Over the past few weeks, we’ve been girl crushin’ and secretly stalking @mvocfitness on Instagram. When we finally had the chance to ask her if she’d like to work with us, we were over the moon when she jumped at the opportunity to share her story in the hopes of encouraging others to lead healthier, more balanced life styles. Here’s what Michelle, a qualified personal trainer and self-made creative chef – the founder of @mvocfitness had to say…

What is @mvocfitness and how was the idea created?
@mvocfitness started as @mv_eatclean back in September 2013 when I was over in the UK visiting my sister… I’ve always been in love with cooking, and when I went over there I got really into eating healthy and finding healthy alternatives for unhealthy foods that I love. I would cook everyday and make it all presentable and then take photos and have nothing to do with the photos then one day I just woke up and decided “I think I’ll start a clean eating foodstagram”.

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But then, as time went on it was so much more than just eating clean, it became more of a lifestyle I was wanting to keep up, and that’s how the fitness side came into it. I enjoyed training so much that when I came back from the UK I decided I would look into expanding my knowledge so I studied fitness, once I became qualified I changed my page name because it wasn’t just about food and eating clean anymore.

What do you enjoy most about it?

What I enjoy most about having this page is that it keeps me accountable. Before this year, it all started as a hobby, and I was all over the place with my habits, going from one extreme to another – getting wasted every other weekend, but eating clean through the week. Because of this, I didn’t want my page out there because I didn’t feel like it was right for me to be promoting this lifestyle when I wasn’t living it to the full… With this year and some recent lifestyle changes I feel a lot more comfortable about it all being out there and I enjoy not only keeping myself motivated but being able to keep others motivated and see how easy and beneficial it is to make some positive lifestyle changes.

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How do you stay motivated to push forward with your business/idea?

The most motivating thing about having this page is knowing that I’m inspiring someone out there to give it a go… Also, seeing progress not only in myself but in the ladies I train – not only in their fitness levels but when they’re just happy being active is really motivating.

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Any advice for anyone wanting to get into health and fitness as a career? 

The only advice I have is to go for it! Make a start! We all start somewhere and you don’t have to be qualified to get in the gym and lift some weights (although you should seek help for correct technique before lifting 100kg+ lol), you don’t have to be qualified to go for a run or join a local boot camp. Once you start, you begin to fall in love with the motions and it is such a rewarding feeling from the inside out. The fitness industry is always changing and it is competitive but if you love it, go for it!

What does the future hold for you and for @mvocfittness?

At the moment, PT isn’t my sole income. I work full time and do it on the side for some extra cash. To be completely honest I’m a lot more fond of training myself than I am of others and that’s why I haven’t really explored a job in the industry. In saying that, I do thoroughly enjoy training my mum and her friends because they’re a fun bunch and I love being able to help them practice living healthier lifestyles! I have a few things I’m working towards at the moment but, God willing, I’ve always wanted to open up a cafe with healthy foods and treats… So maybe, once I’m done with reaching my short term goals, I will be able to focus on that long term goal a lot more.

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We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Michelle Vocea for sharing her story. For more health and fitness inspiration, and to stay up to date with what she’s up to you can follow her on Instagram @mvocfitness. If you’d like to know what Michelle is up to now, one year on – you can read more of her story here