Michelle McManus gave fans a glimpse into her training routine on Tuesday, showing off her recent nine stone weight loss.
The 44-year-old pop idol star has been reaping the benefits of strength training over the past year and a half.
The Glasgow-based singer shared pictures of herself working out with dumbbells and barbells.
In her candid post, Michelle admitted that she previously viewed exercise as “the enemy” and lacked the confidence to work out.
She writes, “One of the greatest joys I’ve experienced over the past 19 months has been discovering functional strength training.”
Michelle McManus gave fans a glimpse into her training routine on Tuesday, showing off her recent nine stone weight loss.
The 44-year-old pop idol star has been reaping the benefits of strength training over the past year and a half.
“For a long time, exercise was my enemy. I did everything I could to avoid it because I didn’t have the belief or confidence that I could do it. It seemed like something I couldn’t do and only other people were good at.”
“Everything changed when I discovered @thrivefitnessglasgow. At that point I had already lost a lot of weight through a calorie deficit and wanted to move on to my next goal – getting strong and healthy.”
She praised her personal trainer, adding: “Jenna’s approach wasn’t about measuring how fast I could run or how heavy I could lift, but rather focused on building a strong mind and body for everyday life.”
“Thrive Fitness Glasgow is such a safe place and Jenna has created a really vibrant community of people at all levels of fitness who want to get stronger, practice effectively and enrich their life experiences.”
“It’s really helped my physical health as well as my mental health.”
This comes after Michelle showed off her incredible figure transformation after losing nine stone.
The singer, who has previously spoken about her struggles with weight and her journey to sobriety, posted a stunning Instagram photo in which she showed off her svelte figure in a lime green dress.
But Michelle, who won season two of Pop Idol in 2003, revealed that the biggest change was in her mindset, explaining that she’s learned about self-love and self-worth.
The Glasgow-based singer shared pictures of herself working out with dumbbells and barbells.
In her candid post, Michelle admitted that she previously viewed exercise as “the enemy” and lacked the confidence to work out.
“One of the greatest joys I’ve experienced over the past 19 months has been discovering functional strength training,” she writes.
Accompanying a before and after photo, she explained: “Sometimes it’s good to stop and appreciate what you’ve achieved.”
“Over the last year or so I’ve been making changes in my life to get to where I am now, and I’m fortunate to be in a healthy and happy place now.”
Michelle continued, “I love both versions of myself in the two photos above.”
“The photo on the left was taken in late 2022, eight months after giving birth to my second beautiful baby and having just started my new job hosting an afternoon show on @bbcradioscot.”
“My life was going well, but at the time I was feeling very exhausted, both physically and mentally.
“I’ll be honest, I struggled with my health too. Looking after two babies under three was my number one priority and I didn’t have the time, much less the ability, to think about, much less take care of myself.”
“The photo on the right was taken backstage at a photo shoot in Glasgow a few weeks ago. By restricting calories and incorporating exercise into my lifestyle I have lost a total of nine stone.”
This comes after Michelle lost nine stone after embarking on a journey of “self-love and self-worth” and showed off her incredible body transformation in before and after photos.
Despite being proud of her weight loss, Michelle insisted it’s not the physical transformation that’s important, but the change in attitude.
She explained: “Looking at these images side by side, I can honestly say that the numbers on both are pretty much irrelevant.”
“I’ve learned that it’s not what’s on the label on your clothes or what’s on the scale that matters, it’s how you feel about yourself.”
“Life gets in the way, circumstances change, and priorities shift.
“Someone recently shared with me a great quote that really resonated with me: ‘The only relationship we have in our lifetime is the one we have with ourselves.'”
“I’ve learned that loving yourself and feeling self-worth is so important. It took me a long time to realize that, but thankfully now at 44, I finally get it. It’s probably the biggest and best change I’ve ever made.”
Michelle used the hashtags: “#bodypositivity #transformation #selflove #bodyneutrality #allbodiesarebeautiful #bodyconfidence #bekindtoyourself.”
Michelle (pictured), who won season two of Pop Idol in 2003, revealed that the biggest change was in her mindset, explaining that she learned about self-love and self-worth.
Michelle admitted that she struggled with people scrutinizing her appearance during her time on Pop Idol (pictured left in 2023 and right on the show in 2003).
Michelle, who has been sober for five years, has two children, Harry, four, and Nicholas Peter, two, with her husband Jeff Nimmo.
In 2016, Michelle She said she struggled with people staring at her appearance while appearing on Pop Idol.
At the time, she said of Lorraine: “It was tough. Everyone wants to look the best they can. I was only 24 and had never even been to London. London has always been considered tough. There have been ups and downs but it will always be a part of me.”
“I think it’ll always be a part of me. Even if I lose all the weight and become a really skinny Minnie, it’ll still be there somehow.”
Michelle also revealed that she wants to “get her chin wired” in order to lose weight ahead of her wedding.
Last year, Michelle revealed her decision to quit drinking, admitting that when she was drinking she “didn’t have the stop button”.
She appeared on Loose Women in December 2023, 20 years after winning the second series of Pop Idol.
She said of her win, “I can’t believe it’s been so long! I was 23 then and I don’t think I would have had that experience now with social media. I don’t think I was mentally strong enough.”
Michelle then became emotional as she reflected on her experience at the pageant, which was tainted by judgements about her appearance.
Michelle, who has been sober for five years, has two sons, Harry, four, and Nicholas Peter, two, with her husband Jeff Nimmo (pictured).
Michelle confessed: “I’ll be honest, I struggled with my stamina too. Looking after two babies under three was my top priority and I didn’t have the time to devote to working on my own fitness.”
She broke down in tears as she said she felt “deeply embarrassed” by the harassment she experienced during her time on the show and the articles that were written about her.
“It was really hard on me. I don’t know why I’m getting emotional now. It was 20 years ago,” Michelle said.
“One of the first articles to pop up said right at the top: ‘Can Michelle sing? Yes. Is she going to be a pop star? But nobody wants to be that, right?’ And that’s where it went.”
She continued, “I saw some of the comments and I felt embarrassed, like I let everyone down. I saw the comments and I didn’t understand why people voted for me.”
“Now we have social media, so if my daughter wanted to be on a show like that, I would say no.”
Michelle then spoke about how she made the decision to quit drinking after making the decision to get sober four years ago.
She revealed that she had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol because of the negative attention she was receiving, and said she feels “more confident” since quitting drinking.
Michelle said of her time on the show, “I don’t think I would have been able to do it now with social media. I don’t think I would have been strong enough mentally.”
She said: “I love alcohol. It’s been my best friend for a long time.”
“Then, in my late 30s and early 40s, alcohol just didn’t suit me, so I quit and decided it was time to get it out of my life.
“I didn’t have a stop button, so I’d always have a couple of glasses of red wine and be like, ‘Where’s the Jack Daniel’s?’ I hoped I could be a sociable drinker, but I never did, so I removed alcohol from my life.”
“And now it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. It just makes me feel more empowered.”
