“Whole Foods” approaches include The Whole30 and Paleo. “Portion Control” approaches include Zone and Macro/Flexible Nutrition.

Based on your goals, your research and your discussion with a coach, you can determine what YOUR nutrition challenge will look like for the next 30 days. It could be a combination of eating whole foods and in the right amounts, or eating an elimination diet to determine what foods work best with your body, or eating whatever you want but in the right amounts. It’s YOUR journey! And it’s one that we hope you can sustain long past the end of the challenge.

THE QUICK AND DIRTY GUIDE TO NUTRITION:

1) The Whole30 and Paleo Approach (Recommended for members who have yet to do a nutrition challenge):

• 30 Days of eating whole foods, which means perishable foods, or easier yet, the ones you find on the perimeter of a grocery store in fridges or have little to no ingredients
• Focus on Vegetables, Meats (beef, turkey, chicken, seafood, eggs), Fruit and Healthy Fats (avocado, coconut, olive oil, nuts and seeds)
• No grains allowed (wheat, barely, rye, oats, rice, corn, millet, sorghum)
• No dairy (cheese, yogurt, milk)
• No sugar (artificial, real, honey, maple syrup, etc.)
• No processed foods
• No legumes (beans, soy, peanuts)
• No alcohol

How to make it stick or ease some of the restrictions after the challenge? Simply reintroduce the “No” foods (one each week) to see which might give you an adverse reaction.

Helpful resources: Whole30 recipes, shopping list and book, “It Starts With Food”. Paleo Recipes: PaleOMG, WellFed, AgainstAllGrain.

2) The Zone and Macro/Flexible Nutrition Approach

• Weighing and measuring your macronutrient (protein, fat and carbohydrate) intake
• Zone: You can choose or advance through 3 stages which progress in granularity…
  1. Simply start by having a protein, fat and a carbohydrate at every meal/snack
  2. “Eyeball” serving sizes for macronutrients at every meal/snack. Great chart on EYEBALLING PORTIONS
  3. Weigh and Measure at each meal. MEAL IDEAS (pg. 6-10)
• Macro/Flexible Diet: Every athlete has a specific ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrate grams that they’re allotted per day based on body weight, body fat and activity level. Precision in achieving the exact grams of each macronutrient is key to success. This can be recorded in myfitnesspal.

Based on the approach you choose, you will identify 3 habits or lifestyle choices that you currently do that are NOT helping you achieve your fitness goals (healthy, lean, strong, happy, energized, etc) or you will choose new ones that WILL help you on your journey. After choosing these 3, you will make specific, measurable goals/changes on how you will break those habits. You will post these changes to the comments sections under this post (see examples below).

Even though this challenge is individualized, you’re not alone! At the front desk there are 4 sign up sheets. You will sign up for a team based on what class time you typically attend: Morning (5:30a and 6:30a), Midday (8:30a, 9:30a and 12:30p), Night (5:30p and 6:30p) and Floaters (do not consistently come to one class time or another).

Example of a YOUR Habits/Changes Post:

Habits
1. Having a glass of wine (or two) Friday-Sunday
2. Late night mindless eating
3. Deciding what to eat on a whim (whatever’s around)

Changes
1. Having 1-2 glasses of wine or drink 1x/week
2. Substitute the mindless snacking with a prepared/portioned out snack (1 piece of dark chocolate or 1/4c banana “ice cream”) OR having a hot tea, soda water or lemon water.
3. Prep food 2x/week (sun and wed) so fridge is full. If away from house more than 4 hours, bring meals/snacks with me

Other Examples

Habits:
– Only having vegetables at dinner and no other time during the day
– Eating ice cream 2-3x/week
– Eating out 2x/day. Or eating out more than 2x/week
– Eating too many processed/sugar laden foods throughout the week
– Eating dairy everyday
– Not eating breakfast
– Only eating 2x/day
– Eating whole foods but killing the nuts
– Etc..

Changes:
– I will adopt a paleo lifestyle for the next 30 days to eat vegetables in place of grains or in addition to the protein I’m eating at each meal
– I will eat ice cream 1x/week
– I will eat out 1x/week and it will be planned
– I will do the Whole30 for this challenge to eliminate processed/sugar laden foods.
– I will keep the cream in my coffee but will eliminate dairy for 30 days to see how I feel
– I will eat breakfast everyday for the next 30 days
– I will eat 3-4x/day. Never going more than 5 hours without eating
– I will eyeball (or weigh and measure) my portions for the next 30 days
– I will not eat after dinner

Every day your team will get points based on each individual meeting their “changes” for the month (1 point for each of the 3 changes) and a bonus point for coming to CrossFit or working out at home/hotel/etc. for the day (1 point). Each person has the opportunity to earn 4 points. Points will be added up in each class and a compliance percentage will be calculated. The team with the most “compliance” percentage points at the end of the 30 days wins. Penalties for not complying? You let your TEAM down!

You will record your scores on the whiteboard at the back of the gym and can only be recorded the day after, so no premature posting!

We have a little surprise for the winning class/team… but hopefully EVERYONE wins by eating better, feeling better and getting your buns into the gym more consistently.

1. Do your research and choose an eating plan that’s right for you, then based on that plan…
2. Post 3 of your major habits/changes to this blog post in comments (to register to post to comments, see our members manual or click on the “Log In” button in the upper right and follow the “register” directions), then…
3. Sign up with your class team at the front desk…
4. Starting next week, each time you visit Daybreak, record your scores on the whiteboard at the back of the gym. Scores can only be recorded the day after, so no premature posting!

That’s it! On to better eating!!!