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May 2015 Challenge: Paleo and Push-ups Challenge

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It’s time for our May 2015 Challenge!  If you are participating, I want you to leave a comment below and tell us why.  

May Challenge

Eating Goal: Your goal will be to go Paleo with your eating for a minimum of 14 Days.  You can follow the simple guidelines we provide below or pick an actual book/guide to help you  (examples below).  We will start on May 6th so that you have time for grocery shopping and meal planning.

Exercise Goal: Your exercise goal will be 10 push-ups for beginners, 20 for intermediate level exercisers and 30 push-ups for more advanced people who’ve been working out regularly and have more arm strength. That’s push-ups in a row. You will be committing to doing (or try to do) push-ups at least every other day so that you can reach our group goal by the end of the month…or go way beyond it.  On days where you don’t do push-ups, we suggest you do the exercise listed on the calendar for that day (2-3 sets). Download the Calendar.

Going Paleo for 14 Days – Starting April 6th

Suggested Guides 
for Going Paleo
Join our May DietBet
and Lose to Win $$dietbet article (affiliate links above)

What should you eat? – This simple list is just meant to serve as an example of the types of foods you could be eating during your 14 days of Paleo. These are not the ONLY foods you’ll be eating and how much you actually limit beans, grains, dairy and processed foods is ultimately up to you. For a more detailed list, print out this Paleo foods list from the book “Practical Paleo“.

  • Eat a variety of meat
  • Eat a variety of fish
  • Eat vegetables – no limits
  • Eat fruit – Unlimited, but you may want to cut back at little on high sugar foods like banana, peaches and mangos and eat more low glycemic index fruits (apples, berries).
  • Eat nuts and seeds
  • Eat natural oils

What is Paleo?: Paleo is a popular eating plan that has a focus on eating “real”, unprocessed foods that our primal forefathers and foremothers would have had access to. The concept is that you will be eating foods that your “ancestors” may have secured by hunting and gathering. You can eat foods such as fish, lean meat, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits. On this plan, you will not eat foods that are made by modern means of production such as processed foods/oils/sugars, grains and dairy.  Many people on the Paleo plan also stay away from legumes (beans and peanuts) but that is up to you.  The focus is on foods that are specifically made for the human body to burn fat, recognized by the body as food more than as chemicals or toxins and that help you to have optimal energy.  Vegetarian or Vegan? You can still try Paleo by cutting back on grains (bread, rice, etc).  Check out our article on Paleo for even more info.

Here are some benefits that you may encounter from eating this way:

  • Identify food intolerances or allergies – #1 benefit
  • Removes most trans-fat and processed sugars from your diet
  • Healthy fats from fish, nuts, seeds, avocado and olive oil
  • More stable blood sugar
  • Reduced allergies, especially for those with issues with dairy and wheat products
  • Weight loss due to cutting out a lot of junk and processed foods
  • Clearer skin
  • Less inflammation
  • Eating more nutrient dense foods

How does Paleo help people lose weight? – Paleo is an elimination diet.  Basically, people lose weight from not eating processed foods, carbs from grains and beans, as well as calories and fats in dairy (such as ice cream and whole milk).

How can Paleo improve your health? – Many people have found that by eliminating chemicals, additives, dairy, grains and other foods that are restricted that they feel better overall. Some people have realized they have gluten issues or lactose intolerance.  We’ve all heard about people who’ve seen improved health by avoiding wheat gluten or dairy, so this is not a new concept.  As you try Paleo for 14 days, we want you to focus on how going Paleo impacts you in terms of health, as well as weight.  If you are concerned about not have calcium due to reducing dairy, I suggest that you take a multi-vitamin with vitamin D and calcium during the 14 days.

So, for 14 days, we will say no to… Here is a detailed list of foods to avoid.

  • Highly processed foods of all kinds – Fast food, fried food, frozen dinners, soda, commercial juice, etc.
  • Grains – Wheat products, rice, bread, crackers, corn, oats, barley, buckwheat, quinoa, rye,
  • Dairy – Milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, half and half, etc.
  • Beans
  • Added sugar/Processed sugar
  • Processed oils – Trans-fat, canola oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, margarine, corn oil, etc.  Cook with olive oil or coconut oil.  Many Paleo lovers also use real butter.

Foods to limit

  • Peanuts and peanut butter
  • Potatoes and Yams – High sugar/high glycemic index

Pushup Challenge – Click here to download our push-up tracking calendar (PDF).  By the end of the month, the goal is to be able to do 10-35 push-ups in a row with good form, depending on your level of fitness.

May Pushup calendar

Can’t do a real push-up right now?  Not even one? You are NOT alone.  Doing push-ups is not easy when you haven’t done them regularly or built up the upper body strength needed, but we want to help you change that.  For some, the goal will be to do modified push-ups instead of regular pushups. If those are challenging for you, it’s still a challenge.  It’s all about your level of fitness.  If you go from being able to do 5 modified push-ups to doing 1 full push-up…that’s progress.

How to Participate: You will commit to doing push-ups every other day or at least 3 days a week to build up strength.  Each Saturday you will record your personal best on your copy of our workout calendar.  On the days that you don’t do push-ups, add the exercise of the day to your regular workout. Make sure that you take at least one rest day per week.

Muscles used when doing push-ups

  • Shoulders (Deltoids)
  • Chest (Pectorals)
  • Back of the Upper Arm (Triceps)

How TO Videos – Regular pushups and Modified Push-ups

Additional Exercise Demo Videos from April

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, we may receive compensation as a percentage of the purchase.

Related posts:

  1. December Challenge – 21 Days of HIIT
  2. 30 Day Time Crunch Intervals Challenge
  3. August 2015 Write It Down, Work it Out Challenge
  4. April 2015 Challenge: Plant-Based and Moving It!
  5. March 2015 Daily Calorie Burn Challenge
  6. November Challenge 2014 – BWLW’s “Do the Work” 3 Part Challenge
  7. Video: Aja Shows You How to Get Through the May Exercise Challenge Routines

Reader Interactions

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Comments

  8. I am doing this challange because I want yo live a paleo lifestyle and loose this extra fat skin on my arms.

    Reply

  9. I enjoy losing, toning, gaining new friends! Celebrating the accomplishments of ALL my sisters! I love it! Taking on a healthier (beginner/advanced) approach to living! Please keep it up!

    Reply

  11. I’m in!! I would like to try this challenge and see if I can sift out what triggers certain physical reactions!!

    Reply

  14. I am in! I love challenges. I just finished one and already a part of anther. Challenges keep me motivated. This will also be a way to increase upper body strength.

    Reply

  26. I need to get my health in check. Found out I was pre-diabetic, had high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I don’t want to live my life that way. This seems like something I can do and stick to it. It will help me get starting on my weightloss journey.

    Reply

  28. I’m in, because I want to live a long life. I have a history of diabetes in my family and I see what it can do to one’s quality of life. I know diabetes does not have to be a death sentence and I know it does not have to be hereditary. I want to feel better about myself.

    Reply

  30. I already practice the Paleo Diet due to its elimination aspect. It’s a lifesaver for me. This is going to be fun just knowing that we can support each other. I’ve printed my calendar and I’m ready to go! (Be careful not to eat too many nuts! This will throw your calories into overload. If you are trying to lose weight, it’s still a good idea to count your calories)

    Reply

  32. I will be participating because I want to get my motivation back and get back on track with getting in the best shape ever!

    Reply

  36. I am in. I feel so bloated and overweight. Lost track of my healthy eating habits and workouts for over a week but I’m not giving up.. dusting myself and moving on.

    Reply

  38. I’m am going to try this challenge. I found this page today by a facebook post. I just want to get out of a slump and back in shape.

    Reply

  41. I’m in. I need some sort of challenge to get me motivated to get back into shape. Let’s kill it ladies!!

    Reply

  43. I am in….need to loose my stomach have been walking between 5-8 mules at least 3 days a week need to learn to eat healthier.

    Reply

  44. I’m in…motivated to stay healthy, Lord willing see my oldest son get married, and see my youngest son graduate from college!

    Reply

  45. I’m in. I need to make a commitment to a healthier me. I want to finally learn how to do a push up and get my upper body strength back and lose my last 30 pounds.

    Reply

  62. I am in! Started the push-ups on the 1st and the paleo today. Paleo is the only way of eating that shrinks my waist. If I could just be consistent. Good luck everyone!

    Reply

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