Skip to content
The image features the handwritten-style text "Just Average Jen" in dark purple. To the lower right of the text, there are three black heart shapes of varying sizes arranged close together. The background is plain white.
  • About MeExpand
    • About Me
    • My Weight Loss Story
    • Jen In The Media
  • Weight Loss
  • Recipes
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Exercise
  • MoreExpand
    • Travel
    • Home and Garden
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Gifts and Shopping
    • Pets
    • Finances and Work
    • Motoring
    • Lifestyle
    • Contact Me
    • Jen In The Media
    • Work With Me

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.

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.
Text graphic with the message: "curious? What does your weight loss really weigh? Try the free weight loss calculator! " decorative hearts, lines, and a set of scales icon are included.

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.

A white bowl of orange soup topped with seeds, placed on a black slate with parsley and sliced bread in the background.

Healthy Soup Recipes: Easy Ideas for Lunch & Dinner

On the countertop sits an instant pot surrounded by bowls filled with sliced peppers, greens, onions, carrots, and tender cooked meat—perfect ingredients for a savory pork lo mein.

Easy Instant Pot Recipes and Pressure Cooker Tips

A plate of chicken biryani with pieces of chicken, basmati rice, green chillies, and spices, served on a white plate next to a blue checkered cloth.

Healthy Chicken Recipes: Easy Family Meals & Dinner Ideas

A close-up of a saucepan filled with brown curry sauce, with a metal ladle resting inside. The words “chip shop curry sauce” are overlaid at the bottom.

Homemade Chip Shop Curry Sauce

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.

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.

Why Printing Your Progress Photos Can Help You Stay Motivated (Not Just Save Them on Your Phone)

A pizza topped with cheese and meat, partially eaten, sits on a white plate. Nearby, on the wooden table often found in cozy hotels, are an open can of pringles, a smartphone, a hand reaching for more snacks, and a refreshing pint of beer.

Food Noise and Obesity: What It Is and Why Food Can Feel So Hard to Ignore

A woman sits on the floor against a wall with her head in her hands, appearing distressed.

The Emotional Baggage We Carry Into Weight Loss

A whole tomato and a halved tomato sit on a wooden surface, with black peppercorns scattered in the background.

The Mediterranean Diet: What It Is and How to Get Started

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.

Anatomical illustration of human lungs and the bronchial tree.

How Different Types of Nebulizers Work and Which Ones Are Ideal for Specific Conditions

Person checking a smartwatch with fitness stats while sitting on a blue exercise mat, with purple dumbbells and a water bottle nearby.

Fitness Tracker vs Smartwatch: What’s the Difference?

A paper cut-out of a head with mental health words inside is surrounded by coloured pencils and crumpled paper balls on a dark background.

Where Does Psychiatry Fit Into Eating Disorder Recovery?

A hand pours milk from a glass jug into a clear glass on a wooden table, with a blurred green outdoor background.

How to Stay Healthy in Winter: Realistic Tips for the Colder Months

More Wellbeing Articles

Latest in Exercise

Exercise doesn’t have to mean joining a gym, running miles or pushing yourself until you’re exhausted. I’m much more interested in finding ways to move that feel manageable, enjoyable and realistic for you. Whether you’re starting exercise at a higher weight, building your confidence, trying something new or simply looking for ways to be a little more active, you’ll find plenty of ideas here.

Woman in a pink shirt uses the touchscreen on a treadmill in a gym, with other people exercising in the background.

How to Build Running Confidence When You Feel Out of Shape

Urevo treadmill with a glowing blue light strip and a display screen that reads “ready”.

My UREVO CyberMega Smart Treadmill Review After a Month of Using It

A bcan fitness trampoline and its components, including tools, springs, instruction manual, and green resistance band, are laid out on the trampoline frame on artificial grass.

BCAN Rebounder Review – Is This Adult Fitness Trampoline Worth It?

A white mug of coffee wrapped in grey knitted fabric sits in front of an open book with autumn leaves placed on its pages.

Outdoor Exercise in Autumn: How to Stay Safe as the Days Get Darker

Exercise Articles

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 →
Black adidas logo with three diagonal stripes and “adidas” below, centered inside overlapping outlined rectangles. “blogger” above and “community” below the logo, all-caps black letters on a white background.

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.

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
  • My Weight Loss Story
  • Jen In The Media
  • Contact Jen Mellor
  • Work With Me
  • Healthy recipes
  • Weight Loss
  • Health and Wellbeing Support
  • Exercise
  • Travel
  • Family
  • Finances and Work
  • Home and Garden
  • Gifts and Shopping
  • Motoring
  • Pets
  • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
  • Disclosure Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement

© 2026 Just Average Jen – Realistic Healthy Living Without Perfection

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Weight Loss
  • Recipes
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Exercise
  • More
    • Travel
    • Home and Garden
    • Relationships
    • Family
    • Gifts & Shopping
    • Finances and Work
    • Motoring
    • Pets
    • Lifestyle
    • Free Resources
    • Contact Jen Mellor
    • Work With Me
    • Jen In The Media
Search