To diet or not to diet in 2015?

A lot of people are going to have "lose weight", "get in shape", or "drop a dress size" as one of their new years resolutions. They will purchase a gym membership, or maybe of received one from a well intentioned relative at Christmas, opening it whilst they stuff celebrations into their mouth ( I totes stuffed celebrations into my mouth at every available opportunity), and then go in all guns blazing, only to throw in the towel a week later. Or they may do the opposite, and embark on a "detox" of only water, lemons, syrup, 0 calorie clouds, unicorns, whatever.
I'm here to give you my opinion on that - don't do it.

At the young age of 19 *cries*, I was a very slender size 6 after going from a 12. It was pretty much by accident. I developed a love of soup and didn't have an emotional attachment with food in any way, so I got into a routine and 4 months down the line was about 2 stone lighter. It wasn't as simple as that and there were other factors of life towards the end that had an impact on it. I lost a TON of muscle, and struggled to open bottles which sucked. My parents said they would leave chocolate bars around the house in hope id eat them. I never did because I didn't get sweet cravings anymore. I had weened myself off sugar by coincidence and biscuits and chocolate didn't bother me, it was weird. People would say I was anorexic (possible ignorance thinking anorexia is based on size), someone thought id gotten heavily into drugs and my daily soup habits were a lie and others just said id lost weight. The last kind were right.

I remember the day i decided to eat some "unhealthy food". It had been such a routine not to, I thought id make myself learn to eat how I use to now id lost all this weight. I remember it clearly because it was such a concious decision. I went to Tesco and bought spicy doritos, even though i'm not a fan of doritos in general, yes I still have a soul, and I bought some soft gooey cookies, a previous favourite. Whilst the cookies were alright, i still wasn't bothered. And the crisps tasted like cardboard. My taste had just changed and I think that's something that happens to everyone if they cut out processed foods for a long time, you can actually taste "the process" if you like.
But from then on, I persevered. I kept eating all kinds of things and eventually got a taste for crap back. I felt more "normal" but the sad thing was, that's when i developed a somewhat unhealthy relationship with food. It was THEN a focus. I'd eat anything and everything and vow to eat soup the next day as to carry on with it again, but that never happened. Whilst I never gained any weight, my mind was in a completely different place. Soup was now a chore, and so was not eating chocolate. I couldn't make one day eating just soup, brown toast with a salad, like I had done for weeks previously before.
It wasn't long after that I had some cruel comments or "jokes" from someone I knew, calling me chubby, making jokes about what I was eating and how much, sometimes at very inappropriate times but for the sake of anonymity, I wont divulge further into that. The point being was that's when I tried to properly diet. I was only size 6, healthy for my height of 5ft, but thought I could definitely do with losing some more weight?!

If i'm honest, I did have fat on me. I lost a lot of muscle, which we all know affects the scale and slows down fat loss, but it was by no means in any way 'harmful to my health' fat, or even that visible.
Collectively, these experiences changed my life and changed my means of looking at dieting. I gained back all the weight I ever lost, trying to diet.

There are TONS of fads out there saying, do this, do that, eat this, not that, but there's also new stuff coming out which have the mindful eating approach which i'm fully down with. What i'm most down with about it is you can eat whatever you would like to and that's important. Health isn't about restriction, its about personal choice. Most people, myself included, love to eat healthy food and appreciate it way more when they are not FORCING themselves to do it because they think they have to.

I am in, what some people (medium crazy people but could be right) would call "the greatest city in the world", full of all sorts of flipping food. Could you even imagine the type of stuff I couldn't eat if I were to go on a "diet"?! Like have you even SEEN pictures of street food?! But yet because I am not dieting, I've actually started to learn how to cook healthy recipes and a lot of vegetarian, just because I enjoy it.

I don't believe in dieting and I vowed never to diet again about 2 years ago or so. After all my life experience with weight loss and weight gain, I know 100% dieting is NOT a thing. Sure, watch how much of what you eat that makes you feel crap, but if 3 pizzas make you feel shit hot, then go for it mate.

Anti dieting hammer down point being made, I DO want to get healthier. I've had a very self- indulgent 2014 where I started smoking again (dumb choice but sometimes yolo), started drinking again after 2 years of barely and found a new love for red wine, stopped actively exercising by about 98% and ate all kinds of stuff because James is a well good cook.

I'm not against the gym, you know, go do it if you love it. I use to be a gym bunny believe it or not, I also use to love running. But what i've always loved to do is dance, that's my choice. You will see me in a club dancing like my granddad, taking up 2/3 of a dance floor, covered in sweat.
Im not there to duck face in a shit ton of makeup and do some awkward hip sways all evening.
I also love hula hooping, as a new thing i've started to try, and walking. I like being out in the fresh air too. (As fresh as London air is)
My aim is to do more of that. Exercise makes me feel well good and there is nothing like endorphins, well, nothing legal.

I was sat up with my mate Jode one night, who is a health babe and has somewhat inspired me to try and be a bit of one too, and after coming up with the idea of this blog, came up with the idea of Sophie's saucepan.
YES guys, that IS a thing! :D
I got overly excited about my £2.50 saucepan purchase and decided i was going to use it as much as I can to create my meals.
So as a new thread, ill be using my saucepan to create healthy meals to help me on my way for 2015 and I can show you my somewhat creative recipes, only if they are edible!

So i guess all of you guys (being my mum, possibly my sister and like 3 friends who read this) can follow me as I embark on a journey to a bit more health in London.
I will try not to toast to it with wine. :D