My 25 Day Strict Paleo Diet Challenge(Day 3)

"Show Me Your Fat"

So here we are at Day 3 of the 25 Day Challenge.... However, I do know today is Day 4, but I had a steady shift at work last night and I don't like using my iPhone to write blogs with because the "blogger" app continuously wants to crash. So ....anyways Day 3, not much to today other than my goal was to monitor my fat intake and make sure 60% of my intake for the day was fat. Why? Josh Bunch told me to. Now I know what you're thinking and no, if he told me to jump off a bridge I wouldn't. He suggested it and after he suggested it I wanted to know why so I began to read some of the important things "fat" does for our body. 

I'm not going to go in to great detail about this but I wanted to hit some key points that were important to me. If you're curious about something I don't discuss "google" it. Besides making our foods taste good and keeping us warm during the cold winter months, fat is way more important than that. The things that stuck out to me were these:

1. Curbs Your Appetite

2. Promotes Muscle Growth

3. Decreases Infection Risk

4. Provides Absorption Of Vitamin A, S, E, K

Oh and another one and really this should be the most important if you don't have enough good fat..... Hair Loss. Now my answer to the question I ask myself everyday when I look in the mirror has been answered. I'm not going in to any detail about the above list it would take to long. Just research it on your own. 

So on to what I ate, what I did, and how I felt for Day 3:

Day 3(March 15th)

Breakfast:

2 Cups of Coffee

4oz Eye of Round Steak(Left Over From Day 2)

3 Farm Fresh Brown Eggs

2 Tbsp EV Olive Oil

H20

Fish Oil +D3

H20

Lunch:

6-8oz of Shrimp(Broiled)

Green Beans(1/2 a plate full)

2 Tbsp EV Olive Oil(Tossed in Shrimp)

Fish Oil +D3

H20

WOD:

Rest Day

30-45 minutes of Mobility Throughout The Day

Dinner:

Chicken Sausages(2 Sausages)

Asparagus(12 Spears)

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Fish Oil +D3

H20

Snack:

3oz All Natural Sugar Free Beef Jerky(For the life of me I can't remember the name)

Cashews(Salt Free)

At the end of the day I hit my goal. My food intake for the day hit 60% Fat, 30% Protein, and 10% Carbs

Something you're going to see with my eating pattern is I eat stuff repeatedly. Why? Well I eat what I love. If you haven't ever read Quadzilla's blog you should. She wrote a really good piece about the paleo diet and how a person shouldn't make it complicated and they should eat what they love to eat. That's going to be the case with me. Eat what I love.

As far as how I felt for the day I felt good. Not to much soreness but I was really tight in the hips and hamstrings. Thank you K-Star for the almighty "Couch Stretch" I was glad to have the day off. Despite what we might think we have to rest and we shouldn't be stubborn about it. 

My 25 Day Strict Paleo Diet Challenge(Day 1 and 2)

"Where For Art Thou Paleo?"

Like the smooth flowing lyrics of Biggie Smalls, "I'm going back back ...back back.... to Cali, Cali." I'm going back back to the paleo way of eating. For the last two months I've tried something else. In the beginning I felt fine but over the last few weeks I've felt like Rocky when Mr. T unleashed his power of "Pitty The Fool" on him during their first title bout. Okay maybe not that bad but I definitely wasn't feeling the "Eye of The Tiger." So what did I do.... I emailed the paleo guru Josh Bunch at Practice CrossFit and picked his brain. Not only is Josh a standup guy but he's also very knowledgeable when it comes to nutrition. I had the pleasure of meeting Josh last year at "Back At The Ranch" in Troy, OH for my very first CrossFit competition. He definitely made a lasting impression on me after the few minutes we spent discussing the paleo diet, CrossFit, and getting my first  95lb thruster and pull-up a month after starting CrossFit at the competition. 

Josh recently came to Portsmouth Spartan Kettlebell Club, my local gym, and held the often imitated never duplicated Paleo Nutrition Seminar, "Don't Eat Dumb Sh%t." Unfortunately due to conflicts with my work schedule I was unable to attend, but I did score the club a bunch of chairs and tables to use for the event. I'm sure it was interesting and in the future I hope to attend a seminar so I can take it in first hand. Even though I missed it what's great about the members of PSKC and Josh is that if you ask for help/guidance you're going to get it. So between the members of PSKC and the TONS of information Josh Bunch sent me via email I loaded up on what I needed to do and my journey as of March 13th officially began. 

I'm sure by now if you follow me on Facebook you're getting tired of my "Food Porn" pictures so I thought to myself what better way then to use this blog I have to share each and every day with you. From what I eat, how I feel, and what I'm doing as far as workouts. My only goal is maybe I can help someone out there to find inspiration like I have to be, as Dale King would say, "More awesome than yesterday." So without further notice, seeing how this blog is a couple days late, I'll get to what I've been eating, how I've been feeling, and what exercises I've been doing over the last two days down to the last detail.

Day 1(March 13th)

Breakfast:

6 Slices of Nitrate Free Bacon

4 Fresh From The Farm Brown Eggs(These are really from my neighbors farm. Chickens are free-range vegetarian fed) cooked in 2 Tbsp of EV Olive Oil

2 Cups Black Coffee

20oz of H20

Fish Oil +D3

Strength Training:

5/3/1 Back Squat

5/3/1 Bench Press

Post Training Shake:

2 Scoops of Progenex More Muscle

2 Scoops of Progenex Recovery

20oz of H20

Lunch:

8oz Ribeye Steak

12 Asparagus Spears

2 Tbsp of EV Olive Oil

20oz of H20

Fish Oil +D3

PSKC WOD:

Running Dirty 30(Workout available on WODstack.com)

Post WOD Shake:

2 Scoops of Progenex Recovery

A ton of H20(Psycho Cindi(I spelled it right this time) made me sweat a ton trying to stay ahead of her)

Dinner:

4oz of Salmon

12 Asparagus Spears

2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil

20oz of H20

Fish Oil +D3

So that's what I ate for Day 1. How did I feel? I felt okay at the end of the day. What, you didn't feel great you say? I'd be bullshitting you and wasting your time if I said that for two reasons. #1. It's day one, it's going to take some time to detox my body. #2. I did heavy back squats and then hit up a WOD later that day that involved 2 miles of running, 150 hand release pushups(Which only 2 1/2 rounds were RX), 150 AbMat Situps(I love the AbMat, btw), topped off with 150 Kettlebell Swings @ 53lbs. If someone tells you they felt great after that either a politician or a straight up bad ass like C.U.W. or Quadzilla. However, I did beat my goal of 40 minutes to complete this by 6 minutes largely in part to "Psycho" Cindi, with an "I" bearing down on my heels the whole time. Thanks for the push! There's plenty more I could say about Day 1 giving you my fat, protein, and carb breakdown(Because I'm anal about tracking everything I eat but I won't because JB said it best, "Worry about eating real food.")

Day 2(March 14th)

Breakfast:

4oz Ground Turkey

4 Slices of Nitrate Free Bacon

6 Asparagus Spears(I know what you're thinking, "That's a bunch of Asparagus man!" I know, but I love it. It makes your pee smell manly too. I've already found myself marking territory in my yard to warn the neighborhood dogs I'm a bad ass) 

2 Cups of Black Coffee

20oz of H20

Fish Oil +D3

Lunch:

6-8oz Broiled Shrimp

Broccoli, 1/2 a plate full

Tossed Shrimp in 2 Tbsp EV Olive Oil before broiling

20oz of H20

Fish Oil +D3

Pre-WOD Shake:

2 Scoops of Progenex More Muscle

20oz of H20

WOD:

Hammer Farts(Like Hammer's Farts It Was Deadly. WOD available on WODstack.com)

Post-WOD Shake:

Progenex Recovery

Tons of H20(I was sweating like a Baptist Preacher during a hot summers day revival ....swamp ass sweaty)

Dinner:

8oz Eye of Round Steak

1/2 Plate Full of Harvest Cut Green Beans

2 Tbsp of Coconut Oil

Fish Oil +D3

20oz of H20

So that's Day 2. How did I feel today? Pretty good! The biggest thing I noticed was the soreness. I had very little which I thought would have been more due to the amount of work I did the day before. During the metcon I hit 155lb Power Cleans for 4 rounds(24 reps). To me this was great because my max power clean was 175. Was it nutrition, was it 5/3/1, was it because I had Shep pushing my ass, that lead to all of this? I don't know to be honest, but I will say I don't care what it was because I set a goal of 3 rounds and I got 4. That's what I care about. Setting goals and hitting the mark or breaking it.

So there's my first 2 days of 25. Something I should note. I drink water constantly not just with my meals. I make it a point to hit 2 gallons a day and will probably up that even more, seeing how we are getting warmer weather, to 2.5 - 3.0 gallons. Hydration to me is more important than nutrition. And yes, that's all I drink is water and the occassional cup(s) of coffee in the morning(s). 

Another thing I've decided to do and this breaks my heart to say it.... I'm giving up alcohol. I haven't drank since February 22nd and I'm not going to anymore. Does that mean I'm not one of the cool kids now? Probably does, doesn't it?

In closing, I just want to say how proud I am of the individuals who will be completing their 25 day challenge as of March 16th. I really do hope you guys stay with it. Also a shout out to Mike "The Snatch" Dillow who continues to impress me by the strength and endurance he's gaining and the weight he's losing. You're going to need some new clothes mayne! Congrats to everyone on a challenge completed. Oh and those who didn't stay the course and folded.... You can always do it again!

From Couch Potato To Crossfit Games Competitor

It's been a long time since I've posted a blog. I guess I was looking for that "drive" to come back and tonight it did.

For those of you who are new to the blog I just want to give you a quick rundown of who I am and who I used to be.

Six months ago I learned about PSKC after seeing it on a friends Facebook page. At one point in my life I had always been interested in fitness, getting healthy, and enjoying life but these are three major things that six months ago I had no desire to do. I was a depressed individual, out of shape(still am but not as bad), and my fitness consisted of 12oz curls and thumb presses(remote for the tv).

I had been wanting to find something, a hobby if you will. So I read up on PSKC and sent the owner an email. Told him basically I was a fat slob who didn't value my life and after reading the story of Troy Staker aka The Machine I wanted to change that for many reasons.

Fast forward six months and now look at me! A Crossfit athlete... That's right an athlete! Long gone is the fat, depressing, hating my life individual. Now I'm the motha fuckin' Grizz.... A 2012 Crossfit Games Competitor. However I didn't get here on my own. Like Dale has told us all.... I'll pave the path for you but it's up to us to walk down it. It's because of each and every individual at PSKC I am who I am today. From the countless text messages during my month hiatus to seeing someone from the gym out in public wanting to know where the hell I'd been and the cheers, high fives, and hugs I got when I returned and tonight.... This is why I am who I am.

PSKC isn't just about lifting weights..... No its much more than that. It's about supporting one another to be better, to laugh, to smile, to be faster, stronger, or as Dale would say..... Be Awesome!!

Turns out I found more than a hobby. I found a second family. One I always look forward to seeing each and every day I can.

If you haven't signed up for the 2012 Crossfit Open do it! You won't regret it and you'll have an entire family supporting you during the next five weeks.

Also I just want to say one thing to Zak Lafontaine. Thanks for telling my ass to sign-up! Thanks for the friendship we've made over the past six months too. And oh yeah, thanks for not letting me embrace the suck alone tonight!

To everyone who was there tonight and cheered Zak and I on thank you from the bottom of my heart! Pretty sure you accounted for a few reps!

Now..... Go be awesome! You got this!

Back to Basics....

I read an interesting blog on "Mark's Daily Apple" this morning about the 80/20 rule. After reading it I let it sink in like a spaghetti sauce stain on a white t-shirt, the kind of stain you can't get out, before even attempting to let my mind put the first thought in to this blog.

I've never read "The Primal Blueprint" but that day is coming soon as I constantly follow Mark's Daily Apple. I had heard and read plenty about the 80/20 rule and after reading the PSKC blog last night I started questioning myself also. So what's a guy to do but pull out the iPhone and read, read, read, in hopes to get his MoJo back.

First I want to say I've been slacking here lately. Not necessarily with my food choices, but over the past month I've drank a little to much Yuengling. Okay, a bunch .....guilty as charged! I've tried to convince myself that it's okay, but after last night's blog, Dale was right ....Man The F@$K Up! If I want this to work I can't make excuses any longer! I mean when it comes fown to brass tax how can I encourage Primal/Paleo to other individuals or give them advice on it if I don't practice what I preach?

Mark made it perfectly clear to me why, when he said this:

"If you set out to make your Primal commitment 80%, guess what? It will likely fall below that. If you set out to make your commitment 100% you will find yourself somewhere in the 80-95%."

He's absolutely right, you know?! When I workout in the gym I feel like I gave 100% and I can leave knowing that. Sure you're going to have that day when it might not reflect 100% but if you truly feel it than you did. So why should it be so hard to do the same with our eating habits? (Insert your reason here).

Starting tomorrow I'm committing myself again. Not that I've failed on Primal/Paleo but I've definitely slacked. I bought into the 80/20 rule. I began to find convenience .....I found it to convenient to buy Terra chips(Which I had no idea what kind of crap these things contained, read the ingredients) to go with lunch instead of steaming some vegetables, I've found myself reaching more for that diet pop than water, I've also slacked on my fish oil and L-Carnitine, and last but not least(This one's for you Wifey) I've slacked on responsibilities I have as a husband and father to my family. You're probably thinking, "That last statement has nothing to do with diet." Oh but it does young Padawan....
When you make your spouse stressed, you get stressed, which leads to bad choices via food or booze. As Dale would put it ....No Buenos Amigos.

However, I am damn proud of myself that I can admit my faults and know that I have the will inside myself to make that change! I just need to remind myself of that in order to turn the negatives into positives .....the mistakes you can fix. I've said it before but one of the greatest quotes I think back to when I know I made mistakes and get to feeling bad about them is from the movie Batman.....

"Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up."

I knew I could always count on Bruce Wayne!

If you've fallen off the horse do just that, pick yourself up, dust the dirt off, pull your belt tight, take a deep breath, and climb back up on that f&@k. You're in control of the reins!!

There's 10 rules to the Primal Blueprint. Take a second, think about it, then answer truthfully to yourself.

1. Are you eating lots of plants and animals?
2. Are you avoiding poisonous things?
3. Are you moving frequently at a slow pace?
4. Are you lifting heavy things?
5. Are you sprinting every once in a while?
6. Are you getting adequate sleep?
7. All work no play?
8. Are you getting adequate sunlight?
9. Are you avoiding stupid mistakes?
10. The most important rule ....Are you using your brain?

I could answer questions 1, 2, 4, and 5 with a yes. I've got a bunch of work to do and that's okay because I'm sure I'm not alone.

Remember, trying to be 100% in your diet equals 80-95%. Thats the benchmark. The 20% percent isn't there for you to have a cheat day, like I thought it was. It was purposely put there to keep you sane and to be there for the unexpected when Primal just isn't an option.

If you want to read the article, and you really should, click the link. I assure you it would be worth your time.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-8020-revisited/

Stay Strong and Get Back To Basics!!

Closing in on 90 Days....

"It's not about the destination. It's about the journey." - Dale King

It's nearly 90 days into my lifestyle change doing the paleo diet and I couldn't help but think about how much he's right now. When I first started my challenge all I could think about was being a certain weight, losing so many pounds.

Nearly 90 days later and it's become a totally different view on things. I find myself caring less about what my weight is, how many pounds I've lost or what my body fat percentage is. I mean sure those are all great things but the thoughts of just enjoying life, lifting weights, smiling, laughing more, and sharing moments with family and some kick ass people are what it has become now.

90 days ago I didn't know the first person when I went to the gym other than Dale, but even that was just by a few emails we exchanged. Fast forward to today and I find myself with people who I call friends, go out to dinner with, game it up with via Xbox, and really miss when I can't get to the gym. I'm forever grateful for that.

I'm glad I know now what Dale meant that day when he said what he did. It truly is the BIGGER picture. So, I don't plan to get on the scales again to see what my weight is. I'm going to do just what he said. I mean I ultimately know my destination, we all do if you think about it.

So in my journey I plan to continue eating healthy, working out, meeting new people, doing as much with family as I can, and seeing where the road takes me. My only hope is I can do it for a long time. Thanks Dale for reminding me that it's far more about those things than the numbers on the scale....

Black Friday PSKC Style...

Today at PSKC sucked... No other adjective describes it better than that. For me it was the worst workout yet. I knew what to expect physically after reading the white board, but was not prepared at all for it mentally. It was a true "gut check" to say the least and I have to admit, that for the most part of today "The Fear Dog" was winning. I too just want to confirm that puking up an Iced Cappuccino in your mouth and swallowing it is not recommended. F'N Wizard got me twice today! The second time I just dry heaved though so I guess that counts as half.

I hated today. Every minute of it and I wanted to quit, but when I looked around and saw everybody hurting as bad as I was I knew I was bound and determined to finish, despite how long it would take me. 

I just want to say to each and every person who suffered through the suck with me, thanks. Seeing everyone else sweating their butts off, making pain faces, and seeing The Fear Dog in their eyes reminded me that I wasn't alone and to keep battling. Today wasn't about time. Today was just about finishing, slaying "Goliath" and today's WOD was definitely that too. 

If you didn't get a chance to enjoy some good livin' with us this morning you definitely missed out!

I want to say that we all eventually get to a point where we get frustrated about our times, the weight we lift, the rounds we do, but we cannot and should not ever let that shit eat at us. When we walk out the door we should leave what happened in the gym, in the gym. It's like work, we should never take it home with us. It will eat at us every hour on the hour and leave us with a sour taste in our mouths if we let it and trust me I know from personal experience. As long as we give each workout everything that we have that's good enough. If we didn't think we did then the next time we step foot back in the gym make up for it. 

I would rather hear somebody tell me that they went as hard as they could for as long as they could then the other person telling me what their time was or what weight they used. It's all about pushing ourselves to the max and breaking down the wall. If we are drenched in sweat, making crazy ass pain faces, struggling from one rep to the next, and maybe even letting The Wizard get at us, chances are we are going at max capacity. Just remember that. It's took me a long time to finally realize that, but I'm glad I have.

Remember we all conquered today... Be proud of that if nothing else! In my opinion that should be the main goal when we walk in the gym..... To Finish. I can't say enough about how proud I am to sweat it out with each and every person at PSKC and how proud I am of each and every person who survived "Black Friday". Everyday I'm there I know that I'm growing healthier.... not just physically, but mentally, and it's because of all of you who keep me coming back. All of us should hold our heads high and stick our chest out for what we have and will accomplish, be proud and remember.... It doesn't matter where we finished. It mattered that we finished.

I'm glad I didn't quit or go grab the 35lb kettlebell like I kept telling myself I should today and it's because of you guys and gals I didn't. I'm glad you didn't quit either. You guys and gals are animals! Thanks PSKC members for keeping me strong!

Those Were The Days...

I was in Walmart this morning picking up some things for my aunt that she needed before I went to sit with my grandpa for the day. As I walked around I couldn't help but notice the amount of processed pumpkin pies, pecan pies, pre-cooked turkeys, and the list goes on and on. It reminded me of how a society who used to find joy in the effort it took to make that Thanksgiving Day meal perfect, has now become to grow into a society of convenience .....and I'm sure it will only get worse with each passing year. Is this what we have become?

Whatever happened to the days of slaving in the kitchen prepping a turkey or ham? Or walking into grandmas house and helping her create the American classic pumpkin pie? Have we forgot those days of the past that we found the most happiness in?

I'm sure for some on the holidays they haven't forgot. They still anxiously await each year to walk through the door of their loved ones homes, hear the family gossip, see kids or grandkids running around the house, see the newest addition to the family, meet the new boyfriend or girlfriend, smell the rich aroma of a turkey baking in the oven, see the table covered with food that would be sure to feed a family of one hundred and still have enough left over to feed the same amount of people for two more days, and see people who they haven't seen all year.

I understand convenience, especially with the economy today. I'm sure it's easier to buy a pie in a box or turkey that's already been cooked from your local Bob Evans or Kroger, but where did the fun or love go into making something of our own? What happened to the feeling of joy and happiness to hear people say how good something is, see the smile it puts on their face, or hear people argue with one another because great grandma doesn't want to give up the family secret recipe? You can't and wont ever find that in a box. The only comments I've ever heard out of a store bought pie is, "It's okay for store bought." or "I sure miss a good homemade pie."

If you're fortunate enough to be like me and still enjoy these small treasures that come along with Thanksgiving Day
remember to be thankful that you have these loved ones to share it with and that your family still believes in tradition. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have it any other way.