The Secrets of Being Fit and Fab: Take Time to Reassess

Michelle Styles rounds out her year of posts on maintaining her weight.

I am sitting writing this, Boxing Day morning, feeling over stuffed from yesterday. Because Christmas is such an important feast with my family, I did not count calories nor did I go on about unhealthy food. Instead I enjoyed every norsel. I stopped when I felt full.

I also know from last Christmas time that the weight comes off pretty easily. It is a matter of listening to my body and eating the things that make my body healthy.  It is about allowing myself to have the 20% guilt-free unhealthy eating and taking joy.

What I have done is to make sure that I have worked out. I might have moved my rest day to Christmas but I was up bright and early in my new work out leggings (brightly coloured floral from Sweatybetty.com)  doing my exercises. Over the past year, I have learnt that exercise makes me feel better and less stressed. At this time of year when there are so many things to do and meals to prepare, exercise becomes a necessity rather than an optional extra.

I also recently learnt that it is important to have prebiotics in your diet. Prebiotic food  seems to help people fight off infection and quickly improve digestion.  They promote the good bacteria that we all need to fight infection and generally speed up  our metabolisms.  Poor digestion has been implicated in long term plateauing and in slowing metabolism.

Prebiotic food include bananas, garlic, onion, dandelion greens, chicory root.  Eating the food raw is better than eating it cooked.

And as many people look back at this time, can I say how much I have enjoyed writing this column. When I first started it, it was only a hope I could maintain. Now I know it is more than a hope but a certainty. Going forward, I am delighted to say that Angi Morgan will writing this column every other month (starting in Feb).  I look forward to hearing her words of wisdom. Her story is truly inspiring!

 

Michelle Styles has been maintaining her weight and dress size since November 2011 after losing 66 lbs. She also writes warm witty and intimate historical romance. You can learn more about Michelle on www.michellestyles.co.uk