There have been many questions about the upcoming nutrition challenge. Remember there is an information session scheduled for this Sunday at 11:00 after Open Gym. There, you will be presented with the parameters of the challenge, recipes, resources, helpful websites, books, etc. If you are participating in the challenge this is NOT to be missed!
In the meantime, here’s an FAQ that might help with the most common questions:
Q: I don’t want to lose weight, why in the world would I do this?
A: Our challenge is not about weight loss per se. Some athletes may see some weight loss as a result of cleaning up their diets, but the goal is not Biggest Loser-style weight loss. It is about learning more about the fuel we put into our bodies, how it affects all aspects of our lives, and establishing better habits with food in 2014.
Q: I don’t want to get weighed and measured, is this required in order to participate?
A: No. We are offering you the opportunity to officially weigh in and be measured before and after the 30-day challenge for your own edification. It is not required and not a factor of the challenge.
Q: What the heck is Paleo anyway?
A: In a very brief nutshell it is eating the way our paleolithic ancestors did – meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. Common foods that are not a part of the Paleo diet are grains, dairy products in any form, legumes (including peanuts), refined and/or processed sugar, and seed oils.
There will be MUCH more information shared about this during Sunday’s session
Q: Isn’t Paleo an all meat diet?
A: No. If you are eating a well round Paleo diet, between half and three quarters of what you eat will be vegetables. Don’t believe the erroneous hype that identifying yourself as “Paleo” means that you eat nothing but unlimited amounts of bacon for 30 days.
Q: But what CAN I eat then? Everything I love is on the “don’t” list!
A: There are approximately one billion recipes that do fit into the Paleo eating paradigm. A small fraction of them will be shared with you on Sunday as well as resources for finding more.
Q: How can I live without cheese and bread and beer etc. etc. etc. etc.?
A: The purpose of this challenge is to see how your body changes when you fuel it with the purest (read: not processed and those that are easily digested by our bodies) foods. Participation will require habit changing, and rethinking what you may normally include in your diet. There will be days when it isn’t easy – which is why it is called a challenge! You may find that your performance in the gym improves, you sleep more soundly, your skin appears healthier.
Also, it’s 30 days. That’s long enough to start to see changes in your body, but it isn’t a long time. The foods that you love that aren’t a part of the challenge will be there when it’s over. Hopefully you will find that you don’t even miss them and that you feel so much better and perform so much better without them that you will maintain healthier habits moving forward. You can withstand anything for a mere 30 days.
