Your Fat Loss Tips
Fat loss for hockey players isn’t about eating as little as possible.
It’s about reducing body fat while maintaining your speed, strength, and match fitness.
Done properly, you should feel lighter, faster, and more explosive… we want to avoid feeling flat and tired.
The Real Goal
The aim is to create a small calorie deficit while still fuelling training and recovery.
If the deficit is too aggressive, your body starts sacrificing performance and muscle.
So test out various amounts of a calorie deficit so you know if you’re dropping in performance from too large of a cut.
Protein Is Your Friend
When calories drop, protein becomes even more important.
Why it matters:
Preserves your muscle while dieting
Keeps you feeling fuller for longer
Improves your recovery
What to do:
Include protein at every meal
Prioritise lean sources: chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, protein shakes
Rough target: 1.8-2.2g per kg bodyweight
Fuel Your Training, Trim the Extras
A common mistake is cutting carbs everywhere. For hockey players, that impact your output and work rate.
Instead:
Keep carbs around training and games
Reduce calories from snacks, oils, sauces, alcohol, and sugary drinks
Don’t remove anything that fuels your performance
Volume Foods & Portion Control
You don’t need extreme restriction.
Use volume to your advantage:
Load plates with vegetables and fruit
Choose potatoes over fries
Drink water before meals
By doing this you’re going to stay full while calories stay controlled.
Recovery Controls Fat Loss
Fat loss isn’t only about food.
Sleep & stress affect:
Hunger hormones
Fat storage
Training output
Aim for:
7-9 hours sleep
Consistent routine
Proper post session nutrition
Track the Right Way
Daily scale changes lie due to fluctuations in hormones, training volume, water retention, and so on.
Use:
Weekly averages
Progress photos
How well your clothes fit
Energy levels during training
If your performance starts dropping, then your deficit is too big.