More Energy Than Ever!

Discovering the kind of exercise she loved, alongside a new way of eating, helped Jenn Guinane lose 6st 7½lb

- Alex Lloyd

Exhausted and hungry after my workout, I went into the kitchen to look for a pork pie or packet of crisps, feeling I’d earned it.

My husband, Paul, had been working out with Chris – a body and life coach – for a year now and found his boot camp classes and strength training sessions really motivating, so I’d signed up too, filled with enthusiasm for the fitter, slimmer me who would surely emerge. Because I could take my two young daughters along with me, it seemed to fit so well around my lifestyle. And I couldn’t fault Chris. He’d been endlessly patient and full of encouragement, even entertaining my baby, Daisy, as I puffed my way through my twice-weekly sessions. And yet I knew my heart wasn’t in it. There I was, trying to do press-ups, even though when I went to playgroup with Daisy’s big sister, Molly, I could barely get up from the floor. Exercise seemed like something to be endured, rather than enjoyed and, worst of all, it wasn’t even helping me lose weight.

Dancing to success

I’d been working out twice a week for nine months, and I was still 17st 3½lbs and a size 20. It dawned on me it was time to try a different way of keeping fit – while one-on-one workouts are perfect for many people, including Paul, they just didn’t work for me. I’d also realised that exercise alone wasn’t going to get me where I wanted to be. So, at the next session, I told Chris it wasn’t him, it was me. I explained that my sister, Claire, was doing well at Slimming World and that I’d decided to join, too. And because I’d always loved going out dancing, I was going to give dance-based workouts a go instead. Chris couldn’t have been more understanding.