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Josh Taylor admits ditching the junk food is a sacrifice worth making as he prepares for next month’s Commonwealth super lightweight title showdown with Dave Ryan.
The East Lothian boxer hopes to get hold of the vacant belt in the televised October 21 bout in front of his own fans at Meadowbank after winning his opening six professional fights inside three rounds.
Entering the ring with Ryan represents the first real test of the 25-year-old’s career but Taylor, who won Gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, is adamant he has made huge strides both in and outside the ring after conceding that he was not fuelling his body properly in the past.
Taylor, who is currently in London at trainer Shane McGuigan’s gym, said: “I’ve been learning a lot about what I eat and about eating plans over the last couple of years.
“I’m eating a lot more food, but better food so I’m having a lot more energy in training as opposed to coming home and eating maybe a pizza or a Chinese – that sort of stuff.
“I’m eating a lot more food but I’m eating a lot more of the right stuff to make sure I have the energy for training.
“You’re talking about your lean proteins and you’re good carbs, you’re brown rice. It’s really good and you do feel the difference from eating better.
“I’m not great at cooking but I try my best. I’ve got a food company that deliver food that’s all packed and ready to go.
“So it’s really handy if I can eat it straight away after being in the gym, I can stick it in the microwave or stick it in the oven and heat it up.
“I am getting better at cooking in terms of getting stuff from the butchers and things like that but I’m still quite basic.”
Ryan’s camp have already questioned whether Taylor would have enough in the tank to go 12 rounds against the seasoned 33-year-old Englishman but the Scot insists he is in the best shape of his life.
He added: “The next couple of weeks will probably be the hardest I’ve trained and then I’ll come back home for the last week and taper it off for the fight.
“I’m doing a lot of intense sparring just and doing a lot of cardio vascular stuff as well. I had a tough week last week and after the last session on Friday I was dead, I had no energy.
“It’s to be expected every now and then. It’s good having that in the bank, battling through it. It’s good for me mentally as well.
“I’m doing a lot of strength and conditioning training as well, circuits – weights for the explosiveness. It’s basically the same training I’ve done in the past, but more of it.
“I’m starting to get a lot fitter and now and getting more confident with every day.”
