I've stopped eating sugar.
I was a sugar-holic, though. Huge Mochas, donuts, lots of chocolate, double doubles. Almost everything I ate had a tons of sugar in it. I decided about a year ago that I would stop eating sugar. Then I tried a coffee at Tim Horton's without the cream and sugar, and I abandoned my sugarless ways. It seems the coffee is just a vehicle for the cream and sugar (much like cigarettes for nicotine). I had many similar experiences trying to quit smoking. I didn't even last a day.
Shortly after that, I started working out at Crossfit BC. Great guys, great gym, great little community. Since May 2009, I've been going approx. twice a week to a grueling punishment that I will not describe here (you can check out the link). The transformation of my body was immediate. I hadn't exercised a lot prior to joining this training center, and certainly not with any regularity. In fact, I spent the first 35 years of my life trying to kill myself. I smoked for 20 years. Drank like a champion. Ate whatever happened to be in front of me. Tossed my body around. My motto was "Total Body Sacrifice!"
I still like the motto, but I've modified it a bit. "Total Body Challenge." I love a challenge. And you certainly have to sacrifice a few things in order to overcome a challenge, so it still fits, but it's not about sacrificing the body anymore, rather challenging the entire thing. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. I completed an MBA recently, without an undergraduate degree (or even a high school diploma, for that matter). I've joined the Ride to Conquer Cancer, though I'd never ridden a bike for more than ten minutes at a time prior to signing up. This challenge thing is addictive, especially when you overcome them. It's a rush.
Recently, Crossfit BC issued the "Paleo Challenge." If it was called the "Try altering your diet slightly for a month", this blog wouldn't exist, but it had challenge in the title, so I had to take them up on it. For 31 days, I will eat what the cave man ate. The gist of the Paleolithic Diet is that our bodies are genetically adapted to survive on water, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and meats, and that our genetic make-up has not changed since the end of the paleolithic period (12,000 years ago), so we should eat what they ate. I thought they had a maximum life expectancy of about 35 years, but if that's true, is was probably due to the fact that they lived outside and had no medical intervention. Anyway, I had been thinking about giving up sugar (which the paleo diet strictly forbids) for a long time, so I decided to take on the challenge.
As with most challenges, this one has several facets. The main one is that my wife, Jennifer, the primary food preparer in our household is not on the diet, and that I am "Culinarily Declined." Prior to meeting her, I lived on restaurant sushi, 99 cent pizza, and beer. When she is away, I revert to that diet. None of these staples are included in the paleo diet, of course, so I am going to have to learn how to cook. I am literally starting from scratch.
I'll let you know how things go. I'll keep this blog for the 31 days of March 2010. I'll share recipes that I come across in my coincidental culinary challenge. I'll also document my Crossfit progress during this month to try to measure the physical benefits of eating like a caveman.
Jer
I was a sugar-holic, though. Huge Mochas, donuts, lots of chocolate, double doubles. Almost everything I ate had a tons of sugar in it. I decided about a year ago that I would stop eating sugar. Then I tried a coffee at Tim Horton's without the cream and sugar, and I abandoned my sugarless ways. It seems the coffee is just a vehicle for the cream and sugar (much like cigarettes for nicotine). I had many similar experiences trying to quit smoking. I didn't even last a day.
Shortly after that, I started working out at Crossfit BC. Great guys, great gym, great little community. Since May 2009, I've been going approx. twice a week to a grueling punishment that I will not describe here (you can check out the link). The transformation of my body was immediate. I hadn't exercised a lot prior to joining this training center, and certainly not with any regularity. In fact, I spent the first 35 years of my life trying to kill myself. I smoked for 20 years. Drank like a champion. Ate whatever happened to be in front of me. Tossed my body around. My motto was "Total Body Sacrifice!"
I still like the motto, but I've modified it a bit. "Total Body Challenge." I love a challenge. And you certainly have to sacrifice a few things in order to overcome a challenge, so it still fits, but it's not about sacrificing the body anymore, rather challenging the entire thing. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. I completed an MBA recently, without an undergraduate degree (or even a high school diploma, for that matter). I've joined the Ride to Conquer Cancer, though I'd never ridden a bike for more than ten minutes at a time prior to signing up. This challenge thing is addictive, especially when you overcome them. It's a rush.
Recently, Crossfit BC issued the "Paleo Challenge." If it was called the "Try altering your diet slightly for a month", this blog wouldn't exist, but it had challenge in the title, so I had to take them up on it. For 31 days, I will eat what the cave man ate. The gist of the Paleolithic Diet is that our bodies are genetically adapted to survive on water, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and meats, and that our genetic make-up has not changed since the end of the paleolithic period (12,000 years ago), so we should eat what they ate. I thought they had a maximum life expectancy of about 35 years, but if that's true, is was probably due to the fact that they lived outside and had no medical intervention. Anyway, I had been thinking about giving up sugar (which the paleo diet strictly forbids) for a long time, so I decided to take on the challenge.
As with most challenges, this one has several facets. The main one is that my wife, Jennifer, the primary food preparer in our household is not on the diet, and that I am "Culinarily Declined." Prior to meeting her, I lived on restaurant sushi, 99 cent pizza, and beer. When she is away, I revert to that diet. None of these staples are included in the paleo diet, of course, so I am going to have to learn how to cook. I am literally starting from scratch.
I'll let you know how things go. I'll keep this blog for the 31 days of March 2010. I'll share recipes that I come across in my coincidental culinary challenge. I'll also document my Crossfit progress during this month to try to measure the physical benefits of eating like a caveman.
Jer
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