2019 Nutrition Challenge
Think of it as less of a challenge and more of community support for your nutritional goals!
We will not be doing a buy in or prizes for winners. We just want to come together for any of you who are needing some accountability in your health journey, take some measurements, set some goals together and do this as a team. Wether it’s to lose weight, cut sugar/carb cravings, become a better athlete, control mood swings, or build healthy habits. Things are easier together,… so let do this together.
What and are we doing and for how long?
Well, for 90 days we challenge you to clean up your eating!
–The dates will be March 11 – May 31.
-Find a plan that suits you best and stick to it.
-Set goals.
-Then, map it out,…how are you going to achieve these goals? Do you need to get yourself a food scale? Do you need to throw away the sugar in your house? Understand what it’s going to take and get ready!
As far as plans and eating suggestions go, we like the Zone Diet. You don’t have to go this route by any means, but I will say for us we have found the Zone diet to be the easiest thing to jump into. As with anything it takes some learning, but once you get it… you got it!
There is also something you may have heard floating around the box referred to as “RP”. (That stand for Renaissance Periodization.) We have know many people who have had great success with this option. My personal opinion, it is a little more “intense” to start out with, but it works for a lot of people when done well. I encourage you to do some research on both and pick which one would work best. Keep in mind your life schedule too, we want to make sure what you choose for this 90 day challenge is something you can maintain.
So lets get to it,….
What is the Zone Diet?
The zone diet is basically where CrossFit’s recommendation of “eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar” came from. The zone diet is what many CrossFit athletes follow. It is comprised of breaking down your portions into what is referred to as a “block”. It neither prohibits nor requires any particular food. It can accommodate paleo or vegan, organic or kosher,(a) and all sorts of dietary needs. Which means, it can work for anyone!
There is a great book written by Dr. Barry Sears called “Enter The Zone”. Check it out if you want to learn more.
You can also read a quick write up here and download this free PDF, it will be super helpful if you choose this route. http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/cfjissue21_May04.pdf
What is a “Block”?
1 block of protein = 7g of protein
1 block of carbohydrate = 9g of carbohydrate
1 block of fat = 1.5g of fat
In the article in the link provided above. There is a very helpful spreadsheet with many popular food choices and how much of each item makes a block. Instead of having to memorize grams and amounts, it’s already measured out for you and its referred to as a block. For example, 1/2 apple = 1 block of carbs.
How do I know how many blocks to eat?
The chart is based on sex and body type.
The formula to figure out your block prescription is as follows:
Lean body mass (lb.) x activity level* / 7 (g protein/block) = zone block prescription
*Activity level = The activity level ranges on a scale of 0-1. For those who work out several days a week and do not have a labor-intensive job, the activity level should be 0.7 (MOST CROSSFIT ATHLETES). By dividing 0.7 by 7g in the equation, this simplifies to a Zone block prescription that is 10 percent of his or her lean mass. (b)
What is my lean body mass?
body weight – body fat percentage = lean body mass
(we will do measurements to gather this information)
Sample Calculation of Zone Block Prescription
Suppose an athlete is 185 lb with 16% body fat. He does CrossFit 5 days per week and works in a typical office environment. A sample calculation of his Zone block prescription follows.
Lean body mass: 185 – (.16 x 185) = 185b – 29.6lb = 155.4 lb
Because the activity factor is 0.7, the simplified formula is used:
Block prescription = 155.4 x .10 = 15.54 or ~ 15 blocks
This means that the example athlete above would eat 15 blocks per day. (c)
Again, it takes some learning but after you spend some time reading it’s pretty simple!
So how do we get started?
1) Do some research and figure out which route you want to take and let Coach David or Emily know what you have decided.
2) Set your goals! Write them down, communicate them to somebody and keep them in mind everyday. Why are YOU doing this and remember that!
3) Get your measurements done! Saturday 3/9 we will have a time schedule to come to gather your weight, body fat percentage, and body measurements.. If that doesn’t work for your schedule, let us know and we can do this anytime the week of March 4th. Make sure to get them done before the challenge starts 3/11!
4) Join the Refuge CrossFit Group, “RCF Nutrition Challenge”. This is where we will discuss and keep each other accountable through the whole journey.
5) Make sure you plan your meals ahead of time. Planning and being prepared simplifies things. So,…be prepared to succeed! You can do this.
6) Who are you going to be personally accountable to and how are you going to follow through?
7) Lastly, stay consistent. The beginning is usually the hardest….but as with anything, consistency compounds! (thanks Tanya!)
(a) http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/cfjissue21_May04.pdf
(b) http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_English_Level1_TrainingGuide.pdf pg 65
(c) http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_English_Level1_TrainingGuide.pdf pg 65
