Paleo Challenge Results

In the beginning of October, I was out of shape and my weight was trending up while my health was trending down.  I needed drastic change, but it needed to be manageable, too (balancing a full-time job in the city and two kids leaves very little time for food-prep and exercise).

I joined Crossfit On-ramp on October 9th, and heard about the Paleo Challenge in my first week.  I thought - this is my chance to make that change. I signed up and never looked back.

The first week was hard - very hard.  I was dragging, tired and, what's the word...oh, HANGRY!  It was difficult to figure out what to eat to make me full and I struggled a lot, but after 6 days (and a few good Paleo food blog recipes), I felt like a million dollars.

What changed — the biggest change for me was mood and energy levels.  I have so much more energy - it's insane!  I actually play with my kids so much more (plus, some added strength let's me do a much better airplane!).  My patience has gone up ten-fold (probably because I am not sugar-crashing all the time). I am noticeably happier and my "Mom anxiety" (you know when you think 10 steps ahead of what your kids are doing) has gone down significantly.  Also, I sleep so soundly now and wake-up feeling rested.

Hardest Moment — Halloween.  Damn you Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!  I tried to hide them, give them away, throw some out, but little kids (and Peanut Butter Cup loving husbands) don't like me giving away or throwing out their hard-earned candy .  So, I got creative and started an internal competition, Debbie vs. Reese's.  I kept a score of how many times I wanted one and didn't have one (1pt. Debbie)  vs. when I did eat one (1pt Reese's).  Final Score  Debbie 20 : Reese's: 1 (I lasted a 1.5 weeks until I broke and had one with my cheat meal).  I consider it an overwhelming win that I ate only one because pre-Paleo it would have been Debbie 0: Reese's: 21. 

Most rewarding moment — Final WOD test.  I felt knocked to the ground and on top of the world all at once.  I more than doubled my pull-ups and improved on every level in KB Swings, Rower and Burpees.  I felt in-shape, healthy and strong for the first time in a long time.

Oddest improvement — Pink Tongue.  I noticed it and did some "Googling":  Eastern medicine is big on tongue color and pink color is the healthiest. Like the heading says, this is an odd improvement, but supposedly a pink tongue means I am in excellent health!

Words of advice — Don't pay attention to the scale.  My results say I lost more muscle than fat, but when I look at pictures I see a big improvement. When I workout, I feel stronger (and my results show it).  Don't let the numbers on the scale determine whether this challenge was successful.

The Future:  I believe this Paleo Challenge has changed the way I look at food for good.  Why would I want to trade all the positives that I have experienced for temporary fulfillment that actually makes me feel worse in the long-run?

I'm going to continue with Paleo on the 90/10 rule… it's not that hard once you get into a groove.  

THE RESULTS

Here is a spreadsheet with the different results (there are different tabs for Points, WOD & Composition)

Day 1	Day 30

Day 11 : Paleo Challenge

I am feeling good, actually...REALLY good.  I have been eating "clean" for 11 days (with one small cheat - a piece of cake at my "farewell party" at work because I am switching teams in the company).

Here is a breakdown of everything so far

Day 1-2: Awesome! I can do this!

Day 3-5: Dragging, Hungry, Tired... I felt VERY hungry on day 3-5.  In retrospect I was not eating enough, I actually am allowed carbs, but just in the form of fruit or squash..not bread or cake.  On my lowest day, I gave in and had a delicious piece of chocolate cake.. Nummy..until it wasn't and made my tummy all grumbly.  After that I haven't had as much craving for sweets (maybe my cheat was actually a blessing in disguise).  I struggled at my crossfit workouts, too..but I got through them

Day 6-today - I have been staying healthy and feeling great.  I don't have any "crashes" in the day.  even when it is dinnertime, and I am hungry, I don't have that crankiness that goes with it.  I am alot happier... I giggle with my kids more, have energy to just play with them.  I also haven't had my "hives" (which those of you who know me well happen all the time when I am happy/sad/have a glass of wine/whatever).   Overall things are going REALLY well.

Overview of Challenge Point System (per day):
1 point: Hydrate:  Wake-up - drink 12oz water (I get points for that!)
5 points:  Eating Clean (deduct 1 pt for every cheat meal, deduct 2 for alcohol consumed, deduct 1 if you don't have 4 meals)
3 points: Exercise (3points per day for a workout)
1 point: Stretching( 0.5 points for every 15 min - up to 1 pt)
1 point: Sleep (0.5 points for 4-7 hrs, 1pt for 8 hours)

Here is a sample of what I eat
Meals
- Bfast: 2 Scrambled Eggs with either veggies or meat and black coffee
- Snack: nut bar
- Lunch: Chicken/Pork and a lot of veg
- Dinner: Beef and veg (Very similar to lunch)


Results so far:  My clothes are already looser around my legs and belly.  I have lost 4 lbs and already see a noticeable difference... This helps with the whole process :)

I have a feeling that, although I may not be strict paleo the rest of my life..this will have a huge impact on me eating healthier for the rest of my life.  I haven't felt this good in a while.

Here are some interesting articles that may be worth a read:

What is Paleo? - balancedbites.com

How to Prevent Spending the Last 10 Years of Your Life in a Diaper and a Wheelchair - chriskresser.com

10 Psychological Hurdles Keeping you from Losing Weight - marksdailyapple.com

 

Here's a post from Whole9 about Crossfit Stamford first Paleo Challenge ever back in 2010!

Paleo Challenge and Crossfit - a quest to not be the thyroidectomy statistic

Since my thyroid was taken out, I have gained weight.  I haven't gained a ton of weight and I am not "overweight", but I am on the border and currently in an upward trend.  I feel like I need to do something.

I tried training for a half marathon (and completed it), but this did not give the results I would have liked.  I didn't lose any weight, so it was frustrating (considering the time I put into it).

I need to do something more drastic.  I need to change my diet and I need to find an exercise program that I like and gives results.  After some research, it seems the Crossfit/Paleo Diet combination is a good contender.  Let's hope it works!

I have already started the Crossfit ramp-up (a 3 week program that introduces the skills for the normal class and ends this Thursday).  I have also started the 4 week Paleo Challenge on Saturday. 

The Challenge is hard and simple at the same time, for 30 days (in priority order):
1) Try to sleep 8 hours
2) Eat food that is both Nutrient Dense & Gives Energy and not processed in any way (basically only Meat, Veg, Nuts and Fruit)
3) Exercise
Note: No weighing/Measuring for 30 days

I am on Day 4 of the diet and, so far so good... I have heard the first 2 weeks are really hard - I have a feeling that is coming soon!   I can only update on how I am feeling...but we will see the results on November 19th!

There is a secondary reason for me doing this - the Paleo diet is supposedly good for autoimmune diseases.  Graves disease is an auto-immune disease, and gives me a greater chance of having another auto-immune disease.  Hopefully eating this way will reduce those chances...

Gluten-free no more! Thyroid levels stable! Woo hoo!

I have passed the one year mark since surgery..and I feel like life is back to normal - my levels are good!  In fact, to celebrate the one year (I got discharged on my birthday) - I ran the 5k color run with one of my best friends who had her own battles.  We had to prove to ourselves that our bodies aren't broken and can still do some kick a** things!

As far as my gluten elimination diet (almost 5 months long) - it has confirmed what the celiac tests have said as well - gluten is not an issue for my body and I can continue to eat it..

It feels weird being able to eat whatever I want again..but I am trying to stay away from the treats I have been craving for the past 5 months (mmmm....cake!)

I don't have to go back to the endocrinologist until January because my levels have been stable for a while.

So - all good news re: my thyroid :)

All blood tests results in the green, but going gluten-free...

Woo hoo!   I went to the endocrinologist today and all of my blood test results look good!  I will still need check-ups every 6 weeks until it is stable.  I am going to make some adjustments though.. My levels *are* good, but the doc seems to think I shouldn't need to be on the doses I am on, considering my height,weight, etc.

There has been this nagging feeling in my head that I may be gluten intolerant.  Remember the whole 2 month period before my surgery when I didn't eat gluten? Well, I noticed my skin got better (no bumps) and I felt better.  I have been paying close attention to how I feel when eating gluten (since surgery I went back to eating gluten).  The bumps are back and my tummy is always making very loud rumbly noises.

My endo is pretty amazing and is very much a believer in trusting your gut (even if there is no test that has proven my gut feeling).   I have told him since the beginning that I think I may be gluten intolerant - he never said "you are crazy" - he has been supportive.  He approved a blood test for celiac last month (that came back negative), but agrees that blood tests don't always prove celiac/gluten intolerance.  We agreed that (after the 1/2 marathon) I will go gluten-free (March 18th) and see how my blood tests change/stay the same.  If I miraculously start absorbing more synthroid, iron, vitamin d - then it will be clear that I have a gluten intolerance.  If everything remains the same, maybe it was all in my head.

Either way - I FEEL good and am curious to see how the gluten-free elimination "test" goes...

My Mom always said, you have to trust your gut...

I love this advice

I heard this song from the 90's for the first time on the radio today "Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen)".  It was written by Mary Schmich.  I just love this advice.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99 

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now. 

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you 

imagine. 

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday. 

Do one thing everyday that scares you 

Sing 

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours. 

Floss 

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself. 

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how. 

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. 

Stretch 

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t. 

Get plenty of calcium. 

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. 

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…

what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – 

your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. 

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.. 

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. 

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. 

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. 

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good. 

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. 

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young. 

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. 

Travel. 

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. 

Respect your elders. 

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out. 

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85. 

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth. 

But trust me on the sunscreen…"

Pendulum Swing

Update:

It has been 7 months since my surgery.  Still feeling good (which is important), but my thryoid levels have had a pendulum swing.  I am currently hypothyroid trying to sort out the right synthroid levels.

I am off the calcium supplements and my levels are good.  I have to take iron supplements and D3 (I think because this is winter time and I always get low iron in the winter)

From month 3-6 after surgery, I lost ALOT of hair.  The endo was 99% sure this is from a combination of stress and hypothyroidism.  It stopped exactly 6 months after surgery (which is exactly what my hair did post-pregnancy) - this tends to be common with stress, so doc was not concerned and my hair is back to normal (just growing in a little funny).

I am going to the Dr. monthly until my thyroid levels are back to normal.  I am currently on 137mcg (started at 100, went up to 125, now at 137).  There is a slight concern I have a gluten intolerance which is stopping me from absorbing the right amount of synthroid...but no panic yet :)

I still feel 100% better than being hyperthyroid...If it weren't for the bloodwork, I would think I was back to normal.

Oh - and my scar has faded so much - I don't think people notice it at all.  I had an awesome surgeon!!

Overall - even though there is some sh*t to deal with, I really feel I made the right decision.  A thyroidectomy might not be for everyone, but it was the best choice for me...

On a side note - I decided to train for a half marathon - I am on month 2 and feeling great (even ran 10miles yesterday!).  This just goes to show how quickly the body can bounce back!