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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Colin Crummy

Joe Wicks: 'My weakness is Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food so I don't have it in the house'

The Body Coach Joe Wicks
Joe Wicks: ‘I ride my electric skateboard to work.’ Photograph: Chris McAndrew for the Guardian

Sleep

I don’t have a TV or phone near me in the bedroom. I listen to Mellow Magic radio to get chilled out, and aim for eight hours. If you struggle with sleep, you’ll struggle with exercise and diet. I used to be terrible at getting up, but I’ve trained myself to be a morning person. I’m up at 7am and work out for 20 minutes before eating.

Eat

I eat three home-cooked meals a day, all prepared in advance. My ethos is to stay away from unsustainable low-calorie diets and aim for something balanced: loads of veg, protein and enjoy the carbs you love. Be realistic. I don’t count sugar or salt or grams of fat: it’s very restrictive and unenjoyable. For breakfast, I have oats soaked overnight in almond milk. For lunch, I eat one of my quick recipes; I’ll make it, then put it on Instagram. In the evening, I grill chicken and lots of veg. My weakness is Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food, so I don’t have it in the house.

Work

My phone is like my laptop. I work on it all day. I do a daily recipe and workout for social media, and document everything on Instagram Stories, including meetings. When I wake up, I check my notifications and bang out replies and tweets. I ride my electric skateboard to work and listen to the motivational podcast How I Built This, about entrepreneurs like Richard Branson. Anyone who is smashing it in life is usually really into exercise.

Family

I work with my brother and best mates, but I wouldn’t give any old plonker a job. With success, I’ve been able to spend more time with family and be financially supportive in a way I never thought I could. It was lovely to take friends to Vegas for my 30th; we try to have two trips a year. They’re the times you’ll remember, not the work.

Fun

I like going to the cinema or theatre, followed by a meal and cocktails. I’m typically home by midnight; I used to be a raver but not now, unless I’m on the boys’ trips to Vegas, Dubai or Miami. I went to see The Lion King recently. I gave my girlfriend my phone and she put it in her bag and I didn’t look at it until the next morning. That was really nice.

• The Fat-Loss Plan by Joe Wicks is out now (£16.99, Bluebird).

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