I used to think that I would always be overweight, that I was just not a sporty person. I thought I was incapable of being fit and strong. However, I have proven my past self wrong over and over again through the process of learning to box. Boxing has taught me to better my relationship with food in some truly surprising ways.
I now have complete trust in my ability to manage my weight and maintain a healthy relationship with my diet. To have the nutritional knowledge to work with my body, not punish it or fight against it is truly empowering. Without a doubt, anyone who has ever struggled with weight, with their diet or the role that food plays in their life-which is probably all of us from time to time-understands how helpless this can make us feel.
Here are a few key lessons that clicked for me, and allowed me to reframe how I feel about food.
1. Food as fuel (Yes. Obviously)
It’s actually fuel. Food is the building blocks of my body. The right food helps me recover, get stronger, get over illnesses, concentrate on my day job, focus and learn during training. It took me an embarrassingly long time to really grasp this.
This doesn’t mean I subscribe to the view that food is only fuel. For some people eating is as joyless and transactional as putting petrol into a car. Not me-I adore good food and I bloody love eating. But when I remind myself frequently that I need the right food to run my body optimally, it prompts me to get as many nutrients into my body as I can.
Additionally, avoiding the use of judgement terms like “good” or “bad” to describe a particular food is also critical. No food is inherently good or bad. I grew up hearing my Mum talk about being “naughty” or being “good” when it came to diet. Zero blame for her by the way, this was what many of us heard growing up in that era. It’s just that we were overwhelmed with media telling us to starve ourselves to get smaller. It’s refreshing to see all the muscular gym bodies on the ladies these days. A really great follow on Instagram for more tips on reframing your thoughts about food is a guy called Graeme Thomlinson (or The Fitness Chef ).
2. Training is learning time, not weight loss time
When I started at my first gym, I actually trained in Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) for about 18 months. I was mediocre at it, but I worked really hard. Huge sessions, nearly 2 hours each several times a week, plus strength training and extra running for cardio. One of the experienced fighters was asking me about my nutrition, and I told her I was trying to lose weight.
Guys, I was eating 1300 calories a day. I still remember her face when I told her this. She said, “Woah! That’s not enough. You’re trying to learn here. You’re are probably burning 1500 calories a session right now. You need to eat enough to be able to concentrate.”
I now understand that if I want to perform well, I need to consume bulk calories, and a lot more carbohydrate than I realised. Honestly when I train on a completely empty tank, I feel like an absolute piece of shit. There is plenty of science to back this up, too.
In particular, women require a very specific nutritional approach as they go through different stages of their lives, and depending on their menstrual cycle, sometimes week by week. My nutritional needs now are very different as a perimenopausal woman as they were when I was a teenager.
In fact, under fuelling at any stage of your life can have a lasting impact on how your body behaves. This includes immediate athletic performance (speed, endurance, power) as well as your long term health. Think reduced bone density, menstrual cycle disruptions, metabolic issues, impaired immunity and cardiovascular health amongst others (Kuikman & Burke, 2023).
So a key lesson came out of this one: When I am in the fight gym, I am training to be a better athlete, not to lose weight. Therefore, adequate calories are a must.
3. The role of a nutritionist
After I blew away my Muay Thai team mate with my starvation approach to nutrition, she referred me to her nutritionist Liana Nici. I am so incredibly grateful for this. Taking on a qualified and experienced person to coach me on how best to fuel my body was one of the best things I ever did.
Liana understands that I am a human being first and a fighter second, and that it’s important to allow myself to still enjoy my food and social life. She has taken me through every one of my fights making weight safely. I have never had to sauna off a lot of water, use massive carbohydrate restriction, or any of the other common weight cutting practices often used.
She taught me:
- How to phase carbohydrates to fuel performance
- The importance of protein (Yeah I was late to the party on this one)
- The importance of electrolytes and other nutrients and minerals
- To allow myself to relax and gain some body weight in the off season
- To trust the process and stick with the plan
Anyone wanting to improve their performance needs to assess their nutrition. I do however appreciate that many people are financially unable to engage a dedicated dietician. Some good lower cost alternatives are:
- Buying an online programme from a reputable fight dietician
- Talking to your coaches and team mates to see what their strategies are
- Have a browse for free online resources, (just be careful not to get overwhelmed and try too much all at once)
4. Offseason weight gain-the juicy rebound
A huge win for me has been allowing weight gain to occur when appropriate. Don’t get me wrong I still freak out somewhat, but I am definitely better at not beating myself up about it. Case in point-I’m writing this just after Christmas, so my weight is significantly higher than usual.
The difference is that I know I can apply the tools and strategies I have used many times in the past to reduce down to my usual fight weight. I can trust my processes (my training, my nutrition, the support of my team) to get back to where I need to be for the next fight. I manage my diet so tightly for the majority of the year, it’s actually healthy hormonally and mentally to have a few months with a higher body fat percentage.
This refining process each time I cut down to fight weight helps me to see that in fact my weight and my body are constantly changing. That it’s ok and totally within my control. It has helped me to internalise that it doesn’t matter if I get bigger, I know how to get it back off again.
I can allow myself these times to enjoy life and go out for meals with friends and not count every macro. This is still not perfect; my fellow fighters and I still joke about “getting fat” between fights, but it has less emotional charge for me now. I know that I am allowed to gain weight, its totally normal and only temporary.
5. Having the best of both worlds
This is the best thing, truly. Such a liberating feeling. I am able to enjoy eating nutritious and nourishing food that makes me feel good in body and soul, while still meeting my training and weight goals.
Being able to love what I eat and feel good about what it does for my body and performance is a game changer. It’s a far cry from how I felt about food and eating throughout my teens, twenties and thirties.
I delight in having huge bowls of food these days. Massive portion sizes, jam on toast before training sessions, loads of salad, potatoes-it’s all the good stuff that ensures I train and feel my best.
A couple of pics of what makes me happy. Big bowl food!
I have been able to accept that when I reach a certain weight or body shape, its not permanent. My body is a constantly changing beast, the same as my fitness, my mental health, my physical health. It’s all on a continuum as is the case for everyone.
Those little reminders are so important: I am training because I enjoy it, not because I’m trying to flog myself to lose weight. I am allowed to enjoy good food that makes me happy without feeling guilty about it. I am also allowed to gain weight, it’s not the end of the world.
Nutritional knowledge is power when it comes to maintaining and improving athleticism-or indeed performing well in all aspects of life. It’s worth investing in and understanding the best approach for yourself.
What strategies or reminders work for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below! And stay tuned for the next post.
Image L: May 2016, around 98kg. Probably on my way to crack a beer
Image R: April 2024 60 kg. On my way to win gold at the Australian Masters Club Championships
References:
Kuikman, Megan & Burke, Louise. (2023). Low Energy Availability in Athletes: Understanding Undereating and Its Concerns. Nutrition Today. 58. 51-57. 10.1097/NT.0000000000000603.http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/NT.0000000000000603
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