The Paleo Diet didn’t work! In fact, you’re just as soft if not softer than when you started and you have no energy. You were doing everything right. Traded all of the crap you used to eat for gluten free substitutes and were happy to find that a lot of the recipes you used to love are still available in a Paleo version. You worked hard in the gym and even put in some over time. What’s the deal?!

Does the above scenario seem familiar to you? I would venture to say the vast majority of those who saw little success on the Paleo failed not from lack of effort, but rather a lack of understanding. If you are wondering what went wrong with your own “Paleo Challenge” or are considering starting one, the following information may hold the answer!

You didn’t read the book.

Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Solution has given you all the tools to success in a well-written, entertaining, life changing book. Not by chance, Robb is also the world’s premier Paleo diet expert and the one who popularized the use of the “30 Day Paleo Challenge”. If you didn’t read the book you may not have realized the following are part of the recipe to success. Read the darn book! And while you’re at it, listen to him on Power Athlete Radio!

You weren’t sleeping enough.

While you’re asleep your body fights off sickness and disease, often times defeating the enemy at the gate before it ever enters. During this time your body also replenishes hormones important for creating a lean, healthy body that performs better in the gym and in the bedroom. Got your attention? Form follows function. If your sleep sucks you will suck. Checkout this killer Power Athlete Radio with Dr. Kirk Parsley to un-suck.

You weren’t sleeping correctly.

Getting enough sleep is not enough. The recommendations found in the book that you should have read state that you need a pitch black, cool room. When light touches your eyes your body will stifle the production of melatonin, a hormone important for regulating our sleep and wake cycles. You should also cut off all electronics well in advance prior to sleep. As your brain responds to the stimulus of a video game or tweet, the fight or flight response causes your body to produce cortisol, the bane of existence for those looking to get rid of “stubborn body fat”. This is a perfect time for you to turn the lights down and settle into bed with a nice book. I recommend you read The Paleo Solution…

You weren’t eating enough.

In my nutrition coaching, it’s far more common that individuals are not eating enough than over eating. Many years ago the FDA decided to label the macronutrients in food “based on a 2,000 calorie diet”. To many this meant the FDA had decided that 2,000 calories is the magic recommended number for calorie consumption when in fact this number is simply a rounded down figure based on a surveyed average of what people were consuming. It’s also important to note that 2,000 calories is very close to the calorie requirements of postmenopausal women.

So, how should a Power Athlete or other high intensity athlete approach the Paleo diet? As written by Robb Wolf himself in an article describing his own training at age 42 he sates, “Do it strict if you do not feel well. Do it religiously if you have a serious illness. Play with carb intake. If you are really active, particularly in glycogen demanding sports, I think you will need a decent amount of carbs.” Remember, the Paleo diet is not inherently a zero carb diet and in order to maintain a proper carbohydrate intake one must get creative. Athletes need carbs- it’s that simple. If you are working out intensely your Paleo diet should not look like the same as sedentary individuals or those suffering from  autoimmune issues. This is where applying the Paleo Diet can get tricky and you should hire a professional to ensure you are hitting the right macronutrients for your individual scenario.

You ate too much (Paleo disguised stuff).

As with any nutritional trend, the food industry has used the gluten free craze to an inflammatory (pun) magnitude. Now, you can eat the same Type II diabetes causing junk in gluten free form! While you are encouraged to experiment with different foods and flavors on a Paleo diet, you are also warned of hyper palatable foods. Research has shown sugar to have the same chemical effects on the obese as alcohol on an alcoholic. While their procurement methods may be more environmentally friendly and pure, honey, agave, and pure maple sugar are still sugar. Someone looking to lose weight will find it just as hard to do so eating “Organic Paleo Cacao Date Muffins” as they would eating doughnuts.

Highly palatable foods are also a common issue. While participating in a Paleo Challenge, we encourage you to choose foods that are nutrient dense, good for gut health and anti inflammatory. I often find that those who participate in a Paleo challenge before they’re emotionally ready to make a change will often alleviate their junk food cravings with things like salted almonds and dried fruit, both extremely high calorie, hyper palatable, and arguably non-Paleo. If you’re in this challenge for the right reasons you are eating to live, not living to eat. Make sure you are taking the right route and not the easiest one.

You worked out too much.

This goes double for those of you who are under eating! Countless studies have shown that too much training, in particular cardiovascular focused training causes increases cortisol production. Our bodies were not designed to perform at an ultra high intensity too often and nobody exemplifies this more than our Paleolithic ancestors. The ancestors we are asked to imitate during our 30 day challenge slept long, stalked prey over long distances, sprinted in bursts, and often summoned their strength to build shelter, prepare food, and work with hand held tools.

In many gyms today people feel that if your workout doesn’t leave you sore and gasping for air, it wasn’t effective. Assuming we are diehard CrossFiters looking to be the best in that field of study we can learn a lot about our own training in looking at the CrossFit.com main sites, programmed by CrossFit headquarters. In the last 4 days at the time this article was written you will see a strength only day, a rest day, a short 10 minute workout consisting of only two movements, and one long, steady state cardio workout.

While the willingness to scale is up to the athlete, the programmers themselves have prescribed to you a rest day and a day consisting of a single lift back to back. With this in mind, why do devoted followers so often feel that their workouts consistently should be long, ultra intense workouts focused on total muscular exhaustion and endurance? If you need to rest then do so.

You were sad to start and happy to finish.

It annoys me to no end when those about to participate in a 30 day Paleo challenge have one last hoorah of bad food before the dreadful, next 30 days of their entire life. These same people will also typically celebrate the end of this 30 day period of improved health with an intensified version of their previous diet which led them to a point of needing change in the first place. Here’s the thing… If you are dreading a Paleo challenge, you aren’t ready. This challenge is for those who are excited about making a positive change in their health. If you are happy when your challenge is over, chances are you made one or more of the aforementioned mistakes or are not in a position to truly WANT change.

Is the Paleo Diet for everyone? Sure. I think everyone can benefit from a form of a Paleo diet. The simple fact is, the way you eat needs to match your situation and goals. The Paleo diet of an athlete should not mimic the Paleo diet of a sedentary individual suffering from an autoimmune disease. At Power Athlete, the Paleo Diet is something we are extremely familiar with. Our very own Paula “Lean” has created a host of Paleo friendly recipes to keep you on track and your tastebuds happy. We also offer custom meal plans that can be 100% tailor fit to your goals, following a Paleo diet.  Before throwing out the Paleo diet as unsuccessful prepare and educate yourself on a Paleo lifestyle and ask yourself if you’re ready to “change the way you look, feel, and perform”!

Share this article