They extol the virtues of eating clean and green, but do personal trainers practice what they preach, or are they scoffing bargain buckets and Krispy Kremes in the gym staffroom? Trainers, reveal your diet diaries!
THE RIDICULOUSLY RIPPED GYM BIRD
Lauretta Curtis
I train five to six times a week as well as taking clients. I tend to do a mix of interval training, weights and body weight exercises. As I’m so active I eat a lot of carbohydrates to give me energy to maintain a healthy body weight and plenty of protein to help repair the constant ripping of my muscle fibres.
I also make sure I get plenty of vitamins from fruit and veg and include good fat, found in oily fish, avocados, nuts and seeds and olive oil, to keep my immune system functioning. I usually drink 2-3 litres of water a day but I’m in training for a body fitness competition at the moment so I’m drinking LOADS – around eight litres a day! I also drink black coffee, although when I’m not in training I have it with double cream. I don’t drink much but on a night out, if I fancy it, I drink gin and slimline tonic, sometimes a little red wine. And yes, I do eat chocolate!
- Breakfast
30g Wholegrain oats + 1tsp. meridian peanut butter
2 medium sized eggs – scrambled/poached
- Lunch
Ginger chicken (grilled) mixed leaf salad with olives and homemade hummus
(1 large chicken breast)
- Dinner
Mackerel served with sweet potato, mixed seasonal vegetables and homemade tomato sauce.
- Snacks
I snack on fruit throughout the day and eat chocolate once a week (especially when pre-menstrual!) Dark chocolate is rich in cell-protecting antioxidants and has a low glycaemic index so doesn’t actually spike your blood sugar unlike other sugary snacks. So you can enjoy chocolate and reap the health benefits- RESULT!
THE (STUPIDLY LONG) DISTANCE RUNNER (and probably our favourite diary, go Becky!)
Rebecca Cox
I train six days a week, and cover about 100-120 miles. This is because running is my commute between clients so the mileage can stack up. On top of the basic running around London I try to do one ‘long’ run a week of about 20 miles. I also do three interval sessions a week with sprints/hills etc and a couple of weight training, circuits or boxing sessions.
Because of the amount of running I do I tend to not take much notice of what is going down my cake hole (it can literally be my cake hole). I don’t think I have ever dieted or cut out any food groups. The thought of a strict diet saddens me. Like really saddens me.
If I have a long run or a race or event then it’s more a case of making sure I have enough to fuel me (I probably overeat on these days). I do try and eat as cleanly as possible though, I keep meat lean and normally stick to chicken. All rice, pasta and bread is brown or wholegrain. I load up on veg and I also avoid all processed food – even sarnies are made from scratch so I can see exactly what goes in them.
Sugar is my biggest problem and I think most runners would say the same. I nail a lot of sweet things on a daily basis.
- Breakfast
4.30am (pre run/training) Porridge and banana – it’s so early, but I have got used to eating at this time – I’m training through to 9am so I need it.
- Breakfast number 2
9.30am (breakfast 2) porridge and berries or peanut butter on toast with banana
- Snack
Midday (pre lunch training) Bounce Ball/chocolate/biscuits/ peanut butter on rice cakes
- Lunch
3pm – sandwich/soup or salad. (Always made from scratch and normally quite protein heavy and loaded with veg), fruit or yogurt.
- Snack
5pm (pre run home/evening training sessions) – cake/chocolate of biscuit of some variety
- Dinner
8pm – (I can’t cook… at all. Not one bit, so normally steamed veg, chicken and brown rice. All of it tasting of nothing. Followed by a Curly Wurly (ALWAYS A CURLY WURLY).
Also…
Large glass of wine (pretty much every day) a bottle if it’s a night out.
The odd Marlboro light (when it’s a bottle of wine night)
THE LEAN MEAN DANCING MACHINE
Jenny Cartwright-Ball
I try and take four barrecore classes a week (barrecore is a combination of ballet, yoga and pilates), weight train 2-3 times a week, and do some high intensity interval training two times a week, either in the gym or as part of my Bikini Bootcamp class at barrecore. I follow a Paleo diet to keep my energy levels steady throughout the day. The Paleo diet, sometimes called the caveman diet, is based on the diet hunters and gatherers would have eaten – basically plants and animals. I drink lots of herbal teas and water with lemon or lime, and I have extra protein and/or a shake after I weight train to increase lean muscle mass.
I have a cheat meal (or treat meal as I prefer to call it) once a week on the day that I don’t train to replenish my glycogen levels, and to keep me sane! I won’t have wheat in my treat meal as I am intolerant (and don’t believe anyone should eat wheat), but it does usually involve some good quality dark chocolate and a glass of red wine!
- Breakfast
Always meat and nuts, or fish and nuts. Today’s choices were Wild Alaskan smoked salmon, and roast macadamia nuts. With coffee (organic, Columbian, cinnamon and double cream). Yum!
Supplements: Fish oil, multi-vitamin, zinc, fibre
- Snack
Post strength training workout: Chicken breast and whey protein shake.
- Lunch
Organic grass fed rump steak, and vegetables.
Supplements: Fish oil, multi-vitamin, zinc
- Snack
Seaweed thins-these are my new favourite snack and so good for you!
- Dinner
I’m often training clients in the evening so will grab dinner on the hop! It’s usually something like organic sliced chicken breast, mange tout, and some Brazil nuts, with coconut water and a jasmine green tea.
Supplements: Fish oil (again!), fibre, Magnesium
If you are interested in barrecore classes, personal training, or Bio Signature Modulation with Jenny email jenny@barrecore.co.uk
Very interesting that a lot of trainers consume coffee.
Yes, and good to see they all eat chocolate too. Phew!
As a Personal trainer it is important to not lose track of reality. You need your clients to be able to relate to you and so they see that they can acheive a hot and healthy bod too.
i always keep my clients diet plans realistic and will tailor it around their own lifestyles. I’ll never tell them to cut out what they love, just moderate it.
Keep it real trainers!