My Saturday with Trisha Lewis: 'I used to take things away from myself — now I add them'

Trisha Lewis will be appearing at WellFest this May

06:00 I normally wake up at the same time as I do during the week. Obviously, it depends if I’ve been out the night before or not, but for the most part I stick with my midweek routine. I go through phases of banning my phone from the bedroom. It’s tempting to have a good scroll to see what everyone is up to. But I find when my morning starts well, then the whole day goes better.

08:00 For breakfast, I usually have some oats with natural yogurt, frozen berries and peanut butter. Oats are a real all-rounder breakfast and keep me full for ages. I’m much more mindful of the food I eat now. I started my health journey because I’d gained weight over the years. I was working a busy job and found myself weighing over 27 stone. I was really struggling. I couldn’t have kept going the way I was going. People ask how I made that change. I remember it was a February and my sister sent me a text asking if there was any way we could make this my month? The usual pressures from January were passing, and it just felt it was the right time for me. When I became healthier, I was afraid it would only last a couple of weeks, but thankfully I never stopped. Even when things are tough now, I remind myself to just keep on going. It’s hard but being unhealthy was harder.

12:00 The weekends can feel quite long sometimes. I’m single and don’t have kids, and weekends can often revolve around dinners with alcohol, and that really doesn’t suit my lifestyle. I also like to keep gym sessions for the weekend. I pop in and just get it done and it sets me up for the weekend. Then I’ll make time for a cup of coffee with my family or friends either at my house or at a local coffee shop. Before, I used to take things away from myself to try and be healthy. Now, I add them instead. I add walks or I add in colour to my plate. That’s how I’m doing it from a different place than I’d done before. That’s why I think it stuck. Before I was focused on losing weight. Now, I try to focus on enjoyment and happiness by nourishing myself. The weight loss is almost like a by-product of that. I realised also that I’m an adult so if I want to restart or reset I can do that too.

14:00 Saturday is the day of the week where I also have to do boring things like laundry. Sometimes I’ll do some work. During the week, I can be in Limerick, Dublin or Cork, so sitting down for an hour to do a blast of emails helps me stay on top of things. It’s usually tasks like getting back to brands that I work with through the online business, going through briefs and finalising scheduling, or I might be working on my own company, a knife brand, Sharp by Trisha Lewis. This involves going through orders, organising events and shows, as well as getting back to corporate clients and creating recipes for companies. It’s very varied, I absolutely love it.

16:00 Nature for me is like my therapy. Some people love to sit down and watch the television, but I struggle with that now because it reminds me of a time when I wasn’t at my healthiest. Going for a walk is my downtime. It’s how I refill my cup. I’ll always try to keep up with my podcasts if I can. I enjoy easy-listening podcasts like Shameless, but I also love listening to crime and documentary-style and motivational ones. I’d listen to more podcasts than I’d watch television.

19:00 Dinner is something quick and easy. I usually veer towards Asian – a stir-fry or noodles. My biggest ethos is that I can lose weight, but I don’t have to lose flavour. I think that’s why it’s worked for me this time. I steer clear of boring food. I pick recipes that I love based off colour, crunch and flavour and how easy it is to make. If I’m short on time and looking for a quick snack, I’ll make something like two boiled eggs, ham and salad with Ryvita or a baked potato. If I’m craving something sweet, I’ll go for blueberries, toasted nuts and natural yogurt.

20:00 I’m not a huge pub person so often I’ll meet a friend for a walk. I love forests and wooded areas. I’ll often look up a Coillte trail and head off. It gives me clarity. Other than that, I’ll go to the cinema or a concert or maybe have a quiet night in.

22:00 I love reading, mainly non-fiction, thriller and love stories. Nothing too heavy. I used to struggle badly with sleep, but now that I’ve banned the phone and got an eyemask, I sleep like a baby.

• Trisha Lewis will be appearing at WellFest, Europe’s largest outdoor health, fitness and wellness festival. The festival, now in its ninth year, returns to the Royal Hospital Kilmainham Dublin on May 11 and 12. See wellfest.ie.