If you’re trying to optimize your performance (get stronger better faster stronger), then feeding yourself properly & ensuring you get adequate nutrients is JUST as important as training.
I’m sure you already knew that.
EQUALLY important, however, is your relationship to food & body (how you FEEL about how you eat and what you make it mean about you)
So, maybe you’ve heard it would benefit you as an athlete to eat enough protein, carbs, fats, fiber… and you want to track your intakes to ensure you’re eating ENOUGH of each nutrient to perform and feel your best… But don’t want to become numbers-obsessed or restrictive in the process.
Here are some ideas, some food for thought, some things to chew on (puns totally intended):
- MINIMUMS, not MAXIMUMS: Rather than focusing on staying below a certain number each day, view and set your C/P/F/F as minimum intakes needed to function and feel your best. View these numbers as helpful suggestions and reminders to learn what works for your body, not rigid limits to make you sad.
- REFRAME: Instead of “I can’t eat more than this”, how about “When I eat enough carbs, my energy & intensity in training is better”… “When I eat enough protein, my recovery is better”… “When I eat enough dietary fat, my satiation & satisfaction & hormonal health is better” … “When I eat enough fiber, my digestion is better”
- EXPECT VARIETY FROM YOURSELF, NOT PERFECTION: Remember that you are a human being with varying inputs and outputs and hormonal fluctuations and seasons and training intensities and priorities and values and… and… and… Your nutrition can and should reflect that. Some days you’ll need more or less food than other days.
- TAKE DAYS OFF: What if I told you… you don’t have to track every single day to see the benefits. You could track intakes on your harder/longer training days, and then used untracked days as opportunities to cue into your body’s hunger & fullness, just being intentional about regular feeding & eating foods that make you feel good in your body.
- TRACKING IS A TOOL, NOT A LIFESTYLE: If that makes you mad, lollll. At some point or another you should have a plan to transition away from tracking. You can utilize it to learn about fueling your body properly, eventually you’re gonna want that time/energy back (and to feel confident listening to your body while incorporating what you learned).
So, if you choose to track because it helps you get the nutrition your body needs, power to you.
If you choose not to track because of whatever personal-and-totally-valid reason, power to you.
Whatever you do, try to stay aligned with your body’s natural wisdom (cues, energy levels, digestion, etc) while also filtering everything through your personal values…
… So you can continue directing your precious mental energy to the areas that matter most to you!
And if you’re seeking support with nutrition and training to be your strongest, most vibrant self, reply to this email or click the link below for my 1:1 coaching application.
Peace & Love,
Sofia