What is the ‘CrossFit Open’ you may ask? It is a 5 week long competition, that individuals can register for online. One workout gets announced each week, then scores are submitted. The top athletes go on to compete in Regionals. Then those top athletes go one to compete in the CrossFit Games.
That made this year a no-brainer. Even though I had surgery in September. Even though I hadn’t worked out very much since. Neither of those things mattered much to me, I wanted in. Throughout the 5 weeks of this year’s open, I was able to record my score for weeks 2, 3 and 4 of the workouts. Through a series of unfortunate scheduling events, I never made it into the gym to complete the workout week 1. And week 5? Oh week 5. We’ll get there eventually.
I competed in the scaled division for each week. Which means the movements are slightly easier, and the weight slightly lighter. Week 2 was confusing as hell to explain, but not so bad to complete. It wasn’t the worst I had ever done and it built my confidence. Week 3 was the same, except it was much more straightforward. I was able to execute the movements, which I didn’t think I’d be able to. A nice surprise! Seems so rare in CrossFit, a surprise being welcomed!
Week 4, it all started to go downhill. The workout started with my most favorite lift ever, heavy deadlifts. After that, it was all the movements I hate. One of those movements was a wallball. This is where you are required to throw a weighted med ball into the air and reach a target. These are a MAJOR weakness of mine. I know this is a weakness, I’ve been working on this weakness, but it’s still a weakness. I made it through the deadlifts ok. Then the wallballs were next. That’s where I got stuck for the rest of the workout. They were tough. I missed so many of them. But my judge kept telling me slow down, wait until you are ready. I was rushing so much of the movement, I was missing way more than I should. I finished with only completing 15 of 55 wallballs. But that’s 15 more than I thought I would get. Because patience was key. (First learned lesson)
Week 5. Oh heavens, where do I start? At the beginning I suppose. EVERYONE in the CrossFit community who had done this workout several years ago, was talking about this one. How awful it was, how terrible it was. But going into this workout, I felt good. I felt ready. I felt like I was going to conquer the final workout of the games and end on a high note. My coach started class with a great ‘speech’ to us all. About if we thought the workout will suck, it will suck. Which totally makes sense, mindset is everything after all. Then he went into the second part of his speech. He started talking about the disabled and adaptive athletes. How they would feel happy to move like this, even if we think it is ‘awful’. This really hit home for me. Granted I am not an adaptive athlete right now, but that is always in the back of my head. There was a time when I thought that would be in my near future. That speech of his, brought these issues of mine to the forefront again. Not really the way I had envisioned my workout starting. Anyway, my sister went first. She did great, but also suffered. She struggled, but did well overall. I was up next. To say I struggled is an understatement. It was the hardest workout I’ve done. The weight was hard, yes, I struggled and failed with it many times. It was a weight I KNOW I could do a year ago. I started to get frustrated. I continued to struggle and fail. I succeeded twice, then I would fail. This went on and on. Finally my coach came over. He told me if I kept missing. I would have to lower the weight. Major frustration set in. So did a few tears. Tears? In a workout? Who am I? Ugh. I worked on. I pushed them away. I got mad. I got mad at my body, I got mad at MS. I got mad at not being where I used to be. But that didn’t help anything. I kept up my pattern. Succeed then fail. He came over again. I had to lower my weight. There came the rest of the tears. From where, I don’t know. I am very skilled at stopping tears. But when I am in the middle of lifting heavy weight, I am no match for small puddles of water.
I wanted to quit. I even said to my sister who was judging my workout, ‘I’m done’. But he came right over and said finish it. And I did. I pulled misty self together, lowered my weight and finished the workout. I worked long after class was over, but everyone stayed to cheer me on. And well into the next class that had started, but they all cheered me on. I felt a whole range of emotions. I was exhausted, I was embarrassed, I was frustrated, I was grateful.
I was grateful that I finished, and didn’t quit half way through. I was grateful that I had others around me to cheer me on. I was grateful that I could move like this in the first place, and lift the weight I could after what I’ve been through. This workout was one of the toughest, if not THE toughest I’ve been through. It challenged me physically but, it was the hardest on me mentally. I had to get over my frustrations with my body, my frustrations with MS and my frustrations with my emotions, and FINISH my workout. I know I can handle this in the future. Because I’ve already handled it. (Second learned lesson).
If you want to hear more about my CrossFit journey, join my list here! I’ll be sending out an email about my struggles and progress!
follow along on Instagram:
I’d love to support you over the 8 weeks together!!
Imagine how good you could feel by Thanksgiving.
Comment HEALING to join the waitlist
I’d love to support you over the 8 weeks together!!
Imagine how good you could feel by Thanksgiving.
Comment HEALING to join the waitlist
My reality has changed a whole bunch over the years.
I started out with only a few symptoms. But I could get through the day.
Until all of a sudden I couldn’t.
All within a few years I went from “fine” to:
Having horrible symptoms, had 3 relapses and found myself with “aggressive MS”
This was not ok with me.
Eventually, I took my life into my own hands and rethought how I did most things.
I realized I had to make some changes, or else idk what else was gonna happen to me.
So I did.
I changed my diet.
I changed how I worked out.
I changed my job in the name of stress management.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
If you want this transformation for you too (I know it’s possible) I’m launching my signature course: Holistically Healing MS in a few weeks.
This is the course you need to get started on this path for yourself.
Only the waitlist is gonna get the pre sale price…
Comment WAITLIST below and I’ll add you to it!!
My reality has changed a whole bunch over the years.
I started out with only a few symptoms. But I could get through the day.
Until all of a sudden I couldn’t.
All within a few years I went from “fine” to:
Having horrible symptoms, had 3 relapses and found myself with “aggressive MS”
This was not ok with me.
Eventually, I took my life into my own hands and rethought how I did most things.
I realized I had to make some changes, or else idk what else was gonna happen to me.
So I did.
I changed my diet.
I changed how I worked out.
I changed my job in the name of stress management.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
If you want this transformation for you too (I know it’s possible) I’m launching my signature course: Holistically Healing MS in a few weeks.
This is the course you need to get started on this path for yourself.
Only the waitlist is gonna get the pre sale price…
Comment WAITLIST below and I’ll add you to it!!
This is the reality I lived, I want you to experience it too.
No, this is not a quick fix.
No, these results wont happen overnight.
No, this won’t cure you.
BUT-
Yes, you can have your life back.
Yes, you can feel better than you do right now.
Yes, your current reality doesn’t have to be a forever reality.
My success years ago was all thanks to the diet changes and the work I put in to know exactly how to eat to support MY body and MS at the same time.
Yes it took a few months, but what it gave me back was my life- and that’s priceless.
I’m spilling all the beans on what this process looks like and how to do it in my upcoming Masterclass:
5 Secrets To Creating Your Own MS Diet.
Comment CLASS below and I’ll send you the link to sign up!!
This is the reality I lived, I want you to experience it too.
No, this is not a quick fix.
No, these results wont happen overnight.
No, this won’t cure you.
BUT-
Yes, you can have your life back.
Yes, you can feel better than you do right now.
Yes, your current reality doesn’t have to be a forever reality.
My success years ago was all thanks to the diet changes and the work I put in to know exactly how to eat to support MY body and MS at the same time.
Yes it took a few months, but what it gave me back was my life- and that’s priceless.
I’m spilling all the beans on what this process looks like and how to do it in my upcoming Masterclass:
5 Secrets To Creating Your Own MS Diet.
Comment CLASS below and I’ll send you the link to sign up!!
This is my vision for the masterclass I’m hosting next Monday.
I want this to be an interactive experience where you learn how to best take care of yourself and MS symptoms through the food you’re eating.
Instead of:
- feeling hesitation and confusion around what foods are best for MS
- not making changes because you’re afraid you’ll do it wrong
- saying no again to going out to eat with friends
Find the freedom and confidence you’ve been looking for.
Comment CLASS below and I’ll send you the link to sign up!!
This is my vision for the masterclass I’m hosting next Monday.
I want this to be an interactive experience where you learn how to best take care of yourself and MS symptoms through the food you’re eating.
Instead of:
- feeling hesitation and confusion around what foods are best for MS
- not making changes because you’re afraid you’ll do it wrong
- saying no again to going out to eat with friends
Find the freedom and confidence you’ve been looking for.
Comment CLASS below and I’ll send you the link to sign up!!
Do any of those hit home?
If yes… comment MASTERCLASS below.. I got you
I get asked this question about different foods at least once a week.
Are potatoes with olive oil ok?
Are tomatoes ok even though Tom Brady doesn’t eat them?
What about grains?
It’s all gonna get the same answer from me….
Sure there are foods with nutrient profiles that match the needs of MS, ✨BUT✨if you don’t tolerate them or feel good eating them, they’re not for you.
I’m hosting a Masterclass next week all about this.
⭐️5 Steps to Creating Your Own MS Diet⭐️
You’ll walk away with:
✨Confidence you’re moving in the right direction regarding changing your diet. You’ll know where to start, how to troubleshoot when you “fall off the wagon” and how to find what works for you.
No more feeling like:
- you have to start AGAIN on Monday..
- you can’t go out to eat with your friends..
- you’re at the mercy of the few foods you tolerate..
Come join me to learn the balanced way out of all or nothing food land.
Comment MASTERCLASS below and I’ll send you the link to sign up!!
I get asked this question about different foods at least once a week.
Are potatoes with olive oil ok?
Are tomatoes ok even though Tom Brady doesn’t eat them?
What about grains?
It’s all gonna get the same answer from me….
Sure there are foods with nutrient profiles that match the needs of MS, ✨BUT✨if you don’t tolerate them or feel good eating them, they’re not for you.
I’m hosting a Masterclass next week all about this.
⭐️5 Steps to Creating Your Own MS Diet⭐️
You’ll walk away with:
✨Confidence you’re moving in the right direction regarding changing your diet. You’ll know where to start, how to troubleshoot when you “fall off the wagon” and how to find what works for you.
No more feeling like:
- you have to start AGAIN on Monday..
- you can’t go out to eat with your friends..
- you’re at the mercy of the few foods you tolerate..
Come join me to learn the balanced way out of all or nothing food land.
Comment MASTERCLASS below and I’ll send you the link to sign up!!
My mom will confirm, this was me HARD as a kid.
I used to hate all forms of vegetables, just cause they were vegetables. Whether or not I had tried them was irrelevant, I hated them all the same.
Now, I’m not saying this to blame myself for anything, I’m more saying this as a message of solidarity and that it’s never too late to change.
But I also understand that process is hard!!
Sometimes getting support can help you move forward.
If you:
- are wanting to change your diet to help MS symptoms but aren’t sure where and how to start
- feel frustrated when you do make changes because you can’t stick to them
- have already been eating super strict and can’t seem to add more foods back to your diet
My Masterclass the 5 Secrets to Creating your Own MS Diet is for you!!
Comment MASTERCLASS below and I’ll send you the link to sign up!!
My mom will confirm, this was me HARD as a kid.
I used to hate all forms of vegetables, just cause they were vegetables. Whether or not I had tried them was irrelevant, I hated them all the same.
Now, I’m not saying this to blame myself for anything, I’m more saying this as a message of solidarity and that it’s never too late to change.
But I also understand that process is hard!!
Sometimes getting support can help you move forward.
If you:
- are wanting to change your diet to help MS symptoms but aren’t sure where and how to start
- feel frustrated when you do make changes because you can’t stick to them
- have already been eating super strict and can’t seem to add more foods back to your diet
My Masterclass the 5 Secrets to Creating your Own MS Diet is for you!!
Comment MASTERCLASS below and I’ll send you the link to sign up!!
It’s been a week for me… maybe you too?
Use this short video for a moment of peace and regulation.
What do you notice in your body and about your emotions when you exhale and drop your shoulders?
Or when you hear bird songs?
Notice what makes you feel more calm, relaxed and at peace.
Do more of that..
It’s been a week for me… maybe you too?
Use this short video for a moment of peace and regulation.
What do you notice in your body and about your emotions when you exhale and drop your shoulders?
Or when you hear bird songs?
Notice what makes you feel more calm, relaxed and at peace.
Do more of that..
I get it… I was once in paralysis by analysis for years!!
I’m creating a Masterclass/Workshop experience in August to cover this exact topic: what and how to eat for MS.
BUT!! I need your help to narrow down what we’ll be talking about.
Which of these options sounds most helpful?
Comment the number below!!
Workshop ideas:
1. Simple Nutrition for MS: what you need to know about eating for healing
2. Create Your Own MS Diet: How to know what is best for YOU, while also helping MS symptoms
3. Education into Action: How to put the knowledge you have into action steps that make progress
4. Blend of it All: Education, steps to finding your own MS diet and how to get started
Want something else?? Tell me 👇🏼👇🏼
I get it… I was once in paralysis by analysis for years!!
I’m creating a Masterclass/Workshop experience in August to cover this exact topic: what and how to eat for MS.
BUT!! I need your help to narrow down what we’ll be talking about.
Which of these options sounds most helpful?
Comment the number below!!
Workshop ideas:
1. Simple Nutrition for MS: what you need to know about eating for healing
2. Create Your Own MS Diet: How to know what is best for YOU, while also helping MS symptoms
3. Education into Action: How to put the knowledge you have into action steps that make progress
4. Blend of it All: Education, steps to finding your own MS diet and how to get started
Want something else?? Tell me 👇🏼👇🏼
FYI- This process took several YEARS for me . So please stop beating yourself up if you’re not here yet.
Tbh- I needed to go through the scared, intimidated, rebellious no way before I got to the heck yes.
It took me being at rock bottom, symptoms out of control and knowing I needed something else.
So I didn’t really “do anything” to be ready.
I just was when I was.
If you’re feeling ready to make diet changes to help your MS symptoms, I created an Eating for MS guide just for you!
Your guide includes:
- The best foods to be eating when you have MS
- Several ways to get started
- Fast and easy meal ideas
- And so much more!!
Comment GUIDE below and I’ll send you the link to download!
FYI- This process took several YEARS for me . So please stop beating yourself up if you’re not here yet.
Tbh- I needed to go through the scared, intimidated, rebellious no way before I got to the heck yes.
It took me being at rock bottom, symptoms out of control and knowing I needed something else.
So I didn’t really “do anything” to be ready.
I just was when I was.
If you’re feeling ready to make diet changes to help your MS symptoms, I created an Eating for MS guide just for you!
Your guide includes:
- The best foods to be eating when you have MS
- Several ways to get started
- Fast and easy meal ideas
- And so much more!!
Comment GUIDE below and I’ll send you the link to download!
I get it- it’s really easy to shame yourself into changing something, especially your diet/the foods you eat. And especially when we feel there are other things we “should be doing” because we know “it’s better for us”.
But that is NOT my wish for you.
Hi 👋🏼 my name is Alissa and we do things differently around here.
My goal is to empower you with the knowledge and tools necessary to make informed decisions about your dietary choices, tailored to your unique MS needs and preferences.
This is why I wrote my Eating for MS Guide the way I did.
I did not give you foods to fear or messages of ONLY EAT THIS FOOD FOREVER OR ELSE.
I’m giving you the tools to be confident in the choices you’re making, because you know it works for YOU. Not because you “should” do it this or that way.
If you’ve been wanting:
- to eat in a way that supports your body with MS, but are confused about all the different messages online
- to feel empowered about your choices, not shamed
- to do it all in a gentle, slow way, not a crash diet..
My guide is for you!!
Comment GUIDE below and I’ll send you the link to download!!
I get it- it’s really easy to shame yourself into changing something, especially your diet/the foods you eat. And especially when we feel there are other things we “should be doing” because we know “it’s better for us”.
But that is NOT my wish for you.
Hi 👋🏼 my name is Alissa and we do things differently around here.
My goal is to empower you with the knowledge and tools necessary to make informed decisions about your dietary choices, tailored to your unique MS needs and preferences.
This is why I wrote my Eating for MS Guide the way I did.
I did not give you foods to fear or messages of ONLY EAT THIS FOOD FOREVER OR ELSE.
I’m giving you the tools to be confident in the choices you’re making, because you know it works for YOU. Not because you “should” do it this or that way.
If you’ve been wanting:
- to eat in a way that supports your body with MS, but are confused about all the different messages online
- to feel empowered about your choices, not shamed
- to do it all in a gentle, slow way, not a crash diet..
My guide is for you!!
Comment GUIDE below and I’ll send you the link to download!!
Or for when you’re trying to talk yourself out of being sick.. 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️😂😂
Even if you feel fine, try saying a few of these out loud. Feel what happens to your body when you do.
Do you feel an expansion or lightness in your chest?
Does breathing get a little easier?
Just notice the shifts in your body.
I’m not saying we can talk ourselves out of it (illness, flares etc) … but… our body and cells respond to our thoughts.
So how we think about ourselves is definitely in the conversation of how we can take care of ourselves overall.
🧡🧡🧡
Or for when you’re trying to talk yourself out of being sick.. 🙋🏻♀️🙋🏻♀️😂😂
Even if you feel fine, try saying a few of these out loud. Feel what happens to your body when you do.
Do you feel an expansion or lightness in your chest?
Does breathing get a little easier?
Just notice the shifts in your body.
I’m not saying we can talk ourselves out of it (illness, flares etc) … but… our body and cells respond to our thoughts.
So how we think about ourselves is definitely in the conversation of how we can take care of ourselves overall.
🧡🧡🧡
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