How I lost over a stone

I haven't posted in a while.. but I wanted to pop back and make a few posts about things that are current in my life.

As I mentioned a bit in an Instagram post a while back, I have struggled with my mental health over the last year and a half (hence why I haven't been able to keep up with posting on here). In this time I put on a bit of weight (why is the yummiest and most comforting food the unhealthiest?!).

I wasn't overweight, but I wasn't healthy and wasn't happy with how I felt in my body. I also wasn't exercising which was causing me to have back problems (I have mild scoliosis and knees that like to put me in a lot of pain..a whole other story!).

To cut a long story short that I hope to share more about soon, one day after months of considering and wanting to start workout again but never doing it, I decided that enough was enough and I just needed to go for it. I put on my workout gear and went out for a run. It wasn't easy, but it felt AMAZING!!

After that first run, I decided it was time to start working out and eating better, as I knew this is something that has helped many others who have struggled with their mental health as well as it being a good thing to do for your overall health.

Now, there's a lot of crazy diets out there that a lot of people follow in order to loose weight quickly. However, I grew up with a mum who used to be a personal trainer and fitness instructor, and also had training in nutrition and all that jazz, so I know that crash diets like that, although they do what they say on the tin, don't help you loose weight in the long term, and just aren't healthy and sustainable. I wanted and needed something that I could keep up with hopefully for the rest of my life in order to stay healthy. I also knew I needed to be super careful, as I've had problems with body image in the past (I wrote a blog about it a while ago - worth a read if I do say so myself!) and so I knew I didn't want it to be something that would take over my whole life in a negative way.

I figured that the best way to do that was to start tracking my calories. I found an app called 'My Fitness Pal' (not sponsored.. I wish! But I would highly recommend!). It is absolutely great and has changed my life completely. You can put in your current weight, your goal weight, how much weight you want to loose or gain weekly as well as in total, and how active you are. It then calculates how many calories you need to consume each day to meet your goals, as well as the amount of different nutrients you need and the right balance of carbs/fat/protein. you can also upload progress photos if you want, and every time you weigh yourself and have lost weight, you can track it to see how close to your goal you are. (Please be careful if you use this app - it is very easy to become obsessed with tracking calories. It's important to find a good balance. If you ever find yourself becoming obsessive over your calorie intake please speak to a health professional and look after yourself)

Having this app has been great. Not only can I make sure I'm not over eating, I can also ensure I'm not under eating (which doesn't actually help you loose weight!). This wasn't the only thing I did though. I also started working out more. I aim to work out 3 times a week for around 30-60 minutes. I do a mix of different workouts so that I don't get bored. You Tube is great for this as there are loads of workout videos you can follow!

Having said all of this, it's important to say that I don't always stick to this. Sometimes I do overeat, and sometimes I don't meet my workout goals, but that's okay. Like I said, I want this to be something I can keep up as a lifestyle rather than just a crash diet for a few months that I then give up on. Something sustainable. And I've still been able to loose over a stone without missing out on yummy food!

Sometimes I manage to do all my workouts and sometimes I don't for various reasons. I make sure I don't put pressure on myself to work out if I'm very busy - uni and work are my priority's so if I'm too busy or need a rest then I'll leave it for another day. This works so well for me, as I know that this is something I could easily keep up for years, but it's still enough to keep me fit and healthy. If I'm going out for a meal, or it's a birthday or holiday, I'll still enjoy myself and eat plenty of yummy food, but I make sure that once that's over I get back to eating well and working out.

I know this may all sound pretty simple and that loosing weight surely isn't that easy, but if I'm honest it hasn't always been as easy as it sounds. Sticking to something like this can be hard. It's important to constantly remind yourself of why you're doing this. There's so much information on the NHS website about why it's important to stay fit and healthy - I find just reading that can be a good motivation! Also reminding yourself of how good it feels when you've completed a workout or eaten a healthy lunch is a great motivator. (Please be aware that for some loosing weight isn't easy due to health reasons so don't be disheartened by what the scales may say - it's all about what you're fuelling your body with and how you're treating it rather than seeing a certain number when you weigh yourself.)

I honestly feel so much better. I've seen massive changes in my body - I visibly look a lot different, and I feel sooooo much healthier and happier. I'm in no way saying that everyone needs to workout and eat differently, or that everyone needs to loose weight, and I really hope that's not what comes across here. I think it's so important to look after ourselves both mentally and physically, and doing this has helped me in both of these ways and may help many others too.


I'd love to hear from you! Have you found something that helps you stay fit and healthy? Let me know in the comments or over on Instagram of Facebook!

Struggles with Body Image: My Story

Body image: something that I'm sure most of us have or will struggle with at least once in our lives. It's such a horrible thing to struggle with, yet it's so common.

This blog is going to be slightly different to my last few. My focus is going to be on body image and the struggles I've faced as this is something that I feel very passionate about and believe needs to be shared.

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DISCLAIMER: I am in no way saying that we should look a certain way, and I'm not saying that the size I am now or was before are bad - everyone is different and our body's work differently. I don't think that we need to be a certain weight to be healthy - I'm focusing more on the way we think about ourselves. I am going to be sharing honestly the mindset I have found myself in which I've found to be toxic. Lastly, if you think reading this and/or looking at the images may be a trigger for you then please look after yourself and don't read it, but feel free to message me on here or on Instagram to chat!

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Over the past year or two I've found myself looking through old photos from 3-4 years ago when I was about 17/18 years old. At the time that most of the photos were taken I was size 8, and I'm now about size 12. I've often found myself wishing that I was the same weight now as I was then. I would look at the photos and think about how happy I must have been about being the weight I was and the way that I looked.

A few months ago or so I was thinking about this, and something clicked in my mind: the girl in those photos was not happy. 

This photo was taken when I was about 17

High School and Sixth Form were really tough times for me for numerous reasons, and this caused a lot of stress, and when I'm stressed my appetite often goes out of the window (I'm not the best at dealing with stress!). 

I also remember often thinking that I was overweight through high school. I would tell myself that I was the 'fat one' at school. Looking back, there was no way that I was overweight. My mum has always given me a healthy balanced diet (she used to be a personal trainer and fitness instructor so had lots of training in healthy eating stuff!) and I used to go to the hospital a couple of times a year for check ups for Coeliac disease where they monitored my weight among other things. 

Because of these thoughts, I would try to exercise and eat either healthily or not much when I was in Sixth form to try and lose weight. doing this on top of being stressed and not having much of an appetite anyway was a recipe for disaster. 

This is around 3 years later

I felt like I just needed to keep losing weight. I never saw myself as underweight: just that I needed to be smaller than I already was. One time I tried to work out everyday for as long as possible, and it got to the point where I almost fainted and had to stop (probably because I was working out loads and not eating enough to give myself energy). I was obsessed with my weight and would sometimes weigh myself multiple times through the day. My mum said to me a couple of times that I looked unhealthily thin and needed to put on weight, but I just thought it was one of those things mum's say to make you feel better about yourself that isn't really true.

I had never seen any of this as an issue. I never really told anyone how I was feeling as I didn't think there was a problem. I  had often thought that it was just part of growing up and my body changing, which it most likely was partly. But my mindset was definitely not good. I am very blessed in that this time has mostly passed, and although I do sometimes still struggle with these thoughts, I am now a healthy weight and am no longer focusing on how my body looks all the time. I am learning to be happy with the body I have as this is how I was made and it is perfect the way it is. I wish I could tell you exactly how I got to where I am today, but to be honest I wasn't even fully aware I was on this journey at the time. One thing I have done to help, however, is try to focus on taking care of my body as well as not weighing myself. I've found that changing my focus in this way has helped a lot. Sometimes I feel like I'm talking the talk but not walking the walk, but our words have so much power, and so telling yourself that your weight and the way you look is not important can have a massive impact.

What's the point in this blog?

I really want this blog to be helpful for anyone who may be going through what I did, or something similar, as well as to raise awareness of this issue. 

We are constantly surrounded by images on social media of the 'ideal' body. There are so many adverts out there for weight loss treatments and diets (That don't work in the long term by the way..) to loose weight that we don't need to loose. 

We need to rise above all of this and support each other. 

You are gorgeous the way you are. You don't need to change yourself in any way. Focus on your mind - your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment below or message me on Instagram to share your thoughts or your own story.

Why I Stopped Buying Clothes: Fast Fashion's Devastating Impact

Last year I decided I needed to stop buying new clothes.

When I say stopped buying new clothes, of course I still buy things that I need to otherwise eventually I wouldn't have anything to wear at all! I only  buy things that are second hand (except for clothes from companies that I know are environmentally friendly. And underwear and socks. That would just be weird)

I had a few reasons for doing this. The first few are pretty simple.

Firstly, I did it to save money. New clothes can be expensive. You know the saying, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Buying a stripey t-shirt that looks exactly the same as that other stripey t-shirt you already have and rarely wear (we've all been there..) isn't great and is a waste of money in my eyes. I'd much rather save money towards moving out!

My second reason is that I simply don't have the space! At the moment I have a makeshift wardrobe in my bedroom (which is supposed to be a sitting room...) consisting of about 12 cube storage unit spaces and a clothes rail. I still have a wardrobe in my old bedroom upstairs which still has some of my clothes in. Even with two spaces for clothes in the house, my wardrobe(s) are overflowing... and I REALLY enjoy shopping. I decided I needed to start getting rid of clothes that I don't wear and only keep the things I know I wear regularly.


However, my main reason for doing this is because of the devastating impact fast fashion is having on the environment.

Here's a few of the facts for you:

• The fashion industry is the 2nd worst polluter in the world! The only industry that is worse is oil. 
• Growing plants like cotton is using up so much water that even huge bodies of water have completely dried up (see picture below for an example), affecting the local climate and the people who live in those areas. It takes up to 2,700 litres of water just to make one cotton t-shirt!
• Water is being polluted by the factories that are making the clothes we wear, and they're polluting it with really harmful substances. This creates issues with the wildlife living in the water (resulting in most, if not all wildlife in the water dying.) and for the people who's main and maybe only water source is polluted and unsafe to use to wash and drink.
• The pesticides used to grow cotton etc at a fast enough rate to meet demand are being linked to illnesses that the people growing them are experiences. I read in one place that one farmer had a brain tumour which was caused by the pesticides!
• Fast fashion is causing high amounts of waste. Clothes are being made as cheap and quickly as possible, meaning the quality is forfeited and they don't last as long, and they end up being thrown in the bin and creating more waste than there already is.

This is just one area of water that has been affected by the industry. Taken from News.com.au

I watched a really interesting documentary on the BBC by Stacey Dooley about the fashion industry's impact on the environment. I got a lot of the above information from this program, but one of the main things that was shocking was that almost non of the companies she contacted about these issues were willing to speak to her, or even make a comment about it. Does this mean that these companies know the impact they're having on the environment and they don't want to admit it? Clearly as long as we're consuming and the demand is there, nothing will change.

Just one example of polluted water. Taken from The Independent

Is there anything we can do?

I am in no way saying that everyone has to stop buying new clothes all together. That's what I have decided to do after finding out the information I have spoken about above. However it is most likely the only way that companies are going to realise something needs to change. The less demand we create, the more they'll realise they need to change the way they make and sell clothes.

If stopping buying new clothes is something you don't feel able to do, there are other things you can do to make a difference.

When you are shopping, ask yourself these questions to decide if you really need to buy something:

- How many of your current clothes will it go with? Will it be the kind of things you only wear once a month because you can only make one outfit with it?
- Is it high quality? Will it last a long time or end up in landfill after only a few wears?
- Do you already have something similar? If it looks exactly the same as those other black jeans you have, maybe you don't need it.

You could also try only buying new clothes when you need to replace something, such as a pair of leggings that have a hole in them.

Lastly, I highly recommend downloading the apps Vinted and Depop. I've bought quite a few bits from these apps and they're great. You're protected by their buyers policies so it's all safe. (I'm selling a few bits on these apps too! On Vinted my user name is Caitlan43, and on Depop it's cait425.)

Realising the impact we're having on our planet is such a hard thing to hear about, but we're the only ones who can make a change. You may think that just changing the way you personally shop won't make a difference, but what if everyone who thought that did in fact make these changes in their life? It starts with YOU.


Let me know in the comments your thoughts on this topic and anything you're going to do to help save the environment from the fashion industry - I'd love to hear from you!

First Steps to Zero Waste

While starting my journey to living zero waste, there have been a few things that I have found really easy to change, that cut down waste massively. I've decided to compile a list of a few things that I have changed, that you too can do if you are aiming towards a zero or low waste life, or just if you want to do your bit to help the planet. I'm going to share my favourite products and tips that should help you at the start of your journey.

1) Get reusable everything. I'm talking bags, straws, coffee cups, and anything else you can possibly think of or find. Cut out single use plastics and products. Although some of these can be recycled, it still takes energy to produce them and uses up other unnecessary resources, and so not using them at all is best. I have a good collection of reusable straws now, and I make sure I have a couple in my bag wherever I go just in case. I also carry shopping bags with me so I never have to buy a single use plastic bag. Our fridge has a collection of reusable travel coffee cups on top of it which I try my best to use whenever I go out for coffee. Most big chain coffee shops will give you either a discount or reward if you take a travel cup with you which is even more of a reason to do this! I also use washable makeup wipes which are amazing, and I'm currently testing out using washable sanitary towels and a Moon-cup - I'll keep you posted on how they work out!

2) Buy beauty/wash products with no packaging. I've found that lush has been amazing for this. They have shampoo bars and soaps that have no packaging at all, and if you choose to use packaging, it is made out of recycled material and so can be recycled. They also have no packaging options for pretty much all of their products which is great. It's not necessarily the cheapest option, but I find the products mostly last longer than normal packaged ones, and I personally don't mind spending a little extra if it will help the environment in the long run. The products I currently use are the shampoo bars, soap, toothpaste tablets, deodorant and body conditioner.  

3) Stop buying new clothes! The fashion industry has a HUGE impact on the environment - it's the second biggest pollutant in the world, and buying cheap new clothes that only last a month or go out of fashion after a couple of weeks is only making things worse. Buy second hand whenever you can - sites like vinted and depop are great (I have a few items I'm selling on these sites! check out my Instagram to find these), and charity shops are great if you rummage through all the clothes they have. Of course this gets slightly tricky when it comes to underwear and socks. I still haven't quite cracked this one, but I think researching into where the products you are buying come from and how they are made helps you to find the ones with the least environmental impact. 

4) Switch to a compostable toothbrush. You can get these for around 60p off amazon, and they're no different to a normal toothbrush, except they don't harm the environment. 

5) Buy lose fruit and veg, and take your own produce bags to put them in. A thin sheet of plastic really doesn't do anything to protect the food, so just buy them without! This also means you can buy the exact amount you need so nothing is wasted. 

6) Stop buying things you don't need, and ask people to buy you specific items for your birthday or for Christmas to avoid gifts that will go to waste. If you are ever given something you know you won't use, give it to a friend or donate it to charity - better to help someone else out than see something go to waste. It's also so easy to go to a shop for one thing and come out with ten - I struggle with this a lot! It's something to keep persevering at! 

7) Try to reuse the waste you do create wherever possible. I love turning jars into candles, or using them to store things in. You can also use plastic food trays to put paint in or to grow seeds to avoid having to buy something especially. Turn old socks into sock monkeys or other animals, fill old bottles with rice to make skittles for a little game of bowling, cut the front off a birthday card and reuse it for someone else, used old toilet roll tubes to make Christmas crackers. Be creative with your waste - you can do more with it than you think!

As I always say, going zero waste is a journey. You won't be able to achieve all your goals over night, but these are a few things you can aim to start with. Something I find helpful is to be looking for and testing out a new product before I get to the end of the one I currently have. For example, I was testing out shampoo's while I still had an old bottle of shampoo so that if it didn't work out it wouldn't matter. Things can also be a bit more pricey than 'normal' products, but they more often than not will last a lot longer, and are of a higher quality. And personally, I think it's completely worth spending the extra money if it helps the planet in the long run!

Let me know in the comments if you have any other tips and tricks for going zero waste, or any products you love!

Zero Waste: what and why?

I'm currently at the beginning of  a journey.
I'm aiming towards a zero waste lifestyle.


What is a zero waste or low waste lifestyle?

A zero waste lifestyle is when you have no waste from your daily life - you buy or grow food and use products with no rubbish to go in the bin - not even recycling. Low waste is similar, except you still create some waste but keep the amount as low as possible. This is done by doing things like reusing waste you have created, or simply buying things without packaging or with packaging that can be composted. The aim is to stop our planet being filled with our rubbish which ends up in landfill, being burnt, or worse still in the ocean. There's only so much rubbish our planet can handle, and reducing the amount we produce should help the planet to last longer for future generations.

taken from gurly.blog.

Why am I going zero waste?

I've always been conscious of recycling and what impact I'm having on the planet, but I've become a lot more passionate about it and aware of it over the last few months. A big turning point for me was after watching a programme by a journalist called Stacey Dooley about the fashion industry's impact on the environment. I will be making a whole other post on this programme at a later date, but watching it really opened my eyes to just how much we are spoiling the earth we live in for our consumerist lifestyles. We're constantly being told we need to go out and buy the latest clothes, and that our old clothes are ugly and we need to just throw them out. We're told we need to buy the biggest and best presents for friends and family at Christmas and birthday's. We need to buy lots of processed food and fruit and veg that has been grown using chemicals and packaged in unnecessary plastic that can't be recycled, and the wonky 'unsuitable' ones are thrown out.

Ultimately these things are harming the planet, creating an uncertain future for us and future generations.

The fashion industry is polluting the earth and using up the water we have. The food industry is creating silly amounts of unnecessary waste. Something needs to change, and until we stop buying into everything we are being told by shops about needing more than we actually do, nothing is going to change.


My aim is to do whatever I can to cut back on the waste I am producing. I'm still in the process of figuring out how to do this. This is a journey. It's not something that will magically happen over night. It happens by making small changes, one at a time, until I reach my goal.


So far I've changed:

- The shampoo I use (I'm still using up an old bottle of shampoo, but I have a shampoo bar from lush which is amazing!)

- The toothbrushes and toothpaste I use (I'm using toothbrushes that can be composted when you're finished with them, and toothpaste tablets)

- The soap I use (I've been getting soap from lush too as it have no packaging and is made with kind ingredients)

- The razor I use (A lovely friend of mine got me an environmentally friendly razor for Christmas)

- The way I shop (I no longer buy new clothes unless I know they have been made in a sustainable way. I mostly shop in charity/thrift shops, and online at places like Depop and Vinted. I also try to be conscious of other products and the packaging they are in, how long they will last, and if they can be recycled. I also never buy plastic bags and take my own wherever I go. If I ever get caught out and don't have a bag, I will only buy one that can be reused that is ideally not plastic)

- The products I use for my 'time of the month' (I have bought a moon cup and washable towels. This is something that is taking a bit of time to make the switch, but I'm getting there!)

Because I'm still living at home with my parents, there are some things that I can't really change now, like the food in the house and the packaging it comes in. I would also love to get makeup that is all zero waste, but as I said, this is a journey, and I won't be able to change everything over night. There are lots of products to test,and not all of them work for everyone.



This is a journey that I will be sharing on my blog as time goes on. I will share the things I struggle with, the things I find easy, and any tips I find help. I'd also love to hear any tips you have, or any products you have found - let me know in the comments, or contact me through my Instagram (@beautifully.made97) or Facebook (Beautifully made and unfinished)

Breaking the Mould

It's been a while, but I'm back!

The last time I posted on this blog was just over two years ago. Life has moved on a little bit since then, and I'm excited to share with you what has been going on! But first...

Welcome to my blog! 

If you're new here, welcome! I really hope you enjoy reading the content I make and that it inspires you in some way. I just wanted to share a bit about where I'm at in my life right now, as well as my plans for the blog.

What have I been up to?

As I've already said, it's been over two years since I last posted an update on this blog. At the time I had been home from my DTS (I still have posts about this if you want to know more) for about 5 months, and I had just started a job as a trainee youth worker in a local church with a hope of doing a youth work degree to become qualified.

Two years on and I'm in my second year of doing a youth work degree in Cambridge, supported by the church I work for. It's not an easy degree, and there have been times that I have really struggled (doing a degree and doing placement work is tough!), but it's been an incredible experience so far and I can't wait to see what the rest of the degree will teach me.

There's more that has happened over the last couple of years, and I hope to talk about some of it as I start posting more often.

What's new?

I am aiming to post once each week or so - you can sign up for emails to notify you when I post, or you can follow my Facebook and Instagram pages search for beautifully made and unfinished on Facebook or @beautifully.made97 on Instagram) to keep up to date with my blog, as well as my daily life.

My posts will be about real life topics that are often avoided because they're 'awkward' or 'uncomfortable', as well as other topics that I am passionate about. I want to break the mould and get people talking about the things that really affect us, rather than the weather and work. A few of the things I will be posting about are the environment, the fashion industry's impact on the environment and our self esteem, mental health, faith, and relationships. I've been working on my blog for the last few months changing the layout and thinking about what my aim for the blog is and creating new content.

I'm so excited to finally be able to share what I've been doing with you, and I really hope you enjoy reading my posts. Let me know in the comments of any posts you'd like to see!