AMFAT Challenge: Progress Update

Here's the first piece of information that I'll post.  While this may not look all that impressive, it's important to consider that I don't have a whole lot to lose.  Also, I'm sure that I'm building muscle mass, which this graph doesn't tell the story of.  Overall, I'm super happy with the results.
I'll get some measurements next and post an update for those too.

Note I forgot to weight myself on the first day, but fortuneately, I had a measurement relatively close to get a starting point. To be conservative, I'll start with the red line, even though I know there is no way I lost any weight the week before the challenge...  So, I've gone from 181.5 to 177.5, which is a very noticeable 4 lbs, primarily off the waist.
Other than switching to Paleo, I would not say I have once tried to eat less than I normally do, if anything, I feel I'm eating more.  These same eating habits of non-paleo food, would have kept me at the same weight of approx 183 lbs.
All of last summer I tried "dieting" to get rid of the last few lbs, and while it did lose some, it was probably mostly water weight and I put it all back on in no time at all.  The old school techniques I used last summer was plain and simple calorie restriction/starvation.  That method also cost me valuable fitness on the bike and definately didn't help my overall health and well-being.

Paleo Secrets Revealed III

There's actually a lot of bad/wrong Paleo Food pyramids out there, do a google search for Paleo Food Pyramid and you get lots of pyramids almost as bad as the governments one.  Here's one I found that I liked and thought was spot on.

If there was anything I would change about this one I would reverse the locations of fruits block with the oil block, but close enough for the point I want to make.  No where do you see grains, no where do you see processed things that come in a box.  Also, there's no drive through block or vending machine block.  What you do see is whole, natural, and preferably organic food.  Wow, it's amazingly simple!  Also notice what the biggest 3 blocks are!

Paleo Secrets Revealed II

Here's another FB post that I liked, it expands on my last one and gives you some visuals to go along with it.  I don't think any more explanation is necessary.

Paleo Secrets Revealed

Warning, explicit language 

This will be the first I've ever posted something with cuss words in it, but, I think this needs to be reposted and I can't say that I feel the language is too strong.  If anything it's not strong enough.

 

The key to the "Eat More Fat" statement is to eat good fats, like grass fed butter, ghee, olive, avocado, and coconut oil.  Also, don't forget to add in an Omega 3 supplement. 
The mechanics or theory of this statement is this: Grains = Carbs => Sugar => Fat on your belly or thighs!  Hmmm, the government and fat free advertisers don't mention that.   As an example think about the vending machine foods that are advertised as fat free (aka: healthy)  Let's see... those would be pretzels, twizzlers, and gummy "fruit" things.
Another point to think about is processed food = man made ingredients = no nutrition + chemicals = toxins.

Paleo In A Box, AMFAT Challenge: Week 5

Alright, week 5, similar to week 2, I'm caught back up and blogging in real time!  This week, PIB introduced some of the real keys to eating Paleo on the run, at work, traveling, or where ever you end up during the middle of the day that might cause problems eating healthy.  It's a simple concept and very crafty in that it works great!  I'm not going to give away any secrets here, because even if I told you, without the rest of the information, 1 piece of the system doesn't do you much good.  

This idea about only have some of the information is what I want to talk about now, in daily conversations as people learn what I'm doing and I tell them about my results they are immediately interested and want to know what they should do, and I found that I can give them pointers and possibly send them in the right direction, but without the whole system, the effectiveness of 1 piece of information just isn't going to get them to where they want to be. 

I've also noticed this trend in random Paleo FB posts, for example, I follow several Paleo FB pages and they all seem to have maybe 1 or several things figured out and they will make a post about it, and then the trail of comments that follow it are sadly ignorant and mis-guided,  here's how they go:  one person will comment with a classic wives tale or government mis-information "fact" and then another person says no, that's not right and proceeds to re-explain the situation with another "fact" that actually isn't quite right either, but perhaps closer to the right thinking.  And the discussion goes on and on and actually a lot of the commenter's are partially right... but in reading their comments, I realize that without understanding the whole picture none of them will ever get it.  Before I started PIB, I was one of those people, blindly searching for the answer and just never getting there, because even if I were to figure out one piece of the puzzle I would botch another one and the whole thing would go pear shaped. 

Next I need to confess: it was actually this week, that the eating raw vegetables story happened (I wrote it in week 3), thought I better come clean on that one, just in case your reading my blog and comparing it to your experience.  I promise I haven't taken any other timeline liberties in the writing of this blog, but the story just worked out to tell in week 3...

This week, I have to admit has been challenging, despite my new ability to eat vegetables, I still have a mental challenge to actually do so.  Raw is best, raw blended in a shake is equally best, and lightly cooked is next best.  Right now I have no problem with cooked vegetables or the shakes, but despite my new ability to eat raw vegetables I haven't quite transitioned into doing it with no mental challenge, but I'm making progress one day at a time, and that's just fine! and actually it's just how the program is designed, to do things at my own pace.  Next week I will do better because I am not about to give up, and small steps add up to lots of progress.

Paleo In A Box, AMFAT Challenge: Week 4

I'm sure your expecting me to talk about all the amazing things I learned this week, but guess what?  There are no modules this week.  WHAT?  Yes, it's catch up time, I'll admit I was bummed out by this, I mean really, I want more, I want more.  Information that is, definately not carbs or sugar! 

So why the break?  Well, the program is designed to not just dump the info, but to transition you into Paleo slowly.  It seems a lot of the things they have had me do so far are simple and the fact is they are, but have I actually done all them...  Well, not fully... Perhaps I'm a bit behind on a few things, and I should maybe review the info and make sure I didn't miss anything.  It turns out I was actually pretty much on top of things, but I'm a single guy and besides training, I don't have anything else to focus on other than integrating the PIB system into my life!  There's several of us at the Box doing this program, and each person has different challenges they face to implement the changes,  busy at work, family, time constraints, etc...  Everyone is doing extremeley well and I've learned a lot from everyone no matter what part of the program they are working on.  One great benefit we have seen, doing the program simultaneously is that we all pick up on different aspects of the program and have different viewpoints on what things should be a priority or how we should implement them.  Besides that just having a group support is awesome! 

If that isn't enough, there is also the PIB Facebook VIP group, which is awesome, and the added bonus of the AMFAT Challenge is the FB AMFAT Group, more or less the AMFAT group is all about at the same stage, and level of implementation.  The amazing part of this group is how similar our experiences are and while everyone's situation is different we are all following a similar pattern and learning at the same time.  I love this part, because I read posts and I think: "exactly, I just noticed that too", or "yes, of course, that's happening to me too" 
One of these moments I'll share, is my ability to now eat a wide range of raw vegetables, (yes I said raw), several months ago I could not have fathomed eating such things! As I was learning this, another fellow AMFAT group member posted this same thing!  It turns out, your body wants healthy things, but modern day processed foods have contaminated it with toxins and those toxins trap you in a bad cycle of thinking you want more toxins and then this is reinforced by the FDA food pyramid (which is very wrong btw) and next thing you know your in circle you can't get out of...  I was just about to go off on a rant, but nope, stopping now, still have important stuff to get to.
Also, during this catch up week, I got all the ingredients ordered for the Post WOD shakes, here's one part of the program that applies some modern day products, to mix up your own Recovery shakes.  I should have paid for overnight shipping, I was so impatient this week waiting for the ingredients to arrive.  I felt like every WOD without them I was losing some of that hard work I had just put in... and actually I probably was.  It really wouldn't have been that long of a wait but I ran out of all the inferior products I was using up, which were better than nothing. 
In terms of results I would say similar to last week, slightly lower on weight and more definition, nothing amazing yet, but I'm gaining everyday, and more importatnly, I'm still training hard and recovering fast!

Paleo In A Box AMFAT Challenge: Week 3

Wow, I have been super busy training and just haven't taken the time to get my blog updated.  The last couple weekends I had to make the decision to have clean clothes or an updated blog.  Well, that really wasn't much of a choice.  I would like to say I chose the blog but instead I had to go for the less fun option and make sure I had clean clothes for work.

In week 3, I received more amazing modules from Paleo In a Box!  I am continually excited with every new piece of information.  I'm sure I've said this before (definately to my friends and coworkers that will still listen to me) but it is so awesome to learn the truth about nutrition and good health, something I've been searching for, it seems like forever.  Up to this point, somethings I've done right, but so many things I either wasn't doing quite right or just would never have figured out.  There's just too much mis-information out there, and sadly nearly all of it comes from so called reliable sources like the government, ...wait a minute! that's not a reliable source at all! Dang it, I've been duped by just following along in life and believing the way it is, is just the way it's supposed to be.  I hate it when that happens a major pet peave of mine.

OK, so your now finding out that I like to rant a lot in my blogs, but back on track now.  Week 3 introduces Greens Drinks and Pre and Post WOD shakes.  These modules are overwhelminly favorites of nearly everyone in the program and I know why they are certainly my favorites too.  My whole fitness career I've known I was supposed to have a recovery drink after working out, but I never knew why, and if I did decide to have one, I might do it after a race, or maybe the workout before a race...  I think I had some logic behind my strategy, but looking back on things, there was none, I just didn't know any better. 

So from a learning aspect lots of cool info this week, but what about results you ask?  This week didn't have any major landmarks, like gaining another belt hole, but I have noticed some new shadows on my stomach, which if you need me to spell out means the ab definition is starting to show, so while I don't have smaller waist, I am still losing weight, and the scale proves it, down another lb or two.  I promise I'll start posting some data of the results soon.  While I do plan to get down to ripped abs and minimal body fat, the overhealth benefits are skyrocketing.  I feel great, and I am recovering UNBELEIVEABLE FAST between workouts, that's really the amazing part this week because I am training huge hours at intensity! 

The training I've been doing is for the indoor triathlon coming up, and I'm swimming almost every morning for an hour, still doing 4 WOD's at the box after work and a couple nights of running and cycling!  On average I put in 2 hours a day of actual exercise, and I'm not counting driving time, or changing clothes, or prepping shakes, thats actually on the bike, in the water, or crushing a WOD! 

OK, since I'm behind on these blog updates, I'm excited to get on to Week 4, so let's see, I got side tracked by a rant, raved about the PIB program, and I think all I'm missing is a self promotional clip about how awesome I am.  Ok, done, now on to week 4