How mum-of-two Jess Connelly lost over 40 kilograms

LOSING weight is something many new mums struggle with. But after weighing in at 105 kilograms, 27-year-old Jess Connelly decided to turn her life around. Here’s how she did it.

How Jess lost over 40 kilograms

JESS Connelly is a wife, mum and small business owner.

She loves spending time with her family, exploring her Sunshine Coast surroundings, and often spends her Saturdays getting brides ready for their big day in her capacity as a freelance make-up artist.

So far so normal, right? Well, except for the fact that Jess has recently turned her life upside down, losing an incredible 40 kilograms through pure, hard work.

“Yep, it’s the size of a little person!” Mrs Connelly, 27, told news.com.au. “But there were no secret pills, just a lot of hard work and dedication. I did a major overhaul of my diet, I joined the gym for the first time, and it worked.”

After having two children, now three and five, Mrs Connelly’s weight tipped the scales at just over 105 kilograms.

“I tried getting fitter after my first baby, but I kept putting it off,” she says. “I had a shocking diet, I didn’t have any balance at all. But this time around, things were different.

“I decided that I needed to do a major overhaul and get active, and be the best possible version of myself. I didn’t have a material view, I didn’t do it to look better or get skinnier. My mindset changed, and instead of having a particular weight goal, I just thought, I need to be the best version of me. I need to be healthy and strong.”

But the most difficult thing for Mrs Connelly wasn’t the physical limitations or the diet changes — it was overcoming the guilt many new mums feel when they realise they need to change their lifestyle.

“I know there’s a huge amount of guilt that comes from leaving your children to exercise, and I have absolutely copped that from family and friends, that whole ‘you could be spending time with your children but you’re spending time in the gym’ attitude,” she explains. “I still have mums that come up to me and say, ‘I just dropped my baby at the crèche and I feel so bad’ — but your kids are happy, safe, they have a lunch box full of food, or they’re with their dad or grandma or whoever, and you have to allow yourself time to take care of yourself.

“As a mum, you need to get to a point in your life where you realise that it’s OK to have that as a priority. We cook and clean and look after everyone, but we let ourselves slip too far behind. I got to the point where I gave myself permission to have that time. I am a better mum when I get up and train — the serotonin starts flowing, I get home and I’m fresh. It does good things for everyone.”

Mrs Connelly initially signed up for a 12 week challenge at her local Goodlife Health Club, and now trains five or six days a week.

“It’s just a part of my life now,” she says. “I am currently almost at the end of a fitter faster stronger challenge, it’s the second round of that I’ve done. I’m not doing a massive amount of cardio, at the moment it’s a lot of weight based training which I’ve never done before. It’s amazing how much fat you can burn when you’re lifting weights! I love doing RPM classes, they are great to get your heart rate up. I see a Personal Trainer 3 times a week, that won’t ever change.

“I’m not extreme in terms of my diet, I haven’t cut out gluten and diary and sugar. I’ll be completely honest and say if I was to do that I wouldn’t that it just wouldn’t work, it’s way too restrictive for me! I have a good mix of carbs and protein, and we make a lot of food at home now so we know exactly what’s going into it. We make all our meals two or three days in advance because if I’m not prepared I’ll start reaching for the wrong foods. Preparation is key. And now, if I do have a treat, I know I have to work hard to get it off!”

Mrs Connelly’s new attitude has proved so inspirational, she’s just been named an ambassador for Goodlife.

“I never intended for this to inspire anyone else, but it’s all just happened,” she says. “I hope now I can inspire other people that may be in my position to get out and live a healthy and active lifestyle with their families.

“You just need to want it enough. I never thought I could be like this, either. You just need to make the promise to yourself that you’ll do it for you. Don’t give yourself any option other than to succeed.”

Goodlife Health Clubs are running a simultaneous exercise class on Saturday October 25 in Brisbane, which Jess will be attending, as part of the Goodlife Wellness Festival. To join in, head to www.goodlife.com.au/wellness