A woman who binge ate junk food to the point where she suffered hair loss has shared the toll that ultra-processed food took on her looks.
Sophia Moulson’s efforts in the gym have garnered millions of views on TikTok, but she hasn’t always been a toned workout expert.
In her late teens, she lived on constant takeaways and would drink Coke as soon as she woke up in the morning and she soon noticed a surprising side effect, caused by her poor diet and stress over her appearance.
‘My hair used to fall out in clumps in the shower, and thinned a lot due to stress and my diet,’ she explained, saying she was ‘trapped in a cycle of self-doubt and insecurity’.
Unhappy with her appearance and health, Sophia joined her local gym and started to see results – which has since led to a complete change of both her physique and career.
‘I was so uncomfortable in my own skin and hated my appearance,’ Sophia, who lives in the south of England, said.
‘I had zero self-confidence, and I’d avoid social situations because I felt embarrassed and didn’t want anyone to see me.
‘I got so set in my ways of wanting to stay home and eat whatever I could.
Sophia Moulson has competely transformed her body and health with her workouts
‘I’d stay in and order a Domino’s. I’d eat a whole pizza, potato wedges, then maybe chips too.
‘[That same night] I’d drink half a big bottle of Coke, eat three or four packets of crisps in one go, and a big Galaxy bar.
‘Just all day every day I was not paying attention at all to what I was eating.
‘I’d pick something up and eat it without thinking about it – which is fine to an extent, but for me I’d wake up in the morning and have a glass of Coke, and think that there was no problem with that.
‘Once you do that every day, the amount of sugar and calories and chemicals being put into your body – it’s just not good for you.
‘It was constant takeaways like McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Dominoes, and loads of pasta every day.
‘Then when I would see myself in the mirror and compare myself with other people on social media. I’d feel uncomfortable, and I would eat more to comfort myself.
‘I knew there was a whole life out there [for me] and a lifestyle that I wanted to live, but I wasn’t there yet – and it would stress me out so much.
‘My turning point came when one day I was sitting there realising all of my clothes wouldn’t fit.
‘I felt so unfit I couldn’t walk far without being out of breath, and I kept dreaming of a life which was so far from my reality.
‘I didn’t feel like me – and I didn’t recognise myself. I realised I had to make a change, otherwise I would regret it later on in life.’
Weighing 12st, Sophia committed to going to the gym three times a week from September 2023.
Ms Moulson was devastated to find her hair was falling out as a result of her junk food habit
She said: ‘Everything changed when I discovered the gym and a fitness-focused lifestyle.
‘It felt so challenging and I wanted to give up as I’d been to the gym on and off for years but only stuck at it for a week or two tops.
‘This time, I told myself I need to keep going and push through the hard times and feeling uncomfortable.
‘When I realised I had stuck at it for a month and started to enjoy it and the routine, I started looking forward to going to the gym.
‘At first, it was intimidating, but over time, I fell in love with the process.’
Before long, Sophia started noticing her hair was thicker and not shedding as much as it had been.
‘Once I started changing my habits and getting into a routine, it slowly stopped falling out and I wouldn’t lose as much,’ she explained.
‘I started to see changes, not just in my body but in my mindset.
‘Fitness gave me a sense of purpose and taught me discipline, resilience, and self-love.’
‘My hair used to fall out in clumps in the shower,’ she said
‘Once I started educating myself and learning about food and macros and calories, I stumbled across seed oils and found that so much food we consume contains seed oils.
‘I found that was causing my skin to break out, and I did a test to cut it out of my diet for two months and found that I lost weight.
‘I started eating high protein, low calorie meals, eating around 1,500-1,600 calories a day.
‘In the morning I’d have porridge with fruit and chia seeds, and a protein yoghurt as a snack.
‘At lunch – because I’m a pescatarian – I’d make a salad with Quorn pieces.
‘Then I’d go to the gym and have a protein shake afterwards, and then a plant-based steak with broccoli, greens and two fried eggs.’
When she hit the three-month mark – enjoying a mixture of cardio and weight-lifting – Sophia started to see results.
She also started eating in a calorie deficit, focusing on getting her five-a-day of fruits and veggies.
Sophie even upped her work out regime to five/six days a week, and over the past year-and-a-half has dropped 38lbs.
Sophia Moulson’s efforts in the gym have garnered millions of views on TikTok
She has dropped over two and a half stone over the last year and a half
Now weighing 8st 9lbs, the young woman is super toned and often shares inspirational clips on TikTok, where her videos have been viewed up to four million times.
Having previously worked as a barber, Sophia decided to change career and focus on helping other people achieve the same success she has in the gym, becoming a fitness coach.
Sophia said: ‘This journey has completely transformed my life in ways I never imagined.
‘I’ve grown into a more confident, happier version of myself, and now, I’m using my experience to help others.
‘As an online coach, I’m passionate about guiding people through their own transformations, showing them that it’s possible to break free from the struggles I once faced and create a life they truly love.
‘Life has been the best it’s ever been – I feel so much happier, healthier and more confident since losing weight.
‘Having strength and actually being able to do things I couldn’t do before has been life changing.
‘Even down to something so minor as being able to push myself up out of a pool again, being able to run and enjoy it!
‘I’ll forever be thankful to my past self for this.’
