When you’re pushing for PRs in the gym, there’s one variable that matters just as much as your sets and reps: fuel. You can follow the best program in the world, but if your nutrition isn’t dialed in, your progress will reflect that (along with your energy and recovery). 

Fortunately, nutrition-tracking apps have come a long way in the past few years, simplifying a previously tedious and painful process. Whether you want precise macro data, simple meal logging, or a fully guided diet strategy, these tools help you stay accountable and fuel your training the right way. 

Better yet, TrainHeroic’s Nutrition tool (available for Athlete Pro users on iOS), can pull your macro/calorie data from your nutrition app of choice directly into TrainHeroic, making it easy to see how your fueling links to your training load, readiness, and performance. Click here to learn how to sync your app to TrainHeroic. 

Below are the top five nutrition-tracking apps we recommend, and the best way to use them alongside TrainHeroic.

1. MyFitnessPal

Best for: Everyday athletes who want a massive food database and quick logging.

Why athletes love it:
MyFitnessPal has one of the largest food libraries on the planet, plus barcode scanning, meal copying, and macro breakdowns. It’s fast, flexible, and beginner-friendly.

How it connects to TrainHeroic:
In TrainHeroic, open the “Daily Nutrition” card → grant permission (“Turn On All”) to let TrainHeroic read your Apple Health nutrition data.

Pro tip: Export weekly macro averages and upload them straight into TH for a clean, coach-friendly snapshot.

2. Cronometer

Best for: Athletes who want micronutrient detail, not just macros.

Why athletes love it:
Cronometer tracks vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and more. If you’re optimizing recovery, hormonal health, weight-class performance, or energy levels, Cronometer’s accuracy is unmatched.

How it connects to TrainHeroic:
In TrainHeroic, you’ll follow the same three-step setup: Daily Nutrition card → Permissions → make sure Cronometer is allowed in Apple Health as a data source.

Pro tip: Use Cronometer’s detailed habit/logging (like micronutrients and hydration), then in TrainHeroic mark how you felt and trained that day. Over time you’ll see whether higher protein or particular micronutrient intake aligns with better performance.

3. MacroFactor

Best for: Athletes who prefer an adaptive macro-based plan..

Why athletes love it:
MacroFactor uses intelligent algorithms that adjust your macro goals based on actual intake and weight trends. It’s steady, flexible, and based on science.

How it connects to TrainHeroic:
Setup in TrainHeroic identical: enable “Daily Nutrition” card and grant TrainHeroic access to Apple Health nutrition data.

Pro tip: Use MacroFactor for the weekly “target vs actual” view, then in TrainHeroic compare weekly macro consistency to week-over-week training load and readiness.

4. FoodNoms

Best for: iOS athletes who want clean design, automation, and habit-tracking built into their nutrition.

Why athletes love it:
FoodNoms offers a simple interface, barcode scanning, accurate food entries, and customizable nutrition goals. It also tracks habits like water intake, fiber, and protein, perfect for athletes looking to build consistency without the clutter.

How it connects to TrainHeroic:
In TrainHeroic: Daily Nutrition card → grant permission → ensure FoodNoms is listed as a health data source under Apple Health.

Pro tip: Sync FoodNoms with Apple Health and use your training load inside TH to determine which days need higher intake.

5. Lose It!

Best for: Athletes who want simple, lightweight nutrition tracking (especially during weight-loss phases).

Why athletes love it:
Lose It! Helps athletes stay consistent with their calories goals without overthinking it. It’s great for athletes who in a cutting phase or recomposition period. 

How it connects to TrainHeroic:
In TrainHeroic: Daily Nutrition card → grant permission → ensure FoodNoms is listed as a health data source under Apple Health.

Pro tip: Use TrainHeroic’s long-term weight and performance data to identify the ideal calorie range for muscle building vs. fat loss.

How Nutrition + TrainHeroic Work Together

Even without direct integrations, nutrition tracking and TrainHeroic complement each other perfectly:

• Track your food intake in your favorite app.
• Log your training, readiness, and performance in TrainHeroic.
• Upload or enter weekly nutrition summaries into TH.
• Spot patterns between fueling, recovery, and performance.

This creates actionable insights for both athletes and coaches, something you can’t get from a nutrition app or a training program alone.

Which App Should You Use?

Pick the one that fits your style, then pair it with TrainHeroic to fuel smarter and train at your best.

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It’s that time of the year to wreak havoc and prepare for a massive winter bulk! But wait, what is a winter bulk? What does it take, and how do we achieve it?

Joseph Lucero (CSCS), owner of Harvesting Strength, is a powerlifter and strongman coach with years of practical S&C experience in high school, collegiate, and professional settings. His programs have produced several PL and strongman championships. In this article, he talks about the winter bulk, what it is, and all the top tips for building a dominant presence that will overwhelm the dinner table discussion this holiday season. Check out his sample workout at the end of this article!

What’s a Winter Bulk?

A “winter bulk” typically refers to a time of the year when athletes, especially those involved in strength training, aim to increase muscle mass during the winter months. This concept is rooted in the idea that cold winter weather contributes to a better bulk.

During the winter months, we begin to embrace the holiday season with many holiday traditions. Many holiday traditions involve two things — excess calories and a surplus of rest. When you merge these two concepts, you create an anabolic opportunity that lifters dream of!

This opportunity for growth is proven scientifically as well. A study by Harvard University found a 0.5% increase in body weight 10 days after Christmas. This proves the holiday season to be the right time for you to leverage growth for a better bulk.

But why would someone want to perform a winter bulk? Well, with the conditions above proving to be true, this is a time of the year when you’re in a caloric surplus allowing you to lift with more intensity and build a bigger physique. A bigger physique isn’t a bad thing either. The more muscle tissue you grow, the better your metabolism becomes and hormone regulation stays on track.

With that being said, it would be foolish to pass up this opportunity! Why not give yourself a priceless gift this holiday season — the gift of better health and a massive physique?

So while you’re sipping your eggnog and baking treats to get on Santa’s nice list, grab your notebook and prepare to take some notes!

How to Do A Winter Bulk

The recipe for a successful winter bulk consists of extra calories, rest, and a ton of lifting. Getting calories and rest is the easy part! During the winter, don’t completely limit yourself from all the enjoyable foods that come with holiday traditions. I’m not saying you need to eat everything in sight! I’m saying that if you do plan to indulge in some tasty treats, strategically use those additional calories to fuel your next workout session.

When it comes to calories, especially those from carbohydrates, it’s proven to have a positive effect on bouts of heavy resistance training. This study about carbs shows that when a lifter prioritizes carbohydrate consumption, they perform better with their resistance training. In the presence of carbohydrates, a lifter can take on a tough workout that could be the catalyst for muscular growth and development.

This is one of the big reasons why it’s important to embrace a bulk during the winter months. Taking on excessive calories, in particular carbohydrates, is a key determinant of resistance exercise and intensity. Think about it like this:

The harder we can train, the more we can grow. 

But to build dense muscle, it’s not always about lifting heavy weights. If you want to build the most size, you need to lift heavy, and lift hard. What’s the difference between the two?

Lift Heavy

Lifting heavy means performing high-intensity compound movements that take immediate priority in your program. These types of movements consist of the squat, bench, deadlift, and overhead press. The benefit of lifting heavy compound movements is the amount of muscular recruitment within each exercise. The more muscle groups incorporated, the more metabolically exhausting your routine becomes.

The level of exhaustion in your routine is what helps build more muscle. It’s been countlessly documented in research that exhausting the muscle tissue is the spark needed to naturally raise testosterone and growth hormone levels for increasing muscular density. You can also train towards exhaustion with isolation exercises.

Using compound movements incorporates multiple joints and multiple muscle groups to help you feel tired quickly. This is what you want, though. Exhaust the body, then move into isolation exercises to focus development within certain muscle groups.

Lift Hard

After you lift heavy weight, you need to start making exercises harder using different tempos, variations, and volumes for exhaustion. Lifting heavy puts metabolic stress on the body, but you can’t maintain this intensity from the start of the workout to the end. Once you have completed your first few compound exercises, it’s important to use isolation movements (and some compound movements sparingly) and integrate different tempos, variations, and volumes to create stronger contractions on specific muscle groups you want to grow.

One of my favorite ways to make lifts harder is to use isolation exercises that require more “time under tension”. This time under tension puts a ton of stress on the working muscle by working it for a prolonged amount of time. An example of this would be doing chest flies for a specific tempo, such as “5-2-3-0”. These 4 values have to do with the 4 phases of movement:

• 5-second stretch of the chest
• 2-second pause at the bottom of the chest
• 3-second contraction to the top of the chest
• 0-second hold at the top of the chest

Manipulating the tempo of movement makes an exercise harder. Because the tempo makes the lift so hard, you might not need to lift as much weight. This is a great way to make sure you continue to exhaust the muscle without using too heavy of weight.

How to Train Both Hard & Heavy for Anabolic Success

When it comes to lifting heavy or lifting hard, neither is best. Merging both heavy and hard lifting is best for providing a better stimulus for growth. When considering these two concepts, try the following format:

• Heavy Compound Movement: 2-3 sets (primary focus is “strength”)
• Heavy Compound Variation: 3-5 sets (primary focus is “exhaustion”)
• Isolation Exercise: 3 sets
• Isolation Exercise: 3 sets
• Isolation Exercise: 3 sets

Starting with a heavy compound exercise recruits multiple muscle groups for a better level of exhaustion. The first compound lift should be with a focus on raw strength, then the second compound movement should be done with more volume to exhaust the anatomy. Then, isolating the muscle groups you want to grow the most afterward will help you target the exact area of the body you want to be the focus of your training session.

Benefits of a Winter Bulk

The benefits of a winter bulk are increasing your resting metabolic rate, improving strength, and providing hormone regulation for more normalcy within the holiday season. You learned earlier that the winter weather causes individuals to naturally gain weight.

Why not leverage this weight gain into something that can be beneficial? Why not use these additional holiday calories to add mass instead? Doing a bulking phase during the colder season makes a lot of sense.

Increased Metabolic Rate

One study found that increases in muscle mass contribute to an increase in resting metabolic rate. With a higher resting metabolism, you can expend more calories at rest. This could be helpful for those who are fearful of unhealthy weight gain during the winter season.

Improved Strength

One of my favorite quotes comes from a previous coach of mine. He told me “mass moves mass”, meaning that the more muscle you pack on, the more likely your strength increases. There could be some exceptions to this. However, I like my odds to bench press more if my body weight goes up. Who wouldn’t want a better bench!

Hormone Regulation

One study found that winter weight gain causes testosterone levels to decrease and estrogen levels to increase. Resistance training helps stabilize your hormones. This is a huge benefit for not just athletes, but anyone! Everyone should embrace their fitness this holiday season, especially resistance training.

How to Eat During a Winter Bulk

Eating during a winter bulk shouldn’t feel like punishment, because guess what? You can still have those tasty treats! However, your diet should be strategic, though. The holiday season is full of sugary treats, heavy meals, and comfort foods, and honestly, that’s part of the magic. The key isn’t that you must fully avoid these foods; it’s learning how to navigate them so they actually make you a stronger lifter.

Let’s break down how to eat during a winter bulk without letting things get out of control.

1. Make the Holiday Treats Your Fuel (When You Time Them Right)

Sugar snacks get a bad reputation, but in the context of a bulk, carbs can be your friend. Quick sugars can be a powerful pre-workout tool. If you know you’re training soon, having some holiday sweets before the session can actually help give you the energy you need to push harder. Think of it like this:

Christmas cookies → Fast carbs → Stronger lifts → Better stimulus → More muscle.

What you don’t want is to eat sweets at random times, get a blood sugar crash, and turn into a holiday sloth on the couch. Use them with intention, not impulse. It’s said that carbohydrates are the number one source of fuel for high intensity resistance training.

This is the perfect scenario for a strength athlete as their carbohydrate intake will help them perform high intensity workouts during their winter bulk.

A study showed that restrictions of carbohydrates could cause a reduction in performance. This means that you need to make sure you are hitting your macronutrient goals, and perhaps exceeding them. Make sure to not overdo it, though.

2. Cook With Better Fats to Support Hormones and Satiety

Winter bulks naturally bring a lot of high-calorie foods, but choosing quality fats can support your hormones and help keep you fuller for longer. Good fats to cook with:

• Olive oil
• Avocado oil
• Nuts & nut butters
• Whole eggs

These options keep your calories up without relying only on processed holiday junk. Better fats help with better hormone regulation for a better performance in the gym.

Pro Tip: When I make homemade macaroni and cheese for my family, I use half the portion of butter in our family recipe, and replace the other half with avocado oil. No one ever notices, and it still tastes delicious!

3. Protein Keeps Your Hunger in Check (and Your Muscle Growing)

The biggest mistake people make during a bulk is prioritizing every macronutrient except protein. But protein is what keeps you full, stabilizes blood sugar, and supports all that new tissue you’re trying to build. Aim to get protein at every meal, especially:

• Turkey, ham, or roast beef during holiday meals
• Greek yogurt or cottage cheese as quick snacks
• Protein shakes when you’re rushed
• Leftover holiday meats (the GOAT of convenience)

If you hit your protein target consistently, you’ll find you’re way less likely to overeat the foods that slow down progress.

Top Tips for a Winter Bulk

When working on your winter bulk, keep these top tips in mind!

Prioritize Compound Movements

Putting an emphasis on compound movements is crucial for a successful winter bulk. Compound movements are also termed “multi-joint” movements, meaning there are two or more joints being used. You are probably familiar with the main compound movements of the squat, bench, deadlift and overhead press. These tend to be popular movements in many programs, and rightfully so.

Compound movements provide an overloading stimulus — the more joints used, the more muscles used. The more muscle we can recruit, the more exhausting your effort becomes. Providing an exhaustive stimulus to the working muscle is the catalyst for growth. This is why compound movements need to take priority, especially at the beginning of your winter bulk workouts.

Embrace Carbohydrates (Within Reason)

Carbohydrates are the number one source of fuel for high intensity resistance training. Interestingly enough, carbohydrates tend to be the most accessible macronutrient in the holiday season. Take advantage of those holiday treats!

This study showed that restrictions of carbohydrates could cause a reduction in performance. Make sure you’re hitting your macronutrient goals, and perhaps exceeding them. Try not to go too far over for multiple days in a row. Work with a nutrition coach to get accurate macro numbers.

Lift More Often

During a winter bulk, you should aim to lift at least 3-5 times a week. I understand that is a big range of days, but those 3-5 days of lifting could be approached differently.

• If you are a busy person who can’t go to the gym often, perhaps you go 3 days a week but those sessions last longer.
• If you are someone who can go to the gym most days, perhaps you go 4-5 days a week but for shorter sessions.

Either way, you need to prioritize your strength training. Watch out for too much high intensity cardiovascular training, that could put you in a caloric deficit that would impact your bulking phase.

For those who want to continue cardiovascular training during a bulk, I would recommend low intensity cardiovascular training that is within 60-65% of their max heart rate.

How do you find your max HR? Generally:

• 220 – Age = Max Heart Rate

So this means if you are 30 years old, your max heart rate is 190 beats per minute, and 60-65% of this heart rate is 114-123 beats per minute. Anything higher than this would put your workout at an intensity that expends precious calories you could use for adding mass. This long, low intensity training prioritizes fat as a source of fuel. We want to spare all those extra carbohydrates for your heavy resistance training.

Hit Failure More Often

You need to hit failure in training to promote growth. Failure doesn’t need to happen in all aspects of your training, though. For compound movements, you want to work towards max effort by the third to fourth week of training. With your isolation movements, this is where you can hit failure more often and try to exhaust your muscle groups.

No one wants to be a failure this holiday season! However, being a failure in your workout is ideal. Fail in reps this holiday season, stud. But don’t fail and buy your spouse the wrong gift. Been there, done that!

Prioritize Rest

Rest is one of the most crucial parts to any training program. If you do not rest, you do not allow the body to repair itself from all the physical torment you put yourself through. During the holiday season, resting should be easier than ever. As noted in this study, due to the limited amount of sunlight, you’re more likely to rest more during the winter season.

This is the perfect condition, yet again, to embrace a bulk during the winter season.

A Sample Winter Bulking Plan

The following is a 4-day split to use this winter season to make gains and have a successful bulk! These workouts follow the guidelines discussed earlier with merging compound movements, isolation movements, and other characteristics of a successful bulking workout. Don’t forget to eat!

Day 1

For this leg workout, we are prioritizing the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps to build some massive lower body muscles.

Day 2

This upper body workout focuses on the pecs, triceps, and front shoulders for sculpting a thicker upper body. Nothing is more intense than big bodacious pecs that spark conversation at the dinner table!

Day 3

This pull day will challenge your back, rear shoulders and glutes as well. We use the farmer walks to amplify the intensity of this workout to prepare you for all the bags you’ll carry with your winter shopping!

Day 4

This secondary press day will challenge your shoulders and biceps, giving you an armor of  muscle to protect you from the shoulder-to-shoulder traffic you’ll experience while shopping.

Final Thoughts

A winter bulk offers a strategic opportunity for strength training enthusiasts to optimize muscle growth. The holiday season’s excess calories and opportunities for rest create an ideal environment for a better bulk, supported by scientific evidence. If you’re scared of the winter bulk, you need to consider the multiple benefits that come with it.

Performing a winter bulk allows for an improved resting metabolic rate, increased strength, and valuable hormone regulation. A winter bulk also gives you a reason to embrace the additional calories this holiday season. So, this winter, give yourself the gift of massive strength and a more robust physique.

Sources

Effects of Carbohydrate Restriction on Strength Performance

The Effect of Carbohydrate Supplementation on Multiple Sessions and Bouts of Resistance Exercise

Holiday weight gain is a worldwide phenomenon, study suggests

Increasing muscle mass to improve metabolism

The effect of seasonal variation on sexual behaviors in males and its correlation with hormone levels: a prospective clinical trial

Winter, sleep and your circadian rhythms

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Nutrition tracking: loved by Type A athletes, loathed by everyone else. But it doesn’t have to feel like balancing your checkbook. With the right tools (and the right mindset), tracking becomes less about obsession and more about awareness.

What Gets Measured Gets Managed

Nutrition tracking: the thing everyone swears by for three weeks before quietly abandoning it like a New Year’s resolution. And yet, when done sensibly, it works. If you want to fuel performance, recover properly, or just stop kidding yourself about how much “a handful of nuts” really is, tracking is a useful tool. I’ve had clients across the spectrum use nutrition tracking to great effect. Some people are better at it than others, and if I’m really honest the people who are best at it are wired to be.

TrainHeroic’s Nutrition Tracking Integration

Here’s the good news: TrainHeroic now makes this less of a faff. Their new nutrition integration pulls your logged calories and macros into the same calendar as your training. That means you can see your squat PRs and your protein intake side by side, without juggling five apps or pretending you’ll “remember later.” If you’re serious about accuracy, having training and nutrition in one place is genuinely handy. It’s like finally putting the TV remote in the same room as the TV. Revolutionary.

Macro Targets: The Cheat Sheet

Here’s a rough guide to daily intake depending on your goals. Remember: these are ranges, not commandments carved into stone tablets.

BW = bodyweight

The Temporary Scaffold

As a coach, when I introduce tracking for my athletes it isn’t meant to be forever. Think of it as scaffolding: you use it to build awareness, then take it down once you’ve got the structure in place. After a few weeks, most athletes can eyeball a plate or meal plan on the door of the fridge and know if they’re in the ballpark. Really the goal is intuitive eating informed by experience, not a lifetime chained to a barcode scanner.

The Pitfalls (and Why They Matter)

Obsession: Some athletes spiral into number-crunching madness. Not only is this reeeeeaaally boring at dinner parties but can be deleterious to peoples’ mental health. Which is rarely good for smashing training goals.

Rebellion: Others refuse to think about food at all after historically burning out on tracking.

Gamification: Apps can turn eating into a points system. Fun for some, dangerous for others (especially younger athletes).

The Ball Ache Factor: Logging every crumb feels like admin. Ironically, the same people who say it’s too much effort to remember to track their food will happily and regularly post their avocado toast on Instagram. Not that I’m cynical.

Accuracy (or lack thereof): Studies consistently show people under-report their intake – sometimes by 20–50%. “unhelpful” foods (booze, biscuits and brownies) mysteriously vanish from logs, while “useful” foods (broccoli, blueberries and beans) magically multiply. Spoiler: that slice of cake you “forgot” to log still counts and the protein shake you had comes in 500ml portions not 250ml.

This doesn’t make tracking useless – it just means you should treat the numbers as estimates, not gospel. And this is where TrainHeroic’s integration shines: by putting nutrition data next to training data, you can spot trends even if the numbers aren’t perfect. If your logged intake is “low” and your recovery feels rubbish, the pattern matters more than the decimal points.

A Cheat Code: ChatGPT

Once you know your macros, you can outsource the grunt work. Try:

“Plan my meals this week. I’ve got £60, I’m allergic to dairy, my macros are 180P / 250C / 70F, and I already have chicken in the fridge.”

You’ll get a decent plan without needing to reinvent the wheel – or worse, Google “high protein snacks under 6 calories” at midnight.

I happily do this with a lot of my clients and make small tweaks to the plan as we go with some brilliant results. Somehow because my clients aren’t going off track on a plan that their coach made painstakingly in the wee hours of the night, but was instead written by a faceless AI robot, the feelings of despair when they go a little off plan aren’t nearly as damaging. They self correct much more effectively over the long term. It’s not that neither of us cares as much, we’re just grown ups who can do what we want at the end of the day.

5 Tips for Using a Tracker

1. Log as you go – bedtime logging is often just another lie you tell yourself in the bedroom.
2. Save common meals – you eat oats every morning, stop typing it out.
3. Don’t chase perfection – 80% accuracy is plenty. It’s probably more accurate than your tracking app at least.
4. Use it as feedback, not judgment – it’s data, not morality (unless you really look into where your food comes from, in which case it can get a little sketchy, but that’s another discussion).
5. Zoom out – nutrition is a long game. A 3500 kcal weekly surplus or deficit equals ~0.5 kg weight change. Today’s pizza won’t ruin you; today’s starvation won’t make you shredded.

Bottom line: Nutrition tracking is a tool, not a lifestyle. Use it to learn, then move toward eating with confidence and flexibility. And if you can’t be arsed? At least TrainHeroic makes it easier to pretend you are.

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Shift work can make fueling for performance feel like a constant battle. Between erratic schedules, disrupted sleep, and unpredictable training windows, sticking to a nutrition plan can be tough. Intermittent fasting (IF) offers a flexible approach that may already align with your lifestyle—helping you manage energy levels, recovery, and overall health without overcomplicating your routine. Let’s break down how IF can work for shift-working athletes.

Conquer the Nutrition Chaos

Intermittent fasting (IF) has become increasingly popular, though is not without its detractors (who may honestly have a good point). For shift-working athletes, navigating irregular schedules and training demands feels like a constant struggle. IF can be a useful tool for athletes who juggle work, sleep, and the gym since they may naturally be doing it anyway as a part of their normal work/life schedule. It’s probably a good idea therefore to have a look at some of the basics and see how you might manage IF as a part of shift work and training schedules.

Understanding Intermittent Fasting: It’s All About Timing

IF isn’t about restricting what you eat, but rather when you eat it. There are a few methods, each with its own approach:

• 16/8 Method: This popular option involves fasting for 14-16 hours and restricting your eating to an 8-10 hour window each day.
• Eat-Stop-Eat: This method involves a 24-hour fast, once or twice a week.
• 5:2 Diet: Here, you consume only 500-600 calories on two non-consecutive days and eat normally the other five.
• Alternate-Day Fasting: This involves fasting every other day, with some versions allowing 500 calories on fasting days.
• Warrior Diet: This unique approach allows small amounts of raw fruits and vegetables during the day, followed by a large meal at night, essentially fasting during the day (around 20 hours) and feasting at night within a 4-hour window.

Experimenting to find the method that best fits your lifestyle and preferences is a good idea. Remember, consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet regimen. Also allow time for consistency to fall into place with each method before thinking it’s failed or basing your entire personality around only eating raw liver and dried blueberries before 6pm on weekdays.

Shift Work and the Fasting Challenge

Shift work throws a curveball at your body’s natural rhythm. Disrupted sleep, decreased performance, and fatigue are common; as are long term health concerns such as dementia, depression and heart disease. Meal planning and nutrition, crucial for fitness, also take a hit with erratic schedules. This is where IF comes in handy. Because of some inherent flexibility it allows you to structure your eating window around your work hours. For instance, with the 16/8 method, you could schedule your eating window to coincide with your shift, fueling your body when you need it most and fasting during off-hours or sleep time.

IF can also offer a potential range of benefits for athletes on shift work:

• Improved Metabolic Health: IF has been used to help regulate blood sugar, a bonus for shift workers whose schedules disrupt normal metabolic processes.
• Weight Management: For some, IF can help with weight loss goals, since people naturally sit in a calorie deficit. This can counter the metabolic drawbacks of nighttime eating, snack grazing and hunger pang induced binging.
• Reduced Chronic Disease Risk: IF has been associated with some long term benefits such as reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes. This correlates with improved body mass index and is just as likely to be to do with proper weight management, though for some IF is a useful tool to do just that.
• Promotes Heart Health: IF has also been linked to improving cholesterol levels, though again this can be down to simple weight management and considered eating patterns.
• Supports Healthy Inflammation Response: By giving your gut a break from constant digestion, some have proposed that IF may promote a healthy inflammatory response. Moreover, since one of the best ways of avoiding hunger pangs is increasing fibre content of foods, this can also absolutely help in digestive health.

Potential Downsides of IF

While IF offers advantages, there can be downsides:

• Increased Hunger and Cravings: Adjusting to reduced calorie intake or longer fasting periods can lead to increased hunger pangs, especially initially.
• Headaches and Lightheadedness: Headaches are a potential side effect, usually occurring during the first few days as your body adjusts.
• Mood Changes and Irritability: Some people may experience mood swings and irritability when starting IF.
• Fatigue: Fatigue can occur initially as your body adjusts to a new eating pattern.
• Potential Risks: While some research suggests IF might have benefits, other studies show potential risks like increased risk of heart disease, overeating during eating windows, and even malnutrition if not done correctly.

The good news: these side effects may not affect everyone and can subside as your body adjusts. Approaching any nutrition plan with an all or nothing mindset is a recipe for disaster and some flexibility and self-monitoring should always take place. Remember, always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new diet regimen.

Winning Strategies for Your Intermittent Fasting Journey

Here are some tips to maximize your IF experience:

• Choose Your Schedule Wisely: Start with a shorter fasting window and gradually increase it as your body adjusts.
• Hydration is Key: Drink plenty of water and calorie-free beverages throughout the day.
• Fuel Your Body Right: Focus on nutrient-dense foods during your eating window – protein, healthy fats, and whole food fiber will keep you satiated for longer.

Overcoming Common Obstacles

Managing Hunger and Cravings

Start slow, gradually extend your fasting window, and stay hydrated! Often thirst masquerades as hunger. Increasing your fiber intake is a good way of staving off hunger and also maintaining levels of hydration as your bowel holds onto more water (see my article about the importance of eating a high fiber diet).

Balancing Social and Family Meals

Plan your fasting schedule around social events when possible. If you can’t avoid a meal during your fasting window, prioritize socializing and think about limiting food intake during

Maintaining Energy Levels

Focus on balanced meals with complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats during your eating window for sustained energy. Pre-workout snacks can be helpful, especially on fasted mornings. Opt for easily digestible options like bananas or yogurt.

You Got This!

Listen to your body — if you feel unwell, adjust your schedule or break the fast. Don’t be an idiot. It also helps to listen to those around you. If you’re irritated with people, eat a Snickers before you’re (gently) force fed one.

And don’t be afraid to seek professional guidance. A registered dietitian can tailor an IF plan to your specific needs and training goals.

Ultimately, consistency is key. While flexibility is important, sticking to a consistent eating window within your shift patterns can help regulate your body’s rhythm and make IF more manageable.

By planning, prioritizing nutrient-rich foods, staying hydrated, and listening to your body, you can conquer the challenges of IF and leverage its benefits to become a stronger, healthier athlete, even with a demanding shift work schedule. Remember, consistency and flexibility are your allies on your way to finding a nutrition plan that helps you smash your training goals around work.

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Losing weight when your BMI is 40 or higher can feel impossible—but it’s not. I’ve helped hundreds of people, including myself, lose significant weight. One client sticks with me—a former rugby player and sumo wrestler whose health was rapidly declining. We started small, but sometimes, even small changes come too late. If you’re ready to make sustainable changes, this article will guide you through practical, realistic steps to healthier living.

*TW – blunt language and story about obesity*

Fighting for Your Health — Taking the First Steps

Story time. Fair warning this could get a bit heavy (pun intended).

I’ve helped hundreds of people lose weight including myself; I lost 30kg (66lb) in order to join the army. One chap sticks with me. He was huge. Not just big, enormous. I’ve worked with some monster folk in my time, between strongmen, soldiers and the like, but this guy probably tipped them all off the scales. He’d been a rugby player, sumo wrestler, bouncer — all those jobs where being big was a plus. But life had hit hard, he kept eating like he was still in those gigs, and his health went downhill fast. He was too scared to even come into the gym, and said people laughed at him outside when he’d first tried to come. I doubted it, knowing how accepting and friendly my gym is, but when I saw him I was less dubious…people probably stared.

We started with a walk, 20 meters at a time, at which point he had to catch his breath. We just talked about small changes he could make. I gave him the similar advice I give lots of people, the advice that’s helped countless clients turn their lives around, get back to sports, and be better for their kids.

Sadly, it was too late for him. He passed away during the pandemic likely due to comorbidities. I can’t help but wonder if he’d made those changes sooner, things would have been different.

If you’re reading this, you’re hopefully ready to make real, lasting changes to your health. A BMI of 40 or above indicates significant obesity, and while quick fixes might seem tempting, sustainable lifestyle changes are the key to long-term success. Looking at the research, those who use quick fixes like Ozempic or surgery seem to fare better when they make these changes anyway, usually with the help of some coaching.

This article will guide you through practical steps to improve your health and begin a sensible weight loss journey, while thinking of diets, surgery and medications as potential tools, not miracles.

All About the Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI serves as a valuable initial screening tool for assessing weight-related health risks. While it doesn’t directly measure body fat, it offers a quick estimate of whether someone’s weight falls within a healthy range for their height. It’s crucial, however, to interpret BMI within the context of lifestyle factors like activity levels and muscle mass. Even though increased muscle mass can enhance quality of life, a high BMI due to excess muscle still places a greater burden on the cardiovascular system.

Ultimately, regardless of composition, carrying excessive weight, even if it’s muscle, statistically increases the risk of health complications and can reduce longevity, as the heart must work harder to circulate blood throughout a larger body. Many heavyweight bodybuilders with a higher than average BMI end up with suspicious heart problems.

In my experience, many detractors of BMI as a measurement could do with paying it some more attention and I will include myself in this statistic.

Author’s note: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2022, 2.5 billion adults (18 years and older) were overweight, and 890 million of these were living with obesity. This means 43% of adults worldwide are overweight, and 16% are obese. Obese people are more than 2.5 times more likely to develop high blood pressure and have an increased risk of certain cancers, including being 3 times more likely to develop colon cancer.

Understanding the Risks of Quick Fixes

Before we dive into healthy habits, let’s acknowledge the drawbacks of some “solutions” that are seen as easy and are becoming more common:

Weight Loss Surgery (Bariatric Surgery):

While effective for some, surgery carries significant risks, including:

• Nutrient deficiencies (requiring lifelong supplementation)
• Dumping syndrome (causing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea)
• Infections and complications from surgery
• Psychological adjustments and potential for addiction transfer
• Long term changes to the digestive system – imagine not being able to ever enjoy a proper Christmas/thanksgiving meal again…

Ozempic and Similar Medications:

These drugs, while helpful for some with diabetes, can have side effects:

• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Potential for pancreatitis
• Gallbladder problems
• Rapid weight loss can cause loose skin, which can frankly be as demoralising on any given day as being overweight
• Dependence, and weight regain after stopping the medication
• Long-term effects are still being studied

Focusing on Sustainable Lifestyle Changes

The foundation of healthy weight loss is a balanced approach to diet and exercise which can sound boring or intimidating, but that really depends on how you approach it.

1. Calculate Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)

This should be good news in case you’re worried or already bored. Your BMR is the number of calories your body burns at rest. Knowing this helps you create a realistic calorie deficit.

Calculating BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor Equation): This is considered one of the most accurate equations to calculate BMR.

For men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) + 5

For women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) – (5 × age in years) – 161

Example: Let’s take a woman, 40 years old, 170cm tall, and weighing 120kg (BMI approximately 41.5).
BMR = (10 × 120) + (6.25 × 170) – (5 × 40) – 161
BMR = 1200 + 1062.5 – 200 – 161
BMR = 1901.5 calories.

To find your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) you must multiply your BMR by an activity factor. For someone with very little activity this factor would be 1.2, for someone with light activity 1.375, moderate 1.55, very active 1.725, and extra active 1.9.

Example: if the woman from the example had light activity, her TDEE would be 1901.5 x 1.375= 2614 calories.

A 250-500 calorie deficit would mean she should aim to eat between 2114 and 2364 calories per day.

Try this link for an easy online calculator: https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html

From this you can hopefully see that you don’t have to starve yourself to start losing weight and more often than not, an all-or-nothing approach will do more harm than good. Being larger means you will burn more calories than the average person, which is nice to know as a starting point (but bear in mind that this will reduce as you lose weight).

Even if you don’t track calories (which understandably some people find difficult or triggering) simply and slowly following the advice below should bring you into the required deficit. But you need to allow for time, and we’re talking years, for the process to take effect. Remember you didn’t get where you are in 2 weeks — allow yourself time to get to where you want and to start enjoying how you feel as a result.

2. Gradually Implement These Dietary Changes

Prioritize Whole Foods: Focus on fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains

Practice Portion Control: Be mindful of serving sizes. Use smaller plates and measure your food. Think of your hand as a gauge of how big your stomach is [see diagram]

Limit Processed Foods: Reduce intake of sugary drinks, fast food, and processed snacks.

Increase Protein: Protein helps you feel full and supports muscle mass.

Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Sample Day of Eating (Approx. 2200 Calories):

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with berries and nuts (400 calories); two chicken sausages
• Lunch: Large salad with grilled chicken or fish (500 calories)
• Snack: Greek yogurt with fruit (200 calories)
• Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted vegetables (600 calories)
• Snacks: fruit, or a small handful of nuts (500 calories)

Consult a Registered Dietitian: A professional can create a personalized meal plan.

3. Move Your Body

• Start Slowly: Begin with low-impact activities like walking, swimming, or cycling. I like walking since it costs nothing. In the case of my client simply walking 20 minutes per day would have been progress from where he was.
• Gradual Progression: Gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts. A 5-10% increase every 1-2 weeks is a good starting point. Week 1: walk for 20 mins per day. Week 2 walk for 22-25 mins per day, then 27, 30, 33, 36, 40. There’s a free 2 month program to get you started!
• Find Activities You Enjoy: This will make it easier to stick to your routine.
• Do Some Strength Training: Incorporate strength training exercises to build muscle mass and make you stronger. Pick 5 exercises that look interesting to you, understand how to do them with good, slow, controlled form, and aim to do them 2-3 times per week at first. Start with 2 sets of 8 reps each. Add reps each week for a month and then add sets next month when you should also increase the load slightly. See the table below. After 4 months choose 5 different exercises.
• Consistency is Key: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, but build up to this if you need to. Remember, done is better than perfect and any movement at all is better than none.

4. Embrace Behavioral Changes

• Practice Mindful Eating: Pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues. This is an important learning curve. Understanding what hunger and satiation (being full) actually feels like is huge. Talking to yourself about what you’ve eaten and how it’s made you feel during and after meals and keeping a diary really helps.
• Do Some Stress Management: Find healthy ways to manage stress, such as yoga or meditation, sports, the cinema, socializing with friends or walking your dog.
• Pay Attention to Your Sleep Hygiene: Prioritize getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night. Remove your TV from your bedroom (yes, really).
• Have a Support System: Find a support group or accountability partner; pets are great walking and talking partners.
• Track Your Progress: Keep a food and exercise journal. You’ll be glad you did this 6 months down the road!

5. Seek Medical Guidance If You Need It

• Consult Your Doctor: Discuss your weight loss goals and any underlying health conditions. Chat with your doctor in order to get serious about taking control of your health
• Regular Check-ups: Monitor your progress and make adjustments as needed. Blood pressure cuffs are easy and cheap on Amazon, as are scales. Pictures can be a double-edged sword. It’s best to take them at regular intervals (like once a month), so you can look back on your progress and feel really proud of yourself.

Sustainable weight loss is a journey, not a race. By focusing on healthy lifestyle changes, you can achieve your goals and improve your overall well-being.

Remember, small, consistent steps lead to significant results. Avoid the allure of quick fixes, and prioritize your long-term health.

If you’d like any advice or maybe just a chat, feel free to follow me and reach out on instagram @fred.strengthcoach – feel free to check out my 8 week gym starter plan here which includes training plans, more in-depth nutrition guidance and mindfulness work to help you build a program that works for you.

My Beginner Lifestyle Change DAILY Checklist

These are the most basic non-negotiables for meaningful change.

1. Walk for 20-30 minutes

This can be broken down into smaller chunks eg 10 mins 3 times today – walk to the end of your street and back. If it’s raining walk up and down the corridor or for an extra challenge walk up and down the stairs.

2. Eat 5 portions of vegetables

Use the diagram in this article to gauge what a portion looks like. It’s much easier than you’d think. If I have a meal without vegetables I will often just microwave a bowl of veg on its own to have on the side. These can be things you actually like to eat as well. Treat yourself to 5 minutes on google or using chat gpt to find a way that you will like to eat vegetables, thank me later.

3. Drink 3 litres of water (12 cups/0.75 gallon us)

Drinking more water will help you regulate your hunger signals much better. If you’re drinking enough (and the real cue for drinking more should be that you feel thirsty) and you feel hungry, chances are you’re hungry and you should eat – especially if it’s going to help you hit your 5 vegetable target.

4. List 4 reasons why you’re on this journey

These can be the same reasons every day or can change daily too. For example, my reasons for training and eating right today are:

• Staying healthy for my family (especially as I have a new kid on the way)
• Staying in shape for my combat medical role
• Keeping my mental health in check
• My wife likes my big arms 😉 and that makes me feel great.

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It’s falsely believed by many Muslim athletes that Ramadan = losing progress (gains!). This isn’t the case if you train, fuel, hydrate, and sleep appropriately. Of course that’s easier said than done, but following a few of these strategies can make all the difference in your training during Ramadan.

What Is Ramadan?

Ramadan is a holy month in Islam: a time of remembrance when the Quran was first revealed. During this month, most Muslims observe Ramadan by fasting from sunrise to sunset.

This fast not only consists of abstaining from food and water (yes, both!) for 12-18 hours, but also abstaining from worldly pleasures to gain self-control and a closer relationship with God.

Understanding the Hijri Calendar

Ramadan doesn’t fall on the same month every year, making it easy for non-Muslims to miss. Most of the world follows the Gregorian calendar, which is based on the Earth’s rotation around the Sun. The Islamic (Hijri) calendar follows lunar cycles, with every new moon signifying the start of a new month.

The average lunar cycle is 29.53 days, meaning that months in the Hijri calendar alternate between 29 and 30 days. Because of this, the exact start/end dates of Ramadan are estimated beforehand, but usually not confirmed until the month is upon us.

Ramadan is the ninth calendar in the Hijri year. But since Hijri and Gregorian months don’t align, Ramadan starts about 10-15 days earlier than the prior year (on the Gregorian calendar). This also makes it possible for Ramadan to happen in every season!

Fasting: Suhoor and Iftar

As far as fasting goes, most Muslims end up eating/drinking twice a day: one meal before dawn (Suhoor) and one after sunset (Iftar).

Depending on where you live in the world, Suhoor is usually anytime from 3AM – 5AM, and Iftar from 7PM – 9PM. The daily fast commences just before the morning Fajr prayer, and ends right after the evening Maghrib prayer.

Timing Is Key: Ramadan Workout Strategies

There are a few strategies that make training a bit more manageable during Ramadan. And there are pros and cons to each.

There isn’t one that’s 100% better than the rest. What you choose to do depends on your preferences, situation with your sport and team, and schedule.

Option 1: Train After Iftar

Advantages

With this approach, you’re able to train and re-fuel simultaneously, just as you normally would. You might even be able to squeeze in a small pre-workout, and then proceed with training followed by a full meal.

Disadvantages

Training will be very late in the day, and likely after dark. Facilities might be closed/unavailable during this time. Also, if you want to work out with your coach/team/training partners during this time, it’s probably difficult to convince them to change their normal routine.

Option 2: Train Just Before Iftar

Advantages

As soon as the workout is complete, you’re able to refuel and rehydrate fully. This is when I personally prefer to do workouts during Ramadan.

Disadvantages

Getting through an entire workout while in a fasted state is pretty difficult. Also, like Option 1, it’s still pretty late in the day.

Option 3: Train Just Before Suhoor

This option requires waking up at least an hour prior to Suhoor mealtime, working out, and then eating and carrying on with the rest of the fasted day.

Advantages

Like Option 2, you’re able to fuel/refuel as much as needed mid-workout and post-workout.

Disadvantages

This is a pretty mentally taxing choice if you don’t thrive well off of little sleep (but plenty of people succeed in training with this method).

An additional hurdle with this option is finding the motivation to exercise while sleep-deprived and while it’s still dark outside.

Fueling & Hydrating: The Same, But Different

The key to planning for the nutritional component of Ramadan for athletes is to understand what you will be missing, and fill in those holes.

From a calorie perspective, most individuals do not change their normal total intake during Ramadan, because realistically, it is only one meal (lunch) that you’re skipping. And let’s be honest: most of us more than make up for that one missed meal by gorging ourselves during Suhoor and Iftar.

As an athlete, your needs are different from sedentary individuals. You need to pay closer attention to your carb, protein, and fat intake (based on your weight, training, sport/event, etc.).

This doesn’t change during Ramadan. But when you’re only eating two meals each day, you need to pay extra close attention to your macros during each meal. This is what’s going to get you through the fasted day ahead and aid your body in recovery.

A common misconception is that you can eat whatever you want during Ramadan because you lost so many calories fasting throughout the day. But we all know that not every food is going to be best for your body to recover and prepare for future workouts.

It’s tempting to just eat and eat and eat as much as possible during Iftar, so planning out your plate’s distribution of macronutrients before you begin eating is crucial.

A slight amount of weight loss (or weight gain due to overeating) during Ramadan is normal, particularly in the first couple of weeks. The overarching goal is to start and end at a similar weight to pre-Ramadan.

Remember, you’re only changing the timing of nutrition, not necessarily the amount.

Getting Enough Fluids

The trickier part is hydration. If you decide to train in a fasted state, you’re probably going to be extremely thirsty come Iftar.

The temptation is to chug as much fluid as possible, which feels great initially… until you realize all the room in your stomach has been taken up, and you aren’t hungry enough to eat properly.

My advice during Iftar is to rehydrate as much as possible, but do so slowly, and in conjunction with eating food.

Suhoor is an excellent time to hydrate as well, but again, you don’t want to overdo it and not get enough food to make it through the day. As with many things, balance is key.

How Hard Should You Train?

It’s hard to push the envelope while training in a fasted state, so the goal for most is to just maintain the levels of fitness they had built prior to Ramadan.

I recommend training at your current level, and not doing too much volume or intensity.

High-intensity efforts are absolutely still needed. It’s a common mistake to think that “maintenance mode” during Ramadan means only light or easy workouts. To keep the central nervous system sharp and the muscles firing, high-intensity efforts are required. The only difference is that the volume of intense efforts doesn’t need to be very high.

Mental Health Is Equally Important

With consistent training and recovery, it’s still very possible to make progress during this month, but don’t lose sight of your mental health.
Training and fueling aside, Muslim athletes face many other challenges during this time, including social stigma, mental state, and balancing schedules with training partners/teams.

In primarily Muslim countries, allowances are often made in everyday life at schools, businesses, etc., to accommodate citizens who are fasting for Ramadan. This isn’t the case in non-Muslim countries (like the United States).

That being said, it’s normal to feel unmotivated and lethargic during Ramadan, especially in the beginning. Don’t get discouraged if you’re unable to perform like you normally do – it comes back! I promise.

So remember to practice self-compassion (or your compassion for Muslim teammates) during Ramadan, and know that your performances/workouts don’t define you as an athlete or a person.

For a more in-depth guide on managing competitions, daily training, and sleep during Ramadan, check out this guide: A Practical Guide to Training During Ramadan.

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Every inch of an athlete’s body is a finely tuned machine. From explosive power to unwavering endurance, peak performance relies on optimal fueling. Often overlooked, but essential for this internal engine, is a high-fiber diet. Here’s why fiber is your secret weapon for athletic success.

What is Fiber?

There are two main types of fiber, each with its own benefits:

• Soluble Fiber: This dissolves in water, forming a gel-like substance that helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It also promotes a healthy gut microbiome, which plays a role in immunity and overall health. Think oats, apples, and flaxseeds.
• Insoluble Fiber: This adds bulk to your stool and promotes regularity. It keeps your digestive system moving smoothly and helps you feel fuller for longer. Sources include whole grains, vegetables like broccoli and leafy greens, and nuts and seeds

Fiber plays a crucial role in keeping you hydrated. It acts as a sponge, absorbing water and forming a gel-like substance in your gut. This not only keeps you feeling fuller for longer, but also ensures your body has the water it needs to function optimally during intense training. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, decreased performance, and muscle cramps, all things a high-fiber diet can help prevent.

Imagine your digestive system as a conveyor belt. Peristalsis are the muscular contractions that push food through the system. Fiber acts like a lubricant, ensuring smooth movement and preventing constipation, equally it gives the muscles of the intestines something to work against for peristalsis. This is especially important for athletes, as sluggish digestion can lead to bloating, discomfort, and hindered performance.

How To Get Enough Fiber

Fortunately, incorporating high-fiber foods into your diet is easy. Stock your pantry with champions like legumes (beans, lentils), whole grains (brown rice, quinoa), fruits (berries, pears), vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts), and nuts and seeds (chia seeds, almonds).

While a well-balanced diet should provide most of your fiber needs, athletes with demanding training schedules may benefit from additional support. Consider:

• Psyllium husk: A soluble fiber known for its bulking properties and gut health benefits. Mix it with water or your favorite smoothie.
• Ground flaxseed: Another source of soluble fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Sprinkle it over cereal, yogurt, or add it to baked goods.
• Prebiotic supplements: These promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. Consult a healthcare professional to choose the right prebiotic for your needs.

Fiber for Weight Cutting

Athletes in weight-controlled sports like MMA, boxing, and powerlifting often need to cut weight before competition. Here’s where fiber can be a strategic tool:

• Building a Fiber Reserve: By consistently aiming for a daily fiber intake of over 30 grams outside of a weight cut, athletes can train their gut to hold a healthy amount of content, typically around 5-8% of their body mass.
• Temporary Fiber Reduction: When the time comes to cut weight (usually within 1 week of competition), strategically reducing fiber intake to less than 10 grams per day can help achieve significant weight loss without compromising performance. This temporary dip allows the body to shed the weight held within the gut content, while the high baseline fiber intake, outside of the week of competition, ensures the digestive system remains healthy.
• Hydration Remains Key: Remember, regardless of fiber intake, hydration is crucial. Increase your water intake to offset any reduced fiber intake and ensure smooth digestion during the weight cut phase.
• Cut Versus Loss: It’s important not to confuse a temporary weight cut with long term weight loss. High fiber is commonly associated with proper weight management, where reducing fiber to make weight for competition is a temporary measure that should be replaced after weighing in.

Other Benefits

A high-fiber diet is a cornerstone of an athlete’s nutritional strategy. From preventing dehydration and boosting gut health to promoting regularity and aiding in weight management, fiber plays a vital role in optimizing performance. But the benefits go beyond the gym. Research suggests a high-fiber diet can also contribute to:

• Great Skin: Fiber helps with digestion and elimination, promoting a healthy gut which can reflect in clearer, healthier skin.
• Mental Toughness: Studies suggest a link between a healthy gut microbiome and improved mental well-being. Fiber, by feeding these beneficial gut bacteria, can contribute to a sharper mind and better mood. You wouldn’t believe the number of athletes/clients I’ve worked with who mention (complain) about having poor mental state/lack of motivation/mood swings, who barely get 5g of fiber in per day before we start training together. Needless to say once they get in 20-30g+ per day they have a whole new perspective on things.
• Heart of a Champion: High-fiber diets are often linked to lower cholesterol levels, a key factor in maintaining a healthy heart and reducing the risk of heart disease.

So, fuel your champion’s body with a fiber-rich diet and watch your athletic potential soar, while reaping the benefits that extend far beyond the competition ring.

In some cases, such as those with IBS and ulcerative colitis, digestive health can be a tricky conversation to have. I’ve been a nurse for over a decade and if you need help feel free to drop me a message @fred.strengthcoach on instagram. You should always speak to a suitably qualified healthcare professional when making big changes to your diet.

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Working a shift pattern can be difficult at the best of times. Unsociable hours, long working days and altered sleep patterns can wreak havoc with the physical training, social lives and health of those who labor under them.

This article looks at a few ways to plan ahead and structure your eating to help yourself in the gym, on the training field or even just in the times you’re at the coal face or avoiding it.

Set Yourself Up for Nutrition Success

Get Planned and Prepared

“Fail to prepare, prepare to feel peckish”

Planning and preparing meals ahead of time is a great way to make sure you’re fed throughout a shift, particularly if you work somewhere where you get regular breaks. Meal prepping is also associated with greater meal variety and lower risk of obesity in adults.

You can also save money buying foods in appropriate bulk or time throughout the week cooking and preparing meals. Studies show, unsurprisingly, that spending more time on preparing meals often leads to fewer take away meals and improved diet quality including more fruit and vegetables.

The beauty of prepared meals is that you can prepare both for days/nights when working and also when you’re not. This will help you stay on track and reach your goals all the sooner. This system can work particularly well on shift patterns where you might actually have time away from work to prepare the meals as well.

Make Food Enjoyable

Having meals prepared throughout a working day, provided it’s something you actually want to eat, can be something to look forward to if you’re having “one of those days.” Research tells us that meal preparation varies widely from region to region, culture to culture and person to person for all sorts of reasons: social influences, financial costs, tastes and time factors. All too often the social implications of preparing meals can get in the way of actually having a good meal.

We’ve all sat in a work canteen or similar and watched Judy from accounting nibble at crackers and lettuce leaves because she’s trying to “be good” only for her to have a hypoglycemic fit when the printer runs out of ink at 3pm. Then there’s Dan in marketing who claims to be dirty bulking or just getting some caffeine in with his two liter bottle of coke and subway foot-long. Both of these “hypothetical” characters have fallen victim to social influences on their meal planning.

Instead, having a meal that is prepared around a nutrition plan you or a coach has designed should leave you energetic throughout the day and not raging at inanimate objects or feeling bloated and stuffed.

How to Plan Your Meals Around Shift Work

First, it’s a good idea to know what your nutritional requirements actually are. Nutrition coaching can help with this but it’s actually not rocket science to work some of it out for yourself.

There are probably a hundred BMR calculators out there — BMR is simply (and I mean simply) the number of calories you burn throughout the day. If, for a period of time, you eat too many calories you will increase in body weight. Equally if you eat fewer, again over time or else there would be no such thing as a fitness industry, you will lose body weight (distinct from body fat).

Preparing meals that fit under or over this number as required is the starting block to know what to put into your meals.

Macro Considerations

If you’re not already working with macronutrient targets, it’s worth calculating how much protein, carbohydrate and fat you need to ingest (or at least getting some ballpark numbers to shoot for). Each macro is used by the body as a fuel source, but for different purposes. Each also has a different calorific content. This is the crux of “tracking your macros” see the table below.

Again there are hundreds of food tracking apps available, industry standard is MyFitnessPal. Each tracker should tell you the macro content of your foods which you can work out before you make and eat the meals. This should give you the confidence that the meal you’re about to eat will leave you heading towards whatever nutritional goals you might have set yourself.

Finding Balance

Balancing your macros to suit your energy needs is really a case of experimentation and this is where meal variety can be fun! If you like to eat steamed chicken, broccoli and brown rice, then fill your boots. However, if that sounds boring (which it is) it’s definitely worth spending some time looking for different recipes that fit into your nutrient plan.

Weighing scales are important in this situation as well, so you can be sure that you’re getting enough or not too much of one thing. It’s very easy to fill a Tupperware with cooked rice and to think that one chicken breast or slice of salmon is enough when in fact you might be massively under/over feeding your protein, carb or fat demands (leading you to destroy yet another piece of company property as you circle the drain of either “hangriness” or digestive discomfort).

If you’re looking to get superhuman with your meal preparation, there are also micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to be considered, but this is a minefield this article doesn’t have time to traverse. Suffice it to say that if you’re eating lots of varied fruits and veggies you’re probably doing a good job (6-10 portions/fistfuls per day is recommended).

Sport-Specific Nutrition

If you’re training for a sport, looking to lose weight or looking to improve your energy throughout the day then increasing protein intake to roughly 1.6-2g per kilo (1g/lb) of body weight is a prudent idea. This is dependent slightly on the sport/activity of choice.

If you’re of a cardiovascular persuasion (runners or cyclists for example) then considering 5-7g of carbohydrate per kilo of bodyweight is also a good idea. Fats can make up the rest of your calories and if it really has been “one of those f***ing days” you might even allow yourself an alcoholic beverage at the end of it (with obvious considerations for not drinking at work, or being hungover for work and for how unhelpful drowning ones’ sorrows in alcohol actually is both mentally and physically).

The potential drawback of this nutrition method is in the amount of kit and space it might require. Not everyone has a gigantic fridge or slow cooker to help in prepping and storing their smorgasbord. However, it isn’t all bad news. Meals can be prepped for as many days in advance as is required or you have space for and if you can freeze them you’ll find space for even more.

Here’s a kit list to help you out as well if you’re really stuck:

1. Tupperware — this can be anything from luxury Pyrex to the cheapest recycled takeaway containers. They are good for controlling portion sizes, if it doesn’t fit it might be too much to eat in one sitting. They will help you save time and can be grabbed on the go and slung in a microwave as you need. They can usually be nicely stacked in the fridge
2. Slow cooker/air fryer/rice cooker — Chuck in ingredients and let the rest happen; you can prep other things while this cooks
3. Sandwich bags — make yourself a trail mix of treats you like choc chips, nuts, fruit etc for snacking on; can also be used to leak proof your older Tupperware
4. Decent kitchen utensils — knives, spoons, slotted or otherwise, pans, travel spork; all of these have their place and it’s really handy to have ones that work. Learning how to use and look after them properly is a massive time saver as well. There’s an almost infinite source of tips on Youtube, though I would suggest that classic tools are often better than over engineered trinkets that “seem like a great idea”
5. Simple spices — using spice rubs can transform what would otherwise have been a boring meal. Start off buying spices for new recipes and soon enough you’ll have an enviable collection to add flavor to all your meals. Pre-made rubs or flavorings are a quick and easy way to change things up also (the only difference between my “Chinese” chicken and my “Italian” chicken is whatever the packet says, the rest is all the same).

Food Glorious Food

At the end of the day, or at any time really if working in a shift pattern (after all it’s 5 o’clock somewhere), meal preparation should be about eating food you really like. If you don’t like to eat salad then don’t bother preparing salad, if you like burgers try making your own burgers so you know what’s in them. It’s a case of being sensible with portion control and nutrient balance. You’ll start to reap the rewards of your efforts sooner than you think.

Easy Meal Prep Recipes

Here are a couple of recipes to get you started on your meal prep mastery journey!

Middle Eastern-Style Chicken, Veggies And Rice

Time: 35 mins
Portions: 4
Calories: 296
Protein: 48.6g
Carbs: 2g
Fat: 11.8g
Fiber: 0.8g

Ingredients

• 2 packs microwave-ready whole grain brown rice
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 200g fresh green beans, trimmed and halved on the diagonal
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• Salt
• ¾ low-sodium chicken broth
• 250g shredded chicken breast meat
• ¾ tsp Ground cinnamon
• Small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts

How to Cook

1. Prepare the rice according to package directions. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or large deep frying pan over high heat. Add the green beans and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir-fry until the green beans and peppers are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the shredded chicken, rice, cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until no excess liquid remains, about 1 minute. Season with salt.
4. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the parsley and pine nuts and serve.

Squash Dhansak

Time: 30 mins
Portions: 4
Calories: 320
Protein: 9g
Carbs: 29g
Fat: 17g
Fibre: 7g

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 500g butternut squash (1 small squash), peeled and chopped into bite-sized chunks (buy a pack of ready-prepared to save time)
• 100g chopped onions
• 4 heaped tbsp mild korma curry paste
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g can light coconut milk
• 400g can lentils drained
• 200g bag baby spinach
• 150ml coconut/natural yogurt

How to Cook

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Put the squash in a bowl with a splash of water. Cover with cling film and microwave on High for 10 mins or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, add the onions to the hot oil and cook for a few mins until soft. Add the curry paste, tomatoes and coconut milk, and simmer for 10 mins until thickened to a rich sauce.
3. Warm the naan breads in a low oven or in the toaster. Drain any liquid from the squash, then add to the sauce with the lentils, spinach and some seasoning. Simmer for a further 2-3 mins to wilt the spinach, then stir in the coconut yogurt. Serve with the warm naan and a dollop of extra yogurt.
4. Try roasting the squash for an extra flavor.

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The world of carbohydrates can be a difficult one to manage. They can leave you in a sweet spot of proper fuelling and recovery as an athlete, or crashing and burning when it matters most. This simple guide will hopefully give you a better idea of how best to incorporate carbs properly into your nutrition plan.

What Do Carbs Actually Do?

Carbohydrates (carbs) are our main source of energy for creating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which our muscles run on. Made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, carbs are the fuel in the combustion engine (respiration) that drives us as athletes. Each gram of carbohydrate contains 4 calories. Carbs should make up about 55-60% of a person’s daily calorie intake, but this varies depending on a number of factors, including how active you are.

Carbs can be simple or complex (just like any good relationship) and each form has its uses.

Simple carbs are basic sugars. Complex carbs are chains of sugars strung together. Fiber is a form of complex carb that our body doesn’t digest, but instead acts as roughage in the digestive system.

It’s worth noting that all carbohydrates are broken down into sugars during digestion and the rate of digestion is affected by everything else we eat (not just carbs). Your requirement for energy changes throughout the day and varies a bit by training sessions. Keep in mind that complex carbs, digested slower, might not provide sufficient fuel source for some activities, though in some circles they’re considered “healthier” options.

There is some debate about sugar consumption and insulin secretion, and it’s fair to say that consuming too much sugar over long periods of time can have negative effects when improperly maintained (diabetes, hyperglycemia, mood swings, energy dips etc.).

Loading up on too much sugar immediately before exercise can cause a sudden rise in insulin levels which, combined with the body’s need to utilize sugars during exercise, can lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugars) and your energy crashing after an intense session. Realistically, so long as your calories are balanced and you’re not binging huge amounts of sugars before and after training, you should be fine.

Carbohydrate Requirements for Athletes

So what, as an athlete, does my body actually need? It’s worth asking yourself a few questions at this point…

1. Do you take part in a sport that is predominantly in an aerobic or anaerobic training zone?
2. Does your current training block require greater aerobic zone training?
3. Do you have body composition considerations to make? Do you want to lose weight, gain weight, etc?

Athletes who train for greater lengths of time in an aerobic zone (roughly 60-75% max heart rate) require large amounts of carbohydrate for fueling training (soccer players, runners etc.). However, given the different properties of carbs, some athletes can benefit from changes in body composition that might be manipulated by changing carb consumption, particularly fiber and sugars.

What About Keto?

Controversially (if you’re a keto warrior), a functional athlete’s requirements for carbohydrates are not really different to anyone else’s. Carbohydrate requirements are largely dictated by time and intensity of an athlete’s training sessions and training week. The more intense or longer the sessions, the more carbs you need to function optimally.

Those who feel like they benefit from a low carb diet, in my experience, are simply benefitting from shorter-lived boosts in energy and performance related to weight loss. They might also feel some benefit because any carbs they do eat are more quickly absorbed due to a lack of sugar in the bloodstream.

Really the best (and most delicious) way to find out what suits you is to experiment. If you’re training hard and regularly and are suffering from being tired, poor performance and chronic delayed onset muscular soreness (DOMS) then increasing your carbs is a good place to start.

Here’s a rough guide of how many grams of carbs you might need relative to your body weight.

Eating Carbs Around Exercise

Eating carbohydrates around exercising is crucial as they serve as the body’s primary energy source, replenish glycogen stores, regulate blood sugar, and enhance endurance.

Before You Train

Athletes are recommended to consume 200-300g of carbs 3-4 hours before training. This can work in fluid form 90 minutes to 2 hours before if you train early in the morning, preferably with some salts. Otherwise compromises will just have to be made. 60-80g of sugars in one liter of water (6% solution is commonly available in the shops) 1 hour before training has also been shown to help performance.

During Workouts

Isotonic drinks are a useful way of consuming carbs during exercise, particularly because they appear to reduce the amount of liquid required to replenish water lost through sweat and urination. >600ml of fluid containing 60g of carbs per hour of exercise is recommended.
It’s worth trying this in training before you go downing loads of drinks during a competition, in case your body doesn’t immediately tolerate this hydration/fuelling protocol.

Post Exercise

Around 1g per kilo of body weight of carbs is a good start immediately post exercise. This will help with recovery, DOMS and glycogen replenishment (this is helped further by adding in 30g of protein post workout).

Some would even suggest repeating this protocol 2 hours after exercise where appropriate (i.e. if you’re not training again), during which time you might eat meals as normal.

By now, if you’ve been doing the math on how much carbohydrate you’ll have consumed just around training, you might be feeling very full. It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on these numbers to make sure they still fall within your macronutrient targets, tailoring meals outside training to suit whatever is left. In an attempt to quickly summarize what can be an over complicated subject, it’s best to start big and work small in many ways.

In order of priority:

• Build your main meals around larger more complex carbohydrate sources, this should include 7-10 portions (roughly 80g) of fruit and vegetables.
• Aim to eat sufficient carbohydrate on a daily basis, relative to your body weight, training goals and requirement (see table).
• Use sugars and isotonic drinks to supplement carb intake before, during and after exercise.

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Ryan Tomanocy is a CSCS, certified CrossFit Level 1 trainer, and USA Weightlifting sports performance coach. Here, he explains how the bulking and cutting method works, lays out the harmful side effects of this hyped-up approach, and provides an alternative solution (which he uses with all of his clients).

How Bulking & Cutting Works (In Theory)

As bodybuilding became increasingly popular in the 60s, bulking and cutting rose to the top as the BEST way to get muscular and lean when bodybuilding became increasingly popular in the 60s.

Today, nearly 60 years later, it’s still the most popular approach. (Just talk with just about any gym-goer at your local Planet Fitness, Crunch, LAFitness, or other neighborhood globo-gym and if you don’t believe me.)

So how does it work? During a bulking phase, you consume a calorie surplus to enter an anabolic state so your body is able to build muscle tissue. Because bulking often encourages eating just about anything you can get your hands on, your fat mass inevitably increases. This is why the cutting phase follows.

Cutting involves eating at a calorie deficit to create a catabolic state in the body, which leads to weight loss.

And that’s the gist. In most circles, bulking phases last around 4-6 weeks while cutting phases last 6-8 weeks.

Sounds simple and glorious, right? In theory, heck yeah!

However, modern research shows bulking and cutting can cause some real, lasting problems – particularly if your overall goals are health, longevity, and performance.

If you want to feel good, have loads of energy, be active and engage in your beloved hobbies for a long time, maintain a healthy relationship with food, manage stress, stay lean as you age, and have the vitality to play with your kids and grandkids, then bulking and cutting is NOT the best approach.

The Dark Side of Bulking and Cutting

Impact on Mental Health

Recent research shows that bulk and cut cycles are often linked with severe mental health disorders. Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity states “engagement in bulk and cut cycles was associated with the stronger drive for muscularity across the sample, and more severe eating disorder and muscle dysmorphia psychopathology among men and women.”

Simply put, folks who engage in bulking and cutting are more likely to have an eating disorder. This is no bueno.

In my experience coaching hundreds of clients, working back from an eating disorder is a long and challenging road with possible serious ramifications on health, fitness, and performance.

The bulk and cut diet pushes many athletes down a frightening path, not to mention the other serious physical and performance-related impacts outlined below.

Impact on Physical Health

Physically, bulking increases your fat stores, making it more challenging for you to lose weight in the future. It also decreases your insulin sensitivity. This means your cells become less responsive to insulin and therefore require more insulin to regulate blood sugar levels, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. This puts you at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and other gnarly diseases.

It doesn’t stop there: sub-optimal insulin sensitivity over longer periods of time also challenges your body’s ability to gain muscle (the complete opposite of the goal of a bulk)!

On the cut phase side, losing weight quickly (over 1 pound per week as most bulk and cut dieters aim for), both increases cortisol and decreases testosterone production in your body.

Essentially, bulking and cutting cycles cause a cascade of changes in your body, raising levels of stress and maiming your ability to maintain and grow healthy muscle tissue.

As far as performance goes, aerobic endurance and maximal oxygen uptake often suffer during bulking, while strength drops off during the cut phase.

Risk of injury also dramatically increases as body mass fluctuates significantly: up during a bulk, and down during a cut.

Health Effects Summarized

Bulking:

• Increased risk of developing disordered eating
• Increased fat stores and number of fat cells
• Potential future weight gain
• Decreased insulin sensitivity
• Increased risk of the following diseases and conditions:
• Cardiovascular disease
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Sleep apnea
  • Certain types of cancer
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
  • Stroke
  • Depression

Cutting:

• Increased risk of developing disordered eating
• Increased cortisol production
• Decreased testosterone production
• Decreased strength levels and greater risk for injuries
• Potential decrease in resting metabolic rate

Ultimately, the severe weight fluctuations from bulking and cutting that we often see celebrated on Instagram and across social-media-land are closely linked to an increased risk of poor health and metabolic syndrome.

Placing the health risks aside, adjusting your nutrition and training to the degree required to perform a bulk and cut is HARD. It requires a lot of time, planning and effort to execute, let alone do it successfully.

In my honest experience, folks often find themselves at the same weight and shape they were before they ever bulked and cut. Or they jump into a “dirty bulk” (mass gainer shakes, no limits, eating everything in sight), gain weight, and fight forever to get lean again.

The Clean Gain Method: Bulk & Cut Altnerative

Don’t worry, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

You CAN get muscular, lean, AND have a healthy relationship with your nutrition that supports your health, fitness, and performance goals long-term. WITHOUT bulking and cutting.

The key is to establish nutrition habits you feel good about, are consistent with, and allow you to make progress in the gym, whether your primary goal is aesthetics, strength, athletic performance-based, or something else!

As a performance and nutrition coach, I focus on getting my athletes to this point at a slight caloric surplus. We monitor this together every 4-6 weeks without stressing about MyFitnessPal, Whoop, or any other fitness tracker.

I usually recommend the “Clean Gain” method for most of my athletes.

Again, the focus is promoting a healthy, long-term nutrition approach where you see the results you want (weight loss, muscle gain, sports performance, etc) and avoid the severe weight fluctuations and adverse effects associated with the popular bulk and cut approach.

How To Use The Clean Gain Method

If you want to gain muscle:

1. Establish a longer-term period of muscle gain, 8-12 weeks, and mark an end date on your calendar.
During this time, prioritize nutritious foods and avoid processed foods and added sugars.

2. Increase calories moderately (250 to 500 calories). This prevents excessive weight and fat gain.

3. Follow a structured strength and conditioning program you enjoy and stay consistent (ideally under the eyes of a qualified performance coach).

4. Assess progress at the 8-12 week mark when your calendar reminder from Step 1 indicates!

5. If you’re happy with your progress, reset your calendar reminder for another 8-12 weeks and continue.

If you’re not seeing results:

6. If you’re not gaining muscle at 0.25% to 0.5% of your total body weight per week, increase your calories by 250 and reassess in four weeks. Once you’re gaining at the appropriate rate, start back at Step 1.

If you want to get lean:

7. Decrease your calories moderately (250 to 500 calories) and aim to lose 0.5% to 1% of your body weight per week and reassess in four weeks.

8. Once you’re leaning at the appropriate rate, set your calendar reminder for four weeks at a time and when you’re ready to gain again just start back at Step 1.

9. If you reach a weight and level of body fat you want to maintain, set your calories at a slight 250 surplus and schedule your calendar reminder 6 weeks out to reassess. This gives you the surplus needed to live a fun and active lifestyle AND allows for strength and muscle gain while minimizing any accumulation of fat.

10. If and when you’re ready to start gaining again, just return to Step 1!

Now, there are many caveats to this advice. The most common answer to health, fitness and performance questions is: “It depends.” (I’d be wary of any coach, trainer or guru who speaks in absolutes!)

The bulk and cut diet has worked for some, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only approach. And it’s certainly not the best approach.

Find a performance coach who answers your questions in a way you understand and helps you find the best starting place and approach for your lifestyle.

Coach’s P.S. If you made it this far and my article resonated with you, I want to gift you a complimentary resource to help you get started on your Clean Gain journey! It’s my Sexy Shopping List and it’s FREE for you if you click HERE!

It lays out the categories, approved foods, and healthy snacks I use with my clients. Keep on your fridge, throw it in your purse or wallet, or take it with you on your next visit to the grocery store. I normally reserve this resource for my private clients, but if it keeps you from suffering the effects of the bulk-and-cut trend, it’s all yours.

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