Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I ditched the student life and lost five stone
Trainer Aine reveals ‘all-time low’
A BELFAST woman has told how she went from overindulging in the student lifestyle to being a personal trainer – losing five stone in the process.
Aine Rogan, 26, said she was 14.5 stone at her heaviest and decided to make a change when she saw her graduation photo back in 2014. Now, she’s working to help others with health and fitness. She said: “I realised university and the lifestyle got the better of me.
“I had been living away from home for three years studying in Manchester, struggling financially and trying to juggle studies with my parttime job in Old Trafford. “I was living off cheap processed food, grabbing the cheapest and quickest options along with binge eating and drinking at stressful exam times. “I got my graduation photo back and realised how unhappy I was at how I looked and felt. I was the heaviest I’d ever been – 14.5 stone – and knew I had to do something.” Aine described that period as an “all-time low”.
She added: “When I was at my heaviest I was shy, had zero confidence and stopped going out with my friends as I didn’t feel comfortable.
“I couldn’t climb stairs without feeling out of breath. I became panicked I’d fall into physical health problems.
“Little did I know I was struggling with mental health problems – just at an all-time low.”
At the same time Aine had been asked to be bridesmaid at her brother Brendan and his fiancee Paula’s wedding in October 2015.
She was determined to make a change to “feel comfortable” in her dress.
She said: “I signed up to the gym but I was nervous I’d be judged. I started circuit classes and began to feel fitter.
“I was beginning to see changes but I felt I had to do more – so I started one-to-one personal training sessions.” In a year and a half she lost two stone. After the wedding she continued, but found the weight-loss had slowed. Aine moved to Dedicated Fitness and trained one-toone. She mixed cardio and weight training and a diet plan.
She said: “By December last year I had lost another stone and couldn’t have felt more driven.”
Aine’s weight is now at nine and a half stone, and not content with helping herself, she now helps others by working as a trainer at the same gym. She explained: “I went from being an insecure, nervous wreck scared to step foot in a gym to being an outgoing and confident young woman.
“I love encouraging and pushing others to succeed as I know how hard it can be.”