Jennie: How I lost 7st and became a fitness expert

Current weight: 10st 7lb

Thirteen years ago, if anyone had said I’d be running my own gym, I’d have laughed. Aged 18, I was a size 24 and smoked 20 a day. When I was 22 (and size 22), my friend Rachel asked me if I’d join Weight Watchers with her. I didn’t want to ‘diet’, but with this plan, I could factor in the foods I loved.

Six months after joining, I considered exercising. Going to a gym was out of the question – I’d rather have got up on stage naked and sung karaoke! Instead, I decided to walk for 10 minutes, three days a week. But 10 minutes became 20. Three nights became four, then five…

Next, I joined a pay-as-you-go gym. Walking for only a few minutes was enough at first, but gradually I increased the speed and the next thing I knew, I was jogging for 10 seconds, then 15 seconds, then 20 seconds. The first time I ran for a full minute, I actually cried! One day, I got chatting to a woman who ran a boxing class and I ended up joining in. I loved it, and after that, I tried other classes, discovering my likes and dislikes.

I reached my goal weight of 9st 3lb in 2009 and left Weight Watchers, but at nearly 12st, I rejoined. This time, my goal weight was a more realistic 10st 7lb.*

While studying for my PhD, I came across a personal-training course. As I started studying, some of my overweight friends asked me to show them how to exercise, so I did. Later, I decided to start up a gym for people who feel unconfident in regular gyms. With a few basic bits of equipment, I set up my own fitness studio, called Set U Free Fitness – and now it’s my full-time job!

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Jennie used Meetings to kick start her journey – you can too
Healthy living starts here