CRASH B’s Reviewing an on water 2K Race
Look, Feel, Perform Better 2 Week Check In
We’re just about two weeks into the Look Feel and Perform Better Challenge. By now you should be finding your groove with some of the guidelines and hopefully realizing some of these things aren’t as hard as you would have anticipated. Below I’ve listed the basic parameters of the challenge. Please post to comments which components you’re doing the best with (and why) as well as which you’re struggling with (and why).
Guidelines:
Avoid Grains: Consume no grains or gluten products. This means bread, pasta, tortillas (sniff), beer (sniff, sniff), pastries, cookies, etc… Check labels for wheat/gluten containing items. Generally, try to avoid packaged foods.
Avoid Sugar: Consume no refined sugars. This means honey, fructose, coconut sugar, agave, etc. If you’re craving sweets, eat some fruit.
Hydrate: Drink ½ oz of water per lb of bodyweight daily. Herbal tea and seltzer are Kosher too. Diet drinks are not.
Sleep: Sleep at least 7 hours per night
Bonus Points:
1 Point: Fish Oil
1 Point: 9 Hours Sleep
1 Point: Workout
1 Point: Active Recovery 20 min or Meditation 10 min
Also, don’t forget to RSVP for the 2013 CFSBK Community Paleo Potluck. All are invited! While you’re at it not forgetting things, click the “online waiver” link on the left and fill one out if you havent already.
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Robb Wolf Answers The Most Common Questions About The Paleo Diet
Tips From a Silver Medalist Rower CrossFit
Doing the best with: grains, sugars, hydration, workouts, active recovery. I'm feeling pretty good about managing to keep things Paleo even when eating at a really crappy hospital cafeteria the last couple of days (although it's been harder to avoid veg oils). And I'd been doing 10 minutes a day of AR before the challenge, so extending it to 20 has been pretty easy.
Struggle: sleep (although I've gotten the extra point a couple of times). Most of the time that I've lost a point for this, it's because I stayed in bed for 7 hours, but was plagued by insomnia. I can't really beat myself up for this as the first two weeks of 2013 have been incredibly stressful due to my mom's ongoing health complications. I'm hoping the worst will be over soon, and I'm doing the best I can under the circumstances.
I can't really call fish oil a struggle since I'm not even trying!
For me the biggest struggles active recovery and fish oil. Admittedly, I'm a tight motherf-er, so anything that involves stretching and soft tissue manipulation is not my cup of tea (save for a very deep tissue masage), which I know means I need way more of it. Thus, I've recently resumes usage of my foam roller and yoga mat which were easily minding their own business, collecting dust in one of my closets. Will let you know when my interaction with them actually becomes fun.
Fish Oil. As many of you know, I kinda loathe supplements. Most are abominably awful tasting. Even flavored fish oil. So I don't take this. Question. Can I get points for eating cooked fatty fish (from clean waters), like Alaskan Salmon and sashimi? If so, then great, because I ear those at least twice a week.
Absolutely crushing everything except the sleep. Fish oil, workouts, mobility, no grains, all good.
There's a limit to what I can do. up at 5. Between working all day, entertaining, getting to gym, stretching, doing homework with kids, running the baseball leagues, etc. There just aren't enough hours in the day.
We all make our choices I guess. Feel pretty good all in all. Always looking for more sleep.
By the way, I've eaten this way mostly for a few years (when not indulging in junk food binges, like holiday parties last month), the best way in my opinion to avoid sugar binges (as a total glutton) is to avoid the "I'll just have one philosophy." For me and my own sweet tooth, it's like thinking, "Oh. I'll only do this hal a vial of crack, and then I'll stop." Right. It always goes that way.
And in the past when I have decided to eat a whole large pizza followed by some secadent dessert, it was always best to fast completely for the next day and let all the bloating and inflammation and the DTs ride out. Just my own experience.
ive done paleo things in the past, whole30s and what not, and what always, always happens to me is that at some point i start getting cravings and i can ignore them for a while but once i give in it's all, all over. (i'm a very black-and-white thinker. i'm either on the wagon, or i'm off.) and what has made a real difference for me this time is the point system. the fact that when i messed up (which i did, on thursday) i was able to dock myself a point for the day, instead of giving up entirely, and then got right back on track. ive never been able to do that before, so for me, that was a huge step in the right direction.
biggest problem: sleeping 7 hours a night. i thought i had this point in the bag. nope.
Solid diet, although I need to make an effort to get more variety in my meals. Don't think that my workout performance has improved though, although it may later on in the challenge. Haven't seen any significant change in my weight, but I do seem leaner/not bloated.
Still craving sugar, specifically chocolate, it's the one thing that's hardest for me. I've been eating fruit, but it doesn't always satisfy my cravings, and I'm wondering if limited amounts of dry unsweetened fruit is ok to eat?
Good workout routine, fail on active recovery and mediation. Can't say I've even tried. Should work on this, but I don't think that will happen on my own. I may have to look for assistance, either mediation classes, buy a foam roller, or go to a stretching class.
I barely get 7 hours of sleep, but I realize that before I was going with 6 and even 5 hours on a daily basis. When I was on vacation my best friend, who I stayed with, said it seemed as if I hadn't slept all year long. Kind of a wak up call, even before starting the challenge.
No grains, sugar, or dairy – no problem. Went to a wedding on Saturday and had some of these guys during hors d'oeuvres at the cocktail hour (I was starving, as always seems to happen after an hour long Catholic wedding), but besides that I'm in 100%. WOD at least 5 out of 7 days, active recovery every day – no problem.
Getting enough water? More challenging than I thought it would be. Probably about 50/50 on this. Fish oil? Same. Which reminds me, I just took some.
Hands down biggest problem is sleep. I believe I've gotten 7 hours of sleep about twice in the first two weeks of January, and that was barely. When you work several nights out of the week and have to get up at 6 for the 7am class, there goes that point I guess. It reminds me of when I was bartending, I'll get home from work around 9 or 10, but I'm so wound up that I need a few hours to decompress, write emails, clean up, etc, and before I know it, it's midnight or later and the alarm rings at 5:45. I anticipate this getting better in the next few weeks because the beginning of January is always a busy time for me.
PS – I was sore from football this weekend. Anyone else?
Do any of you notice that you feel, like you need less sleep or actually sleep less when you go extremely low carb? When I go extremely low carb, I always find myself waking a few hours earlier than I do when eating more carbs, like at 5 vs 7 (going to bed around 10:30/11). Anyone note that?
No Grains: This hasnt been too difficult. Just a different way of cooking but I have never been a big bread and pasta guy unless I have a race coming up.
No Dairy: The biggest thing I miss is cheese. But the cravings subsided almost immediately.
Hydration: In the past I have been notoriously awful about drinking water. I will notice that it is 2pm and the only liquid I had all day was coffee and maybe a small cup of water. So this took real planning. I have been religious about getting my 95 oz every day. At first I started too late in the day but I started to front load so I can scale back towartds the end of the day.
Sleep: With three kids this has been tough but I am proud to say that I have been going to bed a little earlier and more often than not I get the 7 hours in. The 9 hours will never ever happen though. Never. Ever.
Fish Oil: Not a problem. I was already taking it daily but I had to up the dosage.
Workouts: I have been consistent 4 or 5 days a week.
Active Recovery: Piece of cake. I just park myself in front of the tv at night with the roller and the lax ball and 20 minutes is over in no time. Only missed one or two days so far.
All in I have been feeling very energetic and the cravings have mostly subsided. The biggest thing I noticed is that there is no "4pm slump" at work. My energy has leveled off instead of all of the highs and lows. Looking forward to the potluck for new recipe ideas!
@Rashaan: I only end up sleeping 5 hours when eating strict paleo. My sleep however is divided, with around a 30 minute to 1 hour break around 3am.
@Management: I recall some mention of a benchmark workout to gauge performance before/after the challenge — what was the WOD?
I'm pretty happy with how things are going so far. I've been focused more on changes that I think I can continue through the year than on strictly adhering to the rules 100%. For example, my wife is pregnant and sometimes she just *needs* (no arguing with her) some grains with dinner. I'm not going to make a 2nd dinner for me & I'm not going to beat myself up for eating some cous cous. I dock myself the point, of course, but I was never really planning winning this whole thing anyway.
Avoiding sugary snacks at the office is hard. I walk past containers of reeses pieces & m&ms everyday to grab an orange. It sucks.
The upside is that I've lost some weight & have been sleeping great. I feel like I have more (and more consistent) energy throughout the work day, and that's pretty sweet.
Dan,
I wake up sometimes between 2 and 4. If then fall back to sleep after an hour or two. I once read an article that said this kind of sleep rhythm isn't uncommon in hunter-gatherer societies. I'll find that piece and post it.
Really liking the challenge. It's been a lot easier than I expected cutting out grains, sugars and dairy. As long as I have other good food available, I don't find myself wanting these things. And the afternoon slump is gone – that's huge! Working out is fine and I'm doing more AR, although I should be doing more.
Sleep is hard. I'm getting 7 hours most nights now, but it's a mental hurdle for me to go to bed by 10:30. I just try to remind myself that I'm more efficient if I'm well-rested. Surprisingly, I find it harder to get up in the morning!
I need to bite the bullet and start taking fish oil. I never should have Googled fish oil ….
If anyone is interested, I just signed up for a double under seminar at CrossFit Live Fast (Avon-by-the-Sea, NJ). It's on Jan. 27 from 10-12. I'll be driving down and back if anyone wants a ride (rebecca.carvalho(at)gmail.com) – I'll be back in time for football. Here's the link: http://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1186223
And @KH, yes, I'm sore from football too!
the challenge has been going well for me. the basics are all fine water, sleep, avoiding grains and sugars. i can't even recall having any recent sugary-grain dreams.
going forward i'd like to work on getting some more yes's in workout column (i've been hitting about 3x per week the first two weeks). i'd like to work in more A/R time as well, but i've also been getting in around 12 mins of meditation before bed a decent amount of nights which i've enjoyed.
fish oil isn't a problem, i was taking it before but traded up for the gyms fish oil which has more fish oil than my previous fish oil.
problems that i've been having if any are that i really should be getting to bed earlier so i can wake up earlier so i can make breakfast at home instead of picking something up on the way to the office but fortunately i've got a solid bacon & eggs stop.
in general i've enjoyed cooking more but need to stockpile more things i can grab & go with for workdays. i need to work on my timing i guess.
i've been cutting down on fruit intake per last week's discussion in the comments and also found this helpful blog chart with fructose levels in fruits:
http://thorfalk.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/healthy-fruits-fructose-edition/
i agree with everyone who mentioned their energy being better and more stable. that's been really great, i don't feel like i have to do anything (pour coffee on my face) to keep myself going through the afternoon.
i think standing at work is also playing a part in the energy game, it's almost been two whole days and other than the weird looks and people asking if i did something to my back, all is going well.
it seems like most of the things i'm doing i can live with after the 6 weeks are over.
Hey All,
First of all, long time – no see. Missing the box and coaches.
Fall was a mess for me. End of Sept. my 4 year old daughter had her second Cranial-Facial surgery (hopefully her last) and thankfully things turned out fine.
End of October – Sandy. As some of you know, i live in Marine Park (the other end of Bklyn) and many of my friends in the surrounding neighborhoods (Mill Basin, Gerritsen Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Brezzy, Rockaway) suffered greatly.
Those 2 events took most of my focus. Then Thanksgiving, Christmas…..
My new teaching/Child care schedule have made get over to the box difficult. Ive been following the blog lately and began eating much cleaner since the new year. Even got the wife eating right. i have also started getting back training in my garage gym and will be posting here as a sort of training log for myself.
Hope to get back in soon, especially if I can get up for the 6AM!!
Yesterday
DROMS
Run around the block
Standard DL
Warm Up
45×5
90×5
115×5
135×3
Work Set
165 = 3×5
Not too heavy as it's been months since my last DL
WOD
Only 2.5 Rnds in 7 min because the DU were my limiting factor, but decided that I wanted to get actual DUs or attempts in…not sub for singles. Happy to say i was able to get strings of 3-4 DU in those sets…..
No Grains 100% compliance
This hasn't been that hard at all. I'm similar to some of you guys above where I find it easier to be 100% strict than somewhere in the middle. I had been eating way too many burritos from calexico pre-challenge.
No Sugar 100% compliance
Similar as above. Not that hard once it's out completely.
Hydrate
I started out pretty strong on this and then tapered off the last week or so. I've realized that I'm walking around slightly dehydrated most of the time. Since falling off on water consumption I feel like I've noticed a difference in how I feel/recover. Definitely drinking more water than before the challenge regardless, so net positive. Also- Tea in the mornings has completely replaced the urge for a latte or coffee. Feel much better starting the day this way.
Sleep
Ah my old nemisis sleep. I've been hit and miss with this, but have been doing a pretty good job for my standards. I know there have been quite a few times when I looked at the clock, did the math and then went to bed instead of staying up and playing online. So again, not full compliance but better than before.
Fish Oil: everyday. I had fell of taking this regularly the last couple months, glad the challenge got me back on. I've also been taking Magnesium and Vitamin D.
Workout: Regular
A/R: Regular which is about 2-3 times per week.
I love the gaming aspect of the points. Overall I feel pretty good, nice consistent energy levels, never feel bloated and lethargic after a meal. I also leaned out a little. More consistent sleep patterns would take me to the next level I think
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Dan, we posted the capacity test right around the new year. It was
In 7 Minutes:
Row 1000m
then in the remaining time, amrap
10 Burpees
15 Kettlbell swings
For you, you'd use a 1.5p. ROM is the bell clears your head with hips and knees fully extended.
I really think that points should be given for eating fatty fish as a whole food :
http://chriskresser.com/the-fish-vs-fish-oil-smackdown
http://chriskresser.com/when-it-comes-to-fish-oil-more-is-not-better
Avoiding grains and sugar is normally pretty simple for me, but I am starting to find that not having any cheats is starting to make this more difficult. Also, I'm drinking a lot less wine, eating no corn chips (my fav cheat), so most of my food rewards are now gone. Also, my sweet cheat was dark chocolate (and a very small amount) but I relied on it to get me through cravings, so that's getting tough. Last night I broke down and had two squares of 70% and a glass of wine. I needed some comfort apparently.
Workouts are fine now that I'm healthy, but I'm pretty much giving up on the water intake. Maybe I'm not counting right, but even if I include my morning coffee I'm not even close unless it's a workout day (when I drink an extra 40 ounces). And I really don't think I'm dehydrated, so I don't know what the deal is.
Sleep has been solid: I'm getting 7-8 during the week and 10 on the weekends.
I'm having fish oil burps which reached a new epically annoying level this morning. I didn't to have that problem previously (and took a lot of FO for a little while) so I may switch brands.
AR has been very spotty. I'm just being really lazy and have flirted with getting my sitting practice back on track, but have yet to achieve consistency. I should have done that last night instead of drinking wine. Ironically I stopped sitting every morning when I first went paleo– i switched to cooking breakfast and preparing lunch instead. It's time for me to find time to do both…
One little thing that helps me to sleep well. Tea. Now I have dried sleepytime tea, and sleepytime extra. The extra, with the valerian, knocks me out, but in the morning, I feel like I have been medicated, and don't like that.
Switched to TEEPEE DREAMS. Hard to get your hands on. Sleep like a baby. I still don't get enough hours, but the ones that I get are great. This has valerian in it as well, but I don't feel overly foggy in the morning. Very calming, something that I can always use.
If anybody can find a good source for it, out there on the interweb, I am all ears.
I'm still all cool with my plan except for sleep. Always sleep. I'm doing better than before, though, as it's been evening WOD's for me so structure is tighter. So home by about 8-8:15, then making dinner. Eat while watching a show, then getting stuff ready for the next day with all electronics off except for music. That's always key for me as I love the shows and there are so many! Ahh! Been managing to get myself into bed by 10:30-ish with a magazine.
I owe a huge apology to CRASHB's and Coach Nick. I slept through the final chance to register last night. I swear that I had done it the day they opened but apparently had not. My new job and schedule has me all over the place, and totally FUBAR'd it. So.. I'll be cheering everyone from here. I feel like the biggest jerk and I'm sorry.
I haven't had much trouble avoiding grains and sugars. I have been craving sweets and chocolate, but that usually goes away after a while.
Doing pretty good on hydrating (drinking a lot of green tea) and also working out 5 times a week. Haven't really done any AR or meditation at all
My biggest challenge has been to eat breakfast on weekdays, usually need to rush off to work. Sometimes I stop by a deli and grab an omelette, but most days I may only have a banana and some nuts for breakfast. Any one have any ideas for a quick/on-the-go paleo breakfast?
Pavel,
I recommend hardboiling a bunch of eggs and keeping them in your fridge. A little sea salt and pepper and you're GTG in the morning
For the most part, trucking along pretty smoothly – fish oil every day and staying strict about food intake is a-ok. Though I have the freedom to sleep 7-9 hours a night, I don't have the ability: I'm fortunate to fall asleep quickly and sleep pretty soundly, but my body literally does not let me sleep past 8 am at the absolute latest, no matter how hard I try (even on weekends), so if I don't go to bed by 10 pm if I have an early wakeup the next morning, I have no shot at those points.
A massive project that was sprung on me unexpectedly is preventing me from getting to the box since Sunday and is wreaking havoc on my sleep schedule and my time to cook, which is usually what keeps me eating mindfully and cool as a cucumber, stress-wise. I'm trying to get a quick run in here and there until I'm finished (tomorrow) and to use work breaks efficiently and effectively by rolling out the kinks and stretching, instead of wandering around aimlessly searching for toothpicks to hold my eyes open and maniacally devising a carrier solution in which to suspend coffee so that I can crank it straight into my circulatory system without even ingesting it first.
Biggest craving is dark chocolate. I want all of the chocolate in Brooklyn, the other four boroughs, and possibly the contiguous 48 states. Maybe even Alaska and Hawaii, too. Though I love chocolate, this is surprising because the last time I did a sugar cut, my cravings abated after a couple of days. I would go full-on Godzilla if I were within striking distance of a chocolatier, chocolate factory, or Duane Reade candy aisle right now. I am a walking rom-com cliche.
Avoid Grains: This is much tougher than I thought it was going to be. I’m standing strong, but I never realized that meatballs and my boyfriend’s home made tomato sauce or my chicken soup would be so lacking without the noodles, tacos/fajitas without the tortilla, and I’d miss our homemade bread so much. Even though it isn’t technically part of the challenge, I’m not eating peanut butter because it’s not Paleo, and one of the things I miss the most is peanut butter toast! And cheese, ugh cheese!
Avoid Sugar: I thought this was going to be the toughest part, sugar is my ultimate weakness! What I’ve learned is that it was more habit than craving, and the main reason I wanted to do this challenge was to break that habit. I have scheduled self-imposed cheats for myself 1x a week to keep myself sane (and to ensure I don’t go off the deep end hard once this challenge is over). Since I was coming from a spot where I was eating refined sugar every day, this is huge. I do eat a lot of fruit, but hey, if a few strawberries is what keeps me from going for a bowl of ice-cream, that’s success in my mind!
Hydrate: I struggled with this at first. I don’t like coffee or hot tea, and am not one to consume a lot of water outside of the gym. I’ve found that I just keep a 17oz water bottle near me at all times to sip on and that seems to do the trick. I used to drink diet soda almost every night with dinner, and don’t even miss it since cutting it out.
Sleep: This is by far the easiest part. I love to sleep, and have always been one to need at least 7-8 hours of it to function. I find the 9 is only hard to reach simply because I have to get up to go to work, but have been choosing to go to bed earlier rather than watching an extra tv show on most nights, and have racked up points more than half of the days so far for the 9+ hours. It feels great.
Fish Oil: I’ve had a hard time with this in the past as I’ve always had difficulty swallowing large pills. I did order some online that are much smaller, I just have to take more of them. Even these are still hard to get down. I wish I felt a noticeable difference because otherwise I’m not convinced that I will continue taking these after the challenge. But for now, I’ve taken these every day the last 2 weeks.
Workout: The usual – exercising 4x a week as I’ve been doing for years. I’m glad I just upped my CFSBK membership to 5x a week so I don’t have to spend that 4th day outside in the dark and cold anymore.
Active Recovery: This is great, and probably something I will continue to do most days after the challenge. I just pull out my foam roller and watch tv and 20 minutes goes by in no time. Definitely feeling fewer issues in my legs and back because of this.
I was pretty apprehensive about going into this challenge, it’s tough to change habits especially when there are outside factors (boyfriend who loves to eat unhealthy food, last minute trip on New Year’s Eve, people visiting, going out to eat, work, etc) constantly trying to sway you. Overall, I’ve had good success with making due out at restaurants, and have ordered/tried food I wouldn’t have otherwise ordered. I’ve lost a bit of weight and hope to continue the downward trend.
100% Compliance:
-Fish Oil
-Hydration
-No Dairy
-AR (I meditate for 10-15min at night before I go to bed and find that it helps me "shut down" and fall asleep without the aid of Netflix or Music)
-Workouts
The first component that I am struggling with is avoiding sugar & grains. I don't have a sweet tooth and have never been big on soda or sugary drinks, but the amount of "healthy" things in my pantry that contain sugar is astounding. I'm a big fan of Amy's soups (pretty much just the lentil vegetable and the spicy chili) which are good for bringing to work, but each of those contains 10g's of sugar! Grains are just everywhere, I have only cheated a couple times but still have to negotiate around them everyday at lunch (and used to be addicted to Clif Bars). The other part that has been equally rewarding and frustrating is that, before this challenge, my cooking expertise stopped at scrambled eggs. I've forced myself to learn how to cook (super-basic stuff like chicken breast in lemon/rosemary) but lets just say I'm still no Iron Chef. Hoping that this gets easier with time (if anyone knows of good websites or books for cooking, let me know!)
The second part that I am struggling with is sleep, and I don't think this can change. I get about 5 hours of sleep a night and can function very well off of it. I know that I am not going to reach my "peak potential", but its unrealistic with my work/social/exercise/volunteer schedule that I can get anymore than that.
Drinking on the weekends also greatly impacts both these categories. While I have primarily been drinking tequila & some whiskey, I have snuck a few beers in there, all of which destroy my sleep. Might have to try and go cold turkey for a couple weeks (for those who are beer junkies like myself, I have found ONE decent gluten free beer called Red Bridge that I have been using like beer-methadone. I know this is still but hey, Im trying!)
Big-ups for those who are 100% compliant with all categories!
After the first week I really hit the Paleo HANGRIES which freaked me out a bit because I thought I was 'Pretty Much Paleo' so it was telling about how much you can slip on diet when not making a concerted effort. The second week was plagued with a damn super bug that kept me out of the gym – I was even exhausted after AR lol. But looking to be back tomorrow so wish me and lungs luck!
The most motivating part of this to me is my family is joining me on the challenge – and as a family we have always struggled with health so it is really motivating to keep at it!
Grains: 100% compliant. Feeling really good about it for food. It is a little sad when I show up at the bar and friends have a pint waiting for you…sigh I guess I have to just take the teasing when I drink my lime and seltzer. The no dairy is new this year – almond milk in coffee is my new BFF.
Sugar: 100% compliant this is new for me since last year I had a bit of honey/agave. Trying to be fairly careful about fruit as well since I have a lean out goal.
Water: HARD I am making it but choking down every last bit. Seltzer and lime is helping a bit but I am hoping my body regulates out soon.
Sleep: I can do 7 no prob but 9 esh can't usually hit it.
AR: This is my new favorite part before bed time 20 min is helping me get to sleep.
Fish Oil: I can't do the one at the gym I have to do the no fish smell one – slowly getting better at taking it. I am now just doing it as a part of dinner that helps.
The hardest part is that now as Nick explained eloquently of our rowing training – It's just gonna suck and be hard guys. So going into that training for the next month I need to be very careful of getting the right balance of fat and carbs in the diet. I see some sweet potatoes and avocados in my future!! Also coming back I am hoping to start seeing some of the recovery/work out pay off of this venture!
See you all at the pot luck!!!!
Noon with Jeremy. Deadlifted sets across at 135, sumo style. That's a 10# addition to last week & felt pretty good. Jeremy reminding us to rest a few minutes between work sets really helped me; I never know how to time my lifts when I'm working alone.
WOD with DU attempts & 12 kg KB: 3 rounds, plus 10 attempts & 15 swings.
The Challenge:
Grains/sugars/dairy: This part has been a lot easier than I thought it would be. Agreed with the people above who mentioned it's easier (for me) to be 100% strict. Once I decide "oh I'll just have a bite of that," I completely fall off the paleo wagon. A big part of keeping myself strict is the point system/tracker; it's keeping me honest. I'm still limiting my drinking to wine, whiskey, and tequila, but I really miss mimosas…
Hydration: This has never been a problem for me. Other than coffee in the morning, the only thing I drink (alcohol excluded, obviously) is water. And I drink it constantly.
Sleep: As with many above, sleep is the biggest place I'm losing points. Since school hasn't started yet, I can actually pull off 7 hours semi-regularly, but certainly not every night. Once classes start again, that will happen rarely, if ever.
Fish oil: I've never taken it before, but I keep the bottle in the kitchen & take it every day while I'm cooking lunch.
Workouts/AR: I've consistently been at the gym 3x/week, plus I try to workout at home on the days I'm not there (usually working out 4 or 5 days a week altogether). Active recovery is still not really happening for me. I've only managed to get in 20+ minutes one or two times since the challenge started. It's just so painful! Which I know means I just need to do more of it, but it's rough.
Overall: I definitely feel better. I feel leaner/less bloated; my energy is more consistent; I don't get that food coma feeling I usually would after a huge carb-y meal. Looking forward to the next few weeks.
Avoiding grains has been easy as far as solid grains goes, but avoiding beer has been hard. I love the stuff. But so far so good and I have stayed away. I'm sure I will go back to drinking it when the challenge is over, but maybe less frequntly?
Avoiding sugar has not been bad. I find as long as I don't eat sweet things, I don't crave sweet things. Once some sugar hits my lips, then the cravings kick in trainspotting style.
Water: no porblem, I just keep a 32oz bottle by my desk and drink 3 a day.
Sleep: I usually average 7-8 a night. I really feel a difference when I do get 9.
Fish Oil: I have beeen taking the stuff, but, aside from fish burps, I don't feel like they have had any effect on me. I suppose it is this way with most supplements though.
Work out 5x per week and AR most nights.
So far, the extra sleep and AR has had the biggest effect. Those make me feel great. I suppose I'm a bit leaner too, but kind of hard to tell. If I really wanted to lean-out, I would probably have to cut way back on the wine/spirts consumption. But that would be hard, I really like to unwind with an adult beverage after a long day.
Grains: Surprisingly easy! My absolute favorite food is cereal, so at the beginning of the challenge I panicked about not being able to eat any of my usual delicious and somewhat healthy breakfast standbys. Thanks to some blog comment help I've transitioned to alternating breakfasts of protein shakes, paleo pancakes (banana mushed w/ 2 eggs), and smoked salmon. I can see why having protein at breakfast is such a good idea–I'm no longer famished by lunchtime. I'm also happy to be rid of the bloated/over-stuffed feeling from eating bread and pasta. Hoping to keep this up post-challenge.
Sugar: The most difficult for me. I've let myself have a few treats here and there, but I've been diligent about not letting one bite or one item slide into a binge. I'm happy with this approach as I've found that for me restricting 100% does more harm than good in the long-run. I will say that when I do give into those indulgences I can feel the sugar rush and crash–a good thing to be aware of. Although I'd like to lean out I'm not interested in giving up fruit. Just doesn't make sense to me.
Water: Doing well! Having a soda stream and unlimited access to bubbles makes it so much easier!
Sleep: My ability to be a pleasant person depends on getting 7+ hours of sleep, so I already do this to ensure that I have a job, friends, etc. I was able to get nine hours a couple times in the first week of the challenge but not since. Maybe this weekend?
Fish Oil: I have fish oil and magnesium supplements sitting on my kitchen counter and I've taken them ZERO times since the challenge started. Blerg.
Work out & AR: Finally back to CFSBK 3x a week! I've found it easiest to show up for class 20 minutes early and spend time with the foam roller. I'd like to add a run or two per week, but finding the motivation at this time of year is tough.
I'm not counting points, but overall I feel like I'm setting up some positive habits that I want to continue post-challenge.
I came in early to loosen up the shoulder and test it out a bit. Still a very limited range of motion.
Power cleans: Worked up to 253# for a couple singles. I am really trying to stay back and not jump forward. I drew a chalk line and only on the last rep did stay behind it.
280×3 on the FS. I wish my legs were stronger.
Snatch Pulls-245# 3×3
A note on competition- The fact that Josh and I are neck and neck on the snatch has been awesome. I think for both of us it has injected a focus and intensity into training that would other wise not be there. It is a great reminder how essential competition is for improving. Point being, find someone in the gym you are comparable with and BEAT THEM.
I sleep like a champ — I should turn pro.
The diet has been a little more challenging. I have been good on no grains/no sugar (except for my birthday on the 11th, where beer, cake and pancakes, sweet pancakes were consumed, non necessarily in that order).
What I like: creativity born of limitation. I really enjoy cooking and have had a great time experimenting with new stuff. I'm doing a lot of bone broths. My favorite meal has been fried eggs over roasted brussel sprouts and bacon! I like not nodding off at night (little more energy there). I like not feeling ravenously hungry.
The bad: I definitely got the "low carb" flu for a few days and I had to shun the world. There are times when I don't "know" that I'm hungry, and I can fall off the deep end of crankiness. I went overboard on fruits and nuts in the beginning. There may have been a pistachio bender. I am thinking about cinnamon rolls so much I googled "Paleo cinnamon rolls."
Adjustments I'm making: more big soups with lots of filling veggies. Fewer nuts. We'll see.
Pavel, try making your own Scotch eggs — hard-boil an egg, wrap it in some loose sausage, and bake it (rolling the outside in almond flour optional) in a 375 oven for 20-25 minutes, until the outside is nice and brown and crisp. Then you can grab one and go for breakfast.
I had forgotten about these little delights until I saw them on the menu at a place in Cleveland on Saturday. I ordered them and fell right back in love!
Mom gets discharged from the hospital tomorrow, which means I should be back home tomorrow night — and, more importantly, back at SBK on Thursday. I CANNOT WAIT.
I have been really doing well on the challenge, and love the points system. Totally appeals to my type A personality. The no dairy, no grains, no sugar has been ok. Sleep has taken work, but totally worth it. Really upped my fish oil intake when I started the challenge and that has been going fine. I do the recovery while watching TV, which is fun. Excuses to watch Amy Poehler are always welcome, even if they involve a lax ball and a sore shoulder. Have also implemented a bribery system. Reached my first goal over the weekend, and got a facial as a reward. Yay!
The struggle has been to plan ahead, packing lunch, packing dinnner, making time to eat and cook. Upped my workouts and intensity which has helped with the sleep, for sure. It has also forced me to build in rest days as have been a little sore. Portion control is my next challenge and I am trying to limit fruit. I know it is not the worst thing in the world, but have been weighing myself everyday and confess I have been disappointed at the results so far – hoping patience and hard work will pay off.
Rahsaan,
Yes if you're eating a lot of wild caught fish, FOil might not be necessary. For the sake of simplicity we're keeping the points for FO. 🙂
Make-up post from yesterday:
Deadlift 140x5x3
WOD (10 DU's, 20kg KB, modified push-ups): 2 Rounds + 5 push-ups
Today:
FSQ: 100x5x3
Challenge is going well. I don't feel overly motivated by the points, so I'm cruising, basically living my normal, pre-Sandy life. I've been kind of lazy with my diet. Everything is compliant, but I've been eating a lot of fruit and sweet potatoes.
Positive: cooking for myself (and cleaning the dishes within a reasonable time frame)
Opportunity for improvement: AR – haven't made much an of effort with DIY AR, but I try to attend one AR class a week
This is the first time that I have done this kind of challenge — unless you count giving up Diet Coke (aka Diet Crack) two years ago. I was really worried about cutting out grains and sugar, but I'm doing it — 100 percent. I'm actually enjoying getting creative with meals, and love the fact that I can modify and still enjoy foods I love (beef tacos in lettuce wraps instead of tortillas for instance). Sometimes I'm really low energy though. Training for CrashBs and may not be eating enough given insane training (thanks Nick!). Overall, feeling good and excited to be making such positive changes. Already starting to notice a difference in my body too, which helps!
I am not having any problems following the guidelines and have been 100% compliant so far. (Avoid grains, sugar, hydrate, sleep) Like many of you, I find it easier to completely give something up than to allow myself a little. I'm definitely craving chocolate, cheese and bread It seems that everywhere I look, there are some beautiful handmade chocolates or Lindt bars for sale. I am obsessed with eggs, so breakfast has been easy- right now I am going through a scrambled egg phase, but it is definitely a great idea to boil a dozen every so often and keep them in the fridge for emergencies.
Re: Smoked salmon and cold cuts- most of the time sugar, or something like it, has been used in the curing process. Does this make these items non-paleo?
I feel like I have been slipping a bit since the end of last week- I have been eating probably too much fruit and have become completely addicted to almond butter, which is probably a bad idea. And I find myself mixing up weird concoctions of mashed banana, almond milk, flaxseed, chia and cinnamon as snacks- probably a little high in calories?
I've stocked up on several different types of tea as I love all tea and find this is a great way to get the water in.
Bonus Poinys: Working out a minimum of 5 times per week including running, so far. I have only managed to get 1 point for AR so far (today's class) and may take Amy's advice and buy a foam roller. Not entirely sure if I will know what to do with it so if there are any relevant links, that would help lots. I only tend to remember bits from classes.
Getting lots of sleep so far this year and have gotten the 9 hour bonus point on several occasions; one of the advantages of working in the hospitality industry, I guess.
Fish Oil: I was taking Udo's DHA 3 6 9 blend the first week and switched to fish oil last wek. I am not getting fish oil burps at all, so wondering what that is about. Definitely not complaining though!!
This blog has been really helpful as well as Michelle's Daily Paleo, Nom Nom Paleo, Mark's Daily Apple and Melissa' Joulwan's Well Fed.
Also I am a member of the 'Gabe the Fish Babe' FSA http://www.gabethefishbabe.com and I can't recommend it enough.
* CSF lol
A.
Three sets, not for time, of:
20′ Rope Climbs x 3 – 2 – 2 ascents
Double-Unders x 50 – 50 – 50 reps
Toes to Bar x 12 – 12 – 12 reps
Note
– Might start substituting Rope Climb w/ Butterfly kip practice, my rope climb is pretty efficient… But I don't have a Butterfly kip
B.
Every minute, on the minute, for 12 minutes:
Hang Clean x 1 rep
Based my number's off my 1RM Squat Clean 315#
Loading per minute:
1&2 = 60% (190#)
3&4 = 65% (205#)
5&6 = 70% (220#)
7&8 = 75% (235#)
9&10 = 80% (250#)
11&12 = 85% (270#)
Note
– Sets 1-9 Hang Power Clean
– Sets 10-12 Hang Squat Clean
C.
Three sets for times of:
Row 500 Meters
10 Power Cleans @ 205#
20 Wall Ball Shots w/ 30# Slam Ball
Rest 5 minutes
Round 1
4:08
PC 5.1.1.1.2
WB unbroken
Round 2
4:20
PC 3.2.2.1.2
WB unbroken
Round 3
4:09
PC 5.2.3
WB unbroken
Note
– We only have one 30# med ball, so to keep things balanced McD and I use the 30# slamball
-/+ Slamball has NO bounce of the wall (which made things harder), BUT I could hold it tighter to my body (which put me in a great position)
+/- I went right from the erg to the bar (got those reps as soon as I could), BUT I took a lot of time between from the bar to the slamball
Note
– Felt good… keep working on my mental game while in MetCons
+ Convince myself I can still function when I'm breathing heavy
D.
Two sets of:
GHD Sit-Ups x 25 reps
Rest as needed
The challenge so far has been going really well. 100% compliance with no grains, no dairy, no sugars, water, and 7+ hours of sleep. I can even manage a few 9 hour nights during the weeks, but that's just because my weekdays are really lame.
One of my original goals was to go sans alcohol. I broke that three times, but have stuck to either tequila or wine. I docked points for those days.
Active recovery has been a struggle. I'm usually good about it on gym days, but non-gym days I try to catch up on regular life stuff and usually remember by the time I'm in bed. Oops.
Overall, I feel really great about the challenge so far. I'm hoping to turn it into a 90-day thing to lean out some more (I reaaaaally want to get a strict pull up). I'm really stoked about making it to the box five times a week for two weeks in a row now. Especially since this time last year I was almost not coming at all. Being at the box is the best part of my day.
Being a part of the meat CSA has been a huge help! I think one of my biggest downfalls last year was recipe fatigue. I ate the same things over and over. And now I'm constantly looking up new recipes to see what I can make with what's in my freezer. It's given me a whole new outlook on cooking. I haven't gone crazy on fruit (but I did discover dried mango slices…uh oh), so I think to help me lean out, I'm going to cut it out.
My cravings have subsided, but during the first week I was going through major sugar withdrawal. To help me cope, I just started googling paleo desserts. Haven't made any of them yet. But knowing they're out there just made me feel better. Really glad I didn't cave.
It's so great to hear everyone doing well! Keep it up, guys!
squat 45×5 95×5 135×4 185×3 200x3x5
bench 45×5 95×5 115×4 145×3 160x3x5
deadlift 135×5 185×5 215×3 230x3x5
Feeling good still, definitely going to start getting steamrolled by these workouts in the near future as the weights go up. Can't wait.
Still eating a ton, only non-paleo on Sundays, but "Indulgence Sunday" might become "Indulgence Weekend" if I don't start gaining soon.
Todd, you don't know the half of it. "Steamrolled" is euphemistic.
Question: Guidelines say no fructose but saw we can eat some fruit. Can someone explain this to me? Is fruit allowed?
DL dynamic effort. 9 sets of 2 pulls every :30 @ 80#.
Wod… 4 rounds, pushups from knees. All DUs unbroken except first set.