Jumping Hurdles - My path to becoming a Sports Nutritionist

I believe that in any career we come to hurdles and obstacles that can potentially make or break our reputation and credibility making others, and ourselves second guess our own experience, accomplishments and abilities. One such hurdle for me was missing weight in the past for fights. 

Age 11

Before I get into the details I'll start by giving a little background information about my career. At thirteen years old I started training karate with close friend and Chito-Ryu black belt Jeff Kennedy. I was an overweight, insecure kid and martial arts were a great way for me to build self-confidence and security. I went throughout most of my childhood battling weight issues mostly from lack of knowledge and understanding of nutrition. I would go on to train Kickboxing under Ed Burns, Craig Doiron, DJ Kennedy and Ron Dean then eventually Judo and BJJ with Mike Kitson and the others at Titans MMA in New Glasgow.

Me in 2009 at 240lbs

At age 23 I found out that Jason MacKay, local MMA fighter and promoter was going to hold an MMA card near my hometown in Trenton, NS. At the time I weighed a whopping 240lbs. Still knowing very little about proper nutrition I started training for the fight under Jason Rorison and Jaret MacIntosh. The fight was signed at 200lbs, which I made easily with 1lb to spare. My opponent was a very lean, tall 6'3 fighter named Richard Aston (I'm only 5'9). I won the fight via decision. 

Me in 2008 at 245lbs

After taking a two year layoff and moving to Halifax to train with the Halifax Titans MMA I decided to step back in the cage again. I gained a lot of the weight in my off time and was back up to nearly 240lbs again. I signed the fight at 195lbs and started stumbling through the darkness and received a meal plan from close friend and body builder Josh Rioux. Having most of his experience in coaching fitness athletes designing a plan for an MMA fighter training twice a day, 5-6 days a week was tough. My plan was very much based on a ketosis style of carb depletion and made my recovery suffer. I was getting injured often and had very little energy to train, but I cut the weight. I fought Kurt Pelletier in 2009 at 195lbs. 

I went on with my career and continued to drop weight classes. My next fight would be Meneka Weva at 185lbs where I had only 2lbs to cut in the last week of the fight. I'd go on to fight Jon MacGrath at 180lbs then signed a fight with Brian Mazerole back up at 185lbs in April 2010. The problem with this fight was that I only walked around at 180. The day of the fight I had to eat breakfast and drink 2L of water so I would appear to be of similar weight while learning that Brian cut 20lbs and nearly didn't make it. The day of the fight he weighed close to 205lbs at 6'3 and I beat him in under two minutes via submission. 

Dieting is nothing new in our society and as many know there are lots of ways to go about it. One process that isn't well known, however is the proper method of cutting weight. The "old school" method is simply sweat, sweat, sweat. Having been taught this most of my big weight cuts were done by suffering in the sauna until the weight came off. 

In May 2011 I signed a fight with Steve Rogers at 155 in Moncton, NB. This was my first ever attempt at this low of a weight class and I had about 17lbs to lose in a couple of days. Until then my biggest weight cut was 19lbs to 170. Little did I know at the time, the lower you get in weight the harder it is to "sweat out" the pounds, making a 17lb drop to 155 more like a 25lb relative drop to 170 (your body has a certain percentage of water that it can safely lose before causing permanent damage; as your body composition changes and the weight comes off the smaller percentage you have to work with). I ended up missing weight by two pounds, weighing in at 157lbs. 

I moved on from this fight and ended up signing a fight against Derek Gauthier in December 2011 again at 155lbs. This time the fight was in Quebec, meaning I would be flying. Another aspect of cutting weight I was unfamiliar with is that flying causes severe water retention if you don't properly prepare for it and at this point I was still stumbling in the dark with my weight cuts, relying on my teammates' experience and information gathered from my own research. We tried some new methods of cutting weight (looking back I almost chuckle at my ignorance and mistakes, knowing what I know now) and actually nearly poisoned myself severely in the process. I was in really bad shape, hallucinating, vomiting and more throughout the night. My skin felt like it was melting and I could barely see. The methods we attempted were not only extremely dangerous at the time, but would make it nearly impossible to fully recover to fight the next day; but I did.

Me in 2012 at 180lbs

This time I missed weight bad - by a humiliating 9lbs. The worst part about this was that the fight was on international television and pay per view where many friends and fans were home watching. I knew I was going into this fight as the "bad guy" and would have to face a lot of judgement, win or lose. 

I won the fight by decision in Gauthier's hometown, which would have been much more rewarding if I hadn't have missed weight. 

Shortly before this fight I was able to achieve a long time dream of opening a combat sports/supplement store called Collision Sports with long time friend Andrew Nutt. We would offer many types of products from MMA gear, clothing, supplements and much more along with the complimentary knowledge and advice one would pay for in most circumstances. The store would be located inside of our gym, Titans MMA and also through our website, www.CollisionSports.ca .  

After missing weight I talked to my coach and told him this can't ever happen again; I'd either quit fighting or I'd have to find someone who knew how to help. I was introduced to a fantastic dietician named Glenn Faltenhine who although he had limited experience with fighters and our cutting method was more than enthusiastic about helping me learn as much as I could and did lots of research himself, emailing colleagues and finding out what he could to offer insight. Glenn opened my eyes to a lot of changes in my diet, including learning that carbs are extremely valuable in weight management and recovery and excess protein is just not necessary when maintaining or cutting weight. 

I moved on from Glenn to work with MMA nutritionist and some may say weight cut genius George Lockhardt and his company Fitness VT. Fitness VT works with many well known MMA fighters including UFC's Jon Jones, Kenny Florian and Brian Stann, so needless to say I was in good hands. My first cut with George would be back at 170 in April 2012 where I would cut 14lbs overnight without even the use of a sauna. This weight cut method would be the best I have ever tried and made me feel incredible during and after the weight cut. 

After this fight I changed my training to focus on strength and power and put on some more muscle mass. I would fight again at 170 in July 2012, having about 22lbs to drop 5 days before the fight. Not only did I drop the weight easily and effectively, but again I used no sauna, no traditional "suffering" based weight cuts and was even eating and drinking small amounts the day of the weigh in. I made weight easily and had so much energy I fought 5 rounds without even sitting between each round. 

After this fight I decided to continue my knowledge and passion for nutrition and cutting and started my certification as a Sports Nutritionist. I finished this course and was offered a scholarship for my Level 1 Nutrition Coaching course based on my performance with the previous certification. In one month I helped three different fighters with nutrition plans who all made weight easily and effectively without killing themselves in the sauna or spending hours exercising before their big fights. One of them started cutting with only a week's notice for a late call from The Ultimate Fighter, needing to drop important pounds for his elimination fight. He not only made weight but went on to win his way into the house. 

I decided to team up with my best friend and girlfriend, WBFF Pro Celia Hodder to offer nutrition planning and coaching to not only fighters, but fitness competitors and the general population. Together we have combined our experience and knowledge to confidently offer advice to all types of people, from professional athletes to those just looking to look and feel better through my business, Collision Sports.

I believe in life everything happens for a reason and for stubborn, thick headed people like myself sometimes it takes a really loud knock for me to hear opportunity on my doorstep. I believe the humility in my career will not only push me to become a better athlete myself, but also allow me to assist others in reaching their personal bests.

I have started my own nutrition plan for another drop to 155lbs. I am preparing myself to be a very lean and strong lightweight in 2013 where I will continue my MMA career. In the meantime I will be offering nutrition planning and coaching for all types of clients and can be reached by email at ricky@collisionsports.ca . You can also reach Celia at celia@collisionsports.ca . Our website will soon offer a variety of services including a "trainers" section where clients can view profiles of our various affiliated trainers and choose who is right for them. Keep posted on our Facebook group here and our website at www.CollisionSports.ca

Healthy Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

1 lb Sweet Potatoes

1/4 cup Coconut Oil

1/2 tsp crushed Sea Salt
Dash of cinnamon or curry (optional)

Directions:

• Cut potatoes into french fry shape sticks
• Melt coconut oil for 15-30 sec in microwave
• Put potatoes, coconut oil and salt in a Zip Loc bag and shake until evenly distributed
• Place on baking sheet and bake on 425C turning once for 30 minutes or until crispy

Funky Munky Anabolic Ice Cream

The summer is a trying time for dieting and eating clean and one of my all time favourite treats is ice cream. I could eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so I decided to attempt a healthy, muscle building variation of this yummy dessert!

Ingredients:

1 ripe Avocado
1 Banana
1/8 cup Splenda
1/2 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 scoop Nutrabolics Isobolic chocolate protein powder
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Chop banana into small pieces and put into a mixing bowl.
2. Add avocado, milk and vanilla extract and mash with potato masher. 
3. Add Splenda and protein powder and beat on high with an electric egg beater
4. Freeze, serve and enjoy!

The fat in avocado is said to help metabolize and burn fat in the body and therefore aids in a leaner body composition! 

Nutritional Information for entire recipe (makes 2-4 servings):

22g Fat (3g saturated)
33g Protein
37g Carbs (13g dietary fibre)

Low Carb, Low Fat Cauliflower Crust Pizza

As most of us know, the hardest part about dieting is not so much the daily routine of eating clean, it's facing occasions such as holidays, birthdays and more without straying from the meal plan you have set out.

With low-carb, cauliflower crust pizza you can do just that! 

Ingredients:

• 1 head of Cauliflower
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 2 small cans of pizza sauce
• 1/2 green pepper
• Hot pepper rings
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 1 package Butterball Turkey Pepperoni
• Cabot 75% reduced fat Mozzarella Cheese
• 12 inch pizza pan
• Pam cooking spray

Directions:

• Grate full head of Cauliflower into microwave safe bowl. The Cauliflower will grate into a rice like texture which can also be used as a great low carb substitute for rice dishes!

• Microwave for 8 minutes

•  Add egg whites, a small handful of grated cheese, desired spices (such as parsley, oregano, pepper, etc) and 1 chopped garlic clove to Cauliflower and mix well. Spray pizza pan with Pam cooking spray and press mixture on with a spatula.

 

• Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes on middle rack at 450 until golden brown
• Heat pizza sauce on low while the crust is cooking with spices and garlic so the flavour is distributed evenly
• When the crust is done let cook for 2-3 minutes then add the sauce leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Add vegetables and grated cheese then pepperoni. Add a little bit more cheese on top of the pepperoni for esthetics
• Bake 8-10 minutes on broil until cheese is melted and enjoy!

The Butterball Turkey Pepperoni has about 2g of fat and 0g carbs for 10 slices, and the cheese is virtually fat free! This cheese was given to us by Shasta McNamara and was purchased in the US but low fat variations such as Parmesan can be used.

Five Thousand Years

Five thousand years ago men and women hunted for their food, fought thieves and predators and SURVIVED. The women hunted with their men while raising families and when the men died they hunted alone and they survived. In fact, the human mind becomes sharper and more focused when hungry and deprived of necessity.

If you don't have food then good, be hungry. There is no inspiration or motivation like a stomach pang. Be hungry, be broken. Five thousand years ago you'd either curl up and die or you'd become a new version of yourself and rise higher, being more evolved and a smarter, wiser stronger version of yourself.

Our society is pampered. You have no money? Good. You have no food? Good. No place to live? Perfect. Now you've hit the starting line. Now you're motivated. Only now can you feel inspiration. Thank the universe and do something with it. Become better than you've ever been and don't look back ever. Don't read this, nod, feel some goosebumps and revert back to your old self. Feel inspired, be inspired and achieve greatness.

How to Gain and Retain Professional Sponsorship

A huge part of of the business world and more specifically the promotion and entertainment industry is obtaining and retaining business relationships with similar, or sometimes completely unrelated companies and individuals who are often referred to as "sponsors." A sponsor can be defined as "a person or organization that provides funds or support for a project or activity carried out by another, in particular" (see below for citation). Often a sponsor is an entity that is going to provide financial support or support through products or services to help an individual or a group reach an ultimate goal or flourish in their career. These relationships exist everywhere, from professional sports, television programs, charity events and more. Sponsors, in many ways, make the business world go round.

There are many ways to go about obtaining sponsors for yourself or your organization and there are many ways to go about retaining them. A relationship with a sponsor is as important as a business' relationship to it's customers and suppliers, as sponsors often fill both roles. 

Understand the relationship

The first step to considering the search for sponsorship is to understand the relationship between a recipient and the sponsor. A sponsor isn't always a faceless, nameless "sugar daddy" who's going to give you or your cause cash to do with what you will (although that would be nice!). A sponsor is usually a business or individual who is often more likely to help you when they think they are getting a return on their investment and an appreciation for their involvement. Sometimes it may be advertising, a tax break, a discount on your product/service or even a feeling of generosity and a sense of just helping something they believe in. Like any relationship both parties should feel a sense of fulfillment and worth.

  

Know yourself and your industry

The next thing to consider is how much you know about yourself and your position in your industry. Are you a professional athlete? What is your level of experience? How well known are you? Does your cause or organization have a clearly defined message? How are you affecting the community around you? How many other organizations or individuals are there like you in your area? What sets you apart and makes you different? These, and many other questions should be considered before moving forward. It doesn't matter if you are an aspiring athlete, an entrepreneur with an idea or an international champion; if you know your industry and believe in yourself you will be able to sell it to sponsors and you will find the help you're looking for. You may want to consider creating a "resume" style document outlining and highlighting the "selling points" that you would want sponsors to know about you.

Choose the right sponsors

 If your industry is health and fitness then chances are you're not going to land a sponsorship with a tobacco company (or you shouldn't at least). Although there are many endorsements that may be questionable (such as a professional athlete being sponsored by McDonald's) building a relationship that's both beneficial to you and your sponsor you should first attempt to find those connected in some way to your industry. This may seem discouraging, as many businesses may not appear to be affiliated with your industry, but I assure you, there is always a common ground. Athletes still need homes, therefore real estate agents and construction companies are great choices to consider. Musicians drive vehicles to their shows, therefore mechanic garages and car dealerships are suitable. A memorial or health fundraiser marathon may have a route going right near a business' physical location, why not ask them to sponsor? There is no limit to what and who you can approach. At the end of this article is a link to link to a few suggested leads for various industries.  

Tip: It is much easier to obtain sponsorship from a small business than a larger company. Often with large company there will be many chains of command to go through and your request will get lost in the shuffle. Always attempt to approach an owner first and if they're not available look for a manager of advertising or sales. 

Build your network

Another huge asset in today's business world is your "network." Often a business is going to decide to sponsor you based on what they can get in return in way of advertising, exposure and representation of their business or product. If no one in your community knows you or your cause exists then how can you properly represent someone else? There are many ways to build your network including soc. You can send a simple email to friends, family or business contacts simply letting them know what you're up to and ask them to tell their friends and family. Another huge aspect of building your network is social media, which we'll touch on shortly. At the end of this article is a link to a great article on building and maintaining your personal network.


Create a brand


When considering building yourself in the eyes of businesses and individuals you need to treat yourself or your cause as a business would treat a product or a brand. When you think of Nike you think sports, when you think of Black and Decker you think power tools. When people think of you or your cause an idea should come to them. A professional fighter may be known for his humble attitude, or impenetrable will; whereas a ballet dancer may be known for her grace and mannerisms both on stage and off. Create a consistent brand and stick with it.

Build a social media presence


In today's information age we have access to an infinite amount of data at our fingertips. International news travels in an instant and tales of celebrity mishaps surface before any damage control can be applied. As someone looking to build a network and business relationships this phenomena needs to capitalized on. The best way to utilize this is through social media. Social media includes Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and many other websites, as well as blogging, the posting of pictures, videos and more. Social media has taken the world by storm, with Facebook alone being worth $100 billion. A simple silly idea has become very real. 


In order to establish a positive social media presence you want to again know your brand. Are you the athlete that will be posting recipes and training tips, or are you the cancer survivor who will share your message through personal experiences and fundraisers? Once you establish your brand you can start to build your social network presence in a consistent, relative manner.


Social media is free advertising and one of the most powerful tools in today's business world. It is not to be overlooked or undermined. Below is an article on the importance of social media as well as tips to establishing your own social media presence.

Sell yourself

The most important step to gaining sponsors is to sell yourself. After all, if you don't believe in yourself, who will? You need to ask yourself what you can do to help these businesses and how they can help you in return. In fact, you may want to ponder how this business managed to get by without your help up until now. You want to show them that your network and image is a valuable asset to their company and will assist in their goals while helping with yours. Creativity will play a huge role in your sales pitch. It is encouraged to educate yourself in basic selling principles. Again you must treat yourself or your vision like a product that is valuable and helpful to this company, not just a way for them for fork out some cash. 

Some things you may want to offer sponsors are:

• Advertising opportunities at your event or function; be it your competition, fundraiser, marathon etc. on your clothing or banners such as logos or messages. 
• Promotional opportunities such as handing out flyers, samples or even surveys. 
• Personal messages and testimony in interviews such as radio, TV, newspaper or on their website.
• Personal messages and testimony through your own social media network.
• Being present for marketing events that they may hold.

There is no limit for what you can offer and an unlimited potential for creativity. The more you can offer sponsors the better. 

At the end of this article is a link to some helpful sales tips.

Give back

Finding a good sponsor can sometimes be very difficult. When you build a relationship that works for you and your cause then you should do everything you can to maintain it. After  competition or fundraiser send your sponsors a thank you letter or give them a phone call. Send some memorabilia, maybe an autographed picture or item that they can display in their business. A little gesture can go a long way. 

Own it 


When a company endorses you they are trusting that you and/or your organization will represent their company in a positive, responsible manner. When you take on a sponsor you become a face for their cause and their business. The way you act on stage, in the ring or at the event is  as important as how you act in your own personal time. Just as you wouldn't expect the CEO of a company to cause public scenes and act irresponsibly nor should you. Own the role and act accordingly.

Try, fail and try again 


Finding sponsors is a grind. It's not easy and often you will want to give up as many people do, but your hard work will pay off. If you have to ask 100 people to sponsor you and only one does then it makes it all worth it. You should never be ashamed, discouraged or embarrassed to ask people to sponsor you because as mentioned above you are giving them a valuable asset and providing assistance in building their business and mission through a much more personal avenue than could be achieved with traditional advertising and promotion. You are offering a symbiotic business relationship that both they, and you will benefit from. Seek assistance, ask questions and take the initiative to continue building your network and your brand.




Leads for sponsors in various industries
http://rickygoodall.blogspot.ca/2012/06/leads-for-obtaining-sponsors.html

Building and Maintaining a Personal Network
http://www.bripblap.com/7-ways-to-build-maintain-a-personal-network-that-works-for-you-guest-post/


The Importance of Social Media
http://www.mymagneticblog.com/the-importance-of-social-media-marketing/


Helpful Sales Tips
http://www.wikihow.com/Sell-a-Product

Google's definition of a sponsor: 

http://www.google.ca/search?q=define+sponsor&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Leads for Obtaining Sponsors

There is no limit to who you can approach for assistance when looking for sponsors. Below are a few suggestions for industries to approach. 

Athlete:

• Physiotherapy and/or massage clinics
• Tanning Salon
• Meat Butcher
• Produce Market
• Organic Food Store
• Local Farm
• Supplement Store
• Sports Equipment
• Car Dealership
• Real Estate Agent
• Fashion Designer
• Jewelry Store
• Local Bar (for after parties)
• Local Restaurant (for after parties and functions)
• Local Musicians
• Law Office
• Sports Psychology

Musician:

• Music Store
• Instrument Company
• Car Dealership
• Beer or Alcohol Company
• Local Bar
• Local Restaurant
• Computer Store
• Law Office

Fundraiser:

• Local Political Party
• Car Dealership
• Real Estate Agent
• Local Bar (for after parties)
• Local Restaurant (for after parties and functions)
• Local Musicians (for performances or help fundraising)
• Local Celebrities (for donation, assistance in raising funds or testimony)
• Related Industries
• Sports Store
• Law Office