Welcome to our first post on the Faces of Fitness. We went out and asked several of our fitness friends to share a bit about themselves and their stories – why they do what they do and what they love about the lifestyle or sport they participate in. Here’s Rob’s Story:
Tell us about yourself! What’s your name? How old are you? Where are you from?
My name is Rob McLeod, I’m 30 years old and I’m from Woodstock, New Brunswick.
Were you raised in an active family? What were some of the things you enjoyed doing with your family the most?
I was raised in a very active family. My dad was an All Canadian football player in university and my mom was on the provincial women’s golf team more than 10 times. She won several times. My sister and I were always in sports. When I was in school, I competed in swimming, track and field, soccer, hockey, golf, baseball, volleyball and rugby. We spent a lot of time outside, inventing golf courses in our backyard – basically, we didn’t spend a lot of time watching tv or playing video games.
Rob with his Guinness World Record; Autumn 2012
What’s your lifestyle choice to stay healthy and fit or committed to a sport?
For me, it’s quite simple. I compete in disc sports and in order to be successful I need to be in peak physical condition. Eating right, working out in the gym on the best rowing machine and getting lots of sleep – it all contributes to me being physically able to compete at my best each competition. This past year, I competed in roughly 15 competitions and I learned a lot so this year will be even better I hope. I do find it hard while traveling to eat healthy and make good decisions – eating at the airport, restaurants, hotels and gas stations – but you do your best.
What helped you choose the lifestyle/sport you’ve chosen?
I’ve always tried to be fit, but eating healthy has been something I’ve been doing better at. The more I learn about nutrition and food from reading, watching documentaries and talking to dietitians/nutritionists, the better I’m getting. Food is a part of our lives everyday so it’s so important that we are aware of what we put into our bodies. It’s up to us to educate ourselves – no one else will do that for us.
What’s the best part of your routine?
The best part of my routine is when I get outside and do Frisbee training. My passion is throwing so I love when I get to go out and throw.
What do you struggle with? What makes it hard to stay the course with your goals?
Eating is what I struggle with the most. I can be an emotional eater, but the good thing is that I know I am. So I’m working on recognizing when I’m having a moment of weakness and trying to solve the emotional issue instead of trying to eat to solve the issue.
Rob and his competitive partner, Davy Whippet!
What is your diet like to support your lifestyle?
I tend to be a mix between a raw/vegetarian/pescatarian/paleo. I don’t really like to cook so I eat a lot of my vegetables raw but I do enjoy having meat sometimes for protein.
How do you stop yourself from over-indulging at times like Christmas, or during weddings and other family/social events?
I try to not go back for seconds and I know to keep my portions protein-rich (filling me up faster and for longer), as well as eating snacks/protein bars. I try to load up my plate the first time, take my time eating that and once my plate is empty, that’s it. I also try to get out for a walk, help with dishes, not sit down too much so I can burn some calories and let the food digest. I also realize that holidays are a special time to enjoy with friends and family so I let myself have more sugar than I normally would but try to be good the rest of the year.
Do you have a web page you’d like readers to check out?
I have a few websites they can check out. I have a website where I keep track of all my records, media articles and competition results at https://frisbeerob.com. I also have a website that is dedicated to teaching others how to play ultimate Frisbee better and that website is at http://www.ultimaterob.com.
From: http://www.nomocameltoe.com/the-faces-of-fitness/rob-mcleod-the-disc-jock-