Melbourne mother-of-two Joanne Peters began her weight loss journey four years ago when anxiety was ruling her life.
Today, five kilos lighter and in a much clearer head space, the 42-year-old credits intermittent fasting, removing the majority of dairy from her diet and working out with weights five times a week to her success.
Her daily tips and tricks, which she shares on Instagram with her 121,000 followers, have helped a number of women lose weight and tone their bodies.
Joanne Peters, 42, uses a combination of intermittent fasting and eating a plant based diet to stay toned and healthy
Even though the now 41-year-old never considered herself overly big she said some simple changes to her diet and exercise routine overhauled her body fat percentage
‘The main feedback I get from followers is on intermittent fasting. I often suggest it when people have plateaued or are doing everything right but can’t shift the weight,’ she told FEMAIL.
‘It was a game changer for me and I love when other people tell me it’s been that for them too. Sometimes we just need to search for that one thing that works for us and intermittent fasting is a tool I believe in trying when nothing seems to be working or when cravings are getting the better of you.’
But you won’t see her going down the sponsored post route on Instagram in the hopes of earning some extra cash.
‘My Instagram account is a hobby, not a money maker and it really does get hard to justify the time spent on maintaining my account, especially as a mum,’ she said.
‘It’s the reason I often take breaks from it. While I’ve been offered many paid posts, it just doesn’t feel right to me as I’m very minimalist and use very few products/supplements in general.
She began her weight loss journey by following Jillian Michaels 30 day shred before evolving her routine into a more personalised style
‘It took me a while to realise that food was the biggest factor in weight loss though and I set about making small lifestyle changes that would ensure I would be able to maintain my results,’ she said
‘I have recently been sponsored by an activewear company and it feels great to be part of a team and receive activewear I genuinely love.
‘To be very honest I would hate to rely on Instagram to make any money. It’s not as easy as people think and with the algorithm constantly changing you can have the rug pulled out beneath your feet overnight.’
Previously, Joanne told the Daily Mail Australia she began her weight loss journey at 62 kilos and has since lost five kilos.
While she doesn’t claim to have been ‘huge’ before it was enough to make her uncomfortable in her own skin.
‘When I was a bit heavier I didn’t have confidence in myself. My clothes weren’t fitting well, I was very unfit and weak and although I wasn’t big I had very little lean muscle compared to body fat,’ the 42-year-old said.
‘The very first exercise program I did was Jillian Michaels’ 30 day shred which I would recommend to anyone not knowing where to start.
Previously, Joanne told the Daily Mail Australia she began her weight loss journey at 62 kilos and has since lost five kilos
Joanne previously suffered from anxiety and depression before she decided to change her life
‘It’s one of those programs where you quickly see improvement in your strength and stamina.
‘It took me a while to realise that food was the biggest factor in weight loss though and I set about making small lifestyle changes that would ensure I would be able to maintain my results.
‘I removed the junk food and refined sugar from my diet and eventually gave up dairy as well. I now eat a plant based diet with eggs and have never felt better,’ Joanne said.
While her physical transformation is obvious, Joanne said she is no longer a depressed and anxious person as a result of her lifestyle change.
‘My skin and hair have also improved immensely. Through lifting weights I have also been able to increase my bone mineral density,’ she said.
As a mum Joanne understands every parents struggle to stay healthy and fit while on the go. So she has invested in a few key workout staples so she can exercise from home.
The Melbourne-based mum has bought workout equipment for her own home
While her physical transformation is obvious, Joanne said she is no longer a depressed and anxious person as a result of her lifestyle change
‘The two most expensive items I have are the dumbbells (and rack) and the cross trainer (elliptical). The dumbbells get used daily and the cross trainer is collecting dust.
‘I used to use the cross trainer back when I loved watching TV as I felt like I was multitasking but now that I hardly ever watch TV it just doesn’t get used. The dumbbells on the other hand are just true love.
‘I’ve had them for a few years and I use them for pretty much all of my workouts.
‘I can’t for the life of me remember exactly where I got them from but a google search helped me find a wholesale gym supplier of fitness equipment that also sold to the public and I went on a mission with a good friend and we got a set each for around $500 from memory.
As a mum Joanne understands every parents struggle to stay healthy and fit while on the go. So she has invested in a few key workout staples so she can exercise from home
The Melbourne mum works out five times a week with weights and has recently joined a gym
‘If you are looking to get dumbbells I recommend the hexagonal ones over round as they don’t roll and are stable if you want to use them for things like push ups.
‘My gloves are from Harbinger and they are a huge must have for me. Not only do they help with grip but they stop me from sliding around so I wear them for pretty much every workout.
‘The next most used item would be my ankle weights…. these were $20 off eBay and I got the two kilo ones. I much prefer to go heavy and do le+++ss reps rather than have to go forever to feel the burn. I use these for my leg and glute workouts.
‘I have a few different resistance bands… the long flat ones are a must have for traveling as they take up no space and for around $5 on eBay you just can’t say no.
‘The little looped bands cost around $15 for the set and come in various resistances from light to heavy and are a must have for glute activation exercises,’ Joanne explained to her Instagram followers.
‘I recently joined a gym to get out of my comfort zone of working out at home and to see what difference it would make to my body,’ she continued
‘I have to admit, using gym equipment has made me love working out back and legs but you can get great results from both home and gym workouts and I love both equally,’ she said
The Melbourne mum works out five times a week with weights and has recently joined a gym.
‘I recently joined a gym to get out of my comfort zone of working out at home and to see what difference it would make to my body,’ she continued.
‘I have to admit, using gym equipment has made me love working out back and legs but you can get great results from both home and gym workouts and I love both equally.
‘I currently weight train five times a week but I have had great results doing less. It’s just something I enjoy now.’
Joanne is a huge believer in intermittent fasting. She will ‘fast’ for 16 hours a day and then eat during an eight hour block in the day. It relaxes slightly ‘when life gets in the way’ or she has social plans
Joanne is a huge believer in intermittent fasting. She will ‘fast’ for 16 hours a day and then eat during an eight hour block in the day. It relaxes slightly ‘when life gets in the way’ or she has social plans.
‘I am asleep for most of it but I’ll tend to eat between the hours of 12-8pm. It sounds hard but when your body adapts it becomes easy and you really don’t feel hungry.
‘I don’t count calories or macros and just prefer to eat as many whole foods as I can with a variety of healthy protein, carbs and fats,’ she said.
You can follow Joanne’s journey on Instagram here,