Overnight oats - one of Belinda Jones' favourite breakfasts. Photo / Kieran Scott
Overnight oats - one of Belinda Jones' favourite breakfasts. Photo / Kieran Scott
Opinion by Belinda Jones
OPINION:
I’m from Australia and I have always been very active and concerned with eating healthily. As a teenager and in my early 20s, I had a bad relationship with food and struggled with disordered eating, but I worked through it and got to a good place.
But when Ihad a big promotion at work, and moved continents to live in London, my world was turned upside down - and my good habits fell by the wayside. I didn’t have the same schedule, or the same gym, and I was working long hours, so I ended up eating convenience food. I’d get home late and have cheese on toast, or when I was stressed, I’d snack on chocolate and sweets, and my portions got larger. I was in a rut, and I didn’t enjoy it.
My health dilemma
I put on quite a bit of weight: at nearly 1.77 metres (5′10″ in the old measurements), I weighed 78 kilos, and it was getting me down. I didn’t feel that mentally I was in my best place. But when I joined a local gym, I loved getting back into exercise and weight training, as well as the camaraderie of the place.
Exercise came back to me easily, but I still needed to tackle my diet. My trainer came up with a nutrition plan, which consists of 1700 calories, with high protein (170g a day), but still a good amount of carbohydrates (around 130g), because I think anything too restrictive isn’t sustainable long-term.
For me, convenience is key, so I signed up to a meal delivery company. Fresh Fitness Food taught me about portion sizes, but also how to incorporate protein into each meal. It’s really important, for example, to have a high-protein breakfast to set you up for the day - it really does keep you fuller for longer.
What I didn’t give up
I live by the 80/20 rule, so I try to eat healthily Monday to Friday, and then have the weekends off when it comes to food (although I rarely go mad). That balance is really good for me, because it means that I can not worry about having a nice meal out with friends or a glass of wine now and then.
The end result
The changes have been phenomenal for me. I lost 8kg of fat, and I feel fantastic. I see lots of other people of a similar age who have aged a lot, but I feel that if you eat healthily and do exercise, it makes you feel happier, and it does your body so much good that you end up looking, as well as feeling, younger. I really love feeling physically strong - it makes you feel mentally strong, too.
Belinda Jones lost 8kg with her new healthy regime. Photo / Corey Jenkins
I train six days a week - a combination of weightlifting and conditioning. When I go on holiday, I like to do something active, like hiking or cycling.
What I eat in a day
Monday to Friday, I stick to 1700 calories a day, with a high-protein meal plan and no refined sugars. At the weekends, I ease off a bit.
Breakfast: I love healthy versions of indulgent breakfasts, like protein pancakes or waffles or overnight oats with apple.
Lunch: Turkey kofte kebab with roasted vegetables.
Dinner: Chicken with brown rice and lots of green vegetables.
The rules I live by
Carbs: I do eat carbs, but stick to complex, slow-release carbs like brown rice or sweet potato.
Caffeine: I work for a coffee company - so I do drink quite a bit of coffee.
Alcohol: I try to cut back in the week, then at the weekend I’ll have a few glasses of wine.
