Rebecca Adlington: ‘I was a size 10 and now I’m a 16. I have struggled with my weight’

How did you fuel training?

My typical diet as an athlete was everything in moderation. We knew not to have takeaway and Maccies, but stuff like chia and flax seeds weren’t even in the supermarkets. 

I would be making sure to have protein, fibre, carbs. Eating the rainbow was the big thing. 

I love fruit and veg so it was never an issue in that sense. 

I get really bad ulcers if I don’t eat any fruit and veg. So when we went to China, I was told not to have any of the salads or the fruit because they wash it in their tap water. It got to the point where my mouth was so full of ulcers. I ended up in Hard Rock Cafe having a salad because we knew it would be washed in bottled water.

What do you eat now?

My diet now is terrible. I will cook mushrooms in a bit of butter, whereas I would never have done that as an athlete because of the fat content in butter. I would never have anything full-fat or cream. Now I have a whole milk cappuccino.

I do love to cook though, so meals at home are from scratch. My daughter is a vegetarian so we try to cater to everyone. I do have a sweet tooth.

What do you eat on a typical day?

I have breakfast on the go. I have an NGX protein shake; the company that makes it looks at your genes and gives you a recipe that suits you.

I’ll grab lunch at work if I’ve not been organised and packed a soup or salad.

Tea is a home cooked evening meal like a veggie stir fry or chilli. 

I do snack. I’m trying to have bananas, nuts or a yogurt. I went through a stage of having lots of protein bars and I don’t think they were helping me. 

My motto is everything in moderation. I’m not one of those who obsess over something. 

Do you take any supplements?

It was not a thing 15 years ago when was competing. Some people did but as an athlete I was very conscious of what I was putting in my body, even paracetamol. I didn’t want anything coming out on a drug test. People genuinely can’t believe I took zero supplements.

Now I take vitamins like zinc and omega fish oils. I don’t like the taste of fish. I’m not a massive meat eater either, so I do have a protein shake now. 

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I don’t smoke. I hardly drink alcohol. I’ll have one glass a week, mostly because I’ve read alcohol is bad hormone-wise. I love cheese though. I live for cheese. Also anything sweet.  Especially cake, but I’ll make it at home because it just tastes better. 

How do you look after your mental health

I was one of the first people in my sport to have a sports psychologist. 

My coach said to me after Beijing that I should see someone. At first I asked “Why, what’s wrong with me?”  He explained that he couldn’t help a 19-year-old girl mentally navigate what I was going through. I had never wanted to be in the spotlight and I found it very difficult. I was getting very heavily criticised for the way I look. 

On session one I clicked with the guy straight away and I realised it was going to make me a 10 times better athlete. I’d had a stigma that it meant you needed help, but it was the complete opposite. You have a personal trainer, a dietitian, why wouldn’t you have someone to mentally guide you? It was a great thing for my career, getting over the stigma of mental health.

Seven years after I retired I went to see a therapist as I’d started to suffer with anxiety. 

This idea that you should only focus on mental health because you’re going through something is wrong. You should focus on it on a weekly basis. I’ve learnt lots of tips and tricks that work for me. 

What’s your top health tip?

Being organised and prepared is the best way to stay healthy. If you’ve done your full shop and planned ahead for the week, it’s easier to stay on track. 

And your mental health tip?

I was one of those people who would be so busy until the end of the day. I’d put the kids in bed and then crash out but with my brain still whirring. Now I take moments in the day to take stock and slow down. 

How is your sleep?

I value my sleep. If I don’t get seven or eight hours, don’t be around me. I recover from everything with sleep. If I feel ill, I go to sleep. Mentally I’m not as productive when I’ve had a lack of sleep. 

Do you swim outdoors?

I do go outdoor swimming but I’m a wetsuit sort of girl. My husband and I swam in Lake Windermere. People try to compete with me and I quickly say ”Calm down, I’m not going to race you.” 

Any favourite health fads?

I tried cold water therapy recently and loved it. I was surprised because I heard lots of people say it makes you feel alive, and I thought “No, I like a warm pool”. But I lasted five minutes in it and did feel like I had loads of energy.