Fit to Be SCENE: Greg Williams
Weight loss inspires new business to help busy people lead healthy lifestyle started watching what I put into my body,” he said.
By Twila Lindblade Greg Williams knows firsthand how tough it can be to maintain a healthy lifestyle. As a business owner and manager, he is constantly on the go and doesn’t always have time to cook. Fast food and eating at fine dining restaurants can become expensive and often the restaurants do not offer a lot of healthy alternatives.
Greg lost the first 20 pounds using Crossfit and the final 40 pounds by paying attention to his meals and following the clean Paleo diet, he said. In July 2012, just 7 months after he began the new eating regimen, he decided to create Paleo Pals.
“Everything on the go is greasy and processed,” he said. After losing 60 pounds, Greg was inspired to create Paleo Pals in Seabrook. The Paleo or “caveman” diet is based on lean meats and proteins, vegetables and nutritious carbohydrates. “It is all-natural, heart healthy and clean,” Greg said. The New England Journal of Medicine, the Mayo Clinic, The American Society for Nutrition and several other resources have concluded that a Paleo lifestyle can lead to significant improvements in health, energy, and overall physical fitness. Greg weighed 272 pounds when he started the journey to become healthy. He began by using the Crossfit workout routine once a week. Crossfit is a combination of cardiovascular fitness and weight training and takes place in a group setting. “I didn’t change my eating right away, but I cut back my alcohol intake and a saw some results. Then I started doing Crossfit two times a week and saw more results. I finally
Paleo Pals offers prepared healthy meals for folks on the go. Greg insists that his food has flavor and could compete with any other restaurant. The meals are prepared using Greg’s own recipes and simple, but healthy spices. Although he follows a strict clean diet now, Greg still appreciates the good flavor of food.
AFTER
“I’m still a fat kid at heart. My food is good and it has flavor. It’s not your ordinary health food,” he said. BEFORE
Greg, who is also the general manager of Cabo Clear Lake and owner of the Smoothie Shoppe of Seabrook, admits that it is difficult to maintain workouts with such a busy lifestyle. But, he believes that many people have similar challenges and hopes Paleo Pals can aid in creating a healthier lifestyle for everyone.
“It’s really hard. I try my best to get my workouts in, and I slip up and might miss a few,” he said. Greg said despite following the Paleo or caveman-style of eating, he has never been on a diet. - Continued on Page 23
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JANUARY 2013