5 Lessons From 7 Months Without CrossFit
One thing that was pushed to the side when I moved to Colorado last August was CrossFit. I found a box near my new apartment and started my membership, but once the first week of school started I had to cancel. My new job was consuming my life. The little bit of time I had in the evenings needed to go to spending time with my boyfriend, eating dinner, and trying to relax.
This past March I finally got back to CrossFit again and since then I’ve realized that my 7 month break from taught me a few things. Here are 5 lessons from 7 months without CrossFit.
Before I moved here I was in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I had made exciting increases in strength. I was improving at Olympic lifts. I was at a point where I was super happy with my body and how I was doing in the gym. I had been doing CrossFit workouts and had been doing some additional programming from Hybrid performance. I was rather consistent with staying on track with my macros. I absolutely loved my box from back home and all the people in it. The box was my happy place and social time. Then I moved and didn’t step foot in a CrossFit box until this March. Here’s what I learned during my time away:
#1 Your Body Will Not Rapidly Gain Weight
For some reason I thought not working out consistently would mean that I would gain weight. Actually, the opposite happened. I lost weight. Around 8-10 pounds over my time teaching from August-May. Sure, it may be better than gaining weight, but it’s not something I’m happy about because losing weight meant losing muscle for me.
Plus, I believe 90% of the “muscle” I lost came from my booty. Seriously! I’ve had the same 3 pairs of black work pants from Banana Republic that I cycled through for teaching. The year prior when I was subbing at home, my pants fit nice and snug. By the end of this school year all of them were looser in the waist and baggy in the butt. It’s so annoying to think of the little bit of leg/ booty muscle I had gained and now it’s gone! Now it’s like if I don’t have a belt, well forget about wearing the pants.
Also, keep in mind this is all due to circumstances and personal things. I was super stressed and emotionally drained all the time. Plus, I was up and moving all day teaching, so if I was sitting at a desk every day it could have been way different.
#2 You won’t die from not working out every day.
It was literally months that I wasn’t consistently working out and my body was still fine. Big shocker. Sure I went to the apartment gym and did some body weight and basic dumbbell workouts when I could, but still. So take heart that if you ever have to take off time from working out that you’ll be fine…as long as you don’t eat like an idiot and at least are actively walking.
I’ve also relaxed on my “have to go to the gym every damn day” mindset. There have been a few days the past month where things have come up and I haven’t been able to go to the gym, but I don’t get all stressed and upset about it. This is life and things come up. It’s part of it. In the past I would get super annoyed if something disrupted my plan to go to the gym that day, now I‘ve relaxed on that a little. Once again, you won’t die if you don’t make it to the 5 p.m. CrossFit class on a Wednesday, Karen.
#3 Nutrition & Sleep is King
Even though I wasn’t working out super consistently I was still being mindful of my nutrition. That is one thing I could control. No, I didn’t count macros, but I did use my experience flexible dieting as my guide for how much I needed to try to eat. I still ate my same egg white protein oatmeal for breakfast (no I’m not tired of it). That would always keep me full almost until lunch. For lunch I worked really hard at bringing left overs or doing some basic meal prep on Sunday so that I could have a solid source of protein, fat, and carbs at lunch. Often times I would cook chicken in the crock pot and would have that with pasta or rice with some sort of vegetable. That was another guarantee that I would be full the rest of the school day. Protein bars were always my snack at the end of the day and dinner would be hit or miss. Some nights Brandon and I did have pizza or just pasta. Or a big bowl of cereal (hence the Reese’s Puffs below). Most of the time we did try to cook something decent. 
Why is this important? I believe it’s key to why I didn’t gain weight and how I have somewhat maintained my physique. Plus, I know when I’m eating well then I feel well.
My sleep was also very important to me. Sure I could have made it to the gym if I pushed back my sleep an hour, but it wasn’t reasonable. I would try to be in bed between 9:30 and 10 p.m., because 5 a.m. always came quick! If you sleep well and eat well then you’re going to feel 100 times better!
#4 You won’t forget everything you learned at CrossFit
I was almost convinced that once I picked up a barbell after not touching one for months, I would forget all the technique I had learned. That is false. Thankfully, I still remember cues and know how I’m supposed to move the bar. Of course with all things barbell related, you’re always working on your technique. It’s a never ending journey. So I may not be able to put as much weight on the bar and my squat snatches aren’t there, but hey at least I’m back at it.
#5 Working out is essential for my mental health
Sweat dripping down my face. Trying to catch my breath. Focusing on the next rep. Thinking about how to move the bar. Telling myself to jump up on the rig and do one more pull-up. I forget how much I love it. How much I need it. How essential it is. Working out is more than just caring about how my body looks. It’s my mental release. It’s my stress reliever. It’s my daily challenge against myself. It’s my confidence booster. My reminder to take care of myself. My daily test to do things I don’t think I can. If you have a hard time understanding why I love working out and CrossFit so much, this really is why. My mental health depends on it.
In March when I finally started going back to CrossFit, I noticed a difference in how I went home after a long day. There were a few days where I was especially upset or stressed, and once I left the gym I felt lighter and my mind had been temporarily taken off whatever was bothering me. I know Brandon definitely appreciated this too.
If you stayed with me this long, then high-five to you! I know this blog post is super wordy, but I think it has some important reminders. If you ever find yourself in a season of life where you can’t make it to the gym as much as you like, it’s ok. That season will pass. Find other ways that you can make sure you’re taking care of your health. Sure you may lose some gains, but the gym will be there ready for you to come back!
P.S. if you want to see more of my fitness posts be sure to follow me on Instagram @ blondefreedomfit and stay tuned for some updates to happen on here and more blog posts to come! Thanks for reading!