Sorry for the late posting on this as I promised to get this up for the folks who attended the GSX seminar. The documents below are what we usually provide new clients at CrossFit NorCal. One is a 30 day food log that includes time, day, measures and how the person felt a few hours after the meal. Folks can fill this in and email it daily or weekly OR print it up and bring it to the gym. The “dog ate my food log” results in burpees.
Next is a rant/shopping and food list I put together that covers much of the common bull-shit excuses folks cook up to avoid feeding themselves in accordance with their goals. It lays out a basic meal building process that includes protein, veggies and good fats at EVERY meal.
Next we have two example Zone meal plans one 10 block plan (chick) and one 16 block plan (dude). This should provide a template for generating meal plans from 10-20 blocks.
Keep it simple, keep your clients accountable!
Awesome!! Thanks Robb!!
chris-
My pleasure!
Robb
Wow, Robb maybe you should author one of those yellow books entitled NUTRITION FOR D…ies?? No seriously, this is a good base for people who are just starting out although my diet is way veered away from this at this point.
Trust me, this stuff works! But only if you really want it to work and really care about yourself!
Sarena-
I have a book in the works…trying to modify the schedule to accommodate more writing.
Robb
Oh am I glad that I am no longer vegetarian!!
Robb, thank you so very much for this information. I’ve had one of my clients just today comment specifically about your website. I referred her here because I don’t claim to know it all.
I made a deal with all clients that if I don’t have an answer for a question I will find someone who has and you are it my friend.
Thanks again for this past weekend.
Gio
Gio-
That shows the high integrity you have as a coach…none of us have all the answers (what fun would that be anyway?) we just need to know who in this community DOES have a better perspective to help direct our training and nutrition. You kicked-ass this weekend my friend…people need to know the road you have traveled the the success you have achieved. it is a testimonial of what hard work, smart programming and belief in yourself can do. You are doing fantastic work!
Robb
you know, robb, some chicks fall in the 16 block category. 😉
EC-
THAT is why you are SO HAWT!!
Robb
Rob:
Hey, I loved the ‘shopping-food.doc.’ It reminded me of Larry Winget’s new book, “You’re Broke Because You Want To Be.” I’m not broke, by any means, but the book is wonderful from a “tough love” standpoint and I recommend reading it just to get a bead on the extent people will go to make excuses.
Lots and lots of application to dieting and exercise.
Richard-
it’s really true…that whole personal accountability thing is really the key to a life lived well vs. being a spectator who is subject to the whims of life. I started cataloging our clients excuses and systematically created things like the Eat Time DVD to paint them into a corner. Once the excuses are dealt with it’s simply a matter of “are you going to do what you know you should, or not?”
Robb
Great stuff, Robb. It was great meeting and talking with you. Take care, and thanks!
Jeff-
Thanks Amigo!
Robb
Hi Robb,
I’ve been reading your blog for a little while now, have been crossfitting pretty religiously for three months, and am really digging into fine tuning the Zone approach, moving towards paleo-ish intake and eventually tinkering with IF. I’m fascinated by this stuff and have been for years, so this is a really helpful post and a good entre point for a few burning questions, if you don’t mind my asking.
Here’s what I’m wondering: On your 10 block example, it seems like there’re really 11.5 blocks of protein in the day. Am I counting wrong? Also, I’m unclear about when you add fat to the protein and when you don’t. I see that avocado and oil accompanies three eggs, which would make the total fat intake for that meal around 22 grams, whereas lunch of 3oz chicken breast and 1 tspn oil ends up being closer to 8. I know we’re not supposed to count the fat in protein sources, but not all protein sources have the same amount of fat. So, what’s your take on this? Always add fat to protein, no matter the fat of the protein OR look at total macronutrient breakout for each meal and balance accordingly? OR think about macronutrient intake for the entire day, and don’t worry so damned much about the individual meal?
Sorry for the long long post! Thanks so much.
Margie
NYC/South Brooklyn
Margie-
This is a great question and I’m going to answer it in another blog post so other folks will see it.
Robb
Robb;
Strong information.
Thanks for posting.
jay-
Thanks!
Robb
What? No Guinness??
Good stuff…I like the ‘tude also about do the work or you won’t waste time on them…the feel good generation of cookies/pasta/bread/muffin eaters are only getting fatter…and they wonder why…Hmmmmmm….
MOD-
I have to say this is one aspect of training I like in that MOST people who come through our door have made some kind of a decision to make things better. Much better scenario than what most doctors face!
Robb
Thanks Rob, Great weekend in TX thanks for everything. I have began weighing and measuring my food. It will take some getting used to but I can tell it will make a huge difference. Also my wife is on board so that makes my life much easier.
Jake-
That’s awesome! Keep in mind the weighing and measuring need not be a forever thing. it will help you dial in your eyeball method to a wicked degree. Then you might just revert to weighing and measuring once in a while to dial things back in. If uber-performance is your goal you will stay on that weighed/measured plan.
Keep me updated on your progress!
Robb, I assume we can steal this and shove it on our own clients?
Anthony-
Absolutely! We are working on a pdf. that looks nice. I’ll post that once we finish it.
Robb
Good stuff, Robb. Two little things jumped out at me. First, in one place you say no cashews, in another it is listed as permitted. I assume it is because cashews are one of those things you could add in slowly once you basically eating a healthy diet.
Second, I’m a bit of a weekling when it comes to avoiding sweetener. I put in as little as possible in my tea and coffee (why not regular coffee by the way) but still use it. Are your reasons for eliminating those sweetners just because they are unnatural and don’t fit your over-all evolutionary nutritional model? I mean, unless you tell me I’m going drop dead from them, I’ll likely keep using them, but I’m still curious. Are they worse than sugar?
Aaron
Hey Aaron-
The Cashews tend to be carbier than other nuts so I recommend limiting those until one has reached a desired level of leanness.
Artificial sweeteners tend to elicit the same insulin response as sugar. It can stall fat loss and exacerbate hyperinsulinemic situations.
You say to have vegetables at every meal, but the zone meals don’t show any vegetables for breakfast. (Other than salsa for eggs.) Any advice for getting vegetables in at breakfast?
Craig-
Most folks are in such a hurry in the morning it’s tough to get much in. That said 1/2 bag of frozen spinach is quick and easy to put together.
Robb
Robb,
Good material as always! Sounded like you were ra bit frustrated when you wrote the shopping list document lol.
I’m guessing you recently had a client who decided to do ‘their own thing’ when it came to nutrition, yet kept wondering why her progress was going slower than expected. HA! Well I’m sure that happened to you at least one point or another in your training career.
Thanks again,
Steve
http://www.stevesclub.org
Steve-
We had an epiphany that holding people accountable was critical to their success and progress…it’s a tough love thing.
Robb
Thanks Robb.
Love this stuff!
Hope you don’t mind if I edit it a bit to fit my geographical area, no Trader Joe’s here.
I really appreciate the knowledge you have shared with all of us.
I love the accountabilty concept from the start.
Ron
Thanks Ron!
Robb
Thanks for sharing Rob, thats a great resource.
I guess that means my next question is how much is too much. I am not one of your new trainees that needs tough love; I eat quite well. But, if I am now choosing between small amounts of sugar or smaller amounts of splenda, what’s the best way to lean? This is of course with the understanding that I would try to slowly get myself off of them completely. I use about half a splenda packet in a cup of coffee and can get three cups of tea with one splenda packet. I would probably use 1.5 teaspoons of sugar for coffee and .75 for tea. Do you recommend one over the other or am I at sufficiently low levels that I’ve turned into one of those diet freaks I make fun of because they obsess over the irrelevant details while missing the big picture?
Aaron
Aaron-
At that level I guess it’s not that big a deal one way or another. Splenda might be better for your teeth!
Robb
Any chance you could write up an entry revolving around supplements? Basically a list of what you like and why?
Thanks for the informative site.
Ari-
We did a supplement review for the Performance Menu about two years ago. i think the highlights were fish oil(good for everything), alpha lipoic acid(improves insulin sensitivity) and creatine(it works, its cheap and it improves blood lipids). there are a load of nutriceuticals that have almost medicinal impact but they need to be used wisely. There are also a load of products that do nothing…buyer beware! If there is interest in this I can do something int he future but not many folks have asked about it.
Robb
And what do you tell people that are becoming in some ways over obsessed with their nutritional intake?? I am feeling crappy today from being too good for too long. I really wanna indulge–its my bday–but hate how I feel after!!
Sarena-
Today is your B-day? Mine too! Kick your heels up, have fun!
Robb
Robb,
On the cover of your tough love journal you can use this pic
http://www.funnyandjokes.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/exercise-or-die.gif
MOD-
I love it!
Robb
Robb,
I have a couple of questions. I have been training with Kelly and Adrian at CrossfitSF for the last few months. In the last month I have tweaked my diet to follow the majority of your recommendations (the only one I am not following is that I am still eating some dairy and Peanut butter). I have been looking into the zone, have performance menu 2+3, as well as your other article, and CFJ 21. I am waiting for my zone books from amazon, but am curious how many blocks I need daily. I currently am 6′ tall weigh 187 lbs (have lost 15 since crossfit) and have about 20%BF. I currently crossfit 5 days a week. The Dr. Sears website says 17, but I wasn’t exactly sure what the activity level recommendation was for crossfit, and I wanted to get your opinion.
Thanks,
Nick
Nick-
That sounds about right. Base CrossFit is about a .7-.75 multiplier. You need some other sportive activity on top of CrossFit to bring you up to the .8 multiplier. keep in mind this is a calorie restricted diet that will see the fat increase 2-5x once y9ou are below 10% body fat.
Robb
Excellent combo Robb!
Can’t wait for the pdf.
Anthony has an wicked sense of humor!
Leo-
Thanks! Anthony is also a monster athlete!
Robb
Robb,
Do you mind if I link your site on my blog?
ron
Ron-
Please do and thank you!
Robb
Robb,
Thank you for this amazing post! I love your approcach to coaching and training.
Thanks!
Murp
Thanks Murph, I just yell at people!
Robb
Robb, could you go into a little more detail about that Paleo friendly breakfast smoothie option? I still use milk in mine and am looking to drop all dairy for a month to test the waters.
Nick-
the smoothie is provided as a last ditch, no other option sorta thing. I really prefer folks get real food even if it’s a chicken apple sausage, handfull of nuts and a piece of fruit. That’s a long winded way of saying there really is not a good dairy free smoothie unless one goes with something like rice protein powder…and what’s the point? let me know if this helps.
Robb
Hey Robb,
Hope you are well. happy late b-day!
I have a question for you.
I am going to start taking creatine. How do you recommend loading it and what do you think I should mix it with to get the best absorption? What would you do for yourself?
Thanks in advance!
Gave a copy of the Paleo-diet and your 16 block meal plan as well as your 30 meal tracker to my workout partner today, Thanks agin for the great info and assistance!
ron
Ron-
I do not see a need for a loading phase. 5g/day (1 tsp.) should do the trick! There are some studies pointing towards enhanced hGH release when the creatine is taken prior to bed…
Robb
Thanks for the great post. It made me think and stop acting like such a victim because of my weight gain. What do you say to the yo-yo dieters out there like me?
Sue-
I’m going to tackle this in another post.
Robb
Great info Robb! Costco (for those of us w/o a Trader Joe’s) does have great deals, especially on unsalted almonds and mac nuts. Can you clarify your point about bananas and tropical fruits? I know bananas are pretty high carb and glycemic load, but thought pineapple and the such ok.
Steve-
I just like to tinker with local and in season. I think some of the higher GI fruits are fine post WO but personally I have to really go easy on them or face a carb bonk.
Robb
Great shopping list, only just got around to downloading it.
Will-Answers below.
I have been planning my meals in a spreadsheet I built to calculate Zone blocks, but my bodyfat has remained at 14%. How long does it take for your clients to see changes?
-typically immediately unless sleep deprivation is an issue…
I plugged in your 16 block meals and my spreadsheet shows these meals as higher than 16 protein and fat, but lower than 16 carbs. This implies to me that my spreadsheet needs more work and that the meals I’m planning for myself are too high in carbs and too low in protein and fat, so (like Margie above) I’m curious how you calculate your blocks and look forward to your post on that.
-those meals are approximate and you will see a little slop one side or the other. I also lean towards the lower carb side unless the person is at a screaming level of work output. The point of the Zone is to introduce far more accuracy and precision than what folks had previously. Then we can adjust things from there.
Replacing bread and pasta with fruit and vegetables has left my stomach feeling watery / empty / gurgly / gassy. I’m not sure how best to describe it. Does this sound familiar? Is it just part of adjusting? Anything help?
-You may not tolerate fruit that well. I’m in the same boat. Just tinker witht he options and see what feels best.
One last question: I get bored drinking plain water all the time so have been drinking decaf green tea and decaf diet soda, but your comments on artificial sweeteners rule out the soda. Any recommendations for drinks that have flavor but are cold?
-we go through TOW CASES of San Peligrino water each week. It’s almost insane but we really enjoy the flavor and it gets us to drink more than normal. Run with what works!
I have been doing the CrossFit WOD since September and thought I was eating well by eating small, frequent meals until I read the OmegaRX Zone in late December. Since then I have listened to the archive of your interview on CrossfitLive.com and been reading through your blog. Thank you very much for all the great info!
-My Pleasure!
Hi there, I had chatted with you a bit at the Oakland crossfit cert about nutrition…I have followed a low carb too much protein diet for many years and have finally decided the Zone was the way to go. I feel changes in how my body looks and feels a bit of fatigue/crash, and my body fat is a bit higher than in the past few months. I was wondering if this is an adjusting period or maybe I’m not following it as closely as I think? Still trying to get used to the carbs. I guess a bit more than normal alcohol consumption, but nothing crazy. I am pretty active but small and at 12 blocks and sometimes feel the snacks just aren’t enough food. Just stick it out for a month or 2? I remember you saying it s trial and error. Any thoughts appreciated. Thanx
Carina-
The Zone is too many carbs too often for me. Most days Im more along 12-4 blocks of carbs instead of the recommended 17. I also put most of my carbs into the post workout period. Check out the piece i did for the Performance Menu “42 ways to skin the Zone”.
Robb
Oh and sleep has been a big issue…thats why Im trying to figure out if maybe I don’t have something right which is causing the loss of muscle? The caloric intake is extremely low too
Lack of sleep can REALLY kill things! Fat gain, muscle loss. The Base Zone IS calorie restricted…look on the crossfit message board under “athlete’s Zone”. You lean out, then increase fat blocks for your maintenance.
Robb
Thanks Robb. Good info. The other posts/publications were helpful as well, it seem that a lot of women are in the same boat. I used to eat close to 120-135 grams of protein a day, my body was soring excess a s fat…my blocks compute as 84…I weigh 115 on a small muscular frame…safe to do closer to 100 you think? My reasoning is making the carbs and protein more equal might eliminate he fatigue and muscle loss?
Carina-
sounds good!
Robb
Thanks a lot Robb!
Robb – You were right about the fruit. I still eat some, but not as much (shifted to more veggies) and it’s made a big difference. I’m also bummed to hear the issues about sleep deprivation because I think my 6-hours per night average are the major thing holding me back now.
Do you have any suggestions for protein that does not require refrigeration? I run into this need in two different circumstances: when I’m out for multi-hour bike rides and when I’m trying to feed my kids on-the-go. In the past I typically packed things like Clif Bars and Gatorade for bike rides and carry Cheerios for the kids when I run errands. After a couple of Zone and semi-Paleo months, I’m not sure how to handle these situations since I can’t just stick a chicken breast in my pocket for a couple hours.
Thanks very much!
Will-
Everyone has a sweet spot with glycemic load and insulin response. Take in enough carbs to support activity, not so much that we pay for it.
On the go protein? We make our own jerky. Some folks use string cheese. That’s a toughy. Feed the kiddos up well and hope you can make it through the whole OP!
Robb
Thanks for the stuff, Robb. Great Seminar at GSX this weekend!
Jay-
My pleasure! It was awesome!
Robb
Robb –
You guys rocked at GSX this weekend. I thought you were an incredible instructor and coach. I wish I had you rooting me on during Fran, maybe I could have shaved off a couple seconds with you screaming in my face!!!
Anyway, it was incredible seminar. Thank you!
Angie
Thanks Angie! It was an awesome weekend. If you REALLY want a motivational coach I think Todd Widdman is the tops…I think I could run through a cinder-block wall if that guy told me to!
Keep in touch, keep kicking ass!
Robb
Hi Robb,
Sorry, I couldn’t find a better place to post these questions. There a bit deep so I’m just hoping for any golden nuggets of wisdom.
Are Devany’s Evolutionary Fitness and Glassman’s CrossFit programming mutually exclusive because of the power law variation? People seem to be having great success doing both EF and CF (I’m a CrossFitter).
Also, do you ever incorporate EF principles into you or your client’s training?
Thanks in advance!
– Mikey
Robb,
I’m going out to lunch today. This is a common thing in my industry. Is there any rough estimate on how much sushi fits into a block when you’re eating mostly rolls? If I go on my own I’ll be sticking with sashimi and a la carte items, which is easy. When we feed family style it’s hard to see what’s mixed into those fancy rolls. Thanks for all the help. I really enjoyed your talk at GSX in early March.
John-
It does not take much in the way of suchi to really wrack-up the carb blocks. I’d say just make that a fun meal and don’t worry too much about it, especially if this is a family outing.
Robb
Rob
I learned so much from your nutrition lecture yesterday. Thank you!! I am looking forward to more nutrition classes from you.
Carol-
It was a blast! I’m really looking forward to the upcoming nutrition seminars.
Robb
I have been a Cfter for a while now and have been loving it. I also owm my own nutrtion and exercise consulting office. I have recenetly gotten more into the zone as I feel it is the next progression for my body to become more fit. I wanted to host a seminar in my office about it and have read the books but was wondering about what all of you thought about it and maybe could offer some insight into what you really found to be inspiring and prfound enough for you to get hooked.
Rebecca-
People are motivated by aesthetics…benefits (my ass looks great now!” not features “the Zone will make you healthy”. Keep in mind that you likely rate as a geek with regards to fitness and nutrition…what draws you to this stuff will likely be different than what motivates your clients. Keep enough science in it to keep it legit but think about what really motivates your peeps.
\Robb
Robb,
I just started your 30 day intro cycle. I am not a vegetarian but can you substitute soy milk for milk since dairy is not allowed? I’m mainly asking this b/c if not, how can i make a smoothie for the mornings? Water?
Thanks in advance,
Nathan
Nathan-
You can sub any of those smoothie ingredients but I prefer to see those used as emergency foods, not the daily fare.
Robb
Robb,
Your fine tuning of the zone diet is just what many of us needed to take that final step in regards to crossfit training. I want to provide access to your site through our site so our clients can get the best nutritional resources around. We want to provide our clients with the ability to take their training to the next level. Let me know if its cool and Ill create a link to your blog and resources, of course giving you all the credit. Thanks again.
Joe
Joe-
Sounds great and apologies for the tardy reply!
Robb
Hi Robb,
We met this past week-end at CFCP – you know the messed up triathlete of the group! Downloaded the Zone info, great stuff. Will start playing with foods for the 5+ hour bike rides and see what I come up with. Fortunately being a professional chef I can play away in the kitchen! The down side is weaning myself from the crack associated with endurance based diets. The detox will be ugly I’m sure. I just want to kick some ass at my ONE and only Ironman.
Stay tuned.
Regards from hotter than hell Phoenix. Yup 113 degree today.
Brenda
Hey Girl!
You can do it and your performance will take off with the improved nutrition. Keep me posted on your progress!!
Robb
Robb,
Great info, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. Question, on your shopping list you mention 2-3 eggs for a protein source and later you say no dairy. Are eggs in? Also, why not dairy in general, especially raw unpasteurized milk?
Thanks again Robb,
Jay M.
Jay!
Eggs got lumped into the “eggs & dairy” group of the old 4 Food Groups. Ironically, that was a much more balanced representation of food than the Food Pyramid Scam. So, yea, eggs are fine. Dairy is problematic from an insulin release perspective. I’d save it for PWO and if one has autoimmune issues I;d avoid it altogether.
I love the sample zone meals, with one caveat. The olive oil! In the paleo spirit, I don’t think a cave man would have olive oil on hand. My research indicates many olive oil brands are not pure olive oil, are rancid, etc. I much prefer poaching or other cooking methods. I’ve experimented with coconut oil for cooking, but am still researching it.
Please comment on olive oil.
Clare-
You are right that there are variable quality olive oils so selecting a solid brand is important. From there the mono’s which make up the olive oil are well represented in the paleo diet. I;d just mix it up, as it sounds like you are doing. I like the cooking methods, I like the coconut oil.
Robb,
With apples being last on your list, you have me at 16 blocks eating 4 apples a day comparing your “shopping-food.doc” and “zone-meals16.doc”. Isn’t this a contradiction?
cory-
could be at odds…I need to look at that.
I saw two questions above regarding the breakfast smoothie but I am still confused. Where does the 30g of protien come from in that smoothie recipe? Actually, what is the smoothie recipe?
brian-That was in a 16 block sample meal plan that I think is in the FAQ.
Listen to the podcast, first time on the website and can’t find what I am looking for. Is arrowroot / arrow root powder in line with paleo? My wife is starting to get behind paleo and has been looking for receipes and a lot of it calls for arrow root powder, but sure if it’s legit. Hope to hear an answer on the podcast since I don’t understand the website yet….
Craig-
Yes, but it can be carb Heavy. If you are trying to lean out, could be a problem. check this out:
http://www.paleobrands.com/start-here/