It's your off day from training. You plan on having a lazy day around the house, maybe doing some light cleaning, binge watching a new show, and just taking it easy. Your body deserves this rest! 

But since you aren’t working out today, do you still need to eat as you would on a training day? Or should you cut back on the calories to match your reduced energy output? 

The answer is “it depends”. If on this lighter day you are still eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a snack or two in between and feel comfortably full with a lighter portion size, that might be perfect for you. However, if you are eating a lighter portion size at your meals and still feel hungry it is important to listen to those hunger cues and eat to a point of feeling comfortably full. Especially if you have been struggling with under fueling during heavy training days or your goal is to gain weight/muscle. 

Oftentimes, as athletes it is difficult to consume enough calories on training days to meet the nutritional demands of those high intensity workouts. It is your off day when you finally have an opportunity to play catch up. If you are intentionally restricting your intake on that day you will continue to remain in a caloric deficit and your body will not be able to fully repair and recover – which is the whole point of an off day! Depending on your training, you might actually need to consume MORE food on your off day since this is your opportunity to play catch up from missed meal opportunities during heavy training periods. 

In addition to the portion sizes, it is also important to pay attention to the types of foods you are consuming. Just because this is a day off from heavy training, does not mean it is a day off from proper nutrition. While this is not a day for energy restriction, it is also not a day to binge pizza and ice cream. The goal of this day is recovery and repair, which means we want to focus on giving our body the energy it needs while also reducing inflammation. Your focus should be on lean proteins, whole grains, and plenty of fruits and vegetables. While your training day might call for plenty of simple carbohydrates to propel you through long and grueling workouts, your off day should be full of high fiber foods and antioxidants to support sustained energy and reduce inflammation.

If you are uncertain about how much to be eating or if your daily intake is adequate, now would be a great time to meet with one of your friendly Sports Dietitians at eNRG Performance! 

We can help guide you through your caloric needs for training, understanding hunger cues, and picking appropriate foods to meet your needs. 

Don’t forget to check out some of our favorite recipes for some great meal and snack ideas to fuel any kind of day you are having! 

 

 

 

PS - If you are experiencing weight gain, increased body fat, brain fog, chronic stress, sugar cravings and/or poor sleep, it is very likely that you have some type of hormonal misfiring. In fact, optimizing hormones is the center of all health and nutrition transformations.

Our newly updated Virtual FatBurn Blueprint Program will help you optimize your hormones through nutrition, exercise and lifestyle customization plans to help you FEEL, LOOK and PERFORM better in life. If you are serious about your health, longevity and fitness, check out the Virtual FatBurn Blueprint Program HERE.