Grown In Grit

Grown In Grit GRIT-noun-courage and resolve; strength of character. I'm Jessica, a 34 year old mom of 2, down 135 pounds naturally after 25 years of obesity.

Growing my grit is what allowed me to finally succeed in my health goals. Let me help you get there too!

02/01/2026

Grow With Jo coming in clutch with the regulation assist. 🙌🏻

One of the most beautiful aspects of this journey, is knowing I’m modeling healthy coping mechanisms for my kids.

My focus is always on how we feel after we move. How we feel after we eat different things.

I want them aware and connecting the cause and effect.

It’s not about foods being good or bad. It’s about how they make us feel and behave after.

It’s not about moving to burn calories, it’s about the difference in our capacity after. It’s about feeling calmer. Focused. Positive. Resilient.

Don’t get it twisted, I am no perfect parent and I do not claim to be. There is plenty I reflect on and wish I’d done differently.

I think that’s true of all of us shepherding little souls through this world, though. That’s part of what makes a good, intentional parent.

But this - this is a win and I will celebrate it.

Featuring the two year old taming magic of our mop 🤣

02/01/2026

Somersaults aren’t my only weird childhood hang up, lol. It’s a good thing my husband likes projects with no clear ending 🤪.

Jumping off a swing, climbing a ladder and crossing the gap at the top, sliding down slides, and being held (literally and figuratively tbh), may seem like such trivial fears to many. Still, somewhere along the line they became so big in my head, I was unwilling to participate.

I’ve used my grit to conquer lifelong obesity by losing 140 pounds naturally. Now that I’m moving towards maintenance, I’m putting it to use setting me free from all the things that hold me back.

If you’re tired of living a life held back by things big and small, follow along - growing your grit can help you beat them all. 🩷

01/31/2026

Play dates should fill your cup just as much as they fill your kids.

When I first started growing my and changing my life, I saw a lot of toxic friendships fall away because of my values shifting. It was hard to stand in my truth and be lonely while I rebuilt a life that felt genuine. But when you clear away the old that no longer serves you, it opens you up to be blessed by what does.

I am so thankful for friendships like these. Welcome in any season, no social battery required, no prep, no judgment. Just and genuine care.

shared an amazing fact with me during this workout. Working out with other people creates a unique level of intimacy because of the endorphins released.

How cool is that?

Grab your bestie and move your bodies. You’ll thank me later!

01/31/2026

At least I managed to get a sports bra on.

Real talk it’s been a hard week and an even harder day. Once my kids were asleep tonight, old coping mechanisms showed up and all I wanted to do was snacks and watch tv.

But I’ve been practicing this thing long enough that I recognized what was happening, and instead of leaning into what I WANTED, I leaned into what I NEEDED.

I NEEDED to move my body. To burn off the cortisol and adrenaline and stress. To connect to my body and give my mind a break.

I needed the endorphins from getting my heart rate up and a good sweat.

I needed to hear my husband tell me he was proud of me for working out even though he knew it was the last thing I WANTED.

All of that feels a hell of a lot better than waking up tomorrow mad at myself for choosing to numb out with food, physically uncomfortable, and still swimming in the stress from the previous day.

is about so much more than just physical fitness folks. If you’re not intentionally moving your body you are missing out on one of the biggest elevating life hacks you could possibly give yourself. This is coming from someone who used to weigh almost 300 pounds.

If you’ve made it this far down my soapbox, I believe this message resonates with you, and I believe in your power to change. Follow along with me so I can show you how I am overcoming every limiting habit and belief I’ve ever had.

01/30/2026

Ain’t no clean plate club around here folks.

Having kids is such a refining journey. They will illuminate parts of yourself you didn’t even know were in shadows.

As I walk this parenting journey, I have become increasingly aware of how important the words I use, the habits I model and the coping mechanisms I practice are.

They are literally programming my babies’ nervous systems.

I want them to trust when their body isnt hungry, even if it’s inconvenient for me in the moment. Because my goal for my kids is long term health, not momentary convenience for me.

If they’re hungry 10 minutes later, they can finish their supper. With time they will build their capacity for understanding fueling for a timeline. If they’re allowed to practice.

If you were a member of the clean plate club and struggle with your relationship with food now, know there is hope. It takes , but if I can do it I promise you can too.

Follow along and let me show you how.

01/30/2026

Your body is not a garbage can, and if you’re giving it food that serves no purpose, that food is still being wasted.

Little kids are notorious at not finishing their plates, and budgets are tight. I get it.

Forcing them to finish isn’t the answer either, unless you want to raise an adult who does not honor their body’s cues.

Try serving less and allowing them to ask for more, or save the leftovers for a breakfast scramble or next days lunch.

There are options beyond forcing you or your child to eat and throwing it away.

Whatever you choose, know that your body deserves to be treated better than as a garbage disposal.

It’s been about 2 months since I started my Grown In Grit content, and what an amazing ride it has already been. This re...
01/22/2026

It’s been about 2 months since I started my Grown In Grit content, and what an amazing ride it has already been.

This reel ( https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTnbV03DpkV/?igsh=Y2didTZqb2VidTBh )has gone viral on Instagram with 30k views and growing, over 1k likes, and hundreds of interactions.

It showcases my beautiful girl gang literally pushing me through my life long fear of going upside down.

This is the perfect first viral reel for Grown In Grit because it showcases the exact type of community I’m growing.

Love and support, accountability and the push towards your best self.

Conquering obesity may have been the impetus for me to start creating content, but it is only the beginning.

I will overcome every obstacle, every limiting belief, and every doubt that has ever held me back, and I will take anyone who is ready along with me.

NEVER give up on yourselves friends. There is a beautiful life waiting for you if you have the grit to keep showing up!!!!

01/21/2026

If I had a dollar for every time I said Levi's in this video, I’d have enough to buy another pair of Levi’s 🤪🫶.

This may seem like a simple pair of jeans to some people, but to me it represents so much more.

Not being able to fit the clothes I wanted resulted in me creating an image that was not authentic simply because it was what fit. Baggy shirts, outrageous hair and accessories to distract from my size, hoodies no matter the temperature. Never comfortable. Never genuine. Never at home in my own body.

Not only are these jeans physically comfortable, they feel like being at home in my body. Like authenticity. They feel like !

It took me 25 years to build the , 2 years for the and less than a minute to zip the and heal a broken piece of my story.

If you’re ready to step into the next chapter of your own life, hit the follow button. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been struggling. There IS a way out.

01/21/2026

I spent 25 out of my 34 years obese. Hiding my true self. Embarrassed to exist. Ashamed to be seen. Sacrificing my needs to feel valued. People pleasing to have worth.

Surviving circumstances in my life, including my own mental prison, forced me to develop . Bringing my daughter into the world demanded I grow it so I could model a different life for her. Birthing my son dissolved any remaining excuses.

In the 2 years since his birth I’ve lost 140 pounds and found a new lease on life.

Two years. That’s what the physical part of this journey took, and I spent 25 years avoiding it.

Do not waste your life a second longer. A world and experience beyond your wildest imagination awaits you. It’s not about being skinny. It’s not about the perfect body. It’s about mobility. Confidence. Peace. Health. Longevity. Ease. Comfort. Enjoying movement. Feeling calm around food. Trust and pride in yourself.

It’s about .

If I can transform my and conquer , I PROMISE YOU, baby, you can too. Follow along and let me show you how.

01/21/2026

For a long time I hid this fear from my daughter. She has asked me for almost 2 years now to do somersaults with her. I’ve made excuses every time. I thought telling her I was scared would make her feel scared and decide she shouldn’t be doing them either.

I decided when I started this saga that I was going to be real with her. I told her the real reason I didn’t do somersaults, and that I didn’t want her to feel scared unnecessarily. That my fear was my own issue and I wanted to overcome it. That she didn’t need to feel scared about them, and that I was going to keep practicing until I was as good as her.

Her response has truly inspired me. She hasn’t become scared at all - she has become my coach! Every day she asks if I’d like to practice. She encourages me while I practice, and randomly throughout the day. She teaches her stuffies to do somersaults and beams with pride as she tells me she got them to do it.

It has lit a fire under me to make this happen so my daughter can see me succeed. So she can know that it’s okay to have struggles but we keep moving forward and keep trying no matter what. We have , and we can anything. We do not have to be held back by .

Don’t worry shorty, mamas gonna get it. And I know you’ll be so proud of me when I do. 🥹

wheretheresawilltheresaway

01/17/2026

Your tribe determines your vibe, folks.

So thankful to be held by an amazing group of women who push me, literally and figuratively, to be my best.

This night they rallied behind me and got me to overcome my biggest fear - going upside down.

I am still working towards independently doing a somersault, but the fact that I went upside down is huge progress for me. My elementary school aged self would be beaming right now.

No more . No more . Just and . Inching closer and closer every day. That’s what it’s all about.

Address

Seattle, WA

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Grown In Grit posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Grown In Grit:

Shortcuts

Share

Category