Each week RTÉ LifeStyle sits down with a health and fitness enthusiast to find out how they do what they do. This week we're getting fit with... Angela McGlanaghey of The Honesty Kitchen.
Tell us about your fitness website...
My name is Angela and up until I was twenty-five years old I was stuck in a rut. I weighed over 16 stone, was a size 18-20 and I was miserable. I had an awful diet with huge portions and I was a bit of a binge drinker on the weekends. I desperately wanted to lose weight and change my life but I didn't know how.
In May 2012, I started to work with a personal trainer but had little hopes of it making any difference. However, within the first 6 weeks I lost a stone, then a further stone in the following 6 weeks. Something clicked in me and I started to love the person I was becoming.
I lost 80lbs in a year and have kept it off since, simply just by training hard, eating well and having a balanced lifestyle.
I eat really well 90% of the time but I have been known to splurge on holidays, around Christmas or by having that extra slice of cake when I want it. I always know how to strike a healthy balance and I would never go back to the girl I used to be.
Who are you and what do you do?
I'm 30 years old, living in Donegal Town and working in a health food shop (Simple Simons) which I love because I'm passionate about healthy living.
What brought your blog about?
I started my blog a couple of years after I began my health/fitness journey. I was already posting different pictures of food I was eating but soon I had people asking me for recipes so I decided to start posting some meal ideas, handy tips etc. It grew from there and I now have a few thousand followers on both Instagram and Facebook and I've recently joined the world of Snapchat!
Describe your audience! Who is your target?
As far as I can tell, my audience is mostly girls aged 20-30 and also women in their 40s-50s! However, my target is anyone and everyone! I want to show people that it is possible to lose weight in a healthy way and keep it off!
What’s your media diet?
It has to be Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram.
Name three people you respect in the industry
- My trainer Ryan because without him I wouldn't be the person I am today, he's the one that turned my life around in a big way!
- I'm a big fan of Brian Keane because I love his no nonsense approach.
- I also like Skinny Gaz aka Gary Mc Gowan because his Snapchats are incredibly informative but he simplifies things down so it's easy to follow!
Proudest post? Finest moment to date?
I have had a lot of proud moments over the last few years but some of my best highlights are:
- Walking down the aisle on my wedding day as a size 10
- The day I ran my first 10k race
- Reaching my goal weight after exactly one year
- When I hit a 100kg deadlift!
What is your attitude to well-being, mentally and physically?
In my opinion, everything is interlinked! I know that the better I eat, the better I feel, both physically and mentally. I try to have a positive attitude in every situation, try to eat to fuel my workouts, and believe that a nicely balanced lifestyle is the key to sustained weight loss and true health. I practice yoga to help me switch off, I write and I love spending time with my family and husband.
How has your life changed since you started your blog?
It has changed in a lot of ways for me. I get a lot of people who come up to me at work or when I'm out and about, and tell me they love my blog. I always feel so flattered when people tell me that I have been an inspiration and I'm glad that I can help someone just by being a positive influence. Someone messaged me one day and told me that since following my page they had lost over 2 stone and that made me feel incredible! People sending me pics of themselves cooking my recipes is a great feeling.
What's your favourite and least favourite thing about fitness and fitness trends on social media?
My favourite thing is the community that forms between people with similar interests! Some of my best friends now are people who I have met through Instagram, simply because we are all on a similar journey! It doesn't matter if someone is a powerlifter, a runner or a swimmer; they all know what it's like to work hard for what you want!
My least favourite thing about fitness trends is the closed mindedness of some people. I'm a firm believer in balance and doing all types of exercise to strengthen my body and remain active, whereas some people talk down cardio or weight training because it either didn't work for them or they didn't enjoy it. Everyone should be able to pick an exercise they enjoy and do it without the fear of thinking that they're doing something wrong! Surely the fact you are getting out there doing something is better than doing nothing.
Tell us a secret - something we should know about you?
My secret (although maybe it's not that secret) is that I love bad food as much as good food! While I love to eat well for my health, sometimes there's nothing nicer than getting a big cheeseburger and a dessert afterwards! Dessert is what makes life worth living, and a little of what you fancy does you good!
What’s the one thing you want people to learn from your work?
The thing I want people to learn is that anything is possible! I didn't start training until I was almost 26 years old and now I can run up to 16 miles, I can lift heavy weights, I practice yoga and I have maintained a healthy weight for coming up to 4 years now! I never believed I could be the person I am today when I was so overweight so if I can change literally anyone can!
Where can we find you online?
You can find me on my blog, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat: angiemcglan.
Want to feature in RTÉ LifeStyle's On the Blog series? Get in touch...We'd love to hear from you on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook or e: rtelifestyle@rte.ie
