Sometimes, dieting can feel like a vicious cycle. We can put ourselves on strict eating plans initially, but these are near-impossible to maintain in the long-term. This can mean people keep piling on the pounds – even when they're trying hard to lose weight.
So instead, it's usually more savvy to make sustainable changes to your lifestyle. And that's exactly what Shannon Collins did. The influencer, who posts content for her 150,000-plus following on Instagram, saw huge results when she started focusing on small changes instead of a complete overhaul.
The mum felt stuck in a rut initially – she was drained from lacking the energy to engage with her kids, and was done with "relying on alcohol" to cope with stress. Her weight gain was so persistent that she found herself constantly shopping for new clothes because last year's outfits no longer fitted. So she made it her mission to take control.
At her heaviest, Shannon said her life "felt like a mess". She wasn't looking after her health and was trapped in a vicious cycle. However, her life took a positive turn when she started focusing on self-care and diving into fitness.
She's been so successful that she's now become known for being an influencer called The Gym Nurse. In an Instagram post, she wrote: "I never expected to be where I am now. I just wanted to feel a little better, and stop going down an unhealthy path.
But once I got to feeling better (which didn't take long), there was no way I was going back. And since I.