After a wake-up call, Jennie gadsby, 31, went from a gym-phobe to a gym owner and lost almost 6st...
A decade ago if someone had told me that I’d be a size 10 with a taut tum and running my own gym, I would have laughed, then probably have had a munch of my Crunchie bar and a drag of my cigarette. But my life changed immeasurably after a very unwilling visit to a Weight Watchers group.
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t overweight.
I ate healthy home-cooked meals every night with my family, but the portions were huge and we’d always have pudding. Aged 16 I was already a size 20. At university, excessive drinking, smoking, eating takeaways and my idea of exercise – walking to a lift to avoid taking the stairs – saw me peak at a size 24. I lost count of the number of times I would wake up determined to change and embark on a ridiculous diet, cutting out cheese or carbs. But I’d soon give up and slip back into my old habits.
I hated shopping with my slim friends. I’d wait outside the changing rooms at Topshop while they tried on pretty skirts and dresses. I never did the ‘dating’ thing either, as I just didn’t have the confidence. Instead I would hide behind this big, bubbly persona on nights out – I guess it was a way of protecting myself. My health took a battering, too. I was constantly run down, picking up coughs and colds, and I couldn’t climb the stairs without panting.
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