CHRIS Sandow doesn't eat a meal these days without first taking a snapshot of it on his mobile phone and sending the picture to Parramatta's new sports dietitian Joanne Turner for her tick of approval. This novel approach to sports nutrition has seen the Eels halfback undergo an incredible pre-season transformation in which he has dropped 3.5kg of body fat.
Gone is the post-match McDonald's run, a glass of Coca-Cola with every meal and a few Jim Beam and Cokes on the weekend.
He has even been splurging on a new wardrobe because the size 34 shorts that were too small six months ago are now too loose.
A fitter, "leaner and meaner" Sandow now makes sure every part of his new diet is balanced. Nothing is taken for granted.
Everything he eats first has to be approved by Turner, hence the pictures being sent from his phone.
"Pretty much me and Haynesy are the two worst eaters in the club," Sandow said during a visit to Parramatta North Public School yesterday.
"I think we both realised we'd been relying on our talent to get us through. I think we've both realised it takes more than that.
"We're in the mid ages of our career now. We've been playing for a while. We just sat back and thought about it and I think it's been working.
"All the boys are fitter and stronger than last year. I think all the boys are more confident than I've ever seen them.
"We had a dietitian there before, but I think I just abused it when I was young and didn't want to listen to anyone. I just wanted to play footy. I took this on board in the pre-season and I really feel the difference."
It is tough love from Turner and manager of physical performance Trent Elkin that has Eels players where they are now, particularly in the cases of Sandow and Jarryd Hayne.
Turner hauled the two aside at a pre-season camp in Kiama in October and told them the food diary log they had given her was unacceptable. The junk food was replaced by fruit, which Sandow eats nearly every two hours.
"I just pulled them aside and said, 'as senior players I expect much more from you'," Turner said.
It is all part of a new professional attitude Eels players have developed since coach Ricky Stuart joined the club in September.
"It's not worrying about yourself first. It's thinking about the team first," Sandow said.
