Fueling for the Long Game: Performance Meets Longevity
Katrina LaClair was fit and strong and committed to eating well, but she knew there was something missing in her game.
“I wasn’t always fueled enough. I never ate before workouts, so I would get hungry and didn’t always have enough energy,” said LaClair, a three-time Masters Games athlete.
“And, I wanted accountability,” she explained.
Consequently, in 2024 LaClair reached out to CBG and was teamed up with Coach Amanda Jeffrey.
Right away, LaClair knew Coach Jeffrey was a good fit.
“She made it personal. It wasn’t just, ‘Here’s a template. Now go about your day.’ It was checking in all the time. We checked in every Monday and did video calls on Thursdays. And she told me I could text her any time with any questions I had, and there was an extensive intake process to really help individualize it. I felt very cared about,” said LaClair, a full-time firefighter at 43 years old.
What LaClair found especially valuable is how Coach Jeffrey wasn’t rigid in her coaching. Coach Jeffrey was open-minded about tweaking things that weren’t working.
For example, after taking Coach Jeffrey’s advice and trying to eat a big breakfast before the gym, LaClair discovered this didn’t work for her. Coach Jeffrey collaborated with LaClair to discover a way to eat just enough before training.
During the 16 weeks LaClair worked with Coach Jeffrey, she learned so much about fueling for performance, knowledge she has continued to apply to her life on her own.
“I have such a better relationship with food. I no longer feel like I need to starve myself to lose weight,” LaClair said.
Today, instead of going to the gym with nothing more than a cup of coffee in her system and wondering why she feels tired during her workouts, LaClair always eats the necessary carbohydrates and protein before training.
“I have a smoothie with protein powder, bananas and strawberries or mixed berries. It’s a 30 minute drive to the gym, so I’ll drink half before [I leave] and half on the way to the gym,” LaClair said.
Although she doesn’t track her macros, LaClair strives to get 30 grams of protein with each meal as well as 40 to 60 grams of carbohydrates. After working with CBG, she is confident that if she eats more and frequently, her results are much different.
“… I don’t ever take out a scale or measure anything. I just look at my plate and I know what I’m eating. It’s so much less stressful and it has been easy to continue the CBG blueprint method on my own,” LaClair said.
One more thing LaClair took from Coach Jeffrey: she doesn’t need to be perfect. And it’s OK to give in to her sweet tooth sometimes.
“I don’t deprive myself of everything. I enjoy a meal or two each week where I eat whatever I want, because I’m human. I’m not going to force myself not to enjoy the things I like,” she said, adding that a burger and fries also happen sometimes. Confidence in the CBG program made this guilt free.
LaClair’s Message: Whatever Your Goals, Choose CBG
At 43, LaClair intends to continue to compete in Functional Fitness as long as she can as it’s a certain passion. But she has bigger goals about staying healthy and fit for life!
“I have a very extensive family history of cancer and heart disease, and I don’t want that. I want to live a good life, and a long life, and stay physically fit and capable of lifting things,” she mentioned.
And to anyone who wants the same—and to those with performance goals and everyone in between—LaClair recommends CBG.
“They give you the knowledge of what foods you should be eating, and how often you should be eating,” she said.
LaClair added: “And you will feel cared about. It won’t feel like another template. For me, [the CBG Blueprint] didn’t. [The CBG program] was personalized, and I could go to my coach for anything, she’d always have an answer, and she really understood me.”