If you’re following a structured training plan, and training hard but still feeling flat, struggling to recover, or not seeing the results you think you should be, there’s a good chance it’s not the training plan holding you back, it’s how you’re fueling your body.
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) provides a solid foundation for overall health. But when you’re training regularly, chasing strength, or trying to change your body composition, you need to adapt those principles to match your energy demands and goals.
This isn’t about restrictive diets or chasing perfection. It’s about understanding how food, energy, and recovery work together so you can train smarter, recover faster, and get better results.
1. Energy Basics, Understanding Calories and Why They Matter
Your body runs on energy. That energy comes from food, measured in calories. Whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, or improving performance, it all starts with energy balance.
Calories In vs Calories Out (CICO)
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Calories in - energy you consume from food and drink.
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Calories out - energy you burn through:
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BMR - Basal Metabolic Rate (energy burned at rest to keep you alive).
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NEAT - Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (daily movement outside training).
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EAT - Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (calories burned during workouts).
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TEF - Thermic Effect of Food (energy used to digest what you eat).
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Energy balance principles:
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Calorie deficit - fat loss.
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Calorie surplus - muscle gain.
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Maintenance intake - performance and recovery.
Trainer’s insight:
“You don’t need to count every calorie to see results. But if you’ve got no idea what your body roughly needs, you’re guessing, and that’s where fatigue, stalled recovery, and plateaus creep in.”
Understanding BMR and TDEE
Your BMR is the energy your body burns just to keep you alive.
Your TDEE = BMR + movement + training → this is your total daily energy expenditure.
Example:
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BMR = ~1,800 calories
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Training, work, lifestyle = ~800 calories
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TDEE = ~2,600 calories
Eat too far below this and recovery tanks. Go too far above and fat storage creeps up. Awareness is power.
2. Macronutrients - Fueling for Function
Calories tell you how much to eat. Macronutrients such as protein, carbs, and fats, tell you what to eat to fuel training, recover properly, and reach your goals.
Protein - Recovery, Muscle, and Satiety
Protein isn’t just about building muscle. It’s one of your most powerful tools for changing body composition and speeding up recovery.
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Repair and recovery - provides building blocks to rebuild muscle after training.
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Muscle retention - preserves lean muscle mass during fat loss phases.
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Satiety - keeps you fuller for longer, helping manage hunger naturally.
Practical guideline:
For active individuals, aim for roughly 1.6–2.2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.
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90kg person - aim for 145–200g protein/day.
Protein-rich foods (AGHE aligned):
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Lean meats, poultry, fish
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Eggs
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Legumes, lentils, beans
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Tofu and tempeh
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Dairy and alternatives
Trainer’s insight:
“If you’re training 4-5 days a week, hitting your protein target is one of the fastest ways to improve recovery, feel stronger, and manage hunger when chasing fat loss.'
Carbohydrates - Your Body’s Preferred Fuel
Carbs are your body’s most efficient energy source, especially for anyone training regularly.
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Performance driver - carbs replenish glycogen and power workouts.
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Recovery booster - help muscles bounce back faster between sessions.
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Hormonal health - support thyroid function and stress balance.
Carb-rich foods (AGHE aligned):
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Rice, pasta, potatoes, oats, quinoa
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Wholegrain breads and cereals
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Fruits and starchy vegetables
Carb Timing - Make Them Work Harder for You
Carbs aren’t “bad” , they’re a performance tool when used right:
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Pre-training - steady carbs + protein for fuel.
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Post-training - carbs + protein to replenish glycogen and accelerate recovery.
“Timing carbs around your sessions helps them work for you. It’s not about eating less, it’s about eating smarter.”
Fats - Hormones, Recovery, and Long Term Energy
Fats are critical for hormonal health, joint function, and recovery.
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Focus on healthy fats:
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Olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds
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Fatty fish like salmon and tuna
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Be mindful of portion sizes, fats are very calorie dense, and small extras can add up fast if fat loss is your goal.
3. Food Quality vs Quantity
Calories set the framework, but what you eat also determines how you feel and perform.
The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating recommends prioritising whole, nutrient rich foods like wholegrains, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats. This advice is excellent for general health, these foods provide fibre, vitamins, minerals, and steady energy.
But here’s the key:
Healthy doesn’t always mean goal friendly.
Many of these “healthy” foods are also very calorie-dense:
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Nuts and seeds -an excellent source of fats and fibre, but a handful can hit 200+ calories.
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Legumes - packed with nutrients, but calories add up quickly when combined with other carb sources.
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Wholegrain breads and cereals - great for steady energy, but portions still matter if fat loss is the goal.
If your aim is to change body composition , whether its dropping fat or building lean muscle, it’s really important to have at least a rough understanding of how many calories are in the foods you eat.
Example:
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A bowl of oats with peanut butter, chia seeds, and milk might tick every “healthy” box but can easily climb over 600+ calories.
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Without awareness, you could overshoot your energy needs even when eating clean, slowing your results.
Trainer’s insight:
“The AGHE builds a great foundation for overall health. But when you’ve got specific goals like fat loss or muscle gain, we tweak those principles, by balancing nutrient density with calorie awareness.”
4. Building a Balanced Plate
Use the AGHE plate model but add a performance twist:
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½ plate → colourful vegetables + salad → fibre, vitamins, minerals.
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¼ plate → lean protein → repair + recovery.
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¼ plate → smart carbs → fuel + glycogen.
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Healthy fats → drizzle olive oil, add avocado, or sprinkle nuts.
Example: Training Day Dinner
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Grilled chicken
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Brown rice
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Roasted vegetables
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Olive oil drizzle
Example: Rest Day Lunch
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Salmon
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Mixed greens + salad
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Roasted sweet potato
5. Micronutrients, Hydration, and Recovery
Micronutrients - The Support Crew
Vitamins and minerals power energy production, muscle function, and recovery:
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Iron - oxygen delivery for endurance.
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Magnesium - muscle contraction + recovery.
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Calcium - bone health for heavy lifting.
Hydration - The Forgotten Performance Enhancer
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Aim for 30-35ml of water per kg bodyweight daily.
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Add electrolytes during:
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High-volume training
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Hot or humid conditions
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Extended endurance sessions
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6. Lifestyle Factors - Sleep, Stress, and Consistency
Nutrition doesn’t work in isolation:
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Sleep - poor sleep slows recovery and affects hunger hormones.
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Stress - chronically elevated cortisol can blunt fat loss and stall progress.
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Consistency over perfection - a single meal won’t make or break you, but long term habits matter most.
7. Practical Takeaways
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Base your diet on whole, nutrient rich foods.
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Understand your rough energy needs, don’t train blind.
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Fuel before and after training to boost performance and recovery.
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Balance protein, carbs, and fats based on your goals.
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Sleep, stress, hydration, and recovery are just as important as what’s on your plate.
In a Nutshell
Nutrition isn’t about restriction or extremes. It’s about giving your body what it needs to train harder, recover faster, and perform better, inside and outside the gym.
Build the foundation.
Fuel with purpose.
Recover well.
That’s how you climb.
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