The MyPlate Challenge?!

If you've ever done a paleo or Whole30 challenge, you might find this interesting, and sad: the MyPlate Challenge.

Interesting because the lessons learned seem to be similar to when we completed our 45 day paleo challenge:

• Planning makes success easy!
• Cooking skills improve!

Sad because this person is trying to follow a plan they perceive to be healthy by ensuring each meal has all the "food groups" represented; grains for breakfast, lunch and dinner - ouch.

The Best Paleo Dessert Ever - Two Ways!

You do not have to give up dessert in the name of paleo.  Sometimes you just want a little treat, and that's ok (at least I tell myself that).  I think we have found the ultimate guilt-free paleo dessert. 

Of course, we always have the option of making some delicious paleo banana ice cream, but even though it's just bananas - it is a sugar bomb and reserved for rare occasions.  There's also the option of these amazing double chocolate peppermint brownie bites, but again they do have a teensy bit of maple syrup.  Recently we've been indulging in these two desserts, and I consider them 100% ok for everyday.

Here they are, one hot and one cold - both using the same ingredients!

Blueberry Compote over Coconut Cream (2 servings)

Blueberry Compote over Coconut Cream

• Heat about a cup of frozen wild blueberries in a small saucepan over medium heat
• As the berries begin to warm up they will breakdown and get saucy, I usually only keep them on the heat long enough to warm through - but if you want it really saucy, keep it on longer
• Add cinnamon and nutmeg to berries to taste (I like a lot!)
• Place 2-3 tablespoons coconut cream concentrate* in a small dessert dish and top with the blueberry compote
• Eat slowly and savor!

* For the coconut cream concentrate, I use either Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate or Artisana Coconut Butter.  Both are dee-lish, I lean toward Artisana because I think its creamier. 


Coconut Cream & Blueberry Bark

Warm coconut cream just until it has a creamy consistency.  I place the jar in a container of hot water to do this, if you have a warm kitchen - that may not even be necessary

Spread the coconut cream out on a piece of parchment paper, to about 1/4-1/2 inch thick

Sprinkle with frozen blueberries and wait about 8-10 minutes

The frozen blueberries harden the coconut cream, break apart into bite size pieces and enjoy!

 

Coconut Cream & Blueberry Bark

Our 45-Day Paleo Challenge Results

Ryan's Results
After 45-days of eating 100% paleo I feel terrible.  Ha!  Gotcha, I feel like a broken record, but when I eat paleo I feel great.  Period.  As expected I am full of energy, and I have lost a little body fat.  I am now beginning to see my ab muscles without having to flex, something I wasn't even able to do when I was working out twice a day playing college basketball.  If I am surprised by anything I would have to say it's an increased cognitive energy.  I seem to have a better recall on memories.  Not that I feel "smarter," but that now I can remember things I already knew more quickly.

Also, my knee problems are beginning to temper.  I was diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter Syndrome at an early age and have been dealing with the condition ever since.  Something I always felt was untreatable is now beginning to feel a little better, even though I continue to perform exercises that were unheard-of a few years ago (squats, box jumps, etc.).  I attribute this partly to wearing Vibram Fivefingers shoes when working out and also to balancing out my omega-3/6 ratios.  The paleo diet is supposed to reduce low-level inflammation, but I never thought it would begin to cure my Osgood-Schlatters.  Now after long runs, my calfs are sore, not my knees.  I don't consider myself "cured," but I think I'm getting close to feeling like it.

Going forward, I will continue to eat paleo, but will allow myself to eat out on occasion.  Eating out is near impossible to stay paleo, but I am going to make a concerted effort to do as well as I can.  Who knows, after several months of eating 95-100% paleo maybe I will begin to say that I'm smarter and will self-diagnose my Osgood-Schlatters as cured.  Time will tell.  I plan to share one way or the other.  Thanks for reading.

PS.  For those keeping score, I don't think I lost or gained any weight.  I didn't measure myself before we started because weight is a terrible barometer of health and fitness.  I had lost weight over December/January due to inactivity following surgery, and was expecting to gain a little during the challenge as I got back into weight-lifting, but I think that I stayed the about the same, losing some fat and gaining some muscle.  I'm just now beginning to lift heavy weights again, so it'll be interesting to see what happens here on out.

Stacey's Results

After 45 days of following our paleo challenge rules, I am one happy camper – for so many reasons.  The primary goal of the challenge was to just do it – I did not identify any specific goals.  But, I did measure myself at the beginning just to have a benchmark for comparison.

Quantitative results:

• Lost 1.5 inches from waist, 2 inches from hips, 1 inch from thigh and 1 inch from arm measurements
• Lost 6 pounds (I didn’t think this would be possible since we really ramped up strength training and I definitely gained some muscle)

Qualitative results:

• I feel awesome; happy, rested and satisfied.  I find things that normally might have pushed me close to the edge or set my mood to change – have a much smaller impact on my emotions.  Overall I feel more even keeled.
• I sleep so well!  (thank you blackout curtains)
• My level of fitness is much improved; I can run, row, stair step and lift much more than I could pre-challenge.

Obviously, we plan to continue on this path.  For the first time, I am intrigued by experimenting with the foods I eat and trying (or eliminating) things to see how that makes me feel.  Next up, eliminate coffee (and all caffeine) for 100 days – currently on day 11 and feeling great!

The last day of our paleo challenge!...and some chicago paleo restaurant options

It’s hard to believe it is already DAY 45, the last day of our paleo challenge!  This day finds me full of mixed emotions. 

On the one hand, I’m super excited we made it a full 45 days on our paleo rules, existing well within the limitations we set out.  For example, we had very little fruit and virtually no honey or other natural sweeteners – much less than the prescribed rules allowed.

On the other hand, I am scared!  I have been a meal planning machine for the past 45 days, and with the end of the challenge approaching, our last meal plan ended today.  Yesterday the thought of not having a planned paleo lunch pushed me over the edge and I planned out our meals for another week.  I’ve determined that I need to keep planning, the difference is that now the plan includes some scheduled restaurant stops.  These are restaurants that will provide some paleo options, if not paleo – at least ‘primal’ – for us that means potentially adding in some dairy.

We need to make sure to not let the restaurant meals over take the planned, home cooked meals.  We already have 2 nights of dining out scheduled for this week, partially due to just being able to!  But, these are very good paleo option restaurants.  If you ever find yourself in Chicago and in need of a paleo option, these should work:

• El Barco Mariscos – specializing in serving an abundance of grilled seafood and meats served family style, also serve a great ceviche! (will be staying away from the sugar-filled margaritas this trip – maybe just go for some straight tequila!)
• Old Town Social – specializing in charcuterie, they also have amazing specials (often involving delicious roasted meats).  At the very least, they serve a grass-fed beef burger topped with bacon and an egg – take it bunless and you’re good to go.

Complete 45-day Paleo Challenge, check.  Continue paleo lifestyle, working on it!

#45 - Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls (the second time)

The Paleo Grand Slam Breakfast!

Sunday morning we made ourselves a special breakfast treat - our very own paleo version of the American classic, the Grand Slam.  And our version is so much better than the original!

The Paleo Grand Slam:

• Bacon (of course)
• Poached eggs (we only had one, but I could have gone for two)
• Coconut flour pancakes
• 4 eggs, beaten
• A little less than 1/2 cup coconut flour
• cinnamon and nutmeg, I like a lot - but add depending on taste
• A little more than a 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk
• Mix all together - I made the pancakes in a frying pan with a generous amount of coconut oil, which created a nice crispiness to the outside of the pancake
• Blueberry sauce - simply frozen blueberries warmed in a saucepan with a good sprinkle of cinnamon

Paleo Taste Bud Takeover

It's Day 17 of our challenge, and something interesting is beginning to happen...I think my taste buds are changing.

I've found the past several meals to be extra scrumptious, but they are the same types of meals we've been eating for the past 17 days.  Prior to our challenge the majority of our meals were paleo, with a few open meals per week.  I noticed a change in my preferences right away, mostly related to foods at restaurants tasting too salty.  After months of eating this way, I begain to notice that I no longer enjoyed cheese as much as I used to.  In college, I would often buy a bag of pre-shredded cheese, grab a handful and throw it in my mouth.  Now even the thought of this is revolting.

But that's not exactly what I'm feeling today.  Rather than an aversion to foods I used to love, I've begun to crave the paleo foods we are cooking.  Perhaps we're just getting better at preparing meats and are working out our cooking skills, but it really just feels like I'm savoring my paleo foods that much more.

I wonder if this has happened to anybody else going paleo...

#16 - Aramis Ramirez, Chicago Cubs

(Yes, it is day 17 - but I prefer Aramis to Fontenot)

Another week of delicious paleo meals - week 3 menu plan is on!

Well, I'm bringing back some favorites in week 3.  There are just some recipes (meatballs and chili for example) that are so easy to make ahead and stretch over multiple meals - that I feel like I need them.  My goal for week 4 is to find some new "stretchy", go-to meals. 

I made our egg muffins, meatballs and chili last night - so we are pretty set for the beginning of the week.  The exotic 'meat' we are experimenting with this week is bone marrow and the big adventure for sunday will be using my new pressure cooker for beef stew!

Week 3 Menu	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Monday 2/21	veg & bacon egg muffins	roasted beet, kale and shrimp salad	taco salad bowl (x2)
Tuesday 2/22	veg & bacon egg muffins	taco salad bowl	meatballs & spaghetti squash
Wednesday 2/23	bacon, eggs & avocado	meatballs & spaghetti squash	"breaded" pork cutlets & brussel sprouts
Thursday 2/24	pork cutlets & eggs	beanless chili and jicama chips	chipotle lime salmon & steamed spinach
Friday 2/25	salmon & egg scramble	beanless chili & veg	paleo shrimp and grits
Saturday 2/26	eggs & beanless chili	pork chops with roasted apple and onions	roasted bone marrow, salad greens and leftovers
Sunday 2/27	paleo pancake & blueberries	tuna & veg	beef stew (pressure cooker!)

Paleo Challenge...not so challenging?

Well, we are officially 2 weeks, or one third, of the way through our 45-day paleo challenge.  And we are basically rocking this sh*t out!  I have not had anything even approaching a food craving breakdown (not counting my vivid food cheating dreams), and over all - feeling great!  I did have a minor breakdown at the gym, when I decided I just wasn't doing one of the exercises Ryan had on our workout plan for the day.  But I blame that on general grumpiness and not the challenge.  I am working on always saying 'yes' at the gym.

Challenge highlights to date:

• After about day 10, all general congestion has cleared up
• Weight loss is not a goal for me on this challenge, however I did measure myself at the beginning to track how my body changed over the course of the challenge.  I've lost an inch on my waist, hips and thighs - seems like a lot for such a short time, but that's what the measuring tape says!
• Sleep!  Sleep is amazing, we have our blackout blinds in full effect, focusing on 8 hours per night - and getting up for work has never been easier (although no matter how well rested I am, it can still be a challenge to leave the cozy warm cocoon of the bed!).
• Barely drinking...we had some wine on Valentine's day and a couple glasses over the weekend.  But overall, not drinking much at all - which is refreshing (and makes weekend mornings so productive!
• Meal planning and workout planning are awesome!  I feel like we have the time to do what we want, because we have made the time.

One third of the way there...maybe we need to make it longer! 

#14 - Ernie Banks, Chicago Cubs

(even though it is actually day 15 - I just don't have a good 15, and how do you pass up Mr Cub??)

Paleo Valentines Day

Valentine's Day-8

 

Day 8 of our challenge fell on Valentines day, and I have to say that we hit this one out of the park.  Rather than whine and complain about missing out of chocolates and those terrible candy hearts, we decided to treat ourselves to a delicious paleo meal and some live sketch/improv comedy.  The meal included:

 

• Maine Lobster with homemade Olive Oil Mayo dip
• Savory Cauliflower Rice
• Brussel Sprouts with Walnuts
• A delicious and eclectic red wine called Pleides we bought at Galleria after their Saturday afternoon wine tasting.

Never do you feel more like a caveman than when you boil a live animal and then rip it apart with your bare hands.  Scrounging for- and sucking out- delicious bits of meat.  In the spirit of our challenge, I tried the tamale and roe.  The result was a different flavor and a texture I didn't care for, but not bad either.

 

Thanks to careful planning, we had enough time to savor the meal before walking to The Second City for the show.  As usual, the players delivered and laughs were had by all.  Chicago is world-renowned for its improv/sketch comedy and The Second City Tour-Co performing on the mainstage held up its end of the bargain.

 

Had the holiday occurred during a non-challenge day, we'd likely see this as an opportunity to have an open meal, but this experience has opened my eyes to the fact that it can be easy and even desirable to stay true to our paleo principles in the face of a holiday (be it hallmark or real).

 

Day 8 - Outta the Park.

Andre Dawson #8

Chicago Cubs

 

Day 4

We bit off a bit more than we could chew at the gym today.  Feeling a little too fatigued to type, so today's gonna be quick.

Day 4 thoughts:

• We said we were only going to eat starchy tubers (really just sweet potatoes) after big workouts, and we definitely earned them tonight.
• Commuting to the suburbs from Chicago can be hit or miss.  Today was a miss.
• The sun seems to be staying out later.  We're all for days getting longer.
• Despite eating paleo for 4 days now, I think my body is still working my Super Bowl pig-out out of my system.  I can feel it turning though.

Niklas Hjalmarsson #4

Chicago Blackhawks

Day 3

The third day of our challenge came on an very cold day here in Chicago.  Mostly single digits, and consistently below zero with the wind chill.  Anytime the weather report mentions the term "Arctic Blast" you know it's time to break out the long undies.  Good thing we had warm meatballs and coffee in to-go mugs already prepared.

Thoughts from Day 3:

• We're sad to not be going to the gym because of a scheduled rest day, but also glad to not have to go back outside again.
• Having pre-cooked breakfast and lunch already packed in Tupperware is a lifesaver at 6am.  No scramble to throw together a decent paleo lunch.
• It's nice to listen to music while cooking.
• Our calves are still sore from running in our Vibram Fivefingers for the first time last night.  
• Running in Vibram Fivefingers felt surprisingly good.  So good in fact, it's hard to believe cushy running shoes ever rose to popularity.
• We haven't made Salmon Cakes in months because it stinks up our apartment, but we made them tonight and they were super delicious.  So much so, that they are officially worth the stink, and back on the plan for future menus.

Bronko Nagurski #3

Chicago Bears

Day 1

On the first day of our challenge we are once again reminded of its purpose.  In the wake of a very fun Super Bowl party, we are both moving a little slow today.  One of us is a little hung over, and both of us definitely have upset stomachs.  Not that our sluggishness was unexpected, but it serves as a healthy reminder to the purposes of eating/living paleo.

We have already purchased groceries to last us through Friday, and are preparing to head to the gym.  Despite not feeling 100% we plan to push ourselves and fully expect a decent workout.  I'm curious how  much better our workouts will be after living paleo for a week or so.  Thanks to our Super Bowl, open-meal blowout, day 1 of our 45 day paleo challenge has begun with very little fanfare.

Derrick Rose #1

Chicago Bulls

Snow Day and Our Sleep Plan

Thanks to #SNOMG - 2011 we were asked NOT to come into work today.  Not that we would've been able to anyway, but it's nice to know our companies care about our safety.  Growing up in California, I've been amazed by the blizzard.  The window has ousted the TV for my attention.  I secretly want to venture outside to "see what it's like," but the desire to leave the house is quickly thwarted when I see another humanoid miserably trudging down the middle of the street because snow on the sidewalk is several feet deep.  Regardless, I still plan to take advantage of my 2 favorite "non-workday" benefits:  1) sleeping in, and 2) the opportunity to go to the gym during the day to avoid crowds.

Snowfall is still expected to last till the afternoon so we're planning to wait till it dies down to walk to the gym.  It might not be a midday workout, but it should still be super-empty.  In terms of sleeping in, we nailed that.  Not sure if it was the natural white-noise from the storm, or the extra glass of wine, but I slept better than I have in weeks and am full of extra energy.  Better make it to the gym just to stay sane!

Actually, sleep is going to play a large part in our 45-day challenge.  To me, the chapter discussing sleep was one of the more interesting chapters in The Paleo Solution.  Sleep has never been part of my health/fitness considerations, but it is now.  It makes sense.  Our paleolithic ancestors arose with the sun, and went to sleep not long after sundown.  Why should we be any different?  

When we start our 45-day challenge, we're also planning to get on a consistent sleep schedule.  Here's our plan:

• Determine exactly how many hours of sleep we need each night (we're assuming it'll be around 8)
• Get to bed earlier
• Wake up earlier on the weekends (to maintain a consistent circadian rhythm)
• Completely blackout our entire room (our blackout blinds should arrive soon)
• Limit how much caffeine is ingested, and how late it is ingested

How to make the first week work!

The plan has come together - and this is how we make week 1 work! 

Ryan is working on our workout plans and I've been reviewing recipes for the winners.  Several recipes are things I just throw together; meatballs, egg muffins, etc.  Some are from Everyday Paleo - and those always seem to be really tasty.  Future weeks will probably have more new recipe adventures!  I haven't included snacks, which for us typically includes small amounts of nuts, some fruits (both rules compliant) or raw veggies and the occasional Larabar.

	Monday 2/7	Tuesday 2/8	Wednesday 2/9
Breakfast	eggs & bacon	egg muffins w/ veg	egg muffins w/ veg
Lunch	taco salad bowl	caribbean seafood stew	meatballs w/ zucchini noodles
Dinner	caribbean seafood stew x2	meatballs w/ zucchini noodles	salmon cakes on mixed greens
Cook for future	• egg muffins w/ veg • meatballs	x	• beanless chili• stufffed peppers
Workout	·   Warm-up ·   Superset:  Squats/Hanging leg raises ·   3 Minutes on the Row Machine ·   Superset:  Dumbbell Bench Press/Dumbbell Rows ·  3 Minutes on the Row Machine ·  Superset:  Dumbbell Bicep Curls/OverheadTriceps Extensions/Dumbbell Shoulder press ·  3 Minutes on the Row Machine ·  Superset:  Medicine Ball Abs/Back Extensions ·  3 Minutes on the Row Machine ·  Core Holds ·  Cool-down stretch.	Treadmill interval workout	Rest

	Thursday 2/10	Friday 2/11	Saturday 2/12	Sunday 2/13
Breakfast	salmon cakes & eggs	stuffed pepper	paleo pancake with blueberry sauce	eggs & bacon
Lunch	stuffed pepper & veggies	chili & veggies	leftover chicken and veggies	mulligatawny soup
Dinner	chili & sweet potato fries	roasted chicken and coconut milk braised collard greens	mulligatawny soup	roasted beet, kale and shrimp salad
Cook for future	x	• chicken stock	x	• crab cakes • grill chicken breasts
Workout	·  Warm-up ·  Superset:  Lunges/Hanging leg raises ·  5 Minutes on the Stair Stepper · Superset:  Bench Press/Cable Rows ·  5 Minutes on the Stair Stepper ·  Superset:  Barbell Bicep Curls/Skull Crushers/Barbell Upright Rows · 5 Minutes on the Stair Stepper · Superset:  Scissors Abs/Back Extensions ·  5 Minutes on the Stair Stepper ·   Core Holds ·   Cool-down stretch.	Rest	Cardio-Medley:  Interval Training	· Warm up · Superset:  Dead lifts/Push ups · Superset:  Jerks/Lat Pull downs ·Superset:  Rope slams/Lunge Box Jumps · Superset:  Overhead lung walk/Medicine Ball Abs - Passing · Superset:  Triplethreat abs/Back extensions · Cool down stretch

Can't wait to start executing on the plan!

I love it when a plan comes together

We are officially one week away from the kick off of our paleo challenge! Honestly, it can’t get here fast enough and I find myself questioning why we are waiting to get seriously serious. But, this does provide time for planning – which I love to do.

Aim high in steering. This is the primary piece of advice that my drivers ed teacher provided and the only one that I really remember. The concept being that if you look far enough ahead on the road where you are going, you will stay on the right track to get there. That advice helped me pass my drivers exam and I think it will help us successfully complete our paleo challenge.

I am working on planning our menus for weeks 1 and 2, and referencing them against our workout plans. The goal is to plan time to cook extra food on days we don’t workout, so the days we do have big workouts – I am not stressing about getting home to make a nutritious, healthy and satisfying paleo dinner.

Ryan and I both have day jobs that include about an hour train commute each way. So on weekdays, I need a plan! Especially if I want to do it all and still get to bed at a decent hour. If I plan the time to cook and workout, I don’t stress over not having enough time. This way I can make sure that we have time to do the things we have to (work), the fun things we love and live a healthy paleo lifestyle.

Menu and workout plan to be posted soon!

Our Goal

We’re not feeling all that great this morning, and there’s no question why.  Last night we had our last pre-challenge pizza at Edwardo’s.  Despite being delicious, as deep-dish pizzas here in Chicago are known to be, we both agreed that we won’t miss it.  Having planned a few “last indulgences” before our challenge, my excitement for these meals has begun to wane, while my aversion towards the congestion, sluggishness, and poor sleep resulting from these meals has grown.

Eating pizza I was reminded of an old roommate who did a paleo challenge through crossfit.  They measured before & after:  pics, weight, I think body fat%, and tested his VO2 max (the over-all capacity for work, tested by how fast he could row 5000m on a row machine).  Challenge winners showed the most progress in a combination of the categories.  Naturally before the challenge, what did he do to prepare?  He sat on the couch gorging himself on bad carbs like pizza and pasta.  In order to win a before & after contest it’s ideal to start the challenge in the worst possible shape if you want to win.  That way it’s the easiest way to show the most progress.

How do you win our challenge?  By following the rules for 45 days.  That simple.  Our goal is not to burn the most fat, or to look better in skinny jeans (BTW nobody looks good in skinny jeans).  Our goal is to do it.  It’s more like we’re conducting a science project, and we are our own test subjects.  In order to provide a more accurate pre- and post- challenge sample, we’re trying to eat like we normally would; mostly paleo, with an open meal every once in a while.  The next week and a half before the challenge that’s what we plan to do.  We’re planning to use the last of our Groupons which are set to expire over the next 2 months (Sushi, Cajun food, and Mexican), and have a few snacks at a Super Bowl party, but otherwise remain paleo.

It’s funny, the more indulgences we have, the more excited we are to start the challenge.  Bring on February 7th!

Why 45 days?

Stacey's so easy. 

Uh...not like that.  Let's start over...

Stacey's so easy going.  When I first brought up doing a 45-day challenge, she was totally in without my having to sell it to her.  After several weeks of chatting about plans, she finally wondered aloud, "why are we doing 45 days and not 30 like all these other challenges?"  Coolly, I spat out a few reasons and they seemed to make sense, but to be perfectly honest, I had no idea.  It just sounded like a good number.  Somehow she bought whatever line of reasoning I had, but then I had to ask myself:  why 45 days? Why not 30? Or 50?

Here's the logic:

1) 30 days is too short, but somehow the number 50 is an intimidating commitment.

2) Without any science behind this, we figure the first 2 weeks will be like some sort of detox period.  Being fully detoxed, we can then begin our traditional 30 day challenge.

3) Neither of us sees the paleo diet as a fad diet, but it's really more of a lifestyle choice.  The extra days beyond 30 shouldn't be too different than how we want to be living anyway.

And some (IL)logic:

1) In 30 days, it'll still be winter, but in 45 days...well, it'll still be winter here in Chi-town, but hopefully not still make-you-curse-because-it's-so-@#$%ing-cold winter.

2) 30/2=15 and 15X3=45.  There's some sort of mathematical symmetry here.  That helps somehow.

3) When Michael Jordan returned to the NBA he sported number 45.  23 days is just not long enough.  Sorry MJ.

I will follow the rules.

I am not generally a rule follower – if you put a fence in front of me, I want to jump over it. However, for this challenge we will set forth the rules and I will follow them. So, here’s the food rules. Pretty straightforward in terms of what is considered paleo and what is not. I do believe that you have to decide how paleo ‘works’ for you on an individual basis. (a great post from Everyday Paleo on this topic) For that reason, I think our alcohol rules are pretty lenient – but it’s what is going to work for us and our lifestyle – since my hope is that our post-challenge habits are not that far off from the challenge rules.

Absolutely will be eaten

• Lean meats (grass-fed as much as possible)
  
• Poultry
  
• Fish
  
• Shellfish
  
• Omega-3 eggs
  
• Veggies (non-starchy)
  
• Berries
  
• Nuts - primarily walnuts & macadamias
  
• Oils – olive, coconut and walnut
  

Not a bit, none!

• All dairy
  
• All grains
  
• All legumes
  
• Corn & corn products
  
• Refined sugars
  
• All other oils
  

Thoughtfully consumed

• Fruit – 2 servings per day max
  
• Sweet Potatoes – only on big workout days
  
• Almonds – last resort nut, all nuts limited to 4oz max per day
  
• Honey/Agave – Barely any, couple tablespoons per week (just enough to enjoy a very rare ‘paleo candy bar’)
  
• Nut flours – only walnut; max two nut flour ‘breaded’ meals per week
  

Alcohol

• Vodka – preferably Ciroc (gluten free, distilled from grapes), rocks or with club soda
  
• Tequila – (will be trying Robb Wolf’s NorCal Margarita recipe)
  
• Wine & Ciders – preferably organic and low sugar on the cider
  
• Limit 1 drink per night, no more than 3 nights per week.
  
• Max 1 night a weekend multiple drinks are ok if out for a social drinking occasion.
  
• Remain cognizant of time before bed, allow 2-3 hours between a drink and bed time. If not, have a small, protein-laden snack.
  

Supplements (Ryan’s plan)

• Fish oils – personalized quantity: use Robb Wolf's fish oil calculator
  
• Vitamin D - maybe, will do more research, but something should be done because the sunlight is elusive right now.
  
• CLA - 2000-3000mg/daily
  

I will take the fish oils, and may dabble in some fish oils that include flax and CLA, but overall I am just not as sold on the concept of supplements as Ryan.

Re: How did we end up here?

Sharing my side of the story.

The paleo diet was the first "diet" book I've ever read.  Before that, I've never felt the need to concern myself with diet, relying on consistent exercise to stay healthy.  After reading the book I gave it a try for about a month and loved it.  It was easy to understand, and just simply made sense to me.  I had more energy, was more alert, and miraculously my unexplained, lifelong nasal congestion disappeared.  This was the way to go.  That is until I lost my job.  Attempting to maintain the paleo diet while being unemployed proved to be too difficult for me and I got away from it for awhile.

A few months later, I found work and Stacey and I moved in together.  I was excited to get back to my paleo ways and Stacey had agreed to try it as well.  In the beginning, we didn't track how we ate.  We simply ate paleo the majority of the time and took open meals when the desire was strong, or the price of convenience was too high.  Growing more interested in how "well" we were doing we started the system of P's, C's, and W's for a month.  We'd get a P for the day if we stayed paleo the whole day.  The P's began to overpower our tiny Chicago Cubs calendar and we felt proud.  This continued for another month, when I noticed a trend.  If I knew I wasn't going to earn a P for the day, I would go nuts and lose control.  Rather than just one open meal, I would have 2, and then have a few cookies in between.  Okay, not just a few cookies, a ton of cookies.  I would go berserk on them until I felt ill.  It doesn't exactly help that Stacey is a fantastic pastry chef.  This lead to the O's.  An O for every open meal.  This way, rather than marring our whole day with bad foods, we would limit it on a per meal basis.  This worked out at first, but somehow the open meals began to grow in size and I'd feel ill anyway.  Ill to my stomach that is.  Stacey and I haven't so much as a cold since we started eating paleo about 9 months ago!

The growing size and general sense of disappointment after eating open meals are what led me to desire a paleo challenge.  For me, I need to go all in or I might cave.  One handful of Chex Mix and the flood gates open up resulting in a torrent of gluten ingestion and a congested nose.  I'm excited for how I predict I will feel after a few weeks of treating my body with respect, and February 7th couldn't come fast enough.
Oh, and no, it's not a coincidence that our challenge starts the day after the Super Bowl.  It's by design.  One last chance to pig out on all the old comfort foods before the challenge.  We're finally going fully paleo and who knows, we might not be back.

How did we end up here?

I first heard about the paleo diet sometime in 2009, when Ryan’s roommate began crossfitting. I borrowed The Paleo Diet book, gave it a glance, and then left it on the night stand to gather dust, a lot of dust – eventually returning it without really reading it. In April 2010 Ryan and I moved in together and began eating paleo and working out on a regular basis. Ryan was already a regular at the gym, and I found it so much easier to get there with someone rather than just on my own. I cannot pin point why we decided to try eating paleo. Ryan had already dabbled in it a bit and I had a general feeling of wanting to be more fit - I also finally made myself buy the book and read it.

In the beginning we tracked the fully paleo days on a calendar, marking down a P. If we had any element of a meal not considered paleo, you would not get the P. We also tracked workouts with either a C for cardio or W for weights. We set monthly goals for how many P’s, C’s and W’s we wanted to achieve – with often slightly differing goals. This eventually evolved to tracking O’s, open meals, instead of P’s. With new goals set on limiting O’s per week. Over time, I have found that I feel 100% better about everything when I am eating paleo.

In December of 2010. Ryan had a surgery resulting in many weeks of recovery time. He has just recently gotten back to the gym. For now it’s just getting on the treadmill to move and walk (and get used to our new Vibram five fingers)! During Ryan’s surgery and recovery I became more focused on being a caregiver – as well as preparing for and living the holiday season - than ensuring I was getting to the gym and grocery store. So our paleo living goals took a dive.

That brings us to our upcoming 45-day Paleo Challenge! The plan is to eat 100% paleo and commit to a consistent fitness plan, the details are still in the works on that one. Not a bit of sugar shall pass these lips, no grain will I know – bring on the meat and veggies! We’re working on truly defining the ‘rules’ of this 45-day challenge; are we going to allow honey? If so, how much? – once the rules are final we will post them. It will help keep me honest.

Day one of the challenge is February 7th – until then we are busy planning our menus and workouts (and maybe sneaking in a last bite of pizza that I know I will regret but somehow still think of as a comfort food – this is Chicago after all!).