From Overwhelmed to Optimized: How Trista Smith Ditched Stressful Macros with CBG
For two years, Trista Smith diligently tracked her macros.
She didn’t want to since it was “super overwhelming,” she said. But the teenager “thought it was the cool thing to do.”
So, Smith’s mother helped create a menu for her daughter and Smith pretty much ate the same thing everyday: fruit and a pancake for breakfast, where she would measure the syrup down to the drop; chicken, rice, tomatoes and apples for lunch.
“I was eating a lot of food, but I also got so sick of it,” said Smith, a three time teenage Games athlete, who finished second in the World Games in 2023.
Further, she knew aging up into the individual division was going to be a different game and that she needed to level up, so that’s when she turned to CBG for help.
“I was still pretty young at the time and I didn’t fully realize how much my nutrition could impact my performance,” said Smith, who began working with and learning from CBG founder Justin Romaire two years ago.
Immediately, she was “relieved” she wouldn’t need to track her macros anymore. Smith was able to embrace the “more natural way of eating” where she no longer had to think about the numbers and could still stay on top of reaching her goals.
Where Smith is Today
Today, Smith is both a full-time athlete and a college student hoping to become a nurse one day. She said her relationship with food is much more relaxed than it used to be thanks to Romaine’s mentorship.
“As a full-time athlete and college student, things can get hectic, but CBG makes it simple and stress-free. It takes a lot of pressure off to know I’m not tracking [macros] and I’m still getting everything I need,” she said.
Having Romaire in her corner has also been particularly valuable leading up to and on a competition weekend. He always takes the time to reach out and remind her exactly what she should be eating before and after events.
“I love how he always checks in before and after competitions. He’s there for whatever I need, and he’s down to earth and knows his stuff,” Smith said.
Fitness-wise, Smith, now 19, has continued to progress in her sport. Most recently, she put on an impressive performance at the inaugural World Fitness Project (WFP) event.
Smith qualified to Tour Event I in eighth via the online qualifier, and had the chance to compete in the Pro Division against a roster of Games athletes in Indianapolis, IN.
She finished 25th, putting her in a good position to qualify to the World Fitness Finals in December in Copenhagen, Denmark. (The top 30 point-earners after the first two Tour events qualify.)
Next up for Smith is the Northern California Classic in Sacramento, CA, where she will have one more chance to qualify for this summer’s Games.
Smith credits CBG for playing a role in her growth in the last two seasons and can’t imagine approaching nutrition any other way.
“There are so many competitions this year, and it’s easy to get burnt out, and diet plays such a huge role. So if you’re eating the same meals everyday like I was, or you’re not eating enough, it would make it even easier to get burnt out,” she said.
Smith added: “CBG just makes it so simple so I don’t have to stress, and it creates less burnout.”