When Jasmine walked into her local Anytime Fitness in late 2020, she wasn’t looking for a Coach; she just wanted to get back into the gym. Due to the stress and inactivity of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jasmine was at the heaviest weight she’d ever been and was unhappy with how she felt in her body. “I told myself, ‘You have to do something,’” she remembers.
Jasmine started by going on walks around her neighborhood in Fort Walton Beach, FL — which helped her lose 10 pounds — but she was ready to take the next step in her fitness goals. She recalls thinking, “It would be easier for me to get a healthier body by doing weights and getting into the gym.” That’s what brought her to Anytime Fitness. But it wasn’t until she got connected with Coach Maria that things really clicked.
Coach Maria helped her plan her workouts and her meals, taking into account what worked best for Jasmine as a single mother. “It’s been successful ever since,” Jasmine notes.
Transformation on and off the purple turf
Jasmine and Maria began working together several mornings each week. Since starting at Anytime Fitness, she has lost more than 40 pounds, improved her breathing and lowered her visceral fat — the amount of fat around the organs. “You don’t have to go buy [the body] you want, you can work for it,” she says. “And people have noticed that.”
Now that Jasmine has achieved her initial fitness goal, she’s working on building up muscle and strength.
“My body composition has changed so much,” Jasmine mentions, but going to the gym has transformed her more than just physically. She says it’s also helped her build more discipline, patience and organization, adding, “The gym has helped me be better mentally, physically and emotionally, and I just love where I am because of it.”
Now, she starts every day at Anytime Fitness. As a single mom, Jasmine uses the early mornings in the gym as her “me time” and emphasizes the value of her routine. “I’ve never been a morning person until I started going to the gym,” she says. “That’s where I go to let it all out, and then I have a great day.”
A wake-up call
In addition to improving her mental health and physique, Jasmine’s fitness journey led to another unexpected benefit: the discovery of a teratoma, a rare type of tumor that contains many different types of tissue, in her ovary. Left untreated, teratomas may rupture and lead to other problems like infection.
“It was because I lost 20 pounds that I was able to notice something was wrong,” Jasmine recalls. She underwent surgery to remove the tumor and has been healthy ever since. “I would have never known if I hadn’t lost that weight,” she adds.
Discovering the teratoma was a wake-up call for Jasmine, showing her the importance of prioritizing her health. “I want to live a long, healthy life. It’s not about the looks—that’s just a benefit,” she says. “I’ve got three babies I need to take care of, I want to see my grandkids … I want to feel good.”
Strength through community
Recently, Jasmine has been using her success in the gym to motivate others. She started a Facebook group called Muscle Mommies to create a safe space for accountability, tips and workouts. More than 80 women from all over the world have joined the group.
“I want women to feel the way I feel. I want them to feel good and do fitness and see the benefits from it because it’s really awesome,” Jasmine says. Looking forward, Jasmine hopes to share workout challenges to motivate members.
Going to the gym has improved Jasmine’s physical fitness and mental health — and helped her cultivate a trusted community in her own gym and around the world. Perhaps just as important, the gym has also helped Jasmine create space for herself every day. She notes, “The mornings in the gym are for me. I don’t have to share that with anyone else.”
Even Jasmine’s children are inspired by her progress, prioritizing their own health. “My daughter tells me, ‘Momma, I want to be a strong woman like you,’ and I just love it,” Jasmine says.
Huge thanks to Jasmine for sharing her inspiring story with us! Ready to start your own fitness journey? Find a gym near you!
