Hi Everyone!

Whew, It has been a while since I’ve posted new content here, but I’m excited to start getting back to it.

I feel like my content has been a little all over the place over the years. Helpful, yes, but organized, not so much. I’m going to start focusing on and creating my content around this fact that, yes, FUELING CAN FEEL HARD! It can feel really difficult at different times in the young athlete’s life. It can feel confusing and hard for the athlete and for the parent and I want to help. When it comes down to it, that’s why I became a dietitian. I went into the field of nutrition to help young athletes and it’s what I love to do today. I love taking nutrition facts and science and helping you and your athlete understand it and put that knowledge on the plate, in the lunchbox, and in the water bottle. I’m here to help your young athlete fuel when fueling feels hard.

So, today I want to focus on the fact that it’s okay that fueling feels hard! Sometimes I think that young athletes or even their parents are nervous to speak up when fueling feels hard. “It’s food. It’s nutrition. Everyone eats. I must be the only one struggling with this.  I feel like I should know this.” I get the sense that because everyone eats, everyone feels like they know, or should know, how to fuel their bodies appropriately.  However, to me this is like when I think about all of my finance questions.  Just because I spend money does not mean I’m a financial expert. Do I rely on myself to know all of the answers? No, I look to people with that degree, that knowledge and expertise to give me the guidance in planning and budgeting and investing that I don’t have.

There is the option to study and major in Nutrition for a reason. Registered Dietitians do very intense supervised internship programs for a reason. We do it to learn all of the ins and outs of food and nutrition. We do it because (1) nutrition can be complicated.  It’s not always black and white, and needs change depending on people, age, genetics, etc.  And we do it because (2) it’s not something you naturally will learn as you go through life, especially as you get older and your free time becomes more limited. I certainly feel just how limited your time can become now as a mama of two. We become dietitians to help other people with their nutrition concerns that have not studied it and practiced it for years and years and years and who no longer have the time to do so.

So, I’m here today to tell you that It’s OKAY if you don’t know all of the answers to your food and nutrition questions and are struggling with the best way to fuel your body. Maybe your athletes are finding themselves in a season where they are showing up to practices, they are stretching, cross training, sleeping, doing all the things, but still find themselves struggling. They are still finding themselves in a state of chronic fatigue, or with stomach issues during training, or plateauing in their skills and unable to make it to that next level. Or maybe they just can’t seem to build that desired muscle or gain that weight to optimize performance or get that new desired position on the team. They think nutrition is the missing link, but are not sure what to do, what to change, or where to start. I promise, if your young athletes are stressed by this, they are not alone and it’s something other athletes have struggled with over the many years as well. All of these issues were also going on 20+ years ago and are literally THE REASON I became a sports dietitian with the hopes of someday working with young athletes.  I was that confused super competitive busy teen athlete, struggling to improve and confused how to do it.

I say all of this with the hope that it encourages you to ASK. Whether you are the young athlete reading this or the parent of a young athlete reading this, I encourage you to reach out to a certified sports dietitian and ask your questions. Please trust me when I say, you are not the only one with that question, that no question is a dumb question and that you can get the nutrition knowledge and tools to make things better and reach those sport goals. If you are reading this and thinking, “yes, fueling is seeming really hard for my young athlete right now” then stay tuned for more posts and articles as I dive further into different scenarios when fueling feels hard and how you can help your athlete navigate these times.

If your athlete is really struggling now and you want some answers or help now before summer ends, I do have some new client 1-to1- spots available this summer and I would LOVE to chat with you to see if working together would be a good fit. You can reach out and book a free 10-minute call with me by emailing me at taylor@taylored-nutrition.com or connecting with me through my contact page or reaching out to me on Instagram at @taylormorrisonRD. I hope you found this content helpful today!

Happy Fueling!

Taylor