A couple of years ago, I decided to try the Paleo Diet to see if it could have any impact on my ability to tone and lose weight. It was the first time I’d ever followed any structured diet plan, though it really isn’t structured, in my life. As a simple reminder, the Paleo Diet is designed to mirror our ancestors dietary habits before true civilization as we now know it had evolved. Humans were hunter/gatherers before they learned about agriculture and raising livestock for food. The Paleo Diet tries to mimic this by sticking to lean meats, fruits and vegetables, with all foods being low on the glycemic index (sugar content). I had to radically change my dietary habits, eliminating cereal for breakfast, pastas, legumes, and most of all…sugar!
I quickly noticed a difference as my pants started to get looser. Over the next month, fat seemed to melt from my body and in the end, I’d dropped twenty pounds. I made some modifications, working in a healthier cereal that I covered with a banana and almond milk, and eventually worked back into a more traditional diet that did include pastas again. I maintained things like my smoothies, but eventually found ten of those pounds I’d lost.
I bring all this up now because I have decided to give the Paleo another serious and more lasting effort. I want to be leaner and stay that way. I’ve rededicated myself to the Survival Workout…a key ingredient to maintaining low body fat and good fitness levels, as well as getting the cardio going. Scheduling time in the Adirondacks and taking a serious look at doing some fitness training with clients has put my head where it needs to be. I do it well and should never have gotten so far afield.
I went to the park Sunday afternoon to do the Survival Workout and began with the usual push-ups. I’d only managed 75 my last time out and was expecting something in that neighborhood, but when I hit 70, I knew I was strong and managed to push through to 90 before collapsing in a heap. The rest of the workout when extremely well and by the time I’d returned to the Jeep, my whole body was quivering from the effort.
Paleo Diet, Survival Workout, and hiking with a pack. Look out, Johnnie, I’m going to be ready for our trip to the Adirondacks. And Kimberly, don’t forget what you promised.
Survival Workout: 60 minutes
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 bpm.
Calories Burned: 600
Bonus: 12,000 steps
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