It’s that time of the year again! Time for ICA’s annual Fall Nutrition Challenge! Read the details below and sign up HERE to participate!
What:
ICA’s 2018 Fall Nutrition Challenge
Who:
Every single member at ICA! This a FREE nutrition challenge, so there is no excuse to not join in!
When:
Monday September 10 – Friday October 19
Why:
For most of us, “summer” and “clean eating” don’t go hand-in-hand. Cookouts, beer, ice cream… much of our summer fun revolves around food. That’s why every Fall we run a nutrition challenge at ICA, designed to kick our summer bad eating habits to the curb and get our diet back on track. For 6 weeks, we’re asking you to cut out all sugar, alcohol, gluten, and dairy. We guarantee that you’ll emerge from this challenge feeling AMAZING and performing better than ever.
How (a.k.a the “Rules”):
- Choose your nutrition challenge level (detailed below) and sign up HERE.
- Eat “real” foods. Eat meat and vegetables, some fruit, and some starch. Avoid sugar, gluten, dairy, and alcohol. More details below.
- Complete the performance test before and after the challenge. We will run it as the daily WOD on 9/10 and 10/19.
- Keep a daily food log in which you record WHAT and HOW MUCH you eat. Every meal, every snack, every teaspoon of oil you cook your food in… The logs are an extremely valuable resource if you have questions or want help or feedback during the challenge (for instance if you notice that you are low on energy or not seeing results). We will also use the food logs to help select our challenge winners. Many athletes use an app such as My Fitness Pal, but an old fashioned paper journal works fine too!
- Take body measurements before and after the challenge.
- At a minimum this means your waist (circumference at the belly button) and body weight. Other common measurements include hips, thighs, and arms. You can take these numbers on your own and email them to us, ICA honor code!
- New this year we have an InBody Body Composition Analyzer – a professional-grade device that can accurately measure your weight, muscle mass, and body fat. For $50 you can get a before and after InBody scan.
- Before and after photos are a great way to validate your progress, even if you keep them to yourself!
Level 1: MACRO(ish)
- This is our “introductory level” for the Nutrition Challenge. Your goal is to ensure you are eating a balanced amount of high-quality carbs, protein, and fat.
- Allowed foods: Lean meat, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and certain starches (gluten free)
- Avoid: Processed foods, added sugar, grains containing gluten, dairy, and alcohol.
- In order to be “in the running” to win the challenge, you should avoid all of the above foods. However, we recognize that not all “cheats” are the same. If you eat something off the above list, be sure to log it in your journal.
- We have developed several eating templates based on your target caloric intake. We will help you pick the appropriate template, and you should follow it for all 6 weeks / 39 days. Templates can be viewed HERE.
- You’ll need a set of measuring cups and a food scale. Amazon has a huge selection of food scales in the $10-$15 range.
Level 2: MACRO DIET
- For this level, you will eat a precise number of “macros” (i.e., grams of protein, carb, and fat) each day.
- If you already know your target macros, simply run them by John or Nikki before the challenge begins.
- If you need us to assign your macros, let us know ASAP. We’ll need you to either: (1) complete an InBody scan OR (2) track your food intake for 3 days. Either can serve as a starting point for assigning macros.
- This level requires you to weigh and measure EVERYTHING you eat. A food scale and a set of measuring cups is required. Amazon has a huge selection of food scales in the $10-$15 range.
- Although the macro diet typically does not require you to cut out any specific food groups, for the purpose of this challenge we ask that you apply “paleo” principles as much as possible (i.e. no gluten, dairy, processed foods, etc). We do allow non-gluten starches such as oats, rice, and quinoa.
- In order to be “in the running” to win the challenge, you should avoid all alcohol. However, if you treat yourself to a drink or two during the challenge, please limit it to 4oz red wine or 2oz hard alcohol, and include it in your macro calculation as 25g carb. An 8oz beer is strongly discouraged but would also be counted as 25g carb.
Other Diets:
We know several ICA athletes have found success with other diets, such as Renaissance Periodization or the Zone Diet. If you have used one of these methods and are happy with it, you are welcome to follow it for the challenge. Just as with our Level 1 and Level 2 diets, we expect you to follow “paleo” principles as much as possible (no sugar, gluten, or dairy).
InBody 270 Body Composition Analyzer:
New to ICA is our InBody 270, a professional grade device that accurately measures your overall body mass, muscle mass, water mass, and fat mass. It even calculates your basal metabolic rate, i.e. the number of calories your body burns at rest.
- Why should I get an InBody scan? Regular weight scales give you one number: your weight. But as we all know, muscle weighs more than fat. So over the course of the challenge, if you build muscle while losing fat, the number on the scale may stay the same or even go up! Getting an InBody scan before and after the challenge will provide you with an accurate picture of how your body composition changed over the 6 week challenge. Your pre-challenge results will also help us select your target macros.
- How much does an InBody scan cost? InBody scans will typically cost $35/scan for members and $50/scan for non-members. This price includes a break down / discussion of the results sheet. For the nutrition challenge, we’re offering a 2-scan bundle for $50.
- How do I sign up? When you sign up for the nutrition challenge, there is a place to denote whether you want an InBody scan. We will not charge your card until you complete your first scan.
- When can I get scanned? You can complete your “before” scan anytime before Tuesday Sept 11. We expect a lot of interest, so we’ve blocked off some “Open House” times in the next week when we’ll run people through first come first serve. Please indicate on the Nutrition Sign Up Page if you plan to attend one of these times. If you can’t make any of these times, contact us to make an appointment.
- Thursday September 6, 4:00-5:30pm
- Saturday September 8, 6:45-8:15am
- Sunday September 9, 8:30-10:30am
- Do I need to fast before my scan? Yes, in order to get the most accurate results, please follow these guidelines.
Challenge Winners:
At the end of the challenge we will pick 3 winners – one Beginner, one Advanced, and one Spirit award. “Beginner” members are anyone who has been with ICA less than a year, or for whom this is their first nutrition challenge with us. Winners will be selected primarily on performance improvements, but we will also consider body measurements (especially InBody results) and diet adherence.
Shout out to our challenge winners from the last 2 years!
- 2017: Megan S (beginner), Moira (experienced), Christine (spirit)
- 2016: Chris Sigal (L1) Karen Smith (L2), Heather (spirit)
ICA Nutrition Club:
We have a Facebook group that was set up during last year’s challenge to provide members with a place to ask questions, share knowledge, post recipes, and generally provide support. If you want to join the group, link HERE.
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