Australian Men’s Fitness – September 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019 MEN’SFITNESS 57

MENTAL MANA

“You've got to do the work,” Latukefu

says. “We all have dreams, visions and

aspirations in life, but the reality is that
they don't and won’t ever come to pass

if you don't get your hands dirty and get

busy figuring it all out.
“Sometimes the fear of looking stupid,

making mistakes or wanting things to be
perfect and presentable stops us from

moving forward. The refining of yourself

and whatever you're working on in life
is a constant process, which you need

to embrace. You’ve got to learn that

this process demands your patience,
where you need to learn, grow, apply

and repeat.”

RECOVERY UNCOVERED

Latukefutookthetimetolearnabouthow

seriouslyprofessionalathletestaketheir

recoveryaftertheirgamesandeventsand
appliedit duringfilmingandprepforThe

LegendofBaronTo'a.
“I didthisbecauseI gotmyfairshare

ofknocksandbruisesandfromshooting

everyday,soI neededtobeonpoint
withhowI treatedmybody,”Latukefu

reveals.“ThismeantI appliedplenty

ofrecoverymethodswhereI alternated
betweenicebathsandhottubsafter

trainingandshooting.

“AnotherelementI foundhelpedwas
theuseofcompressionboots.Theywere

definitelynotthefirstthingyou’dwantto
doaftera 12-hourshootday,butI needed

toshowupthenextdayready.”

ENERGYEATING

LatukefufollowedEmilie’sCarbConscious

Nutrition™program,whichcutsoutsugars

andmostcarbsforthefirstfewweeks

Nutritionstrategy

◆ “To shred some serious fat, while increasing lean muscle mass, Emilie created a custom eating plan

based on her highly successful Carb Conscious Nutrition™ program,” says Chief. “This saw Uli strip

all alcohol, sugars, fruits and complex carbohydrates from his diet for two weeks, then Emilie slowly

started introducing specific clean, purposeful carbs back into his eating plan.

“Throughout the entire transformation, Emilie focused on fuelling Uli’s high-intensity training with

carbohydrates sourced mostly from vegetables, while ensuring he was getting plenty of protein

from lean meats, fish and vegies.”

Here’s an example of what Latukefu ate in a day during the final two weeks of his transformation...

Typical daily meals

Breakfast: omelette with capsicum, mushrooms, avocado, spinach and haloumi, served

on protein toast.

Mid-morning: post-workout protein shake made with almond milk.

Lunch: large, leafy green salad with lean grilled chicken and almond slivers.

Mid-afternoon: sashimi and nori (seaweed)

Dinner: lean beef stir-fry, served on cauliflower rice, or a lean burger with all the fixings,

but replacing the bun with crisp lettuce leaves.

Evening: a small protein shake made with almond milk.

DangerClose:TheBattle

ofLongTan

◆August18,1966.Late

Afternoon.SouthVietnam.

108 AussieandKiwisoldiers

battleagainst 2500 North

VietnameseandViet

Congsoldiers.Relive

thenail-bitingdrama,

atcinemasnow.

dangerclosemovie.com

beforegraduallyreintroducingthemin

smallerportionsizes.

“Ithasbeenprettyamazing,”Latukefu

saysofthenutritionprogram.“I wasnever

bigoneatingvegetables– tothepoint

whereI actuallyhatedmostofthem– but

nowthey'vebecomepartofourcooking

at home.Mydaughterwasthesame,but

nowsheasksforbroccolibecauseit’sour

newnormal.

“I thinkthatwasthebiggestthingforme

regardingnutrition.Wehaverevampedour

wayofeatingat homewithourmealsandit

feelsgood.It’snosecretthatyoufeelbetter

whenyouputqualityfuelinyourbody.It’s

definitelyessentialtobetterliving.”

ADAPTABLEEATING

ThebiggestmistakeLatukefuhadbeen

makingwithmealpreppingandplanning

wasnotdoingit sowellwhenhewason

theroadtravelling.

“Variety is key to me,” Latukefu says.

“Though it’s not always feasible when

away from home, mixing up my protein

sources, spices and seasoning really

helped. I don't miss any foods in particular

because I'll let myself have it if I really want

it, but I’ll have it way less frequently than

I used to and in much smaller portions.

“I enjoy feeling fit and healthy, so I avoid

that junk food lull you get afterwards as

much as I can. It’s wise to see the food

for what it is – fuel – and just set to work.

SUGGESTION TO OTHERS

“I feel support, accountability and

professional guidance are key to success,

Latukefu says. “Having an individual or

a group of people who care about you

and what you’re doing will always keep

you motivated, honest and focused.

““Most of all, you should take the time

to enjoy the process. Appreciate the

sensation of seeing and feeling your body

look and move in a new way at every stage

because it’s exciting and very rewarding.”

Latukefu as Bombardier Ray Ngatai in Danger Close (above left) and as Byamba in TV series Marco Polo.