This month, owner of Catwalk Model Agency in Dublin and Galway, Mandy Maher, gives us a sneak peek into her fridge and takes us through her average daily dietary pattern and exercise routine.
Body Stats:
Height: 5’6’
Weight 8 ½ Stone
Size 8
Food Diary:
BREAKFAST: I have had very bad stomach problems over the past few months and it was down to always rushing around and not having breakfast but I am very proud to say I now eat a large bowl of Porridge every morning sprinkled with Linseed and I literally feel super now, and of course I have a cup of tea and maybe more tea and possibly some biscuit afterwards.
LUNCH: Homemade soup or boiled egg with brown bread. I never eat white bread. Again with a cup of tea….more tea and a bar of chocolate.
DINNER: I absolutely love my dinner, for me this is the best part of the day. I love potatoes, lots of veg and meat/fish every other day. I always ensure to eat a proper dinner every day. I also like brown wild rice with chicken, but it depends on the mood. I like tea, biscuits or chocolate afterwards.
SNACKS: I do like to snack on fruit, mixed nuts, but you guessed it, I probably go for the usual cuppa.
Do you exercise:?
I am a former fitness instructor so fitness has always been a huge part of my life. I would have trained 4/5 days a week at one time now I have gotten very lazy & make little time to exercise. I don’t know if it is an excuse but I honestly have no time !
Do you take Supplements?
Yes I take multivitamins & evening primrose oil.
Do you diet/detox?
I have never been on a diet or have done detox in my life. I have a very high metabolism so I burn what I eat very quickly.
What is your biggest weakness when it comes to food?
Oh god where do I start?? I seriously am a choc a holic. I literally have withdrawal symptoms if I don’t get chocolate every day and I am a massive fan of Tea. I have my own take away cup & never leave the house or office without it been in my hand. But the good side is I don’t drink or smoke.
Are you disciplined:?
Find this hard to answer….but I am told I am fairly head strong….so yes I surpose I would be disciplined !
Expert Advice – Amanda from BodyByrne
Mandy,
Its great to see that you are now having breakfast, as well as 2 other meals and small snacks throughout the day. Eating a breakfast is so important so that we kick start our metabolism so that we have enough energy and concentration for the day ahead.
Looking through your diary I can see a few areas that could be improved, so that you can get the most benefit from every meal you’re having. Your breakfast, lunches and dinner are good, a nice balance of carbohydrate, healthy fats and protein.
Small improvements which could be made would be replacing the bread with a wholemeal wrap or pita bread and using sweet potato, all of which will help to reduce the amount of sugars you are eating.
When we eat things high in sugar it sends our insulin levels really high, causing our bodies to have a sugar rush, followed by a crash, Its when we get this crash that we start craving something sweet again. Over time this sugar spike and crash can cause us to gain weight, if we can keep our sugar levels low and consistent throughout the day we can manage our body shape better.
The main concerns I would have with your day to day eating would be the amount of biscuits and chocolate you are having. Although having tea is fine, why not try replace the biscuits which are loaded sugar with 2 oat cakes and almond butter, to keep your blood sugar levels nice and steady. Eat snacks like some fat free Greek yogurt and berries or some hummus and carrot sticks to keep your energy levels steady throughout the day. Ideally I would like you to avoid having tea in the late afternoon and evening as it has been shown that you can have sleep disturbances having caffeine too close to your bedtime, drink a decaffeinated herbal tea instead.
In terms of exercise as an ex fitness instructor you know the positive effects of exercise, such as
reducing risk of disease, improving quality of life, improving strength, fitness and mood to name just a few. We can all make time for some exercise for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week. So that might mean having to wake up that little bit earlier in the mornings or getting out for a run after work in the evenings. Those small sacrafices are worth it and well out weigh the benefits that exercise has.
These small changes can make a huge difference in your mood and energy levels, by eating every 3 hours or so and keeping food as natural as possible so can positively affect how we look and feel about ourselves. for any inquiries on traiing go to www.bodybyrne.ie
Yours in fitness
Amanda
Twitter: @amandabodybyrne
Email: amanda@bodybyrne.ie