Podcast Summary: The Dr. Shannon Show

Episode: Body Recomposition Capsule #6: How to Eat
Host: Dr. Shannon Ritchey, PT, DPT
Date: January 6, 2026

Overview

This episode is part of a focused, science-based “Body Recomposition Capsule” series where Dr. Shannon Ritchey lays out the essentials for changing body composition—losing fat and building muscle. Today’s solo episode covers the basics of nutrition for body recomposition, centering on calories and protein, along with Shannon’s personal experiences, practical tips, and a candid look at her journey with food, tracking, and mental health.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Foundational Beliefs & Context

• Shannon stresses you don’t need to “tear your body up” to see results in fitness or body recomposition ([00:00]).
• Building muscle and improving body composition has far-reaching, internal benefits—energy, mood, and longevity—not just physical appearance.

2. Nutritional Levers for Body Recomposition

• Calories:
  • To lose fat (while aiming to build/maintain muscle), registered dietitians recommend a slight calorie deficit—about 200-400 calories below maintenance ([04:05]).
  • Maintenance calories can be estimated with a Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) calculator, but some trial and adjustment is expected.
  • “The calorie number may not be perfectly accurate, but it does give you a starting point.” ([05:02])
• Protein:
  • Daily target: 0.7 to 1 gram per pound of body weight (or desired body weight) ([05:30]).
    • Example: If you want to weigh 150 lbs, aim for 105-150g of protein/day.

3. Tracking Nutrition—Value and Methods

• Benefits:
  • “Tracking is a tool that has been extremely valuable. Through tracking over the years, I’ve learned things I just would not have otherwise.” ([06:41])
  • Helps understand personal energy needs, mood fluctuations, and performance.
  • Often, people can eat more calories than they think and still see improvements.
• Tools:
  • Apps used: MyFitnessPal, Cronometer ([08:30]).
  • ChatGPT voice feature for quick, rough estimates if formal tracking feels burdensome.
  • Over time, Shannon has shifted to “eyeballing” after gaining confidence in her estimates.
  • Early tracking recommends logging everything for improved accuracy (“especially if you’re new to tracking, I’d recommend entering it into an app because you also need to enter in like dressings and oils and things like that.” - [09:54])

4. Shannon’s Personal Eating Practices

• General Philosophy:

  • “Gentle consistency”—not perfection or restriction.

• Fasting vs. Eating Pre-workout:

  • Shannon finds better workout performance when eating beforehand (e.g., banana or protein bar) ([11:18]).
  • “I get higher quality workout. I’m able to take my lifts closer to failure and do more reps.”—Shannon ([12:10])
  • She doesn’t stress about eating immediately post-workout; focuses more on daily protein total.

• Protein Choices:

  • Practical, convenience-based choices are survival for busy times (two kids under two, running a business) ([14:00]).
  • “Every time I eat, whether it be a snack or a meal, I do try to incorporate some sort of protein source.”
  • Staples: Chicken, salmon, ground meats, protein bars (Quest, Costco), protein powder (“Just Ingredients” strawberry/cream), beef sticks (Chomps).
  • Desserts: Enjoys sweet treats daily, sometimes incorporates protein (e.g., Halo Top, DIY protein ice cream).

• Processed vs. Whole Foods:

  • Honest about relying on processed protein options for consistency.
  • “If you’re like, wow, that’s a lot of processed food… I know the processing may not be the best and I do aspire to someday get all my protein from whole foods, but that’s just not where I’m at right now.” ([16:50])

• Alcohol, Treats & Weekends:

  • Drinks much less over the years, mainly social (“two to four drinks spread over each week… sometimes none” [18:09]).
  • Describes herself as a “social drinker;” less frequent drinking has supported her body composition goals.
  • Enjoys daily treats—“almost every day I’m having something sweet after dinner” ([19:04]).
  • Weekends are more relaxed for food choices (“I’ve never tracked on the weekends. But I also don’t like to see my weekends as like cheat days… I’d rather be more balanced on a day to day basis.” [20:19])

5. Mental Health and Nutrition

• Shannon candidly shares her past as an emotional eater and the journey to healthier, more consistent nutrition ([21:05]).
• “I was raised in a household where food is how we dealt with emotions, good or bad… I’m an emotional eater.”
• Describes weight gain during stressful times, then under-eating in PT school, and finally finding balance in the last five years.
• Tracking and “managing my mind” were crucial:** “It sometimes does take peeling back layers and working on your mental health alongside your nutrition habits to make a sustainable difference.” ([23:00])
• Emphasizes not to beat yourself up for imperfection, and suggests professional help if relationship with food is a struggle.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Joint-Friendly Fitness:
  • “Your joints should not feel terrible in the pursuit of body recomposition or building muscle.” ([00:10])
• On Calories:
  • “I do like to strip away the stigma behind them and just try to see them as math as much as possible. I know sometimes that’s easier said than done.” ([02:47])
• On Tracking:
  • “I also know that I can eat more calories than I thought I could, which has been huge for me because it’s so much more sustainable to know I can eat more.” ([07:43])
• On Pre- and Post-Workout Eating:
  • “If you can eat right after your training, I say go for it. But I don’t stress about it personally. I just stress about staying consistent with my protein throughout that whole day…” ([13:35])
• On Processed Protein:
  • “If you’re picky, don’t listen to me… For me it’s just like convenience and get it down.” ([15:20])
• On Social Drinking:
  • “I sometimes want to have a good time and so I might have more than that on a special occasion. But I really try to keep those few and far between.” ([18:36])
• On Treats:
  • “I really try to be conscious of my overall calorie intake for the day and I budget for that because I know I’m gonna want that at the end of the day.” ([19:36])
• On Weekends:
  • “I also don’t like to see my weekends as like cheat days. I just don’t find that to be very helpful because I would rather be more balanced on a day to day basis…” ([20:22])
• On Mental Health and Tracking:
  • “Nutrition is so tough because as I’m alluding to, it can be more loaded than just… just eat in a slight calorie deficit and track your food. No big deal. It sometimes does take peeling back layers and working on your mental health alongside your nutrition habits to make a sustainable difference.” ([23:10])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – 03:55: Introduction, philosophy on joint-friendly fitness, preview of main topics
• 04:00 – 05:55: Calorie and protein basics
• 06:00 – 10:40: Tracking nutrition, apps, ballparking, and tips
• 11:00 – 13:49: Pre- and post-workout eating, fasting experiences
• 14:00 – 16:50: Protein sources, convenience foods, processed vs. whole foods
• 17:50 – 20:50: Alcohol, treats, weekend strategies
• 21:00 – 24:00: Emotional eating background, mental health, consistency, final wrap-up on nutrition

Recap

Dr. Shannon Ritchey delivers a practical, empathetic guide to nutrition for body recomposition built on two key pillars: modest calorie deficit (with necessary tinkering) and ample protein intake. She emphasizes the power of tracking as a learning tool (not a life sentence); shares her “gentle consistency” over perfection philosophy; and is honest about her real-life eating—processed protein, treats, and flexible weekends included. She closes underscoring that nutrition is both a science and a mindset, reminding listeners to be patient, seek help if needed, and not expect perfection.

Next Episode Teaser:
“How to dose your cardio for body recomposition.”
(Tune in tomorrow for science-based cardio tips.)