Link Lauren - The Healthy Former Athlete: Nutrition and Fitness Advice for the Transition from Elite Athlete to Normal Human

Copyright 2018 by Lauren Link

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Tom Lau

Cover photo credit iStock

ISBN: 978-1-5107-3609-2

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-3610-8

Printed in China

DEDICATION

Id like to dedicate this book to my mom, Judy Kay Varnau, which is so clichd, I know. The gesture is necessary for all the standard reasons: She got me involved in all kinds of sports growing up, everything from horseback riding to soccer, and she supported me in all of them, both financially and emotionally. From my early YMCA days through my college career, she missed only a single-digit number of games. Impressive. Shes keeping that streak alive in my Normal Humanhood too. Shes been at every Purdue Soccer Alumni Game since Ive graduated which is somewhat embarrassing, but shes earned it, I guess. More than all of that, I really owe my mom for making sure that I didnt grow up to be an excuse-maker. Nobody likes an excuse-maker. In fifth grade when I only made the B-team for basketball, there was no woe is me moment with discussions of how the coach must not have liked me or how the system is rigged. No, she said, Well, they must have done something better than you, so figure out what that was and fix it! No blaming the refs when we lost the big game. No, she said, Well, you missed some opportunities on the field that could have won the gamefocus on those. No excuses, just control what you can control. I considered thanking her for making endless spreadsheets based on my (and my teams) stats, which as a math major she literally couldnt help herself from doing but those were annoying, and I stand by that. Thanks for everything else though, Judy K!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, I have to thank my sister, Julie Kartal, for supporting the notion of this book from the very beginning and for agreeing to use her professional expertise to be my editor-in-chief. The latter might not sound like much when you consider that she has been an editor for several major news media outlets, but what if I told you that when she agreed to take this project on, she was living in France and raising four kids, including a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old? What if I also told you that at the same time, she was finishing her masters degree, working on selling the family business in France, and jumping through endless bureaucratic hoops to move her family back to America? Basically, shes a rock star. Thinking back on that process, I would also be remiss to not mention how thankful I am for Skype, Google Docs, and just technology in general.

I also have to thank Rachel Clark, most recently for being my mini content advisory board, but more so for being my mentor and guide in what I would absolutely consider my dream job. During my college days, teammates would ask me, What do you want to do with your Dietetics degree? and I would reply without hesitation, I want to do what Rachel Clark does. (She was our sports dietitian and my academic adviser at the time.) Never would I have thought that I would end up back at Purdue quite literally doing what Rachel Clark doesfirst working under her, and eventually being passed the reins to become her successor as Director of Sports Nutrition for Purdue Athletics. I would also have never imagined that my professional idol would become a colleague and great friend. Rachel, I can say for certain that I would not be where I am professionally without your guidance, feedback, and occasional use of your hard-ass pants.

Lastly, I have to thank my fellow former-athlete husband, Logan Link, for listening with no complaints to my ideas about this book over the last few years, for waiting (almost) patiently to eat his dinner while I photographed our plates, and at times providing a male athlete perspective for various scenarios. I would also be remiss to not mention his handsome self being willing to participate in marketing photo shoots surrounding this project, conducted by our friend and graphic mastermind, Paul Sadler.

CONTENTS

What it means to be a Normal Human

10 realities of your new lifestyle and how to make sure youre burning enough calories to meet your new Normal Human goals

How to set and meet realistic body composition goals for your new lifestyle

Everything you need to know about your food intake and how to calculate how many calories YOU need

Where your calories should be coming from and why you dont have to give up all of your guilty pleasures

How to balance food portions on your plate based on your activity level

Why meal timing can make a huge difference in meeting your goals

What you should and should not be drinking

Tips for getting the most nutritional value for your dollar and understanding nutrition labels so you can avoid sneaky manufacturer tricks

How DIY can save loads you of moneyand ensure that youre in control of what ingredients youre eating

Dittoplus knowing how to cook will make you an even better catch

How to wrap your head around the mental aspect of the transition to Normal Human

Life without your teammates may feel lonely at first, but there are plenty of ways to expand your new social circles

With plenty of extra space to take notes!

Just for giggles

Your contract with yourself to commit to your plan!

INTRODUCTION

Youve been setting your alarm clock for 5:30 a.m. for as long as you can remember. If not for an early weight-lifting session, then for 6 a.m. conditioning or to cram for a test you hadnt found time to prepare for between practices, team dinners, and rehabbing those nagging injuries.

Its an early wake-up call, but you love it. Live for it, really. You love the sense of camaraderie with your teammates, your best friends. You love that youre living your childhood dream.

Then one day you dont have to set that alarm anymore. Its a moment you always knew would come, but that doesnt make it any less gut wrenching. Your entire life has, in many ways, been devoted to your sport. When suddenly its goneor at least it feels suddenits like youre losing a part of yourself.

Ive been there. In the fall of 2011, I finished my 5th and final season playing soccer at Purdue University, marking the end of my 18-plus-year stint as an athlete. Weird. It was one of the hardest things Id ever had to deal with, a transition no one had prepared me for.

If youre reading this book, youve likely just finished your collegiate or professional athletic career (or soon will), joining the bruised and battered ranks of retired elite athletes. My goal is to help guide you smoothly through that transition.

In my first couple weeks of living this unfamiliar existence with no such guide to turn to, I took to blogging as a way to pass all my newfound time. The following is an excerpt from my first entry: