The feedback so far has been great! This blog is meant to be interactive and a resource for YOU. In order to get started we are going to start off by determining the how and why of your approach to nutrition. You can respond via email with your questions/comments/suggestions to dana@kiathletics.com or feel free to post to comments. Include your name if you are so inclined but don't feel obligated. Either way works :)
How?
So as we set out on this journey together my first question for you is how?
How do you choose what you eat?
Do you eat paleo, primal or vegetarian? Or perhaps you don't have a method?
How adherent are you to your current approach? 80-20? 70-30?
One cheat day a week? A whole weekend?
Why?
Why did you choose this approach? Ease of use? Efficiency?
Why does it matter to you?
Perhaps nutrition does not matter to
you. If so, why?
Impact?
What impact does food have on not only your weight?
How about
your athletic performance?
Does it impact your mood, finances, or social life?
I know that is a large laundry list of questions. Don't worry there is a method to the madness. The larger the response the better idea we can get for audience taking part and the purpose this blog can serve. We are very interested in knowing what works for you and why. There is not a right or wrong answer. Paleo or not, you are making food choices daily. Lets chat about them. I look forward to sharing the findings soon.
HOW
ReplyDeleteI chose what to eat based on a but of research that I completed on my own. I looked information on the raw food diet, the paleo diet and vegetarian diet.
I currently follow the paleo diet and have since the actual Paleo Challenge CrossFit.
I would say that I follow my paleo diet 90% of the time- I might have a mini biscotti with my coffee or some cheese on my paleo burger. I like to have a bite of dessert when everyone else is enjoying it. My biggest downfall is the week before menstrual..... I binge BIG TIME on chocolate, candy and I LOVE chocolate cake. During this time my diet is followed 70%. I discovered that deficiencies in vitamins can cause the cravings prior to menstruating and since I have binged less and less before my cycle.
WHY
I chose the paleo approach because I think it makes logical sense and most importantly, I want to take care of my body- I am in my baby rearing years. ; ) My mother has rheumatoid arthritis and has had cancer- from my research and understanding, we are what we eat and what we eat affects our chances of such autoimmune diseases and cancers.
Eating food the way is was created- naturally make perfect sense to me. When food is processed, the heat and chemical change the molecular make up and nutrition of food which I think short changes our bodies of their essential needs to function efficiently and correctly.
IMPACT
I believe that the food that I choose to eat has an impact on every part of live and my body’s functioning. The change in my eating has an impact on digestion, physical performance, immune system strengths, energy levels, ability have clear cognitive functioning and all of these things combined make me very happy.
Unfortunately, I get alot and I mean ALOT of crap when I am at a restaurant because I alter dishes to meet my needs. My friends tell me that I need to eat more and “real” food. I’ve heard, “Life is too short to not enjoy your food!” several times.... I wouldn’t say however, that my diet has a negative impact on my social life.
Financially, I think that paleo isn’t a problem financially. Infact, at first it was an issue ONLY because I didn’t know how to shop efficiently. It was easy to buy too much food and watch it spoil. I buy for the 2 or 3 days- organic fresh fruit, veggies, wild fish and grass-fed meat. Now these things can be expensive if you buy more than needed.
Wow sorry, I didn't even think to check my spelling, grammar and sentence structure.... oops. Kinda just woke up and started typing
ReplyDeleteI'll chime in here even though we chatted about it live. :-)
ReplyDeleteHOW
I make a mediocre attempt at paleo. Weekdays is about 70/30 and weekends...a trainwreck. My biggest challenge with paleo is that I think I pretty much just want to eat like a little kid - cereal, crackers, cheese, candy. Before I started CF this year - this is how I ate. Seriously. I unfortunately honestly don't like meat at all. I eat it because its good for me but its definitely a forced effort. This makes paleo/primal/etc. super challenging for me. But I am working on it.
WHY
Why - if my little kid diet was "working" for me (working = I looked fine and in fact was thinner and I was running a handful of races per year and about 5x per week on my own) - have I chosen to attempt at making a change?
I attended a nutrition seminar. I am kind of a geek with science and numbers so when for the first time ever I was actually educated about the necessity of balance between protein/fat/carbs and what the actual biological effects are in my body, I was shocked and compelled.
IMPACT
My first month at trying to go about 70/30 paleo was a nightmare - I was exhausted, my workouts sucked, I struggled. After that, I started to feel better and I noticed the days that I "cheated" (aka binged) I felt really awful and I started wondering if thats how I had always felt on my little kid diet but just had no idea that there was a "better."
Now I try to stick with Paleo still about 70/30. I have ambitions to improve this ratio but I also know that if I had tried to go cold turkey, it would be unsuccessful for me and result in binging, frustration, depression. A little at a time is working for me now.
The big difference for me are:
(1) much healthier relationship w/ food - I now see it as fuel for my body and for my mind. I realize that eating an entire 16 ounce bag of Red Vines is not healthy just because its "fat free". I also eat throughout the day because I SHOULD eat and not celebrate being able to go for hours without food then rewarding myself with some awful binge on macaroni and cheese.
(2) Balanced meals and snacks - If I am hungry, I really try to choose a mix of protein, fat, and carbs - not just carbs.
(3) Better Skin & Digestion - because I yanked dairy out when I started eating paleo, I realized when I started introducing it back that my body does not do well with it. I still eat it now and then (I love pizza and I love ice cream) but when I do, I know I will pay for it by feeling bloated and breaking out like I am in junior high.
(4) on the down side - I do really miss a lot of foods - crackers and cereal especially. I surprisingly do not miss candy at all and Brad will tell you I used to keep a drawer full and buy swedish fish 5 pounds at a time - which would last maybe 3 days. I need to work on doing a better job on cheat days or meals of something a little more balanced so its not just a trainwreck. Definitely looking to improve here!
How?: I have no real guidelines for what I eat. I'll eat whatever. Ever see Louis CK's bit on eating the non-dolphin safe tuna because the bits of dolphin make it taste better?
ReplyDeleteWhy?: It's what I'm craving, what's in the fridge, or because Dana cooked it already and I can just grab a plate.
Impact?: I notice big lunches will make me tired all afternoon. Though I do it anyways. I try to eat light before CF'ing or MTB'ing because I feel like crap otherwise.
How?
ReplyDeleteI have just started Paleo about 2 weeks ago and it isn't hard to choose what to eat. I just keep in mind to keep away from rice, flour, beans and dairy. I also try not to eat too much fruits because of the sugar content in them, but I haven't cut them out completely. Also, I have been cooking with recipes from http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Comfort-Foods-Homestyle-Gluten-Free/dp/1936608936 which are tasty and makes me forget about carbs (cauliflower rice actually works).
Truth is, I am sticking with it about 70-30. Breakfast and lunch I can hold my ground, but dinner is where I falter most times. Usually it is because I feel drained at the end of the work day and I just grab something quick. I am thinking I should prep dinner on mornings, so I don't have an excuse :)
Why?
I heard lots of people talking about Paleo at Crossfit and I did some research into it. I agree with the Paleo idea that we are bombarded with all these new processed foods which are making us less healthy. The Paleo diet is really straightforward and that makes it easier for me to stick to it. I am doing this diet for two main reasons. I hope to keep myself as healthy as I can and I want to make sure all the hard work I put into at the gym doesn't go into vain with bad nutrition.
Impact?
The lack of carbs sometimes gives me headaches and that is usually when I cheat. I already lost a bit of weight and when I stick with it, I usually sleep better and feel better. I think in a few more weeks I would be able to better say what impact Paleo had on me.
My method (which is still new to me) is basically Tim Ferriss' take on the slow carb diet. I stick to it 90+% -- which means 6 days a week plus one cheat day, so it's actually about 75-80% overall.
ReplyDelete(Tried strict paleo for 30 days, and while it helped clear my skin, it didn't make a difference otherwise and was very restricting. In the past, I lost a metric shit-ton of weight doing nothing but counting calories, but who's to say I was healthy.)
I chose this approach because it makes sense, is mostly paleo, and is sustainable for me. Counting calories and grams of x/y/x is not sustainable long-term, cutting out all carbs but veggies is not sustainable, eating 5 meals a day is not sustainable, eating less meat (a la mayo clinic) is not sustainable -- for me, anyway.
Also what I'm trying is taking a lighter approach to my diet -- and I say that in the sense of my everyday food choices. While I'm eating lots more veggies; I'll get cheese in my Chipotle burrito bowl (no rice), drink kefir for probiotics, enjoy some fantastic microbrews occasionally, and eat whatever I want on cheat day. It's not a chore, and I want for nothing.
Impact? Tough to say since there are so many variables at work. When I started running 20+ miles per week, I got really tired before realizing I wasn't getting enough carbs -- that fixed it. Some foods I can feel the impact on my mood and energy levels more than others. I don't let food impact my social life but sometimes the inverse happens.
How: I started full on Paleo last January and was strict for 45 days. I am now weekday strict paleo, but still try to eat good on the weekends. I try as much as possible to avoid processed foods and try to stick to the standard Paleo guidelines.
ReplyDeleteWhy: Mainly because I was getting fat and I wanted to be better at crossfit, rugby, and any other activities I feel like doing. Lets be honest the real reason was that I was fat and I was slowly getting fatter. I started Paleo because the gym was doing a paleo challenge last January. I read up on the diet and liked the idea behind it so I went for it. My wife decided to join, which was a HUGE help, and it has been great for both of us. It is important to have someone to keep you accountable for the things you eat and keep you motivated when you want to hit the buffet.
Now that we are almost a year in I feel like it is almost second nature. Although we cheat here and there on the weekends we have been able to keep our weight off and we both feel very healthy. I think doing crossfit also helps because you work so hard at the gym that you don't want to mess it up by eating something shitty.
Impact: I eat out much less being on Paleo so financially it is better for me. The food in the store is more expensive and it takes some time to organize your week, but its way better than eating out. My friends all give me shit but I think they also can see the change so they respect the way I try to eat. They also know I am not completely psycho about being strict...or I won't flip out on them if they put garbanzo beans in my salad.
The main thing I have noticed is my mid-day energy is 100% better. I used to eat a sandwich almost everyday for lunch and than struggle to stay awake at my desk. Now I have no after lunch lull, which makes my days go by much smoother.
As for athletic performance, I am lighter, stronger, and faster than I have been in a long long time and for me that what I want.