If I suddenly go missing, someone investigate my Box!

Okay, apparently the one time this stupid blog has more than one reader happened to be the time that I risk my life by calling Crossfit a cult. Now they are trying to murder me in the most painful way possible: through exercise. They are on to me I just know it! How do I know? Well when I went to a “class” yesterday I overheard whispers of, “look at that fat furry guy rocking the midriff shirt!” Which you and I both know is code for, “The geezer is trying to share our secret with the world before the leader says it is time… we must kill him.” Before this dumbbell slips and has a real dumbbell “accidentally” impale my groin, I’ll help you make your own decision by listing the characteristics of a cult. We can then see if crossfit matches those characteristics.

—CHARACTERISTICS OF A CULT—

—The group displays excessively zealous commitment or obedience to its leader— So crossfit is very sneaky about this. They rotate the leader on a daily basis and it is never announced who the designated leader really is at any given time. In fact, the only way to know who it is, is by paying attention to who is wearing the very discrete shirt that says “coach” on it. Of course, he or she is also the one offering instructions. If you don’t follow those instructions, you get “coached” into submission with things like: “You are actually supposed to bend your knees, not your back, when doing squats!” It’s their subtle way of saying, “submit or risk injury.” —Cult and Crossfit characteristic? Check.—-

—The Cult plays cool, loud songs like “Love removal machine” to “motivate” you. —Cult and Crossfit characteristic? Check.—

—Members are encouraged to spend and inordinate amount of time with the group.— Let’s just say that there are SOoooo many classes! —Cult and Crossfit Characteristic? Check—

—The group is elitist, claiming a special, almost exalted status of itself.— Whoa! This one is scary how much it describes crossfit. Crossfit is elitist to the point where our common language just isn’t good enough, so they invented their own. I’ll give you some of our inside lingo, just so you can also be indoctrinated. I should warn you: even though all of it sounds dirty, none of it really is. So here is this new member’s understanding of it (I think enlightenment doesn’t truly happen until I reach higher levels… ie. I can do 100 burpies).

Box – The specific gym where crossfit is performed. They all have names that remind you of death or pain, like “Death Crossfit,” “Pain Crossfit,” or the very worst of them, the one that makes me cry and whimper like a 41 year old fat out of shape blogger, “Backcountry Crossfit.” Each Box is in secret competition with the Box across the street, and ALL of them are superior to your weak, girly non-crossfit “gym”.

Snatch – This is a G-rated blog so I can’t go into great detail about this one but, again, trust me… it isn’t dirty.

Burpies – Not really sure what these are. All I know is that we do a ton of them. You jump up and down and burpy a lot. It seems to be increased on the mornings following eating Mexican food for dinner.

Paleo – Crossfits equivalent of the kool-aid (with, of course, no sugar added). Don’t know much about it yet… but this is why I happen to be risking my life blogging about crossfit in a blog about weight loss. Stay tuned!

WOD – This is an acronym for, “Prepare to Die Sucka!” It is also something more advanced members feel compelled to post to their facebook daily. I would pretend to be advanced by also doing this, but how could I do that and let my facebook peeps know that I had toast for breakfast? They are about as equally exciting on facebook so I’ll stick to my toast posts because it at least rhymes.
—Anyhoo, having your very own lingo… Cult and Crossfit characteristic? Check.—

Nice people… I mean REALLY nice people – I haven’t officialy found this as a cult characteristic but I can’t help but think of that cult that castrated all of its members while waiting for the Hale-Bopp’s comet. I don’t know about you, but if a grouchy guy told me to get in line to get my nuts cut off, I would at least have to think twice. However, if a smiling nice guy suggested that he has a way to literally cut a couple ounces right off me, I would reply, “That’s great! Where do I sign… and why are you holding a cleaver?”
So even though it might not be an official cult characteristic, isn’t it a little odd that people that work at a gym…err… box, would be so nice. I picture an Arnold Schwartzenegger looking character with a thick mustache insulting my girly muscles… and the men that worked there would be even nastier! However, at least at my crossfit, everyone seems really nice. From the kind people at the desk, to the helpful people wearing the coach shirts, and even the other “members” who are dying right next to you: EVERYONE is extremely nice. I don’t know, but it just seems odd that with what seems like someone’s last breath they would offer a, “good job buddy!” —-Crossfit characteristic? Check. Cult characteristic? Inconclusive.

Well since crossfit and cults don’t share 100% of the same characteristics (and because I have a wife and 4 kids who kind of need me around… the kids anyway), I’ll have to rule this as inconclusive. Now I’ve gotta run… I’ve got a comet to catch!

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The usual (and fat) suspects

Today was the first weigh-in since the weight loss contest started. Good news: I lost about half that Krave Burger! As we entered the weekend, I noticed a strange dynamic included in this wager. Their clause about having to pay money each week that you don’t lose weight over the prior week, had me strategizing. I knew I would lose weight over my porked out starting weight, but I didn’t want to lose too much that it would cost me next week. The irony is not lost on me as my fat fingers type this because I’ve got PLENTY to lose this week, next week, the week after that, the week after… well, I guess you get the point. My fat logged brain actually rationalized that I better finish my french fries for lunch so I don’t lose too much weight. I can’t go too hard on these poor suckers, right???
Speaking of which, as of right now, I have no idea how anyone else in the contest did this week. In fact, I don’t really even know who I am competing with yet. So instead of telling you about my contestants in this contest, I’ll tell you about the characters you can find in just about every weight loss contest. I was going to change the names to protect the guilty, but I killed all of my brain cells trying to rationalize those darn fries. Here are my fellow fatties that you can look for in your own contests:

The Larry- Starts gangbusters! You’ll hear things like, “All I had today was a piece of lettuce.” Sometime during day 8, he eats one of his cats and can be heard yelling, “sorry, but all I’ve eaten the past week is freaking rabbit food!” The Larry always finishes the weigh loss contest heavier than he started. Well… technically, he never finishes the weight loss contest but when it is over, The Larry weighs more than when he started.

The Paul- If he is in a weight loss contest, his entire office is going to be in a weight loss contest. If someone is so thoughtless as to bring in bagels (or heaven forbid donuts), they end up in the trash. It would be fine if The Paul stopped there, but he takes it a step further and starts emptying out the fridge (usually by eating the items in it). He does this regardless of whether or not the food is actually his. The tell-tale sign of The Paul is that he gets very grumpy. Did I say very grumpy, ha. Remember that poor person that made the mistake of bringing in the bagels, The Paul takes the liberty of delivering him a swift kick in the nuts.

The Christopher- You joined the weight loss contest because you thought it would be fun, and sure, maybe you do have a few pounds to lose. The Christopher has to claim his annual winnings from weight loss contests on his taxes. If he is in your contest, run as fast as your fat little legs will take you.

The Maria- Gets very serious about both diet and exercise… about four days of the week. Also writes a blog that is much funnier than this one about trying to get her fat butt back in her favorite pair of jeans. Is probably eating while reading this.

The ________ (insert too many women)- Actually take the diet and exercise thing seriously for the entire contest… but don’t lose any weight. You feel sorry for them and try your hardest to not let them know that you’ve been getting your exercise walking ALL the way through the buffet line… yet still have lost more than them.

The Stacey- She isn’t actually IN your contest, you are married to her. Well, I guess, really I am married to her. Usually waits until after the contest begins to start buying ice cream again. “Where should we go for lunch? A greasy burger sure sounds good to me!” Is supportive of your weight loss contests the first 1000 times, but for some silly reason gets fed up with them (well you… okay me) after that. Continues to increase your life insurance policy because she knows that it is just a matter of time before your ticker explodes.

Last and least, The Fat Tom- Kids himself with, “gosh… I think I actually wear the 4 chin look quite nicely, but weight loss contest would give me something to blog about.” Reminds anybody who will listen that muscle weighs more than fat with the daily, “Those aren’t love handles, they are called obliques!” Has spent the past 41 years outsmarting society by instead of trying to lose weight like a sucker, just buying larger sizes of clothing. Now when he wears his dress pants, has complete strangers yelling to him, “Hey Hammer, can’t touch this!” Also realizes that clothing doesn’t cover all areas of his body, so has grown fur over every inch of it tries to sell you on, “Hey, if it made Chewbaca look svelte, it can do the same for me!”

Anyhoo, those are basically your characteristics of your weight loss contestants. Sure you also have the person who should be in it but has what they are sure is an undiagnosed thryroid condition and the person who fakes a hamstring injury to get their entrance fee back after the first weigh-in… wait, I guess both of these could be added to the Fat Tom. So after surviving the first week of trying to go from Buddha to a Greek god (Buddha’s brother from Greece), I am down 6 lbs or 2.7%. Moooooo!!!!!