How I lost 2.5 stone lifting weights #GirlsWhoLift

by - February 27, 2018



 Every person who wants to lose weight gets to THAT point where there is ONE particular photo that makes them think "How THE F*CK have I got this fat?!" But it happens to the best of us...



It's taken balls to put these pics online because no one wants to flaunt flab. I felt ashamed, especially being a food and wellness blogger...#awks. Proud to be at my fittest ever now :)


How did it happen then if you eat so well?


 Alcohol and no exercise. More emphasis on alcohol. Come on, you lot see what kinda food comes out of Raw Rhubarb. It's all real. It just goes to show what booze can do to you even when you eat really well. Plus it was an emotional year, my dad passed away and I just wanted to forget that. 

After seeing that pic, taken just BEFORE Christmas (so loads more booze and food was ingested before January 1st) I was shocked. I don't know why pictures reveal more than mirrors. I remember walking around my brother's house on Xmas day clutching either a beer or a whiskey sour with my jeans hanging open and not giving a single f*ck. That's a low point, right? 

But back to the positive, it's Feb 2018 and I invite you to take some inspiration from my weight loss journey over the last year.  

A New Year


 I weighed myself on Jan 2nd and I was nearly 12 stone. Heaviest ever. It's all relative so although some people may not believe that's very heavy, when it's your own personal heaviest ever, it feels rough. 

On January 1st 2017, the initial plan of attack was to quit the booze. I did this for 5 weeks. I became obsessed with weighing myself every week to see progress. Even if it was just a pound a week it was something. This was with zero exercise just no booze.


  The weight was slowly coming off. It took 2 months to lose the first stone without any exercise.



Then I went back to booze for a bit but decided in March to join the gym across the road from my house in Hove, Change gym. They have the studio for classes above the Coop. I owe a lot to those fitness instructors.

Major kudos to my fitness fanatic brother, Dave, who relentlessly hassled me to do some exercise. But you know how it feels, you can't be arsed because you've forgotten what it feels like to work out (the endorphins) and you're unfit so it's a genuine struggle... Way easier to just wear baggy tops. Dave's a triathlete who's currently competing in the CrossFit games (Cool emoji) and is about to launch his personal training business. Contact me for more information. 

Having been informed by Dave and read online about the efficiency of weight-training Vs cardio, I was intrigued because as a fatty, you don't wanna be bounding along the seafront; running is dry AF. 

I Don't Wanna Be Hench, Though!


Initially reluctant to developing arms like Jodie Marsh, he reassured me it would take a LOT of work and protein and time to get like that. Also, working out in a class means more people to motivate each other - you can't just p*ssy out on the cross trainer for 10 minutes and then go home, as going to the gym alone does to 'some people'.


The first class I tried was Body Pump.  It focuses on your major muscle groups: legs, back, chest, arms and then other stuff if there's time, like shoulders and abs. Think weighted squats, dead lifts, dead rows, triple rows, chest presses, lunges etc. Yeah, I still hate lunges.

Despite having the co-ordination of a baby seagull trying to ride a unicycle, and unable to work out HOW to copy the instructor when she was showing me how to lunge, I was hooked. "WHAT DO YOU MEEAN 'KNEE OVER TOES?' IT'S ABOVE, HOW CAN IT BE OVER?!"

Aching like a motherf*cker for a couple of days afterwards, I went back two days later for more. And then from March - October I was pumping it out like 2-3 times a week. A couple of times I did Boogie Bounce as well, which is dancing to ABSOLUTE BANGERS on mini trampolines and did that after a pump class for absolute death. 



So here's the journey: 

December 2016 feeling jolly




Feb 2017 - after 5 weeks of no drinking I lost a stone so easily


End of March, the day I joined the gym. #whensitdue


May - feeling better but still not confident



November - thanksgiving in USA, feeling way better




Feb 2018 - Hi guys! 


 Could do with some lipstick but this pic wasn't meant for publication! It's not the end of the journey, especially now I'm in Spain surrounded by red wine and bread! 

So, your action plan is this:


1. Stick with it.

If you started for new year and have let it slide, PICK IT THE F*CK back up. Why wouldn't you? You started!

2. Have patience.

It takes time. More you do, better you eat, more you stop drinking, quicker it will work but I'm pretty disciplined and it took a year. Just commit because ultimately you want to stay fit afterwards it's not like you're just doing it for a week of results then you're gonna happily put it all back on, no. It's a NEW lifestyle that you are adopting. You have to continue. Even when you've got the results. It's a life commitment. It's so enjoyable now, though. Trust me, you'll love it eventually. I lifted 70kg in a dead lift in September and felt so proud :)

3.  "Pick up a heavier weight"

Helene, my favourite trainer used to shout this at people, it works. At my peak of Body Pump classes I was squatting with 12kg on each end of the barbell. For 5 minutes. Up and down to a track. Got credit from Helene too "Nice one Jenna" in front of the whole class. It's SO killer for legs and bum! Do it! The more muscle you build, the faster your metabolism and so the more you can get away with eating ;) But don't get complacent now! It can easily come back on especially in the beginning when your body hasn't formed a fitness/muscle memory yet. You won't get Madonna arms, promise. You do get a crunk ass though ;) No one likes a flat ass. It's so much better than a mediocre 40-minute slog on the cross-trainer if you're wanting results, fast.

4. Don't obsess over the scales.

It's NOT all about how much you weigh. 
Muscle weighs more than fat. It's about how you feel. I just didn't wanna stop 'til my stomach was flat.

5. Track progress with pics.

 They are satisfying as hell to look back on. Progress spurs more progress; it's the best motivator because it's addictive. So good going down in dress sizes too. 

6. Do it in numbers, go to classes. 

One of the amazing things about that gym was that if you booked yourself onto a class, you had to cancel four hours in advance, so if you booked the early morning 6.45am class you can't cancel it (unless you do it in your sleep) so you gotta go or your gym account will be blocked AND you have to pay a fine AND feel like a failure. Great combo of tactics. 

7. Cut way back on the booze. 

Beer was my vice. Drink vodka fresh lime soda from now on. My booze free period definitely accelerated the whole process.


7. Join a gym in close proximity to your house. 

No excuses then and minimal distance to travel looking puffed out. Spending money on exercise is always money well spent.

So there you go, it's not drastic but it's enough :) Especially with trips to Mexico, America, Spain, Dublin, Nottingham and Cornwall thrown in with all their tempting treats.

Feel free to leave a comment below and tell me about your weight loss or fitness journey. Furthermore if you're interested in addressing those deeper issues which may be affecting your reluctance to lose weight, get in touch here to schedule a free life coaching consultation call. Together we can shape your body back to it's beautiful default and get you feeling a million dollars again. 


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