A mum confessed she once believed weight gain was a "normal" part of ageing until a startling revelation struck her.

Shannon Collins, known as @thegymnurse to her Instagram following of over 150,000, regularly dishes out health tips and motivates women to get fit without overly restrictive diets.

However, she recently shifted focus to her own transformation tale. A few years back, Shannon noticed she was steadily gaining weight and assumed it was an inevitable aspect of getting older.

But a moment of clarity hit when the weight gain led to knee, back and foot pain, leaving her breathless after a simple climb up the stairs. Shannon also shared that she struggled to keep pace with her children, had trouble sleeping and suffered from abnormal digestion signs that convinced her a lifestyle change was necessary.

She decided to embark on an epic weight loss journey, and she now looks a totally different person. The change is truly remarkable.

The fitness influencer reflected: "So many things I thought were just the normal ageing process, and turns out I just needed to improve my habits. In doing that, so many things changed for the better in my life.

"We don't need to get used to feeling like c**p. There are options and better way. It's easy to keep it up now because I don't ever want to go back to feeling like that."

Fed up with constantly needing a new wardrobe to accommodate her increasing size, Shannon decided to take action. She has previously shared valuable insights on how to stave off fat gain in your 40s, revelations that have been life-altering.

Discussing her personal experiences, she detailed: "Lack of energy and becoming more sedentary in last year was a very obvious change for myself. I had a hard time getting off the couch, I didn't care to pick up or clean my house anymore, everything felt like the biggest chore.

"I was still going to the gym and getting my daily walk, and I could easily say 'nothing has changed'. But it had changed and, if I wasn't wearing a step tracker, I wouldn't have been able to see how much my NEAT activity decreased.

"Activity and energy out will decline with changing hormones and poor sleep. A watch won't pick up every little activity you do, but it shows a lot. And you can take an honest look at the data and compare especially if you've been wearing one for years.

"Keeping an eye on my steps daily is the only way I can ensure I get enough movement. Because at his point in my life I don't have a big desire to be as active as I was a couple years ago."

She also credited muscle building for her transformation, stating that having more tone allowed her to burn calories, even when not exercising, and made her body less fat-sensitive.

By adopting these strategies, she has seen tremendous success and expresses profound happiness with her fitter, healthier state. Her realistic approach towards health and fitness has garnered admiration from the public, who commend her impressive lifestyle transformation.

One enthusiast shared: "I always smile to myself when people my age complain of aches and pains, and I have none. I know it's because of strength training!"

Another chimed in with: "Agree! You look strong, healthy and beautiful - every version of you will never regret your dedication. Great job."

Echoing the sentiment, a third person added: "I have so much more energy since changing my eating, fitness and sleeping habits."