Justine Forrest
Justine Forrest..The girl with the big heart!
Justine Forrest..The girl with the big heart!
Justine’s story is remarkable. In 18 short months she changed her life around by deciding to loose weight for the sake of her children. She dramatically dropped weight and went from a UK size 32 to a UK size 14 shedding over 14 stone in the process.
This vibrant Mum of three (who loves baking!) piled on the pounds by comfort eating when she found herself spending large amounts of time in various hospitals and clinics with two of her children who had serious medical issues.
With up to five appointments a week, eating she says became something of a release but she was never happy with her size and every Monday she would start a new diet which lasted for a few days then she would go back to her old habits; she tried every diet she could find but never got to grips with any of them. Her reality check came via her children who as she says had major issues, “I had choices - they didn’t and I realised that I was eating myself to death, I had to do something about it.”
Justine made her plan and with the support of husband Chris she vowed to eat sensibly and have three meals a day, never skipping on breakfast. Choosing healthier food and cooking meals that the whole family would enjoy she didn’t exclude herself from meal times - family time together is hugely important for the Forrest family. Justine then added exercise to her daily life in the form of walking, “It cost nothing and all you have to do is put one foot in front of the other!” Beginning tentatively with walks round the village and admitting that it was a struggle at first, she slowly built up her energy levels and the weight began to fall away. While the children were at school Justine added the gym to her daily activity and found herself actually loving the transformation that was taking place in her body and mind.
“Everything changed!” she says “I found myself with a confidence I never had before and Nell my Westie dog was the fittest dog in the village!” Justine included healthy snacks into her day and the odd treat - her recipe for chocolate brownies was always a winner with family and friends and she would occasionally indulge herself, “My brownies are so hard to resist! When I lift them out of the oven the smell is too much of a temptation!”
On impulse one day whilst searching the internet for a recipe from the hit TV series Come Dine With Me Justine applied to become a contestant but didn’t get shorted listed, later on however the producer remembered her and asked her participate in the hit TV programme Michael Winner’s Dining Stars which she did and went on the become the series winner cooking for Michael at his home with his celebrity friends.
Justine is passionate about her family, they always come first and with their support she is channelling her new found confidence, superb weight loss and endless energy into an internet based mail-order brownie business where clients can purchase these delicious items online. Justine has become a celebrity in her home region and supplies neighbourhood shops and businesses with product. She writes for a local newspaper and has featured in many journals, national publications and daily press. She demonstrates and speaks at food festivals and events, is heard on local radio and has appeared on Harry Hill’s TV Blurp, Granada Reports and Good Morning TV (GMTV). Justine passionately supports the charities Operation Smile that pays for operations for children with cleft lip and palate and Little Heart Matters.
What next? Justine is currently writing a book which charts her weight loss - it will be a bible for anyone who wants to change and enhance their life through a sensible eating and exercise plan but not restrict family life - packed full of recipes and tips on how to enjoy the journey from someone who understands and has first hand experience of the highs and lows along the way. Watch this space…..!
Praise for Justine’s Brownies:
“The Best Brownies I’ve ever tasted - Historic, Beyond Belief!” Michael Winner, food critic and film director
“Bloody Lovely!” Sir Roger Moore, 007
“Better than Sex!” Ted Robins, Actor and Radio Presenter, BBC Radio Lancashire
“Cooked from the Heart which is why it is so good!” Georgio Locatelli, Celebrity Chef
© Biography Celebrity Chefs UK 2011
Justine’s story is remarkable. In 18 months she changed her life around by deciding to loose weight for the sake of her children. She dramatically dropped weight and went from a UK size 34 to a UK size 14 shedding over 14 stone in the process.
She now runs marathons and recently completed the London Marathon 2012. She has a successful on-line business - Brownies by Justine Forrest.
Justine recently demonstrated at the MS Show in Manchester and will be appearing at the Lancaster Food Festival on May 7th and Foodies Festival Tatton Park on July 7th.
This vibrant Mum of three piled on the pounds by comfort eating when she found herself spending large amounts of time in various hospitals and clinics with two of her children who had serious medical issues. She tried every diet she could find but never got to grips with any of them. Her reality check came via her children who, as she says had major issues, “I had choices - they didn’t and I realised that I was eating myself to death, I had to do something about it.”
Justine made her plan and began by choosing healthier food, cooking meals that the whole family would enjoy - she didn’t exclude herself from meal times, family time together is hugely important for the Forrest family!
As her fitness increased she began to run. “Everything changed!” she says “I found myself with a confidence I never had before.”
On impulse, Justine applied to become a contestant on the hit TV programme Michael Winner’s Dining Stars and went on win the series and bacame a celebrity in her home region where she supplies shops and businesses in the North West with her wonderful brownies and cakes. Justine demonstrates and speaks at local food festivals and events, is heard on local radio.
Justine passionately supports the charity Roland McDonalds Children’s Homes and ran the Great North Run on their behalf in 2011 and the London Marathon in April 2012.
She is currently writing a book which charts her weight loss - Justine’s Journey, it will be a bible for anyone who wants to change and enhance their life through a sensible eating and exercise plan but not restrict family life - packed full of recipes and tips on how to enjoy the journey from someone who understands and has first hand experience of the highs and lows along the way. Watch this space…..!
Praise for Justine’s Brownies:
“The Best Brownies I’ve ever tasted - Historic, Beyond Belief!” Michael Winner, food critic and film director
“Bloody Lovely!" Sir Roger Moore, 007
“Better than Sex!" Ted Robins, Actor and Radio Presenter, BBC Radio Lancashire
“Cooked from the Heart ….!” Georgio Locatelli, Celebrity Chef
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