Professional athletes dont get to the top by accident. It takes superhuman levels of time, dedication, and focusand that includes paying attention to what they put in their bellies. In this series, GQ takes a look at what pro athletes in different sports eat on a daily basis to perform at their best. Heres a look at the (strict) daily diet of Cavaliers forward Kevin Love.
He eats like an 80-year-old lady who's trying make sure she's regular.
The aforementioned quote comes from Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson describing teammate Kevin Loves diet. While Jeffersons assessment is a subtle jab at how conscious the All-Star power forward is with what he consumes, given how Love has transformed his physique since arriving in the league in 2008, its clear that the sum is a result of very detailed maintenance. Just how detailed? We caught up with Love ahead of Game One of the Cavaliers Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Boston Celtics to discuss just how calculated Loves eating habits are.
GQ: You enjoyed some individual success your first few years in Minnesota, even with being bulkier back then. Many players, especially young ones, wouldnt make such a drastic change to their physique because of that success. Which year did you make shedding weight a priority?
Kevin Love: It was probably the offseason I got traded (to Cleveland). I knew that we would be doing a lot of running and my style of play would have to change a little bit. I knew that this would be an opportunity to win but that wouldnt come without sacrifice. Even before then, everything was to build my body and diet to be self-sustaining, and try to manipulate things with longevity being the focus. So I was eating so I could play for 15-20 years and I can decide when I want to retire. This is my ninth year, so that would have been my sixth when I was traded when I fully decided that I want to start working with a nutritionist. I want to know exactly what Im eating and be able to plan ahead, whether its in season or the offseason.
How many different diets did you go through before you found something that you were fully comfortable with?
It definitely took me awhile. I knew coming into the league thatand theres pictures to prove itthat I was a little bit too heavy. Playing four games in five nights, or back to backs, youre playing different types of players. Go to Dallas, youre playing Dirk (Nowitzki). You got KG (Kevin Garnett) in Boston. Having to recover from that and not having the proper nutrition, while being 10-15 pounds overweight; that was something that was really all by trial and error. So it was about figuring out what worked and what made my body feel good. It wasnt until I started working with my nutritionist, Dr. (Philip) Goglia in Los Angeles, that we found out what worked for my body. Now, everyday I have a diet that is designed for me and makes it easy to be able to plan ahead and eat really well.
Just how detailed and custom is this diet?
My nutritionist is actually part of a company called G-plans and what they do is offer customized metabolic health and nutrition plans to people across the world and inspire healthy living. The nutrition platform is perfect for people at varying levels of fitness because it plans your diet around meal plans based on your metabolism. It gives you comprehensive tracking, and a tailored fitness plan. This method is what Ive been following with Dr. Goglia and it is an option for everyone.
The difference in your physique is the most notable. From a physical standpoint, how long did it take you to feel comfortable playing with less weight from what you had been accustomed to for most of your life?
I look back now and the first year (in Cleveland), I felt I was too skinny. I thought to myself that I can get a full six-pack, I was featured in the Body Issue of ESPN The Magazine and I was eating great. That didnt necessarily translate to the court. For me, I was running well, and was in great shape but as far as being able to play inside and outside, which is what I had been doing, I figured I would probably need to throw some of that weight back on. Thats when I begin to get back in the weight room and basically not making best friends with my trainer with the Cavs, Alex Moore. We just started hitting the weights to put the weight back onwell, good weight, I should say, because we generated muscle.
I was better off after that because that first year, I was smaller than I wanted to be and I think that showed a little bit in my rebounding numbers and definitely with playing inside. Im used to offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding and setting the tone on that end. I wanted to get back to that and that had a lot to do with just getting back in the weight room.
Just how uncomfortable are those Body Issue shoots?
[Laughs] Well, its a closed set and ESPN has been doing it for years. It was one of my goals that I was going to be on the cover one day. Seeing where I came from when I came into the league from UCLA, and even looking at some of my old high school photos, I would have been the only one in the world that saw that happening. In a lot of cases, I was told that to take the edge off, guys will have a drink to kind of loosen up to be able to throw themselves out there. I was in the middle of the desert, somewhere about an hour northeast of L.A. and it was 110 degrees. So that wasnt an option for me. It probably took the first couple of shots to really feel comfortable and say, Okay, Im in this.
What are some of the typical meals that youre putting in your body on game days?
For me, its pretty basic. In the morning, I try and make sure Im getting three to four eggs and some almond butter. As I mentioned with planning ahead, Ill grab a Justins flavored almond butter pack, whether its the hazelnut, vanilla, or maple. Ill also have fruit in the morning, two scoops of whey protein. Its pretty straightforward. In the afternoon, its grilled chicken with high-iron veggies, like beets or spinach. As far as getting a starch in there, Ill usually do sweet potatoes or a half a cup of rice. Before the game, Ill have a banana with honey and a little bit of caffeine to get me going. Ill probably do some almond butter again to get the fat stored. For dinner after the game, Im doing fatty fish with the same veggies and no red meat.
Its not like Im doing anything crazy but Im just continuing to fuel my body for this grind and making sure none of these foods will give me an inflammatory response. Im taking my B (protein) powder and making sure thats all going down. Im getting my vitamins in and getting my sleep. Its all very calculated and discipline is what I will say is the most important.
Some of your teammates have poked fun at you for your strict diet. How do you maintain that discipline over the course of an extended season and not indulge in cravings you may have?
I always say you have to decide between what you want now and what you want most. I want to feel good, play a high number of years, and also, I dont want to wake up the next day and look back and feel guilty about indulging in whatever we were having that prior night. I say its not easy because one of my guilty pleasures I have is red wine, and Bron and a lot of guys on our team always have that around. Theyre snobs and they have the right to be. When it comes to red wine, its really tough to say no to it but I think its all discipline, especially when were traveling, getting in late and playing back to backs. Sometimes, Ill bring a Whole Foods bag with my almond butters, fruits that I can take, or grab from the plane and always keep with me. One thing I always try and do also is just pound the water. That tends to eliminate any late night eating and keeps me hydrated. Its not easy. Its definitely not easy.
"I say its not easy because one of my guilty pleasures I have is red wine, and Bron and a lot of guys on our team always have that around. Theyre snobs and they have the right to be."
I consider the Cavaliers as being one of the franchises at the forefront of team nutrition because you guys have a staff that gets to the arena an hour before the first bus arrives and they set up a spread of fresh fruit, organic peanut butter and jelly, RX bars and all this really healthy stuff. When did you guys implement that?
I think its probably through our head strength coach, Derek Millender. Hes one of the more health conscious people in that role in the NBA, in my opinion. Hes been at the forefront of that for us and really working with our team nutritionist. I know guys like myself have nutritionist we go to, but we have a woman who works with us and they kind of go back and forth to find the best places to order from on the road. That way, youre not having the typical concession stand food after the game. Youre having what fits with your meal plan.
As calculated and disciplined as you are in your nutrition, how much of a motivation do you get from seeing how LeBron prepares and takes care of his body because hes arguably the best conditioned athlete of our lifetime?
Theres a lot of things that might go unnoticed with LeBron. His overall diet and what he puts in his body; I mentioned it being calculated and he wants to play forever. Hes like Tom Brady. It just seems like that because of that level of greatness. His self-sacrifice, what he eats on a daily basis, how hes fueled as well as the time he puts in. Whether its in the weight room, on the training table or out there on the court, hes one of a kind. Hes special. I think thats whyknock on woodhes been able to play for so long without a major injury and play at such a high level. It just seems like he gets better with age.
Look at this postseason. At 32 years old, his averages for the season were 26, 8.5, and 8.5. This postseason, hes probably playing the best postseason basketball that he has in his career. I think its definitely inspiring to not only us, but also the youth and that demographic. Anybody who wants what he has or looks up to him as an athlete, leader, or even someone who is in my position as his teammate, he makes a ton of decisions everyday that might come easy to him now, but in looking at how he goes about his business and his diet, that sort of thing doesnt go unnoticed.
With a lot of people and even athletes, theres a mental hurdle and a physical barrier you have to push through to achieve your goals. What would be your advice on pushing through those barriers and getting away from what youre comfortable with?
You definitely want to find out what works for you because I think a lot of people get into it for a few weeks and they dont have these huge gains they expect quickly. But theres no magic pill or potion that youre going to take and the weight is going to fly right off. Its a lifestyle change. For me, it was looking in the mirror and finding that inspiration in how am I going to better myself in order to help my team, help my career like I mentioned with LeBron and the younger generation and make sure that Im doing the right thing as far as healthy living goes. Its definitely a lifestyle change and something that takes time. I would just say find your motivation. Like with anything in life, find what makes you tick on the health and wellness side because youll be a lot better off from a health standpoint, and purely from an aesthetic standpoint, if you put the time in, youre going to see results.
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The Real-Life Diet of Kevin Love - GQ Magazine
