A woman who has documented her fitness journey over the last four years has revealed that she not only managed to lose 170lbs, but did so while also battling cancer.

Jessica Beniquez of Tampa, Florida, says she had been overweight her entire life, but on the day of her 20th birthday, "something just clicked" and she decided to completely overhaul her lifestyle.

Speaking to WFMZ-TV back in June, Beniquez recalled what it was that made her realize she was going down a bad path, saying: "I felt so tired all of the time. Like, fatigue. I didn't want to go hang out with friends. I was 19-20 years old - that's not okay."

Weighing 320lbs and hating the fact she was starting to feel lazy, Jessica was hit with a burning desire to get healthy, and decided to change her diet and hit the gym with her newfound determination.

Speaking to Women's Health, Beniquez revealed that after attempting to substitute meals with health shakes, she decided she needed to learn about "whole, healthy foods".

"My first salad was covered in ranch dressing and cheese, but it was a start," Jessica said, admitting that her new health kick was certainly a learning process.

Eventually, Beniquez discovered that she "didn't want to focus on what [she] was eating, but instead, how much." She said: "Portion control worked wonders for me. I like being able to have anything I want in moderation."

Jessica also started working out, starting slow at first.

"When I was first starting out, I went on a walk every night and learned exercise routines from Instagram," she said, adding: "I also worked with a personal trainer once or twice a month for new ideas." Now, Jessica hits the gym "every day".

After 17 months, she had lost an incredible 170lbs.

But sadly, Jessica was in for another battle, as in July 2018, she found a limp in her armpit.

At the age of 22, Jessica was told she had stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma - an uncommon form of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system. Jessica was able to be seen quickly due to the fact her dad had also had the illness.

Speaking to Women's Health as she was undergoing chemotherapy back in 2019, an inspirational Jessica said: "I'm focused on not letting cancer take over my body. I want to encourage women to be grateful for their health and not take it for granted—instead, to make it a priority."

Over the course of her treatment, Jessica continued to work out, describing it was a "stress reliever" and determined to prove that people can do "anything you set your mind to, regardless of your situation."

Then, in April of 2019, Jessica finished her treatment.

Speaking to WFMZ-TV, she revealed: "Then I had to wait a whole other eight-to-twelve weeks just to get the final test scan - which was in August.

"So in August, I was finally in clear, and it was the best news."

A proud Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, Beniquez is continuing to inspire others to change their lives and get healthy, amassing over 723,000 followers on Instagram.

When asked what she would tell somebody who is on the brink of giving up on themselves, Jessica said:

"Why would you give up after making all that progress? Like, what's the point of that? You put in all that dedication. Plateaus happen, they're so real, and you have to push through that and stay consistent."

A truly incredible young woman, with so much to be proud of! Well done, Jessica - you're an inspiration to us all!

A woman who has documented her fitness journey over the last four years has revealed that she not only managed to lose 170lbs, but did so while also battling cancer.

Jessica Beniquez of Tampa, Florida, says she had been overweight her entire life, but on the day of her 20th birthday, "something just clicked" and she decided to completely overhaul her lifestyle.

Speaking to WFMZ-TV back in June, Beniquez recalled what it was that made her realize she was going down a bad path, saying: "I felt so tired all of the time. Like, fatigue. I didn't want to go hang out with friends. I was 19-20 years old - that's not okay."

Weighing 320lbs and hating the fact she was starting to feel lazy, Jessica was hit with a burning desire to get healthy, and decided to change her diet and hit the gym with her newfound determination.

Speaking to Women's Health, Beniquez revealed that after attempting to substitute meals with health shakes, she decided she needed to learn about "whole, healthy foods".

"My first salad was covered in ranch dressing and cheese, but it was a start," Jessica said, admitting that her new health kick was certainly a learning process.

Eventually, Beniquez discovered that she "didn't want to focus on what [she] was eating, but instead, how much." She said: "Portion control worked wonders for me. I like being able to have anything I want in moderation."

Jessica also started working out, starting slow at first.

"When I was first starting out, I went on a walk every night and learned exercise routines from Instagram," she said, adding: "I also worked with a personal trainer once or twice a month for new ideas." Now, Jessica hits the gym "every day".

After 17 months, she had lost an incredible 170lbs.

But sadly, Jessica was in for another battle, as in July 2018, she found a limp in her armpit.

At the age of 22, Jessica was told she had stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma - an uncommon form of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system. Jessica was able to be seen quickly due to the fact her dad had also had the illness.

Speaking to Women's Health as she was undergoing chemotherapy back in 2019, an inspirational Jessica said: "I'm focused on not letting cancer take over my body. I want to encourage women to be grateful for their health and not take it for granted—instead, to make it a priority."

Over the course of her treatment, Jessica continued to work out, describing it was a "stress reliever" and determined to prove that people can do "anything you set your mind to, regardless of your situation."

Then, in April of 2019, Jessica finished her treatment.

Speaking to WFMZ-TV, she revealed: "Then I had to wait a whole other eight-to-twelve weeks just to get the final test scan - which was in August.

"So in August, I was finally in clear, and it was the best news."

A proud Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, Beniquez is continuing to inspire others to change their lives and get healthy, amassing over 723,000 followers on Instagram.

When asked what she would tell somebody who is on the brink of giving up on themselves, Jessica said:

"Why would you give up after making all that progress? Like, what's the point of that? You put in all that dedication. Plateaus happen, they're so real, and you have to push through that and stay consistent."

A truly incredible young woman, with so much to be proud of! Well done, Jessica - you're an inspiration to us all!