Alice Liveing, aka Clean Eating Alice, is a personal trainer, author, and Instagram star best known for her Instagram posts and incredible body transformation. After years of trying out various diets, she decided to make a positive change to her health and get in shape by lifting weights and eating to fuel her body healthily.
Her inspiring fitness journey and positive message has now garnered her more than half a million followers, plus two best-selling recipe books full of tasty recipes. But what did she actually do to get in such great shape? Over to Alice...
1. She ditched the idea of a 'diet' and focus on balanced, healthy eating.
So often we as women are encouraged to believe we need to diet or restrict ourselves to look a certain way. I certainly felt the pressure to do this and succumbed to many a diet myth before completely ditching what I perceived to be healthy eating and found my own balance of more nutritious foods with zero restriction — and just understanding how to properly fuel my body.
2. She ditched the cardio and switched to weight training.
I used to loathe going to the gym and running on a treadmill while staring at a blank wall. Lifting weights made me feel strong both in mind and body, and I relished the challenge of improving and gaining confidence in my training over time.
3. She opted for quality over quantity.
This meant looking at my training as less of a punishing regime, and instead focusing on the quality of my training and how to get the most out of each session by reducing the amount of repetitive training, incorporating more rest days, and shortening my sessions to improve efficiency and engagement in what I was doing.
4. She was kind to her body — she's only got one!
This goes for nutrition, training, and general well-being. Our most important goal should be to, first and foremost, take care of ourselves with kindness and a positive outlook, instead of scrutinizing every flaw or fault.
5. She ignored what everyone else was doing.
In a completely saturated social media world full of people constantly sharing their food- and fitness-dominated lifestyles, we can start to feel guilty if we don't do as others are doing. My best advice to anyone is to put blinkers on to block out what everyone else is doing, and instead focus on what works for you and what makes you feel good.
6. She made small changes to see big results.
Most of us don't need to make drastic changes to what we're already doing to be healthier — and often, those drastic changes can be short-lived, as they are simply unsustainable. Often small tweaks, such as increasing your daily energy expenditure, switching your sugary coffee to an Americano, or saving alcohol for only the weekends can be the simple changes you need to start seeing a difference in how you look and, most importantly, feel.
7. She set herself some goals.
Having goals to work towards can be really motivating, and it's something I find works well with my own clients. Choose a range of goals, some short-term and some longer-term, to keep you on track, and write them down to keep yourself accountable.
8. She was flexible in her methods.
Sometimes, despite our best intentions, life can often get in the way of our goals, so it's important to be flexible in your methods. If, for whatever reason, you can't get to the gym, don't beat yourself up about it, and instead look at the alternatives, such as completing a home workout or simply heading out for a brisk walk.
9. She found a workout buddy.
I always find training with someone else can really help to keep me on track and maintain motivation. Find a friend that you enjoy training with and plan your workouts together to ensure you both keep each other accountable — and also find the fun in your fitness routine!
10. She never treated anything as a failure, because it was always a lesson.
We aren't superhuman, and sometimes we just need to put our goals on hold for a while. The most important thing is not to beat yourself up or drive yourself into a negative place, but instead take each day as it comes and try and draw a positive from each negative situation. There is always something we can learn, and things we can therefore do differently, or reasons to try a new approach. Be kind to yourself first and foremost, and then head back to the drawing board to try a different tack!
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