Paleo Weight Loss Mistakes

Over the years my Paleo diet has changed many times.  At the beginning I made many mistakes and from what I have read these are pretty common mistakes when your goal is weight loss.  Here are some of the most common.

1.  PALEO-IZING EVERYTHING!  Just because you can "make it Paleo".  Doesn't mean it is good or healthy for you.  Paleo pizza, Paleo cupcakes, Paleo cookies.  You can pretty much make all of your previous unhealthy foods Paleo with a google search.  Don't eat these.

2.  TOO MANY NUTS!  A lot of people think they need a snack.  Most of us don't and even if you do, nuts should be eaten sparingly.  They are super calorie rich food and so easy to overeat.  A scant handful at most, one time per day is plenty.

3.  NOT ENOUGH SLEEP!  We all know how important sleep is, but for so many reasons a lot of us are not getting enough of it.  When you deprive yourself of sleep this can make everything seem more difficult.  Two areas we as crossfitters care alot about is workout recovery and our diet for performance.  Both of these are hampered by lack of sleep.  When we are tired we are less likely to reach for those healthy foods or take the time to prepare our meals.  So shoot for a minimum of 8 hours of sleep per night.

4.  TOO MANY CARBS!  Paleo is not a low carb diet.  But when weight loss is your goal you definitely have to be careful of your carbohydrate intake.  Stick with protein, green leafy vegetables, and a little healthy fat during meals.  Fruits and tubers should probably just be eaten around your workouts (pre and post WOD).  And for those of you who do Paleo with rice.  NO RICE when weight loss is your goal.  Rice has pretty much no nutritional value and converts to sugar very quickly.  Excess energy or sugar in our bodies turns to FAT.  

5.  BUT I'M PRIMAL, I CAN TOLERATE DAIRY!  Again another very calorie rich food and little nutritional value.  STAY AWAY FROM DAIRY when weight loss is the goal.

If you would like more information on common Paleo weight loss mistakes please check out the links below.

The Caveman's Fixes for 5 Paleo Mistakes

Top 5 Common Paleo Weight Loss Mistakes

17 Reasons You're Not Losing Weight

Everyday Paleo Mexican Beef Stew

For those of you who attended the Everyday Paleo Workshop you had a chance to sample this SUPER DELICIOUS and EASY recipe made my Sarah Fragoso.

Thank you to our South member Wendy Gilchrist for the photo.  She said it was delicious over a bed of spinach.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs beef stew meat

1 small red onion, diced

1 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbl cumin

1/2 tsp chipotle powder

1 Tbl Oregano

2 tsp salt

2 tsp black pepper

1- 4 oz diced green chiles

2 C beef broth

3/4 cup tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS

1.  Place beef, onion and garlic on bottom of slow cooker and turn on low.

2.  Add all spices and mix well.

3.  Add chiles, beef broth, and tomato sauce.  Mix well.

4.  Cook on low for 8 hours until beef is fall apart tender.

SEE!!!  SUPER EASY!

Balsamic Sirloin Tip Roast

I swear the clouds parted and the sun shone down on me when I ate this!  Enjoy!

Ingredients

 Approx 3 1/2 lbs of Sirloin Tri Tip Roast

3 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 Tbl Balsamic Vinegar

1 1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1 1/2 Tbl fresh Rosemary, minced or 1 1/2 tsp dried, then crushed

3/4 tsp dried Thyme

1/3 tsp Black Pepper

3/4 tsp Sea Salt

Instructions

Place herbs and vinegar in a bowl.  Slowly pour olive oil in and whisk.  If you are doing this alone put a little olive oil in and a time and whisk.  If you have a partner have them pour and you whisk.  You want the oil and vinegar to blend well.

Set your roast on a platter or pan.  Brush the bottom and sides of the roast with marinade.  Pour the remaining marinade over the top.  Be sure to cover the roast completely with the marinade.  Let your roast sit on your counter top for one hour.  You want it to come to room temperature so that it cooks evenly.  If you are preparing this earlier in the day go ahead and put it in the fridge, just be sure to take it out as soon as you get home to give it some time to come closer to room temp.

Preheat your grill to 375 degrees.  Once you have the correct temperature on your grill go ahead and place  your roast in the middle of the grill.  Close lid and leave it alone for at least 40 minutes.  At 40 min mark go and check the roast's temperature.  You want it at 125 degrees for medium rare.  It can take up to an hour, be patient.  It is worth it.

Once it has reached your desired temperature be sure to let it rest on the cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes.  Cut into thin slices and serve.

We enjoyed it with some mashed cauliflower.

Kick Off Your Fit Challenge with a Pot of Everyday Paleo Scrumptious Slow Cooker Chicken

Today is the day!  First day of our New Year Fit Challenge!  Start your challenge off with a pot full of Everyday Paleo Scrumptious Slow Cooker Chicken.  Click the link to see the recipe.  It is quick, easy, and delicious.  You can even double the recipe for lunch leftovers or freeze half for later.  Remember if you have any questions or need any help during your Fit Challenge feel free to hit up a trainer or send us a message or comment on this blog.  A lot of times other members have the same questions and you would be helping out a whole host of people when you ask your question in the comments below.

Also, thank you to all who attended the Everyday Paleo Workshop on Saturday.  It was an amazing workshop.  We all learned that Paleo is way more than a diet.  It is a lifestyle.  You can have some success by following the "diet rules" of Paleo, but true success and health comes when you embrace all that goes into good health.  For those of you who did not attend here are a few things that are a must in your quest for optimal health.

1.  NUTRITION!!!  Paleo people!  Eat real whole food.  Eliminate grains, legumes, sugars, vegetable oils, and dairy.  Limit nuts, fruit, and booze.

2.  SLEEP!!!  Sleep people!  8 hours or more is optimal.  When you don't sleep, so much sucks.  Your workouts, your patience, your will power to handle cravings.  Get your sleep!

3.  STRESS!!!  Manage it, eliminate what you can, and don't sweat the small stuff.

4.  EXERCISE!!!  Do it responsibly and consistently.

Cioppino

Whole 30 Approved!

1lb shrimp
1lb mussels
1/2lb scallops
1 large onion diced
3 tomatoes chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 bay leaves
1/4c fresh parsley chopped
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1-2 tbs tomato paste
4oz chorizo- optional

Sauté onion, garlic until onions are translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and chorizo stir for about 3 min. Stir in tomato paste, smoked paprika, stock and bay leaves stir. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Add seafood until shrimp is pink and the mussels open.

Complements of one of our SCCF members Jessica S.

Chorizo Stuffed Peppers!

Shopping List

1lb ground turkey or ground beef
1tbsp minced garlic
2tbsp chili powder
1tbsp paprika
1/2tbsp oregano
1/2tbsp cumin
1tsp red pepper flakes
1/2tsp salt
1tsp black pepper
1tbsp apple cider vinegar
6 peppers
1/2 chopped onion
1 large tomato or 1 can diced tomatoes

Cost ~$15 if you already have all the spices

Directions

In a bowl, season ground meat with garlic, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and apple cider vinegar. Cover bowl and refrigerate over night.

Preheat oven to 400

Remove tops, clean inside and rinse peppers. Brown seasoned meat in skillet over medium heat. Remove meat and stir in chopped onion and diced tomato. Stuff peppers until full (I was able to pack all of the meat into 6 peppers. and place on a baking sheet or in a pan. Bake peppers for 20-25 minutes at 400, or until eddies turn golden brown and peppers become somewhat soft.

Zone Proportions

1 pepper is about 3.5-4 blocks of protein. You can eyeball this or measure the meat mixture before stuffing the peppers.


Make it Paleo | Staley . Mason

Citrus Grilled Pork Tenderloin - FORGET ABOUT THE RICE IN THE PICTURE!

This is definitely not a Whole30 compliant recipe because of the honey, but feel free to cut it back a bit if you want.  I made this for New Years Eve and it was delicious!  Enjoy!  And I forgot to take my own pic so that is why there is rice in the picture.

Ingredients

1 whole pork tenderloin, approximately 2 pounds

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup honey

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Trim the pork tenderloin of any excess fat and silver skin.

Place lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic powder in a small, lidded jar and shake to combine. Pour half of the marinade mixture into a 1-gallon resealable bag, add the chipotle pepper, and move around to combine. Add the pork tenderloin to the bag and seal, removing as much air as possible and place in a container to catch any leaks. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours, rotating the bag halfway through the time. Place the remaining marinade in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the tenderloin from the bag and allow to sit at room temperature while preparing the grill. Remove the reserved marinade from the refrigerator.

Brush grill with some oil (preferably something that can withstand hi heat like coconut oil).  Grill on high heat for approx 10 minutes on each side until internal temp reaches 140 degrees F.  I used my girddler/panini press and it took almost 20 min.

Remove the tenderloin from the grill and let it rest on a cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes.  Slice and serve with reserved marinade.

Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/grilled-pork-tenderloin-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback