Introduction

Hello, I’m Sophie. I’m 27 and live, work and study in Canterbury in Kent. I’m completely new to blogging so I thought I’d use my first post to tell you a little bit about me, and talk about the kind of things I plan to post so you know what to expect from this blog.

I've always been quite health-conscious, but my interest in health and fitness really kicked in when I left full-time education and started working in an office. The transition from being fairly active to sitting on my bum at a desk all day within easy reach of several vending machines, combined with the inevitable slowing-down of my metabolism as I crept into my 20s resulted in me gaining more than two stone before I had even really realised it was happening. I went from a size 10 to a size 14, which is hardly obese, but as I’m only 5’4” it made quite a bit of difference to my shape. People who knew me at the time tell me that it wasn't that bad, that they barely noticed the weight gain (or didn't notice it at all) but I just didn't feel like myself and wanted my old figure back. I joined a gym but was pretty lazy about going and often only managed to drag myself there about once a week.

Eventually, something in my brain snapped and I stepped it up. I started forcing myself to the gym two or three times a week and made an effort to eat less rubbish and stop snacking. Slowly but surely, over a period of about a year, I lost the weight I had gained and managed to tone up and boost my metabolism in the process, finally dropping back down to a size 10. Since then, I've had my ups and downs. My weight still fluctuates and I have unhealthy days, weeks, even months. However, now that I have experienced first-hand the difference that a good diet and a bit of exercise can make, I'm a complete advocate for trying to live healthily.

I don’t want this to be a weight-loss blog. I think weight-loss (IF you want it) is a happy side-effect of healthy living, which has benefits that go way beyond just slimming down. I hope to use this blog to share what I’ve found out about for myself (and am still discovering) about healthy eating and fitness techniques, to talk about my experiences and offer tips for people who don’t really know where to start.

I am by no means a fitness or nutrition expert, and I hope this blog will serve as a motivational tool for me just as much as for anyone who happens to find it helpful. I’ve got a few ideas, but please let me know if there is anything in particular you’d like to read about and I’ll do my best to include it.

Thanks for reading!