CrossFit Nutrition in 2019.
“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and New year, when what matters is what they eat between New Year and Christmas”
A great quote and so fitting for this time of year.
Nutrition is the foundation of health & fitness and no amount of time ‘crushing it’ in the gym will outwork a poor approach to it.
While there are many different approaches and considerations that need to be made when planning how best to achieve an individuals specific health and fitness goals, below are some basic nutrition tips/guidelines that can be implemented today to get you well on the way to achieving your 2019 goals.
Create a lifestyle. ‘Diets’ represent a moment in time, are restrictive, not sustainable over the long term and any results are generally unravelled quickly after the endpoint. Find a long term, sustainable way to eat that suits you, your circumstances & supports your goals. Don’t get caught up in the next fad or quick fix. Optimal, is the approach that you’re able to enjoy and adopt for the long term. Consistency is key.
Hydrate. Simple. A good rule of thumb here is to drink more water than you think you have to. For the majority of people it is unlikely that they are unconsciously going to hydrate effectively. Not water in your morning coffee, or your juice with lunch. Water. Drink water. 2L a day, minimum is a good place to start.
Prepare your meals in advance. This is so simple yet so hard for so many. Spend some time preparing your meals for the week. That way when you’re tired and/or ‘too busy’ theres no excuse to grab takeaway or junk food. If you really don’t have time, there are plenty of meal prep companies that will prepare specific meals to suit exactly what you like to eat in the exact quantities to support your goals. Fail to plan = Plan to fail
Want to lose weight? Calorie Deficit. Consume less calories than you use. Keto, IIFYM, Intermittent fasting, Paleo… every fad diet, they all have one thing in common when utilised for the purpose of weight loss... They all work on the premise of calories in vs calories out… or, a calorie deficit.
Want to eat for performance? Want to gain muscle? Educate yourself on what is required to achieve your goal, understand your required macronutrient split & calories. Fuel your workouts. Eat with intent. This point deserves its own post, which we’ll cover off on in the near future, however, for now, be conscious of the importance of nutrition in achieving your goals.
Consider counting calories/macros. While not essential, it is a great way of understanding the foods you are consuming, how calorie dense they are and what affect they may be having on your body composition. Tracking/measuring the quantity of food you’re consuming over time, along with how you look/feel/weigh (measurements) will help give you clarity on the quantity as well as the types of food (Proteins, Carbs & Fats) you require for your specific goals. There are plenty of great apps (my fitness pal, for e.g.) that make this super easy.
Carbs are not the enemy. Please don’t be scared of carbs. Especially if training with intensity, frequently. Carbs are a great (the best) source of fuel to get you through your workouts. Aim to use carbs around your workouts to best utilise their benefits of energy and recovery. Not to mention, the carbs from fruits and veg come with the added benefit of incredible vitamins & minerals that are essential for growth, repair, immune system benefits and overall optimal health.
Eat whole foods. Can your food be, grown, gathered or caught? If you have to ask, the answer is likely ’No’. This is where Greg Glassman’s (founder of CrossFit) guideline really rings true. "Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, no sugar" This will ensure that along with your calories (and/or macro nutrients), you are getting the sufficient micro nutrients (vitamins & minerals) plus being well satiated. It’s a lot harder to eat too much broccoli than it is to consume too many M&M’s.
You are what you eat, eats. Eat quality sourced foods. look for ‘wild caught fish’, Free range eggs, Grass fed and finished meats, Organic fruit & vegetable. Unfortunately the food industry is a business and $$ focussed. This means that a lot of the foods we eat are manufactured as ‘efficiently’ (cheaply) as possible. This can mean they have been fed, sprayed and/or coated in chemicals that are extremely toxic to the human body.
Avoid cooking in vegetable or canola oils. The manufacturing process of these oils involves heavy chemicals which are again, extremely toxic to the human body. Where possible, stick to cooking with Olive oil, Avocado oil & Coconut oil.
You’re a human being. Enjoy yourself from time to time, live your life, have dinner with friends, eat the icecream. Don’t stress out and hate yourself if you deviate from the plan from time to time. Moderation and balance is the key. In saying that, you need to be honest with yourself about what ‘moderation & balance’ really is and how important are your goals to you. If/when you do deviate from the plan or ‘fall off the rails’, don’t spend time stressing over it, but don't drag it out.. one bad meal doesn’t have to turn into a weekend of binge eating. Enjoy it, accept it, get back on track.
Blog - Ben Coulter.
