Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Mukami.
Jane, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in 1979 Nairobi, Kenya to two young teenage parents. A breech baby, I came out with feet first and was incubated until I finally let out my first loud wail three days later, something that my mother attributes to my stubborn nature.
I grew up a curious, confident, mischievous and yes, stubborn child. I spoke to anybody that would listen and entertained guests with my never-ending stories. I enjoyed playing outdoors with other kids and climbing trees.
As a teenager, I loved hamburgers, pizza, cookies, potato chips and other unhealthy items. Weight began to pile on and by the time I was 16 years old, my 5’1 frame was carrying 145 pounds [72 Kilos]. I weighed more than my mother and was physically bigger than her. My relatives justified my weight by saying that I was shaped just like my paternal grandmother. Luckily for me, I had important teenage things to worry about – boys, music and being popular – my weight never bothered me.
My brother, Stephen, was born when I was eight years old and was the cutest baby! I attended a boarding school, and when home for the holidays, I enjoyed babysitting, playing and watching him grow.
I came to the U.S. in 1999 and acclimatizing to my new home came with some challenges…
The weather – How was it possible to have sunshine, clear blue skies and cold temperatures? A few weeks later, I experienced snow for the first time. Coming from a tropical country, winter was and still is not my favorite time of year
Language – I spoke English, but British English. Adjusting to American vowels and pronunciations required adjusting. No more center, tyre, cheque, lift for an elevator, boot for trunk, rubber for eraser…
New currency – My first job was a cashier at Wendy’s. I learned under pressure, while on the job how to count money and give back correct change
Education – I was an A student in English in Kenya, but my first essay in the US was marked up in red – “what is a run-on sentence?” I innocently questioned my professor.
There was a learning curve and I worked tirelessly to adjust to the American way of life.
My late brother Stephen, joined me in Atlanta in 2006. By the time he joined the U.S. military in 2010, our relationship had blossomed and our bond solidified over the years. Losing him to PTSD + suicide in 2017 was and still is surreal. He was only 30 years old.
After ripping my pants earlier that morning, I walked into my neighborhood fitness gym on my way home from work and signed up for my first ever gym membership. The people, the equipment, the machines, the place… everything was intimidating. I felt out of place. I attempted a few workout moves I’d seen on TV. Needless to say, my moves weren’t as pretty as I’d seen on the screen, nor were they as easy as I expected. 20 minutes later, I left the gym feeling silly and defeated. After a few more attempts, I gave up.
I hired a personal trainer, enrolled in a boot camp, hired another trainer, P90x, Slim-in-6, kickboxing, started outdoor running and participated in half-marathons. My weight didn’t budge…
Then, I hired a third trainer, got on the grapefruit diet, the tomato diet, started juicing, starvation diet, did hydro-colon therapy…
Before I knew it, two years had passed with a weight loss of only 4 pounds [2 kilograms] to show for it…
February 2010 – Liposuction was the perfect shortcut to get rid of the extra fat since nothing had worked. I concluded arrangements with a surgeon and paid a deposit. A week later, I bumped into a friend I hadn’t seen in a few years and she looked amazing. She was lean, toned, strong, beautiful – just the way I wanted to look. She referred me to her coach whose first question was “what is your goal?”
“I want to look like her” I answered while pointing to a fitness magazine cover model. 6 months later, I achieved what I hadn’t accomplished in 2 years – total body transformation. I looked and felt much better than I had envisioned and liposuction never happened.
With my first goal achieved, I was excited and motivated to keep pushing. I asked my coach to set a new goal for me…
Competitive body-building was my next goal and it became my life. I competed for 4 years, discovered my passion for health and fitness and that was when I experienced my becoming.
Nicknamed by coach “G.I.” – for G.I. Jane – I went hard at the gym, nutrition was 100%, I became a different person – happy, confident, with a healthier mind and body, and a better circle of friends who shared similar goals. I also made more money because I was showing up more confidently and owning my brilliance.
My life had done a 360-degree turn and I’ve loved it ever since. My journey stoked a burning desire to help women achieve the same physical, mental, spiritual and life transformation I experienced.
I launched janemukami.com in June 2014, quit corporate America in April 2018 and committed to reaching and touching women by helping them transform their bodies. I show them what’s possible when they step into their power and create their own happy outcomes.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all: Weight loss is not easy! I spent two years (2008 + 2009) looking for the ‘weight loss secret’.
I assumed that all I had to do was go to the gym and workout. Then, I turned to fad diets. I wanted to lose weight as soon as possible and tried all the WRONG methods. It seemed as though I started a new workout program or fad diet every week…I only lost four pounds in two years!
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a body transformation coach. I help women lose weight, look good, feel great so they can be confident and live exciting and happy lives
I specialize in helping women who are tired of yo-yo dieting, losing weight, gaining back again, women who want to lose weight once and for all without starving, having to eliminate good groups like carbs and without having to workout. Nutrition is the secret when it comes to weight loss. You are what you eat and it’s true – 80% of weight loss is nutrition 20% everything else.
Knowing what to eat is great, but the truth is, saying no to the usual bar of chocolate and yes to an apple for a snack requires habit change and consistency. This is where weight loss gets tough – changing habits that we’ve acquired over the years are not easy! As a health coach, I also walk this journey with you to keep you accountable, motivated and consistent in order to form new habits.
I am proud of the fact that I not only help women lose weight, look good and feel great – I help women become the best versions of themselves which allows them to then become great in all areas of life. The end result is life transformation – promotions at work – more money, restored marriages or relationshipd, new businesses… etc.
Helping women lose and transform their bodies with ZERO workouts while eating carbs while losing weight is what sets me apart from others.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Watching my clients blossom into different and confident women while going through my 12-week body transformation program – I’ve had a lot of clients finally get the energy and confidence to pursue their passion, start dating and meet their match, get promotions and make more money. There is so much power is feeling good about yourself – it makes you show up FULLY in your greatness and for life.
Pricing:
- For super motivated individuals who need a customized weight loss plan, I charge $450
- My 12-week coaching program is life changing. It has an enrollment process where I get to understand the clients challenges, needs and goals to ensure that the client is a good fit for my program and vice versa. I only charge $75 for this consultation call.
Contact Info:
- Website: iamjanemukami.com
- Phone: (770) 580-3003
- Email: contact@iamjanemukami.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/fitkenyangirl
- Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/coachjanemukami
- Twitter: fitkenyangirl
Image Credit:
Drea Nicole Photography, Styled by Ryan Christopher and Makeup by Lawreen Wanjohi
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