreciated vegetable, cauliflower is one of the most gratifying to cook with. With much of the health food cachet of its evolutionary brother broccoli, cauliflower has a simple beauty and elegance the broccoli lacks that grants it a more natural entry into the culinary world of dining. It is extremely versatile. It can be roasted, pureed, "riced," sauteed, baked in a gratin, stir fried, made spicy or curried, equally well with with olive oil, butter, coconut oil & (post-challenge) cream. And that's the short list. Unlike broccoli, cauliflower retains much of its structure when cooked and it absorbs flavors like a sponge. While still maintaining a flavor of its own, it is much more neutral and plays well with others, being used effectively in Thai, Italian, Indian, American and French dishes.

We've already seen it's fantastic ability to mimic mashed potatoes and rice, but even on it's own it's delicious and satisfying. It is so simple to drizzle with olive oil, toss with salt, pepper & chili flakes and roast until it softens and begins to turn golden. Sauteed with coconut oil and curry powder is equally amazing. Toss in some fresh peas for a sweet, juicy pop. For the adventurous, Thomas Keller has an extraordinary cauliflower gratin recipe that won't disappoint you. That one may have to wait until next week unless you have some bonus points to spend!

Never underestimate the simplicity of perfect ingredients. There is little you must do to draw out their best elements. Keep this one as a staple in the paleo kitchen and you will never run out of tasty and satisfying accompaniments to just about anything.

AND THE WEEKLY CHALLENGE RAFFLE WINNER IS:
Kevin Listen

Congratulations! You have won a $50 gift certificate to The Misfit! Contact Michael at CFLA to claim your prize!

 

We are in the final stretch! You can feel it now, can't you? I know that there are many of you who wonder what is going to happen when this all ends, how you will manage to stay accountable when the game is over. 

You are all, everyone of you, different people than when this first started. Whether you think you did this right or you think you did it all wrong, there is something in you that wasn't there before. It's something different for each of you, but it could be called interest, awareness, excitement, knowledge, strength, an itch, a bug, passion, desire or willingness. It wasn't there before. Just the fact that you're interested in how you're going to go on with it is new. It is something that YOU want, not something any game is causing you to do!

You will know life and yourself differently, whether you like it or not, because of what you've done. You can't take away the 8 weeks. You can't take away what you know. You can't take away what you have demonstrated you are capable of. You can't take away that if you want results, in anything, you have the power to make them happen.

You may think I'm not talking to you. You make be thinking "I did it all wrong," I cheated all the time" or "I gave up, he can't mean me." I am talking to all of you. There is nothing that you had to do to do this right. Just registering lit the fuse. Look to see if you are the same you from January, before you signed up for this. I promise, whether it turned out exactly like you imagined or not at all, you have emerged with something you never knew you'd have.

I challenge you to give yourself that.

 

VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: THE LAST DAY THAT YOU WILL ENTER A SCORE FOR THE WHOLE LIFE CHALLENGE IS FRIDAY, APRIL 6 (for Thursday). YOU WILL NOT BE ENTERING A SCORE ON SATURDAY MORNING. FRIDAY IS YOURS TO DO WITH AS YOU PLEASE!

YOUR WEEKLY BONUS WILL BE SCORED ON THAT FRIDAY MORNING! You have from today until next Friday at 3:00 to complete this challenge.

Your Bonus Challenge for Week 7 is to CREATE 3 GOALS to be completed by this time next year. What does that mean? It means that next week, by Thursday at midnight, you will create 3 SMART goals and post them in the Weekly Challenge forum.

• Goals must be in at least 2 of the following categories: Fitness, Life, Health, and Food.
• Goals must satisfy the SMART goal criteria
  • Specific - clear and unambiguous
  • Measurable - concrete criteria for measuring progress and completion
  • Actionable - You must be able to take specific actions towards the completion of your goals.
  • Realistic - goals must be attainable by you
  • Timely - goals must have a target date
• Each goal must contain at least one action you can take in the next 3 months towards achieving the goal.
• You may use (and are encouraged to use) your CFLA coach and fellow participants to help develop your goals and determine whether they meet the criteria (Your coach will not be available after Thursday afternoon to help you).
• All 3 goals with their actions must be posted in the Weekly Challenge Forum by Thursday, April 5 at midnight (that's NEXT THURSDAY) in order to get credit for the challenge.

Here is an example of what a SMART goal will look like:

GOAL: Do a 54" box jump by the end of summer, 9/21/2102

SPECIFIC (Y or N) -- It says EXACTLY what I will do and by when. YES
MEASURABLE (Y or N) -- Both 54" and 9/21/12 are accurately measurable. YES
ACTIONABLE (Y or N) -- There is something that I can do right now (see below). YES
REALISTIC (Y or N) -- Current box jump is 49", gaining 5" in 5 months is realistic with practice. YES
TIMELY (Y or N) -- There is a target date (BY WHEN). YES

My first action: come to class early once each week and practice 5-10 box jumps at 90% of my maxiumum.
  Please copy and paste the above section into your blog to use as a template for each goal.
  To get your 4 bonus points, your blog post must contain 3 of these, completed in the manner above.
 

Some examples of goals in each category:
Fitness - 7 minute mile, 4 hour marathon, 300# deadlift, 10 consecutive pull-ups, freestanding handstand
Life - Cook 3 home meals per week, take a 2 week vacation, get pregnant, buy a house<
Health - Lose 20#, LDL cholesterol below 70, lose 5% body fat, quit smoking
Food - stop drinking soda, stop eating gluten for good, eat at least 5 different colored vegetables each week, eat grass fed meat or dairy only, shop exclusively for food at the farmer's market

Be creative, but be relevant! Be excited and inspired by your goals, but make them something that is important to you. Don't chooose something just because you think you should. Choose ANYTHING becuase it would make a difference to you!  

Create 3 SMART goals and receive 4 (YES, 4!) bonus points this week!  

No doubt you've all noticed the logos off to the right there on our blog and scoreboard -- those are our sponsors! The people who have generously supported this game and your health as well as provided many of the prizes for this year's challenge. Well, to give you a little more of an idea of who they are and what they stand for, we now take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to bring you a word from our sponsors...

Original Nutritionals. With a commitment to real science, peak level athletic performance, optimal health and the purest nutrient sources available, Original Nutritionals delivers a world-class high-potency omega-3 fish oil critical for your health in the modern environment. Fish oil is recognized as one of the most beneficial supplements for heart and cardiovascular health, muscle protein synthesis and recovery, combatting all kinds of inflammation that result from both physical and toxic insults to the body and cognitive brain development.

Vivo Barefoot. Created to make your walking, running and human movement experience as natural as possible while still meeting the demand in your life for being shod. Did you know that your foot has over 200,000 nerve endings, 33 major muscles, 28 bones and 19 ligaments? It is a masterpiece of engineering that has been cut off from the outside world in squishy, corrective and foot numbing shoes. In spite off all of the “improvements” in shoes in the last several decades, it is estimated hat 79% of people stop running due to injury! Shouldn’t these shoes have decreased our rate of injury in the pursuit of a 100% natural movement? From athletic to casual to dress shoes, Vivo Barefoot and their parent company Terra Plana, make shoes that provide your foot with a “barefoot” experience that allows it to spread, come in contact with the ground and be itself!

Rx Jump Ropes. The leader in high quality, high performance speed ropes, Rx ropes are custom made to your demands from the length of the rope and its weight to the color of the cable and handles! Whether you have 2 double unders or 200, Rx ropes has the perfect rope for you and your training needs. There is no more portable piece of training equipment than a jump rope!

Life as Rx. If not the first CrossFit apparel company, Life as Rx may be the most original! Designed exclusively for CrossFitters and making fun, stylish and cheeky t-shirts and more, Life as Rx is always creating exciting, quality designs to make your experience as fun, dedicated and hardcore as it can be. Their familiar designs have made their way to the torsos of thousands of CrossFitters and continue to bring a spirit of fun and levity to such an important part of our lives.

EcoShine Mobile Detail. Owned and operated by CFLA’s very own Tomas Steimer, EcoShine provides eco-friendly mobile detailing across the West Side, Beaches, and around Los Angeles County. Their services range from basic interior and exterior washes to VIP detailing plans. Their commitment is not only to every last detail and delivering showroom quality results but to the health of the planet and the environment. Using only biodegradable, kid and pet safe products and minimal water, they delight in producing awe-inspiring results taking care of your car as their pride and joy as much as it is yours.

Alyssa Dazet, Licensed Acupuncturist. With a true passion for health and wellness, Alyssa Dazet helms Joyful Acupuncture with excitement, know-how, a desire for everyone’s optimal well-being and a generous and caring spirit. Using ancient Chinese medical practices and modern lifestyle coaching, her practice is a resource for all of your healing and healthy living needs. Be well!

The Misfit. As delicious as it is chic, The Misfit in Santa Monica provides an amazing food and drink experience inside of a fun, exciting and bustling environment. From brunch to dinner to drinks, the friendly staff, the inventive menu which includes fresh, farmer’s market ingredients and grass-fed beef, and the stylish décor The Misfit is an amazing example of what a great neighborhood joint can be.

Rogue Fitness. The company when it comes to any CrossFit or fitness needs, Rogue provides everything from shoes and apparel to weights and strength equipment, from conditioning to gymnastics gear and from mobility equipment to caveman food! They are a one-stop shop for everything you need to pursue the lifestyle of real strength, fitness, health and evolutionary fulfillment! With a store specifically for CrossFit, you will be hard pressed to need a piece of gear you can’t find here. If they couldn’t source it, they made it themselves!

Amy & Brian. You know the stuff – coconut water! A delicious alternative to soda and other phony manufactured sport drinks, coconut water is a great source of the necessary electrolytes to keep your system in balance. And there isn’t a coconut water more delicious than Amy & Brian’s! With pulp or without, this sweet, refreshing (especially when ice cold!) and natural beverage can refresh you, quench your thirst, refill your tank and even give you a little sweetness all in one can!
 

 

Most of us place a lot of importance on the initial part of digestion. You know, the eating part. We're are really attentive to what we put into our mouths. Some of us place up to an equal amount of importance on the last step in digestion. Admit it or not, an enormously satisfying bowel movement is a thing of beauty. What gets short shrift by many of us is what happens in the middle.

The gut is a very interesting place. I bet many of you didn't realize this, but the gut, in a funny way, is considered to be outside the body (or at least continuous with the outside of the body). Picture it, from top to bottom, your digestive tract is a tube that starts at your mouth and ends at your bum. Everything that makes it into your body must be absorbed through membranes and tissues that line the digestive tract. The health of that tube (and what comes out) is dependent on several things (not the least of which is what goes in).

A couple of weeks ago we talked about grains and lectins and the effect they can have on the gut. What we are going to talk about today is healthy bacteria. Before you are born, your gut is sterile. It lies in wait (your mom is doing all the digestion for you) for the day you are born. When you are born (a messy, bacteria laden affair), your gut opens up to being populated. For the next month, via breast feeding, licking things and basically a perpetually open-hangning mouth, your gut fills up with bacteria. For the most part, this is friendly and absolutely necessary for digestion, elimination and immunity. Some of the bacteria are pathogenic (think e.coli), but if you have a robust system of healthy bacteria, pathogenic bacteria don't stand much of a chance.

Unfortuately, this gut bacteria won't just stay healthy on its own if you don't help it out. Now, previously we got a lot of probiotics from dirt, believe it or not. Obsessive washing and disinfecting is a modern phenomenon (and it's no wonder with the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria in our modern lives). There are several things that you can do to make sure your gut flora stays healthy (I love that word, sounds like a garden).

• Reduce stressors - you've already done a lot of this over the last 6 weeks. But also consider the overuse of antibiotics (the don't discriminate about the bacteria they kill), antacids and anti-inflammatory drugs, psychological stress and toxins
• Repair yourself - fish oil and probiotics will go a long way to healing tissues and repopulating healthy bacteria. And you don't have to take probiotics every day. Once your system is healthy, you want to plant the seed and let them grow. Yes, fermented dairy products can be helpful (and I'm not talking about highly processed and pasteurized yogurt), but you'll have to wait until after the challenge for that.

There is no need for the excessive use of fiber in your diet if you want to move. Fruits and vegetables have enough, but more than that, a healthy gut turns over and moves all the time. Once a day or every other day is actually enough to be healthy. Taking fiber to go 2-3 times a day is overkill!

So manage the inputs and the outputs take care of themselves. While your body may seem like a little bit of a mysterious black box, knowing a bit about what is happening in there can give you an amazing amount of power to control things.

There is a term for being prepared in the kitchen -- "mise en place." It means "everything in place" or being set up! I know this week is the "Be That Guy" challenge, but in the spirit of restaurants, I am sharing a blog I wrote back in 2010 about preparing your kitchen like a restaurant chef.

One of the most difficult parts of eating healthy is being prepared. The best solution that I have found for myself is to prepare on Sunday the majority of the food that I am going to eat during the week. I know that this sounds like a HUGE chore, but if you organize yourself like a restaurant chef you can actually cook a weeks worth in about 2 hours. I'll show you what I mean.

First thing is the buying - Chefs know how much they need for the week and therefore how much to buy. Pay attention to how long things last for you and get used to quantities so that when you walk into the store you can load the cart and go. Me, I buy 2-3 chickens, 2-3# of hamburger, 2 pork tenderloins and 1 dozen eggs. I also buy a bag of yams, bag of apples, bag of oranges, some nuts, and a couple of different veggies each week. Keep it simple and don't overwhelm yourself with too many different things. (This is a LOT of food! I prepare for two people. You probably won't need to).

When you get home turn on the oven - 400-450 degrees is a good restaurant temp. I put all the eggs in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. When its boiling I turn it off and leave it for about 13 minutes. Drain and cover with cold water (and ice if you have it) for 10 minutes or so. They're perfectly hard boiled and I didn't have to pay any attention. Fill that pot again and return it to the heat -- you'll need it later. While the eggs are cooking, cover several sheet trays with aluminum foil; this will make cleaning pans really easy. Look at the food. What takes the longest? For me it's the yams so I immediately put them in the oven. No prep. Boom. They're out of my hair until they're done. Then I unwrap all the meat, rinse, dry and season it - this is where you can get creative and try different seasonings on each thing so food doesn't get boring. Chickens go in first, they take about an hour. You can also buy parts, thighs and breasts. Heat a pan, add some fat, brown 'em and put 'em in the oven. If you buy legs you don't have to worry nearly as much about overcooking. Pork is next. Wipe out the pan, brown the tenderloins on all sides, put them on a sheet tray and slide them in the oven. The key is not to forget they're in there! After 10-12 minutes, check the pork - with a thermometer (an invaluable kitchen tool). 140 degrees is beautiful if you ask me. Stick a knife in the yams. Goes in really easy? Guess what? Done. Out. Hamburger meat is a no brainer. I heat some coconut oil, plop the meat it, season it and stir until cooked. One way to spice that up is to saute some onions and garlic (which you can buy at TJ's already prepared) before adding the meat. Oh, and the chicken - 165 degrees. If the pork wasn't done the first time you checked it definitely is now.

The veggies are really up to you. You can chop them up for a salad once everything is in the oven, you can drop things like asparagus, broccoli or cauliflower into a pig pot of salty boiling water (water should come immediately back to a boil) - they really only need 1 or 2 minutes. Then ice water.  Remember that pot of water from the beginning? That's it was for. You'll be pretty annoyed at this point if you have to wait 15 minutes to boil water. Keep checking the meats. As they get closer to being done the temperature will start to rise a lot faster.

One final thing. You don't have to cook all the meat now. You can hold off on a few pieces of chicken, some hamburger, even a tenderloin. Thost you can cook up in 10-15 minutes on any given night for a hot dinner.

I know this LOOKS like a lot, but turn it into a list and you'll see there are only about 15 items - including turn on oven, cover pans with foil, and put on water to boil! If you organize yourself around the couple of things that take the longest, you can fill in that time with everything else. And remember those apples and oranges - they don't need any help! Yes, the food is cold when I eat it. But cold, sliced pork tenderloin and asparagus with almonds drizzled with balsamic vinegar ain't a bad lunch. Neither is chicken and yams or hard boiled eggs and an apple as a snack. It'll certainly feel better than whatever you might be compelled to pick up if you're not ready!

AND THE WEEKLY CHALLENGE RAFFLE WINNER IS:
Carina Polini

Congratulations! You have won a $50 gift certificate to Rogue Fitness! Contact Michael at CFLA to claim your prize!