It was back on January 24th, what seems like AGES ago, that a few members of CrossFit Capitol Hill started this 7 week paleo challenge. The week before they nervously looked over the document I passed out that outlined the program - allowable foods (meats, veggies, healthy fats, some nuts and seeds, some fruit, no processed food/sugar) as well as the penalties for eating sugar (100 burpees), legumes (150 lunges), dairy (100 push ups), grains (200 sit ups), alcohol (25 4-count flutter kicks for every 2oz), and processed food (100 squats). Many took the document - curious of the challenge - but ultimately decided there was "no way" they could give up X for seven weeks. Some might've said "no effing way", but I digress.
There were five hearty souls that joined me on the challenge that seemed like it would never end!! Those first few weeks were tough with a lot of questions or text messages (while at the grocery store) asking if X was allowed. I started the blog early on to help field some questions about calcium, fat (so much!), and to host a link to some paleo approved recipes to keep us sane. I also posted a video of my kitchen so they could see what it looked like for me to be paleo. And, yes, I owned up to having some non-paleo foods on hand.
Throughout the challenge I would ask them at CrossFit how they were feeling. In addition to changing how they were eating I wanted them to keep track of stress levels (low, med, high), do mobility work, get at least 8+ hours of sleep, and take fish oil. The challenge wasn't just about eating, but overall health. Early feedback was that they were feeling good. There was a mix of occupations, but even if school or working late kept them from getting at least 6 hours of sleep, they were feeling well rested and not dragging all day.
One vice for many was the addiction to nuts and nutbutters. Everyone had different goals (some weight loss), so they switched to using coconut oil for cooking and adding avocados or guacamole to meals. General consensus was it made a HUGE difference. They couldn't trust themselves to just a handful of nuts, so getting it out of the house and switching to a different fat source made the difference.
It's amazing how quickly the 7 weeks went by. We ended with a paleo pot luck and dined on the bacon explosion (paleo bbq sauce), baked chicken, pad thai, sweet potato cubes, stuffed cabbage, veggies and guac, fruit, and ended with some primal pumpkin pie and coconut butter bark. No one left hungry, that's for sure!
We talked about the ups/downs of the challenge and if they noticed any changes. I think the big eye opener for everyone was how much extra (sugar, soy, wheat, etc) is added to foods. They started to read labels for ingredients as well as where the food came from. Additionally, they did notice some weight loss (I didn't make a big deal about the scale), but said clothes were feeling and fitting better. Sleep had improved, and if they weren't getting at least 8 hours, they were feeling well rested and not groggy during the day. It was also a chance to try new foods and different recipes. And even if it took awhile, the normal sugar cravings and hunger pangs were gone.
I think the addition of the blog and recipe page was a big help so we could talk on the fly about what worked/what didn't and what recipes we recommended. I will keep it going add recipes and posts from time to time. At this point, some people have gone off the challenge for a few cheat meals or treats, but most have said they will go back to it at least 80/20. And the decision was made post-cheat when I heard rumblings of "not feeling well" after the meal. Hmm...
I'd like to thank everyone who participated. It was a huge leap of faith for our first go at it, and even if we didn't have huge results or epic weight loss stories from everyone, I think it was still a success. We learned more about ourselves and our addiction to certain foods, and became more knowledgeable about what we eat. Now go educate others!!
Next post will be about a BIG success story from one of the participants - stay tuned! You don't want to miss it!
3 comments:
Friday, March 18
The best thing I've done for this challenge since it started in January is eat a big ol' slab of cheesecake.
I continued this challenge till 3 p.m. yesterday, originally because I wanted to go past 50 days and then just because I wanted to. The first "off" thing I ate were peppermint patties courtesy of Jen. Amazingly good.
My SO has been really good about not going out to eat - I didn't want stuff cooked in soybean oil - so I decided to reward him with a trip to one of his favorite places, Cuba de Ayer. We split the shrimp appetizer. Very primal - shrimp in garlic butter with lime and herbs/spices. Heaven.
I had the marinated roast pork and left the rice on my plate. I ate two slices of fried green yuca. So far, so good. I dipped my spoon into my black beans for a taste and ended up demolishing the cup. That's fine. I was happy with my cheat meal.
But then my boyfriend, who normally doesn't order dessert, wanted the rum-glazed sponge cake special of the day! Hey! If he's getting dessert, I am too... guava-topped cheesecake.
The first bite was fabulous. All that sweetness, after a long hiatus from added sugar... indescribable (and I'm not normally crazy about cheesecake).
On the second bite, I literally felt a strange muzziness or fatigue rush to my head. I kept eating, stunned at the way I could actually feel the sugar rush and/or insulin spike. I felt more woozy/muddleheaded by the moment, but refused to stop eating... I just had to have every last bit of cheesecake. The saddest thing was, I also asked my boyfriend for a quarter on the way out of the restaurant. I wanted peanut M & Ms from one of those little vending machines.
I had to think really hard to hold up my end of the conversation on the drive back to DC from Burtonsville, and went to bed as soon as I could.
This morning, I almost blew off Crossfit for the first time since I started attending in January. I just felt so lethargic. Fortunately, a tiny little part of me deep down knew I'd feel better after class. I did.
I skipped the usual post-workout snack and waited till 8 a.m. to have a normal breakfast for me - steamed broccoli, chicken, and half an avocado. My stomach started hurting while I was eating.
So that's why eating that cheesecake was the best thing I've done for this challenge. My response to the thought of eating that kind of refined sugar again?
No [effing] way.
I'm back on.
Since the challenge ended last week I have only had 7 'bad' things. 5 were crepes, 1 was a small piece of milk chocolate and the other some odd chips that were free, and ....there. I got the crepes because I had a LivingSocial deal that I didn't want to expire and I also used my friend's deal. I also made sure to eat them the later part of the day after doing CF and not the night before CF. Did I feel any ill effects from the crepes? Kinda. The small piece of milk chocolate? Most definitely. The bland chips? Yes....headache and sleepy right away. (first ingredients are sugar and enriched flour). Do I feel the urge to eat any and all sweets I see in front of me? Nope. Not knowing the effects they'll have on my belly. I've continued eating as I did during the challenge because I'm just used to it. If I do decide to 'cheat' with something sweet or non paleo/primal it will have to be something worth it and not a cheap 'ol piece of bad chocolate or bland chips. I'll also try to time it so it won't be the evening before CF so I sleep well and perform well. I'm still very conscious of what I eat because I feel so good now and I don't want to slip back into bad habits.
I crashed and burned tonight. In retrospect, this has been coming since the cheesecake debacle at Cuba de Ayer). In the days following that meal, I've had to pretty much double my fat intake to deal with the cravings. The past two days it's been especially unbearable - almost as if I were going through sugar withdrawal all over again.
Well, tonight I thought I could just eat a bit of sugar and satisfy the demons. I trotted to the corner market to see my long-lost friends Ben and Jerry and pick up some Boston Cream Pie. Yep. One full pint gone in five minutes flat. I knew very well I would feel as lousy as I did after the cheesecake last week but I simply didn't care. I just wanted the sugar.
As I was savoring every spoonful (spoon in left hand), I was frantically reading everything I found tabbed as "cravings" at paleohacks.com (mouse in right hand). Apparently I'm one of those people who can't handle re-introduction of sugar/sugary foods (like the apples I've had every day this week). It's back to square one for me in terms of sugar cravings.
I hope tomorrow is a better day. I know the next few days actually will be terrible - I'll be as fatigued as I was today, dealing with withdrawal, but I can only hope.
Emily, the last sentence of your entry above says exactly what I was thinking right before I went to Cuba de Ayer. Too bad I didn't follow up those thoughts with corresponding actions.
I briefly considered just pretending this day didn't exist but then realized I can't go back to closet eating.
Sigh. I'm counting on tomorrow.
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