ic_burger

JSA Member Feedback

Hi James,

After all the things I’ve read and seen recently on insta, I’ve felt compelled to message you. I’m an academy member and would like to tell you about what you, Diren and the academy has done for me. It’s a long one, you may want to get comfy - grab a brew!

I’m fat, I’ve always been fat, I’ve had varying degrees of fat but never been able to fit into the “just a bit chubby” category since the age of 11. Since this age, I’ve also had an horrific relationship with food, most foods demonised, swayed between bingeing and starving, the starving never lasted that long, hence been really fat most of my life. 18 months ago I started on a bit of a run of bad luck/life changing events and I ate my way through every single one of them, managed to gain 61/2 stone in that time - I know a majorly impressive amount of calories and you’re currently wondering if I’m a competitive eater!!! Sadly not!

 I have tried everything in my life to lose weight, spent a fortune, traded my sanity, self worth and self esteem for a load of false promises, lies and cons, without success obviously, until I found your academy about 10 weeks ago. A friend recommended it to me as she is also an academy member so thought I would give it a go, I’d tried everything else! In those 10 weeks it’s not even an exaggeration that my life has completely changed. For the first time ever, food isn’t this all powerful thing that ruins my life, I have only binged once in 10 weeks, this used to be a daily thing, I’m not obsessed with food anymore, no longer looking for a magic answer to a hopeless problem. I no longer weigh myself, I now understand this means nothing so I don’t bother. I do measure myself and take pics and I have around 68cm all over in those 10 weeks. However, this is nothing compared to the mental change in me. I have had the confidence to cut my hair, start wearing nicer clothes (they were always reserved for thinner me), I got on a train impulsively and went to the Leeds meet up and met some of the most fantastic and inspiring people, I managed to meet Pippa McKean and Amanda Tetlock, who are my real life heroes and achieved something I now feel is possible. I no longer hide away at home, I’m out and about doing things.

For the first time in my adult life, I feel comfortable about my body, I don’t feel upset or feel the need to compare myself. As you know there are some absolute stunners in the academy, I don’t feel less of a person anymore because I’m surrounded by thinner/fitter people. I find their support overwhelming at times.

 It’s given me the confidence to start training, I’ve been to a few PTs in my life and the first thing they all do is take one look at my body, underestimate what I am able to do and stick me on a bike for 5 mins followed by the treadmill and a couple of weights. It’s always resulted in me not returning again! This is the first time I feel like I haven’t been underestimated. That the training programme I was given was realistic but also pushed me and as it’s not a one size fits all programme that’s not easy to do.

Not only has it been an amazing transformation mentally but that has leaked into other areas of my life, my marriage is better, I’m a better mother, I’m more confident at work and have even bagged myself a meeting with the Trusts chief executive tomorrow to argue the case for some funding for where I work.

So whilst some people are screaming fat shaming, I would like to thank you and your system for being the first thing I have ever found that has made me unashamed of who I am and how my body currently looks. Knowing that I can now achieve what I want to and have. A healthier life without compromising myself.

Thanks Katie