ECF PALEO CHALLENGE PACKET
Welcome to the 2015 Ellensburg Crossfit Paleo Challenge. You’re committing yourself to making real
and measurable changes in your life. You’re committing yourself to health and fitness. That being said,
this will be no easy 30 Days. You will have days where you will be frustrated. You will have days where
you will feel defeated. You will have days where you want to give up. DON’T. Your body will adjust
before your mind does. You can do what might seem impossible. This is YOUR journey. You will get out
of it what you put into it. OWN IT.
Below are the rules and guidelines. The food guidelines are adapted from a similar Paleo challenge. They
have been reviewed by a Ellensburg Crossfit coach. Please note that to keep the integrity of the
challenge and to be fair to all who participate, there will be no straying or special allowances from this
layout. Please read all rules thoroughly and carefully. Know what you are committing to. Participation is
optional and open to all Ellensburg Crossfit athletes:
• Challenge begins Saturday, January 24 and ends Febuary 23rd.
• $15 buy in fee (Optional: if you don’t pay you won’t be eligible for the prize.) The money will be held at
the gym. Please give to Taylor. Buy in $$ is due no later than Tuesday, Janurary 27th, no exceptions (but
challenge begins on the 24th)
• Participants must have weight and before photos taken by Tuesday, January 27th, no exceptions. You
will take weight and photos again at the end of the challenge. Photos can be taken by yourself and be
kept confidential unless you choose to share.
• You must adhere to 30 Days of clean eating (a mix of Paleo/Whole30). You will start each week with
35 food points. Every food cheat costs you 5 points. A perfect week will give you 5 bonus points. A
detailed food guideline will be given to each participant that buys in. Please note that there are some
allowable non-Whole30 "extras" with this challenge.
• A daily food and WOD journal must be kept. This journal will be checked and signed weekly
(preferably every Friday or Saturday) either by a coach or another participant if you can't get to a coach.
You should use the same journal to document your foods and workouts.
• At the end of the challenge we will total food points.
• Remember, the $15 buy in is due by Tuesday the 27th but the challenge is starting on Saturday the
24th so get those journals ready!!
• Prize size will be dependent upon how many buy in participants we have and which place (1st or
2nd) you take.
• Failure to complete the challenge will forfeit your buy in fee and your chance to win.
• Food strays, alcohol (other than the allowed 6oz of red wine per day), and tobacco usage is considered
cheating and not documenting it on points is an automatic forfeit of buy in fee and participation. You’re
really only cheating yourself.
• Medications containing non-Paleo ingredients prescribed by a doctor are allowed and do not count as
a cheat. Over the counter medications that include sugar and other non-Paleo ingredients are allowed
for treating symptoms/ailments only and do not count as a cheat. If you can find a natural source for
these, even better. Please adhere to this rule and use only the amount necessary.
It would be great if we could check in, encourage, and share food tips/recipes with each other on
Facebook. My hope with this challenge is that we all learn and work together towards a stronger,
healthier being. This is a commitment and there is time and preparation involved. You can do it. I won't
say it will be easy but I will say it will be worth it. YOU ARE WORTH IT!!
Paleo Challenge Guidelines
As a simple explanation we define a Paleo Diet as eating meat, nuts, veggies, seeds, some fruit, little
starch, no sugar, and no dairy.
Approved and Unapproved Foods
*These lists are just for your convenience and do NOT include all foods. If you want to eat something not
on the list, but are unsure if it would be approved then just ask. You can Text me @ 360-790-3365 after
8am and before 9pm, 7 days a week
Approved Foods
• Meats such as beef, Flank steak, Top Sirloin, hamburger, pork, Pork loin, Pork chops, or any other
cut. (NOTE ON MEATS: Quality counts. Think about trimming some fat off the meat if it is factory farmed
meat. If it is local and mostly grassfed the fat is generally ok to eat. Either way, don’t be afraid of fat!!)
• Poultry (Again, if it is factory farmed meat, think about removing skin, but don’t be afraid of some fat.
Local, family farmed, and/or pastured poultry is ideal.)
• Eggs from Chicken (go for the enriched omega 3 variety if you can), Duck, or Goose
• Other meats including organ meats and game meats such as venison, wild boar, or wild turkey (Wild
Game meats, and their organ meats are very good for you!)
• Fish (be careful of canned tuna which can contain soy)
• Shellfish
• ALL Fruit
• ALL Vegetables
• Nuts- Tree Nuts (Peanuts are not Nuts and are a no-no!!)
• Seeds
• Oils such as Olive, avocado, coconut, walnut, flaxseed, and canola oils (use in moderation—4
tablespoons or less a day when weight loss is of primary importance)
• Homemade Paleo mayonnaise (you can have mustard too, just read the label)
• For this challenge, green beans, snow peas and green peas are ok. The fresher the better. Eating them
raw is best.
• Natural Sweeteners- a total of 1/2 tablespoon is allowable per day of the natural sweeteners: coconut
nectar, and coconut crystals, real maple syrup, and honey. (NO AGAVE NECTAR, it’s basically High
Fructose Corn Syrup!)
• Almond milk and coconut milk (including canned) – make sure it is unsweetened
• Beverages such as Coffee, Tea
• Paleo Sweets such as Dried fruits and Nuts mixed with dried and fresh fruits- make sure there is no
added sugar
• Sweet potatoes, yams* (see guideline below regarding sweet potato fries from a restaurant).
• Red Wine- Paleo says that 1 glass of wine (6 oz.) a night is legal. Anything more than one glass per
night is a cheat (-5), and you can't save them up from nights before. Anything over one per night is a
cheat. Please document this.
• Protein supplementation is allowed and is not considered a cheat under the following conditions: it is
limited to one serving per day, has less than 25 carbs per serving, is taken within 30 minutes post
workout, and cannot be used as a meal replacement. Remember, most protein powders have some
sugar (natural or artificial), so if you are looking to slim down, be careful. Please see any coaches for
recommended brands. Not all protein supplements are created equal.
• If you choose to take vitamin supplements, please read ingredient label. I finally read the label on my
daily multi-vitamin. Soy was listed as the first ingredient. Needless to say, I will be switching.
Unapproved Foods-Don't Do It- These are Cheats (-5 per serving)
• Sweet potato fries from a restaurant. Here’s why: These are often coated in some sort of bread like
substance, plus you don’t know how they’re cooked. Order a salad instead. If you really want sweet
potato fries, you are better off making your own.
• Refined Sweeteners – sugar cane, white sugar, brown sugar, refined maple syrup, refined honey,
aspartame, sucralose, Nutrasweet, Splenda, and anything else refined or man-made.
• Other Sweets: Candy, Sugar (raw or processed), glucose, syrup.
• More than 1/2 Tablespoon/day of the natural sweeteners including coconut nectar, coconut crystals,
real maple syrup, and honey.
• Baking Soda
• Dairy Foods such as Butter, Cheese, Cream, Dairy spreads, Frozen yogurt, Ice cream, and All processed
foods made with any dairy products
• Cereal Grains: Barley, Corn, Millet, Oats, Rice, Rye, Sorghum, Wheat, and bread products including
bread, rolls, muffins, noodles, crackers, cookies, cake, doughnuts, pancakes, waffles, pasta, spaghetti,
lasagna, wheat tortillas, pizza, pita bread, flat bread, and all processed foods made with wheat or wheat
flour
• Cereal Grain-like Seeds: Amaranth, Buckwheat, Quinoa
• Legumes: All beans, Black-eyed peas, Chickpeas, Lentils, Peas, Peanut butter, Peanuts, Soybeans and
all soybean products, including tofu. Green beans and peas are allowed in moderation. The fresher the
better.
• White Potatoes and Tapioca
• Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices: All sugary soft drinks, Canned, bottled, and freshly squeezed fruit drinks
(which lack the fiber of fresh fruit and have a much higher glvcemic index)
• Gum – even the sugar-free kinds have artificial sweeteners in them.
• Alcohol - Tequila is the preferred Paleo liquor, but it is technically a cheat (-5). Anything other than
6oz of red wine per night is a cheat (-5).
• Tobacco – including cigarettes, cigars, snuff, chew, nicotine gum, etc. is a cheat. -5 per “serving”. For
example: smoking 3 cigarettes a day is worth 15 cheat points. Every time you put “chew” in your mouth
you must -5 points. We are all here to support you!! If you need help with this, please ask.
Here’s the low down on cheat points:
A cheat is a cheat is a cheat. For every cheat you must -5 points from the weekly 35 points you are
given. A cheat is per serving, not per meal. For example, say you want to go out to eat for Mexican food
and you order a combination platter that includes corn tortillas, rice and beans. If you eat the tortillas,
rice, and beans that adds up to -15 (-5 per food serving). Stick an after dinner cigarette or chew in your
mouth on top of that and you lose another 5.
That’s over half your points for the week.
Bottom line: If you are not sure if what you are about to eat is Paleo approved, check with a coach or
don’t eat it. If you decide to eat it without checking make sure you reference it in your journal and ask a
coach at a later time. If it is deemed non-Paleo it will count as a -5 cheat. Ask yourself if this is a risk you
are willing to take before you bite into it. Knowingly cheating and not documenting the -5 points is an
automatic disqualification. Cheating and trying to hide it has a way of coming back to you. Just ask Barry
Bonds. :)
Tips and tricks for eating and shopping:
Water, water, water. Did I mention water? Hydration is important. Add a lemon or lime wedge or a slice
of cucumber. Drink it with ice or drink it room temp. I don’t care how you do it, just drink it. Not a water
drinker? Drink it anyway. Also, try coconut water (always check label for added sugar, flavor). According
to Wikianswers.com, “A human body can survive 8-14 days without water depending on the person and
how fast sweat, urine, and tears are leaving the body and up to 7-8 weeks without food depending on
conditions like weight, temperature and exertion.” Get it? Got it? Good. Now drink.
Don’t shop for groceries while hungry. You are more likely to overspend and make poor food choices.
Shop the outer perimeters of the store (minus the bakery section). These are the areas you will find
meat and fresh fruits and vegetables. Shop the interior last for things like spices, oils, Paleo approved
frozen items (out of season fruits, vegetables). ALWAYS READ LABELS. You will become a label reading
master! If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, it probably isn’t Paleo. Skip it.
Use the internet, your coaches, and your fellow athletes for information and recipes. Several coaches
and athletes have completed the Whole 30 challenge and successfully adhere to a Paleo lifestyle. They
hold a plethora of knowledge and have been in your shoes. They know and understand your struggles.
This is not a diet. This is a lifestyle change using dietary modifications – for the long term.
As with any modification in diet and exercise routine, please consult with your physician if you are
unsure of any aspect of this challenge or you have a health condition that could be affected.