VICTORIA JOY
AGE 32 ROLE Deputy Editor HEIGHT 5ft 10in TRAINER Sarah Lindsay at Roar Fitness THE WEEKLY PROGRAMME 3 x 60-min lifting sessions
When Sarah asked me to tell her about my eating habits, my default was to lie – or at least tweak the truth – like when the doctor asks how many units of alcohol you put away every week. No one wants to admit to a former Olympian and the owner of an iron will that there comes a point most days when you cave to Pret’s chocolate corn cakes. But that wouldn’t serve her or me, and she’s a firm believer in nailing nutrition before you even pick up a dumbbell. Breakfast and lunch were easy: fat-free yoghurt mixed with a scoop of chocolate protein powder, followed by a tuna and egg or chicken salad. So far, so low-cal, which was forever my aim as I tend to eat more in the evenings. My hunger would get the better of me later in the day, so I’d pick up a pack of the aforementioned chocolate corn cakes mid-afternoon and often eat one dinner while cooking another. Living alone meant creamy pasta and one too many fajita wraps went undetected. Sarah’s focus was on me eating way more, but only the good stuff. The switch to egg whites (all hail Two Chicks), fresh animal protein and vegetables, not sullied by added sugars or lots of ‘healthy’
‘I’M BAFFLED THAT MY RESULTS CAME FROM THREE HOURS OF TRAINING A WEEK’
fats, tested me. I mean, how many ways can you serve up chicken breast? But actually, I found turkey mince to be a bit of a revelation – roll it into balls with some garlic and sage and you have, my friends, the best bit of your Christmas dinner to eat as a weekday lunch. Being more creative and batch cooking did get easier, although the constant search for Tupperware was the bane of my life. Having forever been a cardio girl (I fully credit suburban Jazzercise classes for getting me through a break-up) I was terrified of lifting. I spent the first week downplaying my attempts in case Sarah had been forced to start me off on the tiny weights. I’m still baffled that my results came from just three hours of strength training at Roar Fitness each week. Our programme comprised one back and chest session, one legs and shoulders session and then a third of arm exercises to try to build my upper body in line with my bigger bottom half. I was equally shocked that DOMS never really hit (honestly) but that might well be down to the magnesium salt baths I took a few times a week. For me, support is everything – and having a goal to work towards, especially one that involved other people, made the process far easier. Letting myself down comes easy, but knowing Sarah was putting her all into the process (she’s a total pro, and now a friend) and the unwavering cheerleading my boyfriend provided every step of the way meant that, should an early morning or doughnut craving get the better of me, I could see it off – because proving I could do this