Mind, Body & Soul
LOSING WEIGHT is all about healthy living …and an apple a day
Gabrielle Kay, (23), is the ‘This Girl Can’ coordinator who helps run fitness sessions for women at Maidstone Leisure Centre. Four years ago, she weighed 15 stones but through a healthier lifestyle, she shed more than five. Now she’s keen to spread the word….
How are you? I’m great, thanks for asking!
How is your health generally?
I am pretty much in great health apart from the odd niggle from an old knee injury I got playing football a couple of years ago.
Have you ever had any major illnesses?
Not really. When I was around seven or eight, I had my appendix removed which left a significant scar and I used to suffer from asthma at a young age.
Do you take any medicines? No.
Have you ever considered herbal remedies?
No I don’t — I may Google the odd ache or pain to see if there is a home remedy to help but nothing other than that. I grew up on a fruit farm so for me it’s all about an apple a day.
Ever needed an osteopath or chiropractor?
No, I’ve never suffered from any back pains. However, at a bridesmaid dress fitting I was once told I’m a bit wonky so maybe that would help!
What, if any, exercise do you take?
Since starting my weight loss journey, I have taken part in a lot of different exercise and activity. At Greenwich university I was in the women’s football and rugby teams too. I now regularly go to the gym, take part in five and 10ks including ParkRun and charity runs, I also take part in some of the This Girl Can Swim sessions we hold at Maidstone Leisure Centre. I exercise not just to “keep fit” and “tone up”, it’s also about keeping a healthy mind. It can also be really social too — which is what our sessions are all about. I also love the feeling of achievement after having worked out or getting a new personal best. I also have a very competitive boyfriend I have to keep up with, which keeps me motivated.
When I got my current job a few months ago, everyone who knew me told me how fitting it was for me. I’ve supported the This Girl Can initiative for years — and it supported my personal journey and helped me to feel more comfortable when taking my first steps in exercising, right through to now when I can still feel a bit intimidated in the gym. It’s great to be working to change the lives of local women and girls and get them more involved in activity. I’ve met women with disabilities, those going through illness, recovering from injury and so on — totally ranging in ages and abilities. It’s a really rewarding position to be in especially after changing my own life.
What are your vices?
Throughout my weight loss journey, alcohol was the one thing I did not give up as I was a university student and wanted to enjoy student life. I do love a good beer garden on a sunny day or glass of wine on the odd evening.
What is the best piece of health advice anyone has ever given you?
Drink lots of water. I carry a bottle of water with me everywhere I go (where acceptable anyway). It has many health benefits and I think it’s so underrated.
And that life is all about balance — if you want the salad,
eat the salad, but if you fancy the cake, eat the cake! Now I’ve reached my target weight, I have found a great balance in eating healthy and exercising (because I genuinely enjoy it) 85% of the time, but treating myself as and when I want to.
Would you like to live forever?
No, not at all. Can you imagine the procrastination? There would be so much more reason to “do it tomorrow” if we lived forever. It would be hard to value our time and the people around us if we did.
Gabrielle as she is today (top left and middle), Gabrielle before weight loss (bottom right) Mid Kent Living 45
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