01/12/2012 Paleo Challenge Day 6

I had a hard time waking up again this morning.  I’m not sure what the cause of this feeling is, I’m sleeping just under 8 hours, and have covered all sources of light, including my computer router, alarm clock, and the led omitting from my Verizon FIOS TV box. 

Perhaps it’s just an adjustment period.  In moving forward I won’t question it again unless it continues into next week. 

I started to reread Gary Taubes “Why We Get Fat”, this week, and I’m finding myself viewing the material through a different set of eyes.  When I first read this book I was coming from a place of calorie restriction, and extended cardio.  I recall questioning large chunks of the science, and wondering whether or not it was complete bullshit. 

After reading “Why We Get Fat”, I read a couple of Michael Polan’s books, which give varying accounts on where food comes from, and scientific research.  I don’t think Polan wants to be an advocate for Paleo or meat eating, but the data he’s compiled prevents him from disowning these lifestyle choices. 

When I started to read it this week, I was more open to it’s ideas and the assertions made by Taubes.  Much of my paradigm shift I think is a result of my first week of the Paloe Challenge, and my discontinued use of Nuun Natural Hydration tablets. 

I’ve been reflecting on all the work that I’ve done the last year, and the effort put forward, and how the progress that I did make was greatly stunted by my overuse of this product.  I was drinking it first thing in the morning, after a workout, before I went to bed, and sometimes when my throat was dry would wake up in the middle of the night and drink some more. 

Nuun has dextrose which is a simple sugar used by food processors to sweeten products including candy.  I wasn’t concerned because each tablet only contained 7 calories no big deal right?  I guess I was wrong, because when only computing calories in versus calories out, it’s clear that this is important when considering the source of your calories.

I get angry when I think how much more weight I would have lost had I not been killing myself with dextrose.  The final week in Malibu, and the 3 months of 10-12 intense workouts a week, during that time at a heavier weight I was losing about 5 lbs a week, which is substantial, but when compared to the 7 I’ve lost since last Saturday makes me hostile.

It’s like a guy who builds a very nice building which appears to be perfect, but at the top floor starts to have all kinds of issues related to structure, and spends is whole time looking at everything, except the foundation.

In my initial attempt to go Paleo after reading Robb Wolf’s “Paleo Solution”, I didn’t adopt a strict Paleo diet, nor did I discontinue my consumption of fruit or Nuun Hydration tablets, it’s no wonder I questioned it’s validity.   I am hoping in my second read of Taubes’ book that I find something, which makes my experience more understandable. 

In the last 6 months I’ve worked out intensely, sometimes too much, kept my calories at or below 2000 a day, mostly consumed meat, and veggies, yet with the addition of small amounts of fruit, and this one thing, which was essentially, a sugar tablet I prevented myself from making process.

FUCK ME!

Workout Recap

Today’s WoD was focused on doing Snatches.  I was excited when I read this last night because I like doing squat snatches.  It’s a cool motion, and I want to get better at just to say I’m cool.

I warmed at 95 lbs, and did 3 sets of 3 at 115 lbs.  I’ve been teetering around the 135 lbs snatch mark for weeks now, each time I couldn’t get under it fast enough.  I was able to get it once during my 4^th set, but then couldn’t stick it again.  I felt like a gymnast who does a vault and keeps fucking up the landing.

I think I’ve put a blooper reel together below of all of my failed attempts.   4 more attempts at sticking 135 lbs 3 times, just didn’t happen.  I get under the bar most of the time, just can’t stick it.  There was a part of me that just felt a small lack of strength or confidence, I don’t know which one, every attempt started off feeling weaker than normal.

The Metcon today was a 7 AMRAP of 5 box jumps at 33”, 10 ring dips, and 15 kettlebell swings at 53 lbs.  I had to scale the box to 24”, and use a green band for the ring dips.  After doing todays WoD I’m going to try and use the 24” box for WoD that have less than 15 box jumps.  I can get up easy enough, but cycling isn’t going to happen just yet…

I finished 5 rounds plus 11 reps, I felt good through the entire 7 minutes, and was surprised I didn’t get tired.  Hey maybe this Paleo thing does make performance better. 

Eat Me Rjp.com

Day 6 Nutrition

You can read more about what I ate here…