"I Shed 12 Stone Without Surgery or Fat Jabs, Overcame Cancer – But There’s an Unexpected Side Effect"

JESSICA BENIQUEZ lost 12 stone without surgery or weight-loss jabs, and has maintained it for nearly a decade – even battling stage 4 cancer along the way.

But the fitness coach, now 30, says to achieve her dramatic physical transformation wasn’t the hardest part.

At her heaviest, Jessica Beniquez weighed over 22 stoneCredit: getfitwjessica/Cover Images She managed to lose 12 stone with exercise and calorie trackingCredit: getfitwjessica/Cover Images But she’s often still stick in a ‘weight loss mindset’Credit: getfitwjessica/Cover Images

Instead, it was changing how she saw herself.

Despite now weighing 10.7 stone – down from 22.8 stone at her heaviest – Jessica says she often finds herself stuck in the mindset of an overweight person.

“I lost the weight years ago, but sometimes I still identify as the girl who is losing weight,” Jessica, from Spring Hill, , said.

“That identity sticks with you.

“When you grow up overweight, those are the years where you’re forming who you are,” she says.

“Your mind is like a sponge during those years.

“Even though I’ve changed so much, that version of me will always be part of my story.”

Jessica began her weight-loss journey shortly after graduating high school, weighing 22.8 stone (320lbs/145kg).

She said: “I was bigger throughout elementary school, middle school and high school.

“After graduating I finally reached a point where I said, ‘Enough, I don’t want to feel like this anymore’.”

Jessica began focusing on improving her through consistent exercise and a calorie-controlled diet – and the results were dramatic.

“I ended up losing more than 170lbs (77kg) naturally,” she says.

“It wasn’t and it wasn’t weight-loss surgery, and I’m not knocking those at all.

“But what worked for me was staying in a calorie deficit and exercising consistently.”

Jessica began her weight loss journey after leaving schoolCredit: getfitwjessica/Cover Images She decided she didn’t want to feel trapped in her body anymoreCredit: getfitwjessica/Cover Images Jessica has been able to maintain her weight loss for almost a decadeCredit: getfitwjessica/Cover Images

Today Jessica works out six days a week, and says she has maintained her weight loss since 2018.

But despite the physical transformation, she says the mental shift has taken far longer.

“For years my entire identity online has been about losing weight,” she explains.

“Even now people will comment things like, ‘Keep going, you’ve got this.’

“And I appreciate the support, but I’m not trying to lose weight anymore, I’m maintaining.”

Jessica now works as a coach, sharing advice on fitness, balance and body positivity.

“I love helping people improve their lives,” she says.

“But sometimes when you work in this space it can feel like you should always be chasing another weight-loss goal, and that’s not where I’m at anymore.”

Instead, her focus is now on consistency rather than aiming for a smaller number on the scale.

“The goal for me now isn’t to be super thin,” she explained.

“That used to be the goal years ago, but not anymore. The goal now is simply showing up for myself and doing the things that make me feel good.”

That includes regular exercise, balanced meals and allowing herself the occasional treat.

Jessica said: “Working out makes me feel good. Eating food that fuels my body makes me feel good. Even having ice cream now and then makes me feel good.

“But balance matters. I’m not going to eat brownies or a whole tray of cookies every single day.”

Jessica credits much of her success to building discipline over time.

“When people ask how I lost the weight, the truth is I learned to say no,” she said

“I said no to things that weren’t going to help me reach my goals. I said no to habits that were holding me back.”

Simple habits like tracking her meals and planning ahead have also played a role.

“If you want to know whether you’re actually in a calorie deficit, you need to track your meals,” Jessica said – adding that planning meals ahead of time is one of the easiest ways to stay consistent.

“It removes the guesswork and helps you stay on track,” she explained.

Jessica was diagnosed with cancer in 2018Credit: getfitwjessica/Cover Images She says she is now cancer freeCredit: getfitwjessica/Cover Images Tough moments in her life have added to her determinationCredit: getfitwjessica/Cover Images

A “huge moment” in Jessica’s journey was receiving a devastating diagnosis of stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2018.

Despite the physical toll of treatment, Jessica kept up with eating healthy and exercising and became cancer free in 2019.

A few years later she faced another heartbreak when her mum passed away.

“It was incredibly difficult,” she said. “But again, I kept going.”

Instead of letting those experiences derail her progress, Jessica says they strengthened her determination.

“Hard things can either break you or build you,” she explains.

“For me, they built my character.”

Now she hopes her story can inspire others who may be struggling with their own health journeys.

While people think weight loss requires extreme discipline, Jessica said it’s about building habits over time.

“It’s not about dieting for the rest of your life,” she said.

“It’s about building discipline for a while until those habits become part of your lifestyle.”

And after weight loss has been achieved, people don’t need to be “perfect”, they just need to stay “consistent”, the 30-year-old added.