I used to be active physically with my dancing and casual sports participation back in high school, and manage to run occasionally in college. However, the pressure and stress got the best out of me, throwing away all my fitness activities out on the window. For starters, I’m not a body-conscious type of person. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want—I eat when I’m happy, sad, stressed out, angry, and bored. I also do little to no exercise, sitting all day in front of my computer or snuggling in my bed with my phone. In other words, I didn’t give a damn about my weight as long as my stomach is full. Today, I’m at my heaviest, 176 pounds (80 kg). Within five years, I gained 77 pounds, increasing around 22 pounds, yearly (by the time I graduated high school, I weighed 99 pounds). Checking in with my required body mass index (BMI), I already entered the at-risk category of obese.  

Time to take action!

I don’t usually check myself in the mirror, but when I did, it woke me up. In addition to my awareness of my current BMI status, I knew I had to do something soon. and I think fate agrees with me too. After my interview with CrossFit Coach Nikki Go for our July feature issue, I saw an opportunity to finally convince myself on doing this. So, after work, I saw myself back at CrossFit Kagayan (CFK) box.

CrossFit is a lifestyle characterized by safe, effective exercise and sound nutrition. CrossFit can be used to accomplish any goal, from improved health to weight loss to better performance. The program works for everyone—people who are just starting out and people who have trained for years. —CrossFit.com  

WODup?

Not sure if you understand the pun there but WOD or Work Out of the Day is the life of the party inside the box (CrossFit centers). CrossFit workouts vary every day and are modified depending on each individual’s needs. It also adapts for people of any age, so if you’re about to turn 80 but still able, then it’s not yet too late to try attending a session.

 

My first week in CrossFit

I embarked on my CrossFit journey last July 16, and it sure is not all rainbows and sunshine. While gaining weight is an easy-peasy one, losing it is not. I won’t sugarcoat this. In my first week, it feels like I’m in hell. I mean, what do I expect? I came from no exercise to extremely pushing myself to finish 30 reps of toes to bar within 16 minutes. I’ve never drip such big sweats before—I’m not even sure if it was sweat or tears. I even remembered nearly fainting. That’s how unfit I am. I could barely move my body the next day, especially my arms. The muscle pain was killing me, particularly after my third session. However, this is just all in the beginning. Every beginner goes through this, not just in CrossFit, but in other physical activities as well. (I attended Taekwondo classes back in high school, and I remembered getting sore muscles too). To naturally take away the sore is to suck it up and continue. Eventually, your muscles will get the hang of it, and will gradually fade away. By the time I attended my seventh session, the muscle aches were already long gone (or at least lessen).

During the succeeding weeks

Looking at the brighter side, the aches, in a way, are beneficial. Aside from the muscles repair burns calories, it also makes me deliberately not crave food as much as I used to because I don’t want to spoil my work out effort. Aside from that, these workouts help my mind get in better tune with my body. Despite having coaches to guide around, it’s still up to me to know the capabilities of my body and its limits. Not to mention, I find the intensity of the workout therapeutic. It transports me to another world, with my only focus is to finish this session without dying. Yes, it tires you up literally to the bones, but the sense of relief after the workout is so rewarding. It takes away my stress for the day too and gives me a night of good sleep.  

CFK Community

I might sound a little biased, but the community is the friendliest. The coaches, as well as the regular patrons, warmly welcome beginners—not to mention the culture where everyone supports and motivates each other throughout intense workouts, even coaches cheers you up for you to give your best in every WOD. My usual schedule is at 6 PM under Coach Kirsty—who is, by the way, a great coach. She regularly reviews the proper lift postures and gives creative warm-ups such as the pizza game and the crawl-burpee contest. Moreover, checks on everyone before, during, and after sessions—making sure everyone is in good condition.

  Along the journey, I also developed this love-hate relationship with Roxanne (before you say anything, it’s a song by The Police). It’s a very catchy song, but I’m not going to spill the tea. If you’re curious, try CrossFit now to find out!   Last August 17, I was also able to meet the rest of the CrossFit community outside Cagayan de Oro for their annual Sweatfest. Though I heard the CFK community cheering up during our regular sessions, the support, motivation, and encouragement during the fest were incredible.

 

By the way, here’s a clip of me during my Day 16

 

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A post shared by n. /Blās/ (@aycebreaker) on Aug 29, 2019 at 6:55am PDT

 

Did I lose weight?

Yes, I did, but I still have a long way to go in achieving my 132-pound goal—and that’s okay. It’s not that the intense workouts are ineffective. It’s just that achieving this goal is not an overnight job nor a month. Not to mention, I barely attended my everyday sessions (except Sunday) within four weeks due to bustling schedules. Nevertheless, I’m for sure going to continue this journey. It may not be every day, but I will commit attending workout sessions at least twice or thrice a week, together with mindful eating habits (this is very important). After all, this is all for me. Let’s not wait for us to get sick before taking action. Who knows, an hour’s worth of exercise per day today might keep you away from potential chronic diseases in the future.     — Wanna try? There’s only one CrossFit Box here in CDO, CrossFit Kagayan, and it’s located at 5th-21st Streets of Nazareth. Visit the box now and get a chance to avail of a one-day trial and meet Roxanne!