Looking for some inspo to kickstart your journey to get fit and healthy? Kelly Watts is most definitely it! Kelly, aka Kelly Party Central, was the winner of this year’s TUF Ultimate Instructor award – so you might think she’s one of those lifelong gym addicts, naturally fit and slim, best at games at school – standard…

Well, guess what? You couldn’t be more wrong! Because just 3 years ago, Kelly weighed 16 stone 4lb. She’s 4ft 11 tall, so this weight gave her a BMI of 44.5, which is classed as morbidly obese. She couldn’t climb the stairs without getting out of breath. She wasn’t able to keep up with her little boy and worried about her health. She didn’t like what she saw in the mirror. Kelly felt like she was slowly killing herself…

She knew she needed to make a change, so she started to diet and cut out the takeaways, but that wasn’t enough, she wasn’t losing as much weight as she wanted to. She realised that she needed to exercise too, but the gym wasn’t for her. She felt like she was getting nowhere fast. But then, in January 2018, everything changed, she found Turn’d Up Fitness!

Before her first class, Kelly was a bit nervous and worried about what people would think (OMG – am I actually doing this?!). This is TOTALLY natural and happens to loads of our girl gang.  BUT, she just took a deep breath and went for it. In no time, the music had taken over and she’d forgotten about feeling self-conscious. Dancing was all she could think about.

“My first class I found it hard to even get through the first warm-up, but I was SO glad I went,” she says. “It was a life-changing moment for me, and I was hooked from day one! Once I started smashing it, it was easy to cut out eating all the bad stuff because I wanted to get better and better. I remember the first routine I did perfectly, Ariana Grande: Everyday. Afterwards I was feeling on top of the world.”

Just to remind you, when she started her Turn’d Up classes in January, Kelly weighed 16 stone 4lb. But 8 months later, after doing 2 – 3 TUF classes a week, she weighed a tiny 9 stone 4lb! Can you believe that in just 9 months, Kelly lost over 7 stone doing Turn’d Up workouts? Yes really!

And she didn’t stop there. Her amaze transformation had inspired Kelly and everyone else at Turn’d Up, so it was no surprise when she got nominated to enter the ‘Turn Up Your Life’ competition. Kelly won (smashed it!) and then got the chance to train to be a fully qualified Turn’d Up instructor. “To be nominated was a real achievement, and to win the competition was beyond anything I thought I could achieve,” says Kelly. “I do believe the saying ‘anything is possible now – because I am proof that it is.”

So in just over a year, Turn’d Up took Kelly from being someone who couldn’t climb the stairs without getting out of breath, to one of our most popular instructors! Turn’d Up Fitness really does transform women’s lives.  Now Kelly regularly has around 30 women in her class and gets enquiries about joining her class from as far away as India! “When I started teaching I had about eight numbers in my phone,” she says. “But now I have maybe 200 numbers, it’s crazy!”

What’s more, Kelly has stuck to her new weight and hasn’t gone back. Even through lockdown and another pregnancy. “I stayed at 9 stone 4lb for 2 years until I fell pregnant,” she says. “I only gained 2.5 stone when I was pregnant, because I danced all the way through it. I’ve lost nearly all my pregnancy weight doing online classes all year. Now we’re back in the studio, I’ve got about 7lb to go to be back to 9 stone 4lb.”

All I can say is WOW, Kelly you are a total inspiration. Want to join Kelly’s girl gang? Just head to her Instagram @t.u.f_kelly_partycentral, where you’ll find all the deets on how to join her classes.

Feel the need to get fit NOW and can’t wait to get started? Here are Kelly’s top tips for becoming a healthier and happier you:

Kelly used to go without breakfast and lunch, but then snack all afternoon and eat a huge meal in the evening. Now she eats a sensible breakfast, lunch, and dinner and has cut down on snacks.

“After my first Turn’d Up class I couldn’t breathe,” says Kelly.  “But I stayed consistent and kept going, and look at me now! I can go for an hour in BEAST mode without stopping! I got where I am today, because I just never stopped, or quit. I know I’ll never give up and I’ll always keep going.” Sticking to a sensible diet and exercise regime is what will get you results.

Cutting down on junk food and calories will help you feel better and lose those extra pounds, but you won’t get fit and healthy unless you exercise as well. Aim for two to three 1 hour sessions, or 5 30 minute sessions a week.

Kelly loves crunching those calories and feeling fitter and stronger, but it was her connection with the other women in her class that kept her coming back for more. “Everyone is like-minded and lovely, no matter which class or session you go to,” she says: “We really are a Turn’d Up family.”

As well as doing her Turn’d Up classes, Kelly started walking to work each day. Leave the car at home, or skip that bus journey and you’ll be burning even more calories every week. Walking is also great for giving you the most peachy bum and toned thighs – double win!