Sam Smith nearly broke the Internet when he posted a slimmed-down selfie on Instagram, proclaiming to have lost 14 lbs. in 14 days by following the guidelines in Amelia Freer’s book Eat. Nourish. Glow.
“It’s very nice for me to see the results that I do get with my clients,” Freer tells PEOPLE. “By someone like Sam talking about how he’s changed his diet in a healthy way without a deprivational, horrible diet, it’s opened it up to thousands of people who are now following in his footsteps. Sam has a lot of young fans, and how cool that these young kids are starting to take care of what they are eating. To me, that’s beyond awesome and a dream come true.”
But the question on everyone’s mind: Is losing 14 lbs. in 14 days normal on her program?
“Usually for people who have that weight to lose it can happen quite dramatically, quite quickly. But it’s absolutely done safely, nothing faddy or starvation or deprivation happening here,” she says, adding that her clients are encouraged to “eat real food” like natural, fresh produce.
This includes organic vegetables, healthy proteins such as fish and lean meat, herbs and citrus fruits as well as eggs and avocado—her breakfast of choice. But most important, she says, it’s learning to make your meals.
“It’s not about being perfect, it’s not about focusing on your weight, it’s about about cooking your food from scratch. Start with one meal a day and build it up. That, for me, is the foundation of good health.”
And she even embraces fats not normally categorized as “healthy.” For instance, her thoughts on butter?
“Go for it,” says Freer. “If you’re not allergic to dairy, which I am, butter is a very good source of fat for cooking. I use coconut oil. It’s a natural source of saturated fat, but it’s been shown to help us lose weight and have more energy. It’s not meant to be eaten in abundance, but it’s a good alternative to butter.”
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