In Part II of our Guide to Eating Dirty, I recommend cheating smart – indulging in those foods that aren’t going to knock you out of energy, wellness and performance commission for days on end. The concept sounds pretty easy, and it is… as long as you know how various food groups like gluten, dairy and legumes affect you. So how do you figure out what foods are okay to cheat with, and what foods will never be worth it?
I can tell you where it STARTS… strip out all the crap from your diet and let your body heal and recover from whatever effects those foods may be provoking. What, exactly, does that mean? Super strict, no cheat, by-the-book, 100% Healthy Eating for the next 30 days. Cut all the foods that could be kicking you in the crotch without you even knowing it for the next 30 days, and see how that feels. (To be clear – this is NOT a “30 Day Challenge”. This is so much bigger than that. And it’s not really even about cheating. I kind of tricked you there. I’m not sorry. Read on, please.)
Why?
First and foremost, it will change your life. I cannot possibly put enough emphasis on this simple fact. This. Will. Change. Your. Life. It will change the way you think about food, it will change your tastes, it will change your habits and your cravings. It could, quite possibly, change the emotional relationship you have with food, and with your body. It has the potential to change the way you eat for the rest of your life. I know this because I did it, and it changed my life, and it changed the way I eat on a very permanent basis.
I promised you some cheat-tips, so here’s how this ties in. The only way you are going to know if something is having a negative effect on how you look, feel or perform is to take it out for a while, then try it again with a fresh perspective. Think of it this way – if you’re allergic to pollen, and you are exposed to pollen every day, that means every day your nose is a little stuffy and your head is a little achy. You probably don’t even realize how crappy you feel, because a stuffy nose and achy head is just normal. Now, take a vacation somewhere pollen-free. Allow your body to experience a month without that irritant. Then… come home. Imagine how aware you would be of your allergy then. Your first few days back, you would be miserably in tune with how your allergy is affecting your everyday life.
Same concept here. Dairy, gluten, lectins and alkaloids may be provoking a similar autoimmune response in your body today – and you don’t even know it. Certain sugary foods may send you running for the nearest candy bowl, while others may satisfy you with just a small amount. So take a vacation from those food groups. Give your body a break, and then, if you so choose, come back to them with a fresh perspective. You’ll be able to immediately see if – and how – they really do impact how you look, feel and perform.
There are other reasons for doing a super strict 30 day healthy eating program. For one, there’s an excellent chance that this little adventure will jump start fat loss. And I’ve seen really good results, especially in women, of body shapes changing just by eliminating these foods. Does your stomach look flat in the morning and chubby by day’s end? Try cutting dairy. You’d be surprised how an irritated digestive tract can manifest into a muffin-top over those low rider jeans in just a matter of hours.
What?
So what does “strict” mean? You’ll get a different answer depending on who you ask, but this is the plan I followed back in April.
- Eat real food – meat*, eggs, vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruit, oils (like EVOO or coconut). Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re fresh and natural.
- Do not eat dairy. This includes butter, cheese (hard and soft), yogurt (even Greek) and milk (including cream in your coffee**).
- Do not eat grains. This includes bread, rice, pasta, corn (I count corn as a grain), oatmeal, and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains. That’s not real food, right?
- Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kinds, lentils, and peanuts. (No peanut butter, kids.)
- Do not eat sugars*** of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Truvia, Stevia, etc.
- Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, processed bars (like Zone bars), dairy-free creamers, etc.
- Do not drink alcohol, in any form.
- If you have serious inflammation issues like arthritis, you may want to consider avoiding nightshades for 30 days as well.
*I ate organic chicken sausage during my 30 day period. They are nitrate, dairy, gluten and casein-free and all natural. I did not eat bacon, but I’d be okay with bacon if it didn’t have any nitrates or other crap in it.
**I drank coffee in moderate amounts. Since I was drinking it black, I really didn’t want that much anyway. If you really want to go hard core and reset your body’s tolerance to caffeine, skip the coffee for the 30 day period as well.
***I used reason when avoiding sugars. For example, my Sunbutter includes some cane juice, which means there are 3g of sugar in each serving. Since it’s such a fantastic fat source and the only other ingredient is sunflower seeds, I was okay with that.
How?
So now that you have the basic plan, you need to know how to implement it. I’ll help you.
Start now. Today. This minute. Count out thirty days, go immediately to your grocery store and stock up on things you can eat, and begin. Cold turkey, just start. It’s the only way to do it. Give yourself excuses, reasons to put it off, and you may never begin. Do it now.
The only way this will work is if you give it the full thirty days. Anything less and you are selling yourself, and your results, short. You may start to see and feel improvements within just a few days, but according to Robb and Matt, the healing process takes significantly longer. And… no cheating. Just ONE cheat could irritate your digestive tract, promote an inflammatory response, upend your insulin sensitivity and send you running for the nearest Dunkin Donuts. It will ruin the effect of the “reset button” you are trying to push. This isn’t me being a hard-ass, or insisting that you tough it out to prove to yourself you can do it. This is a fact – the only way this will work is if you give it the full thirty days, no cheating.
Where?
Right here. Come to my house, sign up for the month and then post back here as often as you like. I’ll provide the forum, every Monday and Friday, for the next 30 days. Post your progress, your results, share good recipes, ask questions. Tell us how good you look, how much better you feel, how much energy you have. Inspire each other. Support each other. Fist bumps all around for those of you who finish out the full 30 days. Right here, right now. Let’s do this.
Tough Love
Here comes the tough love. This is for those of you who are considering taking on this life-changing month, but aren’t sure you can actually pull it off, cheat free, for a full 30 days. This is for the people who have tried this before, but who “slipped” or “fell off the wagon” or “just HAD to eat (fill in food here) because of this (fill in event here)”. This is for you.
- It’s not that effing hard. (Yes, I wanted to throw an f-bomb in there.) Don’t you dare tell me this is hard. Giving up heroin is hard. Drinking your coffee black is. Not. Hard. Substituting Sunday morning French toast in favor of a giant omelet and side of crispy bacon is not hard. Eating fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables every day is not hard. So I don’t want to hear one single complaint. You won’t get any coddling from me on this one, you won’t get any sympathy for your “struggles”, and you won’t get any second chances. Not in my house. It’s thirty days, and it’s for the most important cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime. So shut up and do it.
- Don’t tell me you “slipped”. Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of Krispy Kremes, you DID NOT SLIP. You made a choice to eat something of poor quality. It’s always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. You make a poor choice, even once, you’re out. You don’t get to re-start, you don’t get to keep posting. Commit here, 100%, for the full 30 days, or go somewhere else.
- Don’t lie to me. Don’t even try.
- You never, ever, ever HAVE to eat anything you don’t want to eat. You’re all big boys and girls. Toughen up. Learn to say no. Learn to stick up for yourself. Just because it’s your Mom’s birthday, or your best friend’s wedding, or your company outing does not mean you “have” to eat crappy food. It’s always a choice, and I would hope that you stopped succumbing to peer pressure in 7th grade.
- This does require a bit of effort, people. If you’re cutting grains and dairy for the first time, you have to replace those calories with something. You have to make sure you’re eating enough, that your vitamins and nutrients are balanced, that you’re getting enough protein, fat and carbohydrates. Don’t expect me to fill in the blanks for you. Figure it out. There are a ton of good resources out there, so take responsibility for your own plan. Improved health, fitness and performance doesn’t happen just because you’re now taking a pass on chocolate milk.
Summary
So there you have it – my thoughts on changing your life in 30 days. If just one person makes this happen – just one – this entire four page post will be well worth my time and energy. It’s that important. I believe in it that much. It changed my life, and I want it to change yours too.
Post questions to comments so I can answer them for everyone. Post your commitment, if you’re up for it. Just make sure you re-read the Tough Love portion again before you sign up. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Actually hominids have evolved quite a bit from the paleolithic era, genetically speaking, and strictly in terms of lifestyle. My body processes grains just fine, just like the bodies of most people do. That's what humans are famous for…their uncanny abilities to ADAPT. I think we can adapt to eating grains, legumes, and dairy over the course of millenia, just like our early ancestors adapting to first eating large quantities of meat.
And if you are putting as "off limits" to this eating plan ANYTHING with TRACE amounts of toxins, well then, there goes most of your food.
Once again, eating beans and legumes is healthy. If your argument is that the trace amounts of toxins in a cooked legume override the other health benefits of eating legumes, well, you have no argument.
As well, you can bet our ancestors, if they came upon a cow in the wild, most certainly drank it's milk, as well as eating it's flesh! That's how milke drinking got started my friend.
And don't try to tell me that with early man cooking the flesh of creatures he killed, there were not "trace toxins" present in the cooked flesh of those creatures. lol. Early man being so fond of steriliting and all. lol. So there have ALWAYS been trace toxins or more present in what man has been eating.
Crandall, bro, just read the article. This diet is a theory. I'm sorry you didn't get what you thought you would out of it. As far as evolving "genetically speaking" ,if you think .005% is a lot, well that's your opinion. Great, some of us can tolerate milk. That's about as far as the genetic progression has gone. I'm not saying one way or another, I'm just relaying the THEORIES from the readings that I have done.
Once again, I'm sorry that you didn't see what you thought you would out of this, but you can stop busting everyone elses bubble who is on here struggling and trying to revamp their eating style. Thank you for your input. Can we move on please?
No wait! I want to see how explains why everyone is so fat if there's nothing wrong with what we're eating!
Michael, I've read the article. And yes, plenty of people can not only tolerate milk, but legumes, and grains. Easily. Not an issue.
Once again, the fact that you COOK legumes before eating them is irrelevant. I'm assuming you COOK your meat before eating it, or are you a proponent of eating raw beef and game?
I certainly wish you and everyone else on here the best with this diet, and I agree that it can be helpful for many people.
Good luck! But you don't need this eating plan to make progress.
Wow, chelsea, very ignorant comment. For a long time people were far thinner and guess what…they drank milk, they ate beans, and they ate grains. Think. So many people are obese in America currently due to eating so many overly processed and refined foods high in simple carbohydrates, combined with a lack of activity. Common sense. Think people!
Okay, I'm happy now. Got my chuckle on
Chelsea, always nice for you to be able to laugh when the truth is spoken to you. Have an open mind, try to avoid the group think, and seek truth. Take care!
I really don't know how to start this. I've been doing research about Paleo over the last week to add it into my Zone dieting that I have been doing over the last 6 months. The thing that shocked me was you actually are challenging the people that read the blog. Coming from the Crossfit background, I don't think there is any better way to call people to attention.
My house has been stocked with zone food for a while, this is just going to ask me to do some tweaking. Thank you for the challenge
Hi there!
Thanks for the inspiration and maintaining a great blog.
I've been crossfitting/paleo'ing for several months. My original goal was weight loss, but haven't succeeded there. I've lost about 5 pounds in 7 months.
In terms of my diet, my biggest downfall is alcohol. I have 4-5 wine/whiskeys per night.
I hear people advise to give up booze, but never understand why.
My question is, how exactly is that hurting my efforts?
Can you give me some insight?
Thanks in advance!
Hey Iron,
I wondered the same things as you when it comes to alcohol until I watched a recent presentation. Google 'sugar the bitter truth' and it's the first return. It's 90 minutes long but well worth your time. But to cut to the chase, basically the body can't metabolize alcohol/fructose/sucrose(AFS) as well as it can that of glucose for example. Therefore the calories that you take in from AFS, a large percentage of them hit the liver to be processed while a much lower percentage of glucose calories hit the liver because some are already used by muscles and organs for example. As the liver processes the AFS in large amounts, it produces bad stuff of which VLDL (very low density lipoprotein – the LDL that actually causes heart attacks) is just one example. I'm not smart enough to explain the science behind all of it, the video does a good job of that. Just understand that a can of beer or glass of wine is as bad for you as a can of regular Coke. That changed my view on alcohol and it should help you understand what's going on in your body when you drink your wine/whiskey. I wish it was a different story….hope this helps.
-Mark
Sorry Melissa but I have to get my protein shakes in…As a college student I dont have the money to eat 1+ pound of meat a day to get my 200+ grams of protein from natural sources. Spending 40$ a month on a solid protein source is pretty effective for me personally. Other than that I would agree with everything posted here.
Jumping in here, better late than never. Tuning my eating to a purer Paleo-ish style, excepting coffee. Hardest part for me will be giving up dairy because I love cheese and Greek yogurt, and I get a lot of my protein and calories from now. Secondly, beer is a long time love of mine. I mostly drink in moderation, like a beer or two after a hot run, so I'm eager to give it up for 30 days and see if it makes a difference, or if/when I added it back in if there are negative effects.
Anyhow, count me in, better late than never.
Howdy do all?!
Been watching this with interest for a while and decided its time to get stuck in. Day 4 now and so far really enjoying it. Especially the turkey and almonds for breakfast.
Booze and treats at the weekend will be the tricky part but will have to supplement them with burpees
I am giving this a try. I am on day 4 and so far, so good! I have two questions:
1. Are bananas and dates ok to eat on this program? I realize dates have a lot of natural sugar so I am talking about eating 1-3 dates for a snack not any more than that. I don't know much about bananas.
2. Aside from water and coffee does anybody have suggestions for beverages?
Joe/Dirty/Smidty: A better late than never welcome from me as well. Sorry for the delay – if you're just joining now, try posting your buy-in on the most recent blog post. You'll probably get a faster response (from me, at least).
Smidty: Bananas and dates are fine, with a caution. In the beginning, as you are trying to break sugar habits, sweeter fruits like bananas, figs, dates, etc. may trigger your brain to crave more sweets. I'd say, strictly from the perspective of reconditioning your taste buds and your brain, to use them in moderation. Berries, melon and cherries are a better choice for your fruit "staples".
Don't forget about tea – hot or iced. And I like mineral water like Gerolsteiner or Pellegrino. It gives you that "bite" like a soda, without all the sweetness. Or carcinogens. Right.
Keep up the good work!
Melissa
Melissa I recently wen tto a cert and they talked about how the Paleo is a great start and to move on to the ZOne, what do you think?? Also after this 30 days, what happens after that?
Alright, I am in. Started today, so far so good (although black coffee is nasty). Follow my progress on Twitter at M_Koppelmann.
Melissa,
I just stumbled on your blog and have to admit that I respect and enjoy your subtle douche bag-ness and tough love. This post, along w/ a healthy helping of a lunchtime buffet has really motivated me to kick off this little lifestyle change. So nothing that I can’t hunt or gather until 7 Oct. one question that I did have is, does Mongolian food (steak, shrimp, and a few mushrooms) fall out of the paleo category b/c of whatever they use to cook the food in?
Thanks for the tough love and the motivation to stop being a sloppy bag of douches
Hi there, I am five days in!! going well,loved your tough love!
This is very close to how I eat already, only occasional grains, thankful for the revelation to take them out completely.
Questions if I may, I am looking for after the 30 days and wonder if the point to this is all grains gone or is it the gluten?
Also, I rely on psyllium to keep things 'moving' and wondered if this messes this challenge up?
@Travis: Um, thanks for the compliment? Steak, shrimp and mushrooms are A-OK, but the sauce may not be all that cool. Check ingredients – too much sugar, soy or added chemicals will jack you up (and is a no-go).
@Michelle: Welcome! The point is, you're not getting anything from grains that you can't get someplace else, in a healthier and more nutritious manner. So whether it's "gluten free" or not, you have better options. As for the fiber, if you're eating as many fresh vegetables and fruits as you should be, and plenty of good fats, you shouldn't need anything else to keep things 'moving'.
Melissa
I am starting today. Oct 14.
Just curious, is there any fat/carb/protein ratios I should shoot for when creating a meal? 30/40/40 or…? If this is the case, I'm just unsure how to keep from over-eating protein/fat or balancing meals with carbs aside from eating fruit (or a pound of broccoli). I want to lose some weight, so I should still be creating meals with a caloric deficit? I keep reading that calorie counting is not necessary, but it sort of goes against what I know about weight loss, so just want to clarify. Thanks!
Emily – WELCOME! I'm in the process of setting up a permanent home for the 30 day'ers, so stay tuned to the blog for details.
Dean – I can't give you specific macronutrient proportions, and this 30 day program isn't really about weight loss. Spend the first 30 just eating Good Food. Eat when you're hungry, listen to your body. Reset those mechanisms and learn new habits. Most people find they DO lose weight simply by improving food quality… but as far as I'm concerned, that's just a bonus. Once you get quality in line, you can start messing with quantity, proportion and meal timing… but quality comes first, so spend the first 30 days focusing on that. Make sense?
Melissa
Melissa
Great site, I'm glad I stumbled upon it…..today is day 1 for The Whole30 and I look forward to the next 29. If you ever need help tweaking recipes or new ideas my family owns a fine dining restaurant and I’m always jumping back in the kitchen to test out new ideas.
Nick.
ive got one for you melissa, on this diet of yours why do you have to cook your veggies when the cave man didnt cook his veggies and meat like we do or at all.
Will
@Nick: Welcome! There's a post every Friday now, dedicated to Whole30 participants. Check back in and let me know how you're doing. And if you've got some free time… my favorite soup ever was this delicious butternut squash puree. Problem is, it included an entire 8 oz. package of cream cheese. Create me a delicious, creamy squash or pumpkin soup recipe WITHOUT dairy and I'll owe you one.
@Will: First, nobody said you HAD to cook your vegetables. You can certainly eat them all raw if you prefer – go for it! The second part of your statement – about cave men not cooking THEIR veggies – is a point I hear often, and ties in well with a post I've had in the (mental) works for a while now. I'll pull this main page next week. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks so much for introducing me to Paleo.
I have suffered from an eating disorder for the last 2yrs… Typical Bulimia, binge eating and purging until i felt so guilty i would be sick. (yuk)
I origially started CF to try lean up along with zoning my food. (im 172cms 63kgs) I freaked out when i started weighing more not realising i had put on muscle. So i gave it up and started my old habits… this worked on and off but i was so unhappy. I started CF back up a few months later and started zoning again but was still feeling bloated and sluggish at times, i wasnt prepared to give up dairy when i first read about Paleo. But after some research i figured id give it a go for 30 days…See if it really does change my life!
Well i am on day 12 and i cannot begin to tell you how much my life has changed!!!!
I havent lost alot of weight but have dropped a almost a kilo. I dont crave junk, i dont even like the look of the food anymore! I dont binge eat i feel healthy and happy… I feel stronger, mentally and physically. The main thing for me is that i dont feel guilty for eating anymore! I love my food! I know it is fuelling my body and mind the way food should!!
I dont want to be SKINNY anymore, i want to be STRONG, FIT, LEAN and MEAN!!!
Thank you sooooo much! I still have more then 15 days to go until my whole30 is complete but to be honest, i never wanna stop! I dont even want to cheat!!
Its safe to say i feel that you and the whole30/paleo along with CF has changed and saved my life.
Thank you again!!!
xx
Hi Melissa,
I just read your blog. Your writing is powerful and inspiring. Caught me off guard. I am a cancer survivior. Until very recently, I have been on a tremendous amount of medication. Supplementing with wine and whatever crappy food sounded good. I wept when I got to "the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime". Mine has been through hell and back, but it's mine and it's still functioning. I'm in. I'm shutting up. I'm doing this. Thank you. Now to the issue at hand…I am still a bit anemic. I have started eating Paleo, loving the grass fed beef and the range free oraganic eggs btw! My question concerns raisins. I would love to toss some in with my almonds to get additional iron without adding more supplements. How damaging is that? Just way too high in natural sugar? Any response would be appreciated. Thanks, Gina
Melissa,
I think I have a good recipe for a paleo butternut squash soup…I'm gonna test it out tomorrow and I'll let you know how it goes.
Nick.
From the UGD Site: Eric said…
Hey Melissa,
I’ve got a foursome of us here in Austin starting on a Paleo Challenge… and one of us is concerned about mass gain over the 30 days (it’s not me, I promise!).
What I’m trying to communicate is that we can shift his strength/mass ratio… but other than the obvious (lift heavy), is there anything dietary I can direct him toward? Does it even matter?
Thanks!
–eric
November 8, 2009 6:30 PM
@Eric,
I’m not sure what you mean. One of you is concerned that he will GAIN too much mass, or LOSE too much mass? You’ve gotta clarify for me, so I can come up with a good response.
Thanks,
Melissa
From the UGD Site: Gracewanderer said…
Started yesterday. I’m surprised at how intense the carb cravings are. I’m eating a lot of almond butter and fresh fruit, and I’m still hungry a good amount of time.
I’m going to go coffee-free as well, because I’m a massochist like that.
November 17, 2009 11:39 AM
From the UGD Site: mullisjr said…
Melissa,
I’m on day 7 and loving it. I’m doing this while deployed so at the mercy of the DFAC. How many calories should I be taking in. I’m only hungry just before I go to bed and only eating 4 meals a day. I weigh 195 and have been taking in between 1200-1400. I feel a little weaker while running but other than that my CF WODS are improving.
BTW–recently was in Concord. Beautiful place. Is the restaurant the Common Man?
November 23, 2009 1:28 PM
What if you’re a vegetarian. How will I get enough protein in my diet without eating beans, tofu, etc.? Any suggestions? Eating meat is NOT an option for me. I do eat eggs…maybe that’s the answer.
@MullisJr: Sorry for the delay in response, I am slammed getting ready for this trip.
Without getting into body composition and the calculator, it’s not easy for me to determine how much you should eat – but you are not eating enough. Try doubling your current intake (working up to that over a few days) and see how you feel. At 195#, your WODs won’t be improving for long on 1200 calories a day… in fact, I’d be surprised if things hadn’t already started falling apart.
Concord is nice, and yes, the Common Man has some good food (and makes a great dirty martini).
Melissa
From the UGD Site: Deb Hilton said…
Hi! Im very new to CrossFit (as in, someone just sent me the link this morning) but Im not new to exercise and nutrition…at least not in the general sense. So far in my reading I really like the format and ideas behind CrossFit and I already incorporate alot of the intense interval and circuit training along with the high variety into my own workouts. Im definitely up for trying it! What I am having the hardest time getting my head around, is the suggested diets.
Im not a “fad” dieter and I never have been, they just dont work. At least not in the long run. Looking at the “zone” diet, in order to get the amount of protien I need, Id have to up my percentages of carbs and fat and Id be going over board on calories I think..right now I do an hour a day of fairly intense weight training plus at least 30 minutes of a high paced interval cardio work out, and I still keep my calories at 1200 a day without significant weight loss.
Ive already dropped the coffee and the alcohol, so neither of those are an issue for me, and Ive long dropped the cakes and cookies and pies…if I get a craving now for anything its oatmeal or sushi…
What I think Im going to have the hardest time with, is giving up the protein supplements. They are just so easy and convenient. And some of the grains…and some of the dairy…yogurt mainly..
Is it possible to get more than 100g of protien daily in this diet without living on nothing but grilled meats? In the past Ive found that I cant eat enough meat in a day to satisfy my protien needs without over doing the calories. So protein powders have become a way of life for me.
December 5, 2009 12:12 PM
From the UGD Site: MuscleGeek said…
Hey Melissa!
I have been going back and forth with eating Paleo..To do it or not to do it. So I FINALLY started last Tues (7 days ago). My question is, What’s the deal with dried fruits? Yay or nay? The rest of the house decided to go Paleo also! Some one brought dried mangos and strawberries but when I ate them… I heard sirens!! Did I screw it up?
Thanx girl,
<3 Danielle
December 8, 2009 7:13 PM
@MuscleGeek: Welcome to you and your housemates! Here’s our take on dried fruit… it’s allowed. It’s fruit, right? My concern is that you don’t try to stuff your old, unhealthy eating habits into this new Whole30 program. If you’re craving a Snickers, and instead eat a whole bunch of candy-like dried fruit, you’re sort of missing the bus. The goal isn’t just to “eat Paleo” for 30 days – it’s to change old habits and patterns and develop new tastes. So I recommend “using” dried fruit sparingly, as with those new to the W30 program, a handful of sugary-sweet cranberries may send you off the deep end of carb-cravings. Make sense?
Melissa
From the UGD Site: Chris Ward said…
Just stumbled upon this little island of sanity from the CrossFit forums a couple days ago. I’m still fairly new to the whole CrossFit and Paleo concepts, but I can already tell it’s something I can get on board with. As one of those people who’s intermittently tried to eat better, but lacked the resolve or not set proper goals, I must say that this approach is a breath of fresh air. I’ve been fit during periods of my life, but always spiraled back into bad habits. Basketball is perhaps my one real passion, and I haven’t felt healthy enough to play it with intensity for some time, which is really what made me say enough is enough.
I’ve tried other resources but haven’t been able to relate to the logic behind them. For every nutritional word like ‘glycemic’, ‘calorie’, ‘carb’, or ‘fat’ there’s a study that attempts to prove the exact opposite of another, both of which report success. So as someone who can’t afford a personal trainer, I have to use the internet and be able to get a feel for what it is my new eating habits comprise. But I keep hearing “such and such is okay, because of X and Y”, like ice cream or chocolate or what have you. And I can’t help but think how much of a crock of s**t that is, presumably because the studies are geared to giving you a way to rationalize the occasional vice, rather than just spell it out.. IT’S A VICE.
Which is why your blog is so great, because you recognize the mental motivations and not just the nutritional ones. You don’t pretend like a beer a day keeps the doctor away, but acknowledge that it might be acceptable for some people who know their body. Most ‘diets’ out there seem to care less about real talk, and more about sugar-coating mental shortcomings and selling books. It’s refreshing to know that logic and goodwill still can prevail through the by and large bastardized fitness fads trying to capitalize on American obesity.
What grabbed me about the Paleo guidelines and this 30-day exercise, is the fact that its precepts can be judged empirically as well as scientifically. Eating low-sugar, high-protein, non-processed foods in specific natural food groups simply makes sense. Counting carbs doesn’t. I’ll be starting on this in a few days after I can get rid of the food I have now(no, not binge!), since I’m not on a budget that enables me to just toss it all. This will be a paradigm shift, since I USED TO eat more grains and dairy than any other food groups, and damned if I can remember the last time I savored a delicious apple or carrot.
Thanks for the motivation and the great work on this blog. One last thing. I’ve read at thepaleodiet.com and Good Harvest Market that spices are okay as a way to flavor food. Are there any spices commonly found in a spice rack, aside from salt, that you’d recommend steering clear of?
Cheers
December 11, 2009 2:50 AM
From the UGD Site: Sara said…
I had no idea this thread was still being monitored! I started today…stocked up on veggies, fruits, lean meats & almond butter @ Whole Foods!
Day One so far is going well. I did a 5K race this morning and they had bagels and granola bars afterwards…but I didn’t give in and took an apple and a banana instead. I was proud of myself.
I can’t wait to see where this leads me…thank you, Melissa!
December 13, 2009 12:43 PM
@Chris: Welcome! It makes me sad that you haven’t tasted an apple or a carrot in so long. You’re about to rediscover an entire food group – yay! As for spices, go nuts, but a few words of caution. Some find that nightshade spices like cayenne aggravate inflammation, so you may want to go easy on the super spicy stuff for a while. Also, as you progress through your 30 days, you may find you need less and less “extra” stuff on your food. Your tastes will begin to change, once you remove all the chemical flavors from your diet. You may find you enjoy the simple taste of natural, healthy food! Keep me posted as to how things are going.
@FitByFocus: Whoo-hoo! How’s the first week been?
@Sara: Totally monitored, and continually updated over at http://www.whole9life.com. Let’s get some protein in that post workout meal to help with muscle recovery, okay? Keep up the strong work.
From the UGD Site: Smidty said…
Hey Melissa,
I was wondering about cashews. For some reason (maybe I heard this some where) I am under the impression that they are NOT Paleo. Is this true and if so why not?
December 15, 2009 12:43 PM
From the UGD Site: Coach Scott said…
Starting Day 6 (mid-day): this has been such a great experience/life change. The start was easy as long as I prepared my food in advance and had many options. Day 4 sucked big time! I was craving sugar like crazy and it felt like I was in need of drugs (food is a drug).
It reminded me of a CrossFit Journal by Nicole Caroll (“Getting off the Crack”).
I own a CrossFit affiliate in Seattle (StoneWay CrossFit) and we just kicked off our 1st “Leaning Challenge” yesterday (12/14). I thought it would be good to set the example as did my business partner.
I just did “CrossFit Total” today and PR’d my squat and felt overall strong.
@Melissa:
This is a great thing you are doing. Would love to hear about all the experience you had doing Paleo and anything else you’d like to share.
Coachscott@stonewaycrossfit.com
http://www.stonewaycrossfit.com
December 15, 2009 12:58 PM
From the UGD Site: Sarabconsulting said…
As a fellow crossfitter and registered dietitian specializing in sports nutrition I feel the need to express my professional opinion.
As a diet lacking in processed foods and rich in fruits and vegetable and lean protein is always encouraged in whatever plan/diet you follow there needs to be an understanding that every individual is different. It is never adequate to say something is the way and truth without looking at an individuals specific needs (i.e. are they getting adequate calcium for bone health, iron, vitamins, minerals) to best sustain their bodies and athletic endeavors?
I encourage the closer to nature the better and with that said there are whole grains that are very close to nature…brown rice, oats, barley, quinoa (also high in protein) to name a few. It is possible to consume grains without abusing them.
The well balanced plate in my opinion is 1/4 whole grain, 1/4 lean protein, and half veggies, healthy fats are sprinkled on top…slice of avocado or drizzle or olive oil for example.
A 200lb strength training athlete needs about 128g/protein/day and a 130lb one needs about 83g/protein/day. (I estimated slightly high) A 6 oz portion of fish, 6 oz of chicken, and 4 whole eggs equals 110g protein! It adds up quick.
The trouble people get into with any diet when they eliminate one thing is how do they make up for it and meet their caloric needs? What do they end up eating more of and less of?
I found this article written by a dietitian very informational and encourage you to read it
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/where-we-all-go-wrong
Thanks for letting me comment. As I agree with your efforts to encourage better nutritional habits as obviously this nation has a problem, please keep in mind my comments above and the article.
Sara
December 15, 2009 1:36 PM
@Sara: I appreciate that you took the time to comment. I checked out your blog, and you’re right – you and I do take a different approach to many “healthy food” issues. If what you’re doing is working for you and your clients, then keep on doing it.
However, I will address one point. Of course, everyone is different. Of course there is no “one size fits all” diet. But there ARE some universal truths that apply to everyone.
- Grains – even whole grains – contain toxic lectins (“anti-nutrients”) that promote a whole host of autoimmune reactions…and not just in celiacs.
- Dairy (like milk and cheese) has a serious acidifying effect on the body (which, ironically, is really quite bad for calcium retention).
- Splenda is not “healthy” for anyone, ever, in any way. Good lord, it’s nothing but chemicals, I won’t even explain this further.
The list goes on. The unfavorable effects of certain foods apply to everyone – everyone – which is why I’m totally comfortable recommending that all my clients and blog readers remove these foods en masse from their diets.
Best of luck to you, and thanks again for dropping in.
Melissa
Oh, and @Smidty:
Cashews are not technically “Paleo” – something about the shells being toxic and they have to be processed to be eaten. But that’s not really the point… I’d rather we looked at whether they were actually healthy, not just whether Grok would have eaten them.
They’re not like peanuts (which are in a class by themselves), so those arguments don’t apply. They have a reasonably low Omega-6 content compared to other nuts, and a much lower overall fat content than, say, almonds (which means you can eat more of them). And… they are delicious. Case closed – I say eat the cashews (but make sure you continue to vary your fat sources, including a mix of nuts, AND things like coconut oil, olives, avocado, salmon, etc).
Hey Melissa,
I realise I am coming to the party a bit late, but I only recently followed the link to your blog from Robb Wolf’s site – hopefully you will still see this comment…
First up, props to you on the blog (both old and new), I really enjoy your writing – matter-of-fact and informative, yet very entertaining at the same time! One quick question though – Urban Gets Diesel? It’s prob just me but can you please explain? Obviously your surname is Urban but i don’t get the rest and it’s really been bugging me!
Anyways, my real question concerns a bit of clarification on HOW you should be eating while going paleo. There’s a lot of info out there on what you can and can’t eat and the logic behind it, but i was wondering is there any way i should be structuring meals? I know you don’t have to measure anything like with the Zone, but would you still have meals along the same sort of lines, ie. some lean protein, as much f & v as you like and some fats? Do you have to have P, C and F with each meal/snack or not so much?
Some of these Q’s are on behalf of my wife, who i’ve been easing on to paleo over the last week and a bit. When i first told her about the whole paleo gig, she was pretty skeptical, but she’s been an absolute superstar (she works in a bakery, for goodness sake!) and is feeling much better already.
Sorry for the epic! Keep up the good work : )
Adam.
From the UGD site: Blogger Chris Ward said…
Going on Day 7 now of TheWhole30, still going strong and not cheated. Sticking to it has been an exercise in willpower, because others in my house are not on board so half the fridge is filled with no-go food, and we’ve been baking COOKIES all week. Last night we met relatives for Chinese food(my favorite kind), and I had to make a nuisance of myself to make sure the food I was brought had no additives, since who knows what they have in half their sauces. It was still good, but not gonna lie, doesn’t beat Sweet n Sour or Kung Pao!
Those would be things I’d consider cheating on, since they’re special occasions, and believe you me there was a lot of “oh it’s only this much” pressure from relatives, but I’m committed to sticking with this for 30 days. Some Paleo Bread from almond meal and arrowroot has been essential, since sammiches are my preferred lunch option and lettuce wraps just don’t do it for me. Doesn’t taste like much, but it holds deli meat, so that’s good enough. Only problem is Arrowroot runs something like $8 for two small loaves worth(not sure loaf is the right term for how the ‘bread’ comes out), and can’t seem to find it in bulk anywhere like you could with Corn Starch.
Not noticing much difference in performance; well, a little, but that I’d attribute to having a better sleep schedule. Will have to wait and see if the changes are more noticeable with more time.
From Melissa: Let me know how your 30 days is coming along! As for the Paleo Bread… I’d highly encourage you to ditch it during this period. The Whole30 isn’t about trying to cram your old diet into a shiny new Paleo diet… it’s about changing your tastes, habits and patterns of behavior. Find something you like to eat for lunch BESIDES sandwiches – use this time to experiment, and break that bread craving once and for all.
From the UGD site: Blogger BYehaskel said…
Starting an 8-week Crossfit Challenge with 100 folks from my affiliate tomorrow. Psyched about it – and really appreciative of this straight-talking blog. As a person who tends to get in her own dieting way, I need someone to be blunt (e.g., “slipping” doesn’t count unless I fall face first into it – love that point). Anyway, I plan to visit back and post as I go, since it seems like there is still some activity here. One question – are pistachios Paleo? No vinegar, right? Thanks for the great blog! Beth
From Melissa: Whoa! All 100 of you starting at once – that’s amazing! As for your questions, pistachios are 100% A-OK. As for vinegar, while it’s not technically “Paleo”, what we REALLY care about is whether it’s GOOD for you during this 30 day program. I recently discovered that distilled white vinegar has been deemed gluten-free, so there shouldn’t be any cross-reactions if you have a gluten intolerance. However, vinegar can create quite an acid load on the body, so it should be used sparingly. In summary, if you can’t live without it during this 30 day period, I’m okay with including it in serious moderation.
From the UGD site: Blogger Chris said…
Melissa,
I travel four days a week for work, and because of that I’m having a tough time controlling my diet. I’d like to try Paleo out, but my food choices are limited to popular restaurants or no-cook grocery items… not exactly ideal conditions. Any advice?
From Melissa: Chris, traveling and eating out can be really difficult! The devil is in the details, so research your menus ahead of time and arrive at the restaurant with a game plan in mind. You can find Whole30-friendly meals ANYWHERE… you just have to accept that you may have to compromise on food quality in the process. I doubt you’ll find grass-fed, organic ground beef at Applebee’s, but making the best of your situation is key, so order steak, fish or chicken breast with a double side of veggies and a big green salad and call it good. Make sure you vary your protein sources (fish, chicken, beef) and make sure you’re loading up on your greens at every meal. In summary, do the best you can with what you’ve got, and when you ARE home and able to plan your own meals, eat WELL, including all of those high quality foods you aren’t able to get on the road.
My boyfriend and I have gone Paleo for 8 days now. So far I am digging the newfound variety of vegetables I’m eating, the smug sense of superiority over my co-workers at lunch (mostly kidding!), and the sense of satisfaction that I am making healthy choices instead of selfish, temporarily-satisfying choices… but now I am sick. Sick enough to stay home from work today, and sick enough that I know I won’t be going into the gym for at least a few days.
I am disappointed that while I seem to be making all the right choices – regular Crossfitting, Paleo diet, vitamins, fish oil, etc. – I am already coming down with what seems like a sinus infection. It may be unreasonable, but part of my brain keeps wondering if my immune system was somehow compromised by the diet switch. Giving up dairy was a BIG change for me.
Don’t worry, I’m not going to quit the Paleo challenge. But for the sake of science, and my curiosity, could someone knowledgeable weigh in on this? While I assume that it’s much more likely that this illness has to do with the cold weather, or being around germy schoolkids, IS it possible that the dramatic diet change could have compromised my immune system?
@Joey: Sorry to have missed your question during the migration of the UGD site to the Whole9!!! If eating meat is not an option (and I assume that includes fish?) then yes, eggs are your best protein source. Stick to locally farmed eggs, if possible (the fresher the better), or get organic Omega-3 eggs from your local healthy food market.
To all:
Some of the comments from the original “Change Your Life in 30 Days” post on UGD didn’t migrate over to the W9 site. I’ve manually compiled them – apologies if you subscribed and got slammed with a bunch of older comments.
If there are any comments/questions/thoughts that got lost in the shuffle, please re-post! This thread is still monitored, and Dallas and I love hearing from those of you starting your Whole30 program in the new year.
Best,
Melissa
Adam,
Let me take a stab at answering your “how to eat Paleo” questions… First off, our Whole30 program really stresses the value of food quality, meaning eating Good Food that contributes to your health but also has minimal (or no) downsides. Sure, the protein in dairy or legumes might be “good for you”, but the downsides of these foods dramatically outweigh their potential benefit considering that you can obtain similar nutrients with fewer negative effects from other sources, such as good-quality meat and eggs. If you never weighed and measured your food, but ate a squeaky-clean Paleo diet, you could have a truly excellent fitness level, though you might not win the CrossFit Games. (Guess what? The reasons I eat well have nothing to do with being better at exercising than someone else. But I digress… What I’m saying is that 98% of people we work with do not need to tweak their performance so subtly that they need to track grams or Blocks in order to achieve excellent fitness levels.) The quantification of macronutrients (i.e. the Zone ratio) is a secondary priority to getting your quality dialed in, which is what we really stress in our Whole30 program. Eat good food, change distorted thought patterns about food, and learn about how your body responds to certain food groups – this is what the Whole30 is about. That being said, there is certainly some value in having protein, fat, and carbohydrate at each meal, but that is an ideal situation, and not an absolute necessity. Eating some protein and fat with your (Paleo and reasonably portioned) carbohydrate source will slow the breakdown of carbohydrate into blood sugar, but if you’re making good food choices, there is less concern over spiking your blood sugar (and insulin levels) anyway. So… especially once you’ve restored some insulin sensitiivity with good food choices, the Zoners’ concern about spiking insulin levels is almost a non-issue. In general, yes, aim for a good protein source, a little carbohydrate, and a good dose of healthy fat at each meal or snack, but certainly don’t stress if you’re on the road and there’s only an apple and some almonds available. (For the record, I’d rather you eat just the apple and almonds than add in a poor-quality protein source like yogurt or cottage cheese, but you’ll have to make that call based on your personal experience with different foods and where you’re at in general with your food that day. I’ll ALWAYS skip the dairy, even if it means I don’t get any protein til my next Ravenous Culinary Experience with a former mammal or fowl.) Planning ahead goes a LONG way to preventing some of these conundrums, BTW. Make sense?
And… I’m giving some SERIOUS props to your wife. If I worked in a bakery, I think I’d have a MUCH harder time eating how I do now. So give her my regards, my respect, and my encouragement!
Thanks for the great question.
Dallas
That’s genius, D.
Also, Adam… the “Urban Gets Diesel” thing originated on the CrossFit Message Boards. I used to keep a training log there, under the same title. When I moved to blog format, I just carried it over with me. “Diesel” has always been a favorite slang word of mine, meaning “big, strong and tough”. I wasn’t trying to tone or firm… I wanted some MUSCLE. “Getting diesel” just seemed to fit my fitness goals, and it’s stuck with me throughout the years.
@Melissa Glasscock,
I’ve thought about this a lot this afternoon, and though I’m not an immunologist, I simply can’t come up with a decent (physio)logical reason that you’d get sick as a result of making all of these good changes to your nutrition plan. If anything, the reduced total glycemic load simply from eliminating grains from your diet should actually reduce the suppression of your immune system. Sure, sometimes radical changes to your schedule/diet/training can cause some strange symptoms as you adjust to the changes, but I don’t think that this is one of those things. And after all, it IS cold & flu season…
The only thing that I’d ask you in response is if you’re getting enough calories and good rest, because if in the course of “going Paleo” you’ve drastically cut back on your caloric intake while still training CrossFit at a really high intensity, you might be overtrained/under-recovered, and that would compromise your immune system for SURE. Check out my recent article on the 9 Blog called “9 things to do when you’re All Banged Up”. Even though it was mostly aimed at addressing orthopedic injuries, some of the concepts definitely apply to illness as well. Hope this helps. You have all our support as you make these great changes to your lifestyle. Feel better,
Dallas
Hey guys,
thankyou so much for the a) very prompt, and b) very comprehensive reply to my post – really appreciate it! Will pass on your regards to my wife, Dallas – I seriously don’t know how she’s doing it… I digress, however!
Just had a couple of other questions, so i’ll try and keep it short. Firstly, i have been checking out the CF Football site recently and i was wondering – given your previous comments re. dairy – about your opinion on the paleo + milk approach they advocate? Now, i don’t necessarily want to be “70′s Big” (although i love that site) but i currently weigh in at a scale-quaking 70kg (155lb) at 6″ and would like to get bigger. At the moment my workouts are pretty much strength training on rings as i don’t have access to a barbell or any considerable weight just yet.
Also, with your protein source, how much attention do you need to pay to the saturated fat content? We go with the lean stuff as much as possible but you can’t have skinless chicken breast every meal… For example, i cooked up some chicken portions tonight (some legs, thigh) but they still have the skin on. Would you worry about removing the skin or not bother?
Cheers,
Adam.
PS. apologies if these questions have been answered elsewhere already!
@Adam,
The deal with CFFB and the dietary advice is this: football players need to be powerful, agile, explosive athletes, but also need to be straight-up BIG, and milk certainly works well to make mammals BIGGER. I do not contest milk’s ability to make mammals grow, whether it’s a calf or what Mark Rippetoe calls almost everyone under 300#: a “baby mammal”. But my goal is not to be 70′s Big, nor is it to consume what is designed to make a calf grow into a cow. I can deal with Mark Rippetoe’s disdain for my lack of gigantic size. However, that being said, I hear you on the need to gain some good, functional muscle mass. Keep up your ring work, but you need to get creative and find something heavy to move. Sandbags, concrete blocks, big rocks, logs, etc., or find a local gym. Full-body mass gain is stimulated most by heavy weight-bearing exercises: deadlifts, squats, presses, weighted pullups, dips, cleans, etc. In my opinion, finding a better training arrangement for yourself is a much higher priority than accepting subpar nutrition options in order to put on a little weight.
As for the saturated fat content of your protein sources, I wouldn’t worry much about it if your sources are good-quality, organic producers, but if it’s from a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factory_farming) like basically all grocery-store meat is, I’d certainly trim off most of the visible fat. Many of the antibiotics, artificial hormones, and contaminants are stored in the fat, and in these large-scale feeding operations, there are plenty of these contaminants. Your best option is to hunt down a local farmer or farmer’s market for your meat and egg source, preferably one that uses organic or “natural” practices in raising your food. Check out Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food” and the new documentary “Food, Inc.” for some eye-opening insight into how the big agricultural companies grow our food. So, the short answer is: eat fresher, more local, organic meat along with tons of good veggies (and no milk, grains or legumes), and the saturated fat becomes a non-issue. Hope this helps.
Dallas
I’m in for this Melissa. Starting on monday as I need to do a lot of shopping to ensure I stick to it. Unfortunately in Australia organic/biodynamic products are extremely expensive and fairly scarce although it is improving. I have ordered a box of organic fruits and vegetables and have sourced bulk grass fed beef, organic eggs, nitride free bacon and organic nuts and seeds. I basically want good overall health and wellbeing from this diet plus I want to see my Crossfit improve. I know it’s a long shot but i’m also hoping to gain lbm on this diet as i’m extremely skinny. I figure if I eat well but eat a lot it can be done. Great job on the site, it’s a very valuable source of information.
@Niall: Nice – you *might* be our first Down-Under Whole30 participant! It sounds like you’re preparing well – although you may not need to buy ALL your food “organic”. Dallas recently educated me on this subject – turns out there are some fruits and vegetables for which “organic” doesn’t really matter. Check this story from NPR, which echos many of his thoughts on “organic” produce.
As for weight gain on a Whole30 program – it’s MORE than possible. If you’re looking to put on weight, then it’s extra important to make sure you’re eating enough, especially if you’re swapping out lots of calorically-dense grains for fruits and vegetables.
Best of luck – keep us posted!
Melissa
great blog! found it through the CF Forum, i would love to do this diet but i’m not sure what kind of thing to eat for lunch. the biggest thing for me will be remembering to make lunch & actually bring it to work but also the alcohol, i’m not an alko lol but i like to have a few beers of rums or whatever.
is there a page with recipes or anything? that’s my biggest problem with things like the Paleo diet, it tells you what not to eat but doesn’t give any ideas of what to cook.
Thanks, i’ll be starting tomorrow i think.
Thanks for the link re: organic fruit/vegetables Melissa. I’m not going to eat all organic as I simply can’t afford it and the distance in which I have to travel to get it is just not worth it for me. I will eat it whenever possible though. As far as gaining weight goes, I managed to gain 11kg’s over a 3 month period while doing bodybuilding type training and eating huge amounts of food (including grains) so I figure if I eat large amounts of Paleo foods then I have a good chance of getting some of that weight back.
@Davey: We really like the free Paleo recipes found on Performance Menu. In addition, we own both volumes of Scott Hagnas’ “Cooking for Health and Performance“ – there are over 210 recipes here, all Paleo-friendly and Zone proportioned (if you’re into that sort of thing).
You can also Google “Paleo + Recipes” and come up with a ton of stuff.
@Niall: Picking up heavy stuff is the best appetite stimulant I can think of. Add a bunch of 3×5 and 5x5s into your training and your plan sound golden.
Hi
I”ve been hovering around the edges for a couple of weeks now reading as much as I can about Paleo (knowledge is power) and am in..as of this morning. I was going to delay but thought ‘what’s the point?’ just because I was meeting girlfriends for breakfast in one of my cities nicest restaurants doesn’t mean they can’t provide me with a paleo meal so I had …italian sausages (made by the chef and clean of any nasties) and grilled tomatoes, sweet seedless grapes and a pot of peppermint tea. fabulous. Not claiming this is going to be easy but am confident the effort will be very worth while.
Thanks Melissa for providing the forum for this and the great information. My aim is to reduce my waist measurement by 4-5 cm, have good levels of energy for my workouts and concentration and to reduce the amount of medication I use to manage my chronic hayfever and asthma.
Niall: I think I’m Aussie number two.
i’m an Aussie too! cool to know there’s a couple of us around
Awesome! We are slowly taking over the site
Davey when I read your post I though you sounded like an aussie, something to do with the few beers or rums.
Day one was considerably easier than I thought it was going to be..It will be day four or five that I’ll find difficult and no beers on Australia day!!!
Alright, this is seriously freaking me out! What is going on here? I started reading this blog a couple of weeks ago, now all of a sudden everyone else on here is a bloody Aussie, too! I thought I was the only one…. : )
Niall, Davey, Helen – where are you guys from? Davey, I’m gonna guess and say Queensland given the ‘rums’ reference? I’m down in Adelaide, myself.
Dallas, cheers again for the great advice. You convinced me, I’ve given up the milk and gotten creative, finding some moderately heavy shit around the place. The new additions include a few logs, ranging from 15- 30kg each, two sandbags @ 25kg and some pavers which may or may not have been ‘liberated’ from a local worksite… (in the army that’s called ‘winning the local resource’). I’ve been able to chuck these into a couple of textile shopping bags and hang them off the end of the little 5′ bar I have. Not pretty, but better than nothing I guess.
Was trying some back squats the other day w/ the aforementioned setup and i was a bit unsure of the proper rack position. Do you have any photos of the high vs. low bar positions I could check out?
Thanks again,
Adam.
@Adam,
It’s freaking me out, too! Growing up in British Columbia, I had a lot of fun with Aussies who came to Canada to work at ski resorts in the winter. So… welcome, all you Aussies!
On the discussion of bar position (and torso position) for squats, go to http://www.cathletics.com/articles/index.php, search for “squat”, and read the Olympic Squat article. It’s a little wordy, but the information is solid gold. Also, do a Google image search for “Starting Strength squat” and check out Mark Rippetoe’s diagram for FS/BS/LBBS. Hope this helps.
Hey Adam,
I’m in Adelaide too.
If you ever want some help with form/set up for CF or kettle bells I’ve heard from reliable sources that Soren at EFM Wakefield St is a CrossFit/Kettle bells trainer. There is also a gym across the road from the Hilton hotel at Hilton who specialises in Kettle bells run by Darren but I don’t know the name of his gym.
I’m in Perth. I’m a personal trainer and have recently started crossfit. I’m actually looking at studying nutrition at uni this year as well. What do you guys all do?
i’m in Coffs Harbour. i teach Martial Arts & was doing Crossfit for a month or 2 before i buggered my knee. just getting back into it now but i need to change my eating habits to lose this weight, wanna fight this year!
Hi Melissa
What’s your take on Quinoa? I read that it’s a complete protein and isn’t a grain (apparently it’s a seed). I have some that is certified organic and thought it might be the answer to my breakfast issue (I have breakfast at work as my gym is next door to my office) as I can prepare it the day before and have it with either mixed vegetables or with fruit. It feels a bit like cheating though because it is so ‘grain’ like.
cheers
Helen
@Helen: Negative on the quinoa. While it’s not technically a grain, it’s still got some of the same issues. These non-grain “grains” are calorically (carb) dense, and while quinoa doesn’t contain gluten, it DOES still contain some protein constituents that can cause digestive issues.
In addition, from a “Whole30″ perspective, quinoa is also not doing a damn thing to help you break that “craving carbs, eat carbs” pattern you’ve probably developed over the years. Subbing out your oatmeal for quinoa may be a LESS BAD option, but it also doesn’t teach you anything about how to live, eat and thrive without having to prop up your energy levels with starchy carbs. A better breakfast choice would be eggs or egg whites, scrambled in with your fruit and some nuts. Scrambled eggs + warm peaches, berries or apples + chopped pecans = feels like cheating… but it’s so much better for you, in every way.
Hope that helps!
Melissa
Thanks Melissa
It did feel a bit like the old pattern so I’m happy to drop it. I’m amazed that after my first week I’m not craving anything at all including carbs, the quinoa was just an easy solution to the breakfast issue, I just need to be a bit more creative and fortunately for me I love to cook. I’m off the daily antihistamines and feel fabulous. My workouts are going well and I haven no stomach pain after eating (something I’d just come to accept).
Thanks for the clarification and the breakfast suggestions.
cheers
Helen
@Helen: And that is exactly what we try to explain to people with this program… you may not even realize how crappy you feel, because you’ve just become USED TO IT. Does stomach pain after eating seem normal to you, when you really stop to think about it? Probably not, but if you experience it day in and day out, it BECOMES normal, to YOU. And that’s a terrible shame. I’m so glad to hear that you’re feeling well and are already starting to experience some of the “healing” effects of the program! Keep up the strong work, and keep asking the good questions.
Australia, leading the 2010 Whole30 charge.
Melissa
this isnt working!!! dammit i was supposed to start on monday but i keep putting it off! first it was because we ran out of water so we went out for dinner then it was Australia Day (it’s damn near a crime to not drink Ha Ha) then we went out for water again, had to have a shitty lunch. did anyone else have trouble starting? it’s just old habits i guess but i had to vent.
I’m in — I’ve been doing paleo for about 4 months now… however, I’ve been using organic maple syrup/blue agave nectar in a lot of my paleo dishes… any ideas on alternatives (esp. for my beloved paleo pumpkin pancakes??)
Tough love is good… Mary Poppins could do this for sure. As will I.
Practically perfect in everyway.
Davey
Jump on this bandwagon NOW. Seriously don’t delay, it is sooooo incredibly easy once you are actually doing it, it’s just the mental hurdle you need to get over and I know that’s a hell of a barrier but you can do it for sure. So stock up on water, buy some fabulous veg, fruit and lean meats and dive on in. You won’t regret it.
cheers
Helen
Good to see the Australian Whole9 connection still dominating this thread – nice.
@Helen: cheers for the info places to CF in Adelaide, sadly our options are still very limited, hey? will keep those places in mind, though.
@Niall: I’ve been working in a supermarket for a few years now but am currently applying for new jobs – i need a change big time!
@Dallas: ahh, one of our Canadian brothers then, are you? Good to hear! My future bro-in-law is a Toronto native, himself.
Also just thought i’d pass on that my wife weighed herself today – first time since early in the month – and she’s lost about 5kg in 3-4 weeks! i’m super-proud of her, we’ve both been finding it really easy and enjoying the whole process. It was even my sister’s 30th tonight and there was party food and booze everywhere, but we took a platter – ostensibly for everyone else, but in reality mostly for us! – of salad, chicken, avocado etc and neither of us touched anything non-paleo all night. Was still pretty hard but so worth it!
Okay, I can’t let the Aussies totally dominate 2010…
I started a Whole90 this morning. A Whole90, people! Can you feel me?
Last year’s Whole30 was awesome, but I felt as if I was just getting my stride when the 30 days was up. I stuck with it a bit, but slowly weakened, and let too much dessert back into my life. I’m still better off than before I started my first Whole30, and I’ve been mostly solid ever since, but I really, really want to kick this whole thing to the curb and just rock it. Sugar, I cast thee out in the name of all that is fit!
And so, my Whole90 begins.
I’ve been slowly easing into it all and I think I’m ready to do this thing. So tired of being unhealthy and tired all the time; I’m too young to feel this way!
I have a question though. What is some great things to eat post-training?
Other than that, I’m ready to eat better….starting now. Day one is today!
Not going to be easy, but where’s the fun in that??
Thanks and so grateful for a supportive community for encouragement and accountability.
@Carrie: Welcome, and thanks for posting! You want to keep your post workout meals limited to protein and carbs. Ditch the fat, as it will only slow down the process of replenishing glycogen stores. Good protein sources should be easily digestible… think egg whites, salmon or chicken, not a heavy steak! Carbs should NOT be fruit, but rather dense vegetable sources like sweet potato, squash, carrots and parsnips or pumpkin.
Hope that helps, keep us posted as to how things are going, and check our sidebar for upcoming Whole9 workshops near you!
Best,
Melissa
Rather late to the party, but now that I’ve found the party…I’m in. I planned the next 30 days completely. I’m a planner and it is the only way to ensure success for me. I am starting with 30, but fully expect to have to do another 30 and maybe another just to make it stick. I am a stubborn girl with a whopping case of insulin resistance that I am hoping to derail and a goal to be able to eventually do Crossfit workouts!
@Jodi: Welcome! You’ll find planning is WAY helpful with the Whole30 program, and I love your attitude. Stick with it until things start to change, both mentally and physically… and they WILL change! Keep us posted as to your progress.
Best,
Melissa
Tomorrow is my 30th day with the Whole30 program but it’s really only the begining for me. About halfway through my Whole30 I decided that this works for me, no ifs, buts or maybe’s about it, it just plain works.
I’ve been asked how much longer I have to do this and I’ve had a range of reactions when I tell them I don’t see it ending. Some people are really pissed off, like I’m doing something to them, not something for me. Some are inspired and take up the challenge having witnessed the benefits I’ve experienced and others are supportive (asking if the choice of restaurant will be ok for me, catering for my eating style at dinners and bbq’s etc). Some just don’t want to know and that’s just fine, it’s nice not to have to explain my choices everytime I sit down to eat.
I don’t intend to revert to my old style of eating; diary/grains/sugar/caffine/alcohol and I are not friends and like any bad relationship I’m better off without them. My plan from here is to have a month which includes 2-3 cheat/treats per week and then a month Whole30 on a rotating basis. It will be an interesting and fun experiment and WAY to much thought has been going into what my treats will be.
Thanks Melissa and everyone else who replied to my postings, it’s been informative, fun and an interesting experience. Who would have thought that only a few years ago my day started with a coffee and two cigarettes and the heaviest thing I lifted above my head was a hairbrush! must go, the kettlebells are calling.
best wishes to all
Helen
@Helen: WHOO-HOO!!! I am so excited for you, and super proud that you stuck it out. I am always blown away when people share their Whole30 “success stories” with us here – after hundreds of testimonials, you’d think I’d be used to the amazing results. Sounds like you really took the program to heart. It’s NOT just about white-knuckling it through 30 days of black coffee and no candy. It really has the potential to change the way you think about food and eating for the rest of your life. I’m glad you discovered that, Helen, and so happy that you’re sharing your process with us here, and with friends and family at home.
Keep up the strong work, and keep us posted as to how things are going!
Best,
Melissa
Thanks Melissa
Here’s some stats to add to my ‘how I feel’ results. during my Whole30 month – weight down 2.4kg, body fat down by 3%, waist measurement down by 8cm. Yes I did mean to type eight! Hows that for evidence based results!
This weeks treat, apple and cranberry paleo cookies containing no flour, dairy or sugar and they are awesome.
How are my fellow aussies going?
i still haven’t stuck to it properly but i’m eating better & not drinking so much & i think i’ve actually lost some weight which is good because i was doing workouts before & my pants etc were getting looser but i wasn’t actually losing any kgs.
@Davey:
Can I ask why the kgs are important to you and not the reduction in size?
@Davey:
I wouldn’t get too distracted by the scales if I were you, you’re (hopefully) improving LBM will mess with your head if you do. Look to the tape measure and muscle definition for a measure of success. I SHRANK heaps with barely a change in the scales but I look completely different and can train in a whole new way. Glad to hear you’re eating better than before though, every change is a step in the right direction. Eventually you might want to tell your whiney ass self to man up and really do it to get some serious results. Can I say that without you being cranky at me? It’s what I would say to my friends who are dabbling but not quite getting what they want.
You obviously want to train and eat better to get results or you wouldn’t have been reading this blog nor considering going Whole30 so I know you can do this. It’s a bit like going up in weights in the gym, sometimes you just have to pick your shit up and get on with it. Hope that’s not too much tough love.
Keep us posted, I’ll be looking for your postings. I’d be stoked for you if you succeed.
@ Helen
i know i have to man up, def can’t get mad at you for telling me that!
i now the scales aren’t a good measure, i don’t check it very often anyway. the kgs aren’t too important but i am trying to lose weight to get down to 60 kgs or around that because i want to fight this year & at my height i have to be about 60 to even have a chance of fighting someone of a similar height instead of giving away too much reach. no doubt the weight will start to come down as i get stuck into it more, i’m starting to train more & i have more energy so it’s obviously working i’m just slack. thanks for the comments tho, i will man up!
@Davey
ok, now the kg concerns makes sense.
check out the whole 9 blog entry – Whole9 takes over the internet, you might get some help with your specific needs through something like this.
oh and drop the beers/rums trust me they are not going to help with the kgs and you know it.
ok that’s enough bossiness from me for one day
best of luck
Helen
I ate Zone on and off and it never felt “right”. I came back to Melissa’s site over and over and on January 3rd I commited. After 2 weeks I was sold! Weight came off slow, but steady and I felt so much better. I weighed Proteins because I was leaning out, but just ate super clean carbs. After 30 days I did not want to cheat. I am “allowed” but feel so much more relaxed about my diet. I try to hit my protein numbers every day and avoid crap foods. I went from 215 to 196 with only a few days of being able to work out. Still going strong and am fortunate enough to have Melissa coming to our gym for aseminar. I can not recomend this any more, it changed the way I look, feel, eat, shop and think about food. THANK YOU MELISSA!
Is sliced deli turkey paleo? Isn’t that processed?
I will not pretend to answer for anyone but myself, but I only use Boars Head meats. They minimally processed and contain no soy, gluten, preservatives or “parts” of anything. It is my one concession to convenience.
@Bryan: What David said. Deli meat (and other less than optimal protein sources like jerky) is processed, yes, but sometimes you make concessions because of life constraints. Find brands that are LESS processed (like Boar’s Head or Applegate Farms organic) and include in your diet when your nutritional choices are limited (like while on a road trip or stuck in an all-day business meeting).
Best,
Melissa
So I DO have moral issues with eating chicken, beef, pork… any meat except fish & seafood. There’s most likely nothing that can change my mind about that. I am interested in better health & performance, obviously, though, so how would you suggest I can implement SOME Paleo into my diet? Right now, my protein comes from legumes, dairy, and a teeny bit of soy, so how could I get any at all? Not possible? What would be the most important things to change? Like, absolutely no grains or dairy but minimal legumes? Thanks