We're closing in quickly on the end of the Nutrition Challenge. Day 50! Wow! You've done an outstanding job! And it shows!

So, with the end coming up... a few details:

On Thursday December 10th, all challenge participants will need to come in to get their "after" shots taken. So please make arrangements. If Thursday does not work - we will need the shots by Saturday December 12th. You'll also repeat  NorCal WOD A over again. If you did not do NorCal WOD A, we'll pick a benchmark WOD from the week the challenge began and you'll redo that for performance comparison purposes. We'll also do another body fat assessment between Thursday and Saturday for those that want it done.

Lastly, have you checked out Eat This! It's a food blog sponsored by CrossFit Santa Cruz Central that... "is intended to create accountability and support for those trying to stick to diets such as the ZONE, Paleo, other insulin controlling diets. It is a forum to post what you ate, didn't eat, want to eat, shouldn't have eaten, and to share recipes, ideas, and thoughts on eating." Czech it out. Lot's of recipes.

It's the start of a holiday week.

What dish or dessert are you looking forward to the most?

As for me, I'm looking forward to a slice of pumpkin pie and a slice of apple pie a la mode with coffee in my parent's living room. PIE!

For my leaned out Zone peeps / Paleo Peeps -

1. Are you eating some dense carbs in your post WOD meal?
2. Eating more fat than Zone ratios prescribe?

These are things to think about based on the feedback you've given us so far.

Post WOD Meal: Without getting geeky - you can use the enhanced insulin sensitivity of the 30minutes or so after your training session to down some dense carbs - hence cutting back on the "That is a huge pile of vegetables right there how am I going to eat that" problem and dodge the "OMG I need to lay down" effect you might otherwise experience from going to the Carb Side.

Robb Wolf state in his article, "42 Ways to Skin the Zone" article in the Performance Menu that he breaks down his meals like this:

4P, 8C, 0F (post workout) (could be less carbs depending on intensity of WOD)

4P,2C,?F

4P,2C,?F

4P,2C,?F

Totals: 16P , 14C, ?F

Ok, so he's a 16 blocker on 5x Fat. This means 80 blocks of fat. However, he's low on carb blocks. The rule of thumb is to add 3 fat blocks for each carb block missed. So, he needs 86 blocks of fat to make up for the caloric deficit. Since 86 is not divided by three evenly, the fat blocks per meal wind up being 29F:

4P, 8C, 0F (post workout)

4P,2C,29F

4P,2C,29F

4P,2C,29F

Totals: 16P , 14C, 87F

So - you can see that the Athlete's Zone Robb is employing here ratios are quite different than the 40-30-30 standard. The Athlete's Zone changes the ratios to ~ 25-15-60. Start with 2x Fat and see. Remember if you delete carb blocks that you add three fat blocks for each carb block deleted.

Play with things.

How's it going out there in the Paleo / Zone nutrition challenge? Everyone dialed in? Sick of it? Where you at?