Fit Faith: Strength Training and Nutrition Log

This article was written for LiftBigEatBig.com by Dana Mcmahan. She is a 100 pound powerlifter that goes to show that heavy weights and large meals contribute to overall improved health and well-being. This post is for you, ladies!

Even while I was shrinking I was growing stronger every day and was euphoric with the power. My coach eventually pulled me almost completely out of CrossFit work and put me on a powerlifting training program. I freaking LOVED it. As the callouses formed and the muscles hardened I found that I looked at everything differently. With every new PR my confidence soared. My attitude chilled — no need to get annoyed at petty things when I can go get under the bar tonight! I even finally got up the nerve to get a tattoo after thinking about it for literally half my life.

My weight continued to drop though I was devouring more food than ever. Only recently an omnivore after nine years of not eating meat I found myself craving steak and red meat. My coach pushed me to eat more to fuel my training. After a lifetime of thinking I was doing something right if I were hungry, I found a very happy new way of life: eat when I’m hungry. And eat plenty! Going to bed hungry had felt like a virtuous act most of my life — maybe I’d weigh less in the morning, right? Now if I wake up hungry in the night I stand happily and sleepily in a dark kitchen and eat spoonfuls of almond butter.

Going into powerlifting competitions I am judged on how much weight I can move, not on how much is on the scale. This was an incredibly freeing concept as a woman. Nobody cares what I look like on the platform, only whether I go to depth on squat, pause on the bench, and pull that shit off the floor in the deadlift. This isn’t to say I have completely undone three decades plus of trying to meet our culture’s idea of ‘ideal.’ I have serious guns, and quads that don’t fit into the jeans that fit my waist, and the veins in my arms sometimes pop out like a dude’s, but I still want to put on cute dresses and mascara and have my husband tell me I’m pretty.

(Source: liftbigeatbig.com)

We’re healthy. We’re happy. That should be enough. If not for this blog we’d have no reason to not feel thrilled and content with exactly where we are right now – no comparisons.

Coming to terms with your limitations and accepting them is hard. Learning to not care if others accept them is harder. We’ve both damaged our bodies in the past to the point that we’ll never look as good as the leading lights of paleo. And that is OK! It does not mean that we don’t have our own perspective, our own voice to add to the conversation. Nor do your flaws mean that you can’t join in either. So what if haters gonna hate? Think about the overall positive impact that’s being had, instead.

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Can we all agree that this system of living has benefits for everyone, not just the super athletes at the annual Crossfit Games? Then let’s accept all our brethren in the movement, regardless of size and shape. Let’s stop trolling each others’ inboxes and Facebook walls, or posting on Reddit and Paleo Hacks. If you wouldn’t say it to their face – don’t say it! There’s room for a variety of voices in this movement, because in order for the world to get on board – we need identifiable people all around.

We’re ignoring the chatter and criticism for us and our book not optimizing performance and our paleo(ish) treats being replications of neolithic disease. Let’s all drop the in-fighting and start figuring out how we can save the world – the general public – one person at a time.  In the meantime, Stacy and I will continue to be the fattest people in paleo. We’ll continue to try to inspire people by putting ourselves out there and braving jerks who clearly aren’t yet happy and fulfilled with their own lives.

(Source: paleoparents.com)