An Australian fitness trainer has revealed the six rules she follows to maintain her enviable figure, including doing less cardio and taking more days off – after admitting she has gone “to extremes” in the past to stay fit.
Rachel Dillon, from Queensland, has ditched the “all or nothing” approach to fitness she adopted eight years ago to prepare for a fitness competition, which she says is “unsustainable”.
In the Instagram post, Rachel shared a before-and-after photo showing how her body has changed since 2015, and she’s now “kinder” to herself when it comes to her diet and exercise routine.
BEFORE AND AFTER: Fitness trainer Rachell Dillon (pictured) admits to following an ‘extreme’ diet eight years ago and shares the rules she now follows to stay in shape
‘I don’t like one picture better than another. I love who I am and my journey in these two photos,” she captioned the photo.
“I’ve evolved anyway, and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved physically and mentally.”
Rachel says she makes sure to enjoy all foods in moderation, as well as various forms of training and exercise.
She also needs more rest days and less cardio, and says she embraces her body and loves her strength.
“Most importantly, I’ve never been better with myself and can say I’ve fully accepted that this is a lifelong journey and love it!” she said.
When the first photo was taken in 2015, Rachel was preparing for her first fitness competition and said she was doing everything she could to stay fit.
‘I’m 100% guilty of following an all or nothing approach. Honestly, when I look back at some of the extremes I’ve been to, it’s pretty scary,” she admits.
She says she eats “cooked plain fish” for breakfast every morning before she starts work at 5am.
“Honestly, everything about my first comp prep was overdone, but because I was new and uneducated, I didn’t question it. I followed everything to the tee,” Rachel explained.
2015 vs now: She ditched the all-or-nothing approach to fitness she took eight years ago to prepare for a fitness competition, which she called “unsustainable.”
‘Am I seeing good results? Sure, but is it sustainable in any way? of course not. ‘
In the years since, Rachel says she’s been working on cultivating a lifestyle she loves while achieving her fitness goals.
“I don’t really think it’s possible either, but the more I learn and the more I try, the closer I get to finding what works best for me and my ideal lifestyle,” she said.
“Eight years on, five compensations in place, and I’m proud to say that I’ve been enjoying and perfecting the lifestyle I live every day and couldn’t be happier.”
Rachel says she makes sure to enjoy all foods in moderation, as well as various forms of training and exercise.She also needs more rest days and less cardio
Previously, the fitness guru shared exactly what she eats in a day to feel full and look her best, as well as the nutrition tips she believes in.
The easiest way to avoid feeling deprived is to follow a diet called “bulk eating,” says Rachel.
This means you focus on filling your diet with foods that are higher in bulk (size) but lower in density (or calories).
Previously, Rachel shared her day on the plate and said the easiest way to avoid feeling deprived was to follow an eating method called “bulk eating”
By eating large quantities, she focuses on filling her diet with foods that are higher in volume (size) but lower in density (or calories)
She says non-starchy foods like tomatoes, spinach and broccoli can be added to your diet at will and don’t need to count towards your calorie intake
“When women first start a program, I often hear them say that they can’t believe how much food they can eat on a lower calorie basis,” Rachel wrote on Instagram.
“To keep you feeling full, I might choose four rice cakes with half a bagel on top to get the same number of calories.”
Typically, Rachel eats around 1,800-2,000 calories per day.
These include plenty of protein, complex carbohydrates, green leafy vegetables, and foods high in fiber.
“I focus on adding high-fiber foods like whole grains, vegetables and chia seeds to my meals to keep me feeling full for longer,” she says.
Breakfast might be a slice of whole grain toast, some egg whites, avocado, a handful of strawberries, and a handful of blueberries.
When it comes to lunchtime, Rachel likes to eat something energy-dense to keep her going through her training sessions.
On this day, she enjoyed some protein pasta, tuna, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, zucchini and tomato pasta sauce.
“Nonstarchy vegetables like broccoli, green beans, and tomatoes are high in fiber and extremely low in calories,” says Rachel.
Rachel likes to eat plenty of high-fiber fruits and vegetables, such as raspberries and blueberries, as these help keep her full for longer
Foods like tuna, high-protein pasta, and ground turkey are great choices to make you feel fuller
This makes them an excellent addition to any meal since you really don’t have to count their calories.
“I’ve found that foods like broccoli and tomatoes are the perfect way to add to my meals and help me feel satisfied, plus they’re full of micronutrients and delicious,” says Rachel.
In the morning she eats four rice cakes topped with cream cheese and cucumber, then in the afternoon she drinks a smoothie made with chia seeds, raspberries, sugar-free maple syrup and almond milk.
Rachel’s dinner this day is ground turkey, whole wheat noodles, soy sauce, chilli, snow peas, broccoli and cauliflower.
If she has a sweet tooth after dinner, a fitness trainer won’t turn her down a chocolate or two.
