“I was miserable,” said Nash, who tipped the scales at 230 pounds.
Looking at her now, it’s hard to believe she’s the same person.
Almost 100 pounds lighter, Nash is a personal fitness trainer who showcases her toned and tanned bikini body to the world.
After successful competitions in Montreal and Ontario, she is currently the only woman in Atlantic Canada with an Ultimate Fitness Events (UFE) PRO card, meaning she has reached the highest level of competitive elite bodybuilding. In fact, she won two PRO cards in London, Ont., making her the first woman in this province to achieve such a feat.
“It’s such an honour,” she said.
But success didn’t come easy. It was a long, difficult journey for the 37-year-old.
In just a few years, she went from being an obese teenager to a young woman so thin and frail that she battled to stay alive.
Nash began by losing 60 pounds in Weight Watchers.
“It’s tough being an overweight teenager,” said Nash, who was bullied as a child growing up in Mount Pearl. “In the Newfoundland culture back then, it was good to be ‘nice and big.’ You were seen as healthy. Being skinny meant you were poor. I turned to food for comfort. I felt I had to do something.”
Things would have been great at that point, but her weight loss got out of control when she moved to Alberta in her early 20s. In an abusive relationship, her workouts became excessive and eating became a chore.
As a result of the trauma in her life, Nash developed anorexia nervosa.
“Life got very chaotic. I was far away from my family. I felt very alone with very limited support,” she said. “The only thing I could control was what I ate and how much I worked out.”
Nash, at 5-11, dropped to a skeletal 99 pounds.
Things got so bad, her father flew to Alberta and took her home. Soon after, she was transported to Guelph, Ont., where she was admitted to a private hospital.
Nash didn’t know she had an eating disorder until she was diagnosed in Newfoundland.
“It’s a slow suicide. It’s a cry for help,” she said.
After six months of treatment, Nash felt alive again. She eventually went back to university and made her way to grad school.
She moved back to this province in 2009 and maintained a healthy workout regimen with cardio. In 2013, at Heavyweights Fitness Centre, during one of her cardio workouts, owner Rob King noticed her.
“He told me to go lift something,” she said with a chuckle. “All I knew at that time was cardio. I was slim, but not strong.”
King’s comment changed her life.
Nash started powerlifting and soon was winning medals in provincial and national competitions.
“It lit a fire in me,” said Nash, who deadlifted 360 pounds. “It completely transformed my body and changed my relationship with food. I see food now as fuel.
“But more than anything, it’s empowering. It’s a great feeling when you finally find the why in life. ... I didn’t focus anymore on how much I weighed. The focus was on how much I could lift. When that switch happens, it’s beautiful.”
After incorporating bodybuilding into her life, Nash hasn’t looked back.
“This is my life now and I love it,” said Nash, who coaches others now.
Her story has been so uplifting, she decided to document it as a memoir/self-help book, titled “Jill’s Rules: A Story of Strength.” Written by Nash’s old friend, who became her ghostwriter, the book details Nash’s journey and successes.
She hopes it will encourage people who need to make changes in their lives to reach their full potential.
The goal is to have the final draft completed by August so the book can launch in January 2017.
Nash has set up an Indiegogo campaign to help launch the book. It can be found at www.indiegogo.com/projects/jill-s-rules-a-story-of-strengthx/14180675#/.
More information about her story and the book can be found on her website, www.jillsrules.com.
“I’m proof that people should not lose hope,” Nash said. “It’s hard work changing your life, but it’s so worth it.”
“I was miserable,” said Nash, who tipped the scales at 230 pounds.
Looking at her now, it’s hard to believe she’s the same person.
Almost 100 pounds lighter, Nash is a personal fitness trainer who showcases her toned and tanned bikini body to the world.
After successful competitions in Montreal and Ontario, she is currently the only woman in Atlantic Canada with an Ultimate Fitness Events (UFE) PRO card, meaning she has reached the highest level of competitive elite bodybuilding. In fact, she won two PRO cards in London, Ont., making her the first woman in this province to achieve such a feat.
“It’s such an honour,” she said.
But success didn’t come easy. It was a long, difficult journey for the 37-year-old.
In just a few years, she went from being an obese teenager to a young woman so thin and frail that she battled to stay alive.
Nash began by losing 60 pounds in Weight Watchers.
“It’s tough being an overweight teenager,” said Nash, who was bullied as a child growing up in Mount Pearl. “In the Newfoundland culture back then, it was good to be ‘nice and big.’ You were seen as healthy. Being skinny meant you were poor. I turned to food for comfort. I felt I had to do something.”
Things would have been great at that point, but her weight loss got out of control when she moved to Alberta in her early 20s. In an abusive relationship, her workouts became excessive and eating became a chore.
As a result of the trauma in her life, Nash developed anorexia nervosa.
“Life got very chaotic. I was far away from my family. I felt very alone with very limited support,” she said. “The only thing I could control was what I ate and how much I worked out.”
Nash, at 5-11, dropped to a skeletal 99 pounds.
Things got so bad, her father flew to Alberta and took her home. Soon after, she was transported to Guelph, Ont., where she was admitted to a private hospital.
Nash didn’t know she had an eating disorder until she was diagnosed in Newfoundland.
“It’s a slow suicide. It’s a cry for help,” she said.
After six months of treatment, Nash felt alive again. She eventually went back to university and made her way to grad school.
She moved back to this province in 2009 and maintained a healthy workout regimen with cardio. In 2013, at Heavyweights Fitness Centre, during one of her cardio workouts, owner Rob King noticed her.
“He told me to go lift something,” she said with a chuckle. “All I knew at that time was cardio. I was slim, but not strong.”
King’s comment changed her life.
Nash started powerlifting and soon was winning medals in provincial and national competitions.
“It lit a fire in me,” said Nash, who deadlifted 360 pounds. “It completely transformed my body and changed my relationship with food. I see food now as fuel.
“But more than anything, it’s empowering. It’s a great feeling when you finally find the why in life. ... I didn’t focus anymore on how much I weighed. The focus was on how much I could lift. When that switch happens, it’s beautiful.”
After incorporating bodybuilding into her life, Nash hasn’t looked back.
“This is my life now and I love it,” said Nash, who coaches others now.
Her story has been so uplifting, she decided to document it as a memoir/self-help book, titled “Jill’s Rules: A Story of Strength.” Written by Nash’s old friend, who became her ghostwriter, the book details Nash’s journey and successes.
She hopes it will encourage people who need to make changes in their lives to reach their full potential.
The goal is to have the final draft completed by August so the book can launch in January 2017.
Nash has set up an Indiegogo campaign to help launch the book. It can be found at www.indiegogo.com/projects/jill-s-rules-a-story-of-strengthx/14180675#/.
More information about her story and the book can be found on her website, www.jillsrules.com.
“I’m proof that people should not lose hope,” Nash said. “It’s hard work changing your life, but it’s so worth it.”
