About me

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steph@beelievefitness.co.uk

ABOUT ME

Oh wow! Well, where do I begin???

Firstly, thank you for getting this far and being interested in my journey to date.

When I say I have been dieting most of my life to date there is no truer sentence.

I'm going back to my first ever diet... This was when I was 14yrs old. Children can be cruel and I was bullied throughout most of my childhood. This may have been why I had such a big hang up on my body image. Especially my thighs and bum.

The local street boys made a song up about my thunder thighs and bruised legs and to this day I still have hang ups about my thighs.

My first diet I participated in was the kellogg's diet. Yep at 15 I turned to kellogg's cereal for breakfast and lunch with a healthy dinner for 2 weeks and you will lose a jean size. Since that day I have embarked on

- Cabbage diet pills

- Slimfast

- Slim patches

- Soup diet

- Cambridge (shake diet)

- Exante (shake diet)

- Slimming World and many others im sure.

Now don't get me wrong, they were all successful in that I lost weight.

But IF it REALLY worked why did I need to keep trying new diets?

IF it REALLY worked why am I needing to go on yet another diet or even repeat the same one next year??

2017 after years of losing and then putting it back on again and again, I had become desperate and I was looking at other options such as weight loss surgery or a gastric band. I wasn't thinking of the money as I was fed up of hating my body. I was fed up of hating my photos and going through my daughters phone and deleting pictures she had taken of me. I even had my daughter ask me why is there no pictures of us together, this really upset me and I felt ashamed and knew I had to do something NOW!

That was when my life changed for the better. I came across a fat loss fitness group (The Body Transformers) and by having a supportive community around me it steered me on to the right track. This was my last resort before going down the surgery route and I was determined to give it my 100%

I turned my stubbornness around to work with me, not against me and the result was gaining confidence and dropping 3 dress sizes.

The best thing is 3 yrs on I am still 70lbs + lighter.

I've still got a goal as I don't believe in standing still and I still do have my cider and eat out!

My fat-loss journey was life changing and by helping others and seeing there successes made me want to become a PT too.

I went back to school and did several online and practical courses through T2 fitness. Stu, Paul and Debbie were amazingly helpful and encouraging of my new career choice. I chose courses that I felt would help me teach other women in the same position.

I am now Qualified in:

L3 - Diploma in fitness instructing and personal training (PQF)

L3 - Award in adapting exercise for ante natal and post natal clients.

L3 - Diploma in Teaching Pilates

UPDATE - POST COVID

In March 2020 I struggled to launch my Bespoke Women's Fat-loss programme as Covid hit.

My priorities had to change and like many other parents out there I now had to be a full time mum, a primary and secondary school teacher as well as keep running my husbands business and jointly run the farm.

As things started to slowly return back to normal. I started to notice my mental health was suffering and have since learned (with the help of a counsellor) that I now suffer with Anxiety. By learning this I have been researching into Anxiety and understanding and recognising the signs.

One day (April 2021) when Covid regulations allowed, a friend introduced me to Stand up paddle boarding at Lake 32 and I instantly fell in love and it soon became my favourite past time.

A mixture of being outside, being with nature and water had a calming effect on my mental health.

One sunny morning when I was out on the board with the sound of the ducklings swimming past and a dragon fly landing on my knee. I wondered "what if" I could do this for a job? Could I combined my love of being here, on the water and exercising?

And that's how after lots of researching and participating on a SUP improver course / SUP Yoga and lots of hours practicing on lakes, rivers and the sea I am now also a WSA (Water Skills Academy) SUP (Stand up Paddleboard) Instructor.

My Story will continue and I cant wait to create fun, exciting sessions for those with like minded love for being outdoors and exercising.

Cambridge Diet Before

This was way back in 2010.
After the birth of my first child in 2007, I really struggled to lose weight. Prior to embarking on the Cambridge diet, I had tried the Kelloggs diet, the Alli diet (yuck), the Harcombe diet, WW and even fell for the diet pills (I was that desperate).
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Cambridge diet 'After'

This was taken at the end of my successful cambridge diet.
I was over the moon.
I dont have the measurements any more, but the pictures say alot.
To succeed on the cambridge, I endured 8 solid weeks of only consumming 3 milkshakes a day.
No chocolate, no alcohol, you get the idea...
Then another 3 months of weaning off of the shakes and introducing actual food.
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2014 Wedding

A close relative's wedding.
Oh my god I cried, when I got shown this picture. I had never felt so disgusted.
This year was a bad year for me.
I stopped sociallisng and if I did, I got stupidly drunk which helped me forget. I even pulled out of attending a good friends hen party & wedding because I was ashamed of how fat I was. This is what happens when you come off of any milkshake diet.
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2016 After birth of son.

This is not the best true picture of me, due to having my 1 month old poking his head out lol.
But this was my heaviest. I weighted 248lbs.
I really really didnt want this picture taken (hence why its the only one I have of me in 2016). But it was a big milestone image. The first dig of our now family home. 6 months after this picture was taken I joined Slimming World.
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2017 Before Picture

This is an 'after' and 'before' photo.
1 year with Slimming World I lost 20lbs. I did struggle with SW, for various reasons. So in Nov 17, I invested and signed up with a fitness fat loss coaching program. It was my last resort as I was looking at the option of going under the knife.
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2019 Progress Picture

This is a after picture at the time, but now a progress picture. Losing 3 dress sizes and also gaining confidence. Finally starting to like parts of my body.
This changed my life and is the reason why I decide to become a Personal trainer,.
So I could help others in the same position.

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2020 Going it alone

Going it alone. I researched my own workouts, as well as studying with T2 Fitness and educating myself with areas I felt will help benefit other women and mothers.
I am no size 8 with a 6 pack. But I am a happy, healthy size 12 and found a method that works with my lifestyle.
I am still on a journey, as I think you should never just stand still and my new journey will build on my knowledge so I can help Women further along.
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SUP Instructor

This is me now 2021,
A qualifed Pilates and WSA SUP Instructor.
Sharing my love of SUP and Fitness. I am going to create fun exercise classes on the board.

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Cambridge Diet Before

Cambridge diet 'After'

2014 Wedding

2016 After birth of son.

2017 Before Picture

2019 Progress Picture

2020 Going it alone

SUP Instructor