In 2019, my physical and mental health were at an all time low. I hated my job, and I hated the way I looked. I made excuses not to go out with friends because I felt fat and ugly. I didn’t see any point in dressing up if I still looked like a whale. I’ve had problems with my weight since I was a teenager. I was always yo-yo dieting and would go through extreme phases of binging and restricting on food so my weight was never stable.
At the end of 2019, I hit rock bottom, my health was declining rapidly, I had trouble sleeping and breathing. Having done some research on exercise and mental health, I knew moving my body was where I needed to start and so I started following fitness instructors on Instagram and taking their advice. On my way to work, I would get off the train one stop early and walk the rest of the way. I would also take the stairs instead of the elevator. I set a goal to walk 10,000 steps a day, when I reached that and started seeing results, I decided it was time to take things up a notch.
I had some resistance bands sitting in my draw, I pulled them out and started using them alongside a workout video. I didn’t realize how unfit I was, and I only lasted ten minutes. I continued until I could see a visible difference in my weight and started getting stronger. I now had enough confidence to start going to the gym, I would go 2-3 times a week and walk on the treadmill or the incline for 20-30 minutes. When the pandemic hit and we were on lockdown, I went for walks outside.
Despite not changing my diet, the weight was falling off. But then I started getting ulcers and blisters in my mouth, and I was bloated all the time. After having some tests done and the doctors, I found out I had several food allergies including gluten. My doctor put a meal plan together for me, and my weight loss accelerated after that. Eventually, I lost 3 stone?? And I knew I my life had been transformed forever.
Today, I do strength training 3-4 times a week, do 1 to 2 HIT sessions and walk 10,000 steps a day. Despite how ashamed I was of my body, I posted my progress on Instagram and got so much love and support it was overwhelming. People were inspired by my weight loss and wanted to know how I did it. After giving out loads of free advice, I studied to become a personal trainer and I am now a certified PT helping people achieve the same weight loss results as I did.
Now I love my job, I love going shopping and going out with my friends because I feel confident in myself. Not just because of what I look like, but because of what I’ve achieved. When I was at my lowest, I could never have imagined that I would be where I am today, but here I am. If I can do it, anyone can do it.
