Ilona Maher trains hard, plays hard, and eats her carbs. No, really, and lots of them.
Videos by FanBuzz
Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images
The U.S. rugby star, fresh off a bronze medal in the Paris Olympics and now playing for the Bristol Bears, has little patience for the latest diet trends dominating social media. Maher, 29, says she is no enemy of protein, but she believes the obsession has gone too far.
"I have a high-protein diet, but I also have probably the highest-carb diet ever," Maher told listeners of Kylie Kelce's Not Gonna Lie podcast. "I was raised on very high-carb diets. And carbs are really the energy that you need — that's science, truly."
She makes sure to include protein with most meals, but she is hardly militant about it. "I think I could be leaner if I was really focusing on protein," she said. "But I just don't see — I think I'm fine."
Kelce, the wife of former Eagles center Jason Kelce and a former college athlete herself, agreed, criticizing what she sees as unnecessary protein swaps. Both women pointed to cottage cheese — once an afterthought, now used online as a replacement for cream cheese, sour cream, even ice cream.
"Don't lie to yourself," Maher said, laughing. "I saw one that was like protein tiramisu. She dips the rice cake in espresso and then she puts Greek yogurt on there. I was like, that's not even f—ing close."
Maher prefers "real food" after workouts — eggs, beef jerky, or a simple protein shake. "I just don't know if we need that much," she said. "Because I'm doing fine and I just had a bagel this morning."
Nutritionists note that too much protein can backfire, contributing to weight gain, clogged arteries, and higher risks of age-related conditions, as relayed by the New York Post.
For Maher, the formula seems simpler: train, fuel up, and keep the carbs.
