Rachel eats based on her workouts. She eats heavy carbs after a workout session and most of her fats before bed. "When my training is more vigorous, I eat six times a day," Rachel said. She sticks with simple foods: lots of chicken, broccoli, salads, and protein shakes, and as a single woman, she tries to eat what's cheapest.
"My favorite guilty pleasure is definitely sweets," Rachel said, and she's at the point now where she tries not to be too strict. "Life's short . . . if you want some chocolate, go for it. Everything in moderation."
In the Spring of 2019, to help with her performance at the gym and to learn how to fuel her workouts properly, a coach at her box recommended she check out the Renaissance Periodization Strength Templates that assist with macro counting. Prior to using them, she admits that she had an unhealthy relationship with food and under-ate in fear that if she ate proper meals, she'd put the weight back on. But that wasn't good for her performance in the gym, because it's hard to lift heavy when you're not eating enough.
Rachel said she used the RP app for three months to cut weight that and "it worked amazing. It definitely works if you're willing to weigh out your food and follow what they share about nutrition and when to eat based on your training," Rachel said.
The biggest thing the app taught Rachel is that food is fuel. She said, "if you starve yourself, you're not fueling your body, and it can't perform. If you overeat, your body stores the excess fuel as fat because you didn't use it as energy. I have learned so much just by teaching myself how to count macros and what works for my body!"
She added, "I'm a year into CrossFit. I'm literally shocked at times by how quickly I've progressed. When you get your nutrition on point, everything else flows behind it."
