Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!

I hope you are all enjoying this beautiful day!

I’ve had a great one myself, getting to work with really wonderful people starting a new fitness journey, filming exercises for our new, very exciting website coming out in January and going on BBC Hereford and Worcester Radio at 4.20 to be interviewed about a stat that came out today, stating that people who are over-weight and are “Fat Shamed”, bullied, treated as less of a person simply based on their weight are much more likely to gain weight, whereas individuals who are encouraged, are taught what to do and generally have people being kind to them actually lose more weight!

This subject has been bought up after Katie Hopkins, from The Apprentice, has openly said she wouldn’t employ anyone who is overweight and has gained 4 stone, to prove she can lose it.

Having been bullied for being overweight myself at school I know the hurt and pain that comes with it. The dreading school on a Sunday night and sometimes even praying I wouldn’t wake up (I was 8 years old!) and that was when we didn’t have the internet or social media, just name calling in the playground.

When I was 16 I joined the gym, I had a plan, get slim and with lots and lots of help, support, encouragement and education from the trainers at the gym, I lost my 5 stone. I hadn’t realised what I was getting so wrong, so totally over hauled my diet and lost the weight (keeping it off was a different story, for another blog) I can honestly say that without the help, support and encouragement from Nigel, Lydia, Adam, Simon and Nina, I don’t think I’d have got their. They were the first people to show me what it felt like to have someone truly believe in me, which made me believe I could do it!

Maybe, had I not been bullied, I’d have never tried to lose weight, never found the passion I have for all things health and exercise, but I think regardless of the actual catalyst that makes you decide to change, that flicks the switch, that makes you decide, it is the journey, what you do and who you find along the way that makes it yours, that fuels the fire and starts you on a road to simply liking and believing in yourself.

As I sat in the interview, Katie Hopkins was also being interviewed at the same time and a little part of me, my inner 8 year old, who still doesn’t like confrontation, who still, deep down just wants to be liked, felt panicked and was dreading an argument I feared I couldn’t win against this self-assured woman, so I am going to write a few blogs further on the subject and my honest thoughts on the matter over the next week.

So, to sum up, I really don’t think there is anything good about being cruel to people. I believe you treat others in a way that reflects how you feel inside. I truly think that all people need is a good friend, someone to help, encourage, give tips and listen. We’ve all had horrible experiences, so show some compassion and let someone know that, whatever their goal, you believe in them, it might be the one kind thing someone tells them that day!

Thank you for reading!

Aimie xx