‘‘Sebastian
simply stuck to
wholefoods and
tucked in
his serviette
according to
hunger rather
than the clock’’
Sebastian’s pre-challenge diet wasn’t
horrendous but nor was it as righteous as he
thought it was. A few years ago he reduced
what had been a fairly colossal carb intake
that included great piles of rice and pasta.
“When I cut back I thought I was being quite
hard-core, but I wasn’t,” he says.
Brabon-Hames mentored him through an
eating program called Carb Conscious Living,
which helped sculpt the new streamlined
singer. Here are the key points.
Grain Drain
Sebastian went cold turkey onto a ketogenic
diet for the first two weeks of his program,
drastically cutting carbs while upping healthy
fats, thus putting his body into a metabolic
state known as ketosis, where he was burning
fat for fuel instead of glucose.
What does that mean in practice? Well, for
example, Sebastian fuelled up for his morning
workouts with a combo of eggs, bacon and
avocado. In other words, no toast, no beans,
no oats.
Alcohol and dairy (Sebastian is lactose
intolerant) were off-limits, and he sank two
litres of water a day.
Green Machine
A ketogenic plan doesn’t mean zero carbs.
For health and wellbeing, “Guy was eating
heaps of vegetables, the greener the better,”
says Em. Lots of asparagus, zucchini, spinach,
rocket, Bok Choy and lettuce.
Building Up
After the first fortnight, Guy reintroduced a
healthy grain (brown rice) and more energy-
dense vegetables (sweet potato, carrots,
broccoli, peas) to ensure his muscles were
being properly fed. Quantities increased
gradually through the challenge, though
portion control was always a priority.
“Portion control is fist-size protein, palm-
size vegetables and two palms’ leafy greens,”
says Em. “You can eat that as many times a
day as you feel like. But it really needs to be
in those sizes.”
The Whole Truth
Don’t bother counting kilojoules, Em told
Sebastian, who simply stuck to wholefoods
and tucked in his serviette according to
ALL SHRED AND DONE
You can’t out-train a bad diet. To get ripped, follow
Sebastian’s plan of fewer carbs, extra fats, ample
protein – and a raincheck on drinks with the crew
hunger rather than the clock. Slashing carbs
is no picnic. “Early on, Jules and I went
through one week where we were
disgustingly hungry and whining about it,”
says Sebastian. “But that passes. I don’t
obsess about food anymore.”This For That
“My saviour has been the substitutes I’ve
used for old favourites,” says Sebastian.
For bread, he subbed in Protein Bread
(theproteinbreadco.com.au), which has
17 grams of protein and 1.5 grams of carbs
per serve. While you make it yourself from
a packet mix, it’s idiot-proof – and edible
without being a taste sensation. “I don’t need
bread anymore.”
For rice and pasta, Slendier products
(slendier.com), made from the vegetable
konjac, allowed Sebastian to keep consuming
the kind of meals he grew up on, like his
mum’s curries.
Soy milk was tossed for unsweetened
almond milk, which Sebastian used to make
between-meal shakes that included protein
powder, banana and ice.SAMPLE DAY’S MUNCHING
Breakfast (pre-workout):
Poached eggs, bacon, avocado
Mid-morning snack
(post-workout): Protein shake
Lunch: Pistachio salmon fillet with
cabbage and zucchini, provided by
meal-delivery service Hexey
Afternoon snack (optional):
Shaved turkey and avocado on
toasted protein bread
Dinner: Steak and prawns with
cauliflower mash and greensGUY SEBASTIAN WOULD LIKE TO THANK:
His trainers Chief Brabon and
Emilie Brabon-Hames of
TransformationCoach.com
His nutrition advisers (as above)
Meal supplier Hexey (hexey.com.au)
BodyScience (bodyscience.com.au)
Under Armour (underarmour.com.au)
Plus Fitness, MaroubraThe New Couple:
Guy and Jules
Sebastian.COVER GUY