by One Playground
Hey Ngoc! How Did You Get into Nutrition and Coaching?
Okay first of all, if you look at my name and think “How do I pronounce it?”. It’s as simple as “knock”, coach dumpling ngoc if you will (if you know you know).
Let’s go back to where it all started. I grew up on the sunny Central Coast but had always travelled back and forth to Sydney for university and other commitments. When I was younger, the only sports I was interested in were swimming and athletics during primary and high school. However, nutrition is something I have always been passionate about due to having multiple food allergies as a kid.
Back in 2019, I started my first year of university and that’s where I found the gym. I started experimenting with styles of training, working out what suited me best.
Between 2020-2021 I discovered tracking calories and macros, intrigued to see what it was all about and what it could do for me. I went online, found out what my calories were and I started tracking. At this point, my knowledge of tracking was from zero to none.
I was under-eating, consuming the bare minimum and developed a poor relationship with food where I restricted my eating. This, combined with overtraining, travelling back and forth from the Central Coast to Sydney every day for university, and working on weekends I developed thyroid problems and amenorrhea.
At this point, I started working with a coach who went through a similar situation at the same time as me who guided me on how to get my menstrual cycle back and create a healthier relationship with food.
Fast forward to now, I am the healthiest and fittest I’ve ever been! It’s this experience that helped to confirm that this was the right career path for me. A coach helped me change my life for the better and that’s the impact I want to have on my clients.
What is Your Training Ethos?
As a coach, I think it’s important to listen to your client’s needs and be adaptive and considerate. Health and fitness is NOT a one-size-fits-all journey.
Context is important. Everyone is different.
I’m all about eliminating the labels of “good” and “bad” foods and creating a balance (80:20 principle) because that is what will truly result in success around dieting.
Whether you are coaching face-to-face or online, we have to work collaboratively. It’s my goal to help you achieve yours!
What Should I Eat Before Training?
Whether you are a beginner or an elite athlete, you should be having some protein, carbs and fats before your training session.
However, if you’ve eaten meals during the day that contain protein, you may not need to include this in your pre-workout meal. If so, stick to a combo of carbs and fats.
For Example
Carbohydrates:
- We want to aim for around 20-40g of carbs for females and 30-60g for a male. This will of course depend on your daily calorie allowance but these would be a sufficient number to aim for to fuel for a workout.
- Choose easily digestible carbs such as oats, rice or fruit
Fats:
- Nut butters are great to pair with oats or rice cakes and avocados are a great choice to pair with a rice and meat option
Protein:
- Choose an option that sits well in the stomach.
- White meats are always a great option as well as protein powders if you don’t feel like a full meal.
For optimal digestion, aim to keep your fibre intake in this meal low and try to eat this 60-90 minutes before your training session.
What Can your Clients Expect From you When They Work With You?
If you’re someone who wants to achieve a goal, I want you to enjoy the process; it shouldn’t feel like a chore. I’m not someone who believes in quick fixes.
You need to be disciplined, consistent, adherent daily and put in the hard work to get you to where you want to be.
You can either have results or excuses. Take your pick!
