If you ever hung around a person who did CrossFit, the word Paleo will most likely come up…a lot. Paleo (Paleolithic), or the Caveman diet, basically says that what the cavemen ate (pre agricultural development) is what our bodies were really meant to process, and therefore these types of foods are the most ideal (Paleolithic Diet, Wikipedia).
Now, why Paleo and CrossFit are so intertwined, I’m not 100% sure. Perhaps it’s because the severe restrictions on processed foods and all things carbs, coupled with the sudden onslaught of constant intense strength and cardio workouts, lead to rapid weight loss and an increase in muscle development and toning.
While I have watched my brother take on the Paleo 30 day challenge, and lose a significant amount of weight, I’m still not sold.
Any new diet coupled with increased intense exercise will lead to the same result. To lose weight and to get stronger, it isn’t just one or the other. It has to be both exercise and diet, and to make it stick, it has to be a life style change, which takes time, commitment and an understanding of the underlying reasons for what works and why.
My own initial transformation happened over many years (I made that conscious decision 8 years ago), where it was a gradual adaptation of exercise and accumulation of nutrition knowledge that got me from a size 12 huffing and puffing up stairs to size 4 marathoner who loves all things active. Even with my recent weight gain, I am back, weight wise to where I started, but as size 6. It was not an overnight success, it was not a 30 day challenge, it was a multi-year process and a lot of patience and learning. A process that is continuous and ever changing.
Loch Ness Marathon – 2012
Now, I find myself at another crossroads. As the weight is slowly starting to creep on and my exercise routine has slowed down and changing, I am getting older and my metabolism has noticeably slowed down. So, what is a girl woman to do?
I could jump on the Paleo wagon and give it a try. However, as much as a quick fix as it might be, I don’t see it working for me in the long term. It also does not help that I don’t believe in many of the restrictions it places on something like vegetables. I don’t eat a lot of meat to begin with, so to restrict soy and beans from my diet would severely limit my protein sources.
While I do believe, coupled with a regular exercise routine, Paleo is a great diet for someone who is coming from a generally poor diet filled with take out and processed first world type foods, I do not believe it is as beneficial for someone who generally already has a healthy, nutrient dense diet. While I cannot say I have the most optimal diet (you read this blog, you see what I like to bake), there are a few things I agree with and have incorporated into my own diet.
ChezSylvia 