I lost a little over 19 pounds and took 3 3/4 off of my waist line

I am more alert and energized than I was on my old diet

I do feel leaner and that my body composition is actively transforming

Eating good foods makes all the difference.

 I felt much more level throughout the day.

I noticed was not craving junk food nearly as often as I used to.

I both performed better and was less sore at the end of the benchmark workouts the second time around.

I pushed myself to try things I wouldn’t normally and it got me out of my comfort zone.

I can do a pull up unassisted now.  Never have I been able to do that.

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Congratulations to everyone who participated in the Lurong Fall 2014 Paleo Challenge! This was our tenth Nutrition Challenge, and you can find past results here:

• Nutrition Challenge #1
• Nutrition Challenge #2
• Nutrition Challenge #3
• Nutrition Challenge #4
• Nutrition Challenge #5
• Nutrition Challenge #6
• Nutrition Challenge #7
• Nutrition Challenge #8
• Nutrition Challenge #9

Below you will find some before and after photos and testimonials from those who completed all eight weeks of the Lurong Paleo Challenge this fall.  I am really proud of the hard work everyone put in.  You all approached it with an open mind and a willingness to make positive changes. Big congratulations go out to all of the competitors from our gym.

For the Lurong Paleo Challenge, we completed a series of benchmark workouts, as well as weekly performance workouts during the middle of the challenge.  This gave us all a chance to experience how changing nutrition might affect workout performance, and everyone showed improvement on the benchmark workouts.

I want to recognize David, who posted the highest point total for any of our CrossFit Charlottesville competitors! Congratulations, David!  Points were awarded based on the daily diet, performance in the benchmark and challenge WODs, overall improvement from the beginning of the challenge to the end, as well as some other factors.

Most importantly, I want to recognize all of the other athletes in our gym who finished the challenge and completed all of the benchmark and performance workouts.  Everyone did an awesome job!  And collectively, everyone made huge improvements across the board with body composition and workout performance.  Taking on an 8-week challenge like this is no small feat, so you should all feel proud of what you accomplished.

You can find the before and after pictures and testimonials below:

David

When I started the challenge, I expected to lose weight if I stayed faithful to the diet and did the prescribed WoDs, and I lost a little over 19 pounds and took 3 3/4 off of my waist line.  What I didn’t expect was that I would feel so good.  I am now 50 years of age, but after 2 months of eating paleo, I feel like I am in my mid 30s again.  My allergies are significantly better.  I am recovering better from hard workouts (very little joint pain and DOMS).  I also find that I am more alert and energized than I was on my old diet.  This truly has been a life changing experience, and I have no plans on going back to my old way of eating.

The transition to a Paleo diet wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.  I definitely went though a few days where my energy was down a bit, and substituting almond milk for cow milk took a while to get used to, but I discovered that I appreciated ‘cheats” more when I limited them to one meal a week and the improvements in energy and general well-being made up for anything that I was doing without.

Dominique

This was my first Lurong Living Challenge, but the second Paleo challenge that I participated in at Crossfit Charlottesville this year. I have been eating this way for the past 3 years, but I have increasingly become stricter with my diet since I began Crossfit ten months ago. I lost a tiny bit of weight over the past 2 months, but I do feel leaner and that my body composition is actively transforming.

The diet component that I found most challenging was giving up half and half in my morning coffee (I never thought I would do.)  I did feel like I leaned out more after doing so.  Luckily I found a great coconut based alternative, which I will stick with from now on.  One new thing I added to my diet during the challenge was bone broth in the morning, which I will also continue.

The part of the Challenge that I most enjoyed was the workouts. I really liked being able to see my progress in the three benchmark workouts.  I was happy that I did improve in each of these over the eight weeks. I liked being judged for the workouts to ensure that my form was proper.  I also really enjoyed being able to see where I ranked on each workout in my division. I found the online component motivating.

I began taking deer antler about a month ago, but it is not from Lurong. I am not sure if I am seeing performance benefits because I am taking a few other performance enhancing herbs as well. I do feel that my diet and life style help me to optimize in all areas of my life, including Crossfit. I plan to keep on keepin’ on!

Mike

How much weight did you lose?

• 15 pounds.

How much have you leaned out?

• 2″ on the waist and hips.

Do your clothes fit differently?

• Absolutely! I could go down a pant size now. I will slowly transition into new clothes after losing another 5 pounds or so.

How do you feel throughout the day?

• I’ve eaten non-paleo friendly foods since the conclusion of the challenge and do not enjoy the after effects. I will probably stay away from processed sugars and heavy carbs for the remainder of my days.

How has your performance in workouts changed?

• WAY improved! The crossfit WODs became far more manageable as the weeks clicked off. I felt less anaerobic devastation.

Did you make improvements on the benchmark workouts during the challenge?

• I did. In some cases, markedly so.

How have your energy levels changed?

• The increased energy levels were transparent. I had to eat bad after the challenge concluded to realize the difference. Eating good foods makes all the difference.

What about mental benefits?

• A bit more calm and at peace.

Anything else you would like to share?

• Thank you for providing support of this challenge. My perspective is changed forever.

Karen

The Lurong Paleo Challenge was my second challenge. I loved the benchmark WODs added to show how clean eating can improve your performance.  It was also exciting to see the changes and improvements I had made on the benchmarks as the the challenge progressed. Although I have only lost 3 pounds on this challenge, I lost another inch off of my waist and hips and continue to lean out and get stronger. The added energy throughout the day from clean eating is/was a definite benefit. I am able to get through the workday without feeling sluggish or sleepy and therefore, thinking more clearly. I have set some new PR’s, in addition to a few toes to bar and I continue to improve. My next challenge is to maintain eating well most of the time, continue to make improvements and possibly compete in a masters level one day…

Cindy

How much weight did you lose?

• 10 pounds.  Mostly through my waistline and hips.

How do you feel throughout the day?  

• I felt much more level throughout the day.  I still had a mid-afternoon slump but it was much less drastic.

How has your performance in workouts changed?  Did you make improvements on the benchmark workouts during the challenge?

• Unfortunately I couldn’t do any comparisons because I fractured my foot halfway through.

How have your energy levels changed? What about mental benefits?

• My energy is more level throughout the day.  There were still times when I felt tired, but it was much less frequent than typical and more in cycle with typical body rhythms and sleep cycles.

Anything else you would like to share?

• I started this in an attempt eliminate foods, that while I enjoy require me to take medication (which I hate).  After two weeks of the challenge I began to eliminate the medication and discovered that my body was doing just fine when all those foods were out of my system.

Danny

How much weight did you lose? How much have you leaned out? Do your clothes fit differently?

• I lost 16.5 pounds. I also dropped at least one size on my belts.

How do you feel throughout the day?

• I felt great throughout the day. I had enough energy to do everything I wanted to do despite eating a ton of salads.

How has your performance in workouts changed?  Did you make improvements on the benchmark workouts during the challenge?

• I improved in 2 of the benchmark workouts and basically got the same score in the third. I certainly felt good in all the workouts during that period.

How have your energy levels changed? What about mental benefits?

• The only mental benefits I noticed was not craving junk food nearly as often as I used to.

Will

I lost about 3 pounds but I was trying to maintain my weight while shedding fat and adding muscle.  I was happy with my results, but they left me eager for more.  I leaned up in my legs while adding some size to my arms, which is what I was looking for.  My clothes do fit differently, but hopefully that continues to change as I put on more muscle.

I feel much better throughout the day with the changes in my day.  My diet has had a big impact on both my energy and my performances in the WODs.  There is something inherently satisfying about eating healthy and that combined with the actual physical benefits of getting rid of processed foods paid dividends.

I made improvements in all three of the benchmark WODs.  I think part of that was because I was working out consistently more often during the challenge but I think it was also due to my changes in diet as well.  I both performed better and was less sore at the end of the benchmark workouts the second time around.

My energy as a law student is generally pretty low so any additional benefit I can get is welcomed.  Eating paleo didn’t so much as give me more energy as it did not make me feel the post-lunch drowsiness that plagued me before the challenge.

Pam

I decided to participate in the paleo nutrition challenge despite the fact that I have already been eating paleo for the last 2 and a half years.  I was intrigued by the workout aspect of the challenge and being able to track my progress through the specific judged workouts. Having someone else watching every rep really forced me to focus fully on my form. Now in the gym I have been using lighter weights so I can improve my form and not worry about increasing weight, especially with any squatting movements.  I was able to improve in all the benchmark workouts in either reps or time. But I was most excited with my improvement in kipping pull-ups. I couldn’t even do one until I started the challenge and now I can string a few together. I was also happy with how well I did in the snatch workout, being able to do so many at prescribed weight. I pushed myself to try things I wouldn’t normally and it got me out of my comfort zone.  So even though my body composition didn’t change, I am glad I did the challenge.

Patrick

How much weight did you lose? How much have you leaned out? Do your clothes fit differently?

• I lost 17 Pounds.  3 inches off my waist and hips.
• I feel leaner and think I look better.
• My wife agrees.
• I had to buy new pants.  That is awesome!

How do you feel throughout the day?

• Looking back on it.  I noticed that I do feel better after eating clean than eating junk.  I did notice not feeling as tired or “yucky” after meals.

How has your performance in workouts changed?  Did you make improvements on the benchmark workouts during the challenge?

• I did improve on the bench marks.  Losing weight has made it easier to move and improved my endurance.  I have not noticed improved recovery time.
• I can do a pull up unassisted now.  Never have I been able to do that.

How have your energy levels changed? What about mental benefits?

• I am not sure I have noticed my energy level increasing.  I think it is more steady.  I have noticed at night I am more ready to go to bed and fall asleep faster.
• I have not noticed any mental benefits (other than self image improving).

Anything else you would like to share?

• This has been an excellent experience for me.  I am now in the habit of reading ingredient labels, I notice how “yucky” I fell when eating poor quality/bready food.  I am going to continue to try and eat Paleo and high quality foods going forward. 

Awesome work, everyone!