9<\/p>\n At 5ft 3inches, Jessica Turner weight 16Credit: Kennedy News and Media 9<\/p>\n After shedding the weight the 20-year-old became a fitness influencerCredit: Kennedy News and Media 9<\/p>\n Jessica wants to help others adopt healthy habitsCredit: Kennedy News and Media<\/p>\n \u201cI never really got any male attention before uni… but now I get doors held open for me all the time,\u201d Jessica, now a fitness influencer, said.<\/p>\n After years of comfort eating and zero exercise, the now University of Exeter student ballooned to 16st 5lbs at just 5ft 3in tall. <\/p>\n \u201cI looked at food as a source of comfort. I had very low self-esteem, so I didn\u2019t like going out very much,\u201d Jessica recalled.<\/p>\n While at school, people would often make comments.<\/p>\n “Someone said I was walking up the stairs \u2018too slowly\u2019, and another actually called me a whale,\u201d she explained. <\/p>\n \u201cThey would laugh at me. I never felt like anybody found me attractive.”<\/p>\n The turning point came during the 2020 Covid lockdown when Jessica, then 15, decided to take control. <\/p>\n \u201cCovid hit and everything shut down and I thought \u2018I\u2019ve got an opportunity to better myself and I have a lot of time on my hands\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Starting with YouTube home workouts, inspired by Joe Wicks and Chloe Ting, she slowly fell in love with fitness and nutrition. <\/p>\n \u201cOnce you start seeing results, it gets easier,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n GP-approved tips to really lose weight safely – and keep it off <\/p>\n Jessica, now a successful fitness influencer, credits a protein-rich diet and regular exercise for her dramatic transformation, losing an incredible 8st 3lbs since 2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI was 105kg [16st 5lbs], so my health was on the line,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI was bigger than my mum and most people in my family. <\/p>\n “I felt so miserable in myself that I didn\u2019t really care what I was eating.\u201d<\/p>\n Her diet used to revolve around calorie-laden junk food.<\/p>\n \u201cI used to eat lots of cakes and chocolate because it would give me short-time gratification,\u201d Jessica explained. <\/p>\n 9<\/p>\n Jessica now credits a protein-packed diet and fierce workout routine for sculpting her size 6 figure.Credit: Kennedy News and Media 9<\/p>\n Before the transformation she lived on junk foodCredit: Kennedy News and Media 9<\/p>\n Her journey hasn\u2019t just changed her body, it\u2019s changed her confidence and life trajectory.Credit: Kennedy News and Media<\/p>\n \u201cAfter school, I\u2019d do a little Tesco shop and get a bag of sweets and chocolates.\u201d<\/p>\n Now her typical day looks very different. <\/p>\n Breakfast might be protein pancakes topped with Greek yogurt, berries, and honey. <\/p>\n Lunch could be an omelette with cheese and ham, plus a side salad.<\/p>\n And dinner is typically something like a Mexican chicken rice bowl, packed with peppers, onions, and avocado.<\/p>\n \u201cI make sure I eat at least five fruits and veg every day, and I hit my protein goals, eating over the government-recommended amount of 2,000 calories a day,” the health fanatic said. <\/p>\n “You don\u2019t have to be scared of eating; you can achieve your goals without starving yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n ‘If I can do it, so can you’<\/p>\n Alongside the diet overhaul, Jessica took up weightlifting to tone up. <\/p>\n \u201cI had loose skin on my arms and legs, my inner thighs in particular. <\/p>\n “Only when I started weightlifting did I start to build muscle. I haven\u2019t looked back since.\u201d<\/p>\n Her journey hasn\u2019t just changed her body, it\u2019s changed her confidence and life trajectory. <\/p>\n \u201cIf I hadn\u2019t gone through my weight-loss journey, I wouldn\u2019t be at a Russell group uni and I wouldn\u2019t be studying law,\u201d Jessica explained.<\/p>\n She said her social life has transformed too. <\/p>\n “People 100 per cent treat me differently, even on the street. <\/p>\n “When you\u2019re a bigger girl people don\u2019t respect you as much. I never had someone hold the door open for me, but as a girl now I get that all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n Many of Jessica’s bully’s now follow her on Instagram, but Jessica hasn’t forgetten how they made her feel. <\/p>\n \u201cThen you have guys trying to speak to me [on Instagram] and I\u2019m like \u2018no, I still remember what you did\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Jessica hasn\u2019t had any long-term relationships yet. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very career oriented so I\u2019m prioritising that,” she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to share my journey not just to celebrate how far I\u2019ve come, but to inspire others,” she said.<\/p>\n “I want to show that no matter where you start, it\u2019s possible to rise, grow, and achieve what once felt out of reach. <\/p>\n “If I can do it, so can you.\u201d<\/p>\n 9<\/p>\n Jessica used food at a source of comfortCredit: Kennedy News and Media 9<\/p>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/f80498b7-809e-48b7-860b-157037686660.jpg\")
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