OK, so my gym mojo has been MIA since I had to leave my powerlifting gym. They ummm… well…. they didn’t want to obey the county (or country) restrictions and went overboard with flaunting the rules. They stayed open, but I chose to leave. Which leaves me homeless right now lol And I think because of that, I’m struggling with getting into the gym. I’ve been really looking for a way to kickstart my workouts again. And I think I found it y’all!
I REALLY want to compete as a powerlifter when things ease up a little bit more. I WANT to live that lifestyle. I want to set the example of a real-life person with a full-time job (more than full-time, really), a growing home-based business, mental health issues with warring inner 6 and 12-year olds that are emo and junk food addicts. A woman who really just wants to be happy & healthy and have fun living life. I kinda feel like that’s all of us, to some degree. So I got this not-so-brilliant idea that I should study the 2020(2021) Tokyo Olympic weightlifting teams, and see what takeaways I can find. I thought this would be easy – ladies one day, dudes the next. Not so much! There’s SO much to take away from these amazing athletes, I had to take another approach. Warning – this is a long post!
Not a single one follows a strict eating program/diet. Ugh. My eating disorder (ED) is NOT happy to hear that. But here’s a few things I’ve picked up.
- They all seem to follow an intuitive eating style. MY intuitive eating says ice cream for breakfast, and whatever fast food I can grab while I’m out. But I don’t think that’s the real thought behind intuitive eating. At its base, intuitive eating is eating when you’re hungry, and stopping when you’re not hungry – BEFORE you’re full. It requires a lot of trust in your body to know and recognize the physical need to eat versus the emotional drive to eat – which is where I get hung up. I have an ED which makes this almost impossible. But hey. I can try, and see where it leads me. (NOTE: As I’ve been working on this blog, I’ve been trying this approach. I’m eating A LOT less than I used to! Maybe I CAN do this!)
- They prioritize protein. And lots of it! While no real specifics are given for a lot of the athletes, they seem to consume about 2,500-4,000 calories a day, and protein is the main source of fuel for their bodies. Which makes sense. I can do this! My body operates best on a carnivore-style way of eating, so I can do this. My bariatric surgery will make that many calories next to impossible, but I’m also not training at that level. So if I can trust my body to eat intuitively, then my calories should naturally fall in line.
- Reduce or eliminate any processed foods and especially sugars. OK, so I’ve been mostly eating this way for a long time now. Focus on whole, real foods. The best line I found was in Whole30 I think – make sure you’re eating ingredients, not prepared foods, and you’ll be OK. Focus on the ingredients. Veggies. Fruits. Proteins. Fats. Whole grains in their as unprocessed forms as possible. This I can do. And if I can do it working so much, I’m sure you can too! Keep it simple if meal prep is beyond you. Some chicken breast and some steamed broccoli or other veg. Whatever seasoning you want (I mean, don’t go all sugary fatty saucy with it, ya’know). Maybe some rice if that’s your thing. And you’re good to go. I currently have chicken breasts marinating in some Italian seasoning in the fridge. I’ll throw them in the air fryer or sous vide this weekend and BOOM! Food for work next week.
- Supplements are a given. I think most of the athletes are sponsored by Ascent. I have no experience with them, but they’re clean ingredients so they won’t pop on the drug test. The drug tests pop some pretty common ingredients, but since I’m not competing right now, I’ll stick with what I’m taking. When I start my actual competition prep, I’ll switch up what I take, if necessary. I know for sure the first two supplements I take are good to go.
- Multi vitamin complex. ESSENTIAL to feed your body the micronutrients it needs both for optimal performance AND recovery. These are the ones I use.
- Electrolytes keep your body running despite heavy exertion. These ones have a higher sodium level than most other commercial mixes I’ve found, but sodium is SO crucial for the electrical signals in your body, you actually need much MORE than this provides. Just make sure you supplement correctly with your doctor & trainer’s input.
- Whey Protein so this is the link for the unflavored one. I use it 99% of the time because it’s truly unflavored and mixes well with everything.
- Collagen I like this company. Haven’t researched if they’re clean enough for drug tested competition, but hey. No flavor, blends well into hot OR cold drinks – I’m good. This helps muscle, skin, joints, etc, so excellent for recovery as well.
- Creatine. I don’t have a link for this one. I don’t know what is a good brand out there. I got mine in a tub at Sprouts. I really like to toss my scoop of creatine & collagen in my morning coffee so I get the nutrients and feel like I’m starting my day off on the right foot.
OK, so there’s a LOT more to discuss! Next week I’ll talk about training, I think lol. We’ll see!
Are you looking forward to watching the Olympics? What sport?
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