It all started with ripped pants…
I was exhausted, with dark circles under my eyes. My belly was pudgy and flowed onto my thighs; my sides had started to fold over, like Bibendum the Michelin man’s; my breasts spilled over my tight bra as if imprisoned and fighting to break free. It was a struggle the bra was clearly losing.
I was trying to fit into a pair of pants that had been too big just 6 weeks prior and it ripped! Ripped, can you believe it?
Confusion, overwhelm, doubt, fear, and anger struck all at once. “Who is this?” I asked myself, and, ”how did I get here?”
My recent divorce had taken its toll on me and left me feeling like a failure in all of life’s departments. I became an emotional eater, gorging on food to suppress my pain and negative emotions.
Standing in front of the mirror that morning in April 2008, a ripped pair of pants was my much needed wakeup call. I knew I had to lose weight, fall back in love with myself and committed to taking control of my life…
I was born in 1979 Nairobi, Kenya to 2 young teenage parents. A breech baby , I came out with feet first and was incubated until I finally let out my first loud wail 3 days later, something that my mother attributes to my stubborn nature.
I grew up a curious, confident, mischievous and yes, stubborn child. I spoke to anybody that would listen and entertained guests with my never ending stories. I enjoyed playing outdoors with other kids and climbing trees.
It all started with ripped pants…
I was exhausted, with dark circles under my eyes. My belly was pudgy and flowed onto my thighs; my sides had started to fold over, like Bibendum the Michelin man’s; my breasts spilled over my tight bra as if imprisoned and fighting to break free. It was a struggle the bra was clearly losing.
I was trying to fit into a pair of pants that had been too big just 6 weeks prior and it ripped! Ripped, can you believe it?
Confusion, overwhelm, doubt, fear, and anger struck all at once. “Who is this?” I asked myself, and, ”how did I get here?”
My recent divorce had taken its toll on me and left me feeling like a failure in all of life’s departments. I became an emotional eater, gorging on food to suppress my pain and negative emotions.
Standing in front of the mirror that morning in April 2008, a ripped pair of pants was my much needed wakeup call. I knew I had to lose weight, fall back in love with myself and committed to taking control of my life…
I was born in 1979 Nairobi, Kenya to 2 young teenage parents. A breech baby , I came out with feet first and was incubated until I finally let out my first loud wail 3 days later, something that my mother attributes to my stubborn nature.
I grew up a curious, confident, mischievous and yes, stubborn child. I spoke to anybody that would listen and entertained guests with my never ending stories. I enjoyed playing outdoors with other kids and climbing trees.
An overweight teenager…
As a teenager, I loved hamburgers, pizza, cookies, potato chips and other unhealthy items. Weight began to pile on and by the time I was 16 years old, my 5’1 frame was carrying 145 pounds [72 Kilos]. I weighed more than my mother and was physically bigger than her. My realtives justified my weight by saying that I was shaped just like my paternal grandmother. Luckily for me, I had important teenage things to worry about – boys, music and being popular – my weight never bothered me.
My brother, Stephen, was born when I was 8 years old and was the cutest baby! I attended a boarding school, and when home for the holidays, I enjoyed baby-sitting, playing and watching him grow.
Coming to America…
Acclimatizing to my new home came with a few challenges…
The weather – How was it possible to have sunshine, clear blue skies and cold temeratures? A few weeks later I experienced snow for the first time. Coming from a tropical country, winter was and still is not my favorite time of year
Language – I spoke english, but British english. Adjusting to American vowels and pronunciation required adjusting. No more centre, tyre, cheque, lift for elevator, boot for trunk, rubber for eraser…
New currency – My first job was a cashier at Wendy’s. I learned under pressure, while on the job how to count money and give back correct change
Education – I was an A student in English but my first essay in the US was marked up in red – “what is a run on sentence?” I innocently questioned my professor.
There was a learning curve and I worked tirelessly to adjust to the American way of life.
My late brother Stephen, joined me in Atlanta in 2006. By the time he joined the U.S. military in 2010, our relationship had blossomed and our bond solidified over the years. Losing him to PTSD + suicide in 2017 was and still is surreal. He was only 30 years old.
Determination and Fad Diets
After ripping my pants earlier that morning, I walked into my neighborhood fitness gym on my way home from work and signed up for my first ever gym membership. The people, the equipment, the machines, the place… everything was intimidating. I felt out of place. I attempted a few workout moves I’d seen on TV. Needless to say, my moves weren’t as pretty as I’d seen on the screen, nor were they as easy as I expected. 20 minutes later, I left the gym feeling silly and defeated. After a few more attempts, I gave up.
I hired a personal trainer, enrolled in a boot camp, hired another trainer, P90x, Slim-in-6, kicboxing, started outdoor running and participated in half-marathons. My weight didn’t budge…
Then I hired a third trainer, got on the grapefruit diet, the tomato diet, started juicing, starvation diet, did hydro-colon therapy…
Before I knew it, 2 years had passed with a weight loss of only 4 pounds [2 kilograms] to show for it…
Liposuction and looking like a cover model
February 2010 – Liposuction was the perfect shortcut to get rid of the extra fat since nothing had worked. I concluded arrangements with a surgeon and paid a deposit. A week later, I bumped into a friend I hadn’t seen in a few years and she looked amazing. She was lean, toned, strong, beautiful – just the way I wanted to look. She referred me to her coach whose first question was “what is your goal?”
“I want to look like her” I answered while pointing to a fitness magazine cover model. 6 months later, I achieved what I hadn’t accomplished in 2 years – total body transformation. I looked and felt much better than I had envisioned and liposuction never happened.
With my first goal achieved, I was excited and motivated to keep pushing. I asked my coach to set a new goal for me…
Competitive body-building was my next goal and its became my life. I competed for 4 years, discovered my passion for health and fitness and that was when I experienced my becoming.
Nick named by coach “G.I.” – for G.I. Jane – I went hard at the gym, nutrition was 100%, I became a different person – happy, confident, with a healthier mind and body, and a better circle of friends who shared similar goals. I also made more money because I was showing up more confidently and owning my brilliance.
My life had done a 360 degree turn and I’ve loved it ever since. My journey stoked a burning desire to help women achieve the same physical, mental, spiritual and life transformation I experienced.
I launched janemukami.com in June 2014, quit corporate America in April 2018 and committed to reaching and touching women by helping them transform their bodies. I show them what’s possible when they step into their power and create their own happy outcomes.
Are you ready for your own transformation?
An overweight teenager…
As a teenager, I loved snacking on cookies, potato chips, candy and other unhealthy snacks. Weight began to pile on and by the time I was 16 years old, my 5’1 frame was carrying 145 pounds [72 Kilos]. I weighed more than my mother and was physically bigger than her and family justified my weight by saying that I was shaped just like my paternal grandmother. Luckily for me, the weight never bothered me and was still one of the ‘well known or popular kids’ in school.
My brother, Stephen, was born when I was 8 years old and was the cutest baby! I attended a boarding school, and when I came back home enjoyed baby-sitting, playing and watching him grow.
Coming to America…
Acclimatizing to my new home came with a few challenges…
The weather – How was it possible to have sunshine and clear blue skies yet be so cold? A few weeks later I experienced snow for the first time. Coming from a tropical country, winter was and still is not my favorite time of year
Language – I spoke english, but British english. Adjusting to American vowels and pronunciation required adjusting. No more centre – but center
New currency – My first job was a cashier at Wendy’s. I learned on the job how to count money and give back change
Education – I was an A student in English but my first essay in the US was marked up in red – “what is a run on sentence?” I innocently questioned my professor.
There was a learning curve and I worked tirelessly to adjust to the American way of life.
My late brother Stephen, joined me in Atlanta in 2006. By the time he joined the U.S. military in 2010, our relationship had blossomed and our bond solidified over the years. Losing him to PTSD + suicide in 2017 was and still is surreal. He was only 30 years old.
Determination and Fad Diets
After ripping my pants earlier that morning, I walked into my neighborhood fitness gym on my way home from work and signed up for my first ever gym membership. The people, the equipment, the machines, the place… everything was intimidating. I felt out of place. I attempted a few workout moves I’d seen on TV. Needless to say, my moves weren’t as pretty as I’d seen on the screen, nor were they as easy as I expected. 20 minutes later, I left the gym feeling silly and defeated. After a few more attempts, I gave up.
I hired a personal trainer, enrolled in a boot camp, hired another trainer, P90x, Slim-in-6, kicboxing, started outdoor running and participated in half-marathons. My weight didn’t budge…
Then I hired a third trainer, got on the grapefruit diet, the tomato diet, started juicing, starvation diet, did hydro-colon therapy…
Before I knew it, 2 years had passed with a weight loss of only 4 pounds [2 kilograms] to show for it…
Liposuction and looking like a cover model
February 2010 – Liposuction was the perfect shortcut to get rid of the extra fat since nothing had worked. I concluded arrangements with a surgeon and paid a deposit. A week later, I bumped into a friend I hadn’t seen in a few years and she looked amazing. She was lean, toned, strong, beautiful – just the way I wanted to look. She referred me to her coach whose first question was “what is your goal?”
“I want to look like her” I answered while pointing to a fitness magazine cover model. 6 months later, I achieved what I hadn’t accomplished in 2 years – total body transformation. I looked and felt much better than I had envisioned and liposuction never happened.
With my first goal achieved, I was excited and motivated to keep pushing. I asked my coach to set a new goal for me…
Competitive body-building was my next goal and its became my life. I competed for 4 years, discovered my passion for health and fitness and that was when I experienced my becoming.
Nick named by coach “G.I.” – for G.I. Jane – I went hard at the gym, nutrition was 100%, I became a different person – happy, confident, with a healthier mind and body, and a better circle of friends who shared similar goals. I also made more money because I was showing up more confidently and owning my brilliance.
My life had done a 360 degree turn and I’ve loved it ever since. My journey stoked a burning desire to help women achieve the same physical, mental, spiritual and life transformation I experienced.
I launched janemukami.com in June 2014, quit corporate America in April 2018 and committed to reaching and touching women by helping them transform their bodies. I show them what’s possible when they step into their power and create their own happy outcomes.
Are you ready for your own transformation?
“I used to feel Fat. Not sleeping well. Bloated. Tired. Now I feel Amazing. Confident. Like I could conquer the world!! Jane has taught me that weight loss, first of all, is a science. That it all begins in the mind and if you conquer your mindset there is nothing you can’t do!! He guidance has been priceless”
– MARY
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