More Than Fuel
Find joy, pleasure, and freedom with food (like you do during a long ride)
Jess Cerra and Laura King on a JoJé snack break. Photo: @bbaiiey
By Suzanne Smith
@suzannesmith_rd
As a sports dietitian, I have invested a lot of time in really understanding the benefits good nutrition can have on performance. It’s intuitive, but fueling in a balanced, healthy way helps you go longer—stronger. Most endurance athletes have experienced the consequences of not fueling well and will generally avoid making poor nutritional choices. However, too much emphasis on eating “clean,” healthy foods can also have physical and mental drawbacks.
Food is fuel, but it’s also so much more. It’s a source of pleasure, connection, comfort, and culture. At a young age, my relationship with moving my body and food was easy and uncomplicated. I grabbed food when I was hungry, got ice cream with friends, and gave little thought to what, or how much I ate. As I got older, I began to lose sight of that. I prided myself on being a disciplined person. I would wake up at 5:30 am to swim and then jump on my bike to ride after work.
In an effort to improve both my performance and health, I started tracking my macros, cutting back on carbs, and avoiding processed foods. I looked disciplined, but inside I felt miserable. The more rules I placed on what I was eating, the more out of control and less disciplined I felt. I dreaded workouts, and when I was out on a ride I found myself negotiating ways to have a cinnamon roll after instead of enjoying the scenery.
Applying too much discipline to eating will usually backfire because it comes with rules and judgements about what’s on your plate. The reason the cookies in the pantry are calling your name isn’t because you have no willpower or they’re addictive. Being under fueled and/or feeling deprived of favorite foods increases cravings and preoccupation of the things we’re trying to avoid.
I knew something needed to change if I wanted to get freedom and joy back into my training and fueling. I went to work repairing my relationship with food by first seeing it as more than just fuel.
The author, registered dietician Suzanne Smith
If you’re also wanting a little more ease and freedom when sitting down to a meal start with these three steps:
Brainstorm the rules and beliefs you have about food and see if they’re necessary (i.e. you have an allergy or sensitivity) and bring you any joy. If they aren’t necessary and don’t bring you joy, consider letting them go.
Reconnect with your body’s cues and preferences. Make meal decisions based on what sounds satisfying and will support how you want to feel physically and emotionally. Trust that when you drop the labels and judgement around food your body will naturally incorporate nutritious things (if you listen, and this can take time!).
Substitute flexibility for discipline. During training it can be beneficial to choose specific foods to support performance. For example, I may want a cinnamon roll before a ride, but I know it may cause digestive discomfort. Instead, I’ll choose a meal that supports my activity, and enjoy the cinnamon roll later, without needing to earn it or feeling guilt.
Suzanne is a board certified sports dietitian and intuitive eating counselor based out of San Diego, Calif. She’s passionate about helping active women tired of feeling stressed about what is or isn’t on their plate create an uncomplicated and easy relationship with food and their body. She’s finished a handful of marathons, 70.3’s, and a full Ironman but currently is enjoying riding and running for the pure enjoyment of it. You can find her at https://suzannejsmith.com and on IG @suzannesmith_rd.
