Dear B: Should I CrossFit?

Dear B,

I'm a healthy 20-something female who is in pretty good shape, fitness wise. I mean I just ran a half-marathon and I juice for two meals a day! Just sayin'. I can always fit comfortably into my skinny jeans but I still feel fat. I keep hearing about CrossFit and how amazing the workouts are but do girls do CrossFit? I kinda want to try it but I'm a little leery since I do wear make-up and know my Tori Burch. I just want to get skinny and toned; not look like a man.

Love,

A

Dear Big Rich Texas,

Let's get one thing straight; bulging muscles are not chic. Flab, however, is less chic. I, too have toyed with the idea of giving CrossFit a go, and while I am in no way against it as a means of exercise there are a few areas of concern which I have complied into the following list. You're welcome. 

CONS

Lots of randoms in one gym that more closely resembles an abandoned warehouse 

WOD (forget pro-choice!)

Girls with bulging muscles

Slightly scary boy-men trying to prove their manliness 

Lots of strange noises coming from those lifting heavy items

PROS

Becoming one with your competitive side/finding your competitive side 

Being JLO circa 2002 in Enough "I could kill you" shape

Semi-attractive men who are in GREAT shape

So in conclusion, strong may be the new skinny but long and lean is always in. Might I suggest giving CF a go but also sticking with your weekly yoga practice or Pure Barre routine. 

XOXO-B

No kitten heels.

Ah, self-control. Exhibiting discipline over one's self. Being in my twenties and more importantly a female I have generally viewed this as a nice sentiment but far too daunting to master. However, I vowed when I turned the big 25 and became a real adult that I would do better. I would go further, try harder, you know push myself. Let's get specific.

I've tried this first with the health and wellness regimen - to be more disciplined with working on my fitness. I started Pure Barre classes again, and I now know one thing for certain - PB is evil but highly effective. Who knew your muscles could shake so much from exhaustion and that a 55 minute class could make even your hair hurt? Every time I'm on my tiptoes, cursing life and tucking to an unidentifiable techno song, I think about something less painful and tuck a little tighter. "Get on your highest toes, think 6 inches - we don't believe in kitten heels!" - actual quote from instructor.

I further exhibited self-control whilst standing beside Patrick Carney waiting for pad thai takeout. Considering that I was in my vehicle blaring "Mind Eraser" just minutes before said encounter, it was an act of God that I didn't just awkwardly stare. Or hug him. I was pretty normal, for me, with just a dose of awkward admiration during our conversation. Here's hoping the admiration outweighed the latter.

And now to the ole' job. First, let's be clear: middle school kids are the worst. They ask too many questions, they're super needy, they smell, they can't be subtle about ANYTHING and only a few of them can respond to sarcasm. Despite all of these things, a big part of me loves them, thus why I'm attempting to teach them how to read. However, when one of them randomly started rapping "I like it when you call me big pa-pa" during an exam, I had to count to five in order to not lose my S. Hello, self-control.

Now, with all that being said, feel free to lose control every so often...to keep life interesting, of course. Skip your workout one day and go to happy hour and laugh to burn those calories that you aren't really too concerned about anyways. Next time something really awesome happens, like say you run into Ben Folds while picking up coffee only after meeting your possible soul mate in the parking lot, make it your facebook status and/or tweet that. You know you want to. Maybe call up (insert his/her name here) and tell them that despite your best efforts that you miss them -chances are, they miss you. And hey, you can always blame it on your momentary lack of self-discipline.

xo.