Tomorrow I start the Lurong Living Paleo Challenge. I’ve mentioned this to plenty of people and I usually get the same question? Why am I going on a diet?
When people hear the word diet today, the first thought that pops into their mind is a weight loss diet. The truth is we are ALL on a diet. Some have good diets where they maintain weight and stay healthy. Some have bad diets full of all sorts of unhealthy food. And of course there are the ever so abundant weight loss diets. So whether we like it or not, we are all on some sort of diet.
The Lurong Living Paleo Challenge in this case isn’t necessarily about using the Paleo diet to lose weight. Instead it’s about using the diet to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Under the premise of the challenge, if I eat Paleo and give it my all in the gym, I will see improvement. Who wouldn’t want to give that a shot!?!!?
The truth is I eat a “mostly Paleo” diet already. Usually very low in grains and sugars, bad fats, etc. It has kept me in terrific shape and allowed me to continue to see progress in my weights and times. However one realization I’ve come to recently is that I need to eat more!! Due to illness a month or so ago and just regular plateauing, I’ve found that my caloric intake is much lower than what I should be taking in.
Now on my “mostly Paleo” diet, I’ve supplemented this with both more protein (good), more “good fats” (good) and more carbs (grains, sugars, etc. not so good) This has actually worked well for me. However the premise under this challenge is that I should be able to do the same thing under a Paleo diet, and this is exactly what I plan to find out. Can I gain (good) weight and see me weights and times improve over the next two months?
Tonight’s bounty at the store was mild. Chicken breast was on sale so I grabbed plenty. Almond milk and coconut milk to mix my post-workout protein shake with (the coconut milk for fat/calories). And then a ton of fruit and veggies: sweet potatoes, squash, onions, carrots, grapes, and berries.
For those unaware, Paleo is based on what Paleolithic man supposedly would have eaten. This was before farming, keeping animals, etc. So things like grains (cereal, bread, pasta), dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt), legumes (beans, peanuts, etc) were not available, and thus not at all a part of the diet. Same thing with fats and oils, which are limited to mostly nut oils, REAL vegetable oils (remember corn, soybeans, and such are not vegetables), and animal fats. This is a rather quick summary just to give you a general idea.
So that is MY challenge. If the diet is as long term as I believe, I should have no problem seeing my weight go UP over the next 8 weeks and see my times and performance improve. I know it can already maintain my weight and health. Now let’s see if it can be used for gaining.