11

Apr / 11

Fine Tuning
Categories: Nutrition

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Some of you need to take a trip to your local meat counter!

To those on the challenge, congratulations on finishing out your first week! Hopefully you escaped the weekend without any catastrophes. Now that you’ve kinda got the hang of this paleo thing and you’re used to what foods you have to choose from, this would be an ideal week to start fine tuning.

In case you weren’t tuned in this weekend… On Saturday, Sean posted:

For those of you who have been keeping your food logs current, we’ve noticed a glaring trend that could drastically affect your results! Eat more PROTEIN! Meats, eggs, fish, shellfish, anything that had a face or would have had a face is preferred, but for those vegetarians and pescatarians, we’ll take whatever we can get.

To which Scott replied:

Marcus, what leads you to believe we are Protein challenged? Is it the 2 26oz Bone-in NY Strips Michelle and I ate Monday? Or is it the 1lb hamburger I ate last night? I tapped out on the steak 3/4 of the way through, but I powered through and killed that burger. If I eat any more protein, you’ll have to call me Sean!!

Scott must have a guilty conscience or something, since he assumed I was the one calling people out… and no self-respecting man taps out on a steak or takes home a “box of shame”. You should know better, Mr. Champagne!

Kidding aside, we did see that many people were pretty protein deficient in their food logs. (Note, I said many, not all, Scott.) One of the easy recommendations that Robb Wolf makes for meal planning is to have a “hunk of lean protein”, some veggies and a healthy fat… but we’re seeing that that hunk o’ protein seems to be stuck in many of your respective fridges.

Let’s take a look at a couple sample choices and examine how people might be feeling afterward:

Breakfast Example 1

  • Omelette with leftover steak from last night’s dinner, tomatoes, spinach
  • avocado
  • coffee w/ coconut milk

Breakfast Example 2

  • Banana
  • Orange
  • Cherry Larabar

Now one of those people I guarantee will be fuzzy-headed shortly after eating breakfast and likely craving more sweets if not just plain ravenously hungry. The other person will probably be focused and flying just fine until lunchtime. Which would you rather be?

Fruit is a sugar fix, plain and simple. It can easily be a crutch for those who may be transitioning from a higher carb diet, and if that’s what you need right now to get by, stay the course. However, if fat loss is a priority, know that you’re sabotaging yourself by staying on the blood sugar and insulin rollercoaster. The occasional piece of fruit is fine, but they certainly should not be the centerpiece of your meal.

As I touched upon last week, it will also help to break the cycle of thinking of needing a “dessert” after eating. We’re not 5 year olds and we should be able to finish our dinner without sweets at the finish line. Yes, fruit is totally allowed on the Whole30, but we’re also trying to establish a healthier relationship with food — and a regular liaison with dessert ain’t that.

While we’re on the subject, Larabars are really not much better than a candy bar. Sure, they’re convenient and the ingredients are paleo, but again it’s reinforcing your sweet tooth. Dried fruit (the main constituent of a Larabar) is a potent stockpile of sugar and will surely cause an insulin spike, leaving you hungry and foggyheaded shortly afterward.

This week, try to make a point to make your meals and plan ahead to ensure you have plenty of good choices on hand. Don’t take the easy way out with some pre-made treat like Larabars if you can!

WOD 04.11.11

Bench Press

4 Rounds of the following complex:

  • 3 Power Cleans
  • 3 Press
  • 3 Back Squats
  • 3 Good Mornings
  • 3 Behind the neck Press
  • 3 Front Squats

Same rules as Bear, you’re using one barbell for all movements and can’t let go of the bar during a set. Reps are touch and go only. Rest as needed between sets and may raise weight between sets.

21 Responses to “Fine Tuning”

Scott
April 11, 2011 at 8:45 AM

Who is that? Sam the Butcher from the Brady Bunch? :)

Wait, is the Whole 30 challenge a diet or an eating contest where we see who can eat the most protein? No doggie bags last night….I took down 2 NY Strips!! Of course they were from Trader Joes, so even combined they were not nearly as big as the 26oz beast I tried to eat last week.

1 Week down! 3 more to go! Marcus, are you sure you don’t want to do a Whole 8 or a Whole 10? 30 is such a big number!

It is funny that any time there is a food or health related post, I just assume it’s from Marcus. I’ve done that a few times where I wrote back to Marcus, when in fact it was Sean or Ruth who wrote the post.

You guys need to stick to your script…Marcus gives us health and nutrition tips, Ruth tells us to stop destroying the equipment at CFI and work on our flexibility, while Sean tells us how we too can lift 1,000 lbs…. or he posts funny articles about Ruth with fake pictures of a young Asian girl we assume is Ruth even if it clearly isn’t. When do we get another post with that sad sick Asian girl with the thermometer?

Psyched to be back in LA this week. Hope to see everyone in the gym this week.

Michelle
April 11, 2011 at 8:57 AM

It’s true, Scott took down 2 NY strips, a one pound beef burger, and most of a 26 ounce steak.

Today’s workout looks awesome. Too bad I can’t reward myself with a warm chocolate chip cookie a la mode=( But the point of this month is to teach your body to not have those cravings, right?

Jason B.
April 11, 2011 at 9:16 AM

Love Sam the butcher!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqzSDKB9PpU

melissa
April 11, 2011 at 9:52 AM

the easiest thing about attempting to adhere to a paleo diet is all the STEAK.

additionally, i want to publicly embarrass scott (#2) – a.k.a. 1/2 of Team M.I.A. – by wishing him a very happy birthday today! anyone else think he should celebrate by coming in to get his ass kicked by mini-bear? ;)

Brian
April 11, 2011 at 10:27 AM

Happy Birthday Scott #2!!!! Hope you are staying out of trouble.

Scott
April 11, 2011 at 10:28 AM

Happy Birthday #2!! We miss both you guys.

Jake
April 11, 2011 at 10:47 AM

Happy Bday #2!

Michelle
April 11, 2011 at 11:08 AM

Happy Birthday #2!! Come in and do mini bear. It’s just a cute little cub. It’ll be great!

Holley
April 11, 2011 at 12:06 PM

Happy Birthday Scott #2!!! Miss you guys!

kathy
April 11, 2011 at 12:38 PM

Marcus – I epically failed this weekend. I shall have to tell you about it tomorrow. I feel guilty so for lunch I am eating only protein. Hello beef.

I also already did mini-bear. Not as fun as bear complex because of the press v. push press. I was wonderinf if you think I am weaker today because I epically failed this weekend?

Stephanie
April 11, 2011 at 12:49 PM

Happy Birthday Scott #2!!!

This weekend I went to visit fellow intrepid Becky. She was sweet enough to come and cheer me on during my workout at Crossfit Pacific Coast. If anyone is in the Santa Barabara area this is a great box to visit. My friend Trevor is the owner and he is awesome!
Although the experience was great nothing compares to being home at Intrepid. I really appreciate all of you and love that our gym is so loud and roudy!!
BTW, you would all be proud to know that I represented CFI well. I finished the wod first and was 3rd overall for the day. :) . Thanks coaches!!

Pooja
April 11, 2011 at 1:11 PM

happy birthday scott #2! come back soon, and bring my fellow sandbagger back!
Great job Steph!! that’s awesome :) way to represent the box!
Marcus, I’m not even going to discuss how badly i fell off the wagon, but i did. we’ll leave it at that. you and i need to have a sit down. whole 30 for vegetarians is EXTREMELY hard. and yes, i know what you’re gonna say, but i need a smack in the face again. i’m getting extremely discouraged :(

Marcus
April 11, 2011 at 1:29 PM

@Kathy — so that must be why your food logs were missing over the weekend. :) Yes, the food you put in your body can definitely affect your performance, among other factors. If you put dirty fuel in your Infiniti, it wouldn’t function as well, right?

@Pooja — I’ll be at the gym whenever you’re ready to talk. And I gladly hand out face smacks (or burpees).

Becky
April 11, 2011 at 3:00 PM

Steph KILLED IT!!!!!!!!
it was great to watch, as well as watch her kill it on the dance floor. hahaha. pics will soon be on FB!
(p.s. steph, trAver: he will kill you for this.u know this.)
happy birthday numero 2!

ruth
April 11, 2011 at 3:05 PM

Happy birthday Scott#2!! Come in for mini bear!!!!

Anna
April 11, 2011 at 3:44 PM

Happy Birthday Scott #2. I took care of your athlete profile for you:

Started CrossFit: Started, Quit, Came back, Quit… when is that thesis going to be done???
Favorite WOD: AMRAP 12oz. curls
Fave Movment: Jumping Rope, high 5’s and counting skills
Least Fave WOD: Car ride home with Melissa after beating her in a WOD
Leave Fave Movement: Walking gracefully after a CFI party
CrossFit Goal: Come back to us!!!!
CrossFit Accomplishment: Flatulence free hollows

Holley
April 11, 2011 at 4:00 PM

Way to kill it this weekend and represent CFI Steph! I can’t wait to see pictures from the weekend! :)

melissa
April 11, 2011 at 4:04 PM

“CrossFit Accomplishment: Flatulence free hollows”

anna’s in trouble. :)

Date Nite
April 11, 2011 at 5:39 PM

Happy Birthday Scott #2. I can’t believe it, but I made it through 2 birthday parties on Sunday stocked with nachos, queso with ro*tel and fresh jalapenos (my favorite from texas days), cupcakes, cake, beer, wine etc. Although, the real test comes this weekend when my little one turns 2.

Stephanie
April 11, 2011 at 6:07 PM

@ Anna – HAHAHAHAHA . . . Awesome :)
@ Becky – omg i cant believe i spelled his name wrong. i will totally pay for that.

Jason B.
April 12, 2011 at 9:34 AM

Happy B. Day, #2!

Get back in the gym.
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