Happy Sunday and 3rd Week into your paleo challenge!! To recap our meeting from Saturday, we discussed the topics from the blog last week including the olive oil scandal- this was very eye opening for all of us! Check out this link to find real olive oil. We also talked about the celebration of food- don’t forget to enjoy the fresh foods you are eating and explore new recipes- oh and don’t forget your onion goggles! 😉 Also- social occasions, this can be tough but be prepared before you go. Bring a dish to share with your friends! Show them how delicious real food is!
Food For Thought:Going out to eat? Make sure you reread the post from Thursday. In short…
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Questions help you become more educated and we can all use a little bit of that.
- You HAVE to ask questions. You don’t know what restaurants add to dressings, sauces, vegetables.. ASK!
- Ask for additions or substitutes and just pay it. Chances are your $3.50 cup of broccoli will barely fill the palm of your hand, but you’ll feel a little more satisfied if you include it.
- Seek out a restaurant that isn’t a chain. Usually their food will be fresh, sometimes local ingredients.
- It’s ok to talk about your challenge.
- In general, be careful about eating out. It’s critical you do not eat out everyday.
Mini Challenge! This weeks challenge is to go out to a restaurant and eat a paleo meal! Take a picture of what you have and post it to Facebook on the Hoosier CrossFit page. Tell us where you went, what you ate, what substitutions you made, and how your server was willing or unwilling to work with you! You have until next Sunday to complete this challenge!
Community Event! This Saturday at noon we will be having our meeting and The Tieman’s house, 2821 S. Rayle. We will be having spaghetti squash for everyone- please bring a side dish to share with the group! Don’t forget to write down your recipe with directions on an index card. We will be voting on a winner!
Reminder no team WOD Saturday but we will be running the Bloomingfoods Breakway 5K- come run with us!
You are half way in the challenge, reflect on the challenge so far and what you are looking forward to these next 3 weeks!
Hoosier CrossFit 6-Week Challenge 
September 2nd, 2012 at 12:56 pm
The challenge thus far has been okay. I never really had any crazy “side effects” except for a few obnoxious carb/sugar cravings. In just a few weeks I’ve started to crave meat and not cake. I love that a “bad” day of eating is having a larabar, when it used to be having a whole carton of my BFFs Ben and Jerry. With that being said, while this mental feeling is different, physically I’m not seeing much of a difference. My jeans feel a bit tighter around the waste and while I wish I could say my energy level has shot up, I don’t think it has. I also had some real frustrating workouts this week. I really do hate to be the Debbie Downer…but I am an optimist and therefore, I am looking forward to the next three weeks to try different things and see/feel some results! I’m going to see if cutting my nut and fruit intake in half will do something, and I’m upping WODs from 3 times a week to 4 or 5. I also think I’m going to chuck the scale in the dumpster…or at least hide it under my bed. Oh, and of course, I’m excited for Spaghetti potluck!
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Ah! there’s the half glass full approach we love! I’m SO excited for the spaghetti potluck!!!
September 2nd, 2012 at 2:55 pm
I’ve decided to not get on the scale again until the end of the challenge. I dropped some pounds really fast then the scale stalled. However I’ve noticed that my clothes are fitting better. The psychological effect of the scale not moving, for me, made me want to quit. I know that it’s about more than the scale so decided not to jump back on until later. The challenge for me is to mix things up. Eating the same things over and over is easier and saves time. I know that it will get old eventually so I struggle to try new things.
September 2nd, 2012 at 4:31 pm
Hey dana! Even on the biggest loser they stop losing a bunch of weight after so long, AND sometimes they gain it. This will be a bumpy road. Glass half full approach can get you through anything!
September 2nd, 2012 at 3:00 pm
This week I learned that sleep is just as important as the food I eat. Although I did ok with my WODs this week and had some PRs, it was my worst week so far in terms of how I felt during them. I had a couple “cheat days” this weekend where I ate mostly fruits/nuts/nut butters/sweet potato fries after a full week of much better portion sizes. I’m looking forward to focusing on getting enough sleep and getting to sleep early enough that I don’t have to wake up to an alarm clock. That mixed with eating nutrient-balanced meals will hopefully give me a strong last half of the challenge, and I’m going to start coming in 5 days a week instead of just 3. Looking at the big picture of my lifelong health, I’m very encouraged that a “binge” day for me can include only paleo foods but still fulfill all my food cravings.
September 2nd, 2012 at 4:31 pm
I kind of love when people say “cheat” but it’s on fruit and nuts.
September 2nd, 2012 at 5:48 pm
So far it looks like I’m in the same boat as every one else; I’m tossing out the scale until the end of the challenge and I’m upping my workouts from three times a week to five. Hearing Heather’s story put things in perspective for me. If I step back I see that overall I’m REALLY enjoying the cooking and new food discoveries plus overall my attitude is more positive (my grumpy discouragement at the meeting was a small hiccup). One thing I do know for sure is that I always feel great after a WOD. Oh- also this week stamina has been big (later in the week). I started better time management and was able to get a lot of chores done, keeping myself busy, which also detracted from me thinking about eating because I was bored.
As far as being social and eating, I’ve had a great time either going over to fellow paleo’s houses (dave and Caitlin’s) or cooking for my friends. I’ve never been big on going out to eat and much prefer a controlled environment, even before the challenge. Cooking for others is a more rewarding feeling. I can’t wait for the spaghetti dinner challenge for this exact reason.
I am beginning to feel like I’m getting the hang of this. Just tweaking some stuff, like the fruit/nut intake, eating when hungry, it’s ok to skip meals when I’m not hungry, and always have stuff on hand. When ever I start to feel like I’m not doing this right I’ll read blogs about paleo, use of lard, and other articles to support my motivation. Can’t wait to see what the next three weeks bring. I do know that I started this challenge thinking about carrot cake for my birthday, but now I’m not so sure. I had some bitchin lemon tart last night.
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:44 pm
Sometimes I’d rather go all out than have an imitation food, but I think you can make a rad paleo carrot cake.
September 2nd, 2012 at 8:02 pm
I enjoyed the paleo dinner outing last night! Since I can’t make it to meetings, it was nice to go out and be in a group where I could really talk about eating paleo. I got my Saturday shift covered so I can run the Bloomingfoods Breakaway and go to the pot luck meeting, yay!
I’m looking forward to continuing to try new recipes (especially from nom nom paleo and the clothes make the girl blogs). All their recipes that I’ve tried so far have been pretty dynamite. Although, as school is getting busier, planning and cooking meals is getting tougher. I’m so grateful to have a kick-ass husband who is not only super supportive, but does at least half (if not more) of the paleo cooking. I also am looking forward to see what Fall vegetables our CSA share will bring in the next three weeks to cook for paleo yummies.
I’ve been feeling good in the WODs and hope that will continue throughout the challenge. I had a great PR on the 2k row and I finally feel much more comfortable with cleans and OHS. I wish I could come more often, 6am is pretty much my only option Tues/Thurs and I don’t know if I’m prepared to do that.
I hope everyone has a fantastic week of celebrating paleo food!
September 2nd, 2012 at 9:42 pm
It was SO good to see you liz! I’m glad you enjoyed the outing, and in addition, stoked that you can come next weekend!! take it one day at a time – i tried 7am last week and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be 🙂
September 2nd, 2012 at 8:30 pm
I am enjoying this challenge so far! I have spent some time lately trying some new recipes and the most exciting hung is finding stuff that my kid likes, including kale chips! He said, “these are good, like potato chip good!” I was shocked. Then he asked me to make him tuna stuffed in hard boiled egg whites and celery. Again, floored. I was sorry to have missed Scotty’s last might- I’d already eaten out once this week and that’s my limit right now! But I had a successful paleo meal at Feast. These next weeks I am working o really listening to my hunger and not eating if I am not hungry. I tend to want to nibble and snack unnecessarily.
September 3rd, 2012 at 11:51 am
I love that you get your son involved! Have him help you, too! It’s a great bonding experience! BTW, I LOVE the tuna stuffed egg! No worries about missing the outing; we have all kinds of fun things in store!
September 2nd, 2012 at 10:06 pm
I think today Dave and I really looked at each other and tried to figure out where we are mentally. Right now, this is still seeming like a challenge, with a beginning, middle and end. I haven’t quite switched over to the lifetime-lifestyle-change frame of mind (and I’ve eaten brands of paleo off and on for the past 20 months). I think we’re both seeing awesome results, but I’m still feeling uncertain about mine and paleo’s long term relationship status. Intellectually I know all of the multiple reasons why this is the better lifestyle choice, but…I really like bread and ice cream, and being able to order food in a restaurant without having to breakdown every single meal into components and exclude half of them. Blurgh! I’m thinking that as we come off of this challenge it’s going to be challenging in our household for a little while. The ideas for the first post-challenge meal have started, which is probably not a good thing. I don’t hate paleo food at all; in fact, I love it. Unfortunately, I have never been good with moderation, and somehow I have it in my head that it’s all or nothing. Can you tell I’m in a slightly sticky mental carousel? I just keep going round and round, and I know the right answers, but I seem determined to go against it.
September 3rd, 2012 at 11:06 am
Right now you’re planning all kinds of food you want to indulge post challenge; it’s possible that everything will slowly get easier in 3 weeks and your feelings will change. It’s possible they won’t (like my first challenge, I saved cupcakes in the freezer from birthday parties during the challenge). What helped me over the last 6 challenges in the last 3 years is whole heartedly believing that if I did my best (faults and all), I can only succeed. I never stopped believing in the benefits. KEEP TRUCKIN!!!!
September 2nd, 2012 at 10:25 pm
Caitlin summed up where we are pretty well. Really questioning our ability to do this long term. But on the bright side, I am still seeing results. More weight loss, and although I am still hungry quite a bit, I can tolerate it much better than before. I also think that I have been eating less. I haven’t been very diligent about measuring portion size, but overall I think that I am eating less at each meal. I do like the food I have been eating, but certain foods are getting old. Eggs, for example, which I almost can’t tolerate anymore. We have also given up on eating out, which I know is the challenge this week. We used to eat out a lot, but it seems pretty pointless now. The few times we have tried to eat out we end up with expensive bills, and mediocre compromised meals. Most of what we can eat at a restaurant I can cook at home better and cheaper. Arguably a good thing, but frustrating none the less. One of the most difficult things has been that I derive a great deal of joy from food. I love to eat good food and search out new foods. That mindset is clearly not compatible with the paleo diet.
September 3rd, 2012 at 11:42 am
Eat more food, Dave 🙂 Have steak for your morning meal! Man, it makes me feel as though I’m eating like a king when I do that. It’s not so weird if you believe that Food is fuel; then, there will be a day when you enjoy flavors from the earth more than whatever it is that you feel you’re missing out on right now. Non-paleo foods can be more economical up front. I see paleo as an investment; thriving from quality foods now will save money and, possibly, my life years from now. Many folks are off diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid medication and more, so, it keeps me believing. I hope this food for thought helps over the next few weeks! Eat more food!!
September 3rd, 2012 at 8:17 am
I am feeling good mentally and physically. I do not crave breads or other carbs/sweets. I feel satisified with my food. I feel energetic for my workouts and sleeping really good at night. I do feel that I am eating too much and taking in too many calories. I, like many of you, have not seen the scale budge. And I know that the numbers on the scale do not mean anything, but I am not seeing the inches go or my clothes fitting any better. In fact, I feel tighter in my pants and overall heavier. I will give it 3 more weeks…..to eat healthy foods and play around with my intake. I am going to try really hard to only eat when I am hungry and not out of habit or boredom…..so we shall see!!!
September 3rd, 2012 at 11:50 am
My goal is to help everyone steer towards the big picture – health and wellness. If you’re satisfied daily with energy to keep up with the kids and feeling strong in your workouts, then you’re on the right path. I stopped losing weight a couple of years ago. A girl with my petite stature can easily be 100lbs, but I’m 120lbs for 2 years straight and my butt isn’t getting any smaller 😉 Do your best to just to live life and love your body.
September 3rd, 2012 at 9:25 am
I am liking the fact that the challenge has opened me up to so many new food choices. For example, the other night @ Scotty’s I would never have ordered a burger with green peppers, lettuce, tomato, onion, and guacamole…I would have had the bacon on it, but then just smothered it in ketchup. The paleo way was actually much tastier and I would definitely order it that way after the challenge. As for other things, I lost some weight the first couple of weeks and suffered in a couple of WODs because I wasn’t eating enough. I have since leveled off and put a couple of “good” pounds back on. Looking forward to the next 3 weeks and to continuing to eat paleo after the challenge….at least 80/20 paleo.
September 3rd, 2012 at 11:44 am
That’s perfect! Little by little you’re challenging old habits and that’s all they seem to be. We can enjoy healthier flavors as the challenge, and our life, goes on. Write down your goals and refer back to them. After the challenge there won’t be boundaries which makes it easy to go 50/50 🙂
September 3rd, 2012 at 8:52 pm
I have been having fun with this challenge. I’ve been trying all kinds of new things (cooking has become enjoyable again). I made my own sausage last week from plain ground pork, tried mayo but need to tweak and try again (actually follow the recipe this time :)). I had a craving for peanut butter and chocolate (no bake cookies came to mind) so I wondered how to make it paleo. I made some no bake, no oatmeal cookies….yummy! I’ve had Brussel sprouts and asparagus cooked in my bacon grease for breakfast…yum! I’ve made kale chips and beet chips for snacks…yum! Like I said, I’ve had fun with food this challenge, celebrating it! I had a great time at Scotty’s Saturday and am looking forward to spaghetti night this week. Workout wise I just continue plugging along, I feel stronger at times, and I wake up without feeling sick to my stomach. I still struggle getting to bed earlier, but I still work at getting more sleep. I’m so glad I did this challenge!
September 7th, 2012 at 10:50 am
Keep up the hard work Denise! I LOVE kale chips! and brussel sprouts! and asparagus!!! Keep celebrating!
September 3rd, 2012 at 10:05 pm
This past week was tough for me again, but again mostly because of other life events and not the food so much. I have been eating plenty and not feeling hungry, and not feeling tempted too terribly much by other foods. This weekend I spent most of one day cooking different kinds of foods and mixing some things together, so I have a good start on the week ahead. Plus my refrigerator is stocked with more veggies to be incorporated as my time and inclinations allow. I’ve also been doing one crock pot meal a week, and I have saved up some broths in the freezer. So I’m feeling pretty good about my choices right now.
September 4th, 2012 at 9:54 am
I want to add I also had a big fight with my boyfriend this week about what kinds of food are or are not in the house when he comes over. He seemed to understand about the challenge in the first week, but it’s getting frustrating to him now. I almost ALMOST just chucked it in and quit the challenge, thinking it wasn’t worth the relationship. Then I realized that even if I have some milk and bread in the house, I don’t have to put it in my mouth. Wow, that was a remarkable realization!
September 4th, 2012 at 12:18 am
The past week was tough for me because I gained a few pounds. But on the inside, I feel great! My cooking skills have improved immensely and I look forward to making meals now. I still struggle with having enough time to eat because my schedule is hectic, but Im getting better. (In a dream world I would be crossfitting & cooking all day with no responsibilities!) I also am struggling with buying enough food at the market, because I dont want the food to spoil but i dont want to go to Kroger 5 times a week. But I am very happy and feel like the light bulb finally went off in my head about this being a lifestyle– not a 6 week challenge!
September 4th, 2012 at 12:18 am
also sorry yall i missed the meeting– i showed up at noon!
September 4th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
The scale came up again in this Saturday’s discussion…just chuck the scale until the end of the challenge. You can guage yourself in other ways (how things fit, your performance, etc). Heather talked about how when she finally “got it” and did strict paleo and working out nearly every day, she gained 30 pounds. She focuses more on performance and feeling healthy rather than the scale. I hope this helps.
September 7th, 2012 at 10:55 am
Denise is right! Hannah- we talked a little … but don’t get on the scale.. focus on your performance in the gym right now. If you’re going to “measure” something measure how your jeans fit and how you feel! Society says we have to be a certain number on the scale in order to be “acceptable” and I will be the first one to tell you that is FALSE! Don’t make the same mistakes I made … eat when you’re hungry- eat the right foods- do crossfit and mobility and you will be just fine!