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Interview

Y&R's Bryton James (Devon) and Hunter King (Summer) Shape Up For Summer

Bryton James (Devon)

Diet: “I prefer to have big lunches and big dinners, so for breakfast I have a healthy shake. Vega One is a vegan protein that’s all plant-and vegetable-based, so you get your servings of vegetables mixed with some healthy protein. I’ll mix it with flax milk, frozen berries and maybe a little bit of peanut butter. It’s super-simple and holds me over until lunch. It’s really only been within the last couple of years that I’ve cut out meat entirely, except for fish and chicken, and this last year has been no chicken. There are now these Beyond Meat and veggie proteins that you can have in place of meat. For lunch, these soy-based hot sausage links are delicious and I’ll have those with veggies. Or I’ll take a plant-based patty and use the same stuff on a burger, like pickles, lettuce and vegan cheese on a bun, because I still eat bread. I also still eat eggs, so if I eat out, I’ll get a breakfast burrito with eggs, avocado, cheese and spinach. Chipotle has a good tofu substitute for their dishes and I also love sushi. For dinner, we’ll have fish with lots of veggies. Brytni [Sarpy, Elena, his girlfriend] has a great fried fish recipe for sole or tilapia. For a snack, I’ll make popcorn in this really cool silicone bowl. It doesn’t use any oil and it’s super-easy.” Fitness: “I go to the gym three to four times a week. I’ll alternate different workouts each time and focus on one muscle group by using three or four different machines or exercises. I just find that I see results a little better [that way]. For legs, one day I’ll do squats with holding weights, the leg press machines and leg curls, three to four reps for each exercise. I’ll do it until I can’t and then stop. I’m usually at the gym for about an hour. The next time will be my back exercises and chest muscles after that. I find if I don’t push a certain muscle group to its max and completely focus on that, the exercise seems a little too easy. For cardio, I play basketball and that’s a nice workout. There’s lots of running and jumping and it doesn’t feel like exercising.”

Bryton’s top three tips

* “I still eat french fries and chips; it’s just about exercising portion control. And treat yourself. I love candy so every couple of months, I’ll go into the candy and get a bag of red licorice, Starbursts, Skittles and Sour Punch Straws and make it last for as long as I can.”

* “Go ahead and grill those [meatless] Beyond Burgers and sausages. They cook beautifully and you get that great grill flavor.”

* “You don’t need expensive equipment to work out at home. I have some free weights and a medicine ball, and I just got this pull-up bar that you can install in the doorway. Having these things at home takes away any of your excuses.”

Hunter King (Summer)

Diet: “I’m up for work early so I’m not normally hungry and I just have coffee. When I get to work, I make Michael [Mealor, Kyle] go to lunch with me. We usually go to Erewhon [Organic Grocer & Cafe] and get something healthy, like chicken and veggies. If we go out for lunch, I’ll have protein and veggies. I have lots of snacks in my dressing room, like protein bars and 100-calorie nut packs of almonds and cashews. That’s also how I get people to come hang out with me. Michael is like, ‘Hey, can I come grab a snack?’ I’m thinking, ‘Yes! It’s working!’ because it’s more my way of hanging out with my friends. For dinner, sometimes it’s a lot of carbs because I am a carb queen, and that’s okay. It’s all about balance. I’m trying to limit my red meat intake. I don’t truly love meat, but I have a lot of allergies that make it impossible for me to go full vegan. But usually I’ll do chicken or turkey or I’ll have a meat substitute.”

Fitness: “Before this whole quarantine thing started, I worked out five to six times a week. I’ll lift weights and when I feel I’m hitting a plateau, I’ll change it up to Pilates. I’ll usually be at the gym for an hour and a half. I do leg day twice a week, the next day I’ll do back and biceps, and the next day chest and triceps. To me, it’s fun because you don’t really get bored when you’re always using different kinds of equipment. I also run three miles a day, and sometimes I’ll go for six or seven. I like to work out alone because I can go at my own pace. If I have a workout buddy, we usually end up talking and laughing. Since being in quarantine, I’m doing what they call HIIT workouts, which is high intensity interval training. You do three different circuits and you repeat a circuit three times. I’ll do push-ups, jump lunges, something with abs and then another squat.”

Hunter’s top three tips

* “Running outside is a great way not to get bored with exercise because you can take a different route every time and see new scenery.”

* “Be creative when it comes to exercise. I get plenty of cardio when I take my dog for a long walk, or I should say, when she takes me for a walk.”

* “Love your body no matter what. I always hated my legs because they’re muscular, but I’m learning how to embrace them. You have to accept there are things that you can’t change.”

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