The Paleo 30 day challenge:

*MODIFIED* Paleo Challenge: FINAL VERSION

So Renee would like to throw down the gauntlet and put some of you to the test for a month.  Guidelines listed below and we can change previous to the start of it if we choose:

Shoot me or Renee a message if you're interested!

Contest will run from October 10th (Wednesday) through November 9th (Friday, and you bet your ass that Saturday we will have something to celebrate!).
The guidelines for entry:

For entry and a chance to win the first place prize, all participants MUST:

§  pay $20 to enter

§  keep track of their points and mark + and - points (I will have digital sheets for everyone to track)

§  make a goal that can be attained in one month (goal is based on points)

§  complete baseline workout “Jackie” before and after the challenge

§  take digital bodyfat % and weight on the first and last day of challenge

* At the end of the Challenge, we will take total points and make sure food logs are accurate, then crown 3 winners who will split the pot evenly.  In the event of a tie, the tiebreaker will be fewest negatives over the month.

THE PALEO DIET OUTLINE

The rules of the Paleo Diet are to eat foods with very few and all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re totally natural and unprocessed.

Omitting all of the following foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness, and quality of life. Obviously, since we are going off of a point system in this challenge, you can eat these foods. However, the more you indulge in them, the more you are limiting the extent of your results.

1.    Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, etc. Read your labels because companies sneak sugar into products in ways you might not recognize. However, for the purposes of this challenge, we will allow Stevia as the only approved sweetener.

2.    Do not consume alcohol. It just isn’t good for you and you’re trying to make a lifestyle change, right?  OK, this is the deal: each female will get 6 and each male 10 drink tickets.  When they’re gone, the point system applies!

3.    Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains, and all of those gluten-free, pseudo-grains like quiona. Yes, we said corn… for the purposes of this challenge, corn is a grain. This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn, and rice into our food in for the form of bran, germ, starch, and so on. Again, read your labels. 

4.    Do not eat legumes. This includes beans of all kind (black, red, pinto, navy, white, kidney, lima, fava, etc.) peas, chickpeas, lentils, and peanuts (no peanut butter either). This also includes all forms of soy—soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).

5.    Do not eat dairy. This includes cow, goat, or sheep’s milk products such as cream, cheese, kefir, yogurt (even Greek), and sour cream… with the exception of clarified butter or organic butter.  For the purpose of this challenge, Whey protein is okay as long as it is mixed with water for shakes.

6.    Do not eat white potatoes. This is somewhat arbitrary, but if we are trying to change your habits and improve the hormonal impact of your food choices, it’s best ot leave white, red, purple, Yukon gold and fingerling potatoes off your plate. But DO eat sweet potatoes! Just go light if weight loss is your goal.

SCORING

You will have a possible total of 20 points per day. You will start with 15 points. You will add bonus points based on fish oil consumption, mobility, CrossFit, and sleep. You will subtract points based on the quality of foods you eat. Here’s the breakdown:

15 points for a full day of all Paleo-friendly meals and snacks; 1 cheat MEAL per week (Sunday-Saturday).  This may NOT include grains, bread, or rice.  Leave those out!
+2 for CrossFit
+1 for extra mobility (outside of class)
+1 for at least 6 grams of a quality fish oil
+1 for 7+ hours of sleep
————————
20 possible points per day

Deducting points

-1 point off for every serving of: deli meats, bacon, sausage, beans, hummus, peanuts, agave, honey, (salt may be used in moderation as well as other natural seasonings without point deduction), peas, dried fruit, most salad dressings, red wine

-2 points off for every serving of: dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese, butter), soy products, quinoa

-3 points off for every serving of: cereal, grains, wheat, oats, corn, tortilla chips, bread, rice, pasta, noodles, hot dogs

-4 points for every serving of: soda, juice, sports drinks, potatoes, fried food, chicken wings, most restaurant appetizers, pizza, cookies, baked goods, ice cream, frozen yogurt, sweets, pancakes, ketchup, processed marinades, BBQ sauce, sugar-added dried fruit, beer, and ALL alcoholic drinks (besides red wine)

Note: If you are going off the reservation, it’s important to know how many servings you are eating. For example, 1 can of soda is 2 servings. This means that if you drink an entire can, you must subtract 8 points. Moral of the story: don’t do that.

Note #2: There are no portion restrictions in the challenge, but be smart. If you are eating an entire bag of trail mix, you are not eating Paleo; you are doing more of the same stuff you did before. Use this challenge to change your habits.

Bonus points

There is a potential for 5 extra bonus points per day (as shown above). Here’s how to get them:

1.    You get 2 extra bonus points for everyday you participate in a CrossFit workout. The benefits of Paleo are magnified when combined with a training program that combines constantly varied, high intensity, functional movements (i.e. CrossFit).

2.    You get 1 extra bonus point for everyday you consume at least 6 grams of fish oil.

3.    You get 1 extra bonus point for everyday that you do more than 20 minutes of mobility, outside of class. Check out www.mobilityWOD.com for ideas.

4.    You get 1 extra bonus point for every night that you sleep more than 7 hours.