Jade lost 70 pounds

Transformation of the Day: Jade lost 70 pounds/5 stone. Severe depression and emotional eating led to weight gain. She says that finding a love for running is what saved her and she plans to run the London Marathon in 2018. Check out her journey.

What was your motivation?
I used to suffer from severe depression. I was single, first time mum at the time and the depression got the better of me. I used food as a comforter. Eventually, I went up to a size 18-20 UK. I hated summertime, because I would stay indoors because of how I looked. That wasn’t fair to my son.

One day, I knew that enough was enough. I put on some joggers, went to our local park and just ran. I continued doing this and 4 days a week I made sure that I went for a run. When I began to see the results, I started taking it more seriously by watching the food I would eat. Three years later, I am a committed runner and part of a running club. I will be running the London Marathon in 2018! Running truly saved me.

How did you change your eating habits?
There would be days when prior to training I would skip breakfast or have junk for lunch and dinner due to emotional eating, so I changed all of my eating habits. I replaced all of my white carbs with whole wheat carbs. For breakfast, I would have a cereal with fiber in it or a smoothie. Lunch would be protein, veg and good carbs, such as brown pasta or rice. For dinner, I loaded up the protein and veg.

What does your workout routine look like today?
Today, I run two days a week. Cardio is good, however your body gets to a certain stage where it gets used to the same exercise. That’s why I weight train every night and I’ve cut back on the running. When I do run, I run an hour each time. I also take classes at my gym, such as boxing or spin class.

Starting weight/Current weight?
My starting weight was 17 stone and I now weigh 12 stone. (70 pounds = 5 stone). I was a size 18-20 UK and I am now a size 12 UK (size 14/16 to 8 US). My height is 5’3″.

What inspired you to keep going during the tough times?
The results kept me going. I saw how much weight I was losing and how it made me feel. Looking at old pictures and seeing how far I had come also kept me going and prevented me from giving up.

What advice do you have for women who want to lose weight?
Start off small! Even if you’re just jogging for 15 minutes a day, you are still doing something! Don’t give up because you don’t see a change straight away! Have fun and enjoy the process.

Instagram: @jaderacquel_