Last year was great. My strength and flexability increased and I got so much better in the gym. My weight was steady at 207lb. Unfortunately, my diet fell apart around October last year when I took the family to Disney. My barely 4 pack of abs went into hibernation... Things got worse in November and December.
In my family, the holidays have always meant rich, yummy foods and lots of it . I lost my discipline for a minute and got lazy with my diet. My Crossfit workouts were the only thing keeping my weight in check. However, I had noticed my endurance falling off and body weight movements were starting to suck, e.g. pullups, hand stand push ups, squats, and especially ring dips. Somehow, I WAS able to finally get a ring muscle up on Dec 22nd!
On Jan. 19th, I started a forty day paleo challenge in my gym (box). This lifestyle is relatively easy for me due to my experience with these juice fasts. I'm learning more about the biochemistry of paleo and I buy into it. All the evil lectin stuff is a little over the top, but the basic tenets and science is sound. Best of all, it works and is a realistic lifestyle in my family situation.
I'm down fifteen pounds since the start of the challenge. I indulged last Saturday for my little girl's birthday party. This was a decision I made, not a cheat. I plan on transitioning to juice and mostly raw fruit and veggie paleo next week and then finishing out the month normally. I'm also going to up my cardio to keep the fat coming off. I'm still using 20 oz of unsweetened almond milk with 2 scoops of cytosport whey after I WOD and before bed to assist in recovery and prevent sarcopenia (I know whey isn't officially paleo).
Psychologically, this has been a breeze. I watched a lot of Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives the first night. However, after a little food porn, I was good. Today was the first time I felt hungry. This was quickly cured with a little beet, celery, pear, green apple juice. My body feels great and is recovering normally.
Slowly, I'm facing and conquering my food addiction. I have found a couple good paleo cookbooks, Everyday Paleo and Well Fed. Also, my wife is on board and transitioning the family to this lifestyle. We are playing with different recipes and teaching the kids about paleo. Saturday, I'm going to make some fresh guacamole and use some red cabbage to eat it with. I'm so excited! Is that weird?
