As a 20 year old woman, working 40-50 hour weeks, Emma lost track of healthy eating habits consuming lots of processed foods. Her weight reached a max of 123kg and has incredibly lost 53kg since beginning her fitness journey. Emma’s mental health has also had a drastic change for the better, from a low point of anxiety and depression to confidence in her body that she had never thought was possible. She went from ranging between a size 18-20 to 10-12 allowing her to wear anything she wanted and feel confident when leaving the house.
How did the case study impact your community?
I had a lot of support from my friends and family. I also have an instagram page for my journey and the response from all of the people who have been following me was amazing and totally unexpected. A lot of my close friends and family sent me messages asking me about my journey and telling me about their own journeys which was amazing.
What was the response you received following the press article?
After the press article was released, I received an overwhelming amount of support. I received so many messages from people who I didn't even know who were telling me how much I inspired them to start their own fitness journey! So many of my friends and family were amazed at just how much I have changed, and a lot of people didn't know the struggles I was facing prior to the article being published.
How has your fitness journey impacted your mental health?
My fitness journey has probably impacted my mental health the most out of anything. I'm a more confident person now. I used to be a very sad, and unmotivated person prior, but since I started this journey I just feel like I have a new lease on life. I'm motivated to do things with my life and do things that once made me feel uncomfortable. I am a much happier person now for the changes I've made.
Why did you want to share your story? And why should people share their stories?
I wanted to share my story to prove to people that losing weight and starting your own fitness journey is possible. I wanted to show and inspire people how I did it and to hopefully give people an insight into how to start their own journey, no matter what that might be. I think it's so important for people to share their stories. You never know how many people you can help by doing it and just how much you can inspire people. I know reading other peoples stories and their own fitness journey really helped me when I first started on my own journey.
How has covid-19 impacted your health and fitness journey?
Covid-19 honestly hasn’t impacted my journey too much. I've been doing the home workouts from the app since March and I still continue to do them as gyms are not open in Melbourne. I continue to see amazing changes in my body, I'm still losing weight and I'm still able to keep myself in a really good routine. I miss working out at the gym and lifting heavy, but I'm lucky that I do have some equipment at home to help me in my workouts.
How do you motivate yourself? Or alternatively what motivates you?
Looking back at how far I've come is my biggest motivator. I look back at just how hard this journey has been and how much effort I've had to put into it to get to where I am now and that's enough for me to keep going and not take a backwards step. I love looking back at photos and comparisons. They really help to keep me motivated on days where I feel down.
We appreciate Emma for sharing her story with us and everyone else. Working on your mental and physical health is so important but can be and is very difficult. There may be times when you are simply not ready to talk about your story—and that’s okay! But when you are ready to share, do so—for everyone’s sake, especially yours.
Want to read Emma’s full story? Check out her interview or insta sharing her updates of her fitness journey as she continues to reach her goals.
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xx The Tammy Fit Team
