Paleo Challenge
madmags
Posts: 1,340 Member
My box is starting their spring Paleo Challenge this Saturday and wanted to know if anyone else is doing one this spring. This will be my first Paleo Challeng, but seems like a completely doable goal. I don't think I would want to eat 100% Paleo the rest of my life, but 1 month is a good trial run.
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My experience of doing one 6 week Paleo challenge was that I learned quite a bit. I learned how my body feels when I'm eating zero processed foods. I learned that this helped my workouts. I learned that a diet with multiple rib-eyes each week and bacon every morning was not conducive to weight loss for me. I learned that I still have to track my calories. I still try to eat mostly Paleo (i.e., avoid processed foods) but 100% is difficult to manage for most people.
Good luck with your challenge!0 -
My experience of doing one 6 week Paleo challenge was that I learned quite a bit. I learned how my body feels when I'm eating zero processed foods. I learned that this helped my workouts. I learned that a diet with multiple rib-eyes each week and bacon every morning was not conducive to weight loss for me. I learned that I still have to track my calories. I still try to eat mostly Paleo (i.e., avoid processed foods) but 100% is difficult to manage for most people.
Good luck with your challenge!
THIS!! :laugh:
I try to follow a LC/Zone/Primal plan... alcohol foils me everytime. Oh, and I just can't shovel in 2300+ calories and lose.0 -
...I learned that a diet with multiple rib-eyes each week and bacon every morning was not conducive to weight loss for me. I learned that I still have to track my calories...
Agreed. My wife and I ate brats almost every night, almonds by the pound, and wrapped everything in bacon that would fit such as dates and asparagus. We ate way to many sweet potatoes and the first thing we did was try to make paleo versions of pizza and key lime pie. We didn't loose much weight if any. We did feel better though.
I just put together a 3 week paleo challenge for our crossfit box and I am encouraging members to watch how much fruit, nuts and fatty foods they eat.0 -
I learned that a diet with multiple rib-eyes each week and bacon every morning was not conducive to weight loss for me. I learned that I still have to track my calories. I still try to eat mostly Paleo (i.e., avoid processed foods) but 100% is difficult to manage for most people.
Good luck with your challenge!
This! I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one. I tried it for a month and I was miserable. I know its different for everybody, but I was told that I would have more energy, lose weight, feel great. The opposite happened. I was hungry and cranky all the time. Went back to counting calories and BLAMMO I start dropping weight again and I feel great!0 -
I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one. I tried it for a month and I was miserable. I know its different for everybody, but I was told that I would have more energy, lose weight, feel great. The opposite happened. I was hungry and cranky all the time. Went back to counting calories and BLAMMO I start dropping weight again and I feel great!
I agree. The Paleo Diet just isn't for me. Eating less (and ultimately little-to-no) processed foods is a wonderful goal that I think can benefit everyone regardless of which diet they're following. A Paleo Diets issn't maintainable for me as my body simply can't process all the constant meat and my energy plummets with such a severe carb restriction. I follow a different protocol now and that's been working quite well for me: I'm sleeping better, improving in my WODs and feel stronger and more energetic.
P.S. And I can't stand sweet potatoes! Ugh!0 -
I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one. I tried it for a month and I was miserable. I know its different for everybody, but I was told that I would have more energy, lose weight, feel great. The opposite happened. I was hungry and cranky all the time. Went back to counting calories and BLAMMO I start dropping weight again and I feel great!
I agree. The Paleo Diet just isn't for me. Eating less (and ultimately little-to-no) processed foods is a wonderful goal that I think can benefit everyone regardless of which diet they're following. A Paleo Diets issn't maintainable for me as my body simply can't process all the constant meat and my energy plummets with such a severe carb restriction. I follow a different protocol now and that's been working quite well for me: I'm sleeping better, improving in my WODs and feel stronger and more energetic.
P.S. And I can't stand sweet potatoes! Ugh!
Me too!! I hate sweet potatoes, but learned that I love butternut squash... so I sub all sweet potato recipes for butternut and it works out beautifully!0 -
I've just finished my 1st week of our 6 week Paleo challenge. I was eating 80% Primal and am finding strict Paleo quite hard. I miss my dairy and really have to plan my meals/snacks in advance.
In saying that - it is stopping me from mindless eating which I guess is part of the challenge.
I'm really hoping to see some results coz going without wine for 6 weeks is gonna be hard!
Good luck0 -
Ive eaten Paleo for 3 months now and allow myself 3 cheat meals a week if needed. Not sure why but have had a rough 2 days
Anyhow. I will say this. The first week or so was kind of freak out with no bread...so I made some! Use almond or coconut flour and prepare yourself some little bread loaves or muffins. Having a healthy alternative on hand was an absolute necessity! Now its been 3 months and I dont crave bread anymore. Last two days aside,
Paleo is not a meat fest. You should approach it tons of veggies, then meat, then less fruit, then less nuts.
I read the book Wheat Belly while starting out. Its a real eye opener. As far as physical results for me, I have had chronic migraines my entire life including childhood. I had multiple nuero appointments and MRIs last year ... nothing could be found....just pill up when in pain. Guess what? After maybe 2 weeks paleo my headaches stopped. Ive had two headaches since. One after eating part of a blooming onion at outback and one right now after eating eww for 24 hours.
I did give up the dairy. I replaced milk with almond or coconut milk. I switched all my meats to grassfed only and went organic with the fruits n veggies. Paleo or not I will continue to eat "clean" for life from now on. I realize that only being 3 months in that I will stumble some and Im ok with that. Its getting easier and easier because Im developing new habits...plus when you start finding out that processed foods make you feel bad you cant hardly argue that.
Have fun with your paleo challenge. Think of it as not a final you must do only this meal plan but as a chance to clean up with guidance and figure out what foods work for you 0 -
P.S. And I can't stand sweet potatoes! Ugh!
Some would argue that sweet potatoes (or any other potatoes) aren't Paleo.0 -
Funny you mention sweet potatoes, because in out paleo challenge rules they aren't allowed, so I don't have to worry about them. Thanks for you replies and support. I will check back in at the end of week one with an update.0
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My first week started out great and then ... not so great.... so I start again this week.
We are allowed sweet potatoes on this challenge - they just taste kinda - meh ... to me.
Vwery interested to hear of good on the go snacks - as this is where I seem to fall over.0 -
P.S. And I can't stand sweet potatoes! Ugh!
Man, I love them. A tablespoon of Kerrygold grassfed butter on each side, a generous sprinkling of cinnamon, and a little bit of honey or maple syrup is the way to go. We also cut them into small pieces and roast them in coconut oil with cinnamon and get them nice and crispy on the edges. The honey or maple is still a nice finishing touch.
Someone mentioned that they are arguably not paleo. I think that this is because pre-agriculturally, the sweet potato that you find in the supermarket didn't exist. They were much smaller and more fibrous and not as sweet. But then again not one piece of produce or meat in the supermarket resembles their preagricultural forms.0 -
Try adding a little raw honey to the sweet potatoes. Yummy. Not something I do all the time but occassionally it makes for a nice treat.0
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Paleo is a land of grey areas. Lots ot fringe items that get argued over, but I don't think sweet potatoes are the devil. But for my challenge, like all challenges there are fine lines and for me sweet potatoes are out. I am finally over my hump today, much more energy and I weighed in at the Box this morning and I am 8 pounds down.0
