You’ve seen him on Sky Living’s Fat: The Fight of My Life and Obese: A Year to Save My Life. He’s recently graced our TV screens on the ITV Breakfast programme Daybreak, helping us get off the sofa and get moving in ‘Motivation Nation’.

Now Jessie is about to embark on a new venture: The Pavelka House – an online interactive membership website which guides and supports those who want to lose weight, improve their fitness or simply live life more healthily.

We caught up with Jessie to find out a little more about how it all began, his top tips to stay motivated, and his plans for the future.

How did your journey to health and fitness begin? 

It all started at a young age. I was a physical child and loved movement. I loved sports, which led to me training. Through that I got to know the body very well and now here I am, training people and still loving to move and exercise.

Did you always want to make your passion for health and fitness a career? 

It has been an organic progression. I’ve made conscious decisions that have put me where I am, but I never planned to come along this specific route. I guess I just did what seemed right and then trusted it would lead me along the right road.

What does your normal fitness routine entail?

It depends on where I am. At home I add a lot of variety into my training; I do the gym, the park, hikes, cycling, etc. When I’m on the road, I am a bit more limited. I’ve been known to make quite a bit of noise in my hotel room doing HIIT training with my music blaring. 

What are some of your favourite meals and snacks?

I love my morning smoothies, fresh greens, fish; I really enjoy all the food I eat.  

Do you have any guilty food pleasures?

I don’t really attach guilt to food, but if I had to say something that I enjoy from time to time, it would be Oreo cookies, a nice pint of dark beer (i.e. a Guinness…or two), and popcorn, but I make healthy popcorn with nutritional yeast and walnut oil that is to die for. 

How do you stay motivated to continually exercise and eat well? Do you ever feel the pull towards crisps, chocolate and lazing on the sofa?

I don’t always feel motivated. Some days I have to force myself to go that extra mile. Motivation is something that is created through action, both physically and mentally. You have to find motivation – it’s a pursuit. The great thing about falling in love with exercise is you don’t worry too much about being lazy or eating crisps. It gives me the freedom to do all of those things.   

You’re soon to be launching the Pavelka House – an online community to help people get healthy and happy. Tell us a bit more about this.

I’ve been receiving emails from thousands of people asking me for help and guidance, and it’s impossible to reach out to them all, so this was the way for me to make that happen. It’s an interactive website along with events throughout the year. We focus on four elements or ‘The Pavelka Way’: Movement, Food, Mind Power and Family. We’ll be providing video and text content with exercises and tools for all four of these elements. From instructional workout videos, to cooking vids that will have you eating to enjoy and live well, all the way to guided meditations helping you escape the stress of the day. It’s an all-encompassing, holistic and practical approach to living well, and it works!

What are the most common mistakes you see people making when dieting/trying to lose weight?

Wanting it to happen too fast and having unrealistic expectations due to magazines and TV. Look at yourself in the mirror and have a very honest chat with YOU. It’s important to make reality and expectations run parallel. At the end of the day it’s about living well, feeling good and being involved in life.

So many people are yo-yo dieters and their weight goes up and down throughout life. What are your tips to end this cycle?

What happens when the ‘diet’ stops? Food is just a part of life, not something to put too much pressure around. If you want to explore a different way of eating, go for it, but come back to the way of life, the way of eating that serves you. Don’t get caught up in chasing the next best things.

You currently travel between Toronto, LA and the UK. Do you plan on continuing your jet-set lifestyle, or do you see yourself settling down in any one of those places?

Yes, I travel a lot. When I first started the jet-set lifestyle it was exciting, but you soon realise how un-grounding it can be. I’ve acquired quite a few grey facial hairs over the past three years through my travels, but also some great relationships and experiences. Right now my family and I are making it work, but it can’t last forever. Enough will one day become enough, but right now things are going well. I may be looking like Moses by the time I figure this whole thing out.

You’re a patron for Kent-based charity HOOP (Helping Overcome Obesity Problems). Tell us about this charity and your involvement.

HOOP is a great resource for those who are looking for solutions. It’s a support group which is there 24/7 for its members. I have a lot of messages from people asking for help and I get frustrated that I cannot do anything; but now that I am involved with HOOP I am able to direct them to the group so they can get some support and signposting. It’s a privilege to support HOOP. They do great work. We support each other really. It’s a great relationship.

How do you enjoy spending your time when you’re not working?

Romantic dinners (good Italian) with my wife. My son is pure joy for me. I can have chaos going on all around me: contracts pending, deadlines, pressures from getting my business started – but he keeps me on the ground and reminds me what it’s really all about. He’s a constant reminder that nothing is really that big of a deal, so our outings are a must for my sanity; I’m a lucky dad and husband. I also love exercising – I like getting into my routine, going to the park, running with some good tunes, getting into nature, hangin’ with the boys and talking about life and how we can change the world. Music is something I hold dear to my heart, so I enjoy just listening and lying in the grass. I even create my own music…it’s another one of my outlets.

We’ve seen you on Sky TV and recently Daybreak. Will we be seeing you on our TV screens again soon?

Maybe….You never know with the TV biz.

Find out more about the Pavelka Health Revolution and the Pavelka House at www.pavelka.co.uk

@Jessie_Pavelka & @PavelkaHealth