How lifting weights helped this mum-of-two feel 10 years younger

“I’m far more confident and want to keep this feeling forever. I feel beautiful, and for the first time in my life, I’m strong.”

Purva’s body confidence had taken a slow and steady fall after giving birth.

“Will I ever look like my old self again?” she would always ask herself, looking back at old pictures.

She did take her fitness seriously – but Yoga and Pilates classes weren’t helping her lose weight.

Now aged 39 with grown up children, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to put herself first.

That meant signing up for a personal training program with Ultimate Performance and trying weight training for the first time ever – a nerve-racking thought at first.

Just 23 weeks on, it’s difficult to recognise Purva. A combination of lifting weights, well-thought-out food choices and accountability have left her with a flat stomach any mum would be proud of.

Happy moods are no longer few and far between, she sleeps for longer, and she’s not squeezing into clothes like she did a few months ago.

Here, she explains the changes she made and what she did to feel (and look) 10 years younger…

What initially motivated you to join Ultimate Performance and start personal training?

I'm a mother of two. I'm 39 years old and I have a very busy life.

My kids are now grown up so I was trying to find myself and see how I can transform my body.

My initial motivation to join up was just to get leaner, but then I realised I could take it a lot further than I thought.

My first achievement was when I could fit myself into a smaller jacket, and now I'm waiting for my abs. I want to take it step by step and keep achieving something.

That's why I came to U.P.

What was the trigger behind your decision to join U.P.? What was the moment when you said to yourself, "Okay, I need to do something"?

After I had my kids, I had put weight on and over the years becoming more and more sluggish. I realised I needed to change my lifestyle.

I was doing yoga and stuff, but it wasn't enough. That's why I thought I need to get into an exercise routine and find a better balance with my nutrition.

Could you describe how you felt about your appearance before you started training here?

It's been a big transformation, I must say. Before, I was trying to squeeze into my clothes, you know, trying to fit in despite being overweight.

But now, I feel more confident and can show off a bit.

Initially, I lacked confidence in my appearance. I was always worried about what would suit me and what wouldn't. It made me feel underconfident.

I wasn’t myself, and being a mum of two, I found myself struggling to get through the day. I didn’t have any energy at all.

Just over 20 weeks on, how would compare yourself now to how you were back then?

My energy has improved so much. I’m now always active and on my toes. I'm always ready to do things with my kids now and I can plan things wisely.

I’ve noticed I’m making better decisions and manage my time a lot better. That means I’ve got a lot more time with the kids and I can play with them and give them the attention they need.

It’s great!

Tell us about lifting weights and how it’s made you feel. What differences have you felt in your body?

Honestly, I’m just so much more confident now. I want to keep this feeling forever.

Not just my appearance, but my mental wellbeing too. I've become very strong for the first time in my life. I have gained clarity of thought, so I am planning things wisely. I am organising everything very nicely now.

I'm a changed person, I can say that. It's a much better version of myself now.

When you think back to when we first did the videos of your push-ups, deadlifts, and squats, you struggled to do them. Now, you can do them all. How do you feel about that?

I feel so strong and proud of myself because I've pushed way past my boundaries. I will keep doing that long into the future.

I feel the support from all the trainers every session. I feel like they're amazing and doing an amazing job, so I want to keep going.

So, how do you feel now that you've achieved your goal that you set from the start? You’ve lost way more weight than you thought possible, right?

Incredible. The journey has gone so well. I want to keep seeing where I can go.

It's blissful to me because everything I do makes me feel more beautiful, and I can do so many other things now. I feel like I can achieve so much more.

What would you say to other women who are scared to go to the gym, but want to get in shape? Do you think this experience would help them?

I'll say this: life itself is beautiful. Sometimes you just have to push your boundaries.

For me, I had never stepped out of my family circle before coming to the gym. I was scared, wondering if I would be able to do it or not.

But once you step into it, you learn how to do it.

You keep learning and exploring yourself. That's how you can achieve things that you didn’t think possible.

Finally, what would you say has been your biggest achievement Purva?

My biggest achievement? The whole thing!

I feel like I have gone back by at least 10 years. I’ve loved every minute of it.