Monday, September 7

Paleo Completion

"The food you eat today is the body you wear tomorrow!" - Jack Lalanne

Well, as of yesterday, everyone that I met with to take part in the month long Paleo Challenge should be done...at least with this first month:) So, over the remainder of this week, please conduct any of the baselines that you might have done a month ago so we can compare. Also, we will take the body composition test again and see the results after only one month. So far I have already taken four body fat % tests again and like predicted, everyone has improved. By the end of the week I will look through all of your folders and get everyone's final results so I can get averages; please make sure to not take home or throw out your sheets.

Now here comes the question...how many of you will stick with it for another month or two? Or three? Or 12? Like I have mentioned earlier, one month is not very long to see ENORMOUSLY drastic results, but rather it is usually just enough time to start seeing them take effect (like the drop in BF% that I mentioned earlier). Thank you all for making the commitment to me and to yourselves to try this! Like I warned you, many of you experienced certain "withdrawal" symptoms as you gave up sugar, flour, wheat, etc. cold turkey. But they passed and I can't wait to hear from each of you how this has changed and if you are deciding to go for another month. I really hope you all do:) Remember, there are no magic pills to take, no "secret" plan to make it easy, but rather a stubborn attitude to stick with it and to continue to reap the incredible benefits.

So I'll leave you with this last thought to sleep on and remember as the new month unfolds in front of us. Remember, you put out so much energy, dedication, pain and fortitude from yourselves when you walk through the doors of CrossFit Spokane everyday, but it's when you walk out those doors back to the "real" world that the hardest challenge awaits you. As trainers we are always there, watching, teaching, and correcting as you give your heart out on our mats. But we cannot leave the gym and go home with you into your kitchen. Nor can we be there when you have to squeak in a quick lunch at the office. This is where you have to be your own coach. These moments are where you have to remember what you do inside of the gym and not make it all for nothing. Food is a drug; it's the most powerful drug that you can think of. It's something that no matter who you are, you have to have it. So make sure to take in the ones that are going to give you the greatest benefit. Depending on who you talk to about what is most important when it comes to great health, some will say exercise is first and diet is a close second. And still others will say it's the other way around. Regardless of which one you personally believe, I once heard a quote that fits both opinions in the fact that it is stating how very important both are TOGETHER to achieve optimal health.

"Exercise is king. Nutrition is queen, but put them together and you have the entire kingdom!"
-Jack LaLanne

When you are preparing or buying a meal, remember how hard you push, pull, throw, jump, run and row everyday and let that training and discipline guide you. Dare to give max effort not only inside of the walls of CrossFit Spokane, but also beyond them. Ask yourself if you are happy with your performance, happy with the way you feel, happy with the way you look, concerned with your future health long down the road. If you can answer yes to all of these then good on ya. If not, ask yourself if you are truly doing everything you could to be able to answer yes, and if not, then it's an easy fix....start at the very next meal:)

We hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend and look forward to the hard work and fun waiting inside these walls in the week to come:)

-Brandon

2 comments:

Chris Stroud said...

Pretty cool challenge. When I first started paleo the first things I noticed were a sense of being light on my feet and it was much easier to wake up at 5 in the morning.

Spokane Razorbacks said...

Brandon, Thanks for organizing the Paleo Challenge. I am going to do it for another month with one cheat meal a week and one cheat night for alcohol a week. I will try to stick to Red bridge and light beers.

a recomendation for eating out is a mongolian grill like HuHot. Tons of meet veggies, gluten free sauces and other sauces that are paleo friendly.