David Hicks is an interior designer. The 51-year-old shares his day on a plate.
7am Wake up and do 30 minutes on the treadmill at an incline, burning 300 calories. Then 30 minutes of yin yoga to counteract body compression. Skip breakfast as usual, drink water, feed the dogs and head to work.
1pm Caesar salad with chicken (no bacon, no anchovies) and water after marking up drawings and preparing information.
3pm Still hungry, I have some panettone back in the office after a meeting.
7.30pm Feed the dogs before having chicken and sweet potato from Bondi Meal Prep. Still hungry, I eat some salt-and-vinegar rice crackers and drink more water. After watching TV and scrolling Instagram. I go to bed at 10.30pm.
Dr Joanna McMillan says
Top marks for… Keeping meals fairly simple and protein-centred, which supports muscle repair after morning training. Choosing water as your main drink and avoiding processed meats in the caesar also helps reduce your overall salt and saturated fat intake.
If you keep eating like this you’ll… Struggle to get enough fibre, which matters for gut health, cholesterol control and appetite regulation – and may explain why hunger keeps creeping in between meals. Limiting the variety of vegetables and eating chicken as the main protein in two meals also means missing out on protective plant compounds and nutrients such as magnesium, potassium and folate.
Why don’t you try… Starting the day with something small but rich in protein and fibre – think yoghurt with berries, nuts and seeds, or a boiled egg with wholegrain avocado toast – to steady appetite hormones and reduce afternoon grazing. At meals, think “add plants”. This could take the form of extra veg in the caesar, legumes or whole grains as a side, or swapping chicken for oily fish to boost your intake of omega-3 fats.
David Hicks celebrates 25 years shaping luxury interiors worldwide.
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Nicole Economos is a Social Media Producer/Journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
