Committed to proving her colleague wrong when he said she’s never compete in a triathlon, Dental Nurse Jess lost over 13 stone and went on to run her first triathlon in under 2 hours... weight loss before and after 1. What inspired you to make a change? The moment I realised I FINALLY needed to lose weight was when I was having a conversation on a Friday afternoon with the dentist I was working with at the time. He told me he was competing in a triathlon. I didn't have a clue what a triathlon was but I was intrigued. He showed me pictures and I told him I would be competing the following year with him. He laughed and told me I’d never do it! It was at that point where I needed to prove him wrong. 2. What were your original goals when you started? With a starting weight of 24st 10lbs and wearing dress size 26, my original goal was to lose 2 stone and to be able to run 5km in under 45 minutes. I also wanted to be able to compete in a 10km run with friends 10 months later in a charity run. [caption id="attachment_352" align="alignnone" width="466"]Before weight and after Me, before I started training at 24st 10lbs and after, over 13 stone lighter.[/caption] 3. Can you describe your old self before your transformation? Before trying to lose weight, my trainers just used to collect dust. I've danced since the age of 4, but even my ballet shoes were dusty! When it came to my diet, my favourite food was any kind of pasty and my favourite drink was Fanta Fruit Twist flavour. 4. How did you go about your transformation? In the past, I’d tried numerous diets and diet clubs, all of which never managed to get my attention long enough. This time was different. I began to eat more healthily by cutting out the “junk” foods I was so used to. I realised as I was starting to lose weight that I still had no idea about how many grams of fat or calories I was eating, so I decided after reading and researching online that if I could stick to 1500 calories a day without snacking and increase my exercise by dusting off my trainers and getting back into the gym that I should begin to lose some weight. My biggest obstacle at the time was definitely trying not to snack! 5. Did you seek advice from anyone or anywhere? Yes I did. I was walking past the class studio at my gym when I heard a big booming voice shouting “Last 10 seconds”! I saw a big tall guy with a circle of people all doing different exercises with smiles on their faces. I wanted to be part of that, so I signed up. I met Sam Keen and he talked me through each circuit training exercise, which included lots of high intensity functional training and cardio. I left the class with the biggest smile on my face - and aching from head to foot! I asked Sam to give me a programme to keep me motivated and I knew he would be my personal trainer from then on. He devised a healthy eating plan that works for me, as well as a varied fitness programme. 6. How has your fitness regime changed since you started to now? When I first started to change I was exercising 3 times a week. Not anymore! A typical week would be a swim before work every day expect Tuesday and I do a mixture of workouts in the evenings, ranging from training on my own in the gym or a gruelling class with Sam! I mix up my gym workouts to stop me getting bored, make sure I’m getting a full body workout and to ensure that my fitness programme works with my lifestyle. That’s the only way to stick with it! I have a healthy balance between cardio training on the treadmill and exercise bikes and weights training. Sam’s training is different every single time. We do high intensity reps with kettlebells and dumbbells followed by conditioning work, such as slow push ups. I've even had my ballet shoes on and gone back to dancing. 7. Tell us about the triathlons you’ve taken part in. My first triathlon ever was earlier this year, just over a year since I vowed to do it. Over 13 stone lighter at just over 11 stone, I completed it in 1:59:12! Blenheim is a sprint distance which consists of a 750m open water swim, straight onto a 20km bike ride and then finally a 5km run to the finish line. It was great to be there with Simon (the dentist) - I had proven him wrong! [caption id="attachment_353" align="alignnone" width="600"]Jess at Blenheim Triathlon Me with my Finisher's Medal after completing the Bleheim Triathlon in 1hr 59 secs.[/caption] 8. How did you train for the triathlon? I trained by myself and with Sam who is a self-employed personal trainer. Sam varied every single one of our sessions and we focused on different muscle groups to help with the progression of times. He also provided me with an amazing meal plan to follow the week before the event to make sure I had as much energy as possible on race day. I trained out on the roads with my bike Trixie, complementing this with gruelling gym and home workouts on the exercise bike (a saviour in the winter when it was icy!) and running to improve my times of all the components of the triathlon. Six weeks later was my second triathlon which was the London Triathlon, also known as the largest. I raced for Alzheimer's Society and completed it in 1:51:37! 9. Where do you get your motivation from? I get my motivation by constantly challenging myself and finding new challenges to overcome. Also, buying clothes that are too small and then working my way into them before making them too big is great fun. My family and friends have all helped me along the way too, telling me I can do it and that I am a stronger person than I believe I am! [caption id="attachment_354" align="alignnone" width="551"]Jess Tew at London Triathlon Me at the London Triathlon with my parents and brother[/caption] 10. What’s next for Jess? I am hoping to represent the Alzheimer's Society in the 2015 London Marathon as part of my training towards an Iron Man in 2016! Sam still has A LOT of work to do. Do YOU have a fitness success story? Have you transformed your health and fitness like Jess, or perhaps you’re super fit and training for a new goal? If you’d like to shout about your success, please comment below, email Laura or get in touch on Twitter or Facebook. Please ensure you consult your doctor and receive the relevant advice before making a radical change to your diet and exercise. View diet and calorie advice from the NHS.