A couple of posts ago (here) I mentioned that I was down in London to visit friends and attend Be:Fit. I'll write more about my actual trip soon but today I wanted to just talk about Be:Fit. I'd never attended any events like this before and I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I knew there would be companies there and talks but I don't think I quite grasped the scale of it all.
I was very kindly given a free ticket to attend on the Friday from Big Shotz through their twitter. They were running a competition and all you had to do was tell them why you wanted to go. My reason was that I lost 50lbs last year and I feel like I've lost my way slightly these days. I thought that Be:Fit would be a great kickstart to get me into the healthy frame of mind again.
From the moment I woke up on the Friday I knew it wasn't going to be a very good day. I woke up feeling very anxious and apprehensive about going. There was even a wee period where I thought about just not going altogether! But I got ready and headed through on the tube to Old Billingsgate and tried to put the negative thoughts to one side.
As soon as I walked in, I realised just how big this event was, the whole place was filled with stands of so many companies, upstairs and downstairs was teeming with people and I arrived at 10.10am, just 10 minutes after the doors had opened! I'm definitely far too used to my not very busy town. After this I tried to adjust and think logically about how I was going to get around. Well logic went out the window pretty much! I wandered aimlessly for about twenty minutes then went upstairs to listen to a chat and Q&A session with Danielle Waterman and Marlie Packer, two of the UKs top female rugby players. I've never played rugby before, I'm much to much of a big wimp but I thought the chat was really good and actually quite inspiring. If it wasn't for the possible injury and definite pain aspect, I'd definitely give it a go after hearing them talk about it. After their chat, I went back to wandering around feeling like a very small (fat) fish in a massive (fit) pond.
I didn't go in with any money (which was my first mistake!) so I couldn't buy any of the products being showcased but I did come away with plenty leaflets and information (and even a couple of freebies, I'll get to them in other posts) if I decide to get anything in the future. Unfortunately, what with my anxiety sky rocketing, I didn't even get to stop at every stand. If there were too many people at one, I'd just move on and forget to go back. All in all I only lasted about two hours before I had to leave. I could feel I was on the verge of a panic attack or bursting out crying, or both. I was really disappointed with myself for not taking full advantage of this amazing event so I think I'll be going back next year.
A couple stands/companies stood out for me, those being Lindwoods, Metcalfe Skinny, Vegesentials, Enhance and Little Miracles. I'll definitely be trying out their products soon and I'm sure there were a lot more companies that I want to try but these are just off the top of my head.
I think one of the main reasons my anxiety was so crippling that day was because I was there on my own. If it had been in Glasgow or Edinburgh there might have been more of a chance of going with people I knew so maybe next year when I go I'll make sure I've got someone to go with! I did however bump into the lovely Kat who writes talesofapaleface. Unfortunately I was right in the middle of a freakout and forgot her name so I didn't make the best first impression. Hopefully I can meet up with her next time I'm in London and show her I'm not a complete arsehole!
So overall I'm taking my Be:Fit experience as a somewhat positive one. I got to see some companies I might never have seen otherwise and I am feeling totally ready to throw myself back into a healthy diet and exercise. I said to Muj last night, I actually miss being a sweaty mess after a good workout!
Did you attend Be:Fit this year? If not, do you think it's something you would like to go to?
