6 Week Paleo Challenge
We’re going to do a 6 week Paleo Challenge starting Monday, May 7th. This is two weeks longer than our usual challenge and by doing that we’ll be able to better ingrain good nutritional habits. We’ll be measuring our success over the 6 weeks of the challenge using a system of points. And no, these aren’t the Weight Watchers kind of ‘points’.
If you feel like 6 weeks is a little too long, then feel free to keep it at 30 days.
During this 6 weeks, don’t worry about portion size, eat when you are hungry and eat until your satisfied (obviously this doesn’t mean ‘unlimited’). The goal is changing what foods your eating for 6 weeks not the amount, portion size can be tweaked later if necessary.
There are 2 ways that we’ll earn points for the challenge.
1.Daily points for eating Paleo, along with bonus points for maintaining healthy sleep and exercise habits
2.Benchmark workout — performed at start and end
Daily Points & Bonus Points
We will start each day with 7 points. These points represent 7 aspects of the Paleo diet.
We will:
1.Eat real food. Meat, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, oils (like Extra Virgin Olive Oil or coconut oil). Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re fresh and natural.
2.Not eat dairy. This includes butter, cheese, yogurt and milk (including cream in your coffee) there is one exception ‘ghee butter’.
3.Not eat grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, corn, oatmeal, and also any gluten-free pseudo-grains (quinoa, etc).
4.Not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds, soy, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter!
5.Not eat sugars of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc.
6.Not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, processed bars like Zone and Balance bars, dairy-free creamers, etc.
7.Not drink alcohol, in any form.
So, if you follow points 1-7, but have a beer with your dinner, you get 6 points for the day. Subtract a point for the day if you have cream in your coffee. Eat a bagel – subtract a point. If you have a beer, cream in your coffee and a bagel in one day, you’re down to 4 points for that day. If you have a question about whether something counts as a point or not, ask and we’ll figure out an answer.
Earn one bonus point per day that you get 8.5+ hours of sleep.
Earn one bonus point per day (maximum of 6 per week) for each training session you do at Granite State Kettlebells.
Points are awarded on the honor system, a spreadsheet to keep track of your points electronically will be available for download HERE. We will also provide some hard copies at the box for those who prefer to track their points on paper.
Benchmark WOD: To measure performance gains, we’ll be doing a benchmark WOD at the start and end of the challenge. “A lil’ bit of Kelly”: 3 rounds, for time: 400m run 30 box jumps, 20” 30 wall ball
Points awarded for improvement on the benchmark WOD — still TBD.
Prize: What’s a challenge without sweet prizes? The top scoring male and female participants will each earn a wonderful prize: A free month of membership!
We will be doing this in conjunction with CrossFit Keene and at the end we’re planning a get together to re-do the “lil’ bit of Kelly” workout.
Body composition
Wondering why this challenge doesn’t include points for pounds / inches / percent body fat lost?
This challenge is designed to reward those who stay dedicated to maintaining healthy eating, sleep and exercise habits over 8 weeks. The reason it is set up that way is because eating Paleo isn’t a weight loss diet. The concept of Paleo is to provide your body with the optimal fuel that it was designed to run on.
Eating Paleo is primarily about feeling and performing your absolute best, mentally and physically. Looking better in your swimsuit will just be a side effect.
That said, even though changes in body composition (weight/inches/body fat lost) will not be factored into the scores for the challenge, you can do your own before and after weigh-ins, measurements, pictures and if possible blood work. These will just be for you, so you have a record of your success. Even for those who aren’t looking to lose pounds, changing how you eat is going to help your body build muscle, and those changes will be measurable.
If you’d like a hand with pictures and measurements, just let us know next time you’re at the gym.
Please let me know if you’re going to take part. If you’re on Facebook, then I’ll add you to a private group for the Paleo Challenge.
We’re going to do a 6 week Paleo Challenge starting Monday, May 7th. This is two weeks longer than our usual challenge and by doing that we’ll be able to better ingrain good nutritional habits. We’ll be measuring our success over the 6 weeks of the challenge using a system of points. And no, these aren’t the Weight Watchers kind of ‘points’.
If you feel like 6 weeks is a little too long, then feel free to keep it at 30 days.
During this 6 weeks, don’t worry about portion size, eat when you are hungry and eat until your satisfied (obviously this doesn’t mean ‘unlimited’). The goal is changing what foods your eating for 6 weeks not the amount, portion size can be tweaked later if necessary.
There are 2 ways that we’ll earn points for the challenge.
1.Daily points for eating Paleo, along with bonus points for maintaining healthy sleep and exercise habits
2.Benchmark workout — performed at start and end
Daily Points & Bonus Points
We will start each day with 7 points. These points represent 7 aspects of the Paleo diet.
We will:
1.Eat real food. Meat, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, oils (like Extra Virgin Olive Oil or coconut oil). Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re fresh and natural.
2.Not eat dairy. This includes butter, cheese, yogurt and milk (including cream in your coffee) there is one exception ‘ghee butter’.
3.Not eat grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, corn, oatmeal, and also any gluten-free pseudo-grains (quinoa, etc).
4.Not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds, soy, lentils, and peanuts. No peanut butter!
5.Not eat sugars of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc.
6.Not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, processed bars like Zone and Balance bars, dairy-free creamers, etc.
7.Not drink alcohol, in any form.
So, if you follow points 1-7, but have a beer with your dinner, you get 6 points for the day. Subtract a point for the day if you have cream in your coffee. Eat a bagel – subtract a point. If you have a beer, cream in your coffee and a bagel in one day, you’re down to 4 points for that day. If you have a question about whether something counts as a point or not, ask and we’ll figure out an answer.
Earn one bonus point per day that you get 8.5+ hours of sleep.
Earn one bonus point per day (maximum of 6 per week) for each training session you do at Granite State Kettlebells.
Points are awarded on the honor system, a spreadsheet to keep track of your points electronically will be available for download HERE. We will also provide some hard copies at the box for those who prefer to track their points on paper.
Benchmark WOD: To measure performance gains, we’ll be doing a benchmark WOD at the start and end of the challenge. “A lil’ bit of Kelly”: 3 rounds, for time: 400m run 30 box jumps, 20” 30 wall ball
Points awarded for improvement on the benchmark WOD — still TBD.
Prize: What’s a challenge without sweet prizes? The top scoring male and female participants will each earn a wonderful prize: A free month of membership!
We will be doing this in conjunction with CrossFit Keene and at the end we’re planning a get together to re-do the “lil’ bit of Kelly” workout.
Body composition
Wondering why this challenge doesn’t include points for pounds / inches / percent body fat lost?
This challenge is designed to reward those who stay dedicated to maintaining healthy eating, sleep and exercise habits over 8 weeks. The reason it is set up that way is because eating Paleo isn’t a weight loss diet. The concept of Paleo is to provide your body with the optimal fuel that it was designed to run on.
Eating Paleo is primarily about feeling and performing your absolute best, mentally and physically. Looking better in your swimsuit will just be a side effect.
That said, even though changes in body composition (weight/inches/body fat lost) will not be factored into the scores for the challenge, you can do your own before and after weigh-ins, measurements, pictures and if possible blood work. These will just be for you, so you have a record of your success. Even for those who aren’t looking to lose pounds, changing how you eat is going to help your body build muscle, and those changes will be measurable.
If you’d like a hand with pictures and measurements, just let us know next time you’re at the gym.
Please let me know if you’re going to take part. If you’re on Facebook, then I’ll add you to a private group for the Paleo Challenge.
