Ambassador This

This weekend, I found myself in the position of being an ambassador for both Crossfit and the Paleo Diet.  It's a big responsibility when people are coming to you unexpectedly for information, advice, and encouragement. I was thinking, "I hope I have my *&% straight as I'm explaining this to you." 

I spent the entire weekend at work in Baltimore City, taking care of 2 patients who, quite frankly, were not very nice human beings, not that I'm judging or anything.  Between the 2 patients, there were 3 police officers at their bedside keeping watch.  I can't talk about anything specific, but my favorite quote of the weekend by one of my patients was "I'm telling you 'These wounds hurt!' Last time when I got shot and was here for a month, it hurt but not this bad.  When I got stabbed 2 times in prison it didn't hurt this bad.  When my neck was cut, it didn't hurt this bad.  This hurts." Welcome to my work world.  Someday I'm going to write a much more entertaining blog about stuff I hear at work.  Having the Baltimore City Police Officers at your side for 12 hours can go either way.  Most of the time, they are chatty and friendly, and we love to exchange battle stories while I'm taking care of the patient.  Sometimes, I have to spend my 12 hours with a grumpy officer that I usually unsuccessfully try to "break" by over-chatting, and I end up feeling clumsy, awkward, and annoying.  Thankfully, this weekend gave me good company for my shifts.

One of my patients was guarded by a young officer who heard someone talking to me about Crossfit, and the officer started asking me about it.  It was weird:  Here I was, woman in her 40s, giving fitness encouragement to a 30-ish, fit officer.  He had heard about Crossfit but wanted to know more.  By the end of his shift,after I had shown him pictures, videos, and talked his Crossfit ear off, he told me he was calling the affiliate near him on Monday and getting started.  One more drinking the Kool Aid because of me.  I also ran into a nurse I hadn't seen in awhile.  I've known this sassy, strong girl for years, and it was great to see her.  She came up to me, and in her Nigerian accent said, "I love seeing all your CrossFeet stuff on Facebook!  I want you to know, you inspired me and I joined CrossFeet!" I realized I'm not in a support group for pigeon-toed people, and she was not pigeon-toed, so I high-fived her on the Crossfit membership.  I also gave her a bunch of *&^ about calling it CrossFeet... She goes to her Getting Started Class in Owings Mills tonight.  Um, we're going to need some more Kool Aid over here, I got another one.  Finally, another nurse told me that she's been doing Crossfit for 3 months now, and feels great.  She said she used to think I was crazy, but when I didn't end up hurt after a year, she figured it was a good plan.  She's about 5 years older than me, and she loves it.  I have to admit, I was a little disgruntled when she told me she absolutely LOVES the rope climbs.... Hrrrmph.  I'm sure that when I finally achieve my rope climbing ability I will love them too. 

Because I was working with a lot of friends I haven't worked with in awhile, I got a lot of questions about the Paleo Diet.  I love it how people say "Are you allowed to eat..." - as if I'm serving a self-prescribed food sentence.  I always begin by explaining that I'm allowed to eat whatever I want.  I have chosen to eliminate a few things from my diet, and as a result I feel much better.  I tell them that after a brief period of feeling deprived, I no longer want any of those things.  There were 3 dozen donuts and bagels at the nurses station on Saturday.  Even when at one point I was hungry, they were no more appealing to me than a pack of pencils.  My sugar cravings are gone, and I do not miss them at all.  But this isn't about a Paleo convert at work...

I have a good friend who has decided he needs to lose some weight.  He's concerned about his overall health, and reached out this weekend to Chris and I about getting started, today actually - yay!, with a Paleo diet.  He has several close friends around him doing it, so he felt like the time for him was right.  Trying to spontaneously rattle off the key points of following the diet and the primary benefits of the diet is tough.  Getting the whole concept into bullet-point format is also difficult, because there is SO MUCH information.  All the "why's" and the reasons are complex, so creating a summary is a challenge.  But I went for it, and between Chris and I, we got his plan together for his first Paleo Day.  He is a little overwhelmed about making big changes in his life, and I reminded him that all of us have felt that way.

If someone asks you about Paleo, Crossfit, or really anything of change, remember that.  The first step is a challenge, accepting that you are going to commit to a change.  All of us want to improve our health, become stronger, feel better every day.  Wherever we are in the journey, there are people who have already navigated the waters we are in, those who are following us, and those who are just at the consideration point.  I always remind people that accepting the change is a challenge, but by keeping the goal front and center, focus is easier.  And, it's important that people surround themselves with supporters of the same concept.  Just like my patient with multiple prior injuries -- he told me he wanted to change.  (I've heard this a thousand times, but his change will be dependent on whether or not he's living in free society after all this) I told him he won't change unless he's around good people who try to make life better for themselves and others. 

It's no different with eating or working out.  If you want to eat better, hang around people who eat well.  Make sure your spouse or significant other is ready to eat well also.  If you're beginning a new fitness regimen, reach out to those who do the same.  Crossfitters love talking about Crossfit to the point of being annoying to most people.  I hope that you have the opportunity not to be annoying, but to help someone along on their journey.  It feels good knowing that someone else will be feeling better in a short time by adopting the changes you have already made.