Instagram fitness star Clean Eating Alice spills the beans on her amazing body transformation. Plus, some tasty recipes
Clean Eating Alice shares the secrets of her body transformation, and cooks for us, too!
Meeting Clean Eating Alice – aka dancer Alice Liveing – in the gleaming flesh, it’s hard to imagine the 23 year old ever had an issue with body confidence. But, just three years ago, she admits she wasn’t happy with how she looked after a diet of takeaways and treats took its toll. She started learning how to cook healthy food and set herself simple goals in the gym. Now, Alice has abs of steel and an Instagram following that has turned her into a fitness phenomenon.
Her simple approach to transforming your body is easy to follow, and doesn’t involve cutting out the tasty stuff (she’s a self-confessed ice-cream addict). So, as she launches her second book,
Everyday Fitness (Harper Thorsons, £14.99), we asked to her to share some of her recipes, and body secrets…
You trained as a dancer, so surely you’ve always been fit?
At end of my first year at college, I was really out of shape and struggling to maintain technique in my classes. I just didn’t have the strength to hold positions. At first, it was really frustrating, and I cried my eyes out at that time, but now I realise that was the turning point. I quite like the feeling of proving people wrong, so I was determined to get strong.
How did you feel about your body back then?
I didn’t hate a particular part, but I was really self-conscious. When you’re having to wear a leotard every day, and stare at yourself in a mirror – I just felt like I wanted to hide. No one should ever feel like that. And I wasn’t eating the right stuff, so that made me feel more rubbish. I lacked energy.
What were the main changes you made?
I started with breakfast. I learned that protein is such an important part of your diet, and I was having very little of it. Being a dancer, I needed to repair my muscles, so I incorporated protein into my diet by having eggs for breakfast and discovered that I loved them. I didn’t spend a fortune on food, as I was a student – it was just eating well, having protein at every meal, having good sources of carbohydrate, and cutting out a lot of the takeaways and ice cream. I also set myself some achievable goals in the gym, which I think is really important.
You didn’t set out to become an Instagram star. Where did all that start?
The only reason I started my Instagram was because I was boring my friends telling them what I was eating every day. I was really enjoying it, and then I made my account public so that I could chat with people who were doing similar things to me. From then, it grew and grew, now it’s crazy.
What sort of things do you eat on a cheat day?
Champagne is always at the top of the list, but I love ice cream. Like, really love ice cream. I will sit on the sofa and eat a whole tub – that happens.
How many times a week do you work out?
About four or five times a week. I love weights and I find classes fun and social. I also try to walk a lot. But my goal is to get people exercising for about four hours a week – and I’m not talking about going hell for leather in the gym. That could be going for a walk in your lunch break every day for ten minutes. It’s just about moving your body and becoming more aware of your activity levels.
How would you keep people motivated if they’re stalling after a couple of weeks?
Start off slow, let yourself develop a routine, and be realistic about how much time you are willing to dedicate to your exercise per week. If you start off a million miles an hour, then of course you will lose momentum.
Clean Eating gets a bad rep these days. What does it mean to you?
It was a phrase that was going around when I first started blogging, but I never imagined that it would have the negative connotations it has now. I don’t advocate any kind of restrictions, as I’ve never cut out dairy or gluten – I’m not what people perceive to be “clean eating”, but I’ve got the name and it’s sticking for now. I’m just going to roll with it. I wish I could go back and change it, but I can’t. Although, I think there will be a strategic rebrand at some point.
So, you don’t need to be an aspiring Masterchef champ to master these recipes?
I’m not even a chef ! I am a cook in my own home and the recipes are simple, because it’s unrealistic to think you can make all your meals from scratch. I think everyone should have just a few go-to dishes up their sleeve.
‘I’ll sit on the sofa and eat a tub of ice cream – that happens’