Athlete Profile: Lisa O'Dea

Introducing you to your fearless Paleo Challengers, meet …

Lisa O’Dea

I’m an elementary school teacher who found CrossFit in February 2009. At the time, I was almost vegetarian- I ate eggs and occasionally fish, but my diet consisted of mostly grains. I originally gave up meat as a bit of an experiment, but I stuck with it because I felt that it was a healthier option. After reading Fast Food Nation and Skinny Bitch, I was even more determined not to eat meat.

When I took on the Spartan Challenge with Crossfit Central last May, I attended a nutrition meeting. I began to take a look at my diet, and realized that I was not getting nearly enough protein. After some careful research, I decided to add meat to my diet. I made it a high priority to buy grass-fed, free-range, locally raised meat, as this is the healthiest and most ethically responsible option.  At the same time, I experimented with eliminating grains from my diet.

I ate “paleo” before I ever really knew what that was. It was a series of tweaks and gradual changes for me, not really an overnight change.  During the 6 weeks of the Spartan Challenge, I dropped 5% body fat. I also noticed a big difference in how I felt. I used to always feel tired after eating, especially lunch. When I ate a paleo-style diet, this went away. My energy level stayed consistent throughout the day, and I noticed continued improvements in strength and speed in my workouts.

I am still constantly tweaking my diet. I spend way too much time reading paleo/primal blogs, listening to Robb Wolf podcasts, and coming up with new ways to combine meat and vegetables in the kitchen. This blog is a place for me to share what I’ve learned, and to continue learning from like-minded friends. I also hope that we can bring this style of eating to a larger community. There is a lot of misinformation about nutrition, and I think it is time that we start advocating for real food.