The Value of Proper Nutrition for a Powerlifter

Joining the MTMM team has taught me so much about health, fitness & intuitive eating the last 3 months. Ive done many diets and weight-loss programs in the past which always felt like a copy/pasted restrictive, sacrifice my life type of dieting.

Starting my fitness journey as a bikini competitor in 2013 left me with MANY bad habits and beliefs that I actually thought were true. All 4 of my bikini shows I lost roughly 30lbs to be stage ready and although I made the decision not to embark on that type of lifestyle again I carried many of those weight-loss trends with me into competitive powerlifting i.e hours of cardio, strict low carb diets, huge amounts it caffeine etc. Obviously this effected my strength and performance but whenever I wanted to lean out or drop a weight class I thought this was the easiest and most convenient way to do it .. likely leaving kgs on the platform and only short term weight-loss fixes leading to rebound dieting

I started MTMM with my Nutritionist Maggie Morgan Jan.1st, Maggie is also a powerlifter and this is what drew me to her the most. I wanted to find a way to be strong, feel fuelled but also attain an aesthetic physique. Typically in powerlifting there is a "eating everything in site and get stronger" "only focus on the weight on the bar not the scale" mindset but I wanted to find an approach where I could still eat the things I love while achieving a healthy bodyweight pre and post meet.

During the 3 months with MTMM not only did I lose weight/gain muscle but I also learned many valuable lessons I can carry forward with me:

I wasn’t eating enough food! This was a huge surprise for me.

How to increase my protein & fat intake and why

Cycle my carbs around workouts

Counting macros: this has changed my life. Giving me more flexibility, variety and control in my nutrition

I don’t have to sacrifice the foods I love.

No cardio needed!

Maggie and MTMM have taught me how to adapt nutrition into a lifestyle. This is the first time 3 weeks post competition that I have maintained the same body weight prior to competing. Normally after months of dieting and weight loss I rebound 10-15lbs but not this time. I keep eating the foods I love but I've learned how to track my macros throughout the day based on my current fitness goals. Maggie was so amazing and supportive with weekly check ins and she was available to chat or answer questions anytime.

Thank you @marriedtomymacros and @magssmorgan for being so awesome & supportive.”

MTMM Client: Michelle @michellebellalifts