The 30-day carb challenge

The 30-day carb challenge

This was the typical diet that I was on for years before I turned to the paleo diet. This was the type of diet that I thought was the absolute best for you because that is what the FDA and all the so-called experts say you are supposed to be on.

High carb, low fat, moderate protein.

Now my carbs consisted of ‘healthy carbs’.

Rice, oatmeal, cream of wheat, sweet potatoes, fruit.

Here’s an example of what I typically ate:

Day 1 of challenge:

1. 1 serving Ionix Supreme
2. Shake Smoothie- 1/2 cup oatmeal, 2 eggs, 1 egg white (EW), 1/2 cup kale, 5 strawberries, 1/8 cup applesauce
3. 1 cup rice, 2 eggs, 2 ew, 1 tbsp olive oil (OO), mushroom (pre-workout)
4. 1 serving Isalean Pro (post-workout)
5. 1/2 cup applesauce, 1.5 cups rice, salmon
6. 4 eggs, 1 ew, 1tbsp oo, mushrooms and onions, 1/2 cup oatmeal
7. 2 eggs, 1 ew, bacon grease, 1 cup rice

Day 2 of challenge:

1. 1 serving Ionix
2. 1 cup rice, 3 eggs, 1 ew, 1 tbsp oo, mushrooms and onions, 1/2 cup applesauce
3. 2 sweet potatoes, 3 eggs, 1 ew, 1 tbsp coconut oil, onions, and hot chocolate
4. 1.5 cups rice, 3 eggs hard boiled
5. SMoothie- 1 cup oatmeal, 1 banana, 1 scoop IsaPro, 1 tbsp chia seeds, handful spinach
6. Egg Cheese Omelet and sausage from personal trainer food and 1 cup rice

Day 3 of challenge:

1. 1 serving Ionix
2. Smoothie- 1 cup oatmeal, 3 eggs, 1 ew, spinach, handful strawberries
3. 4 hard boiled eggs
4. 3 eggs, 1 ew, 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1/2 cup oatmeal
5. 1/4 cup almonds, 1/4 cup applesauce
6. 3 eggs, 1 ew, 2 cups rice, 1 tbsp oo
7. 2 tbsp almond butter, 1/4 cup almonds
8. Chicken from Personal trainer food and 2 cups rice

Days 4-7 were pretty much same.

Now the 30-day challenge ended up only being 7-days. The first 3 days I was fine. Energy, sleep, workout performance, work performance, etc……

Then something happened. The biggest thing I noticed was my focus during the day. I couldn’t focus like before. It was harder to stay on task of everything I had to do that required my mental focus. My workout performance stayed the same throughout.

Another thing that happened was my sleep. During the keto challenge I slept like a baby. The carbs I found it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

The last thing and the ultimate reason I felt on the carb challenge was I felt I was getting sick. So I started the challenge on Monday and that Sunday I woke up with a sore throat and a little bit of a headache. I never get headaches. And sore throats is usually the symptom I get at the start of a cold– which I haven’t had one since 2011. 

The next few days developed into a full blown cold. So I officially stopped my carb eating that Sunday night. I switched back to paleo and a whole lot of green juice, apple cider vinegar and ginger and garlic to limit the amount of time I spent not feeling my absolute best.

I didn’t expect to get sick as I did eat this way for years but thinking back to it that was a time where colds and sickness were common for me. At least 2-4 times throughout the year. It was never really a major sickness just pain in the ass cold’s really.

My ultimate hope with the carb challenge especially right after my keto challenge was to prove one thing—- that carbs make you fat.

My results—

I got fat!

Or a lot fatter then I was when I started. In just 7 days I put on just under 7 pounds and 4.8% body fat.

Before/After Weight- 175/181.6 +6.6 Neck- 15/15.3 +.3 Chest 40.5/41 +.5 Arm 13.3/12.5 -.8 Thigh 22/21.5 -.5 waist 33/34 +1 Hip 37.8/38.5 +.7 calf 15/15 + 0 Body fat Increases: Thigh +.7″ Waist +4.0″ Hip +1.3″ Low back +6.1″ Scaupula +3.0″ Tricep +1.6″ Chest +1″

I still plan on doing these challenges but not at the risk of affecting my health. I remember back in 2008-09 I was thinking of doing a fast food challenge, but thankfully one of my clients pointed out an Australian trainer had the same idea and put on like 60 pounds and couldn’t lose it because he had damaged his organs and processes so much. The most important one being his mind.

You see I only cheat or have a ‘treat meal’ about once every other week. And depending on how much is consumed I feel it. Every single time I feel it. Which is why I have limited my treat meals from once a week to usually not even every other week. I don’t have time to feel like crap and not be able to function at 134%.

When you are constantly eating crap day in and day out you have no idea what it’s like to function at your full capabilities. Your nutrition influences your mindset/thinking, which influences your emotions and feelings, which influences your actions, which influences your results.

Are you living your prime life?

If not, what challenge do you need to take?

Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us