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Paleo Diet for Athletes - review
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 2009-04-16 4:45 PM |
Member 47  CO |  Subject: Paleo Diet for Athletes - reviewPretty controversial and "fringe" nutrition plan but I decided to give it a try after reading some of Joe Friel's stuff. I told myself I'd give it 4 weeks and see how it went. If I didn't like it or felt crappy after a month I'd stop. Well, after getting through the first 2 weeks I knew Friel and Cordain were on to something. By time I made it to week 4 I'd already lost 7 pounds and felt better than I have in years. It's been about 3 months now and I can't say enough good things about the plan. Yeah, it takes some getting used to but it really works. Really. I've lost about 17 pounds (was ~183lbs when I started) and my energy levels are through the roof. Also, I haven't had any of the GI distress and cramping issues I used to have during long runs/rides. The hardest thing to get used to for me was cutting out the grains but it only took a week to get into the groove of the plan. I've followed body for life and Zone-type plans before but never had results like this. I didn't do it to lose weight per se, I was mainly concerned with finding a nutrition plan that enabled me to perform better in my marathons and 70.3 this year. Not only am I able to go faster/further but I feel much better afterwards. Anyway, just wanted to provide a review from someone who has actually followed the plan for 3 months in case anyone else out there is thinking about it. |
| 2009-04-16 5:30 PM in reply to: #2089847 |
Master 2477  Oceanside, California | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review What are the basics of the diet? |
| 2009-04-17 3:21 AM in reply to: #2089847 |
| Extreme Veteran 428 | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review I've never read he book but have cut down on the grains I used to eat. Feel like I would struggle to cut them out all together. What do you eat instead of grains? What do you eat post workout (when need the highest energy density to refuel / recover)? Can you giv us some examples of a typical day's food? Thanks |
| 2009-04-17 7:56 AM in reply to: #2089847 |
| Member 47 CO | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review Happy to provide some more details on it. The basic premise of the plan is to eat as our ancestors in the paleolithic (i.e. caveman) era ate. If you google "caveman diet" or "paleo diet" you'll find quite a bit of literature on it. Essentially, you only eat lean animal meats (chicken, lean beef), eggs and fish for protein and lots of fruits, vegetables and nuts for carbs and fat. No dairy, grains, legumes, sugars or processed foods of any kind. A typical day would be as follows: Meal 1 - 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg scrambled and a banana Meal 2 - grilled chicken breast on salad with tons of veggies, flax oil for dressing, apple Snack - orange, handful of cashews Meal 3 - grilled salmon, salad with veggies and avocado, flax oil dressing, pear Snack - cut melon with strawberries, walnuts I also take a multivitamin and 2 fish oil capsules with breakfast. During and after a workout are the only times that you consume simple/processed sugars. Once you get going on the plan, your body is not carrying around any sodium or stored sugar/glycogen so you need to make sure and consume them during activity. I'll have a gel before I step off and drink Infinit throughout the workout. Then afterwards I'll have a serving of EnduroxR4 and a bunch of raisins. Then about 30 minutes after that I'll have a regular meal. I'll usually have one or two "cheat meals" during the week where I eat whatever I want and not worry about it. Those are the basics of the plan but I'd definitely recommend getting the book if you are really interested in trying the plan. Friel and Cordain base everything on scientific research so it's an interesting read whether you actually follow the plan or not. |
| 2009-04-17 8:22 AM in reply to: #2089847 |
Master 1704  Charlotte | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review I picked up the book at the library and didn't make it past the first chapter! I wanted me to give up everything I enjoyed eating (heck, I workout so I can eat, drink, and be merry)! You have to be pretty dedicated (or at least not crave everything they want you to cut out) to stick out this diet. I would have been way to easy for me to fall off the wagon. For me to succeed on a "diet" I have to mentally think I can do it... Edited by bgraboski 2009-04-17 8:23 AM |
| 2009-04-17 9:07 AM in reply to: #2089847 |
Veteran 274 outskirts of town | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review The concept of this diet sounds similar to the diet promoted in the book "Eat Right For Your Blood Type" by a Dr. D'Adamo. In that book D'Adamo identified specific diets based on an individuals blood type. The paleo diet sounds very similar to the "O" type diet, which I happen to be. His theory based on years of research was that type "O" blood types are the oldest and would be most healthy with types of foods that would be readily available and not cultivated. Are you a "O" blood type? It was a very good diet for me, and the weight basically fell off, however I had difficulty staying away from the grains. It was okay to eat whole grains and grains like spelt, amaranth and quinoa, but who can eat that stuff all the time?? The blood type book has been around for a while and isn't piggy backing on the latest craze in Japan where everything is based on blood type analysis. Might be worth a look as well. Thanks for the insight. I think these diets are beneficial because they give a person a base from which to add or remove food groups to narrow down what works best for you. As in all things moderation and listening to your body is always best. jm |
| 2009-04-17 2:01 PM in reply to: #2090894 |
| Extreme Veteran 428 | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review CORocks - 2009-04-18 12:56 AM Happy to provide some more details on it. The basic premise of the plan is to eat as our ancestors in the paleolithic (i.e. caveman) era ate. If you google "caveman diet" or "paleo diet" you'll find quite a bit of literature on it. Essentially, you only eat lean animal meats (chicken, lean beef), eggs and fish for protein and lots of fruits, vegetables and nuts for carbs and fat. No dairy, grains, legumes, sugars or processed foods of any kind. A typical day would be as follows: Meal 1 - 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg scrambled and a banana Meal 2 - grilled chicken breast on salad with tons of veggies, flax oil for dressing, apple Snack - orange, handful of cashews Meal 3 - grilled salmon, salad with veggies and avocado, flax oil dressing, pear Snack - cut melon with strawberries, walnuts I also take a multivitamin and 2 fish oil capsules with breakfast. During and after a workout are the only times that you consume simple/processed sugars. Once you get going on the plan, your body is not carrying around any sodium or stored sugar/glycogen so you need to make sure and consume them during activity. I'll have a gel before I step off and drink Infinit throughout the workout. Then afterwards I'll have a serving of EnduroxR4 and a bunch of raisins. Then about 30 minutes after that I'll have a regular meal. I'll usually have one or two "cheat meals" during the week where I eat whatever I want and not worry about it. Those are the basics of the plan but I'd definitely recommend getting the book if you are really interested in trying the plan. Friel and Cordain base everything on scientific research so it's an interesting read whether you actually follow the plan or not. Thanks for the info. My diet is really good already, but I reckon I'd find it difficult going fully paleo-esk. I love my milk, legumes, and a couple of bits of toast a day so would find it really hard to give them up. Getting enough variety to keep it interesting would seem like a challenge to me. Cheers Gerrard |
| 2009-04-20 3:20 PM in reply to: #2089847 |
| Member 37 Syracuse | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review I am close to 60 days into the Paleo diet and it really works. I have lost 12 pounds and my performance has increased. I have begun to really enjoy the food and the times I have cheated I felt like crap. |
| 2009-04-20 7:54 PM in reply to: #2089847 |
Master 1882 Chandler, Arizona | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review I have this book but I have not yet implemented it's concepts into my training. Now that I'm stepping up to a HIM this year I'm really thinking about following it. I've read that if you can make it through the first two weeks then you're on easy stree after that. In the past year I've gone from 195 to about 173'ish. I'd like to loose about 8 more pounds by getting my body fat down to 10%. Most of this weight loss has been from training and watch what I eat but there are a lot of things that I could improve on.
To the OP, how has your BF changed in the past 3 months? |
| 2009-04-20 9:27 PM in reply to: #2089847 |
| Master 1695 STL | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review |
| 2009-04-21 12:35 PM in reply to: #2098573 |
| Member 47 CO | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review Mirg - 2009-04-20 8:54 PM I have this book but I have not yet implemented it's concepts into my training. Now that I'm stepping up to a HIM this year I'm really thinking about following it. I've read that if you can make it through the first two weeks then you're on easy stree after that. In the past year I've gone from 195 to about 173'ish. I'd like to loose about 8 more pounds by getting my body fat down to 10%. Most of this weight loss has been from training and watch what I eat but there are a lot of things that I could improve on.
To the OP, how has your BF changed in the past 3 months? My current bodyfat is at 8% and I'd probably guess that it was around 12-14% when I first started. I've been able to retain most if not all of my muscle mass and my strength has gone up as well. You don't need to eat oatmeal, cottage cheese and pasta to get stronger! The most important thing for people just starting out (besides eliminating processed foods) is to make sure and get a lot of healthy omega 3 fats into your meals. I have flax oil, avocados and walnuts or cashews at least 3 times a day. Good fats make a huge difference |
| 2009-04-22 10:40 AM in reply to: #2100101 |
Master 1882 Chandler, Arizona | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review CORocks - 2009-04-21 10:35 AM Mirg - 2009-04-20 8:54 PM My current bodyfat is at 8% and I'd probably guess that it was around 12-14% when I first started. I've been able to retain most if not all of my muscle mass and my strength has gone up as well. You don't need to eat oatmeal, cottage cheese and pasta to get stronger! The most important thing for people just starting out (besides eliminating processed foods) is to make sure and get a lot of healthy omega 3 fats into your meals. I have flax oil, avocados and walnuts or cashews at least 3 times a day. Good fats make a huge differenceI have this book but I have not yet implemented it's concepts into my training. Now that I'm stepping up to a HIM this year I'm really thinking about following it. I've read that if you can make it through the first two weeks then you're on easy stree after that. In the past year I've gone from 195 to about 173'ish. I'd like to loose about 8 more pounds by getting my body fat down to 10%. Most of this weight loss has been from training and watch what I eat but there are a lot of things that I could improve on.
To the OP, how has your BF changed in the past 3 months? Sweet! That's what I'm looking for. Everybody that I've ever talked with that has ever gone paleo has had nothing but good things to say about it and they've all dropped a lot of obdy fat. I'm going to re-read the book and start. Thanks for the info! |
| 2009-04-22 11:33 AM in reply to: #2089847 |
Regular 88 | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review I'm interested in this and have read up a bit. Do you EVER eat any bread, or anything in the 'don't eat' list, or do you minimize it as much as you can? |
| 2009-04-22 12:35 PM in reply to: #2102690 |
Master 1882 Chandler, Arizona | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review Israelg48 - 2009-04-22 9:33 AM I'm interested in this and have read up a bit. Do you EVER eat any bread, or anything in the 'don't eat' list, or do you minimize it as much as you can? As I recall, the authors state that as long as you follow the program 95% of the time whatever you eat the other 5% of the time won't have an impact on your system. If you eat 6x a day that comes out to 42 meals a week. That basically gives you two "cheat" meals a week.
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| 2009-04-22 1:03 PM in reply to: #2089847 |
Extreme Veteran 484 Glen Burnie, MD | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review Thx for providing this review! I (like apparently many others) bought the book a while back but haven't tried it yet. I think I'll read it while I'm on vacation next week then try it out. I've been wanting to lose some more body fat but have been worried about losing muscle in the process. It sounds like this should do the trick! |
| 2009-04-22 1:03 PM in reply to: #2089847 |
| Modesto, California | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review And its mostly whole foods that you are eating , not any whey shakes or meal replacement shakes? |
| 2009-04-22 6:02 PM in reply to: #2089847 |
| Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review Yeah, the book is, ummmm, sitting on the shelf. I'm skeered |
| 2009-04-23 8:19 AM in reply to: #2089847 |
Champion 6107 Out running or enjoying a fine glass of red... | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review I have it, and I'm trying to start living it... I'm no expert, but here's what I understand so far. Eat lean meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts. Right before, during, and right after you train, you can eat sugars, grains, and high glycemic foods. It's pretty much how I've been eating anyway (except when I go on carb binges...but that's a different thread). |
| 2009-04-23 8:59 AM in reply to: #2100101 |
Extreme Veteran 398 Frisco, Texas | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review CORocks - 2009-04-21 12:35 PM Mirg - 2009-04-20 8:54 PM My current bodyfat is at 8% and I'd probably guess that it was around 12-14% when I first started. I've been able to retain most if not all of my muscle mass and my strength has gone up as well. You don't need to eat oatmeal, cottage cheese and pasta to get stronger! The most important thing for people just starting out (besides eliminating processed foods) is to make sure and get a lot of healthy omega 3 fats into your meals. I have flax oil, avocados and walnuts or cashews at least 3 times a day. Good fats make a huge differenceI have this book but I have not yet implemented it's concepts into my training. Now that I'm stepping up to a HIM this year I'm really thinking about following it. I've read that if you can make it through the first two weeks then you're on easy stree after that. In the past year I've gone from 195 to about 173'ish. I'd like to loose about 8 more pounds by getting my body fat down to 10%. Most of this weight loss has been from training and watch what I eat but there are a lot of things that I could improve on.
To the OP, how has your BF changed in the past 3 months?
In lowering your BF% was there anything else that changed? Such as more activity, weight room regime? Thanks, I'm starting on Monday. Edited by trey800hj 2009-04-23 8:59 AM |
| 2009-04-23 11:22 AM in reply to: #2089847 |
Master 1920 Ann Arbor, MI | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review I have a question for the OP- Are you following this diet AND still getting the same # of calories you were before you started the diet? Not knowing what a typical meal was before you started the diet, it seems like your weight loss is coming from a reduction in overall caloric intake, and not necessarily due to the paleo diet in particular. I'm interested in the diet for athletic performance, not for weight loss, but I'm concerned that I would have a hard time eating enough calories every day. |
| 2009-04-24 7:18 AM in reply to: #2089847 |
| Member 47 CO | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review I'm glad I could help shed some light on the plan and am happy to answer questions! I typically have one to two meals per week where I eat basically whatever I want. Usually it will be at a restaurant and I'll have some starches and dairy and possibly desert depending on how I feel. One thing that surprised me about this plan is that I don't really crave sweets or starchy foods at all anymore. When I used to follow Body for Life I felt hungry all the time and could barely wait until my "free day". I'd say that my caloric intake is probably about the same as it was before I started Paleo. I'm still eating about 5 times per day but I don't know the exact amount of calories I'm taking in. That's one of the great things about the plan, you don't need to count calories or follow points or anything like that. Three of my meals usually have a cooked lean meat (fish, chicken, lean steak..etc), vegetables, fruit and good fats and two of the meals will still have a fruit and vegetable but I'll have a couple egg whites or nuts with it instead of animal protein. Like some of the other people who commented, I didn't originally start the plan to lose weight; my main goal was to perform better. I was also worried about losing muscle mass since I was taught that you need to eat starches/grains/dairy to build and retain muscle. That hasn't been the case at all and I've actually put on a few pounds of lean muscle. I'll do 2 weight training workouts per week that are usually short, intense circuit-type sessions. It is very important to make sure and take in simple sugars during and after you are exercise. That's the main modification from the regular Paleo diet and Paleo Diet for Athletes. For workouts longer than 60 minutes, I'll have a gel before stepping off, between 12-50oz of Infinit (could be more depending on the length of the ride/run) and a recovery drink immediately following the workout. Hope that helps and good luck to anyone starting the plan! Edited by CORocks 2009-04-24 7:41 AM |
| 2009-04-24 8:13 AM in reply to: #2089847 |
Regular 89 New York | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review Thanks for all of the info. I just ordered the book (10 bucks on amazon). I am going to give it a shot. Seems like it is exactly what I am looking for. |
| 2009-04-26 2:33 PM in reply to: #2089847 |
Member 14 Beaverton, OR | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review I've been eating this way for a couple of weeks too and really enjoy it. I've had good results with lower carb eating in the past and have always suspected that it's a better way for my particular system (having a thyroid disease and adrenal gland fatigue) but it was hard to stick to. The paleo diet is easier, I think, because of the fruit component. I eat a ton of fruit, veggies, lean meats, eggs, nuts and a very tiny amount of low fat dairy (string cheese and cottage cheese). The dairy is technically not allowed but that's one slight modification I've personally made. And I also have some sports drinks and gels when doing long rides. I have a fair amount of weight to lose and am trying to build muscle and endurance. Someone asked about calories and if the OP was eating fewer. For me - I am definitely eating fewer calories than when I was trying to eat a "balanced" diet of carbs, fat and protein. I was hungry all the time! And so no matter how hard I tried to control myself I ended up eating too much and couldn't lose weight because of it. Now I eat fewer calories - but feel satisfied and have good energy for exercising too - and I've started losing weight as well. I'm planning on sticking with this for the long haul, even if I'm able to reach my goal weight. |
| 2009-04-27 9:30 AM in reply to: #2089847 |
Regular 158 South AL | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review I am really encouraged by this thread. Thanks OP for starting it. I bought the book over a year ago and read it, but I never actually started the eating plan. I reread it this weekend, and I am now encouraged. I would like to drop about 10 pounds and better my nutrition for performance. I am giving it a try. |
| 2009-04-30 2:50 AM in reply to: #2089847 |
| Veteran 247 CA | Subject: RE: Paleo Diet for Athletes - review I was a bit worried this was going to be some crazy fad diet until I clicked on the thread, but it looks good. Looks like the big factor is just eating clean. Will have to look into it more, thanks for bringing it up. |
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