ok, define “good cheese”. We eat feta sometimes and I have been known to use some motzarella too…

Vodka and “no sugar added” cranberry juice- what do I owe?

Did you start your day with this vodka and juice? Note that Ruth said the challenge started as of today, so last night doesn’t count.

As far as cheese, either of those sound okay. However American cheese is definitely out as well as anything packaged as “singles” and most pre-shredded cheeses. Here’s an article on MDA that discusses what to look for when buying cheese.
- Marcus

From Mark’s Daily Apple: …Ultra-processed cheese that comes in plastic sleeves or pre-shredded in bags should be avoided. That stuff isn’t real cheese; it’s cheese product engineered in a lab and loaded with preservatives and emulsifiers that render it supremely meltable, spreadable, or (shudder) spray-cannable…This includes American cheese singles, Velveeta, Cheez Whiz, and most shredded cheeses.

Try to get feta that comes in a block (Israeli feta at TJ’s is good) and not pre-crumbled. Mozz cheese ok, but try to get good quality that you grate yourself if you can.

One serving of vodka and cran (unsweetened!) = 10 burpees

I owe 10 burpees for illegal raw honey consumption in my avocado+lemon juice+greek yogurt dessert.

Basically your cheese should have very few ingredients, typically milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes and perhaps herbs of some sort. Anything outside of that and I’d be very skeptical that it’s good. If you find something that you aren’t sure on, take a picture of the label and send it to me. I’ll be happy to chime in.

um… i don’t know guys… i’m scared.

If I don’t use the juice is there still a penalty?

I have no problem with the food but can we get a cocktail allowance or something?? You can be damn sure I will be having a drink after we get through this competition!!

Drew, that’s like asking if you can have an allowance for air force push ups or half-assed squats in Cindy. Sorry bud!

We sure seem to have a lot of people with issues giving up their booze. This issue came up about the same time Avelyne became a trainer. Coincidence or not? I’m just sayin’…

Vokda Soda is allowed, penalty free, right? Same with tequila and the NorCal margarita?

I can probably restrict my alcohol to wine and vodka soda for the month. On Paleo I have restricted my alcohol to 1-2 days a week, but I’m not sure I’m ready for a completely dry month. Where’s the fun in that?!?!

Scott, we’ll make sure to stock up on Kleenex for your tears.

No alcohol is allowed, 10 burpee penalty for each drink, 50 each if you go for gluten-filled beer.

oh my god, I guffawed when I read that. Guess I’m buying stock in Kleenex this month.

I’m so excited! I just started a blog to log all this crazy awesomeness. I’ll send it to you and Sean when I get it correctly formatted. Good luck everyone! We can do this; support, love and nomnomnom!

Yay Alia! I like the non-sabotage angle! Quite different from some other unnamed Intrepids who will no doubt leave non-primal booby traps for their fellow gym members.

Just to let you(the trainers) know. I cant believe that you would do this challenge during my birthday month and Avelyne’s. 24 is the new 21 and now I am robbed of the chance to drink. THANKS! But I’m in, I’ll hate it but I’m in:)

Sometimes you have to just keep asking the same question, even if you already know the answer, because you just don’t want it to be so!

You guys realize we live in South Bay right? Everyone is either 25, or acting like they are 25. We’re surrounded by attractive, half naked girls (and guys for those of you who dig that!). We’re bombarded with invitations for parties, BBQs, Happy Hours. And, IT’S SUMMER!!

I’ll stop crying now. I’ll be in at 6 to get my Kleenex. No Kirkland brand CostCo sandpaper tissue….I want Kleenex!!

and I just want to send out an early invitation to my Bday happy hour. 1st round of shots of water are on me.

i agree, take away my processed cheese and that’s one thing… take away my vodka and wine, and i’m no longer sweet and pleasant! hahahaha maybe we need a gym AA session? I will try my best to go paleo, but I have a feeling I’ll be burpee queen at the end of this.

btw, going to the hamptons this weekend – heads up i owe TONS of burpees when i get back.

marcus and ruth – why whole milk and full fat yogurt?

@Pooja – Especially on a vegetarian diet, you need the fats in your dairy products to make up for the lack of any other animal fats. Those saturated fats are quite necessary for proper health and bodily function. Here’s a list of posts on our site where we’ve discussed the reasoning for saturated fat consumption.

we should be allowed to bank burpees on thursday or friday for the weekend for drinks only. Where is the give and take here?

We take away your booze or you give us burpees. Seems clear, no?
- Marcus

Ohhhhh….I like Drew’s idea. We can get Burpee credits on Thursday and Friday for a drinking weekend. Otherwise, Mondays will be Burpee hell for everyone!!

How about embracing AA’s motto of “one day at a time,” you big winos?!

@Marcus–Nice!

Im pretty sure this challenge is a form of Communism.

And I have a particular issue with booze. Being in the investment marketing type profession, myself and my colleagues are called upon to entertain certain investors and colleagues when in town. These entertainment sessions always revolve around dinner and drinks. While i can skirt around the dinner issue (only appearing to be a picky eater), the drinks aspect presents a substantial hurdle. Typically these entertaining sessions last for hours, with numerous beverages, all the while the need for staying composed and professional being most important. This requires an elevated degree of resistance to the effects of alcohol, and demands constant training (you dont want to be caught off guard when the next investor wants to go shot for shot). Hence, to improve at my profession i have resorted to “practicing” with varying degrees of alcoholic intake on evenings and weekends. While this challenge is daunting, i believe this to be detrimental to my profession and may harm rapport with clients. Poor rapport = bad evaluation = laid off = no money = no monthly gym membership. Its a slippery slope i know, but i believe to sustain YOUR business… i need to drink.

We have recently hired Drew and Scott to the firm as well. They will need to start practicing immediately and I would request the same amnesty as I will be granted due to this explanation.

Thank you for your understanding.

Excellent attempt, Brian. However, it is quite easy to order plain soda water with lime and no one is the wiser that you do not have vodka in there. Your typical behavior would lead one to believe that you have an elevated BAC anyway, so the ruse will be quite successful.

- <3 Marcus

FIRE BRIAN.

Marcus you are brutal today!!!

In case there was confusion, what I meant by “banking burpees” was racking up 150 burpees in penalties and trying not to pay them off until an undetermined “later” time.

If you want to perform burpees ahead of time for a planned indiscretion, be my guest. Hell, do 20 burpees a day during the week and go hog wild on the weekend. Whatever floats your boat.

I’m calling that a victory!!! I’ll see you tonight for my burpee wod.

@B- Well played, sir.
@Jenna- Brutal? Or Hilarious?

Marcus/Ruth – I believe i guffawed at your responses, however because i have no idea what that means, confirmation of said guffaw will follow.

I won’t contradict Marcus by banning weekend burpee “banking,” but I’m not encouraging pre-banking unless you’re going to a pre-planned function like a birthday, wedding, or mandatory alcohol work meeting (Pork Chop). He may be stricter than me in Paleo Or Die mentality, but I don’t condone “purchasing” poor diet through burpees. The burpees are supposed to be negative reinforcement (think shock collar!!) to prevent bad nutrition!!! Sorry to be the killjoy.

I agree with Ruth. We still expect cheats to be logged, and if we see abuse of banking it will either be removed or all cheats will be increased to 50 burpees each.

Word
-Ruth

holy baby jesus! all the hostility and chiding and confusion in these comments is making me want a drink REAL BAD. i realize that this is going to make sound like a total chump, but i’m not sure i’m up to the challenge. a month into crossfit and i feel like if i have a beer i’m going to be detained and questioned and punished by a super-team of SS officers. is there an opt out option? like, can i come in and just do one seriously horrible wod and just forget the paleo thing?

Nope, or said super-team will dole out said punishment.
-Ruth
Marcus
Sean

and one lonely teardrop falls… i’ll miss you, beer. but i’ll be back. MY birthday’s not until september.

I propose that you may only pre-bank a maximum of 50 burpees for the weekend. Anything more than that is just abuse of the system (and your body). If one is of such weak willpower that they binge the full weekend, they’ll just have to pay the reaper on Monday. Ruth, do you agree?

@Jenna/Drew — you better be careful, since Smirnoff Ice is a malt beverage, i.e. gluten-filled. You get Iced just once and it’s 50 burpees!

Yup, agreed. @’Drenna’: can’t you get Jose’d, ‘Jim’d,’ or ‘Jack’d’ instead?
-Ruth

How bout the great news on Shaq? hahaha (i know a poor attempt in changing the subj.)

@Jake I’ll cover second rounds of water shots, maybe splurge a bit on Evian on ice. Jenna can provide the limes.

Does everyone really see burpees as a penalty? I see it as practice for what might possibly a Sept challenge for AMRAP 20 burpees. I’m just saying there’s a reason the R.A.M.S. (that’s Ruth, Avelyne, Marcus and Sean) carry the title Crossfit Gods. We’re all in training to join the ranks of the immortals.

@Melissa, there is absolutely an opt-out button. Michelle gleefully had a cupcake last night. She likes to say she’s on a Paleo+cookies diet or a Paleo+chocolate diet. The rest of us are masochists. We enjoy beating ourselves up and living under the Draconian R.A.M.S Rule. We do of course welcome and encourage you to join us. You can definitely do it. It’s not as hard as it sounds. But it’s all for fun and personal improvement.

Scott is partially correct. Just like all of the monthly challenges thus far, no one is forced to participate. For those that would like to see the benefits that being on a paleo diet can provide, much like Scott himself has seen, we encourage you to join this month’s challenge. I would disagree that those that choose to follow along are “masochists” though, Scott and I’m sad if you see it as a “draconian rule”.

If you’re only going to give 30 days to try a paleo diet, you need to be pretty strict to ensure you see the effects. If we were to be lax and allow unlimited cheating/boozing/etc., then afterward people felt “gee, the paleo diet didn’t do sh*t for me!”, we would be doing all of you a disservice.

@Marcus….so sensitive!! Did I hurt your feelings? Maybe you’ll need some of those Kleenex you promised me!

Nope! No hurt feelings, Scott. Your portrayal of why someone would choose to eat paleo was seriously warped. Or at least granted some insight into your own personal preferences…
- Marcus

wow, a girl takes a 3 hour lunch and misses a lot. what does “pre bank” burpees mean? sorry, im all sorts of confused. I know this weekend i’m going to be a bad girl, so do i owe my burpees on monday? i’m not trying to cop out, i just know i’ll have to drink!

oh, and this paleo month has already gotten people hostile! can you imagine 30 days of it =| can’t we all just hold hands and sing a song!?

I don’t even know where to start, it’s been such a jam-packed day of fun.
1. That is a sharp analytical mind you have Brian
2. R.A.M.S HA! I love it!
3. Paleo/Primal is not a life choice I’m willing to make, but to be in the spirit of the month I plan on cashing out with at least 10 burpees if I’m not sprawled out dying on the bumpy, black monster and therefore takes me too long to recover before Marcus turns out the lights.
4. Burpee “bank”, “cash” out…I think the R.A.M.S are finance people disguised as “big balls of muscle”.
5. Melissa you’re doing great!

Peace out.

Sorry to join this discussion so late but here’s my take on the last 37 comments…

SUCK IT UP BUTTERCUPS! Even I’ve stopped drinking with NLP and the Affiliate Cup right around the corner.

I could go for a cup of butter. is that paleo?

Yes, but I pity Steph.
- Marcus

I think Kerrigold butter is OK right? Because the moo cows are grass fed and not corn/grain fed? I do need help on a few things here.

A) Sugar in the raw, the brown sugar packets, is that ok?

B) Really? Chicharones are Paleo!!? OMFG!

C) I thought red wine was ok, esp for cooking and such.

D) SO. . hypothetical question. If I cheated and ate, um lets say a whole med size pizza, is that 30 burpees per slice?

K That’s it. . . for now.

Real butter is fine. Kerrigold is better due to being grass-fed.
A) nope, it’s a 10 burpee cheat.
B) absolutely
C) cooking, yes. Drinking is a 10 burpee per glass cheat.
D) actually 50 burpees per slice. Or you can get a gluten-free pizza from Garlic Jims or Fresh Brothers for only 10 burpees per slice.
- Marcus

[...] Remember, the challenge (and burpees) are still going through Friday. However, as things are wrapping up, you might be itching to cheat… figuring you were only going to eat paleo for a month and you’re done with it. First, I’d ask you to read this blurb from Whole9Life.com: [...]

[...] only hard and fast rule will be that it has to follow the guidelines from the August challenge and be preferably a creation (or modified recipe) of your own. They don’t have to be holiday [...]