CROSSFIT SUFFOLK: Powered By SPARTAN PERFORMANCE

10
Jan

CROSSFIT SUFFOLK: Powered By SPARTAN PERFORMANCE

Workout of the Day
3×3 (each arm) Turkish Get-ups
For time (rest is mandatory and should be exact):

25 UB Wall Balls 20/14#
Rest 2:1
15 UB Wall Balls 20/14#
Rest 2:1
20 Burpees
No rest
15 UB Wall Balls 20/14#
Rest 2:1
25 UB Wall Balls 20/14#

Post your scores to the Whiteboard.

UB= Unbroken.  Do the prescribed number of wall balls without resting or putting the medicine ball down.

Rest 2:1= The rest period following each round of wall ball is twice the amount of time it takes you to perform the round.  For example, if it takes you 1:05 (1 minute, 5 seconds) to do 25 reps of wall ball then rest 2:10 (2 minutes, 10 seconds).

 

 

IMG_7568

 

EATING:  WHAT TO DO?  WHAT TO DO????

Yesterday’s postings prompted questions and issues regarding nutrition.

Fantastic!

That’s the idea of re-posting the articles.  We’re going to address the diet/nutrition issue, but not all in one posting.  There’s a ton of information out there, but that is both good and part of the problem.  Most people don’t have the time to sift through the information and when they do so much of it seems contradictory.  Fortunately me, Lisa, Greg and Melissa not only read all that we can on nutrition, but we enjoy it as well.  Now Lisa, Melissa and Greg don’t know it yet, but I’m going to have them chime in at some point.

We also have another “team” that has a good handle on nutrition and an excellent handle on cooking/food preparation, Sean and Barbara as well as Sal come to mind immediately, but there’s more.

We’re going to start off by attempting to deal with the questions from yesterday’s comments.  You’ll have to forgive me, but many of the answers will start with the phrase: “It depends”.  There are numerous factors to consider and ultimately you’ll have to decide what works best for you.

What To Eat

The CrossFit main site offers this GUIDELINE to follow and we agree.  I don’t like the Caloric Restriction part of the description because (1) It doesn’t explain much, (2) it doesn’t say how restrictive “restrictive” is, (3) there is conflicting reports on studies done.  When studies are done one of the first things that must be asked is who were the studies done on?  Sedentary people?  Athletes?  People who exercise intensely 5-6 days a week???

To decide what to eat the logical course of action would be to decide what you want to eat and then make sure your choices fall within the guidelines listed above.

The Glycemic Index     Now that you are aware of The Glycemic Index hop over to this website: MENDOSA.  David Mendosa, back in the day, had the most comprehensive information and foods listed by the Glycemic Index that could be found.  Lisa introduced me to Mendosa.com and the GI back in the late 90’s.  Apparently he still has the best list out there.  It will be helpful to you to have a good understanding of how the Glycemic Index works and where the food you eat falls on the list.

THE PALEO DIET                         We use the word “diet” to mean an eating lifestyle as opposed to trying a new way to eat for a specific amount of time in order to drop a few pounds before your wedding or vacation.

The premise of the Paleo diet is that as humans our genes have not changed much since the days of early man.  Therefore  we aren’t designed to eat anything , but what was around before the days of agriculture: meat, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.  Water to drink and numerous hours of sleep to go along with the diet.  Does it work?  From what we’ve experienced, read and observed: yes!

Do we follow this absolutely strictly?  No.  I will drink lactose free milk occasionally.  I love a slice of pizza now and then.  I’ve been known to drink a Guiness or 15 year old Scotch on occasion.  Here’s the big take home lesson from the Paleo Diet:  Eat following the Paleo guidelines the overwhelming amount of time and severely limit the foods that are not within the Paleo way.  If you are currently eating following the SAD (Standard American Diet) then switching to Paleo will not be easy.  If you are reading this you probably aren’t the the type that requires “easy”.  We will facilitate as best we can to make this as painless as possible.

Just to be clear, with the Paleo Diet you avoid: Dairy (yes, cheese and Greek yogurt are dairy), legumes (peanuts, no, peanuts are NOT nuts),  sugar,  processed food, and grain food (bread, rice, pasta, beer, barley, oats).

We barely scratched the surface of the Paleo Diet.  Please visit Robb Wolf.com  Robb wrote the book that Barbara and Kelly had mentioned: The Paleo Solution.  Even if you have no intention of trying the Paleo Diet you should read the book anyway so you understand what food is doing to and for your body.  Robb is a strength and conditioning coach as well as a bio-chemist.  And he’s very funny–the book is enjoyable to read for a book about how to eat!

THE ZONE DIET              The Zone is more about measuring your macro-nutrients (Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat) and less about food selection.  Some use the Paleo guidelines for their food selection, but they measure according to the Zone guidelines.  You must measure your food with a scale, at least in the beginning, so you have a very specific idea of how to proportion your food choices.  After a few weeks you’ll have a good idea of how to measure by eye.  CrossFit Headquarters published a detailed guideline on how to Zone: MEAL PLANS (CrossFit Journal#21, May 2004)

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU EAT                There are different opinions on this, but here’s the bottom line:  If you’re taking in the proper amount of food to support weight management and recovery from training it doesn’t matter how often you eat or how infrequently you eat.  Some do well eating 5-6 times a day others can Intermittent Fast, eating once or twice a day and yet others will do just fine on the standard 3 meals a day.  What you eat and the overall total are far more important than how you space your meals throughout the day.  Consider this required reading: THE TOP 10 FASTING MYTHS DEBUNKED

I’ll leave you with this:  You need to wrap your mind around the fact that what you eat will determine how well you manage your weight, body composition, level of fitness and overall health.  Your body weight and composition are far more affected by your diet than by how you train.  Your diet will determine how well you sleep, how well your digestive system works, how mentally alert you are, how well you recover, and how close you are or far removed from disease.  What you eat will have influence over how clear your skin is, how well you perform at work and how well you perform on the court, field or anywhere.

You should be more aware at this point.  I’ve had this conversation a few hundred times.  Some people take it to heart and make the necessary changes.  Many people make excuses.  At the end of the day you have to know that you made the choices to support better health, better body composition, more strength, more overall fitness and better mental clarity.  If not then you made choices that take you closer to being in poor shape, being weaker, having dulled senses and closer to illness.  Don’t blame emotional attachments to bad food.  Don’t blame the people around you.  Make the necessary changes for a stronger you.  You’ll be doing yourself a favor and you’ll find that you’ll influence those around you to make positive changes.

You WILL be met by Resistance.  Resistance from within you. Resistance will provide you with excuses for making poor choices.  Resistance will try to sabotage you.  Be ready. You have to fight through and not give in.  Get it on your mind!  We will continue this discussion.—George

 

 

A little Friday morning humor for you…BITCHY RESTING FACE…the video.  Not work or family safe…even though you’ll probably identify people in your workplace (or gym???) who suffer from this condition.

17 Responses

  1. Kelly R

    Good morning George-
    I could go on for hours, literally, about eating and nutrition. My heads spinning! These are some great articles! As a woman I am frustrated bc Even though I have seen changes in my body but I want to see more changes- I want muscles ! Lol and I need to find the balance between what I’m eating and coming into the gym.
    I also want to know what , as a woman, I should eat before my workout, how soon before? And after my workout? Like when I leave here at 9:30 and head home- what to eat?
    And different wods each day means different eating that day- yes?
    Have you guys considered having a meeting about this? Q&A session for us women that want to drop the weight, gain muscle, lift like the guys….

  2. Kristen

    I have changed the way I eat significantly since doing the Paleo Challenge last February. Buying and making all my food was the biggest hurdle but it’s 1,000 times better than anything packaged that says it’s healthy. AND people at work are always jealous of my lunch and think I spoil myself…..”ohhhh swordfish today? Fancy” yes, it was 3$ for a small steak. And the home made marinade was already able to be put together with stuff I stock regularly. And took no time to pan sear it or grill it. Enjoy your Big Mac meal for 8$ Bitches hahaha “educate yourself ya fools. ” – Stewie from Family Guy

    I’m not a big dairy eater or carb eater anyway and I will eat ALMOST anything so I didn’t find Paleo tooooo bad. But if you don’t like different vegetables or vegetables at all or fish it can get boring I guess. But it’s worth a try. It changed the way I look at food and what I put in my body. I know my weaknesses better, what bothers my stomach and what doesnt. I generally make better choices. I’m a horrific sweets person, cookies mostly, during Christmas time, no self control. I’ll work on that next year bc this year I learned control during the rest of the year and cut out a lot of that lmao. I can pass up rice and pasta no problem but gimme an Oreo ugh.

    I’ve since added things back and obv don’t eat strict Paleo. I eat cheese on occasion, I love peanut butter but don’t eat too much of it. It sucks tweaking your food. I find I have more energy for a work out if I have a small serving of lean protein and brown rice or oatmeal with a tablespoon of Greek yogurt and half scoop of protein powder than if I have sweet potatoes about hour or hour 1/2 before the gym. Some people would be sluggish. I don’t know maybe it’s in my head. But it works. I saw physical changes in my body since changing my over all habits and when I get the will power enough to really eat clean I know it will change more bc you can literally feel like a machine and know what you need and you feel better in the AM and refreshed and you actually DON’T want to delve into temptation. I need to get on that. Lol.

    OMG George!! That video…….so funny bahaha

  3. Dani

    Hey George,

    Sooo you’re saying its not all my moms fault? Damn- usually that excuse works for me lol. In all seriousness I am pretty apprehensive about this complete lifestyle change that any of these “diets” require but like Kristen said- its worth a try. I’ve had some health issues in the past and am always sick so for that alone I am motivated. Hopefully I can even work toward dropping weight, gaining muscle, and lifting like the guys like Kelly mentioned :). My take-away is that just like anything else thats worth anything in life, the decision to eat right is one that takes time and energy. From the way that you described all this it sounds like the best way to start is to do a ton of research, talk to my doctor and then try things out to see what works for me.

    Thanks for all the help here and keep the info coming. see you tonight!

  4. Beth

    A nutrition clinic would be amazing – i’m with Kelly, as a female, working to get muscle but also looking to lose a little more weight…or fat I never know what do I eat before I work out – I get queezy if I don’t – but then what to eat after the workout – I’m not a fan of liquid food – something about the texture gaks me, but there have to be alternatives. So when is the clinic?

  5. Lauren

    Being a crossfitter for almost 3 years, I have tried every diet there is known to man. When I first started, I found that The Zone Diet, worked best for me. After having my second child and gaining 60lbs, nothing was working. After joining Crossfit Suffolk (after all the kicking and screaming) I lost about 6 pants sizes over a 3 month period. Not to mention all of the physical benefits. Including being able to do a strict pull up, that I was never able to do before. I was also pushing myself, hard. I think George got tired of seeing my face, sometimes 2x a day. LOL. After about 6 months on The Zone, I found myself getting really hungry. I tried to tweak it a little, but then fell off. Next up, Paleo! I did it for quite a few months. I felt awesome at times, but like shit other times. I think that The Paleo Diet, is an excellent lifestyle for people who have food sensitivities. But not so much for an athlete who needs a certain amount of carbs for energy. There’s only but so many carbs you’re going to get from 2 cups of spinach. If your body can tolerate it, add the fibrous carbs that you need when you’re doing met-cons. It will also aid in muscle building, along with protein.

    I think it’s super important to find what your daily macronutrients are. In order to build muscle and/or lose fat you need to fuel your body properly. I’m no expert on nutrition, I’m still trying to figure out what works for me. Keep in mind that’s another issue. Just because something worked for someone you know, doesn’t mean it will work for you. Everybody’s body is different. It takes time and patience, trust me. lol. I’m running low on patience over here, but I keep trying.

    Good luck, everyone!!

  6. lil

    Ladies & gents I think we should start a “group” on facebook for us Spartans so we can help each other with the love/hate relations we have with food & crossfit. My girlfriends box started one & they post advice, recipes, dos & dont’s of paleo, website links, ETC ETC. if you guys are interested let me know ill start one up & we can get started.
    SEE U AT THE BOX TONIGHT WITH MY BITCHY RESTING FACE OF COURSE…HAHA

  7. George

    Great commentary!

    Your diet should be as simple and as unique as possible. What the Paleo Diet really does it get people to eat real food and move away from processed crap and sugar. That is major for most people.

    I’ve observed men and women in the gym make remarkable transformations. Other people can see the changes better than you can. Don’t let a skewed perception make you feel frustrated. It’s human nature to focus on the imperfections we have rather than see the beauty that everyone else sees. You’re all moving in the right direction. Have patience.

    Kelly–Eat something light that is easily digestible for you. When I eat pre-workout what works best for me is eggs. Give yourself at least an hour before you train. If you don’t feel like eating pre-workout about 10 grams of BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) works very well. You can get them in powder form that mixes in water. And, no, supplements aren’t Paleo, but we’re fan of modern science as well as real food. Many of the protein supplements have a good amount of BCAAs included. For convenience a post workout protein shake works well. I prefer to eat real food after a workout. Steak, chicken or salmon with spinach salad covered in olive oil and a baked sweet potato is my idea of post workout perfection. You want o get protein in your system, healthy fat and you want to replenish your glycogen. (more about this in a longer post.)

    Dani–If you have health issues you need to do a 30 Day “Reset” as Chris Kresser calls it. That’s 30 Days of strict Paleo. Health issues are usually related to genetics, environmental factors, food selection or unresolved emotional issues. I don’t believe you need to lose weight. I think a shift in your body composition would make you happy. Talk to your doctor, but be advised, not all doctors are educated on the healing power of a diet that is proper for you. I know that sounds bizarre, but many seek their answers in medication, not in environmental factors or food selection. If your doctor is fat and out of shape chances are that he’s not a big believer in the importance of nutrition. Most doctors get about 8 hours of nutrition training from what I understand. Hopefully you have a doctor who trains and knows a ton about nutrition. We’ll talk!

    Bevin–80/20 means that the person eats strictly Paleo 80% of the time and NOT the other 20%. Most people make the other 20% real food, but not within the Paleo guidelines.

    Lauren’s comment was spot on. Lauren is on the fitness and nutrition journey that many of us are on or will be on. You’re only going to know what works for you by educating yourself and experimenting. When something stops working it’s time to make adjustments. Be advised, Lauren is way too hard on herself, but that’s also why she made the transformation that she did. Changes will come slowly now because she’s been at this for a while. Most women in the gym think Lauren looks great. Only Lauren doesn’t agree. Most women have a vision problem. They need a warning label on their mirrors that should read, “ASS WILL LOOK 2 FEET WIDER THAN IT REALLY IS.”

    I like the idea of the nutrition clinic. We’ll start working on that!

    The Facebook page isn’t a bad idea, but it may become redundant with the existing FB page and the website. I could be completely wrong. We’ll consider it.

    See you soon!

  8. Barbara

    I am in for nutrition groups….. Also maybe as a group we could meet weekly or monthly as like a support/ help meetings to keep each other on track and maybe discuss hurdles and obstacles we r dealing with and brainstorm together.

  9. Dani Burns

    Thanks so much for the feedback everyone – it makes it easier to get started knowing about the experiences you have had with these changes. I think that the group would definitely help keep me on track so I would be in !

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