The number of “influencers” on social media keeps on increasing these days, yet it seems there is little increase in the amount of accounts which truly have a positive influence and are inspirational to followers. Some try to sell you on fake diets and give out false health information, making it challenging to know who to actually listen to. Sometimes the accounts can just end up making you feel worse about yourself, and you end up comparing your life to someone across the world.

Luckily, there are still many incredible people out there who use their social media presence to share authenticity, positivity and truth. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted this month’s feature to be a woman whom shares all of this and more. A woman who I always find inspiring & uplifting, and is one of my go-tos when I need encouragement & motivation.

Jill Magee (@jillchristinefit), originally from a suburb of the Twin Cities, Minnesota, keeps it real on Instagram. She just turned 30 years old, and let me tell ya, she is thriving! She is always advocating for self love and a positive mindset, and actually lives out her own advice – taking care of herself both physically & mentally.

Jill’s personal and work life encompasses health & wellness. She is a certified pharmacy technician (CPhT) and a PE Science Sponsored Athlete. Working with PE Science is a great way she gets to invest in her hobby of fitness since she already supports and utilizes the products daily. It’s an added plus that her job with PE Science sends her to work expos throughout the year!

In 2008, a year after graduating high school, Jill began a transformation to become healthier and fitter. Towards the end of 2014, she decided to start her own fitness apparel company. This is how she originally got involved with the local fitness community. “Before this, a majority of my friends didn’t live this lifestyle, so I didn’t have many friends into fitness. With the business, we would have booths at the local NPC shows, and I met many people.” It was at this time that she decided to share her own journey on Instagram. She started to share this journey in order to show everyone that anything is possible with hard work and dedication over time. “Many people give up before seeing results, and I wanted them to know that they will come.” Her transformation also helped her grow mentally, and is something that continues to keep her going and encourage her – in all aspects of life. “I want everyone to be able to experience that!”

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I asked Jill what advice she would give to someone who wants to start their own fitness regimen. She said: “Remember your why, and commit to it! Motivation comes and goes, so it is important to develop habits and discipline for the long haul. We live this lifestyle to feel and function our best, so if results are not coming as fast as we would like, we are still ahead because our overall health is improving for the long haul! This is a PROCESS and it takes TIME, but is what will continue to bring us health and happiness for the longevity!”

Even someone as dedicated and hard working as Jill doesn’t always have motivation to hit the gym. As she shares on Instagram, when she lacks this motivation, she has to get outside her head and do so anyways. “I have never regretted a workout, and often use the gym as my therapy! I remember that my current situation is not my final destination, and it’s because of the hard times that I have continued to grow mentally and physically. This too shall pass.” Jill also mentioned that practicing gratitude helps her refocus her energy on the positives. I think we can all benefit from that practice!

In regards to her current physical goals, Jill was in a caloric surplus for about nine months to increase strength and muscle mass. Now her goal is a mini cut, which is a fat loss phase. She is doing this in order to tighten up a little for summer since it’s her birthday month, and her sister-in-law’s wedding is coming up.

When asked about her current obsessions: “My Air Fryer has been my obsession for about 2 years now! I use it almost every day!” (I don’t even have an air fryer [yet] and I’m obsessed with the idea of one, thanks to my roommate and Jill haha). And, if you follow Jill on Instagram, you definitely know about her other obsession: her cake recipe using Oat Bran and PE Science Select protein. She is addicted to it and eats it daily. I mean, who wouldn’t want to eat cake every morning! 😉

Jill’s advice to all women out there: “Everything starts and ends in your mind. Where the mind goes, the body will follow. By learning to be self aware, we can then learn to practice self love. You can not fill up other people’s cups if yours is half empty!” YAS QUEEN.

Head over to Instagram now and follow @jillchristinefit, where she shares some of the best daily inspiration, and always speaks truth. Not to mention her stories are just so real and relatable – I’m always getting a chuckle out of them. Jill also shares some great workout tips and videos on her Instagram! And if you’re interested in trying a PE Science product, be sure to use the code “JILL” for a discount 🙂

I hope Jill’s story of determination & transformation encourages you to look on the bright side and stay strong because YOU GOT THIS!