If you’re like me, and you love MTV’s The Challenge, previously known as the Real World/Road Rules Challenge, then you’ve definitely heard the name Jennifer West. Jennifer, who goes by Jenny and is the creator of Future Proof Fitness, first appeared on Survival of the Fittest, a British reality TV contest. She made her Challenge debut on War of the Worlds 2 and returned for Total Madness, the most recent season. She took first place in Total Madness, taking home the $500,000 prize after completing the grueling final with the fastest overall female time. In fact, she completed the final with the overall fastest time, generally, outperforming Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, who also took home a $500,000 prize as the competitor who finished the final fastest among the guys.
Jenny’s Instagram and social media presence is a breath of fresh air. It’s refreshing to see an accomplished influencer get candid about fitness, body image, and internet trolls. I got in touch with Jenny to learn about her Challenge food experiences, self-love advice, favorite foods, and go-to recipe, and now I get to share it all with you.
Food on ‘The Challenge’
What is food and dining like in the Challenge house?
We have catered food, and it is usually local cuisine style. So in Thailand it was all thai food. I always love it. I am very easy to please, but people love complaining about the food! We get breakfast, lunch and dinner provided, and there [are] usually like two meat options and then lots of veggies to go with. The house is also fully stocked with snacks like crisps, cookies, yoghurts, meats, cheese, fruit, etc. We don’t go hungry! On set, if we are there during lunchtime, we have lunch there, and it’s usually even tastier than what we get in the house.
Body Image and Social Media
What inspired you to share body positive content on your Instagram page?
I realized that I didn’t give a crap what anyone thought of my body anymore, and I felt so free and happy, and I wanted to be able to help others to feel the same. I felt like we all just needed a confidence boost and to feel the love from others, and we would all develop better relationships with our bodies. I also felt like I had to show people just how easy it was to pose or filter/edit a pic. Therefore, they can’t compare themselves to the images they see on social media. They’re not as they seem! This was very important to me. I remember realizing when a few girls I followed showed pics in certain lighting and angles, and I couldn’t believe that they weren’t perfect! That helped me, so I am hoping I can help them.
What advice do you have for anyone struggling with bullying online and/or low self-confidence?
BLOCK, BLOCK, BLOCK. It can be THAT simple. And it is VERY IMPORTANT to remember [that] unhappy people go out of their way to put others down. The best thing you can do is either block them, or ask them if they’re okay. They mustn’t have people in their lives giving them the love and support they may need, and they lash out on anyone who will let them. It says everything about them and NOTHING about you.
Jenny’s Pizza Recipe
Cheers, to pizza and eating what you love.
Jenny often talks about her go-to, quick, and easy pizza recipe in her Instagram stories, and it always looks delicious. She estimates that the entire pizza is about 350 calories, but that depends on the ingredients you choose to use and the ingredients that are available to you.
You’ll need:
– 75 g of bread flour. Jenny says you can use self-rising flour, but bread flour tends to contain 100 calories less per 100 grams than self-rising flour and has the same effect.
– 80 mL of water.
– 75 g of cheese. Jenny uses Eatlean Cheese, which is available in the United Kingdom. If you’re trying to stick to a calorie goal each day, she recommends a low-fat cheese or mozzarella.
– 1/3 a tin of chopped tomatoes.
– Add any other toppings that you’d like. Jenny loves to add finely chopped onions, peppers, and pepperoni.
Method:
– Preheat the oven to (fan) 200 Celsius, which converts to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
– Add the flour to the water gradually and mix. Do not add all the water at once. You may not need to use it all as you only need enough water to make a dough.
– Flour a kitchen surface, and roll out the dough.
– Place the rolled out dough onto a pizza tray. Jenny recommends using a pizza tray, if you have or can get one, as it helps make the pizza base crispier.
– Spread the chopped tomatoes on top and add the cheese and other toppings to your liking.
– Cook in the oven for approximately 12-15 minutes until crispy.
Jenny’s Favorite Dessert
Cheers again, to dessert and eating what you love. Jenny says her favorite, go-to dessert tends to be a Bakewell tart with lots of icing on top. She also loves ice cream and cookie dough and anything homemade.
So, embrace your sweet tooth and embrace who you are. I encourage you to check out Jenny’s social media if you’re ever looking for some body-positive inspiration or want to see someone with a large online following using their platform for good. And, remember: next time you’re watching The Challenge, you can whip up Jenny’s pizza and enjoy the show.