I hear it all the time when I work with clients. They don’t want to count calories. I understand where it comes from. It’s easy when you cook everything yourself, but what if you eat out or eat at a friend’s house? That is when people stress too much about it.
The reality is that tracking calories takes about 5 minutes a day, especially with the current technology. But let’s figure out how to eat to perform without counting calories.
It all starts with….
Counting calories.
Yes, you read it correctly. The only way to learn how to eat enough is to count calories in the beginning. You learn which foods to eat, when to eat them, and how to structure your day.
At this point, I know how to eat intuitively without underfueling. I know which macros I’m lacking during the day and which foods to add to ensure I hit close to the numbers I need to reach.
This is something I teach my clients, too. I gave them frameworks instead of rigid meal plans. This is the best place to start. Determine your macros and begin tracking them. You’ll quickly figure out you’re not eating enough.
Most fighters think they’re eating ‘a lot’ until they track and realize they’re at 2,100 calories on a double session day. This happened to one of my clients. He was shocked by how much he was actually supposed to eat.
Note that this is only for performance nutrition. When cutting weight, it’s essential to keep track of your progress, as you must be more strict with your calorie and macronutrient intake.
Meal prep
This is obviously not a budget-friendly option. But it’s the ultimate cheat code if you can afford it. Once you have all your macros, you can outsource them to a meal prep company. They will make all your meals and snacks, and you eat them on autopilot.
Easy? Yes. Affordable for most people? No.
Get coaching
I get it; coaching costs money. But training hard and not taking your nutrition seriously is a big mistake. This will give you a blueprint for life and eliminate all the guesswork.
This is one of those things you’ll look back on 6 months down the line and be happy you did.
I work with fighters and hobbyists to develop personalized nutrition strategies that support optimal performance across an entire camp. Not just the sessions that feel good in the moment.
If you have a fight booked and want structure instead of guesswork, you can sign up on Gumroad or reach out via Instagram or Substack.
Until next time
Alex
