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How to Eat for Performance (Even if You’re Not a Pro Athlete) · FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast

• 1:14
  Hey and welcome to fit me Turo fitness podcast. In today's episode, I'm talking about how to eat for performance, even if you are not pro athlete. So we are talking about topic, topic that is often misunderstood, so performance nutrition. So most people think that performance eating is only for elite athletes, but let me tell you, you don't have to be a pro to eat like one. So if you care about having more energy, recovering faster, building strength, or just feeling better when you drink. This episode is for you. We will talk about what performance eating actually means, how it's different from weight loss eating, and what to eat before and after workouts, and why fueling your body right could be the key to finally making progress. So let's get into this episode. So first is what is actually performance eating? So performance eating isn't just for Olympians or marathoners. It's about fueling your workouts, recovering well, supporting your muscle growth and Hormonal Health, feeling energized and strong, that's luck is and depleted so so many people are are trying to get stronger, leaner or more athletic while they are under eating. That's like trying to drive a car with barely any fuel. So if you are strength training three to four times per week, going for long walks or doing any sports, you are already a performance focused person, so your food needs to match with that. And this is kind of approach that I'm doing myself too. I used to be an athlete, but now I'm not athlete anymore. I'm still ice hockey referee, but I don't count myself anymore athlete, but I still do eat like an athlete, like obviously, maybe not that much anymore, as I used to be guys. That is not my main goal.
• 3:22
  I don't, I don't, at this point of my career, I don't need to make personal best. I don't need to do but I just want to feel good, feel healthy, but and that have to support my goals, and that is probably the reason why I have been able to maintain my current weight for the past 10 years and still making progress, but not nothing, too much. So I'm not sometimes, of course, like everyone, I'm focusing on losing fat, sometimes I'm focusing on building strength, even that is kind of hard task for myself. I got to, have to commit but eating, because the most important goal for me is still to feel the best version of yourself be overall health, healthy, healthy, healthy person and and being able to perform.
• 4:18
  Because at the time, my schedule is I'm lucky to be in that position, but schedule is crazy.
• 4:23
  I need to perform my best, and if I'm sluggish, if I don't have energy, I won't be able to perform in my work. I don't have I'm not there for my clients. I feel it right away. And this is the principles, blueprints, what I'm using for myself, and how you could be using. Obviously, you don't have to. You are not me. You don't have to use exactly the same things. But I'm just providing you strategies with the foods you actually love, enjoy eating and that so that you are able to actually perform your best, feeling the best. And this is often for the people, what I have seen, like people, older women, for example, who are in their menopause, are working so hard but not seeing results because they are focusing on that kind of weight loss, eating while working like an athlete or or semi pro athlete, and doing working hard. So this is this could be a game changer for you.
• 5:25
  So this, that's why the performance focusing on shifting that focus on your performance and eating in a way that supports those goals, it might be a game changer. So first, let's talk about that mindset.
• 5:42
  So like I mentioned, most people eat to that they are trying to get smaller. It means always less calories, fewer carbs, even more restriction. So, but when you start to eating to perform, you focus on your energy levels, your strength, your recovery and long term progress. So here is what is what that kind of approach is changing. So you fool before your workouts.
• 6:11
  Instead of fasting, you eat enough protein or recovery. You don't fear carbs. You use them to fuel your workouts, and you stop rewarding under eating. So this shift leads to better body composition anyway, because you actually build and maintain muscle so and this is, this is often that kind of mindset shift you have to make, because so many people, when you change that shift your mindset away from weight loss, and that could be very hard shift to make, even because if you have a goals like losing fat, fitting into that your dress and you focus, you know that you need to be in a calorie deficit. You need to you know that you need to restrict.
• 7:04
  And that often creates that kind of restrictive, restriction mindset, but when you shift that focus and actually focus on getting stronger, and this is especially for women who are in their menopause, when everything is getting anyways, harder, but when you shift that focus, actually on getting stronger.
• 7:27
  And this is the approach I have recently used with a couple of my clients, who were who have been who are struggling with menopause, not seeing babies going up, even despite working eating hard. And feels like that every time you even you you need to only watch some dessert, and you are you have one two kilos more on the next day, and it takes again, two week hard work to get it off. But when you shift that focus on actually starting to focus solely on getting stronger, like good example is Sarah is she's amazing, amazing woman in very menopause and and she faced exactly these problems, like there is no real progress, weight loss, progress, Everything feels like that. It's it was so much received that focus that now we solely focus on getting stronger. So we, we picked up her favorite exercise, and we actually started to focus on getting stronger. And what happened, surprisingly, now she's energy levels are on the roof better than long before she's making new best records in her lifts, feeling stronger, feeling better than ever.
• 8:58
  Everything is have changed, and it would. It was all because of shifting focus and how we did it. We actually picked one her favorite exercise. I created program solely focusing on that exercise, obviously without forgetting whole body. But for her, it was deadlift and just focusing on getting stronger on this one exercise for past couple months, and that solely changed everything. So what?
• 9:31
  What you actually need? So the, what are the core nutrients for, for your performance? So let's break it down. So obviously, as you know, protein, why it's important, because many, so many people are under eating protein.
• 9:47
  They think that they know the protein is important, but they have actually no idea. Or even they think that they eat a lot of protein. But once, if you haven't, if you are not tracking it, if you don't know exactly how much protein you are actually eating, there is a very big chance that you are under eating your protein so it repairs muscle, it supports recovery. And your goal should always be 1.6 to 2.2 grams per kilo perivate.
• 10:18
  And this is often, if you think that it depends, of course, where you are starting, like most women, or also men who come to me and we start to work together, they are not even close to that. So obviously, if you, if you get like 0.5 grams per pro per kilo protein, it would be unrealistically, unrealistic to add that you get 1.6 or even two grams per kilo body weight. So that would be, like a three times, four times more protein what you are currently eating, and it won't be sustainable. So focusing here, it's not that that would that might be the ultimate goal to add so much protein, but it should never be the first goal is to add, like, for example, aiming for 100 grams, then finding a ways how to do it, and then obviously, how to actually get there. So there are many, many different strategies, but the best ways are always to trying to kind of spread it out across the day and and the way, how I like to do it like it's it all starts with the planning like that you are planning your days like, one of my favorite tasks for my clients is that I tell them to plan your day to hit for like, you can Use your if you use any nutrition app, like for my clients, they have, of course, my app, but there are so many free apps where you plan to hit like you don't need to plan all your meals, what exactly you are going to eat, but at only your protein sources for each meal. So it works like this, that for breakfast, for example, I use now my own example. But of course, you can, you can adjust these kind of examples with foods you enjoy.
• 12:14
  These are just foods what I enjoy and eat on a regular basis. So don't, don't date. It have to be this food or this food. It doesn't basically matter. But the way, how I do it is that I have created a strategy for myself that breakfast, my protein source is scoop of natural protein powder without any taste, because I don't like it. I mix it with 250 grams of Greek yogurt. So I get 50 grams of protein. So 250 gram free cucur gives me around 25 grams of protein. Scoop of protein powder, 2025, grams, and that, that is my protein source.
• 12:56
  So those are protein source.
• 12:56
  Then I mix it with some other fruits, berries, whatever I feel, or what is available during on the season. But just principle is to create that kind of that what is your protein source? So let's say that you have your protein source for breakfast, same thing for lunch, same thing for dinner. So for example, if you're going to eat some kind of meat, how much you are going to eat? Let's use chicken, example. For for lunch, you aim for 200 grams, gives you another 50 grams. For dinner, it's going to be fish or some other protein source, and how much you are going to eat it, if it's 100 grams again, how much protein it has. So those are my protein sources for my main meals, like I like to eat three times per day, three main meals, and then maybe some snacks. And then I see, like my personal goal is to get 150 160 grams per day. And then I start to think that, okay, what I what I could be adding, and the principle of what works for me, because I don't have always, I can't I don't have. I don't know what I will be eating in dinner or lunch, or if I'm eating out, so I'm not sure what I'm eating.
• 14:20
  But I have built my systems that I have 50 grams in a breakfast, and I try to get some like, usually it's either another protein shake or cottage cheese before lunch, so which gives me another 20 grams. So in the worst days, I get 70 grams with my post. Those are the meals I have full control, and then I know what I will be getting. So I get 70 grams, that is almost half of my protein called before lunch already, and that keeps me Fuller, that keeps me away from sweet cravings or mindlessly snacking. So protein is the most important and and that when you know how much you are actually eating, if you don't know, if you have no idea, just look amounts what you are eating from labels, whatever, and put it into the next day. So you have kind of plan, so it becomes easier. The next step is to actually pre cook your protein sources, so you know. And then some days it could be that you are eating rice with them. Other day is going to be with your chicken, for example. It's pre cooked, so I know what you are going to eat. And then adding what fits with that. It could be pasta, it could be rice, it doesn't matter. Then adding kind of sources of carbs, but making sure that you are getting your protein, and at least in ideal day up. Of course, it won't be perfect every single day, but just how to get there, closer to into your goals. And if you like, for me, I like always. If I'm not getting my goal into my goal, my first question is that, could I be eating more something what I already eat? And if the answer is, I'm already having 200 grams of chicken, I want to have something else too. Then what else I could be adding? If the answer is, that's the simplest way how to add protein is to ask yourself if you could be eating the answer is no. Then think other sources what you could be adding, then carbohydrates. So carbohydrates are your primary fuel for intense training. So don't fear, carbs, they help you to perform.
• 16:45
  So good choices are rice, oats, potatoes, fruits, whole grains, and especially important, they are before and after training.
• 16:56
  So don't be afraid, because they help you, then also to fuel your workouts and and to recover. So why it's important to before? If you don't, you might have recognized this if you eat, if you don't, if you haven't been eating, let's say, 24 hours before a lot of carbs, you will see it. You will feel the difference in your workouts. You don't have energy as you would have so it could be just before, some kind of banana, or whatever carbohydrates you want, so you have at least some kind of if it's closer to your workout, it could be something like banana.
• 17:39
  If it's longer, like that, your body have time to absorb it. It could be something else, what takes a little bit longer, but during before, before is carbohydrates are your primary source for intense training. So then, of course, there's what is missing is fats. So fats are supporting your hormones and recovery, but so don't go ultra low fat. So include, try to include sources like eggs, olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado for example. Those are just examples, if you don't know where to get your healthy cuts.
• 18:14
  So then next question is that, how to eat around your training?
• 18:20
  So think, think of nutrition around training in three windows. So there is going to be pre workout. So that means, like, one to two hours before.
• 18:34
  So focus on carbs, maybe a bit of protein. For example, banana and protein shake, oats and Greek yogurt, rice cakes plus peanut butter. So those are just kind of pre workouts. Of course, there are many supplements. I'm not a big believer or big fan. I try to get my pre workout meal always from natural sources, as they are. For me, they were, they are a lot better if you don't have option. There is so many pre workouts available. I personally use them, but many of them, they are using so much caffeine, all kind of ingredients that I rather stick with natural folks. And it says that one to two hours before, because it matters that it gives you that kind of energy before then, think it.
• 19:27
  Think your post workout, it's usually within one to two hours after your training. So if you depending what time you work out, post workout should be focusing on carbs and protein again. So great example. Or I will go through this list, and then I tell you examples. So why those post workouts are important so they help you to replenish that glucagon and kick starts that muscle repair. So that's why those carbs and protein are the most important part. So examples could be rising chicken protein smoothie and banana eggs and toast. And then third part is hydration. So drink water, pre and post, and if you if you are sweating a lot, adding some salt and electrolytes could be beneficial strategy so simplest indeed, like we had a great episode with that since la Pataki, it's, it's, it was, it's one of the most downloaded episodes I have had in my fitness, Turo fitness podcast, and James told this great strategy. It's a three R's, so it's simple to remember.
• 20:55
  So first R stands for refuel, so it means carbs, then second R is repair, and that means that protein, so repairing your muscles. And then third R is rehydrate. So three simplest things is what is after and also before are the most important parts. So those three R's is the like around the training are the most important. And then the last thing, what I wanted to talk is, is, why that under eating kills your progress. So here's what happens when you chronically under eat. So, and this is very common, what I see because people are trying, that you you might have that those goals, like losing fat, building muscle and doing everything at the same time, and when you focus on under eating restriction. So what happens is that you are actually you have a very poor recovery. You are constantly feeling fatigue. You don't have you have low strength and performance, your hormones are going to be disrupted, disrupted, especially women, and you are actually losing muscle instead of fat loss. So sometimes the best way losing fat in the long term is to eat more now, so you are building more lean muscle mass and then cut out later, when your metabolism is stronger. So for people like who are kind of trying to do the three, changing your body composition, it's it's hard to kind of shift, shift that focus and telling that I'm focusing only one thing at the same time, if you are brand new, if you haven't done strength training, then probably doing both at the same time is the best strategy. But that works only for the first three to six months, maybe, and but, and then after that, if you are not brand new in a strength training, the best way is always to kind of use different phases, focusing on different kind of things. And this approach, focusing on your performance, is probably the best strategy. What you could be doing, especially if you have been doing this for longer than that, three to six months after starting strength training. So this is, this is shortly about principles, what, what? What matters when it comes to performance based eating. So here is what to take away from today. So you don't need to be a pro athlete to eat like one, and start eating for your performance. Fuel, focus on your training. Fuel in your training. Don't restrict it.
• 23:57
  Focus on protein, carbs and enough total energy. So pre and post workout, nutrition matters more than those supplements and under eating, it means that it's going to be dead end for your progress. So those are just core principles, what you have to remember. So if this episode helps you to shift your mindset.
• 24:25
  Let me know. Send me a DM in my Instagram. Tag me in, tag me there, and share it with your friend who is always tired and training hard, and remember your best performance starts with your plate. Catch you in the next time. Thank you for listening, and thank you, especially those who have lived the five star reviews as they are helping so much to more that more people can find this podcast. So thank you for listening, and thank you for those who have done reviews. And if you want to do a favor for me, please leave written review in iTunes and in Spotify. You