Missed The Athlete's System? Read This.
-by Coach Joe
Dear CrossFit City Line Family,
We know that many of you were disappointed to miss registration for Round Two of The Athlete's System--we wish that we could take everyone!
The good news is that you can still embark on a nutrition journey, one that works and will improve your results.
Nutrition is the foundation of CrossFit. Coach Greg Glassman, the Founder of CrossFit, made this very clear in penning “World Class Fitness in 100 Words,” which states:
“Eat meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, no sugar. Keep intake to levels that support exercise and not body fat.”
Out-training a shitty diet is impossible. Nutrition is 70% of the equation when it comes to health and fitness. Our goal as coaches is to educate each athlete walking through our doors to nutrition’s importance in truly optimizing results, because we are confident that’s why most of you come here - look better, feel better, perform better, etc. These goals will never be truly realized without a solid foundation of nutrition. We control 100% of what we put into our bodies - remember that.
Anything worth achieving in life takes hard work, whether it be studying hard for an exam, or preparing tirelessly for the interview that may lead to your dream job - nutrition and fitness are no different. You get out what you put in. Literally in this case.
So, if I am not signed up for The Athletes’ System, what can I do?
We have come up with some relatively simple guidelines and we challenge all of those not signed up to explore this on your own. For 30 days starting on Monday April 15, try the following:
Log your food - this can be done via a notebook, but most folks will find the MyFitnessPal app for phone or computer easier. If you do not know what foods you consume on a consistent basis, it will be very difficult to implement any serious changes and observe any results from those changes.
Cut out added sugar - This is hands down the most simple thing needed to improve one’s nutritional habits. Added sugar means the white, tasty table sugar. It is not the sugar inherent to fruits and vegetables. To do this, thoroughly read nutrition labels. Even if it has a “0” next to “Sugars,” check the ingredients. Food companies love to hide sugars and if it says anything along the lines of “cane syrup, fructose, sucrose, sucralose, high fructose corn syrup, cane syrup, cane juice, etc” - don’t eat it, those are added sugars. These ingredients are found in pretty much all processed foods - condiments, salad dressings, “sweetened” products, cereals, PROTEIN BARS, etc…The easiest way to avoid these foods is to shop the perimeter of the grocery store. Stop adding it to your coffee/tea routine and avoid all types of soda. The World Health Organization recommends only a 25g/day consumption of added sugars for adults, that’s only 5 teaspoons. It adds up quick, so be mindful here. Just because it says “organic” and “gluten free” does not mean it is an optimal choice. It takes some extra time and effort, but simply examining nutrition labels will give you the answer.
Have a protein, carbohydrate, and fat with each meal - many folks out there do not eat enough. Our bodies need all 3 of these macronutrients to function properly. Proteins could be eggs, fish, meat, chicken, etc. Carbohydrates - grains (ones without added sugar), fruits, veggies (these will be found primarily on the perimeter of the store, except for rice and steel cut oats/oatmeal). Fats could be avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, almonds, peanuts, cashews, etc (as long as they are not “smoked, sweetened” etc).
Add in more colorful, veggies, as many as you can. One of my best friends and CrossFit O-G, CrossFit HQ Seminar Staff Flowmaster Denise Thomas once told a Level 1 Seminar during a nutrition lecture, “I dare you to get fat on broccoli” - we dare you as well.
Have 3 main meals: breakfast/lunch/dinner and 2 snacks - 5 total - balancing consumption across the day helps to keep blood sugar at a stable level. This helps all other physiological processes and hormonal responses to stay balanced as well. This may require some preparation of meals in advance - remember, we didn’t say it was easy.
Read the CrossFit Level 1 Training Guide, pages 45-70 - This tells you everything you need from a quality perspective to a quantity perspective. For those who want to weigh and measure their food, follow the Zone Diet by Dr. Barry Sears. Everything you need start is there, meal plans, block prescriptions, etc. It’s not easy but it’s worth it.
As always, if this is a journey you need more guidance on, don’t hesitate to come to talk to one of the coaches. We have plenty of experience working 1 on 1 with folks to better their nutrition. If doing this on your own, keep it simple and don’t get wrapped around the axle with this stuff. The application and sticking with it is always the hardest part - stay the course and know that the results will materialize if you put in the work!!!!