Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreamliner
Guy, what the imp in me would like to see: some Crossfitter, somewhere, just blow up the whiteboard, then come out of the closet and admit he eats a lot of fast food.
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I suppose that could happen, but I haven't met any individuals who are tuned to run on processed soy and volatile fatty acids. We have two athletes in my gym that I would consider elite, who have competed at the regional level and beyond in the Crossfit games. Both of them swear to perform better when they stick to paleo. Maybe they are brainwashed somehow and getting a veggie and bacon placebo affect, but I doubt it.
Again, I notice a difference as well. I don't like going too strict with my diet, though, because I think the psychological impact of food reward is important. What good is my health if I can't enjoy the occasional beer, tortilla chips, and Five Guys burgers?
So in a way, I agree that we should encourage people to enjoy their food. But I also have trouble with advocating "moderation" because people are addicts to food. It's like telling a meth head to tweak in moderation.
I encourage people to experiment and relish in deprivation for controlled intervals. Try elimination and re-introduction for things like gluten - go three weeks gluten free, and then eat some pizza. After re-introducing gluten, if you don't feel like an alien is trying to launch out of your intestines, then maybe gluten isn't an issue for you. Experiment with going vegan, experiment with going low-carb/high-fat or vice versa.
For me, I notice a negative difference when I eat gluten and dairy. Without gluten, my fart frequency drops to a point where I miss my morning trumpet calls. For me, I notice that I feel better when I get a big shot of Coconut oil in the morning blended into my coffee. I notice that too much rice and potatoes keep me a few pounds heavier, which in turn impacts my power/weight ratios.
Why put so much effort into this? A few reasons. People often struggle with diet because they want to eat what they want to eat. Correlating your diet with the way you feel and perform can have a big impact on what you "want" to eat. While I may really want a bowl of ice cream, I find that I want to avoid farting my wife out of bed more (on most nights). Additionally, we're a culture of over-consumers, and I find a big reward in deprivation. I don't take my burgers and beers for granted. I treat them like special occasions.
But I'll keep you posted if any rockstars in my gym fess up to Quarter Pounder habit.