HOLLY CARPENTER ON HOW HER PALEO DIET HAS CHANGED HER LIFE
Once I got into the habit of the Paleo diet, I felt so much better
Between the catfights and the catwalk tasks, the latest series of Britain & Ireland’s Next Top Model
looked challenging for all involved. But, as Dublin-born contestant Holly Carpenter reveals, what we saw on screen was the mere tip of the iceberg.
While the 14 contestants certainly fitted the lean, leggy model stereotype, keeping matchfit throughout the competitive series was a struggle for Holly, who came seventh.
“I expected that there would be no opposing workouts in the house, but there was no gym,” she recalls. “We weren’t allowed to leave for a walk or run, and some days we’d be at a beach shoot and they’d bring us fast food on set. I tried to do sit-ups and stuff but there was literally no time or leeway for it.
“It was one extreme or the other — you were either homesick and stressed and eating away, or you were so busy you’d nearly faint with hunger.”
In fact, the only thing that made her comfortable on camera was the fact that, before filming the reality series, she was in the best shape of her life.
“My trainer Sophie (Kavanagh) was working with me six days a week, and sometimes twice a day,” she admits. “When I was working out, Sophie was like, ‘you don’t know what these other girls are doing ahead of the show, they could be working out twice as hard as you’, so that got me in a really competitive mindset.
“Thank God I was so comfortable with myself before I left because as a model, you become so conscious of your weight,” she added.
“A lot of the girls were size zero and though they are clearly meant to be that way naturally, it really affected my confidence. You can see towards the end of the show I’m not as confident or comfortable in my skin, but once I got home, I was delighted to get back into my routine.”
With a host of modelling jobs on offer here and in the UK, Holly has certainly put the experience behind her. Yet working in both markets has given her pause for thought.
“In the UK, (models) seem to go to extreme measures to stay thin,” she observes. “Irish designers love the healthy look and will actually tell you that you’re a bit too thin. I think people look up to me, especially after Miss Ireland, and if I was doing something crazy and keeping myself at an unrealistic weight, I’d feel a bit guilty.”
Sure enough, Holly isn’t one for paying lip service to how effortless it is to maintain her size-eight figure. Noting that she only got into training and fitness recently, the 21-year-old admits that she has to put the hard yards in.
“I’m glad I was never too body conscious or worried about my love handles in school,” she says. “These days, I analyse my body all the time. I started modelling at 19, and if I ever had a daughter, I’d only let her model once she’d finished school. There is too much pressure otherwise.
“There are genuinely girls that are size zero because of their metabolism, but I do have to work at it,” she says. “I see these models with six-packs saying that they scoff burgers and chips and never work out, but you can’t expect young girls to look up to that.
“I don’t mind talking about the times you have to sit in, not drinking, not being able to order anything on the menu.”
These days, with the help of Sophie at No 17 Personal Training on Merrion Square in Dublin, Holly finds herself scheduling daily workouts around her work.
Short, high-intensity workouts are Sophie’s weapon of choice, meaning that Holly has dropped to a size eight. “After half an hour I’m absolutely wrecked,” laughs Holly. “I’m in and out within the hour, but my heart rate and metabolism stay high for the day.”
Also helping Holly along in her quest for well-being is the Paleo diet — a regime that favours foods available in prehistoric times (think meat, fish, nuts, vegetables).
“When I started it a year ago, I was miserable,” she smiles. “But once I got into the habit, I felt so much better and it made a crazy difference to my skin.
“That said, I’m an all or nothing person; I will go for months having a flawless diet, salmon for breakfast and all that. Then, out of the blue, I will have a crazy week of going out on weeknights, having takeaway on the way home.
“I guess it’s all about balance. Once I go to the gym, there’s a sense that I’ve earned my ‘cheat meals’ and it tastes much better.”
Needless to say, having a rugbystar boyfriend — Ireland and Leinster prop Cian Healy — has both its advantages and disadvantages. These days, Cian is calorie-loading ahead of the new rugby season . . . but burning everything through gruelling training sessions.
‘M y daily workout is his warm-up,” reveals Holly. “Cian can lose up to a stone in one match. It’s crazy though, he can open a bar of Galaxy, have a few bites and just leave it there, which drives me insane. We have rules now — ‘no leaving it where I can see it’.
“He does have the biggest sweet tooth ever. Whenever he’s away for matches, I always have the best weigh-ins.”
Holly admits that the wining and dining in new relationships can often take a toll on the waistline: “It can be tough but sometimes people look for excuses (not to eat well),” she observes.
“Cian and I love the Bay restaurant in Clontarf as they have all their calories on the menu.”
After BINTM, Cian’s support was a boon to the model.
“When Cian was injured after the Lions tour, he was really down but he didn’t dwell on it,” reveals Holly.
“When I get a knock, I shut down. After the show, I didn’t even know if I wanted to be a model anymore, but he was very ‘chin up’ about it all. There’s a lot to be said for a sportsman’s mentality.”
