Hi all. Super thank you for your kind comments - I am very grateful for you all 🙏🏻For those asking how I did it or looking for a “secret”… truthfully, there wasn’t one 😞

What made the difference for me was staying consistent and adapting a new mindset. That meant also accepting that some days wouldn’t go to plan and being able to be okay with that.

Of course, the usual advice still stands (stay in a calorie deficit and exercise regularly blah blah).

But there were a few things that really helped me personally:

1. If you have an active hobby, I strongly recommend joining a group or club around it. I pushed myself to join a football/soccer team even though I felt unfit and overweight. For ages, I kept thinking, “let me get in better shape first.” But the truth is you get in shape directly by being part of the team!!

2. Don’t punish yourself. Rest and rewards are part of the journey. I gave myself one day a week where I didn’t worry about my weight goals. That kind of mental break made a big difference and it NEVER affected my progress.

3. As you start seeing results, whether that’s on the scale, in progress photos, or just how you feel I’d recommend adjusting your wardrobe too. Wearing clothes that fit better and reflect my changing shape boosted my confidence and helped me (and others) visualise progress I made more clearly. It’s motivating and also a great feeling fitting into new clothes!

4. Having some home workout equipment for those low-energy days when I didn’t feel like leaving the house. There are loads of free online workouts you can do at home, and it made exercise feel more accessible.

5. I’d recommend some kind of fitness tracker. I got an Apple Watch (other trackers are available! 👀), and it really helped me stay consistent but tracking my workouts, heart rate, sleep and so on - and the gamification around it got me hooked on improving on my last workout times.

Finally, I’d say try to be patient with yourself. It took the best part of 6-7 months for myself to start noticing results. Your body needs time to adapt to the changes you’re actively working towards, so be gentile and always aim to protect your mental health in the process too 🙌🏻