Having experienced his best performance after four weeks on the Paleo Diet, U.S. Olympic Triathlete coach Joe Friel used the Paleo Diet to coach national and international caliber athletes.
This performance enhancing diet isn’t just for Olympic hopefuls, though. The Paleo Diet has helped many individuals overcome personal challenges and poor health including Kelly who shares her story (below).
After an embarrassing failure to climb Mt. Hoffman, Kelly turned her life around to ultimately make it to the top of Yosemite’s highest peak. With the help of Chris LaLanne (who continues grand uncle Jack LaLanne’s fitness legacy), she learned to use nutrition and exercise to regain lost fitness. Chris introduced Kelly to the benefits of the Paleo Diet, and here’s what that has meant to Kelly:
It was spring of 2008 when I finally had had enough: enough with being uncomfortable in my own skin, enough with being incredulous at the reflection in Kelly Before the mirror, enough with disparity between who I thought I was and my actual physical reality.
I had always been athletic throughout school and in college (swim team, crew team) and on my own without the structure of the NCAA (adventure racing and marathons). Then a series of injuries and their subsequent surgeries and rehabs had me ‘out of the game’ for over three years.
When a photo assignment came to shoot a portrait on top of Mt. Hoffman, Yosemite’s highest peak, I took it with relish. ‘That’s right up my alley,’ I thought. The panting, sweating difficulty I had on the climb (and inability to make it to the summit) was so embarrassing it wasn’t just a wake-up call: it was a five alarm/bucket of cold water/shake you out of bed realization. This is what I had become – unfit, flabby and fat.
I started going to my local gym using the treadmill and stairmill. I counted calories. I was never a ‘junk food junkie,’ but portion control wasn’t part of my vernacular either. I thought a calorie was a calorie, regardless of the source. Of course, I did lose a few pounds as will happen on 1,000 – 1,500 calories a day, but I was ALWAYS hungry – stomach growling kind of hungry.
I knew this was a battle that needed reinforcements, and help arrived when I stepped through the doors of LaLanne Fitness. I did the ‘Baseline’ workout and although I’m sure I was another panting, sweating mess, all I remember was that it was fun. Chris laid out the interconnectivity of the CrossFit model: strength/speed/ flexibility/diet in the simplest common sense approach. The irony is that it is far from common. Fads and quick fixes are much more numerous despite being ineffective time and time again.
I saw results from the CrossFit workouts immediately. I had never lifted weights beyond bicep curls, and now I was giddy about strength workouts. I had to do almost everything scaled, but I did it. I had good fitness momentum but as soon as I addressed my diet, my health and capabilities went to the next level.
First I learned and incorporated the Zone Diet. I admit that I struggled at first because I was now forced to pay attention to my food. No more mindless grabbing of the cereal box, and having my third or fourth bowl of the day. Now I was enlightened to the fact that a calorie isn’t just a calorie. Fat isn’t bad and the USDA’s food pyramid holy grail of grains isn’t always good…A leaner, fitter athlete kept emerging.
I was having success but realized even with my Zone block approach, I was still eating some heavily processed foods. Food bars and soy milk were part of my daily intake.
Chris LaLanne introduced us to the Paleo Diet at a Saturday nutrition talk. What a revelation. It took baby steps, but my 5 + year addiction to vanilla soymilk ended. In fact, my sweet tooth became manageable for the very first time – EVER. Now if I have a ‘treat’ (such a misnomer!), I feel the negative effects (sluggish, headache, sugar seeking) within the hour.
I have no idea why I thought it was okay to not give my body good, clean fuel when I’d never do that to my car. Strange. Chris has us keep nutrition logs so there’s accountability amongst my fellow CrossFitters, but more importantly to myself.
It’s been one year since this journey began. My 60 + pound weight loss accounts for all the new clothes in the closet, and the Paleo Diet accounts for the whole organic makeover of my cupboards and refrigerator. My foods are now perishable instead of shelf stable. And, I’m ‘back in the game’ going for the summit every day.
Click here to learn more about the The Paleo Diet Implementation Program.
