In a world where diet fads are centered largely around the way bodies look, girls who eat to make their bodies more powerful and keep themselves fueled during workouts and practices are often misunderstood. I’m talking about athletes. We don’t eat to lose a few pounds or finesse our beach bods, but rather to improve our athletic performance.
As a thrower, the way I eat for my sport differs from the way other athletes eat for theirs, so I consulted athletes Julia Kelly (frisbee) and Anna Bryniarski (volleyball) to hear their unique food struggles, too. Here’s the list:
1. Endless appetite
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Ordering more food than your friends at dinner, eating all of your food, and then finishing everything your friends didn’t.
2. Weird eating schedules
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The classic dilemma: eat before practice and potentially throw up at practice, or don’t eat and potentially pass out at practice.
3. Annoying gender stereotyping
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When you’re hosting a party and some frat bro points out your collection of protein powder and asks snarkily, “trying to get big?” Yes, skinny-armed frat boy, actually I am increasing my protein intake to build muscle, and I can probably beat you up.
4. Having to eat when you’re not hungry
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Speaking of getting swole, the struggle when you’re not hungry after a hard practice, but you have to eat protein in order to get those mad gains. So you eat, and then probably get sick.
5. Temptations to treat yo’self
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When you struggle to avoid the dangers of just eating junk food because you know you’ve already worked off enough calories.
6. Treating yo’self (too much…)
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Alternatively, eating wayyy too much because you had a two hour practice, and you totally deserve it!
7. People who think athletes can eat whatever
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When your friends say they are “so jealous” that you can eat “whatever you want” because you work out so much. No, actually, we can’t just eat donuts all day. Athletes need to be careful about balancing nutrients to fuel their bodies with energy for practice and protein for muscle recovery.
8. Having to skip a night out
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When you can’t drink because you have practice in the morning and being hungover for that is just not an option.
9. Running out of meal points
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…and it’s only halfway through the semester. Someone buy me a sandwich plz.