“I hated feeling unfit and I knew my diet was causing problems with my skin and wasn’t helping my general health or my mood,” she told News.com.au.
“I was probably my harshest critic. I was sick of feeling depressed, my skin, hair and nails weren’t great and I knew I needed to clean up my diet and get fit.”
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Setting up an Instagram account to track her progress, she began intermittent fasting – allowing herself just an eight-hour window to eat throughout the day.
"It made fat loss and maintenance easy. It’s a tool, not a diet,” she explained.
“It stops me thinking about food 24/7, eliminates all the sweet cravings that are my downfall and it forces my body to use stored fat for energy.”
She stopped counting calories, opting instead to treat food as medicine and “eat as clean” as she can.
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But her dietary habits weren’t the only thing overhauled.
She began working out 20 minutes at a time using Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred fitness program.
“My biggest issue was that I was very weak but it didn’t take long to see improvements,” she said.
Four years, 122,000 Instagram followers and 5kg down later, Joanne is a different person – both inside and out.
She hits the gym as often as she can and does strength training for 30-40 minutes each time. She also opts for a low-intensity walk a couple of times per week.
“I feel great about my body especially as I’m the fittest I’ve been in my life,” she said.
“People compliment me on my progress all the time and say they feel inspired knowing it’s never too late and that you can get your body back after having children.”
Her best advice for others on the same path? “Focus on the food.”
“It really is the most important factor no matter what your goals are and you need to be on top of it to make your workouts count,” she added.
“Weight training is the way to go and there are many programs to choose from which all work. Just make sure you keep pushing your body. Workouts should never become easy.”
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