Anyone who knows myself and my boyfriend Mike will know that staying fit and eating clean are two things that consume us. We joke between eachother that all we do is work, workout and eat. When we first met, I was attending a crossfit gym in Greenpoint, Brooklyn which changed my life and view on fitness. I won’t contribute this to crossfit, but to the box, http://crossfitgreenpoint.com/. I have never attended any other crossfit gym, and I would venture to say 3/4 of why I was so in to this gym was the people. It is one of the many reasons why Greenpoint will always have a near and dear place in my heart. About 8 months ago, I moved from Greenpoint to Manhattan and was faced with an incredibly difficult decision. How would I find anything that could replace Greenpoint Crossfit? I actually reverse commuted back to Greenpoint for the first 2 months to attend classes but this defeated the point of my move, which was to be closer to the office. I tried to rekindle my past love for yoga, but could not find a studio I enjoyed as much as http://pureyoga.com/. I established a new love for https://www.soul-cycle.com/ and even got Mike in to it. The only problem with Soulcycle was that to use it as my only source of fitness would have put me in the financial quick sand of death. For those familiar, unless you are willing to bear the elements and keep fit outside in New York City (the cost free option), staying fit comes with a high cost. After spending hundreds of dollars on Soulcycle, the mega giant nyc gym, equinox.com, didn’t seem so costly. I convinced Mike, who was happily working out at New York Health and Racquet club to humor me by visiting Equinox. It was easy for both of us to be drawn in by everything it has to offer, from classes, to extensively stocked locker rooms, vast location choices, and the big draw – coed steam room and sauna. Needless to say, I convinced him to leave NYHRC for equinox, and granted him the pleasure of having a tag along for his workouts and the responsibility of training me. Mike would be very unhappy with me if I did not make a point to mention that he has never and will never do crossfit. We have had countless debates about the striking similarities between how he works out and crossfit, and his utter disagreement with that fact. Never the less, this was my main draw in joining his workouts. The phase that we are currently basing our workouts on is Formula 50, a 6 week fitness plan by 50 cent. I have to admit that despite his constant persuasion, I have not read the book, but he has, and I consider him my trainer for all intensive purposes, so that is enough for me. We are in the gym a minimum of 5 days a week with 2 of those days being interval training on the treadmill. Each week the workouts get harder. The best advice I can give anyone regarding staying in shape can be summed up in a few sentences. Establishing the routine and making it a habit is the hardest hurdle. Once the habit is formed, the only thing of importance is to constantly push yourself. If it’s not hard, you aren’t working hard enough. Soon this feeling of being challenged in the gym will become a craving. I look forward to going to the gym and pushing my body daily. The results are what keep me going. I can honestly say that though I didn’t think it possible to find a fitness routine that would provide me with the self gratification and the enjoyment that crossfit did, I am happily working my way through Formula 50 and feeling fulfilled. My biggest fear in leaving the crossfit world was losing my strength, but thanks to Mike, and a little help from 50, I’m on my way to being stronger than ever.