Jump In With Both Feet and Don’t Look Back!

Written by: Chadwick Roland

I guess the story starts in April of 1987, I was born a healthy giant baby. Somewhat average life ,average ability, lost my parents and brother to cancer at the age of 12-13. I kept through the awkward teen years terrified of girls, playing sports, and eating whatever I wanted and getting away with it. I vividly remember screaming from on high in my aunt and uncles kitchen in high school ”I’LL NEVER COUNT CALORIES OR READ INGREDIENT LISTS, LOOK AT ME! I EAT WHATEVER I WANT AND IM JACKED!” Needless to say that only lasted a short while longer.

19-20 rolled around, and I chalked up the added fat to me ”filling out”. It wasn’t anything super off putting so I didn’t think much of it, kept on with bench press curls and more bench. Only a few years more and I was buying pretty big jeans, and wearing a lot of hoodies to mask my stomach pudge. I was on the size chart at 6’2” 262lbs at my biggest, only real exercise was body building style lifts.

I tried a few things, a balanced food pyramid sorta gig (shoutout to Robb with the ”paleo lingo”) but nothing much happened, and I just floundered back to my Burger King, Wendy’s, donairs and poutine (for the paleoers south of the 49th, or on another continent; its fries, gravy, and cheese curds, and its erotically delicious). Being Canadian, however, saved my health. Playing in a ”beer league” adult hockey league I was tripped on a break away, and landed into the boards breaking my ankle. An overnight stay at the Hospital and 2 screws later I was rebuilt with a fully refurbished left ankle. However, the recovery had the perk of Papa John’s pizza and Wendy’s nightly while watching NBA Playoffs and the March Madness tournament since I was pretty immobile.

Three months of recovery left me without much muscle or a real goal in mind. I went back to the gym once I could walk, and went back with what I knew, body building workouts and basic cardio. One day on the eliptical machine I all of a sudden felt a lot of jiggling in my mid section. This being a brand new sensation to me, I had a big epiphany, looked at my cousin and proclaimed ”I’m done eating fast food.” He looked at me puzzled and responded ”till when?” That started my now 2 year journey on the search for health and food quality.

I started by doing what I’d been told since childhood was healthy, extra lean meats, healthy whole grains, low fat, fruits and veggies, so on and so fourth. This plan got me down from about 258lbs to 242lbs. Given the lack of Major Fast Foods and frozen dinners, I attribute the small bit of weight loss to that more than anything. Next up I was hearing about this book called ”the four hour body”. I followed the nutrition plan that Tim Ferris promotes and started seeing serious results. I got myself trimmed down to a nice 230lbs, and was feeling better than I had forever, and I could still enjoy doughnuts and pizza on my ”cheat day”.

However I’m truly not one to sit on my ass and just enjoy what’s given, I either want to make it better or make it my own, and I kept hearing about this fancy paleo diet. My curiosity lead me down a path of forums and podcasts, and with the change being that of simply dropping legumes and adding potatoes and fruit, I was quite happy to oblige and give it a try.

I made the change to a 90 percenter in July of 2012 (didn’t want to give up my doughnuts), however dropped my cheat day, and have been ”full paleo” since November of the same year.

I’m now a super lean 203Lbs (15lbs lighter than when having my cheat day with no other change), and feeling like paleo eating would save the world if it only listened.

For those reading this because you’re looking for a quick fix, or a magic solve all 10 day plan; the paleo lifestyle is not for you. If you’re tired of being tired, wheezing from a flight of stairs, feeling gross and bloated after eating dinner only to be arm deep in the freezer looking for ice cream bars an hour later, and want what’s best for your health and your everyday life,  jump in with both feet and don’t look back! I mean a health plan that encourages bacon is about as sane an idea as I’ve ever heard! It’s truly a simple, and though historical, revolutionary idea that is so simple it’s scoffed at and treated like witchcraft.

Worst case scenario is you eat bacon for 30 days.

Squatchy

Christopher Williams (a.k.a. Squatchy) is a paleo aficionado, educator, personal trainer, wellness coach, and hobbyist chef. He also works as part of the Robb Wolf team.