As per usual, this is a topic that social media will totally overwhelm your brain with. It will fill you with the anxiety you’re not eating enough or that you’re eating too much or that WHAT you’re eating isn’t right and that you will be a consistently abysmal athlete until you get that right, at which point suddenly, you will realise all your sporting dreams…
…which of course is all absolute horse shit. The real issue is that everyone is having a slightly different version of a nutrition problem. So how do we get the basics right? Sure, you know I’m all about quality and that that hurdle needs to be overcome BEFORE we look at quantity (check out my podcast for more on that one…), but how do we then get to grips with what “the right amount” looks like for us?
Understanding TDEE: Your Caloric Baseline
Let’s just get to grips with a few basic terms before we get stuck in. TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and BMR (basal metabolic rate) are NOT the same thing. A lot of people use BMR as their starting point – and we will for the basis of calculating TDEE – and then simply use their smart watch to tell them how many additional calories they’ve “earned” during the day. There are a few problems with this methods::
- It is impossible to calculate how many calories you’re burning on your daily activities without doing invasive testing and it certainly ISN’T something your smart watch or a database can tell you because there are way too many individual variables.
- Your calorie burn for activities isn’t simply “additive”, that is, you will still be using some of the calorie allowance in your BMR during your activity, so the figures you get on My Fitness Pal or whatever other tracker you’re using, simply won’t be accurate.
- On rest days, you’ll end up starving yourself, which means as an athlete you won’t be recovered and prepared for your next training sessions.
- On heavy days, you’ll feel virtuous about how much food you’ve “earned” or anxious about the apparent calorie deficit you’ve created.
Instead, when we use TDEE, we’re looking at what you’ll PROBABLY be burning on an average day, given your routine level of activity. Now this isn’t perfect, but it’s a good place to start if you’re totally in the dark, and intentional eating will come into play when you start working with the numbers and then listening to what your body is telling you.
Calculating Your TDEE
To estimate your TDEE, you’ll need to consider several factors:
- Age
- Gender
- Weight
- Height
- Activity Level
An easy way to calculate your TDEE is by using online calculators, which take into account these variables. For a rough estimate, you can use the following formula:
TDEE = BMR x Activity Factor
Where the activity factor varies:
- Sedentary (little or no exercise): BMR x 1.2
- Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
- Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
- Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): BMR x 1.725
- Super active (very hard exercise/physical job): BMR x 1.9
Most athletes I coach would fit into the “very active” category if they have an office job and are training for endurance activity and that’s what our starting point will be. I’ll then combine this figure with their observed habits, levels of hunger and of course any body composition goals we have like gaining muscle or losing fat etc.
How do I get the macros right?
Again, if you hit up my podcast, you’ll see I’m pretty free and easy when it comes to macros, other than making sure you have enough protein to recover muscles and keep all those basic bodily building blocks topped up. Around that, it’s making sure you consume balanced meals and snacks, paying attention to any energy level rollercoasters meaning you might need to manage your carbohydrate intake a bit better and any cravings you’re having that might indicate your individual balance isn’t quite right.
Intentional Eating Strategies
While numbers can provide a helpful guideline, it’s important not to become fixated on them. Listening to your body’s hunger and fullness signals can prevent disordered eating and ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need without over- or under-eating and it’s really important that when you start playing around with the numbers, you’re NOT guilted into trusting them completely and ignoring what your body is telling you – because the numbers are very hard to get right and your body is much better at telling you when it’s wrong!! To make sure you’re not falling into the trap of ignoring yourself and implicitly trusting meaningless figures, have a think about the following.
1. Mindful Eating
Mindful eating involves paying full attention to your food and the experience of eating. This means:
- Eating slowly and savoring each bite.
- Noticing the colors, smells, and textures of your food.
- Listening to your body’s hunger and fullness cues before and after each meal or snack or training session.
2. Balanced Meals
Aim for balanced meals that include a mix of macronutrients:
- Carbohydrates for energy.
- Proteins for muscle repair and growth.
- Fats for sustained energy and hormone production.
Always make sure your plate is full of colour so you’re getting as wide a variety of fruits and veggies in to give you the best possible shot at nailing your nutrient targets too.
3. Regular Eating Schedule
Having a regular eating schedule can help maintain energy levels throughout the day and help you to get back in touch with hunger and fullness, something which many athletes lose when they become fixated on nutrition and slip into disordered eating habits. When you’re creating this schedule, think about the impact of your eating patterns on your daily life timetable but also on how your training sessions feel when you do or don’t eat before and after and what the following day feels like too if you don’t quite get it right. This can not only help you guide your eating patterns in terms of timing, but help to improve the nutrient intake to match your needs too.
Avoiding Fixation on Numbers
Focusing too much on calorie counting and macronutrient tracking can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food. Here are some tips to keep your approach balanced:
- Use numbers as a guideline, not a strict rule.
- Pay attention to how your body feels during and after meals.
- Adjust portions based on hunger and fullness cues rather than rigid calorie limits.
And remember, just because Dave down the road does it, doesn’t mean it’s right for you! Observe your training, your goals, your starting point and stay focused on what YOU’RE trying to achieve and remember that EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.