Day on a Plate and exercise regimes with Melissa Whitelaw

She may have first risen to fame after briefly dating One Direction singer Niall Horan back in early 2015, but Edge of My Desire’s Melissa Whitelaw has long since moved on – forging her own path as a prominent Australian lifestyle influencer.

And while we love her for her various fashion and beauty looks, it’s her health-focused posts that have us really tuning in. Previously admitting that she has “battled with my body image for as long as I can remember and I still do today…”, we have to say – that from where we’re sitting, it looks pretty darn #bodygoals to us.

With summer rapidly approaching and the impending arrival of bikini season, we decided to get Melissa in to provide us with some much needed health inspo. Here, she opens up her fridge and talks us through a typical Day on a Plate and exercise regimes.

5:30am
Wake up
I start my day with a mug of hot water, 1 tbs of apple cider vinegar, lemon and a drop of honey to help stimulate my digestive system and combat bloating. Shortly after I make myself an almond latte (my only coffee of the day).

7am
Breakfast
My breakfast is usually higher carb and includes 2 options…

Option 1:
Carrot cake protein oats: soak overnight 60 grams of oats, almond milk, 1 scoop of vanilla vegan pea protein, 1/4 cup shredded carrot, 1/2 tsp stevia, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Tastes just like carrot cake!

Option 2:
2 pieces of spelt toast with cottage cheese and 2 poached eggs.

10am
Snack
Banana or strawberries and a dollop of Greek yoghurt.

1:30pm
Lunch
Tuna or grilled chicken salad with a VERY generous portion of spinach leaves, roasted sweet potato, capsicum, cherry tomato, cucumber, and purple cabbage topped with balsamic vinegar and pepita seeds or buckinis for a yummy crunch!

4pm
Train
KX Pilates, HIIT or a long walk depending on the day of the week and how my body is feeling. Sometimes I will have a small protein bar or protein shake if I’m hungry and to aid in muscle recovery.

7pm
Dinner
I usually have meat and three veg, either teriyaki (I use @jshealth teriyaki marinade recipe) baked chicken or salmon with a big serving of steamed greens. I normally like to have an English breakfast or peppermint tea after dinner.

If I feel like a treat, I will have a few squares of 85% organic dark chocolate or a homemade cacao and chia bliss ball. Leaving three hours between dinner and bed really helps combat my digestive issues and bloating.

9:10-10pm
Sleep
My partner and I do a @headspace_aus meditation session together every night and it puts us straight to sleep every time.