PCF Paleo Challenge
Welcome to the Potomac Crossfit Paleo Challenge! We run these several times a year and we are now starting a PCF Ladies 30 Day Challenge. We’ve invited a small cross section of PCF’s ladies to take part in a Paleo Challenge experiment.
They’ll be eating “Meat and Veggies, Seeds and Nuts” in whatever proportions they want. The only tracking that we are going to do is based on:
1) Sleep
2) Fish Oil
3) Carbs
4) Stress
See the tracking sheet for more info.
We need your data and your help, so please post your questions to comments!
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November 24th, 2009 on 9:53 am
Sleep: Should we gauge our numbers based on sleep quality? For example, I got 10 hours of “sleep” last night (fighting a chest cold will do that to you), but I woke up once an hour between 11pm and 4am. Would that be a 10, 5 or 0?
Stress: Is this based on how stressed you are feeling or the number of external factors that may potentially cause stress?
I’m sure I’ll have more questions as we move forward. This should be an eye-opening experiment.
November 24th, 2009 on 10:21 am
Can I eat cashews? Or are they a non-nut nut?
November 24th, 2009 on 11:25 am
Regarding cashews, I received this feedback from Chad PCF: “Cashews, aside from not actually being nuts, have a higher carb content than nuts. 1 oz cashews has 12g F and 9g C. Compare to walnuts – an excellent choice – 1 0z has 18g F and 4g C.”
Interestingly, cashews are not consumed uncooked because they contain a toxic resin on the shell layer. This is why many believe that they should not be considered “paleo.” I’d like to get some more feedback around this because other paleo foods are cooked before eating(e.g. chicken). Should we focus more around Chad’s reasoning?
November 24th, 2009 on 11:38 am
Thanks Kelly, good info. If only walnuts tasted as good as cashews…
November 24th, 2009 on 11:42 am
Wendy – not sure about the sleep thing. Maybe write in your blog the quality and put on the chart a 10??
But on stress: I think that there are 1,000′s of stressors out there in our every day lives but you need to document the ones that actually are affecting you that day. For instance, I could be nervous about that creepy guy who was staring at me this morning while I was walking my dog OR I could be scard &*%$-less and sick to my stomach about it. The first one I likely wouldn’t be thinking about again but the second one would result in a lesser score.
And, in lines with Susan’s question I want to know how strict this strict is. Are we saying “no” to:
Peanuts/Peanut Butter
Protein Powder
Green Beans/Peas/etc
Limit squash and sweet potato intake
Vinegar
Is this a Melissa Urban “see what your body can handle so don’t ever eat anything non-paleo” clean or is it a “I’ve already done the clean and know that PB and protein powders aren’t a big deal for me so I eat them” clean?
November 24th, 2009 on 12:30 pm
Wendy – base it on quality hours, so if you are awake on and off for 8 hours in bed, gauge how much time you were actually asleep. If this is a common issue with you, try ZMA.
Kassi – good point. If you’ve done this before and know what you can handle, go for peanuts. If you have never done this before, and that would be most of you, stick with “Meat and veggies, seeds and nuts.”
November 24th, 2009 on 12:35 pm
Any suggestions on some good things to eat? This sounds like it’s going to be bland! Most dressings/sauces are out, correct?
November 24th, 2009 on 12:46 pm
Susan – it’s only bland if you make it that way. You can use spices and herbs and if you don’t over cook your meat it’ll be fantastic. Salsa is a great thing to use if you need to have some sort of topping on meat, eggs, salads, etc. Check the labels and make sure it doesn’t have sugar or other crap in it… or make it yourself.
Use your imagination with paleo foods. Make a salad dressing with lemon/lime juice, olive oil, spices, shallots, etc. Shout out for this dressing goes to LeeAnn. Guac is also fabulous.
A box that I visited in the ST Louis area started a blog on recipes and stuff. It’s linked to my name if you want to check it out. Good stuff, but she uses a lot of soy sauce (not paleo).
November 24th, 2009 on 12:46 pm
Susan- I LOVE to put avocado or guacamole on my salads and meat. It adds great natural flavor. Squirting lemon or lime juice on food with some garlic is also delicious.
I have been eating a Paleo diet for considerable time now (before I started Crossfit in Sept) and my tastebuds have changed dramatically. You will reach a point where food is no longer bland and you begin to appreciate the natural flavors. If you look at my blog, the foods I listed are all eaten with no additional sauces/dressing/seasoning and I actually enjoy them.
November 25th, 2009 on 4:39 am
What about Splenda? Does that count as “badness” And what about dairy?
November 25th, 2009 on 5:14 am
Artificial sweeteners = badness.
November 25th, 2009 on 5:28 am
Dairy=Badness
November 25th, 2009 on 5:54 am
So I took ZMA for the first time last night. I was looking forward to some “trippy” dreams as described by Brian, but don’t remember any dreams at all. I didn’t sleep any longer than my usual 7.5, but felt that the quality was improved. Good stuff.
November 25th, 2009 on 6:57 am
Susan,
I think you’ll be surprised at the impact of cutting dairy out of your diet. I was skeptical (I LOVE cheese) but found that it really made a difference in the way I felt. So much so that I continue to have in in moderation (rarely) now that my clean isfinished. Give it a try. Once you get used to what you can and can’t have (about a week or so) the clean really isnt all that bad.
I found a couple blogs to be really helpful in figuring out what to eat and finding some good recipies. Check out two of my favorites(http://eatmovethrive.blogspot.com/) and (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/) for some ideas.
November 25th, 2009 on 9:37 am
Susan: Click my name for a link to Penzeys. Fantastic spices. Good value. There is a shop in Falls Church that is definitely worth a visit. Spices / herbs do WONDERS for veggies and meats. Their spices are very fresh and tend to stay that way for much longer than the grocery store stuff.
Thanks all for the feedback on sleep / stress. Will have to try the ZMA.
BTW – went to Whole Foods to pick up some of the Carlson’s Oil. Almost $50.00!!!!! Get it online instead through the link Brian provided.
http://www.amazon.com/Carlson-Laboratories-Finest-Flavor-liquid/dp/B0001VKNSM
Looks like I’m tacking some supplements to my Amazon order this Xmas.
November 25th, 2009 on 9:47 am
So is it better (5 points) to eat fruit than just a little bit of splenda (0 points)???
November 25th, 2009 on 9:52 am
I’m feeling hungry but there’s nothing I want to eat that’s ok. And I have a headache. And mom’s making meatloaf for dinner. Did a few breadcrumbs ever hurt anyone???
November 25th, 2009 on 10:00 am
Another question: tomatoes – fruit or vegetable for these purposes?
November 25th, 2009 on 10:05 am
Susan- ABORT! If you’re hungry, you need to eat something. Not feeling like eating anything paleo? Well, just start eating a chicken salad or something of the sort and by the time you’re finished you won’t be hungry anymore and have forgotten about the Red Velvet Cupcakery Cupcakes for the time being. Just. Get. Through. It.
As far as the meatloaf/breadcrumbs is/are concerned, just eat something else. The idea of a paleo clean is to rid your body (read: detox) from all of the badness that we’ve been eating. Grains cause a significant amount of inflammation in our digestive systems that we don’t notice if we eat them every day. Say you have the meatloaf tonight, then tomorrow at Thanksgiving you eat stuffing. A couple of days later you have some beer, the next day a tiny bit of crackers. This method will not rid your body of the grains and will not show you how your body reacts to them in 30 days so therefore the clean is pointless. It takes anywhere from 7-15 days for your body to adjust from eating bread, pasta, etc. so be patient.
All of this info is from Mark Sisson’s website that Erika linked to. Go to the search bar and type in “grains” and read up on it.
November 25th, 2009 on 10:35 am
Susan,
On fruits and Splenda: anything that is made in a laboratory isn’t paleo, so therefore Splenda isn’t paleo. Fruits are better for you than artificial sweeteners because they actually have calories and nutrition in them that satisfy you instead of get your body all excited about having a sweet and not getting any energy from it.
There is a study from Perdue that linked artificial sweeteners to weight gain. Here’s the short version:
In the Purdue study, the rats whose diets contained artificial sweeteners appeared to experience a physiological connection between sweet tastes and calories, which drove them to overeat.
“The taste buds taste sweet, but there’s no calorie load that comes with it. There’s a mismatch here. It seems it changes your brain chemistry in some way,” Savard said. “Anything you put in your mouth, your body has a strong reaction to it. It’s much more than counting calories. It seems normally with sweet foods that we rev up our metabolism.”
Also I have a different take linked to my name that talks about how Splenda is one step away in the molecular structure to being poison.
November 25th, 2009 on 11:24 am
What about condiments? Are mayo and mustard ok?
November 25th, 2009 on 11:44 am
Susan,
Kas pretty much covered it. Yes, fruit is better than splenda. Why? It is real food. Veggies are better than fruit, but if you can cut all the processed crap out of your diet, I’ll take it. I eat fruit pretty much every day.
The first few days seem daunting (nothing I want to eat….a few breadcrumbs never hurt anyone….) but TRUST ME when I say that once you detox (like Kas mentioned) you will feel fantastic. And will be glad you did. Just get through it. The first couple of days are the worst, then you’ll adjust. Read over Melissa Urban’s stuff (www.urbangetsdiesel.com) if you need some inspiration.
As for tomatoes, they are a fruit. But see above — if it is a choice between tomatoes or a splenda cupcake, take the tomatoes!
November 25th, 2009 on 6:01 pm
Good questions so far, hope everybody is doing well on their tracking sheets and has a good Thanksgiving!
November 26th, 2009 on 5:59 am
Susan – If it makes you feel any better, I completely feel your pain.
Thus far – 0 for 3 on the carb score
Reckon I’ve got 30 days to get this right.
November 26th, 2009 on 7:38 am
Happy Thanksgiving! Good luck during the holidays! If you cheat, cheat smart….meaning not too much. Don’t completely deviate from the plan even if you have a slight slip up.
I know I’ll be enjoying fresh roasted turkey smothered in avocado! Yum!
November 27th, 2009 on 6:37 am
ok, so… I know that I may really regret throwing this question out there, but for the integrity of this experiment…
Coffee. one plain black cup of coffee. each morning.
Acceptable or badness?
November 27th, 2009 on 9:41 am
For this iteration of this experiment, totally fine.
The only reason I’d prescribe avoiding caffeine is if one is showing clear signs of adrenal fatigue:
-Insomnia
-Morning lethargy, then evening activeness
-Light sensitivity
-Sick alot
-Poor digestion
-Difficulty concentrating
November 27th, 2009 on 9:53 am
Brian is my new favorite person
November 27th, 2009 on 2:30 pm
During today’s WOD, I felt REALLY fatigued….more than usual. I had to scale the workout from the start.
Visually, I know that I am consuming less carbs and more fat than when I was weighing and measuring. I have also not eaten any fruit. While I was zoning, no less than 50% of my carb grams were from fruit. For Thanksgiving, the only cheat was a few bites of a cheesecake. What’s going on??
November 27th, 2009 on 2:54 pm
I started the 30 day challenge on Tuesday 24th. I felt sick all day on Tuesday. On Wednesday I was OK. On Thursday I felt sick by 7pm. And today…well let’s just say I am hoping to feel better tomorrow. I had to take a nap today, I was soooo tired. My WOD today was fine except for the part where I want to up chuck during the burpees.
I ate well today so I am hoping to feel great for tomorrow’s 10am WOD…I HOPE!!!
November 27th, 2009 on 3:01 pm
Hey…probably sumb question but how do you add a picture to the left of what you write? Thanx
November 27th, 2009 on 3:01 pm
dumb….not sumb:)
November 27th, 2009 on 4:13 pm
Totally normal to feel lethargic when you are cutting carbs. You’re body will adjust, but that’s why this is a 30 Day Challenge…
I know that’s not super-comforting, so I’ll consolidate some case studies to show you that this is not only common, but expected.
November 27th, 2009 on 5:26 pm
Kelly M:
Go to http://www.gravatar.com to upload a picture!
November 29th, 2009 on 2:05 pm
So I went shopping today and it seems like everything has something in it we can’t eat. For example, nearly all bacon says it has sugar (even though it says carbs=0) – do we have to avoid that, or is it small enough to ignore? I know someone had said something about using lemon juice – isn’t that technically a fruit? Speaking of fruit, what qualifies as a fruit and not a vegetable? Is it anything with seeds? Is vinegar a definite no-no? I wanted to make some tuna salad, but mayo has vinegar. Is there something I can substiture?
November 30th, 2009 on 7:57 am
Also, what about gum? Is there any gum I can chew and get full points?
November 30th, 2009 on 8:54 am
Susan, don’t worry about vinegar or mayo, go for it.
Do avoid food that has sugar in the label, plenty of meat out there w/o that as an added ingredient.
Avoid gum b/c of the artificial sweeteners. We’re trying to counteract DECADES of hyperinsulimia, that’s why we go 30 days SUPER CLEAN to set new habits and break the old ones.
November 30th, 2009 on 9:10 am
Are you saying I can have balsamic vinegar on my salad, too?
As instructed, I’m blogging – link in my name.
November 30th, 2009 on 9:21 am
Yes, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, whatever vinegar you want.
November 30th, 2009 on 10:45 am
Hey team, sorry I’ve been MIA! Little to no interweb access for the last 5 days.
Susan (and everyone): try your best to focus on what you CAN eat. That would be whole, natural, delicious food. I’ll post my basic shopping list below; add any veggies/fruits you love and take off the ones you hate. Make it work for you. Robb Wolf has a great post on shopping, too — it will help: http://robbwolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/shopping-food.doc
As Brian said, small amounts of condiments like mustard, mayo, or vinegars aren’t going to kill you. When possible, make your own. There are great recipes out there — just do some Googling for “Paleo” plus the name of what you’re looking for.
November 30th, 2009 on 11:05 am
The Humble Gourmand – Very Basic Paleo Shopping List
PANTRY (keep on hand)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Garlic
Kosher salt
Onions
Fresh black pepper
Lemons
Herbs & spices
Vinegar (red wine, balsamic, apple cider)
Loads of nuts
VEG & FRUIT
Broccoli
Asparagus
Bell peppers
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Kale
Red leaf lettuce (with lettuce, the darker the better – skip the iceberg)
Spinach
Green beans
Sweet potatoes
Avocados
Apples
Berries
Oranges
Tangerines or clementines
Unsweetened applesauce (even better, make your own – it’s SO easy. http://humblegourmand.com/recipes/crockpot-applesauce/)
PROTEIN
Eggs
All-natural deli meat (Whole Foods)
Bacon
Ground turkey
Ground beef
Chicken breasts
Canned tuna (in water)
Steak
Beef & bison jerky (Trader Joe’s)
Etc.
In a regular grocery store, tons of foods have sugar added to them. Don’t lose sleep. Track down the products with the least amounts wherever you can, and keep your perspective firmly intact: you are choosing Paleo foods over grains, other sugars, dairy, etc., and that’s what is important. We can get you down to the nitty gritty of “Is my meat grass-fed? Is there sugar in my bacon?” after you eliminate bread, rice, pasta, cereal, and all the other foods where sugar is the main event. It’s a hierarchy that you’re going to move up slowly. Examples:
BEST: Grass-fed steak
BETTER: Corn-fed steak
BADNESS: Hot dogs (no resemblance to actual meat)
BEST: Uncured bacon (nitrate & nitrite-free, no sugar added. Order it thru the PCF buyers’ club)
BETTER: Cured bacon (what you’ll find on most supermarket shelves)
BADNESS: Cupcakes
November 30th, 2009 on 11:09 am
Thanks for all the good info.
What things that I might think are vegetables actually aren’t? I think someone mentioned something about green beans or peas or something…
Are carrots OK? I feel like I read somewhere that they are a suboptimal choice.
And finally, for now: I’m going on a crazy work trip next week (Sunday-Thursday; Cleveland, Columbus, San Francisco, Chicago) and could use some pointers on how to get through it. Any advice is much appreciated!
November 30th, 2009 on 11:28 am
I mentioned green beans and peas and I think they are ok as far as this clean is concerned but I’m not sure what the BossMan says.
They are technically not paleo because they are legumes…
Alison: I have hunted PLENTY of grass-fed, organic cupcakes. I know not of what you speak of with this badness stuff.
EVERYONE! Here’s a very important warning for you regarding that applesauce Alison posted: It’s wicked good. As in, I made it with apples and plums (about 3 of each) and proceeded to eat basically the entire crockpot when I got home at night a few weeks ago. Oh, and that Gran Jan’s Apple Crisp is pretty much the best thing ever.
Susan: any restaurant has food you can eat that is so yummy. Don’t be afraid to order a salad and say “no cheese or croutons” or to sub sides on that steak. I like to get burgers with a side salad at most places.
November 30th, 2009 on 11:33 am
Forgot to add: that Crisp from Alison is unfortunately very un-paleo.
Also, with the burgers, they are cheese and bun-free. You may want to make sure you pack some almonds or something because I find that when I travel I rarely can get enough fat in my diet via restaurant menus.
November 30th, 2009 on 12:44 pm
Kassi/Susan – as far as peas/green beans, I’m not too worried about it on your first 30 days.
Alison – whatever I’m paying you it’s not enough….
November 30th, 2009 on 12:48 pm
Susan:
When traveling, go to a grocery store instead of a fast food place for food. Pick up some deli meat or other packaged protein, fresh veggies, and nuts. Don’t think that a meal has to be cooked or be fancy. I’d eat deli turkey, bagged lettuce, a bell pepper, and a handful of almonds. Quick and easy.
Also, on my last trip, I bought a bunch of packaged Tuna, Salmon, and Chicken. These do not have to be refrigerated, are easily transportable, and can be eaten right out of the package. Check out my blog entry on Nov 18 about this. Bell peppers, snow peas, cucumbers, and avocados are also good options when refrigeration is limited. Stock up on almonds.
November 30th, 2009 on 4:21 pm
Kelly…Thank you for the help with the picture. I believe it works now.
November 30th, 2009 on 4:23 pm
And yes it does….What a nice picture it is:)
OK…the family has left town and I am EXHAUSTED. It is exhausting to balance fam and paleo/zone. I had to and I mean had to eat carbs today for lunch. But for dinner I was back on track. Starting over…ugh!!!
November 30th, 2009 on 5:06 pm
No problem, Kelly.
I agree that it can be exhausting to balance fam and paleo. The most tiring part to me is explaining why I eat the way that I do, and reassuring people that I won’t lose too much weight and become anorexic.
Although it becomes repetitive explaining why I don’t want to have a piece of my aunt’s famous pumpkin pie or why I brought my own side of veggies to dinner, or how I can stand to eat my food so “bland”(aka no butter or dressing); it’s good to know that I may be a positive influence to my family to make simple changes for their health.
Has anyone else noticed that you are talking more about your nutrition to friends and family while eating paleo?
November 30th, 2009 on 5:22 pm
Kassi and Kelly,
Thank you for the great diet advice before the WOD tonight!!!!
November 30th, 2009 on 7:31 pm
Kelly — in a word, yes. I’ve encountered everything from mild curiosity that passes quickly to genuine interest that’s followed up by requests for information to outright hostility and proclamations that I’m surely psychotic. Some of the latter’s most vociferous opposition has come from my family! Patience and repetition — them seeing you healthier & happier, over and over again — works wonders. My mom and dad actually listened when I talked about eating less bread & pasta last visit.
For good/bad choices, check out the block chart several pages into the Front Range CrossFit packet:
http://frontrangecrossfit.typepad.com/nutrition/files/frcf_nutrition_packet.pdf
Again, remember that it’s a hierarchy. Better to eat half a sweet potato than a piece of bread. Better to eat spinach than the sweet potato. Etc.
December 1st, 2009 on 5:33 am
Guys, remember to fill in your tracker. I don’t care if you’re compliant with the diet or not (I obviously want you to) but I need the data!
December 1st, 2009 on 7:24 am
Started yesterday. Hungry all the time……
December 1st, 2009 on 7:32 am
Guys,
I’ve gone pretty much full circle in my work crew with their reaction to my eating. It went from them claiming I was crazy and challenging my every bite to accepting the fact that I won’t eat lunch with them every day and proclaiming that I eat crazy healthy (I was so excited about this one.) Now, they basically ignore me and my multiple eating times.
It doesn’t do well for a girl who eats ridiculously great and has a co-worker exclaim on a daily basis “Wow, you’re eating again? Seriously?! You eat A LOT!” thanks, makes me feel so great. Please notice that I have approximately 10 calories of broccoli in my bowl with my 2 ounces of chicken here, fatty. Eat your donut the size of Texas and shut yo mouth.
As for my family, they are used to me eating better than them because I’ve always been smaller than them. They have given up on the crack when I visit and let me cook for them and agree that my food tastes better.
December 1st, 2009 on 8:26 am
A few months ago, I was helping to prep for a big deadline and basically lived at work for three weeks. I was in a team conference room every day from around 7 am until past midnight and didn’t have any opportunity to buy groceries or cook. We had all meals catered in. The food was the usual take-out fare — pasta, sandwiches, bagels, etc.
I quickly became known as the person who would only eat the chicken and broccoli bits out of the fettuccine alfredo, who threw away the bread from the sandwiches and ate the turkey and tomato slices instead, and who ate the garnishes (berries and orange slices) off the cookie tray. Most of my coworkers respected my choices, and a few even started to make better food decisions after watching me for a while.
What really struck me was that a lot of my coworkers, when faced with another pasta-fest, would joke about the imminent “carb coma” that would disable them from anything productive for a few hours, but would load up their plates anyway.
I got through in the end, but did feel slightly guilty for throwing away all the bread from my cannibalized sandwiches. I must have tossed five or six full loaves over the three weeks. Does anyone else feel guilt over “wasting” carbs?
December 1st, 2009 on 8:36 am
Patricia-I do all the time, but I mainly get mad when I order my food without a bun or without rice, pasta, potatoes, etc and then have to pay more for guac or for a side salad to substitute.
I bought a Costo-sized bag of oatmeal before I joined crossfit that is still in my cupboard because I can’t throw it away. I’ll never eat it, so I’m just probably going to donate it to a food pantry.
December 1st, 2009 on 8:57 am
Can I play Devil’s Advocate here for a sec? There is no doubt in my mind that food is an emotional thing. A lot of shrinks have gotten pretty rich off of that fact – so have gastroenterologists. Melissa Urban, Loren Cordain, and Mark Sisson have all written about this idea at some point. Mark Sisson recently had a great post (which was linked on the PCF board). Go to Mark’s Daily Apple and look for the “Diet as Dogma” article.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diet-dogma/#more-9354
My point in referencing this article is that it’s much harder to be defensive 24/7 of the choices that YOU alone have made than to accept that some people just won’t get there (here?). We’ve all made a conscious choice to participate in this challenge. Accept it. Be happy and excited with the positive changes you’re making in your life. Believe that you are 100% in control of this. You can start, stop, or give in to a craving at any point – but recognize that these are your choices to own. Own them and move on – otherwise your stress rating due to food is going to go off the chart.
December 1st, 2009 on 9:19 am
Wanted to see if anyone had recommendations for fish oil pills. Can’t take the liquid as a carry-on!
December 1st, 2009 on 10:30 am
Finally getting the carb thing a little more on track.
Techniques that seem to be working:
1) The tracking sheet helps. I’ve turned it into a game. “Can Wendy get more than a zero today!” So far, so good. Managed to avoid beer, my “bowling boyfriend”‘s pecan pie, my real boyfriend’s cookies, rice + the absolutely delicious looking and smelling crispy beef at the Peking Gourmet and the pasta lurking in the Tomato Florentine soup I had for lunch.
2) Fighting Cold Virus 2.0 (just after I got rid of cold virus 1.0) completely obliterated my appetite and taste buds. Makes it easier to not crave anything.
3) Stealth. I don’t comment when I put together my plate and my friends and family haven’t been saying anything (yet) when I don’t eat the rice/stuffing/cookies/bread. I think they figure it means more for them. Or I have friends/family who don’t particularly care about what I eat. It’s a win either way. And the boyfriend has gotten used to the lack of grains in my cooking. He now cooks his own if he really wants it
BTW – wouldn’t recommend item 2 as a way to get on track with the no carb thing.
December 1st, 2009 on 10:50 am
LeeAnn — Right on, sister. Seriously. Everyone should take good note of your points.
Wendy, sounds like you’re doing well. Hope the cold gets better!
Susan, Coscto sells a decent-value pill (not sure the brand — Kirkland?).
December 1st, 2009 on 11:12 am
Yikes. Like Alison, sorry I was MIA (and missed about a zillion comments) while in Texas (or what I like to call God’s country). Hope you all made it through the holidays relatively unscathed. And while all points have mostly been covered, I’d like to re-iterate Alison’s comments about trying not to sweat the small stuff. Yes, lemon and oil is better than vinegar — but really, as long as the vinegar isn’t the gobs of ranch dressing you’d normally eat, I’ll call it a win. Likewise, a piece of celery is better than a carrot, but a carrot is still a vegetable and not a cookie, so again….score. You’ll get used to it, and I’m here to tell you that even after a few short months of eating this way (I ended my clean in Oct) I felt like such complete crap after cheating at/around Thanksgiving (mashed potatoes and stuffing….two of my biggest weaknesses) that I was excited to get back to my steak and veggies life. For the questions about eating on the go, Kelly is right on with the chicken and tuna packets. I also find that paleo kits are a lifesaver in a pinch. Almost any restaurant will give you meat and the veggie of the day if you ask nicely. Again, don’t sweat the small stuff….just hold the hollandaise or whatever crap it might be drowning in and you’ll be fine.
December 1st, 2009 on 11:14 am
Oh, and Costo brand fish oil (Kirkland) and Carlson’s are both good. I order them online from Amazon, though I’m sure you could get them at the Vitamin Store. Just look for the highest concentration of DHA/EPA. Carlson’s and Kirkland’s I believe have on the order of 600g per pill (vice 300 or less in some others) which means more bang for your buck (and taking fewer pills).
December 1st, 2009 on 11:16 am
Alison, does the Costco fish oil have enough DHA/EHA?
December 1st, 2009 on 11:20 am
Susan, It’s pretty low so you end up taking anywhere from 9-15 pills/day. Just look at the lable and take what you need to reach your desired amount of grams of DHA/EPA
December 1st, 2009 on 11:58 am
Post-WOD nutrition question and snacking question:
I’m still pretty up there with my body fat %age but was wondering if I should do a post-wod meal of protein and maybe a few carbs any way. Thoughts?
Also, when I snack I usually am a bit scattershot-sometimes a small bit of protein/carbs/fat, sometimes just protein and fat and sometimes just fat. I eat a very stealthy amount of fat throughout the day and I don’t want to overdo it so I was just thinking of snacking on protein instead of a handful of nuts. Any comment on this approach?
December 1st, 2009 on 11:59 am
I’ve been eating really clean – but not entirely paleo – for months. By not-entirely-paleo I mean a few tablespoons of milk in scrambled eggs and some butter in the pan; natural peanut butter; legumes. And alcohol (which I’d like to blame on football and rugby, but that would be a poor excuse – and a lie.) I know this is one of the biggest things I need to work on during this clean.
BF has been hovering around 19-20% throughout this time. The lowest I reached was something around 17.5%. So here’s my question for the experts: Are these little things like peanut butter really messing me up? I know they don’t affect the way I feel (because I eliminated them for a while) but I can’t seem to break that threshold. Is this even something I should care about? I ask only because I’ve seen some references to the highest-performing women with BF between 12-16% and I have no idea how to get there.
December 1st, 2009 on 12:34 pm
KDawg – Just read this great article on Robb Wolf – “CrossFit On a Low Carb Paleo Diet” as I was trying to fing out more about body comp.
http://robbwolf.com/?p=782
“PWO carbs are a powerful tool that should be used sparingly under the right conditions. Avoiding a carb load after a workout will allow you to hold on to the insulin sensitivity you gained from exercising. This is a huge boon, especially for clients who are trying to improve their body composition.”
Check it out. Might give some insight to your Post WOD question.
December 1st, 2009 on 12:49 pm
L-Dawg: LYL
December 1st, 2009 on 1:22 pm
OK…it is 4:16pm and I am full and I mean full. I ate well today. Protein, Veggies, nuts and seeds. What I have eaten is less then what I typically eat when doing Zone blocks. Why do you think I am full? Maybe because I ate Chocolate covered Almonds yesterday to recover from the family being in town. Yes I realized I used food to deal with my emotions. But they were Whole Foods Chocolate Covered Almonds…doesn’t that count for something. No Corn Syrup:) But Seriously…I am not hungry doing this paelo challenge…I am…what is the right word…maybe bored. It isn’t very exciting. Any Thoughts??
And I am nervous about dinner out Thursday and Friday evening. Thursday evening we are going to Eventide. And Friday Evening we are going to an Indian restaurant. I think I can find something at Eventide. But Indian….with all the sauces and rice and bread….what do I do? Any thoughts!!!
December 1st, 2009 on 1:23 pm
Oh and btw…thanks for the links LeeAnn. I will check them out…
December 1st, 2009 on 1:54 pm
Kelly, I’d say stick to the plan as much as possible. If a meat is seasoned or marinated in sauce, don’t worry. Ask to have any extra sauce eliminated or on the side. Choose a dish without rice and bread. If there’s a salad menu, order one. If it’s a meat dish, hold the rice/bread. Get creative when eating out. Sometimes I’ll order an appetizer that has meat and 2 sides of veggies.
December 2nd, 2009 on 10:26 am
So yesterday and today I finally got 40 on the spreadsheet. My family left town, the fish oil and ZMA arrived and Thanksgiving is over. SWEET!!!
December 2nd, 2009 on 10:27 am
Thank you for the advice Kelly. I will check the whole menu over before selecting. And I already looked at the menu at Eventide and I know what I’m getting….YEAH!!!
December 2nd, 2009 on 10:50 am
Kelly, let me know how the ZMA works out. I’m still having sleep issues. I think I need to completely black out my windows with curtains.
December 2nd, 2009 on 11:03 am
Kelly,
Get the black out curtains! So worth it. I bought ours at Target, and they work pretty well to block the street light right in front of my house.
December 2nd, 2009 on 11:10 am
Kelly – Don’t underestimate light sensitivity to succesful sleep patterns, it’s a HUGE DEAL!
Kassi/Kelly – I don’t have an answer for you b/c I need more data. I think that this Challenge will give us a good amount of that.
Anecdotally, I can point to a correlation with frequency of non-paleo foods and increased body fat, I like Lauren Plumey’s summary here:
http://www.shorelinecrossfit.com/2009/09/meats-vegetables-nuts-seeds-fruit-mmmm/
Also, some good info here from Melissa Urban’s blog:
http://www.byersgetsdiesel.com/2009/04/science-is-hot-fat-loss-edition.html
What I want you to remember is that we need to try something for about a month to see what really works. If we aren’t being strict for a month or we change the parameters of the experiment in the hopes of better results mid-stream, then we tamper with the experiment.
So look at this 30 days as a way to help yourself truly understand the ins and outs of your diet and your performance, but that this will also help dozens (hundreds? thousands?) of other women out there figure out what works for them.
With that in mind, go fill in your nutrition trackers!
December 2nd, 2009 on 7:58 pm
One more thing on shopping: if you’d like to experiment with regular supermarket protein vs. grass-fed/hormone-free/all-natural stuff — and/or are crunched for shopping time — order from me. I send a list of what’s available around every Wednesday, collect orders by noon Thursdays, and deliver at PCF Sundays and Mondays. It’s a program meant to make eating well easier for members, so I wanted to ensure you were all aware of it as you’re working your way through this challenge.
Email me (alison@humblegourmand.com) to start getting the list.
December 3rd, 2009 on 5:48 am
Hey guys, I had a revelation last night regarding black-out curtains. If you can’t find them or your windows are hard to find curtains for or whatever, try one of those eye blindfold thingys. I used one all the time in college and still use one when I’m in less than desirable living accomodations in the Army. Aside from getting freaked when you open your eyes and can’t see anything, they really work wonders.
December 3rd, 2009 on 7:05 am
Brian -
To clarify on the fish oil – we only care about the amount of DHA/EPA, correct? And at that – 0.5 grams for every 10 lbs of body weight, right? I ask only because I suspect the prescribed amount for most of us is over 5g of DHA/EPA based on the suggested calculation. Thanks!
December 3rd, 2009 on 9:11 am
I know I post a lot on here, please forgive
I just found this recipe on Mark Sisson’s site for “Noatmeal”. For those of you who are still craving that hot bowl of oatmeal in the morning this could be a good alternative to stop that craving. It does involve fruit, but eating a banana is loads better than eating a bowl of oatmeal. Look at the comments, too as there are several variations.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/no-oat-oatmeal-its-no-atmeal/
December 3rd, 2009 on 9:40 am
LeeAnn – we only care about EPA/DHA. For the purpose of this experiment, anything over 5g per day is 10 points. If you want to up it to .5g/10 lbs BW then go for it.
December 3rd, 2009 on 4:28 pm
I’ve been doing some reading online and some people are specific about the meats you should and shouldn’t eat – for example, sausage and bacon are listed as foods to avoid (apparently according to the book). Fruits are encouraged. Brian, is the idea of your experiment to just get us off sugar, even if we’re eating high-fat/salty foods?
December 3rd, 2009 on 7:15 pm
For tomorrow’s discussion with M. Urban, where is it exactly?
December 4th, 2009 on 5:12 am
Susan – for the purpose of this experiment, sausage and bacon are fine.
Patricia – 1020 N Highland St, Pheonix Building, 2nd floor club room.
December 4th, 2009 on 8:33 am
Ladies, plan is to meet at the Phoenix at 6pm. You should have gotten an e mail from me, but just in case, here are the details. Use the call box to call the front desk and he’ll let you in. Club room is on the second floor, to your right out of the elevator. I left my phone at home, so if you need me, dont use my normal number, use my blackberry — (202) 491-3205, or you can e mail my Navy account and I’ll get it. Holler at me with any questions. Kelly W, I sent you an e mail but heard you can’t access during work. Please join us if you can, apologies for the screw up. Call me if you have questions.
December 4th, 2009 on 9:24 am
Thanks, Erika! See you at 6!
December 7th, 2009 on 5:34 am
Reminder: Paleo Challenge Meeting Tuesday, 8 Dec, 6:15pm at Moby Dicks, one block south of PCF.
December 7th, 2009 on 7:35 am
Hey everyone,
I’ll be late to the meeting (coaching at 6) but I wrote up some thoughts from Friday on my blog. Please feel free to add anything I missed in the comments… Look forward to hearing how things are going Tuesday!
December 8th, 2009 on 6:26 am
Won’t make the meeting tonight – will be on a plane somewhere between Columbus, Ohio and San Francisco.
Question: do we need to exercise some restraint when it comes to how much we’re eating? I just tore through a 12-oz container of almond butter (11 servings at 190 calories) in about 14 hours. That can’t be good for me, can it??
December 8th, 2009 on 7:01 am
I’m not worried unless you’re eating almond butter and only almond butter. PROTEIN. Make sure you’re having plenty of it.
December 8th, 2009 on 7:49 am
Hey Ladies,
Anyone have a copy of the Atkins Diet book that I could borrow?
December 8th, 2009 on 8:11 am
Susan:
At every meal/snack I have protein, fat, and veggies. Even though the number one focus is on quality, I think we should still be considering quantity and macronutrient combinations. I asked about this at the Paleo Seminar with Melissa and Dallas, and they agreed that being cognizant of food combinations is a smart approach when eating Paleo. This doesn’t mean weighing and measuring. If you’re eating protein and veggies with every snack, I doubt you’ll wonder if you ate too much almond butter.
December 8th, 2009 on 10:49 am
Great advice Kelly!
December 9th, 2009 on 9:40 am
I’m just going to put this out there….I had coconut water last and now I am having it was lunch and my calves are very very happy. What is up with that? It feels like restless leg syndrome but it is not because most people who have RLS are not “cured” by coconut water.
December 9th, 2009 on 11:00 am
Kelly, all I have to say is that if it works, it works! Glad your calf is feeling better!!
December 12th, 2009 on 1:05 pm
I did the 12 days of Christmas today and I hit a wall at about 15mins. I got really drizzy and I felt absolutely exhausted. I had to sit down on a box for a minute. I have never had to sit down. Stop…yes…take a breather…yes…but sit…no!!!
I think it has to do with the low carbs I am eating. I finished the wod. I got to 12 box jumps. But the exhaustion was unreal. Any thoughts??
December 12th, 2009 on 2:21 pm
Kelly, that’s understandable when you are on a low-carb diet like this, especially when you’re just getting started.
The best thing you can do is to scale up the load and down the reps on as many WODs as you can so you don’t go over 12 minutes. That’s usually the flame out point for most people.
If you’re still not feeling well today, go ahead and have some paleo starchy carbs (sweet potatoes, squash, etc). That will even things out a bit.
This is a totally common side-effect of a very low carb diet, but it is something that both your body will adjust to and something that we’ll combat after the 30 days by upping the good paleo carbs after the clean.
Anybody, feel free to add some questions on this if it’s not clear to you.
December 13th, 2009 on 6:37 am
Here’s an example of one of the first paleo challenges, how they ran it and what the results were.
http://robbwolf.com/?p=1046
Would love any feedback you guys have on the pros and cons of this system vs. the way we’re doing it.
Hope everyone is doing well and filling in their tracking sheet!
December 14th, 2009 on 4:33 am
I’m curious if anyone has seen results yet. In the past week, granted I haven’t worked out, I actually gained 0.4 pounds following the carb rules.
December 14th, 2009 on 5:22 am
Susan, this is totally common. When did you officially start? Can you link to your tracking sheet? Can you give me a general idea of what you’re eating?
December 14th, 2009 on 8:13 am
Brian – link to blog on my name. Tracking sheet is linked to from that page. I started legit on the carbs two weeks ago. Thanks!
December 14th, 2009 on 8:42 am
For Kelly: I think you’ll find the initial exhaustion is pretty common as your body adjusts to the lower carbs/paleo eating. I experienced the same thing and talked about it in my blog. Hit the wall, big time, on a couple WODs I normally do pretty well at and was super frustrated (ah, hell, pissed is more like it). Everyone kept telling me it would get better once I adjusted and I figured I at least owed it to myself to see if they were right and if I would truly feel better, or if this was all voodoo. And they were (can I tell you how much I hate admitting Matzner is right, ever?). After the first two weeks (which was when I really saw a lack of energy) things picked back up and I was fine. The temporary dip in my performance (I went back to normal and being able to sustain longer metcon efforts) was overshadowed by how good I felt on the clean. Melissa Urban touched a little on this same idea in her talk with us, and I think others (Kas, am I right?) had similiar experiences. All this to say: trust us. Your fatigue will go away once your body gets used to the different fuel source. Hit me up if you have specific questions.
December 14th, 2009 on 9:03 am
I need some help on veggies. For example, if I’m having bacon for breakfast, what vegetable goes well with that? Am I better off eating a small amount of fruit than no carbs at all? Besides giant salads (and guacamole by the spoonful), what are good ways to get lots of vegetables?
December 14th, 2009 on 10:40 am
Susan: don’t worry so much about what goes with what — eat what you like and what tastes good. Think of this as a way to expand your horizons. For breakfast sautee veggies (onion, pepper, mushrooms) in olive oil to eat with your eggs or bacon. Or eat a piece of fruit and some hard boiled eggs. Hell, eat a salad for breakfast if that tastes good to you. Pick up different things in the grocery store or farmer’s market and give them a try. Sliced tomatoes with some olive oil is good with breakfast. For lunch/dinner, some of my favs are greens (especially yummy and fresh right now from the farms) of any variety — kale, spinach, mustard greens…whatever. Sautee with olive oil and garlic, maybe some crushed red pepper. Same goes for cabbage – it is delicious sauteed with sausage or chicken. I also like experimenting with salads of different veggies — cut up some hearts of palm, tomatoes, and colored bell peppers. Add some olives if you want extra fat. Toss in olive oil and basalmic vinegar. For your dinner, you can roast damn near anything in a little salt, pepper, garlic and oil and have it taste awesome: asparagus, green beans, winter squash. The possibilites are endless. Mark’s Daily Apple has some great recipies if you need inspiration.
December 14th, 2009 on 1:53 pm
OMG, there was a bake-off at work today. I don’t know how much longer I can stay on this wagon.
December 14th, 2009 on 7:07 pm
Susan! Stay Strong!
On another note….I took ZMA tonight. Hopefully, I’ll get some solid sleep.
December 15th, 2009 on 6:27 am
I’ll have you all know that I get the award for weirdest breakfasts in my office. My bosses stopped me yesterday and asked if I enjoyed anything “normal” for breakfast like a bagel or oatmeal and were laughing at my constantly varied breakfast choices. Here’s an idea and what I’ve eaten for breakfast lately:
-Swiss Chard and chicken
-Eggs and Cucumbers (cucumbers separate from eggs, of course)
-chicken and green beans
-steak and mustard greens
-eggs and celery
…you get the idea. Fat is always nuts or avocado. Basically, I cook things up and I could eat whatever for breakfast/lunch/dinner. Makes life so much easier for me and entertains my coworkers immensely.
I did, however, NOT pack my shrimp for my breakfast this morning because they were calling me out so badly yesterday. HA.
December 15th, 2009 on 6:37 am
On the tired thing: Yes, I am also experiencing that but it seems to be getting a bit better.
Last time I did the clean the same thing happened and I ended up increasing carbs because I was doing a lot of CFE for a marathon and just needed them. This time I’m toughing it out to see what’ll happen.
December 15th, 2009 on 7:36 am
Kassi:
I tend to eat in “unconventional” ways too. Yesterday for breakfast was one egg; turkey deli meat; and raw cucumbers and red bell pepper dipped in guacamole.
I find that I do not focus on what “tastes good together,” but more so compose meals based on hunger level, what’s available, and macronutrient combinations. Honestly, I find that all REAL food tastes great in pretty much any combination.
December 15th, 2009 on 8:52 am
Kelly, couldn’t agree more.
There’s something to be said of the release you get when you let go of what belongs to the breakfast food category, lunch category, etc. Being able to go into your fridge, grab some protein, throw it on top of some carbs and a sack of fat on the side without caring what the substance is (as long as it’s paleo) is refreshing.
December 15th, 2009 on 9:02 am
Brian,
I read the write up on Robb Wolf’s blog and here’s my $.02:
1. We need a cash reward. Seriously.
2. I’m not sure that anyone can be considered being “on the challenge” if they eat chocolate and sugar as one of their example athletes posted on there. Tootsie rolls, chocolate, sugar and Coke Zero? Not paleo. I thought the point of getting off the crap was to not eat any of it? It’s not that hard to be quite honest.
3. Interesting points on the Spring vs. Fall challenges. I think it has something to do with the comfort foods related to the Fall but also if you think about it, most people want to shed their winter weight in the spring to prepare for the summer. We are usually more active when it’s warmer so it makes sense.
4. I like the longer time, one month is usually not enough to reset your body so 7 weeks seems much better
5. Not having a food log and not weighing and measuring has completely changed me for the better. I like that we aren’t doing it
6. Our focus on stress and sleep and fish oil is also very good. It makes me try to sleep more, stress less, and ensure that I get my fish oil every day.
December 16th, 2009 on 7:57 pm
Kas, I completely agree — the 4 parts of the tracking sheet have really helped me make sleep & fish oil a priority. Helps you focus on the big picture.
Thanks for the detailed feedback. Any others? We’re halfway through December… Keep up the good work, everyone.
December 19th, 2009 on 6:07 pm
Just posted on an epic challenge fail on my blog. Click name for link. Judgment and insults welcome
December 21st, 2009 on 7:23 am
OK guys, homestretch….
Please email me your Nutrition Trackers in .xls format when your 30 Days is over. If you didn’t track at all, only tracked sometimes, or tracked everyday, send it to me.
Please include in that email a link to your blog so I can do a Power Output comparison.
It’ll probably take me at least a week to crunch the data, but even the stuff we’ve gathered so far has been a huge help to PCF in learning what sticks and what doesn’t in coaching Paleo-Eating.
All the data and conclusions will be published in a consolidated form on our PaleoChallenge.PotomacCrossfit.com website.
So thanks for blazing a trail, here’s to your continued success in 2010!
December 21st, 2009 on 7:52 am
Just wanted to post this for some info/encouragement:
http://crossfit-seattle.blogspot.com/2009/09/before-and-after-pictures-and.html
December 21st, 2009 on 9:18 am
Brian, thanks for the attempt at encouragement. I actually find it discouraging because these people have results that are unreal. I’m down 3 pounds – you’d need a magnifying glass to see the differences on a before and after photo.
December 21st, 2009 on 10:00 am
Remember that these folks are being evaluated based on body composition changes, not weight loss! Ditch the scale. Seriously.
December 21st, 2009 on 1:01 pm
Paleo Challenge Checkpoint:
- BIGGEST and BEST change for me has been no fruit.
- I have increased my intake of fat.
- I have decreased my intake of carbs.
- I’m not really seeing anymore body composition changes. I want to see these changes.
- Still making strength gains. We’ll see what happens with the Press today.
- Although I have been doing pretty much strict paleo for awhile now, I still have not done a 30 day challenge with ZERO cheating. Sad realization.
- My sleep still stinks, even with ZMA. I wake up a few times during the night. Probably avg >6.5 <8 quality hours.
- Fish oil and stress levels are 100%
December 21st, 2009 on 5:25 pm
Kelly, you may want to think about seeing a sleep doctor. I did this a while ago (my issue was sleeping too much, and falling asleep at inopportune times) and now I feel much better!
I’m not seeing body composition changes. My pants aren’t any looser than when we started.
December 21st, 2009 on 6:18 pm
Coaches or others with increased knowledge:
What are your thoughts about fat? I wonder if I’m eating too many fats (especially almonds). I can’t help but wonder if this may be why I’m not leaning out as much as I want (honestly, I feel like I may have gotten “softer” around the middle). I’d like some discussion around this. I thought about placing focus on other sources of fat (more avacado and olive oil) so that I’m not munching on almonds all the time (perhaps mindlessly).
December 23rd, 2009 on 4:59 am
I’d also like to chime in and give a thumbs up to the tracking sheet. I’ve tried to keep a hard-core food log before but could never stick with it — it just became too much of a bother. This sheet was comprehensive enough for its purpose yet simple enough for me to stick with. Tracking sleep and stress along with food intake has really helped me become aware of factors that affect my performance and how I feel day-to-day. The experiment has also helped me make the connection between non-Paleo “cheat” foods and feeling crappy soon after. (I’ll admit that I do have some zeros on my tracking sheet.)
Unfortunately I had some issues that kept me out of the gym for the last two weeks so I couldn’t work out, but I plan to continue to use the tracking sheet to compare inputs with outputs.
December 27th, 2009 on 5:34 pm
OK Kelly W,
I’m Queen of the Fat. I love it and eat too much so I’ll chime in from the knowledge that I’ve gained:
1. You are eating too much fat if, um, well, you *frequent the bathroom* and it’s significantly, eh… runny. (Sorry guys, I know it’s probably TMI)
2. You are eating too much fat if your pants become tight
SO, there you have it. Just decrease it a little bit at a time because coming off the high loads of fat is worse than giving up badness, trust me.
December 28th, 2009 on 8:34 am
Susan, I know we didn’t keep food logs, but can you give me an idea of how strictly you stuck to meat/veg/some or no fruit/good fat?
December 28th, 2009 on 1:05 pm
Alison, for about 4 weeks I was religious. I didn’t eat anything that I didn’t know every ingredient. I posted to my blog most of the foods that I ate, but it’s not in a very organized form.
I think what sunk me was Brian’s “eat whenever you feel hungry”. I think I felt like that was carte blanche to eat as much as I wanted. When I get hold of nuts, I’ll down 2-3 servings like it’s nothing; translating that to zone blocks, it’s about 9 fat blocks per serving. I managed to eat a whole 16-oz container of Whole Foods guacamole in under 24 hours.
I think to change body composition, you have to limit your intake, even of high-quality foods.
I may bring back gum, because it’s a lot less calories than snacking on nuts.
December 28th, 2009 on 1:09 pm
Susan, my $.02 is that you LOOK like you’ve changed body composition even if you haven’t lost weight, and that’s a good thing. That’s why the before/after photos are so important, it gets us past any data that doesn’t tell the whole truth.
I’d also argue that you are performing better from what I’ve seen.
So don’t throw the baby out with the bath water, might be a solution that we can find to optimize everything. Meaning finding a plan that allows you to not be hungry, but allows you to continue to make progress.
December 28th, 2009 on 5:14 pm
Susan — had a chance to look over your blog posts from December. Couple immediate thoughts here:
1) you do not need more cardio
2) you do not need to restrict calories
3) you don’t need to worry about the fat in fish oil, pork, and veggies (cooking oil in home use)
Reasons:
1) Consistently coming to the box (4-5 days a week) and doing the prescribed mix of strength, metcon, gymnastics etc. will get you a million times farther than straight-up cardio. You’ve been doing this long enough to push yourself. Come in consistently, go HARD at each workout, and get 2-3 rest days a week.
2) The magic people see with Zone/Paleo weight loss comes from the balanced intake of high-quality protein, carbs, and fat — not less calories.
3) Sort of the same reason — you don’t necessarily need to lower your fat intake. The solution to your hunger and snacking-only-on-fat issues could certainly be eating protein with those snacks.
Pat yourself on the back for staying so on track during the holidays. That’s huge. It’s a great sign that you’re on the right track. From here, we tweak and find what changes you need to start seeing more progress… Weighing and measuring (and logging everything) might be a good way to get a sense of exactly what you’re eating. However, one thing that cannot hurt and will probably help is balancing even further. Every time you put food in your mouth, aim for protein, fat, and a bit of good carbs.
December 28th, 2009 on 5:16 pm
Kelly, also on the too-much-fat? issue, do you have a sense of how much we’re really talking? If it were Zone proportioned, about how many blocks of fat a day?
I never know if someone’s idea of a lot of fat is 20 almonds per meal, or 60.
January 5th, 2010 on 11:30 am
Overall this paleo challenge was a very valuable experience. Especially during the holidays, it was motivating to have some accountability.
A few take-aways:
Don’t sweat the small stuff. A little bit of salad dressing of unknown origin isn’t likely to derail you.
It’s very possible to travel and keep paleo. Just drag your colleagues on a drive though the ghetto to get to the salad bar at Whole Foods. And most corporate cafeterias have salad bars. Sliced bell peppers and hard-boiled eggs can make it through a day trip.
Quantity and macronutrient ratios are critical. For someone who can sit down and plow through a pound of guacamole, for instance, it’s critical to *not* actually do that. It’s also important that you make sure you’re consuming enough protein. And it’s really hard to eat too many vegetables.
I found out I very well may be allergic to dairy. The first time I ate it after the challenge I felt bad. Real bad.
Pumpkin seeds and pistachios are delicious.
Taking fish oil liquid is way better than fish oil pills.
In 2010, I’m doing Zone Paleo. It’s early, but the results are promising (down 2 pounds since the beginning of the year). Well, technically my sugar-free gum isn’t paleo, but I have to have something to keep me sane!
February 2nd, 2010 on 9:19 am
I am sitting in a lunch meeting full of people eating pizza. I want to cry a little. It smells good ;(
note to self: focus on their soft midsections. remember that you can deadlift your body weight, hell THEIR body weight, and they can’t.
Ah, I feel better.
October 11th, 2010 on 4:30 pm
Susan, what is this about drinking fish oil? It sounds rather gross. I take the pills – though I noticed that the gelcap contains soy so I’m not sure if I should buy a different brand.
Alison, I bought a crockpot and I’m very excited. Some recipes say that I should brown meat before putting it in. Is that absolutely necessary? Note that I will be assembling said crockpot mélange around 5:00am before I leave for a morning WOD…so I’m willing to sacrifice taste for simplicity.
November 7th, 2010 on 3:27 pm
Awesome post
There’s nothing like being healthy. In today’s America, we really need toworkout occasionnaly and throw off our bad diet habits. It’s not that hard. You only need to stick to a workout program and keep going until you reach your goals.
Thanks for sharing this with your readers.
January 9th, 2012 on 3:00 pm
I haven’t read all the blogs… did we decide where our Wednesday meetings will be?