Sophia Harris (Apollo Nutrition) tells us about her food journey
In this guest blog, Sophia talks about her old and new relationship with food, fitness and of course, Lo-Dough
I’m Sophia (@apollo_nutrition) and I am an award winning nutritionist, personal trainer and online coach. Most of the work I do is supporting people with their nutrition & food relationship and body image, because I am a huge believer that the way we feel about ourselves has a huge impact on the way we choose to treat ourselves.
I have been coaching nearly 4 years now and have supported hundreds of individuals to improve their health by choosing to focus on their nutrition and food choices. I also work with couples, families, I offer corporate packages and run workshops for businesses, speak at public fitness events and more recently I have started doing some workshops and talks in schools which is just incredible.
I honestly believe that everyone’s birth right is to be the healthiest and happiest version of themselves in a body that they feel comfortable and confident in, which we know looks different for everyone and also changes lots throughout our lives.
It all still feels like a dream that every single day I get to work doing something that I am so passionate about and I absolutely love supporting people to change their own lives and become healthier and happier versions of themselves.
My own journey with food hasn’t been easy at all. I was diagnosed with anorexia at the age of 14. I was bullied for my size when I was 11 and though I tried to diet, it just spiralled out of control.
From there I was then diagnosed as a binge eater, then with bulimia alongside anxiety too. Fixing my food relationship took YEARS and I battled with eating disorders, exercise addiction and serious mental health issues for 10 years until I was 24.
Finding freedom in food
Now I’m 34 and never have I had so much freedom with food and exercise. I don’t track calories, I don’t weigh out food, eat purely from intuition within big focus on health and choosing foods that support my training and make my body feel good!!
One reason I decided to get qualified and to support others was because I was always seen as the ‘fit one’, who was always in the gym and always eating out of Tupperware and actually when I was younger all this used to do was fuel my disordered eating even more.
I’ve trained in gyms for the last 14 years but not always for the right reasons, and now I understand how important fuelling your body correctly and training hard really is for our mental health as well as physical.
I wanted to be able to support others with achieving their physique goals without over restricting, without obsessions, without all the damage that fad diets do to our food relationship and body image and show them how to maintain all their hard work for the rest of their life.
Because that is key right?? What is the point in working hard to achieve your dream physique if you can’t maintain it long term?
More recently I’ve been speaking at workshops, in businesses, at fitness events all about food relationship, body image and nutrition and how all of these things have a huge impact on our mental well-being and why we all need to be more open to these sorts of discussion.
I think the fitness industry is doing incredible things in allowing space for these sorts of discussions and that the more we speak and share about these issues that are so common, then the better!!
Sophia and Lo-Dough's low calorie products
I love working with Lo-Dough because I think having lower calorie, great tasting products available to support people when dieting is super important. My clients absolutely love the products and I do too!!
My favourite product has to be the cake bars - I’ve a ridiculous sweet tooth and these just hit the spot and taste so amazing!!