“I’m so fed up with my weight!”
“I am so uncomfortable in my clothes.”
“My fat clothes are beginning to be too tight!”
If you can relate to any of these statements, are you among the millions of people who have tried counting macros to get yourself back “on track?”
How do you want to be old? This question was on my mind as I entered my 70’s in August 2016. We never think it will happen to us, but inevitably we all age. Prevention in all its aspects is part of the answer and the remainder is in the choices we make and the habits we develop over a lifetime.
Once upon a time, food used to be one of life’s pleasures and athletes would eat with gusto. Today, food has become a source of anxiety—Will it ruin my health? Make me fat? Hurt my performance? Food has also become a source of shame—I shouldn’t have eaten so much. I eat well during the day but I’m so bad at night. I’m afraid I’ll eat too much pie at Thanksgiving.
A survey of Gen Z-ers (ages 11-26; born between 1997 and 2012) indicates 60% feel pressure to eat in a way that shows others they eat “healthy.” These student athletes and recent grads —many of whom are fitness exercisers and athletes—feel pressure from social media, if not from their parents, peers, and teammates, to choose a perfect diet (i.e., no chips, cookies, burgers, etc.). And then the binge-eating and sneak-eating happens: shame, guilt, embarrassment.
At the 2023 Food & Nutrition Conference & Exposition (FNCE) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the nation’s largest group of nutrition professionals), food shaming was a hot topic. (This topic that is near and dear to the hearts of most registered dietitians (RDs), given “everyone” seems to scrutinize what we eat. Ha!) Food shaming happens not just among athletes at team meals, but also at family dinners, school lunches, and office coffee breaks. Maybe you, too, have experienced shame-producing food situations where you felt like you did something wrong because you ate, let’s say, a sandwich (tsk, tsk) at a team meal, while your teammates ate lettuce leaves?
Athletes can easily end up feeling awkward, inadequate, and embarrassed about their food choices. As one runner shared, “After visiting xxx college for a weekend, I decided against going there because the women on the track team nibbled on only dry salads with grilled chicken for lunch and dinner. I felt very awkward as I refueled my tired muscles with a plateful of pasta with meat balls.”
Unfortunately, in today’s world, we live with a lot of morality around food. Morality can easily spoil one’s peaceful relationship with food. Athletes who have been food-shamed start to focus on eating only (society-defined) “good” foods and eliminate the “bad.” Consequences of being food shamed include feeling bad about themselves, a desire to eat alone, and increased self-criticism of perceived body flaws. (“No wonder I’m so fat. I should eat better…) The more shame athletes feel about their food choices, the more likely they are to restrict what they eat and cut out “white” foods, fast foods, and all fun foods. This can become a slippery slope into disordered eating, if not an outright eating disorder.
While many athletes might wish they could “just eat normally”, they often hold too much shame to seek guidance from the healthcare professional who could help them: a registered dietitian (RD) who is board-certified in sports dietetics (CSSD). If they feel guilty, anxious, and vulnerable regarding their food intake, they’ll fear being judged. “I would feel too embarrassed to honestly tell a dietitian about what I eat…” If that holds true for you, rest assured, a professional RD will not make hurtful or judge-y, guilt-inducing remarks. (Most RDs have been food shamed themselves for enjoying fun foods, tsk-tsk, like Thanksgiving pies and holiday cookies. They understand how uncomfortable it can feel.)
Food-shamed athletes prefer to eat alone, deprive themselves of their “unhealthy” foods—and end up shamefully over-eating them at a time of weakness. According to FNCE speaker Tammy Beasley RD, shame thrives in secret, lonely places of over-indulgence. The RD’s job is to transform that shame into self-compassion and self-kindness; to let athletes know they are not alone; they are not the only humans who have devoured a pint of ice cream in one sitting.
To derail the cycle of food shaming, we need to abandon food morality. Food is fuel; it is not good or bad and what you eat does not determine if you are good or bad. Your goal is enjoy a balanced intake of a variety of nutrient-dense foods with some fun foods included. Please stop scrutinizing and “perfecting” your food intake. Instead, focus on fueling for optimal performance. Trust that eating bread and pasta will not result in your body exploding into obesity, but rather will fuel your muscles and enhance your athletic ability. A cookie or two will not ruin your health forever.
Social media is the number one instigator of food shaming. Given almost all of us use social media, and 57% use it more than 5 hours a week, we can see how food shaming can spiral out of control. Instagram photos with “healthy foods” can easily make anyone feel bad about choosing “imperfect” foods with less nutrient density. Hence, a good place to stop food shaming is at the source: limit the time you spend scrolling through endless triggering posts—and stop following triggering influencers.
Three tips to help transform your “shameful” eating into pleasurable fueling include:
• Let go of being a perfectionist and enjoy being human, like the rest of us. Stop trying to eat a “perfect diet.” An excellent diet will do the job. The goal is 85-90% quality-calories and 10-15% “whatever”, such as an apple some days, and apple pie on other days.
• An excellent sports diet can include some “evil” sugar. No need to avoid all sweets and treats! The US Dietary Guidelines allow for 10% of total calories to come from added sugar. That’s 240 to 300 calories (60-75 grams) of added sugar per day for most athletes, if desired. That’s the amount of sugar in 3 gels, 36 ounces of sport drink, or 24 gummi bears. Sugar in any form helps (re)fuel muscles during and after a hard workout.
• Enjoy a satisfying breakfast and lunch. Stop eating when your body feels content, not just when the food is gone, you think you should, or you’re feeling ashamed because you are eating more than your peers. Adequate daytime meals can curb afternoon and evening (shame-inducing) binges.
• Finally, bring fun back into your food-style. Yes, please shamelessly enjoy fun foods like Thanksgiving pie and Grandma’s special holiday cookies, keeping balance and moderation in mind.
Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD counsels both fitness exercisers and competitive athletes in the Boston-area (Newton; 617-795-1875). Her best-selling Sports Nutrition Guidebook is a popular resource, as is her online workshop. Visit NancyClarkRD.com for info.
While wisdom certainly comes with age, so do a lot of other things – like decreased bone density, slowed metabolism, frailty/weakness, sleeplessness, and excess body fat – just to name a few.
Eating fewer calories, exercising more and still having a hard time getting those extra pounds off? Here’s a question for you: How’s your sleep?
I for one, every time I travel, seem to gain a couple of pounds just when I want to look my best.
I noticed that I tend to sleep less and intermittently when I am on the road. Once I settle again in a place, my sleep gets more regulated and I am able to drop those pounds.
I’ve adjusted my sleep pattern, as I have gotten older to help myself sleep better. The earlier I get up in the morning the better chance I have of getting to sleep that night and staying asleep for a longer period of time. I’m more energized, and when I eat, I eat less and feel more filled.
It turns out that there are many studies that indicate that sleeping less then 7 hours can increase body weight. One recent study with several pairs of twins, found that the twin who slept more than 9 hours was about half as likely to gain weight as the one that slept only 7.
Sleep deprivation affects your hunger urge. If you sleep less, you feel like eating more and you probably do. That’s because not sleeping increases your body’s level of ghrelin, the hunger hormone and decreases leptin the “I’m full” hormone.
A sleep study in Finland with middle-aged adults who had sleep problems found that women had greater sleep related weight gains than men. Though men were also affected. The study indicated that it seems the fewer hours you sleep the more calories you tend to eat the next day.
If you want a good night sleep here’s are some things to consider:
Exercise: Don’t exercise too late in the day. So many of us go to the gym after work but it can keep you up at night. Late exercise can prevent the body from making sleep-inducing melatonin for several hours.
Caffeine: It can take 6 or more hours to wear off. Having that cup of coffee after dinner, even with a low-fat dessert, may not be such a good idea.
Alcohol: A couple of drinks with dinner can wake you up in the middle of the night and make it hard to get back to sleep. I have a friend who swears by a glass or two of wine at lunch but never alcohol after 2pm. She says she sleeps like a baby at night. I think if I had a glass or two at lunch, I’d sleep like a baby at 2pm and be up for the night at 5.
Stress: And then there is our old buddy stress. We all have some level of stress and how we deal with it can keep us up at night. Getting yourself relaxed in quiet, dark, temperature controlled environment can relieve stress and induce a desire and ability to sleep.
So, what’s it going to be, wide awake at 3am or getting that beauty sleep and waking up lighter and brighter on your toes? Learning to get a good night’s sleep is a process. Don’t stress over it, it may keep you up at night.
Mirabai Holland MFA, EP-C, CHC is one of the foremost authorities is the health and fitness industry. Her customer top rated exercise videos for Age-Onset health issues like Osteoporosis, Arthritis, Heart Disease, Diabetes & more are available at www.mirabaiholland.com. Mirabai also offers one-on-on Health Coaching on Skype or Phone. Contact her at askmirabai@movingfree.com.
Staying on top of the latest sports nutrition news can be a full-time job. Between conferences, webinars, and journal articles, I learn a lot of information that I like to translate into practical tips to share with athletes, like you! Enjoy this news you can use! (The research was presented at the International Sport & Exercise Nutrition Conference in the UK.)
If you try to “stay away” from peanut butter, deeming it to be fattening, think again! Peanut butter—and peanuts in any form—contribute to no more weight gain than the same number of calories from carbohydrate-rich snacks. In a 10-week weight-gain study that included lifting weights three times a week, 28 athletic women and men (average age, 25.) consumed:
— an extra 500 calories of peanuts and peanut butter-based snacks, or
— an extra 500 calories of peanut-free carb-based snack foods (such as pretzels, fruit chews, bagels).
The carb-snackers gained about 6 pounds; the peanut eaters gained only about 3.5 pounds. How could this be?
One explanation is the fiber and fat in peanut butter is satiating. That means, it keeps you feeling fed for longer than fat-free foods, such as pretzels. Peanut butter can curb your appetite, so you end up eating fewer calories overall for the day.
This study helps confirm why I vote peanut butter to be one of the best sports foods around (assuming you are not allergic to it)! Peanut butter requires no refrigeration, is anti-inflammatory, nutrient rich, inexpensive, and most importantly, yummy. How about enjoying more peanut butter on bananas for your morning and afternoon snacks?
When an athlete goes on a low-carb / low-calorie diet, their bones also go on a diet. In a study with 327 runners (ages 18-35) who trained 8 or more hours a week, those who restricted carbs and/or trained without having first eaten, experienced 1.5 times more bone injuries More research is needed to learn how carbs and calories can influence bone health. In the meantime, enjoy carb-based grains, fruits and veggies at every meal.
With global warming, athletes who exercise in the heat should take steps to prevent problems related to elevated body temperature. One tip is to pre-cool your body prior to exercise. Try drinking ice water or slushies, or suck on ice chips. Doing so might help you have greater endurance.
A study of professional female soccer players reports they burned about 2,900 calories per day. Of that, about 1,400 calories supported their resting metabolic rate (calories needed to be alive) and about 1,200 calories were burned during exercise, the rest supported general daily activities. This equates to about three 700 to 800 calorie meals per day plus two 200 to 300 calorie snacks. That’s a lot of food! For athletes who may wonder, Why do I feel hungry all the time?, the answer might be because your body is hungry!
When female athletes undereat, they commonly stop having regular menstrual periods. When male athletes undereat, they experience hormonal changes that can lead to loss of sex drive. In a study with 10 healthy, active males (25 years.) who strictly dieted for five days—they ate less food and exercised more—the calorie deficit caused significant physiological changes. The men lost about 6 pounds (losing more muscle than fat, as happens with quick weight loss). Their thyroid hormones dropped, as did their testosterone levels.
Restrictive dieting not only reduces calorie intake, but also intake of protein, calcium, iron, zinc, and many other valuable nutrients needed to maintain optimal health and performance. Don’t consciously restrict your eating and stop eating at meals just because you think you should. Listen to your body; stop eating because you feel content, not just because the food is gone.
Athletes in endurance sports (such as runners, triathletes) and jumping sports (such as basketball and volleyball players) prefer to be light to enhance their performance. The problem is long-term restrictive eating can contribute to health issues. In a study comparing weight-conscious male athletes (age 24.) to a group of fitness exercisers, the athletes were leaner, but they had lower levels of thyroid hormone (a sign they were conserving energy). They also had weaker bones. If you skimp on food to be lean, your best bet is to seek guidance from a registered dietitian (RD) who specializes in sports dietetics (CSSD). This professional can help you healthfully achieve your weight goals. Use the referral network at eatright.org to find your local sports dietitian.
Personal trainers commonly believe they should have a “perfect” physique to achieve success in their careers. This can put them at high risk for developing eating disorders and disordered eating. Among personal trainers who responded to recruitment messages on Twitter and Instagram, 15% reported high levels of disordered eating behaviors (binge-eating, restrictive dieting, over-exercising). Sadly, these trainers are seen as role models. We need authentic fitness leaders who represent a variety of sizes and shapes the average exerciser can attain and maintain. Don’t be fooled; a “perfect body” generally comes with a high cost.
Some women gain “belly fat” at the time of menopause. This might be related to midlife lifestyle changes and aging, as well as to hormonal shifts. Peri-menopausal women who had big dinners and snacked frequently at the end of the day tended to have more belly fat than those who front-loaded their calories. One suggested weight management solution (for both women and men) is to eat less at night. A satiating high-protein breakfast can help reduce the urge to overeat at the end of the day. Peanut butter on a bagel with a side of Greek yogurt, anyone?
Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD counsels both fitness exercisers and competitive athletes in the Boston-area (Newton; 617-795-1875). Her best-selling Sports Nutrition Guidebook is a popular resource, as is her online workshop. Visit NancyClarkRD.com for info.
Of all the questions athletes ask me, “What about sugar…?” is at the top of the list. You likely have been bombarded with messages that sugar is evil, feeds cancer, causes obesity, ruins health, and should be avoided at all costs. Yet, athletes also hear that sugar fuels muscles during exercise, is the main ingredient in commercial sports foods, and enhances recovery from hard workouts. Let’s look at some sugar myths and misconceptions, as well as new technology that can measure your personal response to sugary foods.
Is sugar addictive?
No. While sugar lights up pleasure centers in the brain, sugar is not an addictive drug like cocaine. Sugar cravings can often be curbed by preventing hunger. Hunger triggers cravings for sugary foods and the urge to overeat. Hungry athletes can easily devour a lot of gummy bears or Oreos in the blink of an eye.
If you believe you are addicted to sugar, do this experiment: rearrange your eating patterns to enjoy a king-sized high protein breakfast (3-egg cheese omelet + Greek yogurt + fruit + granola) followed by a satisfying protein-rich lunch (peanut butter & banana sandwich + glass of milk), and you will quickly notice your afternoon and evening sugar cravings dissipate (that is, unless you are eating to manage stress and smother feelings—as opposed to enjoying food for fuel).
Is sugar fattening?
No. Excess calories of any type are fattening. Many athletes tell me that despite eating only “healthy” foods (i.e., no sugary sweets), they are not losing weight. They could simply be swapping 100 calories of gummy bears for 100 calories of grapes or 100 calories of nuts. No calorie deficit there.
Take note: the conversion of excess calories of sugar into body fat is actually a tough conversion (as compared to the conversion of excess calories of dietary fat into body fat). Sugar often comes with fat (cookies, ice cream, chocolate) Hence, overeating gummy bears could be less fattening than overeating fatty chips. (But first, curb the urge to overeat sugary-fatty foods by enjoying a king-sized breakfast!!!)
I’ve heard sugar feeds cancer cells. Should I avoid sugar to reduce my risk of getting cancer? No. Sugar feeds all cells, not just cancer cells. Giving sugar to cancer cells does not make them grow faster, nor does depriving them of sugar curb their growth. A diet rich in fruits, veggies, and whole grains reduces the risk of cancer—even though these foods all end up as sugar in your blood. (Yes, all grains and plant-foods—“carbs”—digest into sugar.) Sugary foods can be linked to obesity, and obesity can be linked to cancer. Cancer patients who are prescribed prednisone as part of their treatment may need to limit sugar because the medication can elevate blood sugar, but that is a different story.
Does sugar cause diabetes?
No. Diabetes-Type 1 happens when the pancreas makes inadequate insulin to transport sugar out of the blood and into the muscles. Diabetes-Type II happens when the muscles do not respond normally to insulin. This often happens with people who are overfat and underfit. In comparison, most athletic people maintain normal blood glucose levels.
Should athletes be concerned about “sugar spikes”?
Generally, not. After you eat any type of carb (fruit, veggie, grain, sugary or starchy food), your blood sugar (blood glucose) will rise as the sugar moves from your gut into the blood stream. Blood glucose gets used by brain, muscle, liver, and organs. This “spike” is normal, and the body has a complex system of checks and balances to keep it within a normal range (>70 and <180 mg/dL)-After hard exercise, a spike in blood glucose is a normal physiological response.
Will monitoring my blood sugar level help me perform better?
Some endurance athletes are measuring their sugar levels with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). The device is sort of like a fuel gauge that can help them figure out if they are under-fueled. This knowledge might inspire athletes who under-eat to fuel better to perform better, but we need much more research to validate this hypothesis.
Most research with CGMs has been done on people with diabetes. They need to know if their blood glucose is too low (causing shakiness and hypoglycemic sweats) or too high (causing damage to tiny blood vessels in the eyes, kidneys and other organs—with long-term complications of organ failure and blindness, among other health issues). For them, CGMs can be health-saving, whereas for athletes, the data is more of a matter of curiosity.
How does a CGM work?
The athlete sticks on the back of the arm a small circular patch (a sensor) which has a very thin filament that painlessly goes under the skin and measures glucose between cells. The sensor connects to a cell phone app that handles the data. The technology can help validate if fatigue is related to low glucose and inadequate fuel.
While a CGM can help you learn about your body’s response to carbs, listening to your body’s messages—not looking at numbers on your cell phone—is the better way to go. Simply pay attention to how you feel: Are you droopy? Edgy? Unable to focus on the task at hand? If yes, you are likely low on fuel and your glucose is low.
I enjoy technology: heart rate monitors, sleep trackers, GPS watches. Where can I buy a CGM?
Search online or go to a drug store. Two popular brands are FreeStyle Libre and Dexcom. SuperSapiens.com offers abundant info.
Before FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) nudges you to jump on the bandwagon, my advice is be sure this would be a smart choice for you. Some athletes feel driven to obsessively monitor their glucose levels. They can easily feel stressed and become glucorexic. CGMs are best used for one to two weeks by athletes who have a specific performance problem they want to resolve, such as, why do I bonk 15 miles into a 26.2 mile marathon? A CGM can identify a need to adjust food intake. Will this enhance performance? Stay tuned for more research with athletes!
Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD counsels both fitness exercisers and competitive athletes in the Boston-area (Newton; 617-795-1875). Her best-selling Sports Nutrition Guidebook is a popular resource, as is her online workshop. Visit NancyClarkRD.com for info
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