Friday 13 January 2012

The Artful Diner has been set a challenge: to attend a personal training session once a week for the month of January, eat healthily and (hopefully) shed those post-Christmas pounds. The trainer is renowned strength and conditioning coach Jezz Wilcox, from The Third Space health and fitness club, and the objective is to lose 10lbs. Here’s what happened during the first 24 hours of The Artful Diner’s January detox…

6.15am

Alarm buzzes and snooze is hit immediately. Eventually roll out of bed and run around like a madwoman, grabbing all the necessities for my first training session at The Third Space club in Soho.

7am

Meet Jezz for our session. We run through some past exercise history, like how much I’ve trained before, and talk about my goals. First session is all about boxing. We do some dynamic stretching near the rock-climbing wall (yes, a rock-climbing wall!) before Jezz guides me through a mix of boxing routines.

8am

Session finishes: I’m red-faced and super sweaty following a great workout. I hit the showers to pleasantly find Redken hair products waiting for me. I lurrve hair products! After a shower I head to one of my favourite coffee houses in London, Flat White, and order a skim milk latte, minus the sugar…

10am

Arrive at the office and begin sifting through emails, phoning chefs, tweeting and planning meetings.

12pm

Catch up with Paternoster Chop House head chef, Bruce Wilson, to take some images of his lovely roast chicken recipe.

1pm

Grab some food from Exmouth Market. Opt for the healthy option of a bento box at the cute Japanese café Nécco.

2pm

Back to the office to write up some features, resize images for the blog and catch up for a few meetings.

5.30pm

After-work drinks down at the local pub – it’s gin and tonic with a slice of cucumber for me! Of course one drink leads into three…

7.30pm

I’m feeling like something French-inspired so head to Orrery in Marylebone and order the healthiest option on the menu: pavé of salmon with a herbed crust served with wild mushrooms and Castelluccio lentils. The salmon is cooked in its own juices in a vacuum, so retains its healthy omega-3 content. The seasonal trompette mushrooms and nutritious lentils make this dish a fabulously healthy alternative.

10pm

Leave Orrery and head home.

11pm

Flop into bed after a busy day, ready to do it all again tomorrow. Well, not the session with Jezz – that’ll be next week. Can’t wait!