It's Not About Me, It's About My Son...

   PCF Kids 

“Simply the thing that I am shall make me live.”

I recently received an email from an athlete I made eating adjustments for in the past. She is stationed overseas with her husband who we salute for his efforts to keep us safe in the states. I will sell it short if I explain the lesson learned below;

Josh, I'm writing you to say thanks and I bet you don't even remember who I am. My name is Lena and you put together a meal plan for me over a year ago. I was heavy into fitness and figure models at the time, not so much performance, but a tight ass, abs and everything else (who isn't right).

I remembered our first talk after the pictures. If I remember you said, "well I like a challenge". I sent you the first bikini pictures I took in 16 years. One year before my son was born to be exact. I told you I wanted to look like the girls on your site in 12 weeks....apparently you thought that was a little optimistic:).

I remember pleading with you to do your best with what I had, that I was entirely focused and I could handle everything. I remember saying "I don't have to be the best my first time, I just want to look great." You begrudgingly agreed with only one hang up I can remember. You told me you didn't fear if we made it or not. It wasn't even that you didn't believe if I was focused or not. You said, "I fear the amount of work required to get you where you want to be in twelve weeks would make most people swear off eating right and working out forever, and I pray this doesn't happen to you". You were right.

I fell off the diet bandwagon at 4 weeks in. I remember the cravings, how horrible I felt, how sore i was. I would re-read that email you sent when you told me all this would happen because we weren't preparing for a lifetime of me looking great, and feeling amazing. We were targeting a day, and this is how all bodybuilders and figure athletes fail. You said, "I want to create people who feel great, and live great everyday. Who can do cool shit whenever because that's what they train for. I don't want to give people an eating disorder after they diet their ass off and gain it all back the next day. I want to heal people for good, not give them a temporary drug". Yeah I still have all that on my desk. It is so meaningful I couldn't get rid of it.

Anyways Josh, while this sounds like its about me its not. I failed the diet you said I might, and I went to a bad spot for some time. I gained a little more, I got a little lazier, but I didn't forget you. A few months later I returned to your site and just read your posts and started CrossFitting for the WODs, not for how my ass looked. I took the diet you sent me, and just added some things to eat and switched some things around from time to time all the while using your site as a guide. I would send a picture but can't attach anything due to restrictions, but I have lost forty pounds and am happier than I ever have been, and what's really crazy is that as soon as I started to focus on my WODs, the ass I wanted so bad just happened. It wasn't twelve weeks like I wanted originally, but it also wasn't hard at all, and now I love my butt in jeans.

Ok sorry, I have to give you the back story. While I love my new butt, nothing can make me happier than my new son.

All his life he has wanted to join the military like his Dad. And all his life he has been fat. Until now I just projected my bad behavior onto him. Until now he was fat because of me. 

When I stated truly learning and revamping my habits I noticed I was so deranged by the free media I would pick up all Paleo food for me, and all processed microwavable stuff for him. Somehow I was brainwashed into believing a growing boy needs these things. "He shouldn't eat what a dieting woman eats.", I would say. 

That was until I read a simple line form a post you did many months back. From the moment I read, "Diets are for fat people who don't want to change, we just eat like we are suppose to forever", I never again questioned if my son should eat what I eat or not. I know he should. 

From then on my son ate like me. My sixteen year old who just wants to be like his Dad finally looks like the man he idolizes. My son lost 25 pounds in four months, and has his first girlfriend. 

While I can't say I'm happy I have to take the lock off his door, I am happy he doesn't have to start his adult life like I did. My son can have freedom from food that I never knew until I was in my forties.

So thank you for helping me be the Mom I knew I could be. And more importantly thank you for making my little solider become the young man I always saw him as, vibrant, playful, and confident. If it wasn't for your honestly over a year ago, I don't know where I would be.

Thanks, Lena

Dynamic:

Back Squat 10x2 @ 70% 1RM

For Time:

8-CB Pull-up

100m-Run

10-Box Jump 24/30

100m-Run

15-Wall-Ball

100m-Run

3 Rounds

Post weight moved and time to comments.

Comments

[heather mc]

If you coulda been a fly on the wall today at the 9am JB....this post was just what I needed to remind me why this place and these people are mine. Ryan did a great job talking me down off the ledge, but the best quote to me here is "You said, "I want to create people who feel great, and live great everyday. Who can do cool shit whenever because that's what they train for. I don't want to give people an eating disorder after they diet their ass off and gain it all back the next day. I want to heal people for good, not give them a temporary drug".

I feel like that message gets lost sometimes in the "talk" of how many inches we've lost, how much our body fat is down. Your quote above is why i love you, the trainers and PCF...needed the reminder today.

Thanks Ry for dealing w/ me during my "mood".

[holly]

:)

[Jen D]

That post made my eyes well up with tears of happiness for Lena and her family, thank you for sharing your story with us Lena!

[Renee]

Great post and thanks for sharing your story Lena!

15:05

[Mo]

12:28+
10, love to chase you!

great story, thanks for sharing! definitely made this mama tear up ;)

[Carrie]

17:05 M (Red Band for PU and 12# Wall Ball)

[PJ]

15:28(m)

[holly]

17:02 M
thats cute monica

[terra kennett]

16:37 M

[Katie K]

16:25!

[Teri]

20 or 21 something. Just glad I didn't have DNF! This WOD didn't look that bad last night but WOW, kicked my butt! Thanks so much Ryan for running the last little bit with me! I thought I was going to die! HA HA
Lena, I love your post! I can relate to your story. My son now does crossfit too,only he's 23 and boy is he in shape! Sooooo proud of him! What love we have for our kids!! I thank God everyday for crossfit! Thanks for sharing your story with us!

[Franchise]

13:12

[Nikki Jones]

17:47m (couldn't get all pull ups- chest to bar)

Awesome post...Love that my kids are already coming to pcf. They look forward to it every saturday.

[Min]

14:something. Holy heat...

[renee]

I forgot my + for the 14# WB

15:05+

[k]

9am-ers...damn i coulda flapped my arms all of class. you all worked so friggin hard today.

Krissy...way to push it. Period. Just plain awesome focus.

Nikki...take the M on those pullups cuz when they're good, they're damn good.

Stacy...nice job so close to unmodified. You're comin back...let's keep the puking to a minimum. ;)

Ty...way to take on the really big box. I appreciate the heart you put in during and after wods.

To my solo nooner, Josh....holy CRAP was this your WOD or what?! I KNEW it when I saw it on the board this morning and you killed it. No stoppin at all! Thanks for strippin those feet for your squats. I knew we could correct that funky ankle thing.

WOD: 14:56...deezus
Min...you're a pal for doin this one w me. I surely woulda quit early wo ya. Whodda thought it would be so hard. Mo/10 and I think Franchise and Todd...big props for your killer times.

Dana...thanks for takin on that DL wod w me tonight. Was more spent from today than I realized. Gonna get that beotch to 10mins yet damnit.

[k]

oh...and min and i did do the 14# ball (makes the suckfest feel more acceptable).