In my most recent post about recovering from CrossFit, I touched on many of the strategies that I use to help me wind down and regain energy from the strenuous training that I do, you can read more about that here.
One thing I touched on was nutrition, but I want to use this blog post as an opportunity to delve into this a little more, as it’s been something that’s been a game changer for me in terms of getting the most out of my training.
CrossFit places nutrition at the foundation of the period, claiming that:
“Sound nutrition, obtained from a high-quality diet in optimal quantities—as determined by the individual—provides the necessary foundation for continued progress and maximum adaptations from the program”
-Crossfit HQ
In my most recent post about recovering from CrossFit, I touched on many of the strategies that I use to help me wind down and regain energy from the strenuous training that I do, you can read more about that here.
One thing I touched on was nutrition, but I want to use this blog post as an opportunity to delve into this a little more, as it’s been something that’s been a game changer for me in terms of getting the most out of my training.
CrossFit places nutrition at the foundation of the period, claiming that:
“Sound nutrition, obtained from a high-quality diet in optimal quantities—as determined by the individual—provides the necessary foundation for continued progress and maximum adaptations from the program”
-Crossfit HQ
There are two key takeaways that I can see here.
1. HIGH QUALITY DIET
QUALITY - what does that mean? I believe that the food you eat is either fighting disease or feeding it. In our case it’s either helping recovery & training or it’s hindering it. What we put in our mouths forms the building blocks of our training.
In my opinion the best diet is the one that has no name. Yes... paleo, keto, high carb, low carb, no carb - they’re all great and have been game-changers for many people but I believe for the general population we need to stop over-complicating things. Food was grown in the soil and hatched/born in a perfect form; the way nature intended it. We have very specific body mechanisms designed to receive food in the way it was given to us (yes, the eggs WITH the yolk. There are certain components of the yolk that allow us to get the most from the whites) and so much more.
Eating minimally processed foods like nuts, seeds, quality meats, unprocessed oils, fruits and vegetables should make up the foundation of our diets. Stick to an unprocessed diet for a month and see how your training changes... trust me!
Things I suggest aiming for:
- 600-800g of fruits and veggies per day
- 25g of fibre for women and 35g for men minimum!
- an ideal macro split for you personally, which leads me to my next point!
2. optimal quantities
In my opinion, QUANTITY is just as important as quality when it comes to getting the most out of your training.
I was already eating quite well, but up until about a year ago, I was not eating nearly enough. I’ve grown up as a skinny kid, eating a couple of meals a day with an extremely fast metabolism — building muscle was hard for me and went against my body’s natural composition. I started working with The Method who allocated me macros.. before I tracked macros I honestly had no idea where I was sitting, so we measured my current intake for fun and BOY was I under-eating. It made sense to me why my training was compromised, sleep was average and moods were low. They told me “what you measure you manage”, and ever since I’ve been weighing and tracking what I’ve been eating, my strength has increased and so has my ability to back up sessions with the intensity I need.
Working with a coach for your macros is the best thing you can do, however it is something that you can try out by yourself first. My favourite app is My Fitness Pal and I suggest everyone tracks everything they eat in a day, for 3 days straight. Weighing and measuring can be tedious to start with - but if you want something you’ve never had, you’re going to have to do something you’ve never done. This was it for me!
Education is key when it comes to what you’re putting in your mouth, and becoming familiar with what food is made up of energy-wise is a powerful tool when manipulating body weight or fueling performance. Once you have 3 days of data from the foods you’ve eaten, you can start to play around with your macros.
I recommend aiming for at least 2g of protein per kg of body weight if you’re under 30% body fat. If over 30% it’ll be somewhere between 1.5x and 2x (this is where a coach will come in, as we are all unique). The remainder of your calories will come from YOUR unique macro split and whether you prefer carbs or fats. I love an even split of carbs and fats - and I’ve tried to be high carb and high fat before.. through trial and error I’ve found that an even split works for me. When it comes to total calories, a bit of maths comes in here and will come down to more factors like: body weight, goals, training & current intake. You can play around with total calories by tracking what you’re currently consuming and adding or subtracting 100-200 calories a day based on your goals (adding for muscle gain and subtracting for fat loss - again this is a general rule and not always the case for everyone — some people need to eat more to lose weight!) Keep note of your daily body weight, body measurements and how you feel... adjust from there.
Note, CONSISTENCY is key, and to get accurate data from a certain macro split, you have to trial it for at least a week.... consistently. Again, working with a coach will be the fastest way to find your unique split, but if you’re hell bent on going solo - trial & error will be your best friend.
These are the things that I’ve found to make the greatest difference in my training, and I’m always here to chat if anyone wants to ask specific questions. My Instagram handle is @jamesnewbury — and my go to nutrition gurus can be found at @themethodnow.
Hope you like it!
James