I started Paleo in July 2009 doing what they call "free feeding" - where you basically just eat any combination of paleo-approved foods until you're full without being concerned with portions or making sure you have a balanced plate. When I started, the simple act of cutting out grains, legumes, and dairy yielded HUGE results for me almost immediately. I had never felt better, and I not only lost weight but I lost my belly bloat and feelings of sluggishness throughout the day. I'd always just figured I was one of those people who was tired all the time until I started Paleo. My energy levels soared and better yet, I had consistent energy throughout the day (no more 3pm crashes!).  

When I heard about the BTB45 challenge, I thought it would be a good opportunity to start tightening up certain areas of my diet and seeing what the effect would be. So I resolved to cut out bananas, sweet potatoes and plantains, cut down the amount of fruit I was eating, and cut back on the amount of heavy whipping cream I put in my morning coffee for 45 days. I also started trying to balance my meals a little better - including a protein, carb and fat at each meal. The goal was to lean out and see if things could get better than they already were! :) The result was another incredible change in the way I looked and felt. 

The challenge forced me to branch out more with the types of foods I was eating, and gave me so many more options of things to cook. The shape of my body also began to change and I got much smaller around the middle and more hour-glass shaped. I even got my first pullup during the 45! Unfortunately, I injured my hip in the middle of the challenge which kept me out of the gym for a chunk of time. Even so, I still noticed an improvement in the post-WOD results - shaved 20s off my 1k row and added 20# to my deadlift 1-rep max. But the biggest shocker of all was looking at my before/after photos. I hadn't realized how much I'd changed until I put those side-by-side and compared. It continues to amaze me how much diet affects your life, and how even small tweaks can mean big changes. For any of you who are considering Paleo, go ahead and take the plunge!