Spring is here.
The weather is improving, the days are getting longer, and many of us are ready to tighten things up after winter.
But eating for fat loss doesn’t mean starving yourself, removing every carbohydrate or trying to survive CrossFit classes on chicken and lettuce.
The goal is simple:
Eat enough to train well, recover properly and maintain muscle, while reducing the excess calories that prevent fat loss.
The CrossFit Nutrition Prescription… Modernised
CrossFit’s original nutrition recommendation was:
“Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise, but not body fat.”
It remains a great foundation, but it needs a practical, modern interpretation.
Eat meat
This means building every meal around a quality source of protein… not literally eating red meat at every meal.
Choose foods such as:
- Beef, chicken, turkey and lean mince
- Fish, tuna and seafood
- Eggs
- Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese
- Tofu, tempeh and legumes
- A quality protein shake when convenient
Protein helps repair muscle, supports recovery and keeps you fuller for longer. When losing weight, sufficient protein also helps your body retain the muscle you’ve worked hard to build.
As a simple guide, aim for approximately:
- Women: 25–35 grams of protein per meal
- Men: 35–50 grams of protein per meal
These aren’t strict rules. A larger, more active woman may need more than a smaller man. Your body size, training volume, age and goals matter more than your sex alone.
Eat vegetables
Vegetables provide fibre, vitamins, minerals and food volume without contributing a huge number of calories.
Try to include at least one or two handfuls of vegetables with lunch and dinner.
Think:
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Green beans
- Capsicum
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Mixed salad
- Zucchini
You don’t need to go crazy and eat superfoods! Just eat the vegetables you enjoy and can consistently prepare.
Eat nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of healthy fats, but they are also energy-dense.
A small handful is a serving.
Eating almonds is healthy. Mindlessly finishing half a bag while standing in the kitchen can, and will, still prevent fat loss.
Other useful fat sources include avocado, olive oil, eggs and oily fish like salmon and fresh tuna.
Eat some fruit
Fruit isn’t the enemy, and the natural sugar in a piece of fruit isn’t the same as continually consuming full-sugar soft drinks, lollies and highly processed snacks.
One to three servings of fruit per day will work well for most people. Fruit is particularly useful around training because it provides easily digested carbohydrate.
Good choices include:
- Bananas
- Berries
- Apples
- Oranges
- Kiwi fruit
- Pineapple
Eat a little starch
This doesn’t mean eating no carbohydrates.
CrossFit relies heavily on carbohydrates for intense efforts.
Rowing, running, lifting, wall balls, burpees and repeated high-output intervals. If you remove too much carbohydrate, your body weight may initially fall, but your training performance, recovery and mood may fall with it.
“Little starch” should mean eating an amount that matches your needs, rather than letting every meal become a mountain of bread, pasta, or chips.
Choose primarily:
- Potatoes or sweet potatoes
- Rice
- Oats
- Grainy or gluten-free bread
- Corn
- Legumes
- Rice cakes or corn thins
Place more of your carbohydrates in the meals before and after training. On rest days, when energy demands are lower, you may need a little less.
Eat no sugar
In a modern, sustainable approach, this means minimising added sugar, not becoming terrified of every food containing naturally occurring sugar.
The biggest targets are:
- Sugary drinks
- Energy drinks containing sugar
- Lollies and chocolate
- Biscuits and pastries
- Desserts eaten out of habit
- Sugary sauces
- Constant “healthy” treats that are still calorie-dense
You don’t need to claim you’ll never eat another dessert. You need to stop allowing highly processed food to form the foundation of your diet.
What Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat Actually Do
Protein: repair and retain
Protein provides the building blocks your body uses to repair tissue and maintain muscle.
If you want to lose fat without becoming smaller, weaker and flatter, protein needs to remain a priority.
Build your meal around protein first.
Carbohydrates: perform and recover
Carbohydrates provide readily available fuel for hard training.
They help you lift with intensity, sustain repeated efforts and replenish the fuel stored in your muscles after training.
Carbohydrates aren’t automatically converted into body fat. However, consistently eating more total energy than your body uses—including more carbohydrate than you need—will make fat loss difficult.
Use carbs. Don’t abuse them.
Fat: health and satisfaction
Dietary fat supports hormone production, cell function and the absorption of certain vitamins. It also adds flavour and helps meals feel satisfying.
However, fats contain more than twice as many calories per gram as protein or carbohydrate, so portions matter.
Olive oil, avocado and nuts are healthy, but they don’t become calorie-free because they’re healthy.
The Simple Fat-Loss Plate
You don’t necessarily need to weigh every ingredient or track every calorie.
Start with this structure at most main meals:
- One to two palms of protein
- One to two fists of vegetables
- One cupped handful of carbohydrate
- One thumb-sized portion of fat
Men, larger athletes and people completing longer or multiple training sessions may require larger portions.
Women and smaller athletes may require slightly smaller portions, but should not automatically remove carbohydrates or fats. Fuel requirements should be based on your body, training and recovery, not generic “male” or “female” diet rules.
In saying that… here are some sample meal plan ideas…
Sample Meal Plan for Women
This is an example starting point for an active woman completing CrossFit three to five times per week. Portions should be adjusted according to body size, hunger, training performance and progress.
Breakfast
- Two eggs
- 100–120 grams of chicken breast, lean chicken mince or even cottage cheese.
- One to two slices of grainy or gluten-free toast
- Spinach, mushrooms and tomato
- One teaspoon of olive oil for cooking
Purpose: A high-protein start with enough carbohydrate to support the morning without creating a huge calorie load.
Protein shake
- One serving of whey or plant-based protein
- Water or unsweetened almond milk
- One small banana if consumed around training
Purpose: A convenient way to support recovery when a full meal isn’t practical.
Lunch
- 130–150 grams of cooked chicken, lean beef or fish
- 120–150 grams of cooked potato or ½–¾ cup of cooked rice
- A large serve of salad or vegetables
- One teaspoon of olive oil or ¼ avocado
Purpose: Protein for recovery, vegetables for fibre and controlled carbohydrates to restore training fuel.
Snack
Choose one:
- Greek yoghurt with berries
- Cottage cheese with apple
- Tuna with two or three corn thins
- Two boiled eggs and a piece of fruit
Purpose: Prevent afternoon grazing while adding another useful serving of protein.
Dinner
- 150 grams of cooked lean beef, chicken, fish or tofu
- Two large handfuls of vegetables
- 100–150 grams of potato, pumpkin or cooked rice
- A small amount of olive oil, avocado or seeds
Purpose: Finish the day with a satisfying meal that supports recovery without becoming a nightly blowout.
Sample Meal Plan for Men
This is an example starting point for an active man completing CrossFit four to six times per week. Again, adjust portions to the individual.
Breakfast
- Three eggs
- 120–150 grams of chicken breast, lean mince or lean beef, or cottage cheese.
- Two to three slices of grainy or gluten-free toast
- Spinach, mushrooms and tomato
- One teaspoon of olive oil or butter for cooking or spreading on your toast.
Purpose: A substantial serving of protein with enough carbohydrate to support training and daily activity.
Protein shake
- One serving providing approximately 30–40 grams of protein (I personally use TRUE POST to already have the carbs in there, but we also have many other options available at VSC)
- Water or unsweetened almond milk
- One banana or 30–40 grams of glucose from juice or lollies (If you don’t use TRUE POST).
Purpose: Supports recovery and helps reach the day’s protein target without another large meal.
Lunch
- 180–220 grams of cooked chicken, lean beef or fish
- 200–250 grams of potato or approximately one cup of cooked rice
- A large serve of salad or vegetables
- One tablespoon of olive oil or ½ avocado
Purpose: Replenishes energy, supports muscle recovery and provides enough food to keep hunger under control.
Snack
Choose one:
- Greek yoghurt, berries and a small handful of nuts
- Two tins of tuna with four to six corn thins
- Cottage cheese, fruit and seeds
- Turkey, tomato and cucumber on rice cakes
Purpose: Provides protein and prevents arriving at dinner ready to eat everything in sight.
Dinner
- 200–250 grams of cooked lean beef, chicken, fish or tofu
- Two large handfuls of vegetables
- 150–250 grams of potato, pumpkin or cooked rice
- A controlled serving of olive oil, avocado, nuts or seeds
Purpose: Supports recovery from training while keeping the overall meal balanced.
The Difference Between Fat Loss and Under-Fuelling
Fat loss requires a calorie deficit, but the biggest deficit you can tolerate isn’t necessarily the best one.
If you are constantly exhausted, struggling to recover, losing strength, sleeping poorly or watching your training performance collapse, you may not be “more disciplined.” You may simply be under-fuelled.
Likewise, if you’re eating nutritious food but your weight and measurements never change, your portions may still be too large.
The sweet spot is eating enough to train, recover and function well while allowing body fat to gradually come down.
Five Simple Changes You Can Make Today
- Build every meal around protein.
- Eat vegetables with lunch and dinner.
- Use carbohydrates to fuel training rather than fearing them.
- Control portions of oils, nuts, seeds and avocado.
- Keep added sugar and alcohol occasional… not automatic.
You don’t need a detox.
You don’t need a diet named after a celebrity.
You don’t need to live on chicken and broccoli.
You need mostly whole foods, appropriate portions and enough consistency for the plan to work.
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no added sugar.
Then keep your intake at a level that supports your training, but not unwanted body fat.
Simple doesn’t always mean easy. But simple, done consistently, works.
So the time is here.
Get up.
Get after it.
BECOME EXTRAORDINARY!