Primal-Paleo Challenge
Welcome to the 2011 Primal-Paleo Challenge! Challenge begins on Monday, January 3, 2011. Please post a comment with your commitment decision. This is to make a change for the better.
Note: The Paleo/Primal lifestyle is NOT the only way to be healthy. There are other food lifestyles that are effective. Primal/Paleo has been effective for quite a few of our members in both losing weight and setting Personal Records. If you want to see if this works for you, commit 100% for the full month.
- Helpful Websites:
- Mark’s Daily Apple
- Paleo Mama
- Cosmopolitan Primal Girl
- Babs’ Primal/Paleo/Gluten-Free Notebook – A collection of recipes found online
- Knitfit Paleo Page
- Stuff I Make My Husband
- Whole 9 Life Recipes
- Sweet Cheeks
- Paleo Food
- Everyday Paleo
- The Clothes Make the Girl
- Note: To the elanaspantry.com lovers, her site is NOT paleo. Elana is paleo and does make some references and does post some paleo recipes, but her site is gluten-free. Agave is NOT paleo. If you look through her recipes, stay away from the desserts. She does have some wonderful entrees, salads, and sides.
- Helpful Documents:
- Weekly Food Planner Worksheet
- Paleo Docs from Other Challenges
- Babs’ go to meals
- Breakfast
- No-atmeal
- Scramble – 3 or 4 eggs scrambled in bacon grease with spinach and mushrooms.
- Snack
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Salad
- Dinner
- Chili (I make a large pot, divide it into 3 baggies and freeze two of them)
- Pulled pork
- Food prep idea:
- One day a week, I prep something in the oven, something in the crockpot, and something stovetop. This really helps with the hectic weeks. I allow one night that I cook from scratch during the week.
{ 73 comments… read them below or add one }
I am already primal (allows little dairy) and follow it 90/10. I will be refraining from all sugar, outside of fruit for 30 days, which will make me 100% primal.
I’m in! Scott and I are starting tomorrow (01/02) as we cannot afford to go another day of this glutten lifestyle
I am committing to go Paleo 100% for the month of January. It’s not gonna be easy, but it can be done – right?!?
So I am predominantly Primal with the exception of a few chocolate-covered almonds, large quantities of cheese, and a little rice in my Chipotle bowl. I’m committing to 30 days of:
1. No rice in the Chipotle.
2. Vegetables every day.
3. No chocolate.
My goal these 30 days is to remove sugar from my diet (except from fruit). I started 1/1/11.
I am also going to try this out. I do not like chocolate or any sweets so that will be easy. I do love my chipotle so that will be tough. The toughest part will be going without diet coke. What is the deal with alcohol. I might need to start drinking straight vodka.. ha ha.
Nate-
You can make Chipotle work. As far as alcohol is concerned, it is not paleo. The least offensive is tequila, as it does not come from a starch.
I think beer can be considered paleo if I sneak up behind it with a spear
Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!
I’m going to commit to Primal (allows a little dairy). I love these challenges!
Alright, I’m in. I’ve got to give up the cheat days, but besides that, Im primal in my food decisions. Alcohol will be tough as well… Not that I drink that much, but sometimes a beer just makes the day better.
I already am about 90/10 primal, but allow some sugar to sneak in there occasionally, so for me, no sugar other than fruit for the month (no Lara Bars or sweetened Honest Teas.. which is where the bulk of my extra sugar comes from). I will still be eating some dairy. Unfortunately both Joe’s birthday and mine fall in this 30 day stretch, so it might be tough!!!!!!
I’m in! I will need some guidance on what foods to eat/ not eat (thanks for the links Babs). I think the biggest challenge for me is that I eat whatever the hell I want and I don’t even think about it. It will be hard going without cheese, oatmeal, pizza, rice, pasta, bagels, and beer (wow I sound like a fatty). I am going to allow creamer for my coffee. My goals are to increase energy and strength in my body.
I am 100% committed! The only tough part is going to be the whole sans Diet Coke. Anyone have any substitution ideas?
I will also remove the occasional Lara Bar and Truvia in coffee, other than that I am golden. This is going to be fun!
I’m committing to Primal with the allowance of 2-3 cheat meals/week. I started on the yesterday.
I’m in. I’m going to go more primal as I really want to keep milk in my coffee. Also one of my goals is to eat breakfast daily.
I’m in. I’ve paleo/primal since October. I’m not 100% on what the difference between the two is.
Paleo vs Primal
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/whats-the-difference-between-primal-and-paleo/
Yep, I’m in.
Sounds fun! I was really bad in December and pretty much ate whatever I wanted so this will be good to get back into things! So, right now meat, eggs and some veggies are not my friends and I can’t stomach the thought of eating any of it but ..
I am going to cut out:
-bread (which I have been eating a lot of lately),
-caffiene 100% (I was allowing 1 day/week to have unsweetened tea from McAlister’s, Yum),
-sugar (except in fruit), chocolate
I will allow:
-Greek Yogurt
-fruit
-pickles – I just can’t live without them in my current state
-and like Stephen, I must eat vegetables every day
This could be interesting. Like Alexis, I’ve never really worried too much about what I ate, although I have given up Coke and McDonald’s over the past few months (to great effect).
I’m all for this challenge, and we’ll see what effects it has on everyone.
One question: Is there going to be any sort of before and after testing so that we can all see our improvements, or are we on our own for that?
Will-
Stephen mentioned possibly doing some skin fold testing. I would get with him for details. You could also make notes of things you have done recently (WODs and some joint stretching) and recheck the mobility and/or WOD for improvement.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention: my one main cheat will be using milk in my scrambled eggs. Without this breakfast staple, I’m not sure I would find something to eat for breakfast, which is totally against the whole reason for this challenge.
Maybe as we go on in the challenge, I’ll find something new to substitute and will be able to cut these out, but in a pinch, this is the breakfast of the month.
Also, Primal does allow some dairy. As long as you aren’t going crazy, you should be fine.
All-
If you have further questions, feel free to grab me at the gym, email, or text me. The goal is to make changes for the better. We are here to support each other. Feel free to pass along fun new recipes or website that you find along the way.
Also, here are the posts from the last challenge I hosted. These might help.
http://hbabs.wordpress.com/category/paleo-challenge-201007/
I also don’t mind helping if anyone has questions on what you can/can’t eat, what some good alternatives are to the bad stuff you’ve been eating, some good recipes, etc!
I’m in. I have a few exceptions; coffee in the a.m., milk, and beer.
All, here is another recipe resource that I use a lot for ideas:
http://everydaypaleo.com/
Thanks Lauren! I added this to list above.
Sorry I forgot this other one I use a lot too! Her blog is great, but this link is just to the recipe archive ov her blog
http://theclothesmakethegirl.blogspot.com/search/label/recipe
Count me in! I’m leaving in my dark chocolate and plain greek yogurt. No alcohol and no other dairy. I hope to increase my energy levels to balance the wide range of fitness I experience at lululemon! Ill be posting some primal/paleo recipes on our facebook page too, so if anyone loves a recipe they’ve tried, pass it on
Im not sure if this is where I should post questions…. I started on Sat and I am abnormally hungry in the morning (uncomfortable). I am used to being hungry in the morning but I usually eat snacks after dinner (like fruit, popcorn, or crackers). Is there any replacement snack I can eat late at night to help me not get sooo hungry! My other question is about Fruit…I think Im eating too much of it (at least 5 pieces a day) What should i be aiming for when it comes to fruit? THANKS : )
Alexis-
I generally have fruit one time a day. Fruit still breaks down into sugar in your system. You won’t stay full as long. As for being hungry:
1. Eat more fat
2. Be sure you are eating enough
3. Try to get in more veggies
4. Switch your snacks to nuts, hb eggs, bacon…
Call me and we can chat more. Check your fb inbox.
Alexis,
On the fruit thing: 5 pieces is probably a bit too much as far as your sugar intake is concerned. Of course, some fruits are higher in sugar than others, but I think you should try to focus on fruits that are lower on the glycemic index (i.e. berries, grapefruit, apples) and distance yourself from fruits higher in sugar (bananas, pineapple, melons). I would probably try to limit fruit intake to 2 pieces per day if you can.
If you need snacks in the evening, you could try eating some nuts or something with a higher fat content to keep you fuller. You might also just want to eat a bit more throughout the day. Maybe Babs can weigh in here.
I also think you should try Babs’ No-atmeal recipe posted at the top of the page. Joe and I have it almost every day for breakfast (the recipe makes enough for both of us to eat) and it is warm and delicious, perfect for winter time and a good substitute for regular oatmeal.
I eats the entire no-atmeal. It is VERY filling and I am not usually hungry for ~5 hours after eating.
In for the challenge…I’m about 90/10 right now (Christmas/Christmas Eve excluded). My meals are almost always paleo (I eat a very small amount of cheese and other dairy. I also eat an occasional chicken wing or two off of the Whole Foods hot bar). My downfall 10% is dark chocolate, ice cream, and some cookies here and there. I am going to try to go the 30 days cutting out the snacks (despite the fact that it is Mint Cookies and Cream month at Greaters).
I have done a fair amount of reading on nutrition and am more than happy to assist anyone with diet questions or suggestions.
For those of you who want to take this opportunity to increase your knowledge of nutrition, here are a few books you might want to take a look at:
Good Calories, Bad Calories – Gary Taubes
The Paleo Solution – Robb Wolfe
The Primal Blueprint – Mark Sisson
The Paleo Diet & The Paleo Diet for Athletes (although this is geared more towards endurance athletes) – Loren Cordain
Also, Weston Price’s book Nutrition & Physical Degeneration, I have heard is a good read, but have not read it myself.
I have a couple copies of The Primal Blueprint if anyone would like to borrow one.
Normally I’m %90 Paleo, but the last two weeks…. crappy. For instance: I just ate waffles with syrup, and biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I’ve had Penn Station three times and several cheeseburgers.
Normal diet consists of 12 raw eggs, and about two pounds of meat per day. Occasionally i’ll eat a vegetable. I hate eating vegetables, but I love how they make me feel. It’s just such a pain in the ass to eat enough meat AND fit in veggies.
Giving up refined sugars starting tomorrow morning and continuing with no artificial sweeteners. This is about as Paleo as I get. Next 28 days are going to be rough!
I’m in as well! The gluttony of the holidays has me anxious to clean things up. I’ll be doing Paleo/Clean which means I’ll have dairy (cheese and creamer), sweet potatoes, beans but they will be occasional vs. a staple. I have tried strict Paleo before and I just get sad and fall off the boat.
My biggest goal is to drink more water. This is a goal I set every single new year and usually 3-5 times throughout that same year. It usually works for about 1-4 weeks and then I just forget. Then I get into “norm” which is zero ounces of water which is bad. Minimum of 64 oz a day, every single day.
I love having this community to share and learn. Although I’m certainly a recovering sugarholic that still has my moments (i.e. the whole holiday season??), I’ve made a step change in how I eat compared to last year. I enjoy the planning and prepping process and have been re-inspired by trying new recipes and foods.
I made these for dinner tonight and they were super tastey!
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/vegetable-latkes/
Thanks Heather and Lauren for the great advice today….I know this month will be quite the journey for me. I will work on cutting my fruit down to 2 servings a day and I will work on eating more fatty foods to keep me full longer.
Babs-
Just made no-oatmeal again for probably the second time…. i forgot how much i love it!
Alexis if you need any meal recommendations let me know too.
I’m in–sorry for being late to the fight. I may have to do a phase-based approach though. Jan = quality, Feb = quantity (weigh/measure), Mar = caffeine detox:
1) No starch
2) No sugars
3) No sweeteners
Yes, I too believe in cheese and doing some background reading on Primal…
Had No-atmeal this morning and it was delicious and it kept me full!!! woohoo
Yay for full tummies!
I have made that all week. it is amazing how filling it is!
How is everyone doing?
I also should mention that I will not be doing ANY baking during the challenge.
I’m going strong, no slips! Trying to limit dairy but so far no added sugar other than fruit. I gave up caffeine this week but didn’t feel any different so I decided if I want a cup of coffee every once in a while I can have it with no bad effects on me! How is everyone else doing after week 1?!
Cutting out all breads/refined sugar… Sticking to the following: meats, veggies, (some) fruit (in moderation), nuts, seeds, hummus, almond vanilla-flavored milk (only 1 half gallon per week)
I think I just had a “suddenly” (the one when the light bulb goes off):
I’ve had headaches for the last 10 years. They’ve been everyday all day (ibuprofren “masks” the problem) for 10 years. I’ve tried NUMEROUS things to fix this–> prescription medicines, humidifers, dehumidifiers, using different laundry detergent, doctor visits to make sure it wasn’t something life threatening, change in eye doctor, extra dentist visits to see if it was a “jaw/teeth” problem, etc… It’s been (somewhat) depressing as I have just gotten used to it.
I’ve had to take 2-3 ibupro. (200 mg each) right before I go to sleep JUST so I will be able to sleep through the whole night. Usually, I end up waking up around 2-3 am due to headache.
This past week, I have done the paleo/primal challenge sticking 100% (minus a few RED BULLS) to it. as I began to type the previous post I had a pounding head ache.
A few minutes after snacking on some peppers with hummus, almonds, and ham, and drinking 2 glasses of water–> NO MORE HEADACHE….. (for now). This “challenge” may be the headache medicine I’ve actually needed all along…
TO BE CONTINUED….
Im not sticking to it 100% but I have completely cut out grains and processed foods and Im making better decisions throughout the day. The No-atmeal has been an amazing breakfast for me so I will be sticking to that in the morning …Also,I am starting to feel a lot more energetic at the gym after a long day of work.
All – Just wanted to add something about the No-atmeal recipe. Just a bit of caution, but not to deter you from eating it. The recipe, if made exactly as the recipe dictates, is about 900 calories and 70 grams of fat – so eat it up as long as you are aware of how much you are consuming – just something to keep in mind if you are trying to keep within a certain limit of calories and fat per day.
Sounds like a good time to me! Yum!
Yup, every morning !!! I think I am addicted… today had it with blueberries… YUM
WOWZA thats a lot of fat!
It is a good amount of fat, but luckily its from good healthy sources of fat (nuts!)
Well, I’m hanging in there – surprisingly!
I have a hard time getting enough veggies in.. it’s not that I don’t like veggies, it’s that they are harder to just “grab and go” (unlike fruit).
What are some of your go-to “grab and go” veggies??
Andrea, I usually have carrots and cut up peppers (but these are higher in carbs) for eating raw. As far as veggies you can easily cook up, green beans cook in the microwave in about 4 minutes, and they usually sell them pre-cut and pre-washed at the grocery store if that convenience is worth a few extra bucks to you! You can also roast brussel sprouts in the oven after mixing some olive oil, garlic, and pepper on them for 40 minutes @400 degrees and they’re really yummy.
baby carrots, red and green peppers sliced, broccoli florets, Ants on a log (not everyday, occasional treat) with almond butter, celery and sometimes raisins
Happy Tuesday!
It has taken me years but eating well has finally started to become more natural for me. This challenge has been much easier than any attempt in the past. I’ve been investing the time in my food prep, always keeping snacks and fats readily accessible and always have my water bottle with me. There have been a couple times when chocolate may have crossed my mind but then I either eat a snack or really think about it and realize that I don’t even really want it. Crazy talk, huh?
So food prep for this week looks like:
- primal turnip breakfast casserole
- primal jambalaya
- pre-made burger patties stuffed with cheddar and broccoli
- tenderized chicken breast (either for coconut chicken or chicken parmesan later this week)
- sweet potato fries
- hard boiled eggs
- paleo tortilla chips
- guacamole
- cauliflower rice
I love that primal jambalaya recipe! It’s soooo yummy!
I’m loving reading all these tips, recipes and comments. I haven’t been as dedicated as I have been in the past with paleo and paleo challenges. Sadly meat and eggs are not something I can look at right now but here are my favorite recipes from the week:
-Burgers and chips (http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/04/09/dry-rub-burgers-and-sweet-potato-rounds/) So Yummy!!! But make sure you use the EVOO and I would use parchment paper so the rounds don’t stick.
-Chicken parmesan (Primal not paleo) I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and pounded them thin dipped in egg whites then coconut flour (could use almond meal) sauteed in a pan with EVOO both sides until done. Meanwhile cook spaghetti squash in microwave and shred. Top squash with spaghetti sauce of your choice (I usually make my own but this time I used Newmans own) then with chicken and sprinkle cheese. Heat under broiler in oven until cheese is melted.
oohhh…that sounds delish!
I made this last night and it was amazing. I made adjustments, but you can still see the original items.
http://www.evernote.com/pub/hbabcock/paleo#v=t&n=cc34285d-06eb-46b5-b688-70d9bb591ff0&b=00991115-151f-4e70-b2b6-a97680afefb5
Wow! That looks so good!! Definitly gonna have to make this!!
Last night I made Coconut Curry Chicken. It was amazing! The only change I made was adding frozen peas. I really like peas in Indian type food. Also I didn’t have curry on hand so I used:
1 tsp ground cumin powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander powder
1/2 red chili powder, to taste
and a dash of nutmeg
http://cosmopolitanprimalgirl.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/paleo-coconut-curry-chicken/
I had a beer and I didn’t sneak up behind it with a spear..it was tasty.
Went of the reservation big-time this weekend. Had alcohol, ice cream, french fries, and deep fried chicken wings. Although it tasted good going down, my body is mad at me. Back on the wagon
I need some other snack substitute than nuts. I’m sick of almonds right now!
I made chicken parmesan last week and it was so tastey that it’s back on the meal plan this week. I also throw some parmesan cheese in with y almond flour along with some extra italian seasoning.
Last nights dinner was paleo biscuits and gravy and both Chad and I thought it tasted amazing. Lauren, I know you had some issues with it but I think with the biscuits, its critical to really whip up the egg whites and make sure they don’t deflate as you gently incorporate it into the flour mix. And on the gravy, you have to use whole coconut milk, no light stuff. The gravy really thickened up.
Dan, I’m not a huge fan of snacking on raw veggies so I stick to the following:
- fruit (like banana and almond butter)
- hardboiled egg and a few slices of pre-fried bacon (that I heat up in the microwave for 20secs)
- try different nuts, macadamias are easy to love
- paleo tortilla chips + guacamole
- or just a small serving of any of the precooked food I have for that week
Was planning on treating myself after yesterday with Elana’s pumpkin bars but never got to it after all the other food prep so will leave it for another time. It’s amazing that I can even type that.
A few days ago, I was making breakfast and I said out loud, I am just so happy with the foods I am eating. They are all real, whole foods. If you look at the checkout counter at the grocery store, I have meats and produce. The few cans I do have are diced tomatoes and/or coconut milk. I am okay with that. It does take a lot of planning and prep time but it is so worth it. I feel good about the foods I’m putting in my body. By no means have I been perfect, we went out to Thai last week and I had some brown rice with dinner but I’m okay with that. Because I have otherwise been on track and I’m not looking for perfection, just good choices when I’m faced with them. This challenge has really been a huge mental/emotional shift for me.
Stay strong everyone!
So, found a recipe and made it primal/paleo. It was meant to be a chicken taco soup, but mine ended up being more like shredded chicken taco meat and DELICIOUS!!!
http://www.evernote.com/pub/hbabcock/paleo#v=t&n=69d35d28-5449-4b71-ab2a-0ce018f2baa7&b=29c0b6eb-0e58-44ba-b06a-3b92ee441bb3
Great body composition results this morning that I want to share and attribute to CFN’s Paleo Challenge, CFN’s great training, and my lovely g/f who cooked some amazing Paleo meals for me! So these results are from Oct 13th to today, but since I gained about 6 lbs over the holidays, I’d say it was mostly completed from Jan 4-now with the constant diet and training. I was measured in the “Bod Pod” at work today.
Body Weight: Started at 201.7 and now 201.9 (measured in a speedo (214 fully clothed on Jan 1st)) Clothes weigh 6-8 lbs maybe??? So I probably lost about 4-6 lbs total I’d guess.
BodyFat: Starting 14.7% (I’m sure this was up as of Jan 1) but now 13.1% and I gained 3.3 lbs of lean mass!!! RMR increased 34 calories so I can eat more, yay!
Sugar Addiction: I still want sugar
But the cravings aren’t near as bad as they used to be. Trying to do the same diet in Feb (reducing dairy), but I’m still getting Cold Stone either tomorrow or this weekend!
I technically have until the end of 2.2.2011. I do not know if my weight has changed, but I have two major changes. Last night, I think that I saw my abs, second from the top beginning to show themselves. This morning, I put on a pair of pants that were a touch big and now require a belt or else the crotch is by my knees. I will weigh in tonight.
Despite the fact that I have not lost any weight, I look even more fantastic in my Speedo!….all jokes aside, I have been feeling less of an afternoon crash after work and more energetic at the gym (which was my goal). I have found some great meals to eat such as the No-oatmeal. I have not been as strict as most people but I’m proud of my self for not eating as much pizza, popcorn, bagels, chocolate, ice cream, and cheese as I usually do : ) Thanks for all the advice and support and I plan on continuing to follow this path of healthier decisions for my body.
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