So this last week I've been really thinking hard about my diet. I've written, deleted, re-written, and edited this post to death. And I'm fairly certain I'm now back where I started.
Let me explain.
My plan was always to get a routine sorted, really get myself on track with my workouts, and then think about my diet later. I don't live on takeaways and ready-meals, I love my vegetables, I love cooking (mostly from scratch), and I have a healthy attitude towards food - I love it!
But over these last few weeks I've realised that what I'm gaining in strength and confidence, I'm probably negating by what's going in my mouth. I'm really not going to find my body shape changing very much if the intake is still greater than the output - thats just plain and simple maths.
For those who don't know, CrossFit are advocates of two types of diet. The zone diet and the paleo diet. The zone diet seems perfectly sensible, and I'm sure would be a great resource for someone who has lost sight of what their standard plate of food should look like. I'm not keen on doing it myself, simply because it seems too prescriptive and complex for me, so I've been reading about paleo eating. Mainly because it appeals to me as a culinary challenge!
I'm really interested in food and what it does to your body, so my research has been more pleasure than chore. What you CAN eat on a paleo diet is really healthy, and the restrictions seem (on the face of it) quite sensible, but I am struggling to find hard evidence. I have found some great articles both pro and against paleo while researching, but I'm not here to prove or disprove a theory. All I want is to be fully informed before I choose to eliminate anything. I've flip-flopped all over the place but my conclusion is that, while I'm keen to eat well, the full-on paleo thing just doesn't sit right with me.
Still, the whole purpose of this blog is to show people what getting into the CrossFit lifestyle is like for a regular person, and paleo eating is an integral part of some CrossFitters lives. So I WILL do it, for you dear readers, I'll become "Paleolithic woman" for a time, so I can share the full experience with you. I need some time to get prepared though, so watch this space.
Having said all this, the fact remains that I do have some unhealthy habits that wouldn't do me any harm to tackle sooner. So here, in order of problem magnitude are my big four:
1. Chocolate - it isn't just an occasional treat anymore. At the moment I eat it in some form or other at least once a day. There, I said it. As they say, admitting the problem is halfway to solving it.
2. Portion size - my husband is a strapping 6'2" guy with a big appetite. And my portions aren't all that different from his. I can eat a pretty giant carb-heavy meal without feeling too overstuffed. This has got to stop.
3. Starch overload - I love potatoes. I mean, reeeally love potatoes. Mashed are my favourite. Or maybe roasties, or jacket... I can't decide. On top of this, I eat (in smaller quantities) bread, pasta, rice, and all the other things that add stodge to a meal. I'm not giving up potatoes, don't even go there. But the other stuff I can probably live without.
4. Coca cola - as with chocolate, I began to have it more often than just occasionally. Not every day, but still way too often. People use this stuff to clear drains - that really can't be doing my insides any good at all.
So, here I am, publicly committing myself to tackling the biggies. Chocolate, I'm going cold turkey until I can control myself enough to eat small bits as a treat now and then. Coke - yup, I can do that too, easy peasy. Portion size... well, I'll just replace the starch with good stuff for now, killing two birds with one stone - sort of. Except potatoes, I'm allowing myself the guilty pleasure, but maybe I can cut down to a more believable portion.
Meanwhile, as I said earlier, I do love a culinary challenge, so I'm going to test out some paleo-friendly recipes, including alternatives to my current bad habits (feel free to post recipes in the comments section!). Yesterday I had some delicious paleo treats after our workout, so I already have some good examples of things that I can use to replace the naughty stuff. So maybe it's not such a hardship after all...
Hi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI can relate very well to your post - believe me, a lot of us have been exactly where you are now and struggled with the same things. And there is no shame in falling off the wagon occasionally - we all do. The trick is to hop back on again and keep going.
Just try to change things gradually and tackle those bad habits one after another and turn them into good habits. That takes a bit of time but with a bit of persistence you'll get there in the end. And we are here to help you, too
With the chocolate, it is often certain situations that trigger cravings for it - try to find out what the triggers are in your particular case and maybe you can work around that. You could exchange the chocolate for something healthier or if that doesn't work, just have one piece, cut that into little tiny bits and savour every one of them as long as possible.
As for the portion sizes, you could try to use a smaller plate. Also, listen to your body - it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to receive the signal from the stomach that it is actually full, so keep that in mind.
What I always found very helpful is to keep a food diary - that way you can hold yourself accountable. There is also a great app for the smart phone called "Diet Log" that even lets you take a picture of your meal before you eat it - a great visual aid.
And have one cheat meal per week - it is something you can look forward to and which will help you to stay on track.
Most importantly, just keep your goals in mind - maybe even write them down and stick them to the fridge or some other place where you can see them. And simply enjoy the benefits of a healthier lifestyle - changes don't happen over night but if you keep going they will definitely happen. I have seen you train and you show great determination - and what takes you through the WOD will also take you through any other struggles
Xx
Heike
Thanks Heike - loads of great stuff there. And you're right about certain situations triggering the cravings. For me it's in the evenings, like we were talking about the other day. But I reckon some of those lovely muffins might be the way forward (paleo-friendly muffins - in case anyone is wondering!)
DeleteHi Natalie
ReplyDeleteI remember when I started CF and eating the paleo way I thought WTF am I doing ? But I was curious where CF and eating paleo would take me ... And so my journey started .
I made the mistake of cutting out wheat, flour, dairy , alcohol and unprocessed foods in my first week of 30 days clean eating - that was nuts!!
But I stuck with it and had a cheat day . I googled the Internet and stumbled on yummy paleo treats Halleujah!
I would start with cutting out one thing from your diet for eg start with alcohol , week 2 cut out diary and so on .
You will see a change in your body composition , your WOD times will improve and you'll have lots more energy.
Have fun with it , don't beat yourself up if you have a bad day , there's always the next day .
You've got a great support of family and friends , hola out if and when you need.
Cheers Ann
Wow - so much support from the CF community. Cheers Ann! I'm definitely taking it one step at a time. Lucky for me I love my veggies, so replacing the starchy carbs in my meals is reeeally easy right now, so maybe I chose a good one to start with. I reckon cutting out sugar is going to be the hardest. Any recipes for sweet(ish) treats are most welcome. I made fudge babies once - they were delicious, but I'm sure I'd just eat way too many!
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