Week 1 is done!! 23 days left in the Paleo Challenge and I sparked a little debate on Facebook about it with a comment I made about some bacon bits falling on the floor and my desire to lick them up and pay no attention to the 5 second rule. I must admit, in my house, on those floors, it's a little disgusting to even think about. My dog is a walking disaster-worse than Pig Pen if you ask me. The big question that was put out there is, "What is it about CrossFitters and the Paelo Diet?" My answer is a big fat "I don't know." However, there are a few things I can comment on...
I push myself harder than I ever thought I could when I go in to the gym 3 days a week. It is a very intense workout that actually produces results. Those results continue to get better and better until they plateau a bit. That is the point at which people start to look at their nutritional intake and wonder what they can change to improve their lift, their time, their weights, etc. More often than not, a person that starts CrossFit and sticks with it is competitive by nature. This is the perfect spot-always trying to outdo yourself and never allow failure to take over. The Paleo Diet is another challenge that will help a competitive person outdo themselves. Is there a science behind it? Probably.
I am not in to the whole science side. I want to feel good and look healthy. If the Paleo Diet can produce those two major results, then I will be very happy. If it means that mine time gets a little faster or my deadlift gets a little heavier then I will be truly psyched. It's my inner competitor coming out. And hey, if it means one day I get bragging rights at the gym my cycle at CrossFit might actually be complete! I feel better. I don't miss the way I was eating before. I would eat, not because I wanted to or enjoyed the food, but because it was in front of me or I was stressed out. Not a good way to eat. Now it's more for enjoyment and I have actually come across some good recipes- check out www.everydaypaleo.com or www.civilizedcaveman.com and see some of the stuff they cook. It's delicious, really.
The challenges of the diet are primarily finding the right ingredients, as many things aren't readily available anymore or we have added something to them to make them "shelf-stable." It's not much different than the way our ancestors ate pre-industrial revolution. Somebody that eats all organic is likely much more paleo than you think. Legumes are probably one of the hardest to get rid of- I like beans. That and cheese.
Prepping is difficult, too. I find that I have to spend a lot of time on the front end, trying to figure out what I am going to cook and running to the grocery stores- yes, STORES- because 1 doesn't carry parsnips, a different one has the fennel bulb and a third one is the only place I can find a flank steak. That may be a challenge of where I live, but it's a challenge none the less. You can't beat how fresh things taste, though. At this point in the 30 day challenge, it's still refreshing.
My goal when I started this whole adventure was to lose weight. Six months in to it with no diet change, I haven't done that. My body has changed. There is a lot more muscle mass, but that doesn't help with the scale. It truly is diet AND exercise that is going to make that change. Paleo just seemed right for me, or at least like the thing for me to try. Maybe the intensity of the diet is right for CrossFitters because of the intensity of the workout. There is a certain trait within that would say the two go hand in hand. It's all about what you make of it. Do I want to change my habits? Yes. Do I want to feel as though I am depriving myself? No. Currently, I don't. I am not going to be 100% and a freak about this whole thing, but in 23 days when I look at the numbers and repeat the workout, perhaps I will be faster and a little lighter. Those results will tell me where I am going to go with this. At the moment, I think it may stick around for a while. You should see the PRs that are popping up all over the gym for the folks that have gone strict for the challenge. It's crazy! Maybe one day during this trek, I will be able to say I got a PR also. I'll keep you posted.
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