Listen "Race Weight, Body Image & Performance with Marni Sumbal, MS, RD, CSSD (Episode 177)"
Episode Synopsis
Be smaller. Be lighter. For our entire lives those messages have been drilled into us from every angle, including very often from those in our sports. We hear we need to be at “race weight.” We’re shown “idealized” images of what female athletes “should” look like. It’s all incredibly damaging, especially as we hit menopause and midlife and our bodies start to change. It’s also based on BS. Women with cellulite and extra body fat win races. Women who are well-fueled outperform those who are not. There is no one magic number on the scale or body fat percentage that makes us a success. All the destructive messages that make us hate our bodies feed the diet culture machine. This week we sat down with coach and sports dietitian Marni Sumbal to dismantle that machine and help us find body peace, so we don’t spend the next chapters of our lives in an endless war with ourselves. Marni Sumbal MS, RD, CSSD, LD/N is the owner of Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition, a coaching and nutrition company based in Greenville, South Carolina, which she runs with her husband and RETUL bike fit expert, Karel Sumbal. Marni is a 3x author, board certified sports dietitian and holds a master of science in exercise physiology. She is a 19x Ironman finisher, 2x XTRI finisher, and 6x Ironman World Championship finisher. You can learn more about her and her services at trimarnicoach.com. Resources:Marni Sumbal’s latest book: Athlete to Triathlete: The Ultimate Triathlon Training Plan for Sprint and Olympic Races Sign up for our FREE Feisty 40+ newsletter: https://feisty.co/feisty-40/Learn More and Register for our 2026 Tucson Bike Camp: https://feisty.co/events/gravel-camp-x-bike-mechanic-school/ Follow Us on Instagram:Feisty Menopause: @feistymenopause Hit Play Not Pause Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807943973376099 Support our Partners:Cozy Earth: Use Code HITPLAY at https://cozyearth.com/ Midi Health: You Deserve to Feel Great. Book your virtual visit today at https://www.joinmidi.com/Nutrisense: Go to nutrisense.io/hitplay and use code: HITPLAY to get 30% offPrevinex: Get 15% off your first order with code HITPLAY at https://www.previnex.com/ Wahoo KICKR RUN: Use the code FEISTY to get a free Headwind Smart Fan (value $300) with the purchase of a Wahoo KICKR RUN at https://shorturl.at/maTzL
More episodes of the podcast Hit Play Not Pause
Rethinking the Rules: Peak Performance in a Menopausal Body with Becky Croft (Episode 251)
19/11/2025
Smart Glucose Management for Active Midlife Women with Liz McKinney, CNS, LDN (Episode 249)
05/11/2025
The Secrets to Going Further Than You Think You Can with Serena Bishop Gordon (Episode 247)
22/10/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.