An Australian personal trainer has shared her incredible body and health transformation after her slim frame and restrictive 1,000 calories a day diet left her battling health and hormonal issues.
Lauren Simpson weighed a slight 50 kilos in 2015 after following a range of ‘extreme’ dieting techniques and taking her ‘obsession’ with fitness too far.
‘I was that girl who was scared of carbs. I only did cardio as I was scared weights would make me big and bulky. I let the number on the scale rule my life,’ she wrote on Instagram.
The 29-year-old was under eating and over training, which led to violent mood swings, ‘horrible’ skin and brittle hair.
Another photo of her body at the start of 2020 showcases her 10 kilogram weight gain as a result of eating more than 2,000 calories a day.
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Lauren Simpson weighed a slight 50 kilos in 2015 after following a range of ‘extreme’ dieting techniques and taking her ‘obsession’ with fitness too far (left)
‘I was that girl who was scared of carbs. I only did cardio as I was scared weights would make me big and bulky. I let the number on the scale rule my life,’ she wrote on Instagram
‘The biggest game changer for me was weights training and shifting my mindset around food,’ she said.
‘Lifting weights and learning about resistance training built my confidence and created shape with my body.’
Over the past five years Lauren has learned that food ‘is not the enemy’ and she doesn’t have to restrict herself to have a ‘lean’ body – instead she has to mindfully train and eat upwards of five times a day.
‘No photoshop. No short cuts. No quick fixes. No skinny teas. No waist trainers. Just four years of consistency, hard work and dedication,’ she said.
Over the past five years Lauren has learned that food ‘is not the enemy’ and she doesn’t have to restrict herself to have a ‘lean’ body – instead she has to mindfully train and eat upwards of five or six times a day
Lauren, who is also an award-winning bikini competitor (pictured), has created her own workout tutorials to allow others to learn from her mistakes and build a ‘strong body’
Lauren, who is also an award-winning bikini competitor, has created her own workout tutorials to allow others to learn from her mistakes and build a ‘strong body’.
Her favourite glute workout is a combination of low repetitions and heavier lifting followed by higher repetitions and lighter weight work.
The fitness enthusiast begins her workout with hip thrusts using a Smith Machine. Here she will do four reps consisting of 10 full range thrusts and 10 pulse reps.
Her favourite glute workout is a combination of low repetitions and heavier lifting followed by higher repetitions and lighter weight work
Next, still using a Smith Machine, she will change position for what she calls her reverse hack squat. This involves four reps of 12 squats.
Following this Lauren uses a booty band to do four reps of 15 angled step outs.
Returning to the Smith Machine will see her add in curtsy lunges. She will do four reps consisting of 12 lunges.
To finish, she will do rounded back extensions. This activity involves rounding the upper or lower back or both. This exercise not only targets the mid back but also the glutes and hamstrings.
Having finally been able to make fitness ‘a part of her life and not her entire life’ is what has made Lauren such a popular fixture on social media.
The blonde bombshell has more than two million followers on Instagram and she regularly posts some of her favourite meals.
When she’s ‘shredding’ for a bikini competition, breakfast will be a two egg omelette with cauliflower rice, baby spinach, roasted cashew nuts and tomatoes.
When she’s ‘shredding’ for a bikini competition, breakfast will be a two egg omelette with cauliflower rice, baby spinach, roasted cashew nuts and tomatoes
Before she works out she’ll have rice cakes with chilli tuna and tomatoes, alongside a protein shake.
Lunch is a slice of protein, like fish, with sweet potato wedges, mushrooms and green beans.
Her mid-afternoon coffee will be followed with a piece of fruit for energy.
Dinner will be a large chicken salad with beetroot, lettuce, capsicum and sweet corn.
Meanwhile dessert is a smoothie bowl with protein, frozen blueberries, almond milk and peanut butter.
On an average day, Lauren rises at 6.30am with Before You Speak’s Glow collagen coffee before settling onto the lounge to answer some emails and reply to Instagram DM’s.
Lunch is a slice of protein, like fish, with sweet potato wedges, mushrooms and green beans
Later in the morning she’ll visit the kitchen again for breakfast, switching between an egg white omelette on toast and creamy protein oats.
The omelette includes a mixture of mushrooms, capsicum, spinach and Danish-style feta on top of sandwich thins.
Following a gym session she enjoys a lunch of three rice paper rolls – one with a tuna filling and two with chicken teriyaki – before enjoying a decaf coffee and an apple.
Dinner will be a takeaway three times a week or a stir fry if she has decided to stay home.