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Published 11:54 17 Jul 2014 BST
Updated 07:31 18 Dec 2014 GMT
I eat every three hours, and even every hour and a half I have a snack. Even the people at work would say “Where do you even put it?” I honestly eat so much, and that’s my biggest piece of advice to anyone: Do not let yourself get hungry. If you do eat regularly you will not put on the weight, and that’s why I started my instagram page – to show other people that they can eat healthy, smaller portions every couple of hours and still lose weight.
I was really nervous when I made the page public though, ‘cause I didn’t know what reactions would be from people at home. But everyone’s been so supportive, and I love that I wake up and sometimes there’s people leaving questions. I love that I might be able to help them with their weight loss.
My mum has been so supportive but for me, I think the best reaction has been when I put two pictures of myself together and I just saw this massive difference. I couldn’t get over that I went from one extreme to the other while eating so much food.
People think it’s going to be really expensive to eat clean, but I’d advise they just buy their groceries in bulk. I prep all my meals on a Sunday, and I’ll buy in the fruit, vegetables and lean mince and chicken breasts and make my meals up from the week. I post my recipes on instagram too, so if people want a meal idea they can just log on and get it.
Zoe posts pictures of food recipes of clean eat meals, treats and snacks to her instagram account
For anyone starting out, the first thing I’d tell them to do is to try on their sports bra and boxers and take a picture before they start anything. Then the most important thing is to make sure you start off every day with a good breakfast. People who skip breakfast, but then eat a salad for lunch, well of course their tummy is rumbling.
I don’t believe in letting your tummy rumble. Start off with a good breakfast and then make sure you’re eating well-portioned meals. A dinner plate should really be the size of a side plate – your meat should be the size of a fist. Going to bed with a full stomach after eating a too large dinner at eight is the worst idea. After two weeks of eating a breakfast and a smaller sized dinner, you’re really going to notice a difference.
Then gradually you’ll start noticing you’re making changes to your lunches, and your snacks and you won’t even notice it’s happening. If people are willing to spend serious money on slimming diet tablets, then why not spend your money and do it right by buying proper groceries? And then just introduce your exercise.
I started on cardio, but I’ve sinced moved onto weight training as it’s so good for weight loss and toning. I started Cross Fit and I absolutely love it. I do it four times a week at an hour a session. And I know that if there’s a week I decide to take off from the gym, I won’t put on the weight because I’m eating more regularly and eating a balanced meal plan.
I hated exercise and I really can’t run, but I love Cross Fit now and it’s the exercise I stick with.
I’ve had to learn to know myself, that I’ll have that packet of crisps that I want, or that piece of chocolate, but I just won’t scoff it, and I won't have it every day. Don’t hold back from going on a girly night with a Chinese take-away. Go enjoy it, and then just eat clean the rest of the week. It is possible.
I just want people to realise that they can lose weight, and they can enjoy it."
For more inspiration for clean eating recipe plans, food diaries, or some motivational snaps of Zoe’s journey along the way, follow her instagram page @thehealthyme.ie here.Explore more on these topics:
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