The mystery of the weight loss

So lately I've been getting a lot of comments on my physique. On Friday Judy commented on my back being more ripped, and on Wednesday when I walked in Jeff took one look at me and imeddiately said "Hey you've lost weight haven't you?" Obviously, a nice thing to hear. Then a few minutes later after the workout I took my shirt off and Blain asked, "You've been hitting the Hydroxycut?"

I have no idea why, but I seem to be changing at a much faster pace then like 3 months ago. I look at my diet and I'm still doing the zone with a 4-4-2-4 plan (albeit with some breaks) , although I'm trying to reduce the amount of dairy in my diet. I'm also still crossfitting at the same consistency, but I've also noticed a decrease in my strenght, not lifting as near as heavily as I was around early December. So what gives?

I can think of a few factors that have changed that might be why I'm starting to see some change in my rate of change:

1. GHD situps: These things have helped me figure out how to keep my core tight like no other exercise. Applying what I've learned from them I now keep proper core tension in all the lifts.
2. My hip is no longer a problem: Well, it's still an issue, but now I have it under control. Thanks to Olga and the foam roller, I've been able to keep my hip flexors loose, allowing me to push myself harder and get more out of each workout.
3. I'm more hydrated: I used to drink very little during the day, and combine that with the Concerta that I used to take, and you have someone who's always dehydrated, like when I donated blood they had me drink two bottles of water to hasten the process because my blood was so thick. It started out with trying to drink more water because of the massages, but it has now become an everyday task that I try to take on.

Now that my body seems to be finally healthy, I think the last peice of the puzzle for me to really excel is to get better at forming a game plan for the wods.

I never go into a workout thinking "ok I'm going to do 10-8-7 wallballs". I just think "Ok I need to do 25 wall balls". The lack of a gameplan makes it harder for me to keep focus, to push myself. I don't have these little attanable goals that can keep my focused on pushing myself. I need to create some type of consequence for slacking, because I don't seem to be very competitive. I don't use other people's scores to really drive me, and when I do try the results are eh. During the MAC hopper I had a 15 min cutoff, scaring me into really pushing myself. When I visited Crossfit Bloomington, I had the drive to make sure to pwn all the noobs, to make it clear I was the alpha male, even if for only a few days. Here at CFOT, I'm just happy, I'm content. Contentment, however, isn't an ingreadiant for making a driven person. I used to have the need to prove myself to others, but now I don't feel that anymore. Hmmm, now that I think about it, I am usually the most senior member in the PM classes (except for Tom now). I've tried to draw on the need to establish Alpha-maleness in the PM classes before, but it has never really worked, mostly because (I tell myself) I'm one of the few who is actually doing the wod Rx'd, or doing elite weight. Perhaps I need to get rid of that excuse and tell myself to really suck it up and treat the wod as a competition. I just need to start coming in close to first for this to work, but whenever I'm near the last person to finish (and I usually am) it just feels like the goal is a little too far away.

Whatever the case, I'm glad that I've done something to step up my game. Near the end of last year I felt like I was starting to stall, seeing diminished returns. Now with the new hip and all I'm starting changes occuring at a faster rate.