Shannon Collins, AKA The Gym Nurse on Instagram, is known for sharing fitness advice online. She recently shared her top tips for success if you’re trying to tone up and feel great

A mum looks better at 45 than she did at 35 – but success didn’t come without hard work.

Shannon Collins, 44, AKA The Gym Nurse to her 150,000 Instagram followers, is known for sharing fitness advice online. Recently she opened up about just how much she’s changed since ditching her bad habits.
At 35, she looked a totally different person as she had “no regard for her diet” at the time. She admitted she would munch on takeaways, like pizza, almost every day and would drink half a bottle of wine a few times a week.

Now she looks totally different, and there are reasons why. She said she had to learn how to be more consistent and do things that would actually aid her progress.

This included scheduling her workouts, tracking progress and avoiding doing anything she hated – whether it be certain exercises or eating certain foods. Eating foods that kept her satisfied and prepping meals were also hugely beneficial to her.

As well as this, Shannon said you shouldn’t take anything to the extreme – whether this be exercise or diet. You also have to make realistic expectations, and make small goals towards where you need to be.

Writing on Instagram, Shannon said: “In no particular order! And plenty more to add I’m sure! Feel free to add to list in comments!

“The key is setting self up for success and also not putting self in a position where you get discouraged and disappointed. That comes from having realistic expectations and reasonable goals.

“Putting the weight of the world on your shoulders and then being upset with self when things don’t work out is not fair to you! Frustration leads to giving up and quitting. Quitting will not get us closer to where we want to be.

“The majority of my confidence and success came from keeping promises to myself. That came from not raising the bar too high and making small attainable goals.

“Once I mastered and achieved those I added to my plate. I didn’t go all in, all at once.”

If people want to be consistent with fitness, Shannon noted it’s wise to get a partner or coach onboard to support you and to rid any timelines you have.

Goals such as “I need to lose 20lbs by” isn’t helpful, and can also set unrealistic expectations.

Since she shared the post, over 1,000 people liked it, and her followers were quick to share their thoughts too. People thanked her for the advice, and said her tips were “great”.

One person said: “Love! I also found when I cutout flavoured coffee drinks, even if they fit my macros, that I had better quality carbs which led to more power in the gym.”

A second added: “Love these, especially ‘remove timelines’—that’s a new one for me but so helpful. Helps me keep the focus on health and building strength.”

A third replied: “Tracking food for the next day is really good for me. Also scheduling in workouts like appts. These tips are spot on!”

Meanwhile, a fourth commented: “Make it a lifestyle and one that you enjoy and all of those important things you list will fall into place.”