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    • About Me
    • My Weight Loss Story
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Healthy living without perfection

Helping you become your own cheerleader

A person with straight, dark brown hair and red glasses smiles whilst sitting on a dark sofa. Showcasing a cosy lifestyle, they wear a maroon jumper against a teal wall with a leafy pattern partially visible.

Hi, I’m Jen, and welcome to my little space on the internet. After losing 10 stone and learning that health is about much more than the number on the scales, I created Just Average Jen to share healthy recipes, honest advice and real-life experiences without judgment.

My goal is simple: to help you become your own cheerleader and build healthy habits that work in real life.

Read my story

What help do you need today?

Choose the area you’d like support with, and I’ll point you in the right direction

Text reads: “i want to lose weight. Real advice, honest experiences, and practical lifestyle support from someone who's been there. ” purple and black text on a light green background, with a white heart in the middle.
Text reads: "i need healthy meal ideas. Easy recipes that are family-friendly, affordable and actually taste good—perfect for a balanced lifestyle. " there is a small heart icon under the main text. The background is light green.
Text on a green background says: "i want to feel healthier" above a heart icon, followed by "build confidence, improve your wellbeing, and create healthy lifestyle habits that last.
Text on a green background reads, “i want to get more active. Simple exercise ideas and lifestyle motivation for real life, whatever your starting point,” with a heart icon between the two sections.

New here?

Welcome! If you’ve just found Just Average Jen, these are the pages I’d recommend starting with. They’ll give you a feel for who I am, what I’ve learned and how I can help.

  • My Story – how losing 10 stone changed my life (and why it wasn’t the happy ending I expected).
  • Weight Loss Support – Honest advice from someone who’s been there.
  • Healthy Recipes – Family-friendly meals that don’t feel like “diet food”.
  • Wellbeing & Confidence – Helping you feel healthier, happier and kinder to yourself.
  • What Food Noise Actually Feels Like – One of my most personal and most-read articles.
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My Latest Recipes and Cooking Tips

Easy, realistic recipes for busy families and anyone trying to eat a little more healthily. From quick dinners and budget-friendly meals to high-protein snacks and healthier comfort food, every recipe is made with real life in mind.

Two folded tortillas with crimped edges cook in a frying pan, forming golden semicircles. The tortillas appear to be filled and pressed closed, making them perfect for trying out new crimpit filling ideas or experimenting with easy crimpit recipes. Ready to be heated or grilled, these stuffed tortillas promise a deliciously simple meal.

35+ Easy Crimpit Recipes and Filling Ideas You’ll Want to Make Again and Again

Read More 35+ Easy Crimpit Recipes and Filling Ideas You’ll Want to Make Again and Again
A plate with grilled chicken breast, white rice, and steamed broccoli and carrots sits beside a smartphone displaying a calorie tracking app on a light wooden table—ideal for those focused on meeting their maintenance calories.

Best Low Calorie Foods UK Shopping List (That Actually Keep You Full)

Read More Best Low Calorie Foods UK Shopping List (That Actually Keep You Full)
A close up of  spaghetti bolognese

How to Make Healthy Meals for Fussy Families (Without Cooking Different Dinners)

Read More How to Make Healthy Meals for Fussy Families (Without Cooking Different Dinners)
A golden-brown omelette filled with ham and cheese is served with a side salad of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and peppers, drizzled with balsamic glaze, on a grey plate—one of the perfect 5 minute healthy meals for busy days.

Quick 5 Minute Healthy Meals UK (Easy Ideas for Busy Days)

Read More Quick 5 Minute Healthy Meals UK (Easy Ideas for Busy Days)
More recipes and cooking tips

My Latest in Weight Loss

Weight loss is rarely as simple as eating less and moving more. Here you’ll find honest articles about food noise, weight regain, mindset, medication and my own experiences of losing 10 stone, without judgment or promises of perfection.

Slim lady in blue ballgown

Why I Don’t Want to Be the Weight I Was Before

Read More Why I Don’t Want to Be the Weight I Was Before
A woman and a child stand together, smiling at the camera, both fitting into one pair of large black pants—a joyful testament to her weight loss journey and answer of uyes to the questions does slimming world work.

Does Slimming World Work? My Honest Opinions After Losing 10 Stone

Read More Does Slimming World Work? My Honest Opinions After Losing 10 Stone
Close-up of a fresh salad with leafy greens, red onions, tomatoes, shredded chicken, and sliced red peppers—an ideal choice for no-cook slimming world meals—lightly seasoned and mixed with a wooden utensil.

Slimming World Mistakes That Stop Weight Loss (And How to Avoid Them)

Read More Slimming World Mistakes That Stop Weight Loss (And How to Avoid Them)

Why Am I Always Hungry? The Question I Spent Years Asking Myself

Read More Why Am I Always Hungry? The Question I Spent Years Asking Myself
More Weight Loss Articles

My Latest in Wellbeing

Spending time and energy on yourself is important. These are some of the most recent articles I have written to help you to do just that.

Part completed jigsaw puzzle

Avoiding burnout: The importance of taking time for yourself

Read More Avoiding burnout: The importance of taking time for yourself
A person sits on a sofa holding a bowl of ice cream with a spoon, perfectly capturing the essence of emotional eating. Two unopened snack bars and an empty chocolate wrapper rest beside them. Only the person’s torso and lap are visible.

How to Create an Evening Routine That Doesn’t Revolve Around Food

Read More How to Create an Evening Routine That Doesn’t Revolve Around Food
The word “ptsd” is highlighted in pink on a printed page, with surrounding text mentioning “posttraum” and “stress dis”, offering a poignant visual representation of living with complex ptsd after experiences such as domestic abuse.

Living With Complex PTSD After Domestic Abuse: What It Feels Like For Me

Read More Living With Complex PTSD After Domestic Abuse: What It Feels Like For Me
A hand holds a spoonful of penne pasta with tomato sauce above a stainless steel container on a wooden table, showcasing one of the best food flasks for work ideal for keeping your meals hot and fresh throughout the day.

Best Food Flasks for Work, School & Travel (2026 UK Guide)

Read More Best Food Flasks for Work, School & Travel (2026 UK Guide)
More Wellbeing Articles

Latest in Exercise

Exercise is good for your health and well-being. Here are my latest exercise-related articles.

Feet wearing black and white adidas trainers.

Best Trainers for Walking: How to Choose Comfortable Walking Shoes

Read More Best Trainers for Walking: How to Choose Comfortable Walking Shoes
Wooden chair on a purple background with two blue dumb-bells, a towel, white trainers, and a pink water bottle. Text at top: “chair exercises for beginners to do at home. ”.

Chair Exercise Ideas for Beginners: Gentle Ways to Get Moving at Home

Read More Chair Exercise Ideas for Beginners: Gentle Ways to Get Moving at Home
Pink and grey workout clothes, purple headband, pink towel, white trainers, lavender water bottle, and a card reading "you got this" are neatly arranged on a purple background. Text above says, "how to feel confident exercising whatever your size. " this inspiring setup encourages you to embrace exercise with positivity and confidence at every stage of your fitness journey.

How to Feel Confident Exercising at Any Size

Read More How to Feel Confident Exercising at Any Size
A mint green bicycle with a basket of flowers and a yellow water bottle leans against a white fence on a sunny day. Text above reads, "is cycling good for weight loss? " discover the benefits of cycling for weight loss and overall wellbeing.

Is Cycling Good for Weight Loss? Here’s What You Need to Know

Read More Is Cycling Good for Weight Loss? Here’s What You Need to Know

Check out my Journal to help you lose weight or exercise more

Image of my 12 weeks to a better me journal

My 12 Weeks to a Better Me Journal

Buy Now →
Exercise Articles

Latest in Travel

If you love to travel, then here are my latest travel-related articles. I love to travel too so I hope my tips help you.

Colourful infographic shows the best times to visit saudi arabia by month, listing weather conditions, activities, and festivals for each month, with scenic illustrations of deserts, cities, and cultural landmarks.

Best Time to Visit Saudi Arabia: A Month-by-Month Guide

Read More Best Time to Visit Saudi Arabia: A Month-by-Month Guide
A street view of a french brasserie in montreuil-sur-mer with a red-roofed building, parked cars, a hotel sign, and people walking near outdoor seating under green umbrellas. The sky is overcast.

Montreuil-sur-Mer: Why This Charming French Town Became One of the Highlights of Our French Road Trip

Read More Montreuil-sur-Mer: Why This Charming French Town Became One of the Highlights of Our French Road Trip
Rows of white marble crosses and a single star of david mark graves in a military cemetery, set on vibrant green grass under sunlight—a must-see stop for any 2-day itinerary or normandy road trip seeking historical things to do.

Normandy Road Trip: Free Historical Things To Do by Car (Our 2-Day Itinerary)

Read More Normandy Road Trip: Free Historical Things To Do by Car (Our 2-Day Itinerary)
A street with parked cars on the left side, featuring blue dashed lines painted along the kerb to mark parking spaces. If you’re unsure what to do about car towing barcelona, be aware these markings often indicate regulated parking zones.

What Happens If Your Car Gets Towed in Barcelona? Our Experience and What To Do

Read More What Happens If Your Car Gets Towed in Barcelona? Our Experience and What To Do
More Travel Articles

More From Just Average Jen

Woman in workout clothes does a side stretch on a yoga mat at home, smiling at a laptop. Dumbbells rest nearby. Text above reads, “beginner stretches: a simple guide to stretching for beginners. ”.

Stretching for Beginners: Simple Stretches Anyone Can Do

Read More Stretching for Beginners: Simple Stretches Anyone Can Do
Sitting mum and child

How to Support Your Child with Staying Informed

Read More How to Support Your Child with Staying Informed
Boy using a tablet computer

Why Senses Matter in a Child’s Development

Read More Why Senses Matter in a Child’s Development
White bath in a white bathroom with white towels hanging over edge of the bath

Modern Bathroom Trends That Never Go Out of Style

Read More Modern Bathroom Trends That Never Go Out of Style
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Just Average Jen works with products and brands on sponsored and affiliate content. Advertising is via Mediavine. To advertise on this site please visit the work with me page.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Just Average Jen is an independent Healthy Recipes, Weight Loss and Wellbeing blog and the Slimming Recipes shared are in no way connected with any weight loss plan and no contributors have been trained by them or worked for them. It is the reader's responsibility to check Slimming World syn or Swip values, WW points and any other allowances themselves as those given are approximate. All recipes are unofficial Slimming World recipes, suitable for Weight Watchers, Noom and other diets. SWIPS is a registered trademark of Slimming World. This site is not affiliated with Slimming World.

Readers are strongly encouraged to consult with their doctor or health professional prior to making any changes to their diet or lifestyle. The information provided on this site is not intended as a substitute for medical advice.

  • About Me
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