AT 16 stone at just 15, Jessica Turner faced relentless bullying at school and was cruelly called a “whale” by classmates.
Five years on, the student from Surrey has lost half her body weight, and those same bullies are suddenly trying their luck on Instagram.
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“I never really got any male attention before uni… but now I get doors held open for me all the time,” Jessica, now a fitness influencer, said.
After years of comfort eating and zero exercise, the now University of Exeter student ballooned to 16st 5lbs at just 5ft 3in tall.
“I looked at food as a source of comfort. I had very low self-esteem, so I didn’t like going out very much,” Jessica recalled.
While at school, people would often make comments.
“Someone said I was walking up the stairs ‘too slowly’, and another actually called me a whale,” she explained.
“They would laugh at me. I never felt like anybody found me attractive.”
The turning point came during the 2020 Covid lockdown when Jessica, then 15, decided to take control.
“Covid hit and everything shut down and I thought ‘I’ve got an opportunity to better myself and I have a lot of time on my hands’.”
Starting with YouTube home workouts, inspired by Joe Wicks and Chloe Ting, she slowly fell in love with fitness and nutrition.
“Once you start seeing results, it gets easier,” she said.
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.
“I was 105kg [16st 5lbs], so my health was on the line,” she said.
“I was bigger than my mum and most people in my family.
“I felt so miserable in myself that I didn’t really care what I was eating.”
Her diet used to revolve around calorie-laden junk food.
“I used to eat lots of cakes and chocolate because it would give me short-time gratification,” Jessica explained.
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“After school, I’d do a little Tesco shop and get a bag of sweets and chocolates.”
Now her typical day looks very different.
Breakfast might be protein pancakes topped with Greek yogurt, berries, and honey.
Lunch could be an omelette with cheese and ham, plus a side salad.
And dinner is typically something like a Mexican chicken rice bowl, packed with peppers, onions, and avocado.
“I 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.
“You don’t have to be scared of eating; you can achieve your goals without starving yourself.”
‘If I can do it, so can you’
Alongside the diet overhaul, Jessica took up weightlifting to tone up.
“I had loose skin on my arms and legs, my inner thighs in particular.
“Only when I started weightlifting did I start to build muscle. I haven’t looked back since.”
Her journey hasn’t just changed her body, it’s changed her confidence and life trajectory.
“If I hadn’t gone through my weight-loss journey, I wouldn’t be at a Russell group uni and I wouldn’t be studying law,” Jessica explained.
She said her social life has transformed too.
“People 100 per cent treat me differently, even on the street.
“When you’re a bigger girl people don’t 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.”
Many of Jessica’s bully’s now follow her on Instagram, but Jessica hasn’t forgetten how they made her feel.
“Then you have guys trying to speak to me [on Instagram] and I’m like ‘no, I still remember what you did’.”
Jessica hasn’t had any long-term relationships yet.
“I’m very career oriented so I’m prioritising that,” she said.
“I want to share my journey not just to celebrate how far I’ve come, but to inspire others,” she said.
“I want to show that no matter where you start, it’s possible to rise, grow, and achieve what once felt out of reach.
“If I can do it, so can you.”
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