Leanne Kennedy a member of Stronger You for life, was recently interviewed by Andrew Beaven of the Daily Mail. Here is a summary of her incredible story.
At 35, I was at my heaviest and unhappiest. I weighed 14st 4lbs, my clothes didn’t fit, and I constantly felt tired and uncomfortable. I used to love running, but the extra weight made my knees ache, and I’d stopped exercising altogether.
I knew how I’d got here. In my 30s, I’d fallen into bad habits – too many takeaways, too much alcohol, and very little balance. I tried everything to lose weight, from Slimming World and Weight Watchers to gyms and calorie-counting apps, but nothing lasted. I’d lose a few pounds, fall back into old habits, and gain it all back again. It left me feeling defeated and unhappy.
Why cardio wasn’t enough
Seven months ago, I decided I needed a different approach. Instead of chasing quick fixes, I focused on building healthier habits I could stick to long term. I joined Stronger You For Life.
At first, I was nervous because I was so overweight and unfit. But the classes were manageable and could be done from home, which made a huge difference. I started doing three sessions a week in my living room using dumbbells and kettlebells. The workouts involved simple exercises like squats, shoulder presses, planks, and crunches, gradually increasing the resistance over time.
Alongside the exercise, I changed my eating habits. I cut down on takeaways, drank less alcohol, and started eating more balanced meals. For the first time, I stopped seeing healthy living as a short-term fix and started treating it as a lifestyle change.
Within weeks, I noticed I had more energy, slept better, and felt stronger. Slowly, the weight started coming off. Over seven months, I lost 3st 4lbs and dropped to 11 stone. More importantly, I gained confidence and felt healthier than I had in years.
Strength training has completely transformed how I view fitness. I used to think weight loss was all about cardio and being slim but have learned that building muscle is just as important. Experts say strength training helps preserve muscle while burning fat and boosting metabolism, which becomes especially important as women get older.
The training also improved other parts of my life. I felt less fatigued, more motivated, and mentally sharper. It even encouraged me to drink more water and make healthier choices naturally.
Emma’s support
Emma was there supporting me. She explained that for middle-aged women, our metabolism naturally slows down, so strength training effectively “restarts” that engine, boosting the metabolic rate and making weight loss sustainable.
We also we begin losing bone density from age 30. Resistance training stimulates bone-forming cells to combat osteoporosis.
One thing I worried about at first was becoming “too muscular,” but that simply hasn’t happened. Instead, I feel leaner, fitter, and stronger. The focus isn’t on becoming bulky – it’s about being healthy and capable.
The online classes made it easier to stay consistent. I could work out before work, during lunch breaks, or even while cooking dinner. At first, I struggled with basic exercises, but over time I became stronger and started enjoying the challenge.
The changes extended beyond exercise. I’ve only had one Chinese takeaway in six months and cut back massively on alcohol because I no longer wanted to undo all my hard work every weekend.
One of my proudest moments came when I started running again after months of knee pain. Recently, I completed a 5km charity race – something I never thought I’d be able to do again.
Looking back, I realise getting healthy was never about punishing myself or chasing perfection. It was about consistency, patience, and making small changes that added up over time. I feel stronger physically and mentally, and for the first time in years, I’m genuinely happy and confident in myself again.
This summary is based on an article originally published in the Daily Mail. You can view the full feature and Leanne’s interview https://www.dailymail.com/