Alice Liveing, also known as Clean-Eating Alice, is a "pint-sized personal trainer" with a legion of fans on social media.
After years of yo-yo dieting and struggling with her weight, Liveing decided that she needed to make a change.
So she embarked on a wellness journey to inform herself about healthy eating and exercise, determined to make long-lasting changes to her lifestyle.
Three years later and a fully-qualified personal trainer, Liveing hopes to inspire people to ditch the diets.
Although Liveing made a name for herself through Instagram, she is far from your average picture-perfect fitness blogger. Instead, she is honest about her own journey, regularly posting transformation photos that show how far she's come in her wellness journey.
"It's easy to make assumptions on social media; that I've always been fit and healthy, that I must spend hours in the gym and never have days of rubbish eating," she wrote in a recent Instagram caption.
"Three years ago I started this page because I felt I'd hit rock bottom. I grew up with my mum struggling with being heavily overweight, and I saw all the hallmarks in my own eating patterns.
"I had no concept of how to eat well, I ate when I was happy, and when I was sad, and there was no enjoyment of food but merely overeating to fill a void of unhappiness at complete lack of body confidence and comparison to everyone else around me."
A Sunday Times best-selling author, Liveing has just released her second book, Eat Well Everyday, which is intended to help people make sustainable changes to their diets.
As part of our new fitness series, 'Fit Fix', we spoke to her about her fitness goals, mild ice cream addiction and why J-Lo will always get her moving at the gym.
TRAINING 💪
Talk us through your week in fitness
"I usually train around four to five times a week. The majority of my training sessions are strength based, but I also enjoy doing a few HIIT sessions each week too. I split most of my sessions into upper and lower, usually completing two upper body and two lower body sessions.
"My workouts can be at varying times during the day depending on when I have clients, so there is often no fixed schedule, but I prefer to workout in the morning so that it is done for the day, and my sessions will usually last around an hour."
What's your favourite type of workout and why?
"I really enjoy more functional style training at the moment, and like to fuse a hybrid of different training styles together. Whilst I do love lifting weights and a more bodybuilding style training split, I also love incorporating more kettle bell work, and powerlifting exercises into my training, as well as some bodyweight and calisthetics work too.
"I guess I've learnt to move my body in a way that feels good, so that means sometimes I like to lift really heavy, but sometimes if I'm not feeling up to it, simply opting for bodyweight training is also as enjoyable."
What's your favourite way to spend your rest day?
"I absolutely have to have rest days, usually having one or two a week. These days are spent relaxing and recovering, usually seeing friends and eating lots, and enjoying London life!"
type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=See Also: + articlesList=587f7612e4b03c70028b7341,5880d86be4b06288c2a007c3
FOOD 🍳
What do you eat throughout the week to complement your training schedule?
"My diet throughout the week is fairly consistent; I often opt for eggs on toast or something similar for breakfast and ensure that I'm always fuelling up for my training, so having something like a banana or a shake pre workout for some extra energy.
"Lunches and dinners tend to be quick and simple, often based around a protein source such as fish or chicken, a complex carbohydrate such as lentils and then lots of veggies."
What are your pre and post-workout snacks?
"I'm a huge fan of a pre-workout banana with some almond butter, or if I'm in a rush I grab something like a protein shake, or some porridge oats."
What is your ultimate cheat meal or guilty pleasure?
"I absolutely love ice cream, particularly Haagen Daaz Salted Caramel or Pralines and Cream. I have been known to regularly devour a whole tub!"
MOTIVATION 🙌
Do you have a motivational mantra that keeps you going?
"My biggest mantra is 'never a failure, always a lesson' and whenever things don't go right or I have a bad day I remind myself of this and try and take a positive from a negative situation."
Do you always have fitness goals you are aiming for?
"I have gym-based goals, such as lifting heavier or achieving something like 10 pull ups in a row, but I never focus my training around aesthetic goals and I encourage all my clients to do the same.
"I find aesthetic goals will only take you so far, and the goal post will constantly change. With gym-based goals, you can track progression, and there are always new goals to set once you achieve them. I find them a lot more realistic and achievable to aim for and draw my clients away from obsessing over a number on the scales."
What's your ultimate workout track and why?
"It has to be 'Let's Get Loud' by Jennifer Lopez. As an ex-dancer, this song makes me just want to shake my booty and dance and I love that!"
Clean-Eating Alice's second book Eat Well Every Day is available on Amazon now.
'Fit Fix' is a weekly dose of fitspiration from leading athletes and fitness fanatics. Each Wednesday we chat to stars about their weekly workouts, the food they eat and what keeps them going.