Great post! Fav part – it isn’t hard. Love it cuz it’s true. We make life so much more challenging than it really is.

Did the games WOD this morning 12rds + 9 + 2 pushups. Some advice for those doing it:

DL – they’re light, crush ‘em. Make it your prisoner…
PU – ok, these started sucking at rd 3. They’re going to probably be the hardest part. Plan accordingly
Box Jumps – like wallballs, an exercise in mental fortitude and embracing the suck. Like Nemo, just keeping jumping.
- Don’t rush the first couple of rounds, I did each one sub 1min for 3-4 rds. Save some room for the end.

Best of luck Intrepiders!

Nik

Everyone agrees that it’s not hard in the cancer way. It’s all about will power and really wanting to do it.

But it can be a pain in the a$$. You can get stuck in 6 hours of straight meetings, including a catered lunch from a bakery with absolutely nothing available that is remotely paleo. That was me yesterday. Luckily I planned ahead and had jerky, an apple, carrots, and cashews to munch on. Problem is, even that meal would disqualify me from the Whole 30 Challenge. OK, so how do I address this situation? I need some protein, otherwise I’ll end up eating 5000 cashews. Jerky – FAIL! Lunch meats – FAIL! TJs Salami – FAIL! (Almost all the TJs salami has sugar as a top 3 ingredient, although some don’t have enough to register a gram of sugar on the nutritional table.) I’m traveling for work, so I don’t have tuperware to bring in leftovers.

Help me Obi-Wan Marcus! You’re my only hope!

BTW, back to the will power part….about 8-10 years ago my co-workers and I used to do challenges like this only for 3 months at a time. The challenge would be some combination of working out and diet. The loser had to buy a $1,000 dinner for the group of 6 guys. Guess what…. nobody cheated once in 3 months! …. At least that’s what people claimed. Some disputed it, but I can tell you that I lost 30 lbs and felt great! There were several times when I went running in freezing cold winter rain in Boston because I wasn’t going to lose $1,000 just because I was too much of a pansy to run in the rain.

Also, on the peer pressure side of things…..if a guy tells another guy that he’s on a “diet”, then he’s a little puss. But if a guy tells another guy that he’s trying to win a $1,000 bet? That’s cool bro!

I’m not suggesting we increase the buy in. I’m just saying, if you’re wired like me or searching for a little extra motivation, I’m game for some side challenges. We can be creative. Hopefully we’ll be celebrating a tie, with everyone winning, in about 30 days.

wow ruth great post! lovin’ the tough love! I’m so proud of all my fellow intrepids that have signed up! I have faith that each of you is going to come out a winner (mainly because I feel we’re all a little scared of Ruth after this post ) hehehe

I can’t take a bit of credit for the post. Melissa and Dallas of Whole 9 Life have taken no doubt hundreds of peeps through this challenge and wrote the excerpt on their site.

There was no way I could say it better! CrossFittes pride themselves in gutting through the pain and embracing the suck, all the while putting their bodies into a state of fight or flight. Yet the idea of an AMRAP 30 days of good choices to fuel their bodies, they find reason after reason to cop out.

Look at this challenge as a really long wod and embrace the suck, knowing you’ll look, feel, and perform better when you’re done.

Oh and @Scott, don’t you have a kitchenette up there? Sean and I spend an hour each night making food and packing it for the next day. We usually pack 3-4 meals each so we have no excuse should something unexpected comes up. This way, even if you’re ambushed by a 6 hr meeting in the desert, after walking there barefoot in the snow (uphill), you’ll be prepared. Is this a pain in the butt? Yes. Is it hard, No.

@ Ruth – could you give us some examples of the types of meals you’d pack? I run into similar situations as Scott sometimes and have been running low on sack lunch ideas.

So Ruth’s answer…. suck it up wuss. Thanks!

I’ll ask the question more directly…. Is there an uncooked protein that I’m allowed to eat? Whole 30 seems to reject jerky, deli meat, salami. I guess canned tuna or pre-cooked TJs chicken are my options? Anything else you’d recommend?

@Scott, yup on canned protein, but what’s wrong with packing cooked protein in a small lunch cooler? Like Sean’s tupperware of 12 1# burgers? Add some of your famous guac and you’re golden!

Problem is I don’t have a cooler or tupperware in Sunnyvale…..or spices, or healthy oils, etc. Yes, I have a kitchenette and I’ve been cooking. But it’s a bit harder when the kitchen is completely bare each Monday. Can’t buy olive oil because I’m not going to buy a jar to use 2 tablespoons. Not going to buy spices. I’ve been stealing butter squares, salt and pepper from the continental breakfast each morning to cook with at night. So I’m finding a way. Everything is just a pain and I’m trying to figure out the best way to do it. I know it can be done. I’m not complaining. I’m asking for tips to make it as easy as possible in a challenging environment where I’m jumping on a plane twice a week. I’m sure Avelyne must have some good tips. I bet her travel is even harder than mine.

@Melina, We’re creatures of habit, so our staple proteins are: pulled pork/roast/ribs made in a slow cooker, burgers, stir fried chicken, Marcus’ tri tip, Xuan’s lamb popsicles.

Our veg:frozen/fresh broccoli, green beans, sweet potato, salad, spinach, and asparagus.

Also Matt Brook’s pesto, Scott’s guac, and paleo bbq sauce help mix things up.

All this, an insulated lunch box, some refreezeable packs, and lots o’tupperware and you’re good.

What if you can’t find a micro on a given day? If you’re going to a meeting where you may not have access to a microwave you can a)suck it up, it may not taste great but it’ll do, or b)prep a tri tip salad so it can be eaten cold.

Hope this helps.

@Scott, take a look at this video for ideas: http://journal.crossfit.com/2009/03/planning-ahead-for-your-diet.tpl

When you head up to Sunnyvale, can you pack travel sized oil/spices? Or buy travel sized containers as your ‘road kit.’. Do you have a fridge? If so do like Chastity (video) and bring up a ton of pre-packed meals. I totally acknowledge the further PITA that it will be for you without your usual kitchen.

Sean ran into the same issue when traveling for work. He ate a lot of Trader Joe’s carnitas when there was no kitchenette. I’m sure Avelyne can throw in some more tips for you too.

Boss,
What are ground for alcohol used in cooking? sometimes I use booze to aid in cooking, primarily in sauces. Is this a no go?

Nik

@Nik, alcohol in cooking is ok with moderation. Read, mulled wine is NOT cooking. Same application as cooking with juice.

Haha thanks coach.

@Scott: I “borrow” from the hotel breakfast buffets all the time! I can’t pack enough food for my 4-6 day trips so I’ll take a few apples and oranges and hard boiled eggs in addition to the seasoning staples the buffet provides. Now, the day before I leave for my trip, I spend some time in the kitchen cooking and packing.

If your concern is how to transport your meals via plane, get one of those empty blue ice packs (found in the first aid aisle of any drugstore) and use that. TSA may have you empty out the ice to clear security but hey guess what…you can go to one of the food vendors once you clear security and get more ice from the machine. ALSO, every hotel has an ice machine so you’ll never run out!

As far as the oils go, just cook up some bacon and save the bacon fat. Use that for cooking instead of olive oil. When you transport it, it will be solid so you shouldn’t have a problem with TSA.

Hope that helps! If you need more suggestions, hit me up.

Dude, Avelyne, great tips!!