I know most people love beer. But people in our gym seem to really LOVE beer, myself included. So that’s probably going to be the most difficult thing to give up for a Paleo challenge. Hopefully it will be worth it.
The first 13 Stars Paleo Challenge will begin on Sunday, February 16 and run until Friday, March 14. I know that’s two days shy of a full month, but it was brought to my attention that the Morristown St. Patty’s Day Parade was March 15, which would make the challenge a deal breaker for most people. We try not to take ourselves too seriously around here.
Before we go any further, let’s talk about “What is Paleo?” Paleo has commonly been called the “Caveman Diet” which I’ve always thought makes those who us who do it look like a bunch of quacks. Basically the diet cuts out processed foods packed with sugars, salt, fat, and carbs and replaces it will healthy foods. Here is a quick guide. You will get a more comprehensive list of in your Paleo packet, which will be distributed in the gym next week.
NO FOODS: Processed foods (Essentially everything you would find in the middle aisles of the store like cereal, soda, Doritos), sugars, beer and most alcohol, soy, dairy, cheese, processed meats like salami, beans, rice, any kind of bread or pasta, or anything with ingredients that are unrecognizable
YES FOODS: Vegetables, fruits, lean meat, nuts, most types of oil (Not corn or vegetable though) … and “yes,” those two dishes in the above graphic are Paleo.
Mostly Paleo is about getting creative with your cooking so that you can take out the things that make your body run slow and inefficient and replace them with things that make your body feel awesome. And you will feel awesome.
To help your fellow participants prepare for the Paleo challenge, please consider making a Paleo dish and bringing it to the Grand Opening. That way, we can all sample treats and figure out what to make during the challenge.
Scoring:
The challenge will be scored in five (5) categories: food, water, workouts, benchmark WOD, and % of weight loss. At the end of each week, participants will submit a card that tracks food, water, and workouts. The benchmark WOD and weigh in will take place before and after the challenge.
The entrance fee is a steep $5, but it is winner take all. May the odds be ever in your favor.
