Planning to Eat to Win!

PLANNING to EAT TO WIN
When preparing for your off-season conditioning, planning your meals and eating them at the correct times is just as important as signing up for the training sessions. You will not gain weight, lose weight or gain muscle mass JUST by going to the gym and working out. Unless you are planning to use supplements or put substances in your body recommended by certain body builders, eating nutritiously is the fastest and best way to achieve the goal you want.
Although eating to WIN is a really simple concept, the time constraints on families of elite athletes mean that we will try to clarify HOW to eat, WHAT to eat and WHEN. These important questions however must include both the person in the family buying the groceries and athlete so, if you are the athlete, please take a few moments and list all the foods you like and dislike. Please be honest with yourself and with us and don‟t just include foods you THINK you should like but food you like and eat often. Include Fast Foods, and the junk food you love-none of us are perfect…
Use this table (overleaf) as a conversation starter between the athlete and the grocery shopper. Begin to create a standard „Shopping List‟ that appears from the conversation and of course plan to buy the food you agree upon as well as the foods that may not be „normal‟ for your family. Successful athletes understand they need a constant stream of energy to perform at their peak. This is, ideally, 5-7 small meals or snacks per day. In some cases, where weight GAIN is a goal especially, some players must eat upwards of 5000 performance calories per day; that is A LOT of food. This amount of food can only be eaten intermittently through the day or the results can be counterproductive. I call them „performance calories‟ because it is easy to eat 3 Big Macs and get the 5000 on board…the consequences of that choice however will mean that the wrong weight is gained.

Eat To Win!!!

EAT TO W.I.N

by Steffany Hanlen, Founder of Quantum Speed

www.quantumspeed.ca
www.steffanyhanlen.com
Eating to WIN is a concept that defines the importance of nutrition for sport – eating the right things at the right times and drinking the right amount of water is integral to the body‟s energy levels and performance. In essence, whilst we all understand that you need fuel in the tanks for the engine to run, we want to explain that the right fuel in the tanks will enable the engine to run better and for longer.

In the world of Quantum Speed W.I.N. means, “

WHAT’S IMPORTANT NOW”. We are not dieticians in any way, so please consider the information that follows as tips from our years of experience with Elite Hockey Players. As a precaution, always check with your physician or a specialist before changing your eating habits even if you are not concerned about negative effects of healthy eating. Everyone is different. Allergies are prevalent in today’s youth so please use common sense guidelines based on your own situations. The following is a compilation of information that is sent in the days leading up to or right after Quantum Speed Performance Excellence Seminars and is an offering as ‘food’ for thought only.

In terms of eating then, a player needs to determine what is most important for them in the moment. Ask yourself these questions, “What do I want to feel like at the END of my shift, practice, training session or game? Am I going into a practice where they may be significant amounts of standing around? Am I heading into a 60 minute game that could go into overtime? Am I in school ALL day then going straight to my dry land training?” And the 3 ultimate questions to ask yourself are…

1.

WHAT’S IMPORTANT NOW? We are not dieticians in any way, so please consider the information that follows as tips from our years of experience with Elite Hockey Players. As a precaution, always check with your physician or a specialist before changing your eating habits even if you are not concerned about negative effects of healthy eating. Everyone is different. Allergies are prevalent in today’s youth so please use common sense guidelines based on your own situations. The following is a compilation of information that is sent in the days leading up to or right after Quantum Speed Performance Excellence Seminars and is an offering as ‘food’ for thought only. WHO am I eating for? (The answer has to be ME!!) 2.

WHAT am I trying to achieve? (Your answers can be muscle gain, weight loss/gain, energy management etc) 3.

HOW do I ensure I eat properly and communicate my desire to do so to my parents? (begin the conversation NOW) The number one comment I get from players when I ask them what they are eating before or after their skating session is, “NOTHING – we didn’t have time to stop and eat” or, “we will grab a SUBWAY on the way home from the rink”. Parents, I am not trying to make your life any more difficult than it already is but if you really think your son or daughter will make it to the SHOW, play Ivy League College hockey on a full ride scholarship or even get through the workout without proper of fuel, you are mistaken.

Check back in a week or so … we’ll have more on “Eat to W.I.N”

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