Paleo - Week 6 and Counting

So, it's been about 6 weeks since I started the Paleo diet. Also known as the caveman diet. Eating like the cavemen did. Lean meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruit. All broken down to essential proteins, carbs and fat. No starch, no sugar, no legumes, no grains. That means no pasta, no bread, no deserts, no beans, no peanuts, no cereal, no sodas. If it is processed, the cavemen didn't eat it. If it needs to be processed to be eaten, the cavemen didn't eat it.

There have been several noticeable changes:

1. Energy level - Prior to starting to eat Paleo I was going to sleep around 9pm, sometimes earlier, if you can believe it. but my day starts just before 5am, and some days even earlier. So 9pm was reasonable. Paleo has given me more energy to stay awake longer. I now find that I am up until 10 to 11pm, sometimes making myself go to sleep because the next day will be starting soon.
2. Energy level part 2 - I have noticed an increase in my energy levels during my workouts. My ability to continue when previously I may have slowed down to a little rest. My ability to recover more quickly after the workout.
3. Weight loss - while I wasn't looking for weight loss, I have lost quite a bit of weight. The other day I was told I was "lean". That word has never been used to describe me. Lean. My body is using my fat stores to produce energy to make more muscle. The muscle is more visible due to the elimination of the layer(s) of fat. Nice.
4. Health - I have not even come close to getting sick, catching a cold, having a runny nose, etc. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the Paleo diet has made this happen, it could just be a coincidence. But I have never felt healthier.
5. Strength - A combination of diet and exercise has made me stronger. I can't say that it is only the diet, because I have also been training. But I have been eating appropriately for the level of training I am doing. I am using the proteins, carbs and fat that I am eating, when I need it, and as I need it.
6. Attitude - Because I feel great, my attitude has been great. I have been very even tempered, not fluctuating in mood as much as previously. This has been a great side benefit for my family.
7. Because I am eating better, my family is eating better. I don't know if they notice changes as I do. They are only eating the foods I feed them, when we eat as a family. They still eat grains and sugars, and other non-Paleo foods. But maybe one day i can get the to come around. Right...

Paleo resources:

1. Loren Cordain - The Paleo Diet
2. Robb Wolf
3. Basic shopping list

A friend and her daughter just started a couple of weeks ago. they are starting to see changes already.

How about it? Interested in learning more? Perhaps starting?? Go for it, it's easier than you think.

Rough Hands

My hands are rough. There was a time they were soft and smooth, but not any longer. At one time in my life, people told me that I could be a hand model. But not any longer... At one time, my hands were almost graceful, beautiful. But not any longer...

My hands are rough. I use them daily, in ways most people don't. I train, I lift weights, I hold heavy objects. The knurling of the Olympic bars has caused calluses to form, tear, and reform. The work I do on the pull up bar has caused calluses to form, tear, and reform. I sand the calluses down, but they still tear and reform. And they hurt sometimes. And they bleed sometimes. But I continue... Because I need the calluses to be strong -- I need my hands to be strong.

My hands are rough. I train hard and my hands pay the price. My hands are strong, they do what I ask them to do -- what most people can't do. My hands are constantly remodeling, losing calluses and forming new ones -- their own artistic performance, one blister, one tear, one callus at a time. My hands are beautiful.

Crossover Benefits of CrossFit

I haven't run in 2 weeks. I take that back, I haven't done a long run in 2 weeks. I've done a couple short, 1/4 mile runs, as part of CrossFit workouts. But not a long run. The past 2 weeks have been spent CrossFitting and strength training.

Today I ran 5k in 27:38. My best 5k time is 26:48 -- during a race. I nearly hit my race time PR. Considering that I haven't really ran in 2 weeks, I was quite surprised by the time. I expected to be slow, miserably slow. I expected to hate every minute of it, really hate it. But I wasn't slow, and I didn't hate it. In fact, it really felt good, and I found myself pushing for that time.

The past 2 weeks have been spent CrossFitting -- training my mental toughness -- my ability to mentally push myself when I don't think I can push any more. Training my metcon -- my lungs ability to do more in less time. Training my strength -- my muscles ability to better utilize their fibers.

And in 2 weeks of CrossFitting, and no running, I have seen better performance in my run, although I have not trained my run. I attribute this to the crossover benefits of CrossFit. Training my mind and my different energy systems through CrossFit has benefited other activities.

Motivation

There are many things that motivate me. My desire to constantly do better, be better -- in many ways (performance, with my family, my job, etc.) -- to develop that mental toughness that surmounts obstacles, achieves results and succeeds in the given situation.

This, along with an understanding of no matter how horrible, difficult, miserable (pick your negative adjective) things can be, they can always be worse, and they are worse for many people.

And as horrible as things can sometimes be for me, there is almost always a silver lining, or an end in sight. One more minute, one more round, one more rep... TIME!

There is also nothing like a good, inspirational article from AgainFaster:

http://www.againfaster.com/articles/from-the-archives-dedication.html
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/you-are-beautiful.html
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/youll-be-fine.html
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/fortitude.html

The list could go on, but I think you get it...

Vacation!

My vacation just started, officially, today. yesterday we were in the car nearly all day, so today is the actual first day of vacation. Of course, since I was in the car all day yesterday, I had to do some sort of workout today.

Today's work-out was a 6 mile run on the beach. Thank goodness for the Garmin, to let me know how far I had gone. After the run I had a banana, then a little later, a really great breakfast of 3 scrambled eggs with spinach, red bell pepper, turkey breast and feta cheese.

Life is good!!!

Paleo - Week 1

I am almost through week 1 of engaging the Paleo diet. Something new to add to my fitness regiment. Yesterday I realized that I was hungry. I am not eating enough proteins and fat. Darn!!! So today I had more meat, and some almonds. we'll see how it goes.

Midway through the day my 11 year old daughter came running into the house and shoved a chocolate covered chocolate donut in my face. Paleo says no sugar. That means no donut. Darn her for tempting me!!!! But I didn't cave in...

I think it was a test.

Revive

It is time that I revived this. I initially thought of doing quite a bit with it, but the problem is that i felt that all my bloggings needed to be perfect, planned, and noteworthy. But the truth is that they really are thoughts, at a given point in time, reflective of that exact mood or situation.

Hence the revival of my blog, with less thought to each post...

Enjoy.