Mum who 'piled on weight every month' tones up by making simple change to life

Shannon Collins, aka The Gym Nurse, spoke candidly about her weight loss journey online and gave handy advice to those who are looking to follow in her footsteps

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've continued to practice a pretty healthy lifestyle over several years now, my body has continued to change and reflect on the outside too.

"It's never too late to make a change, and baby steps is the way. Don't try to change everything at once. Make small, attainable goals and as you master them add more. Don't go into this trying to change your entire life over night. Small changes add up over time."

Shannon explained that the real trick is to set achievable targets and not aiming for overnight success. Consistency is key – so don't give up!

Her resonated with many, garenering more than 4,600 likes with her fans who voiced their support in the comments section. They call her an absolute "inspiration".

One fan commented: "I like the advice of focusing on one thing at a time. Way too overwhelming to try, and change everything at once and usually backfires."

Someone else wrote: "You are an inspiration. Once you make that decision, and you see your body composition change, there's no looking back."

Meanwhile, one more said: "I spent years abusing my body with constant dieting. Always chasing the smallest number. Living in maintenance has been the best decision I've made. My body is thriving."

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