Last week, we wrapped up our first in-house nutrition challenge at CrossFit Undeniable. Over six weeks, participants learned about various nutrition topics, met in small groups to hold one another accountable, and tracked daily habits like eating whole foods, getting enough sleep, and avoiding alcohol.
It’s time to shine a spotlight on some of the amazing successes, and yes, announce the winners of our nutrition challenge!
First, let’s celebrate some successes. Everyone in the challenge worked extremely hard to stay on track, and it showed in their results!
One thing we tried to stress at the beginning of the challenge is that this wasn’t all about weight loss. With a change in body fat percentage, it’s possible to look leaner without actually losing weight. Still a little weight loss is exciting to see on the scale!
Our group lost well over 40lbs during the challenge with Ken and Sue both losing 8lbs, Valerie losing 8.5lbs, and Brandon losing a total of 12.5lbs! That’s over a pound a week for each of them. Nearly everyone showed pretty dramatic improvement in inches lost around the waist, hips, and chest. Hard work really pays off!
Check out Brandon’s photo comparisons (oh, he also went from 3-6 strict pull-ups!). It’s fun to see what’s possible in six weeks with some dietary changes and regular CrossFit.
Weight loss and body composition changes aside, one of the primary goals of the challenge was to encourage participants to learn more about nutrition overall and specifically about their own habits and routines. Paying close attention to your own eating habits can alert you to the fact that you make poor nutrition choices when you’re bored/stressed/tired/etc.
Here’s what a few participants had to say about what they learned:
I learned I eat out of boredom and if I distract myself that I am not really that hungry most of the time and the cravings will pass. – Ken
I had a great 6 weeks! I remained very disciplined in the first 4 weeks and a bit more “relaxed” in the last 2. I started a new job and traveled for work a full 2 weeks of the challenge, so eating right and paying attention made a huge difference on the road. I feel better and I slept better. A big help for me was eating a bigger breakfast. I usually have 2 eggs but added bacon (because, bacon) and that helped me feel full with no cravings. Skipping alcohol was not a big deal at all but it did make me realize how much I just have one because someone else is, and how that really adds up. – Sue
I pay better attention to ingredients. If I don’t know the ingredient, I leave it on the shelf. – Valerie
Too often I use the “all or nothing” mindset and while I know that I will always hit a stumbling block, or at some point I will fall off the wagon again, thanks to this challenge and the coaches sharing their wisdom, I know not to let one stumble derail my future. When I do fall off the wagon, it’s just an opportunity to make myself stronger by pushing myself back up again. – Ian
That “all or nothing” mindset Ian mentions is a real thing! Everyone in the challenge encountered obstacles, and we’re proud that they were able to overcome them and move forward.
Nutrition Challenge Winners
Throughout the challenge, participants were asked to follow eight daily habits (along with some weekly and one-time actions):
- Workout for 30+ minutes
- Create a journal entry describing how you feel and major accomplishments for the day
- Drink 8 cups of water
- Avoid alcohol for the entire day
- Avoid sugary drinks for all meals
- Avoid processed food/junk food for all meals
- Get 7+ hours of sleep
- Eat all planned meals throughout the day
The habits and actions were all worth a specific number of points. The male and female participant with the highest point totals at the end of the challenge would receive a check for $200!
Male Winner – Brandon Fusie
Brandon lost over 12lbs throughout the challenge along with 4+% body fat and inches around the waist and chest. He also increased the number of strict pull-up she could do from 3 to 6, which is amazing alone! He really crushed the challenge, and we couldn’t be more excited by his progress!
Female Winner – Valerie Fusie
On the women’s side, Valerie lost a total of 8+lbs (!) and showed amazing consistency in workouts, avoiding processed foods, and nailing the other lifestyle factors that all add up to success. We’re stoked with what she’s accomplished!
Real talk, everyone that completed the challenge is a winner in the best sense. Everyone made progress. Everyone learned something along the way. That’s what matters. A few challengers are even getting together to hold one another accountable until Thanksgiving. That’s awesome to see! We already have ideas on what we’re going to do differently during the Spring of 2019 when we run another challenge (email info@crossfitundeniable.com if you have ideas).
In the meantime, join us in congratulating Brandon, Valerie, and all of the other participants for a job well done!
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