What you're feeling is totally normal. Your body is used to running on carbs/sugar for energy. It's transitioning to using fat for energy. I felt this way for the first week or two of paleo. Paleo does NOT have to be low carb though, eat more sweet potatoes and squash. Your energy will come back, stick with it.

Paleo works because paleo foods have less calories then processed foods. Fewer cals consumed than burned, equals weight loss. Make sure you are still eating enough Cals to train intensely, and you should be fine.

Two tips - first don't worry about what to eat, just ditch all grains. Second, if it has a label don't eat it. That leaves fresh whole foods, meat, eggs, cheese, some fruit (be careful with the fruit if you are losing weight - too much can slow you down). It really is a man's lifestyle, if you have a bbq and a knife, you don't really need much else.

Scott,
First of all, give yourself a break. You are taking action in your life and change is not easy. It takes years to get out of shape and to gain unwanted pounds. To be in your first weeks of CrossFit and getting frustrated with the diet, how you feel and not being able to do WOD's without walking a little will only make you want to stop what can be an incredible journey. I think that a paleo diet is a great thing to aspire to but you know the old saying, it takes 21 days to set a new habit. Trying to change too many habits at the same time can set us up for failure. What I see all the time is that someone is eating clean and exercising regularly when they first start CrossFit, then they make a little slip and all of those good habits get derailed. Here are some things that worked for me.

1. Just do CrossFit. Get consistent in going to the gym and working out. That's a huge step. You will get better in the beginning, even without much dietary intervention. Once you are in the routine, you can approach your diet.

2. Find a good source of information: Advice from our CF instructors, Internet forms and blogs can be helpful, but also all over the place with conflicting ideas. Having a consolidated source of quality information is very valuable. There are 2 books about the paleo diet that CrossFitters treat like religious scripture. The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson and The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. The Primal Blueprint is a less strict version of paleo and is written in more layman's terms. The Paleo Solution is more strict and a little geekier. If you really like almost academic detail, go with The Paleo Solution. However, as a CrossFit coach, I recommend The Primal Blueprint to most new clients as it is an easier read and a more manageable approach to eating. That said, you can't go wrong with either one.

3. Pick one meal and get it right: trying to change all 3 major meals from day one is tough. Just start with breakfast. One of the above books will give you some guidelines.


I hope this helps, Scott. Congratulations on getting started!

About five months after starting Crossfit, I started researching Paleo. It has worked well for me. I'm actually more Primal. It's a little less restrictive than Paleo, so it was a good place for me to get started. I recommend Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint: 21-Day Challenge. Good luck on your journey!

I try to do zone/mediterranean. I don't want to restrict myself too much by being Paleo. My problem is wine.

i thought wine was the SOLUTION to problems?

Two tips - first don't worry about what to eat, just ditch all grains. Second, if it has a label don't eat it. That leaves fresh whole foods, meat, eggs, cheese, some fruit (be careful with the fruit if you are losing weight - too much can slow you down). It really is a man's lifestyle, if you have a bbq and a knife, you don't really need much else.

A crockpot helps too