Fishers resident Shelby Malaterre, 31, was a heavy Ball State sophomore when he transferred from Vincennes University back in 2001. Carrying 215 pounds in a 5'11" frame was a backbreaker, and roaming up and down McKinley Avenue during the warmer months made things sweaty. The marketing and business administration major also dealt with the emotional side of weight gain.
"Being heavy as a young adult had its challenges," Malaterre said. "Poor body image caused some self-confidence issues and that likely showed in scholastic and personal endeavors. And I would have been an ancestral health enthusiast in college if I would have had a lot more energy to walk the campus."
In order to make those walks to class a little easier, Malaterre made regular visits to the campus weight room two to three times a week with a friend.
"We did standard cardio and weights with 10 reps, etc. It's nothing I would waste my time with now. I know the importance of really heavy lifting and HIIT [High-Intensity Interval Training]," he said.
After graduation, eight years went by before Malaterre discovered a life-changing diet and business venture.
PLUNGING INTO PALEO
On New Year's Day 2012, Mallaterre started the Paleolithic diet - or Paleo for short. Big "no-nos" for the diet are grains and dairies, as well as a strong emphasis on the importance of eating organic and locally grown.
In an attempt to shed some pounds, he turned to the "caveman diet" as part of a "Biggest Loser" pool between friends.
"I just wanted to find a diet that I was going to lose weight with," he said.
Compared to previous diets, he found that Paleo has more of a natural flow in terms of exercise and is less strenuous on the body. Before Paleo, he was used to long-distance running.
"I ran a mini-marathon in 2005, which was really just a lot of cardio and 'over-running.' Along with a lot of calorie counting, I had gotten down to 147 [pounds] ... and I felt OK, but I had to run all the time."
Malaterre also said he believes that, along with a sense of Paleo nutrition, there is a specific workout mindset. He explained our methods of modern exercise are completely backwards from what the human race did naturally for thousands of years. Working out old school, he said, plays a big role in weight loss.
"If you think about it, we [as human beings] never had reason to go out and run 10 miles at a medium pace," he said. "We either had to run really fast for a short amount of time to avoid being eaten or obtain our food, or just walk for long periods of time. We also didn't have a reason to do 20 or 30 reps with a 60-pound object, but instead had to lift something heavy only once."
TRUCKIN'
Shortly after starting the Paleo diet, Malaterre came up with a business venture for a food truck. The catch? Only foods that follow the Paleo diet would be served. From there, Caveman Truck was founded on Feb. 3. In order to receive funding for the project, he went to Kickstarter.com, a crowd funding website for creative projects. Once he created his account, he set his goal to $15,000.
"I had always wanted to start a business," he said. "I've been around the food industry for a long time, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I started looking online to see if anyone else [had a business around] the Paleo diet, and no one did."
You can find Malaterre on Saturdays at the Binford Farmers Market, as well as many other venues throughout the week in Indiana cities such as Carmel, Noblesville and Westfield.
"The truck is really about exposing Paleo and showing people that it's not threatening to eat this way. I'm all about sourcing foods locally and providing the most high-quality, organic food available," he said.
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For more information about Malaterre, Caveman Truck and a link to his Kickstarter account, visit cavemantruck.com. Learn more about the Paleo diet at thepaleodiet.com.
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