2010 Paleo Challenge

Here is everything you’ll need to get ready for the 2010 Evolve Paleo Challenge! We’ll attempt to answer all your questions here. If not, please ask any of your coaches. We love talking about this stuff!

Here’s the food log: Download Paleo Food Log

We want to start out by saying this is meant to be challenging, but it won’t be as bad as you think. You can look at it as a dreadful thing that you really don’t want to do, or you can look at it as an opportunity. An opportunity to see what it’s like to completely change how you fuel. We hear the talk, and we know some of you are more frightened of this challenge than any WOD we could put on the board! Don’t worry, it will be OK. You can do anything for 30 days, and you’ll never know unless you try, right?  Give it a chance and see what works for you and what doesn’t. At the very least, you’ll look at what you put in your body with a critical eye. This is a good thing!

How will the challenge work?

The challenge will be from Friday, October 1st to Saturday, October 30th.

Before you start a couple of things will happen. First, you’ll have your weight taken, measurements recorded, and body fat measured. These numbers will again be recorded at the end of the challenge, and you’ll have measurable results. We also want you to take a before and after picture. This will be done on your own in the privacy of your house, and they won’t be shared unless you want to share them. Fellas, go shirtless in shorts, ladies in a sports bra and shorts. Take pics from the front, side, and back. You will be happy when you see your ending photo!

We will provide you with a log to record what you eat each meal and number of hours you sleep each night. These logs will be checked by a coach each week, and we’ll offer suggestions on improvement if needed. You’re probably saying ” this is going to be a lot of extra work”. It may feel that way in the beginning, but you will be less likely to slip up if you have to write it down. Plus it gives your coaches a good opportunity to offer suggestions to help you be successful.

What if I screw up?

So what! It might happen. Do we want you to be perfect during this time? Yep. Is it possible that you may slip up? Yep. Here’s the thing, if you’re working hard to clean up your nutrition you’re already doing better than most. The more dialed in you are, the better your results will be. However, if during this time you slip up, get over it. Don’t throw in the towel. Let it go, and get back to work. But don’t look at this as a Get Out Of Jail Free Card! You guys give your all in the box every day. Give your all during this too. You are strong and determined, and we know you won’t accept being mediocre at anything, including this! 

What will I eat during the paleo challenge?

As it says in World-Class Fitness in 100 Words: Eat lean meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Robb Wolf says: “Eat meat that once had a face and a soul”. This will be a good rule of thumb as to where you get your protein. Beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb, and fish are all good sources. Eggs will work as well. Beans, tofu, soy, and dairy are not suitable sources.

You will also eat vegetables during the challenge. I know some avoid vegetables as much as possible. Look at this as an opportunity to find out what you can stomach. If you can’t stand brussel sprouts, no need to eat them. There are plenty of choices out there. Use this as an opportunity to experiment on how to prepare them. We have a lot of websites on our Nutrition page. Grab some recipes and try em out!

What will I avoid during the challenge?

  • Grains (wheat, rice, brown rice, whole grains, corn, quinoa, rye, flour),
  • Dairy (cheese, milk, cream, butter, yogurt),
  • Legumes (peanuts, beans, lentils, soy beans, and chickpeas/hummus),
  • Sugars(table sugar, brown sugar, artificial sweeteners including splenda, stevia, sweat and low), and
  • Trans fats (canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil).

You’ll also avoid anything processed. What does this mean? Hopefully the majority of your food will come from the outer edge of the store – lean meats, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables. If you need to go into the depths of the store, check out the label of what you’re considering. Is there an ingredient your can’t pronounce? Then it’s out. Does it have a shelf life? Afraid not – real food spoils. If you have any question at all, then it likely doesn’t meet the criteria of the food you’re looking for. Ideally, you’ll eat food with no ingredients list because they’re all natural.

What about alcohol?

There’s some debate on whether alcohol should be included as part of the paleo-style diet. If you want to maximize your results over this 30-days, then cut out the cocktails. It’s only 30 days, . you can do it. However, Dr. Loren Cordain, who authored The Paleo Diet, makes a modest allowance for alcohol. Because of this, during the challenge if you have to do it, limit yourself to 4 drinks a week (don’t have them all at the same sitting!). If you do drink, stick to this list for your grown-up beverages:,

Red or White Wine
Nor Cal Margarita (1-2 shots of tequila, squeeze of lime, salt on the glass, soda water)
Vodka with a squeeze of orange and soda water
Gin with soda water

Tonic water and diet soda won’t work! Now, if you’re feeling ambitious, you will certainly see better results by avoiding alcohol during the challenge. We’ll leave it to you!

What about post-WOD nutrition?

You know how we feel post-WOD nutrition is critical. Try and re-fuel with real food and see what happens to your recovery. However, the use of whey protein during the challenge is acceptable. Yes it falls under dairy, but if this is your only option to fuel post-WOD because you can’t tolerate real food for a time after a WOD, we’d rather have you use the whey than nothing at all.

Why do I have to record the hours of sleep each day?

You’ve heard us say that the 1 hour we spend in the box each day can be ruined by what we do the other 23 hours. Diet is a huge part, but so is sufficient rest. We’re all busy, it may surprise you to see how little rest you get. Try for more, see how you feel!

Be sure to attend the kick-off on Tuesday, September 28th at 6:30 and we’ll answer any questions you have!