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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Nia Dalton

Mark Wright's daily diet that he treats like a job and how he helped Arg lose 13st

When Mark Wright isn't busy presenting a television show or spending time with his wife Michelle Keegan, you'll find him working out in his £3.5 million Essex mansion - or tucking into a handful of nuts.

The former The Only Way Is Essex star has long maintained a healthy and impressive fitness regime, even launching a gymwear brand and online coaching app to help motivate his 1.8 million fans.

But despite how easy the 36-year-old makes it look to run the London Marathon and lift his bodyweight doing pull-ups, a whole lot of determination, self-control and strict planning goes into it.

Mark treats the weekdays like work and sticks to a diet and fitness regime (INSTAGRAM)
The 36-year-old counts the weekends as cheat days and loves a Chinese takeout (Instagram/ @wrightyhome)

"I treat my diet and workouts during the weekdays like work. It's part of my daily routine that I have to do," Mark told the Mirror.

"During the week, I gym and eat clean, then I have the weekends off. So when it gets to Monday, I've had enough takeaways and feel excited to get back on it."

Mark said he has a "massive amount of balance" in his diet and always 'cheats' on Saturdays and Sundays with a Chinese takeaway or Indian in a restaurant.

"I never use the scales and I don't think I ever have. It's just the mirror and how I feel in my body," Mark explained.

The radio presenter will typically start his day with a black coffee and bowl of porridge with honey, or yoghurt with granola or toast.

Inside Mark and Michelle's Essex kitchen, you'll find nuts, porridge and salad (Getty Images for Atlantis The Ro)
Mark's staple morning snack is 30g of almonds to support his gut health (Mark Wright/California Almonds)

"Around 11am, I'll have a handful of almonds and a protein shake. A nutritionist told me 15 years ago to have 30g of almonds whenever I feel hungry in between meals," he said.

Mark, who has partnered with California Almonds to encourage Brits to open up and learn about gut health, swears by snacking on nuts to keep his energy levels high.

"Almonds are great on-the-go and tick so many nutritional boxes with fibre, good fats and polyphenols, all of which are thought to support gut health," he said.

At lunchtime, the fitness fanatic will eat a chicken salad, sometimes with rice or potatoes, and have another snack of almonds if he's still hungry in the afternoon.

"Then for dinner, I'll have chicken or fish with vegetables, and if I'm carbing, brown rice or pasta," he explained.

He likes to eat chilli con carne or creamy prawn noodles for dinner (REX/Shutterstock)
Mark always has a goal to work towards like the London Marathon (Instagram)

If he's got more time, Mark might whip up turkey kofta kebabs, a beef chilli con carne or creamy prawn noodles.

"I've got a massive appetite so I'm not somebody who can diet by hardly eating. My stomach needs a lot of food and I do get hungry," he said.

"I fill myself up with as much clean protein, vegetables and salad as I want."

His secret to staying motivated is "always having a goal to work towards", whether that be a holiday - like Ibiza in two weeks - or an event, like Soccer Aid.

"It is tough keeping on track when I'm travelling, but I always remember how my body feels when I'm in shape," Mark said.

"I'm going away at Christmas so my goal this time is to get in shape for December 15, then I can just enjoy myself for three weeks until the New Year.

He didn't prioritise working out while filming his new BBC series with his family (BBC / Twenty Twenty)

"If I'm travelling for work, I stick to it. But if I'm on holiday, I won't gym or diet. I might watch my portion sizes, but I won't turn down tapas or beer by the pool."

Though while filming his new BBC series, A Wright Family Holiday, with his brother Josh and dad Mark, he put the show's adventures before the gym.

"I didn't workout that much while I was there, because it was long hours," the former Essex model explained.

"We stayed in caves, tents and airplanes and didn't have amazing sleeping conditions. With my brother being a professional footballer, he was getting up running every day.

"I did the odd bit and kept in touch with my diet, but I didn't go full out."

Learning how to balance everything is one of the tricks he's taught best pal James Argent, who recently lost 13 stone with the help of life-changing surgery.

Mark has played a part in best friend Arg's incredible transformation (Instagram/real_arg)
His pal Olly Murs used his fitness app to prep for his tour and wedding (ollymurs/Instagram)

The reality star underwent a gastric sleeve and tummy tuck, and is now finally "in a good place" after becoming sober and battling the addictions he struggled with for years.

"I've given Arg non-stop advice and he's worked out with me. I go to the gym that's near his house and he joins me," Mark said.

"I've definitely had a part to play in his journey, but he's done a lot of that himself as well. I'm massively proud."

The TOWIE costar has been a huge support and helping hand to Arg over the years, and his weight loss transformation was no different.

"He's completely and utterly turned his life around. At one stage, it was getting to the point where I didn't think it would ever happen," Mark admitted.

James has lost 13st with the help of a gastric sleeve and tummy tuck (GC Images)
Mark said he is always smiling and happier than ever nowadays (James Argent/Instagram)

"But he's happier than he's ever been. He looks amazing and feels amazing, and all he does is smile now. So it's lovely to see."

And Arg isn't the only Essex figure Mark has inspired recently - singer and television personality Olly Murs is hooked on his fitness app, Live Wright.

"I did a live workout with Olly and he loved it. He started following a workout on my Instagram of me and Ant Middleton," Mark explained.

"Then he said to me, 'Mark, I can't keep doing the same workout'. And I said, 'bloody sign up to it then'. Now he's using the app and loves it.

"He text me saying that he used it in the run up to his tour and wedding prep."

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