about

Hello!  Welcome to Skinny Latte Strikes Back.

I’m Philippa Moore, a 31 year old Aussie expat in the UK, writer and marathon runner.   Most people call me Phil :)

A storyteller from way back, I've been blogging since 2005 when I moved from my home town, Hobart, to Melbourne.  2005 was also the year that I took control of my health and fitness, and it was a decision that changed everything in my life.

At the beginning of 2005 I was 23 years old with a BMI that was skimming the border of the obese category and only one pair of trainers gathering dust from lack of use.  I spent my weekends watching DVDs with the blinds shut and a pile of junk food for company.  Motivation, challenge, goal setting – these were just buzz words that meant nothing to me.  Having been a high achiever all through school and university, I had somehow reached my early adulthood with no direction, no idea how to set goals and no real sense of who I was and what would make me happy.

There was no one big moment that turned everything around, it was a lot of little things that added up over time and made me finally realise that the reason my life was so unsatisfying was because of choices I had freely made (regardless of what I told myself).  So therefore, the only person who could change it was ME!

Click here to find out how I did it! (it's a long story!)

I think everyone likes weight loss stories to have a “happy ending” but weight loss was only the beginning of my story, really.  It was a doorway into what else was possible for me in my life.  For me, taking control of my health and fitness wasn’t just about getting skinny.  I wanted to lose weight, sure, but it was far more important to me that I was happy and living a life that I felt mattered, where I was going somewhere, achieving something and making a difference, however small.

These days I try not to get too hung up on being “the after photo”, fitting a physical ideal.  I’ve run the London Marathon, I’ve done so many things the old me would never have dreamed of doing.  I feel strong and capable and happy with where I’m headed.  Maya Angelou said that success is "liking who you are, liking what you do and liking how you do it."  That’s my definition of success too.

Having had a few re-inventions over the years, Skinny Latte Strikes Back continues to be a place where I share how I live, what I've learned, and what I continue to learn and strive for in my quest for a well lived, healthy and happy life.  It seems to have a struck a chord with lots of people!  Skinny Latte Strikes Back is read by people of all ages and fitness levels all over the world and even won Best Health, Diet and Fitness Blog at the 2011 Cosmopolitan Blog Awards.  I never cease to be grateful for the support and friendship that has come my way.  I hope I can show you that it's never too late to do what you want to do and be who you want to be.  To quote Captain Planet, "the power is yours"!

Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoy Skinny Latte Strikes Back!