Inside David Haye's strict 5-rule diet that keeps him looking ‘as sexy as possible'

David Haye’s five strict ‘rules’ to living and looking ‘as sexy as possible’ have resurfaced, including how much water he drank per day and why he went cold turkey on fruit.

According to an Instagram post written back in November 2022, the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! favourite, 45, reduced his total body fat percentage from 22.5 to 10 percent in just two months.

The former professional boxer embarked on his ‘fat to fit’ eight-week challenge in 2022, allegedly spurned on by his so-called ‘ridiculous rolls of fat’.

“Body fat went from 10 [percent] to 22.5 [percent] in three months, just by doing what everybody else is doing,” he wrote. “I’m not overeating, I was eating desserts and drinking alcohol with everybody else and this is what happens. I’ve got all this cellulite and horrible stuff to the side, I am a mere mortal.”

Eight weeks later, Haye revealed that he had gotten shredded again by exercising five to six times per week for 30 to 90 minutes and by following a set of five rigid rules.

“We only live once, why not live it looking as sexy as possible,” he added.

Rule 1: Prioritise nutrition in a calorie deficit

“Load up on nutrients, minerals and vitamin rich food to stay healthy. It’s no good getting sick which can easily happens on a calorie deficit diet,” the sportsman wrote.

As defined by dietitian Jessica Tilton, a calorie defecit can be reached by ‘consuming fewer calories, increasing physical activity levels or both’.

“Most weight loss programs recommend a reduction in calories and an increase in physical activity as a sensible and, more importantly, sustainable way to promote weight loss,” she explained, as per the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

She warned that with a well-balanced diet of whole foods and up to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity per week, most people can remain in a caloric deficit ‘until they meet their weight loss goals’.

Kamsons Pharmacy recommends including protein, carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, and a moderate amount of healthy fat when a calorie-deficient diet is desired.

“Choosing satisfying, nutrient-dense foods can make a calorie deficit feel more manageable,” the healthcare chain added.

Rule 2: No sugar

Scientific studies have previously suggested that too much added or ‘free’ sugar can cause weight gain, tooth decay, and diabetes.

The NHS recommends you consume no more than 30g of free sugars per day. This is roughly the equivalent of seven sugar cubes.

Fruit sugars are generally considered to be healthy for you as they are slower to absorb than refined sugars and are usually packed with fibre and essential nutrients.

Alongside cutting out free sugar from his diet, Haye opted to abstain from fruit, too.

He reasoned: “[Fruit] is the hardest sacrifice for me, but once I’m back at 10 [percent] body fat, I then deserve some fruit!”

Rachel Lander-Canseco, a registered dietitian with Keck Medicine of USC, said that not everyone who wants to lose weight needs to go as the British heavyweight legend.

“For some reason, people think that because fruits are sweet that they’re off-limits,” she explained.

Lander-Canseco added: “The benefits you get from them outweigh the glucose impact that you would get from say, bread, white flours or other carbohydrates.”

Rule 3: Cutting carbohydrates

To achieve his 12.5 percent body fat reduction in 2022, Hayes said he cut out carbohydrates, such as bread, rice, potatos and pasta.

Experts at Australia’s Fitness First have warned that carbs are one of the three essential nutrients required by your body for optimal function and that you should think twice before going cold turkey on them.

“Complex carbohydrates like rice and quinoa, as well as whole grains, barley, spelt and oats, can actually play a key role in fat loss when included as part of a healthy diet,” it added.

“So provided you’re choosing the best sources of carbs, there’s no need to limit your intake or count carbs.”

Startchy foods, such as potatoes, bread, rice pasta, and cereals should make up just over a third of the food you eat, as per the UK’s Eatwell Guide.

University Hospitals Sussex added that you should aim to consume 120 to 150g of carbohydrates daily.

Rule 4: Hydration is key

During his successful eight week cut, Haye said he was drinking a minimum of three litres of water every single day.

In the Eatwell Guide, the British government recommended aiming to drink between six and eight glasses of fluid a day.

This goal can easily be achieved by drinking plain water, juice, tea, milk or coffee.

Benefits of hydrating include: aiding digestion, improving skin health, preventing headaches and boosting energy levels.

Rule 5: Eating later in the day

For many, breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it sets you up for work, exercise, or whatever social plans are on the cards.

However, Haye said he preferred to eat his first meal of the day in the early afternoon, rather than first thing in the morning.

Experts at the Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center say that between 10 am and 2 pm each day, your metabolism peaks, making it the best time to eat for digestive function.

However, according to one study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, constantly consuming calories later in the day is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Tim Spector, professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London, has advised moving away from ‘one-size-fits-all advice’, telling the BBC that some people are simply programmed to ‘prefer eating earlier in the day’.

As a good rule, you should try to leave 12–14 hours between your last meal of the day and your first meal the following morning.