Paleo Challenge Blog – Week 1:

Thoughts:

Paleo Challenge 2016 is officially underway. 42 days of bettering yourself and taking charge of your health. Here are ten tips I have compiled to help you get started and stay on track!


1. Do not compare yourself and your results throughout the challenge to others. This is such an easy trap to fall into. Remember, this is about you and your goals and you committing to getting healthy and fit. Everybody’s bodies respond differently and at different rates. Focus on yourself and be proud of the journey you have committed to every step of the way.

2. Keep it simple. Focus on making a simple protein with a vegetable, and healthy fat to start. Paleo recipes are a lot of fun, but don’t overcomplicate things or break the budget making this lifestyle work for you.


3. Clean your house out of enticing snacks and treats that are not paleo. If members of your household are not on the same plan, ask them to support you by keeping appealing items out of your sight.


4. Plan ahead. If you don’t have something ready or something quick to make when you are tired or hungry, you are more likely to stray.


5. Concentrate on what you can have…not on what you can’t have. Think about additions to your plate like lots of nutrient-dense vegetables, omega-3 rich grassfed beef, satisfying delicious healthy fats, and flavorful fresh herbs, spices and seasonings. The cleaner you eat…the cleaner you will want to eat. Don’t focus on the treats you feel like you are missing out on.


6. Leave a note on your fridge, or create a vision/goal statement for the challenge. These goals should keep you accountable. If you place a note on your fridge make it simple like a list of the five reasons you want to live a long healthy life (kids, significant other, etc.). These simple reminders go a long way in keeping us accountable.


7. Ask lots of questions and rely on us to help you with every step of the way. There is nothing more satisfying in our profession than helping people accomplish their goals. There is no such thing as a “stupid question.”


8. Write down what you are eating for the first few weeks or log it on an app like my fitness pal. This can be eye opening for many people and also makes it easier for Jason and I to help people with problems or questions.

9. Try to commit to getting more sleep. Unplug and lay down….no more explanation needed.


10. Most Important: Don’t give up!!! If you are truly persuaded that nutrition is important then you’re in it for the long haul. Like everything, practice makes perfect and no one gets it perfect the first time. So you failed one day, that just means your pushing yourself to do something difficult. Be confident that you will improve, jump back on the wagon and keep it moving. 
Good luck everyone!!!!!!

Workout’s of the Week (Homework):

Workout One: AMRAP 20: 2 min. run/walk, 20 walking lunge steps, 15 sit-ups, 10 push-ups, 1 min. plank hold

Workout Two: 5 Rounds: 1 min. jog/walk, 1 min. fast run/fast walk (10 total min.), then complete 50 burpees for time, 5 more rounds of: 1 min. jog/walk, 1 min. fast run/fast walk.

Have fun and get members of your family or friends in on it too!

Recipes for the Week:

This week is a crazy busy week for me so I am keeping things simple here at the Bright’s. Breakfast for me will involve eggs, broccoli and spinach, bacon or avocado with some black coffee. Lunches will be grilled chicken with more fresh veggies or salad with lots of avocado. Lunch tends to be a time I like to have something sweet so I will be prepared with a small serving of fruit like berries or an apple. Snack will be a smaller version of lunch, or leftovers from the night before. Dinners will be the following attached recipes. I am a creature of habit so many of these things will be repeated throughout the course of the challenge. I am doing better with my water intake, but still have to be mindful of keeping it on hand throughout the day. I am also planning to be better prepared and consistent with my meals on the weekends.

Recipe 1: Paleo Meatloaf

Recipe 2: Crockpot Chicken

Recipe 3: Everyday paleo chilli

Recipe 4: Lettuce wrapped tacos
(my boys love taco night so we will make these and wrap them in lettuce as opposed to shells)

*I know this is only four meals, but I often double if not triple recipes so Jason and I have lots leftovers for repeat dinners and for lunches and snacks. I also have breakfast for dinner at least once a week. The boys love it and I think breakfast foods are my favorite.

*Snacks I keep on hand at the house are hard boiled eggs, lots of cut up veggies and some fresh fruits, and cut up strips of chicken. I don’t do too many nuts or nut butters because I feel like I have a hard time controlling my portions with those.

Goal of the Week:

This week your goal is very different in nature. The intent of these goals are to get your mind off of food and to focus on the reasons why you are doing this type of lifestyle change in the first place. This week we will focus on gratitude. I thought this would be a fun way to get our minds off the things we want to put in our mouths but shouldn’t, and will allow us to instead focus on all of the great things we have in life. This week think of 7 people you are grateful for. Pick a person a day, shoot them a text, write them a quick note, or just simply tell them you are grateful for their presence in your life. This assignment will not only make you and others feel great, but will make you focus your energy on other things outside of food 🙂

Fall in love with the process!
~Amy