SEPTEMBER 2019 MEN’S FITNESS 57MENTAL 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
Latukefu took the time to learn about how
seriously professional athletes take their
recovery after their games and events and
applied it during filming and prep forThe
Legend of Baron To'a.
“I did this because I got my fair share
of knocks and bruises and from shooting
every day, so I needed to be on point
with how I treated my body,” Latukefu
reveals. “This meant I applied plenty
of recovery methods where I alternated
between ice baths and hot tubs after
training and shooting.
“Another element I found helped was
the use of compression boots. They were
definitely not the first thing you’d want to
do after a 12-hour shoot day, but I needed
to show up the next day ready.”
ENERGY EATING
Latukefu followed Emilie’s Carb Conscious
Nutrition™ program, which cuts out sugars
and most carbs for the first few weeks
Nutrition strategy
◆ “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.Danger Close: The Battle
of Long Tan◆August 18, 1966. Late
Afternoon. South Vietnam.
108 Aussie and Kiwi soldiers
battle against 2500 North
Vietnamese and Viet
Cong soldiers. Relive
the nail-biting drama,
at cinemas now.
dangerclosemovie.combefore gradually reintroducing them in
smaller portion sizes.
“It has been pretty amazing,” Latukefu
says of the nutrition program. “I was never
big on eating vegetables – to the point
where I actually hated most of them – but
now they've become part of our cooking
at home. My daughter was the same, but
now she asks for broccoli because it’s our
new normal.
“I think that was the biggest thing for me
regarding nutrition. We have revamped our
way of eating at home with our meals and it
feels good. It’s no secret that you feel better
when you put quality fuel in your body. It’s
definitely essential to better living.”ADAPTABLE EATINGThe biggest mistake Latukefu had been
making with meal prepping and planning
was not doing it so well when he was on
the road travelling.“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.