We’re thrilled to partner with soccer champion Carli Lloyd to talk all things food, fitness and fun. We recently quizzed the athlete about her tips for staying well and fueling her fitness. Read more about Carli’s day-to-day healthy eating opens in a new tab and her top tips on workout nutrition opens in a new tab.
What advice do you have for people who want to be more active?
I would say taking some fun classes can make being active more enjoyable. I think the biggest hurdle for people trying to lose weight or start a healthy lifestyle is that they don’t know what to do when they get to the gym. Finding a class with a great instructor or fitness group in your area can help demystify all of the equipment and make the time go by faster.
Do you have any fueling tips to go along with that?s
If you’re going to the gym almost every day, but then you’re eating junk throughout the week, you’re not really going to see results. Your diet is so important; I know people who have tweaked their diet and they’ve lost weight without even working out. If you stay diligent with your diet, limit the carbs and the sugars, and all the processed foods, you could see better results. But it is a challenge and a big commitment.
Do you have any strategies for keeping healthy foods around you?
Being on the road is hard. We’re traveling for weeks or even months at a time. We stay in so many different hotels. Some hotel cooking is better than others. A hotel might cook vegetables soaked in butter, whereas another hotel might have a healthier mix of vegetables. It really just varies from trip to trip. We usually have buffet meals as a team. If we have meals out on our own, I go to Whole Foods Market where I know I can find healthy snacks, or I grab a meal at a different healthy location.
How much sleep do you try to get?
For competition, I definitely need around nine hours of sleep to feel at my best.
What steps do you take to stay well?
Believe it or not, I don’t get sick very often. When I do feel as if I may be coming down with something, I get plenty of rest and have lots of vitamin C. I like drinking Yogi® Lemon Ginger Tea at night. I try to stay away from all the cold medicines, because I like to take the more natural approach and let my body fight it off and the cold run its course. Along with all of the above, I continue to make sure to eat enough fruits and vegetables, and eat healthy, and get sleep. But I always play regardless. Sometimes you’re sick and just have to tough it out.
With your current rehab for your knee injury, is there anything diet-wise you’re doing to help?
Obviously, I’m not burning the calories right now, and we’d all love to eat what we want and not gain weight, but that’s not reality. So I’m just trying to watch what I eat, and not load up on carbs. I’m just continuing my healthy lifestyle. It’s been nice in a sense, as I’ve been home for longer than four days, I’ve been able to go to Whole Foods Market, shop for groceries and prepare that home-cooked meal. That’s the best thing.
How’s your knee doing, by the way?
My knee is great and I am on my way to becoming 100%. I am progressing daily, being patient and know that this injury won’t ever come back again. I will be more than ready to compete.
In our next Q and A with Carli, we’ll ask about Carli’s upcoming competitions, including what she and her teammates find essential to take with them on their travels.
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