Food quality and eating habits

These notes combine advice from 96 reviewed passages across 68 workouts.

Overview

Coach’s claim

Food quality and eating habits carry part of the training load. Strength work comes from training, but eating discipline and sleep are the athlete’s own responsibility. Hard sessions raise calorie needs and appetite, so eating enough well-chosen food supports the work. [5] [29] [73]

Coach’s claim

The core advice stays simple: eat well, keep protein and meat central, and choose nourishing food over empty calories. [15] [19] [32] [33] [51]

Eating well and protein

Coach’s claim

Eat well and get your protein in. Keep protein and meat central in your meals and keep fruit plentiful. When time or budget makes cooking hard, simple foods such as chicken breast are a practical way to cover protein needs. [15] [19] [32] [33] [51]

Coach’s claim

Meat-focused days are important. When bone-in cuts are included, 800 grams to a kilogram of meat is a sufficient amount. [13] [70]

Coach’s claim

Fish is the best meat. Kyrgyz meat is especially healthy and natural. [66] [79]

Coach’s claim

Eggs are a reliable protein source; eat four to six eggs. When you eat sausage with eggs, keep the egg portion larger and use the sausage mainly for flavor, because eggs are always good. [49] [76] [77]

Coach’s claim

Chicken with rice is a recommended meal, and tomato-paste minced-meat eggs are a good protein option. Dried meat is a quick protein choice that finishes fast, and pastirma is a type of dried meat. [61] [62] [84] [87]

Coach’s claim

For shakes, use ayran as the base instead of sweet flavored shakes and increase the protein content. [67]

Coach’s claim

Sweet flavored protein shakes are not healthy. [67]

Coach’s claim

Protein bars are a practical snack with 20-25 grams of protein, and eating them can feel good psychologically. [46]

Coach’s claim

Sausage from low-quality brands can contain many unspecified ingredients, so brand quality matters. Sucuk is very fatty, and eating it every day will eventually show its effects; sausage and eggs together are a high-fat meal. [17] [36] [42] [43]

Foods to limit or avoid

Coach’s claim

Stay away from processed foods, because once you start it is hard to stop. Replace them with more meat, chicken, and rice. [27]

Coach’s claim

Apart from cigarettes, alcohol, chips, and cola, eat what you want. Stay away from foods that are mostly sugar and flour. [18] [24]

Coach’s claim

Chips contain high salt, trans fats, and additives and can contribute to obesity and heart disease. [31]

Coach’s claim

Keep fat low and avoid very fatty foods. Eat in moderation. [5] [32] [69] [71]

Coach’s claim

Bread and rice advice cuts both ways. Some guidance says to stay away from rice and bread. Other guidance says not to cut bread, since bread and rice have been staples of humanity. When you crave something sweet, bread is a better choice than sugar. [32] [59] [60] [71]

Coach’s claim

Do not fill up on pasta. Keep cheese portions reasonable; half a kilogram a day is too much. [86] [89]

Coach’s claim

Eating 400-500 grams of cheese a day can cause rapid weight gain. [86]

Coach’s claim

Fried chicken is snack food, not a real meal. [72]

Coach’s claim

Dough-heavy foods can contribute to weight gain. Walnuts are not better than sucuk. [3] [78]

Coach’s claim

In one group setting, the coach observed that most people reached for chips while one person chose fruit, and that person was the most muscular of the group. [53]

Coach’s claim

Most of today’s foods contain additives, and modern eating is worse and less natural than older diets. Some foods have no benefit and disrupt the body, so it is best to stay away from them. [12] [34] [35]

Fruit, vegetables, and staples

Coach’s claim

Keep fruit and meat plentiful. If you notice a gap in your eating, get the missing food and eat it. [15]

Coach’s claim

Two or three bananas can work as a breakfast. [9]

Coach’s claim

Apples are healthy. Watermelon meets the body’s water needs well, and since it does not fill you up, you can take in a lot of water. [14] [52]

Coach’s claim

Potatoes are beneficial, cheap, and versatile, and there is a claim that a person can survive on potatoes alone. Oats can contribute to weight gain but generally keep people full. Carob molasses has a distinctive benefit and is worth trying. Yogurt is a quality food for a long life. [1] [7] [8] [81]

Coach’s claim

Eat light foods such as yogurt. [85]

Coach’s claim

When you are ill, pay attention to sleep and eat more fruit and vitamins for a couple of days so the body can fight. [48]

Coach’s claim

Craving chocolate is normal when the body wants energy; eating only chocolate is not healthy. [26] [58]

Eating habits and meal structure

Coach’s claim

Eat when you are truly hungry and stop when full. Detailed calculations are not necessary; strength comes from food, so eat, and just avoid harmful things. [6]

Coach’s claim

Some people do not feel hunger reliably and have to time meals by the clock. [54]

Coach’s claim

Breakfast does not have to follow a fixed pattern such as cheese, olives, and tomatoes, and a substantial breakfast is not a problem. [10] [28]

Coach’s claim

A simple day could be a light oatmeal breakfast with a banana and an evening meal of two chicken breasts with a light side. [38]

Coach’s claim

To cut intake, eat half of each component of a meal rather than removing a whole side item. Keep your meals regular but reduce portion size, and stop when nearly full. [41] [55] [92]

Coach’s claim

Include a soupy meal at least one or two days a week; it makes things much easier. [68]

Coach’s claim

When workouts burn a lot of calories, pay attention to eating enough. [5]

Coach’s claim

Training increases appetite because the body wants more energy. You may eat more and sometimes eat wrongly. [29]

Coach’s claim

Unless you are preparing for a fitness competition, give your body what it asks for, but in a good form. Do not start a diet out of thin air; begin from what your body actually needs. [58]

Coach’s claim

Not eating certain foods can reduce energy and may lead to weight gain; eat properly and just avoid harmful things. Eating very large amounts is generally not beneficial. [4] [64]

Coach’s claim

To see what you actually eat, track it for three days, review each day, and take an average. [65]

Coach’s claim

Eat a good meal and rest. [88]

Dieting and flexibility

Coach’s claim

There is no need to diet your whole life; a lifelong diet bores you, while lifelong training has more open prospects. [45] [63]

Coach’s claim

Diet seasonally, such as a few weeks of structure followed by a freer week. A workable weekly pattern is five or six structured days and one day of eating what you want. [44] [45] [90]

Coach’s claim

Balance matters: constant restriction and constant indulgence both go wrong. [45]

Coach’s claim

Extreme diet patterns, such as eating nothing for two days then taking in five thousand calories, are absurd and need gradual correction. [50]

Coach’s claim

Do not restructure your whole diet around a single piece of information. [91]

Coach’s claim

Allow yourself to enjoy the tastes of life sometimes; you only come to life once. [56]

Coach’s claim

Eat what you want but train accordingly. Short-term restrictive dieting is not worth it because it tends to break down; it is better to let your training habits settle. [75]

Coach’s claim

Eating whatever you want means you cannot achieve what you want. [57]

Coach’s claim

A meat-focused way of eating, such as the Warrior diet with one main meal and very small amounts at other meals, is an option. [39]

Coach’s claim

Being at peace with your body does not mean skipping training and eating whatever you want; that can open the way to cardiovascular blockage. [11]

Coach’s claim

Dancers across styles tend to have poor nutrition and sleep routines. [82]

Coach’s experience

In his own eating, he follows appetite rather than calculations. He used to track food details but stopped; he eats what he wants, avoids selected foods, and does not calculate. He does not like cutting back on food. [16] [75]

Oats sometimes keep him full during long gaps between meals. He does not get tired of potatoes, though he does get tired of rice. [2] [8]

He eats breakfast every morning, adding nuts, peanuts, walnuts, and bananas, then switches to tomato and cheese when he gets bored. He gets bored of most foods except maybe banana or meat. He personally prefers not to eat a substantial breakfast because he feels more lively that way. [10] [21]

He has followed the banana breakfast and has not noticed a deficiency. [9]

He recently ate a meat meal and found it good. His father used to say the same about sausage. [13] [17]

He drinks eggs when preparing them feels burdensome, sometimes ten at once. [20]

A filling food product he eats keeps him full, and eating on top of it leads to healthy weight gain for him; he does not see it as equal to meat. He treats that food like rice or a garnish and eats it only for the three ingredients he adds. [22] [23]

When he feels something is missing, he raises his vitamin intake, mainly through fruit. [25]

He quit soft drinks with meals by switching to cold water. [30]

His grandfather ate more naturally than people do now. He eats treats when they appear and does not seek them out when they do not. [34] [37]

He prefers dried meat as his snack choice and usually buys it. [47] [61]

He recently ate chicken soup with bread and felt good. [68]

He had bacon and eggs as an indulgence and considered it not a problem. [74]

He tried synthetic meat once; it tasted like meat, but knowing it was synthetic put him off. [80]

Lemon is his energy booster. He makes tomato-paste minced-meat eggs for himself. [83] [84]

He still considers veganism bad for himself and sees meat as the most fundamental food. [40]

Related pages

• Supplements: Related to
• Sleep and performance: Often discussed together
• Exercise and longevity: Often discussed together
• Meal timing: Often discussed together

Sources

1. 2024-01-06, 4095.5-4103.9s

Workout: workout:2024-01-06

Passage: passage:2024-01-06:001881-001883

2. 2024-01-06, 4127.7-4137.4s

Workout: workout:2024-01-06

Passage: passage:2024-01-06:001890-001891

3. 2024-01-18, 39.4-46.5s

Workout: workout:2024-01-18

Passage: passage:2024-01-18:000016-000017

4. 2024-01-29, 2.0-7.2s

Workout: workout:2024-01-29

Passage: passage:2024-01-29:000000-000002

5. 2024-02-14, 4702.1-4726.4s

Workout: workout:2024-02-14

Passage: passage:2024-02-14:001732-001739

6. 2024-02-14, 4734.6-4753.0s

Workout: workout:2024-02-14

Passage: passage:2024-02-14:001743-001749

7. 2024-02-19, 3342.0-3349.8s

Workout: workout:2024-02-19

Passage: passage:2024-02-19:001176-001179

8. 2024-02-23, 196.9-212.2s

Workout: workout:2024-02-23

Passage: passage:2024-02-23:000073-000080

9. 2024-02-28, 530.3-537.5s

Workout: workout:2024-02-28

Passage: passage:2024-02-28:000197-000199

10. 2024-02-28, 555.4-562.2s

Workout: workout:2024-02-28

Passage: passage:2024-02-28:000207-000210

11. 2024-03-04, 2343.3-2360.6s

Workout: workout:2024-03-04

Passage: passage:2024-03-04:000795-000798

12. 2024-04-03, 4297.4-4307.3s

Workout: workout:2024-04-03

Passage: passage:2024-04-03:001426-001432

13. 2024-04-05, 469.9-474.7s

Workout: workout:2024-04-05

Passage: passage:2024-04-05:000169-000171

14. 2024-04-12, 640.8-663.5s

Workout: workout:2024-04-12

Passage: passage:2024-04-12:000164-000171

15. 2024-04-17, 2189.8-2199.5s

Workout: workout:2024-04-17

Passage: passage:2024-04-17:000660-000662

16. 2024-05-02, 3859.3-3877.4s

Workout: workout:2024-05-02

Passage: passage:2024-05-02:001132-001142

17. 2024-06-01, 4939.8-4966.7s

Workout: workout:2024-06-01

Passage: passage:2024-06-01:001670-001680

18. 2024-08-09, 537.0-551.8s

Workout: workout:2024-08-09

Passage: passage:2024-08-09:000194-000199

19. 2024-09-05, 5861.9-5863.9s

Workout: workout:2024-09-05

Passage: passage:2024-09-05:002176-002177

20. 2024-09-15, 4288.0-4298.9s

Workout: workout:2024-09-15

Passage: passage:2024-09-15:001329-001336

21. 2024-09-21, 2555.1-2606.2s

Workout: workout:2024-09-21

Passage: passage:2024-09-21:000775-000790

22. 2024-09-21, 2614.5-2636.9s

Workout: workout:2024-09-21

Passage: passage:2024-09-21:000795-000800

23. 2024-09-21, 2682.3-2691.6s

Workout: workout:2024-09-21

Passage: passage:2024-09-21:000814-000817

24. 2024-10-08, 5542.3-5551.8s

Workout: workout:2024-10-08

Passage: passage:2024-10-08:001718-001720

25. 2024-10-17, 2971.7-2982.9s

Workout: workout:2024-10-17-steel-grip

Passage: passage:2024-10-17-steel-grip:001003-001009

26. 2024-10-17, 3047.0-3058.0s

Workout: workout:2024-10-17-steel-grip

Passage: passage:2024-10-17-steel-grip:001032-001037

27. 2024-10-17, 3204.7-3225.1s

Workout: workout:2024-10-17-steel-grip

Passage: passage:2024-10-17-steel-grip:001100-001106

28. 2024-10-22, 4194.8-4200.5s

Workout: workout:2024-10-22

Passage: passage:2024-10-22:001569-001571

29. 2024-11-19, 2432.7-2449.6s

Workout: workout:2024-11-19

Passage: passage:2024-11-19:000912-000917

30. 2024-11-24, 4830.1-4881.2s

Workout: workout:2024-11-24

Passage: passage:2024-11-24:001572-001587

31. 2024-11-28, 1373.9-1380.0s

Workout: workout:2024-11-28

Passage: passage:2024-11-28:000453-000455

32. 2024-12-10, 5892.1-5898.3s

Workout: workout:2024-12-10

Passage: passage:2024-12-10:001697-001701

33. 2024-12-24, 5476.8-5478.0s

Workout: workout:2024-12-24

Passage: passage:2024-12-24:002088-002088

34. 2025-01-07, 2837.9-2843.7s

Workout: workout:2025-01-07

Passage: passage:2025-01-07:001114-001116

35. 2025-01-07, 2874.4-2876.6s

Workout: workout:2025-01-07

Passage: passage:2025-01-07:001127-001128

36. 2025-01-07, 6550.0-6553.0s

Workout: workout:2025-01-07

Passage: passage:2025-01-07:002411-002412

37. 2025-01-07, 6579.1-6585.8s

Workout: workout:2025-01-07

Passage: passage:2025-01-07:002425-002429

38. 2025-01-15, 2261.4-2285.5s

Workout: workout:2025-01-15

Passage: passage:2025-01-15:000729-000736

39. 2025-01-15, 2423.7-2443.7s

Workout: workout:2025-01-15

Passage: passage:2025-01-15:000774-000777

40. 2025-01-15, 3113.7-3128.1s

Workout: workout:2025-01-15

Passage: passage:2025-01-15:000982-000988

41. 2025-01-17, 2616.9-2644.8s

Workout: workout:2025-01-17-muscle-machine-5

Passage: passage:2025-01-17-muscle-machine-5:000829-000837

42. 2025-01-19, 4916.0-4920.2s

Workout: workout:2025-01-19

Passage: passage:2025-01-19:001575-001576

43. 2025-01-19, 4935.1-4937.8s

Workout: workout:2025-01-19

Passage: passage:2025-01-19:001583-001583

44. 2025-01-19, 4981.4-4998.4s

Workout: workout:2025-01-19

Passage: passage:2025-01-19:001594-001605

45. 2025-01-25, 63.1-91.0s

Workout: workout:2025-01-25

Passage: passage:2025-01-25:000024-000031

46. 2025-01-25, 244.1-256.6s

Workout: workout:2025-01-25

Passage: passage:2025-01-25:000081-000085

47. 2025-01-25, 257.7-275.7s

Workout: workout:2025-01-25

Passage: passage:2025-01-25:000086-000091

48. 2025-01-25, 1263.7-1285.4s

Workout: workout:2025-01-25

Passage: passage:2025-01-25:000425-000430

49. 2025-02-14, 2164.4-2167.2s

Workout: workout:2025-02-14

Passage: passage:2025-02-14:000702-000702

50. 2025-02-16, 5931.4-5947.4s

Workout: workout:2025-02-16

Passage: passage:2025-02-16:002157-002165

51. 2025-02-18, 4668.4-4688.8s

Workout: workout:2025-02-18

Passage: passage:2025-02-18:001372-001377

52. 2025-02-20, 4312.9-4313.6s

Workout: workout:2025-02-20

Passage: passage:2025-02-20:001696-001696

53. 2025-03-28, 109.3-165.2s

Workout: workout:2025-03-28

Passage: passage:2025-03-28:000019-000033

54. 2025-04-14, 1259.7-1264.2s

Workout: workout:2025-04-14

Passage: passage:2025-04-14:000352-000353

55. 2025-04-22, 1406.2-1454.8s

Workout: workout:2025-04-22

Passage: passage:2025-04-22:000413-000424

56. 2025-04-26, 1462.9-1474.4s

Workout: workout:2025-04-26

Passage: passage:2025-04-26:000540-000545

57. 2025-05-13, 1530.8-1535.6s

Workout: workout:2025-05-13

Passage: passage:2025-05-13:000446-000448

58. 2025-05-15, 1697.9-1744.8s

Workout: workout:2025-05-15

Passage: passage:2025-05-15:000571-000588

59. 2025-05-19, 6967.1-6973.0s

Workout: workout:2025-05-19

Passage: passage:2025-05-19:002330-002331

60. 2025-05-23, 3654.9-3658.0s

Workout: workout:2025-05-23

Passage: passage:2025-05-23:000944-000945

61. 2025-05-23, 6545.4-6553.3s

Workout: workout:2025-05-23

Passage: passage:2025-05-23:001903-001906

62. 2025-05-23, 6577.3-6586.8s

Workout: workout:2025-05-23

Passage: passage:2025-05-23:001921-001924

63. 2025-06-13, 4732.3-4759.8s

Workout: workout:2025-06-13

Passage: passage:2025-06-13:001673-001682

64. 2025-06-13, 4910.9-4918.3s

Workout: workout:2025-06-13

Passage: passage:2025-06-13:001750-001752

65. 2025-07-06, 1310.5-1320.3s

Workout: workout:2025-07-06

Passage: passage:2025-07-06:000422-000427

66. 2025-07-10, 3425.8-3429.4s

Workout: workout:2025-07-10

Passage: passage:2025-07-10:001121-001122

67. 2025-07-15, 2957.1-2983.5s

Workout: workout:2025-07-15

Passage: passage:2025-07-15:000744-000754

68. 2025-08-07, 4442.3-4456.7s

Workout: workout:2025-08-07

Passage: passage:2025-08-07:001284-001292

69. 2025-08-18, 3837.7-3856.7s

Workout: workout:2025-08-18

Passage: passage:2025-08-18:001009-001019

70. 2025-08-20, 3300.0-3311.7s

Workout: workout:2025-08-20-technical-6

Passage: passage:2025-08-20-technical-6:000706-000709

71. 2025-08-22, 4203.3-4207.5s

Workout: workout:2025-08-22

Passage: passage:2025-08-22:001035-001036

72. 2025-09-08, 1151.8-1159.5s

Workout: workout:2025-09-08

Passage: passage:2025-09-08:000440-000443

73. 2025-09-08, 1425.1-1432.8s

Workout: workout:2025-09-08

Passage: passage:2025-09-08:000514-000516

74. 2025-10-19, 1259.4-1266.7s

Workout: workout:2025-10-19

Passage: passage:2025-10-19:000322-000324

75. 2025-10-19, 3788.6-3806.3s

Workout: workout:2025-10-19

Passage: passage:2025-10-19:000798-000804

76. 2025-10-23, 4491.9-4498.1s

Workout: workout:2025-10-23

Passage: passage:2025-10-23:001228-001230

77. 2025-10-23, 4506.3-4522.6s

Workout: workout:2025-10-23

Passage: passage:2025-10-23:001234-001241

78. 2025-12-13, 792.2-805.9s

Workout: workout:2025-12-13

Passage: passage:2025-12-13:000243-000248

79. 2025-12-13, 1093.5-1099.4s

Workout: workout:2025-12-13

Passage: passage:2025-12-13:000328-000331

80. 2026-01-07, 2464.1-2484.0s

Workout: workout:2026-01-07

Passage: passage:2026-01-07:000718-000724

81. 2026-01-07, 2506.8-2515.8s

Workout: workout:2026-01-07

Passage: passage:2026-01-07:000731-000734

82. 2026-01-07, 3576.9-3602.5s

Workout: workout:2026-01-07

Passage: passage:2026-01-07:001095-001106

83. 2026-01-09, 2795.3-2807.3s

Workout: workout:2026-01-09

Passage: passage:2026-01-09:000902-000907

84. 2026-01-13, 5131.7-5138.9s

Workout: workout:2026-01-13

Passage: passage:2026-01-13:001341-001343

85. 2026-02-09, 4781.6-4810.5s

Workout: workout:2026-02-09

Passage: passage:2026-02-09:001345-001347

86. 2026-03-10, 3238.5-3251.9s

Workout: workout:2026-03-10

Passage: passage:2026-03-10:001015-001019

87. 2026-04-03, 4874.3-4880.4s

Workout: workout:2026-04-03

Passage: passage:2026-04-03:001045-001049

88. 2026-04-25, 3123.5-3125.3s

Workout: workout:2026-04-25

Passage: passage:2026-04-25:000932-000933

89. 2026-06-11, 3694.3-3695.4s

Workout: workout:2026-06-11

Passage: passage:2026-06-11:001067-001067

90. 2026-07-02, 670.7-691.2s

Workout: workout:2026-07-02

Passage: passage:2026-07-02:000259-000268

91. 2026-07-06, 1058.0-1130.8s

Workout: workout:2026-07-06

Passage: passage:2026-07-06:000353-000366

92. 2026-07-20, 4647.5-4654.5s

Workout: workout:2026-07-20

Passage: passage:2026-07-20:001207-001209