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The very thought of sitting on a beach or by a pool exposing more flesh than usual can be quite daunting, but looking forward to a holiday can also be very inspiring.
The idea of wearing sleeveless tops and even a swimsuit is just the motivation we need to get cracking to shed a few lbs and tone up - fast. The key is to do it now and not leave it until two weeks before we fly.
Finding the willpower to say ‘no’ to treats and ‘yes’ to exercise is never as hard when there is a reward at the end of it - in this case, a much-anticipated holiday! So here are a few tips to help you slim down and later, Mary will show you how to shape up:
Lose a few lbs:
- Eat three healthy meals each day and cut your portion size by 25%.
- Only eat foods that are full of goodness – not processed. Fill up on fresh vegetables.
- Eat wholegrain bread, basmati rice, pasta, high fibre breakfast cereals and sweet or new potatoes. These will keep you feeling fuller for longer.
- Eat proteins that are low in fat, eg. chicken, fish, turkey, and cut back on red meat. Try eating meat-free for at least one meal every day. Include oily fish (salmon, mackerel. sardines etc) once a week.
- Stop snacking completely and cut back on alcohol. Add soda to half a glass of white wine and enjoy a spritzer for half the calories.
Dress to impress:
- Try-on any holiday clothes that you haven’t worn since your last time away. Might they fit better if you lost a few lbs? Has your shape changed since before lock-down? Be honest with yourself. Which items still look good? Which clothes just aren’t right for you now – even if you did slim down?
- Treating ourselves to some new clothes for a holiday is all part of the fun and the anticipation of what we hope will be a fabulous time away.
- If we are buying a lovely dress to wear in the evening, it is wise to ensure it fits very comfortably if you are trying it on in the morning. We all increase in size as the day progresses, caused by the food and drink we consume, and a dress that fits perfectly at 10am may be really uncomfortable by the evening, particularly after you’ve dined.
- Check your underwear. A well-fitting bra can work wonders on our figure whereas a poorly chosen one can make us look matronly. Our bust changes at different times in our life. A style of bra that fitted you three years ago may not do you justice now. If you are heavy chested or have very small breasts, it is well worth going to be fitted at a specialist shop such as Rigby & Peller or Bravissimo. They also sell specialist vest tops which include support as well as supportive swimwear. Personally, I have not been impressed with fitting advice in retail-chains.
- Take a look at our Dressing Well videos which will help you select the best fashions for your figure shape, before you go shopping.
Protect yourself:
- Always wear sunscreen. It is particularly important for your face, so check the SPF of your face creams.
- If you don’t like to show your arms or your legs, cover them up with a kaftan!
- Always take some walking shoes or suitable trainers with you – walking every day will help you keep the lbs at bay!
- Wear a hat to protect your hair, particularly if you have had it coloured.
- Check that your sunglasses suit you and protect you sufficiently.
And don’t forget:
- Take a photocopy of your passport and credit cards on both sides – and keep them away from your handbag.
- Remember you may need to show your NHS Covid status. Set up the NHS app on your smartphone or request a printed certificate by calling 119. (Printed certificates are only valid for 30 days so don't do it too early or it may expire before you get home.)
- If you are travelling to the EU check that your Passport is valid for the duration of your travel. Regardless of the expiration date, the EU will only now accept it for 10 years from the date of issue and it should have at least three months (ideally six months) validity after the date you return home.
- Take a spare pair of specs!
- Don’t forget your meds!
Next week we talk about how to keep in shape while you are away.
I was SO excited this week to see the final version of the cover for my autobiography which will be published in August. It's been a long time coming - I started writing the book about six years ago - and this week I have been editing the final proofs.
It is being published by SPCK and you can pre-order a copy at their website now, but we will have it for sale in our online shop nearer the time so watch this space for a very special offer!
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I will be donating all my royalties from this book to Steps Conductive Education Centre. www.stepscentre.org.uk Registered charity No.1063143
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The traditional Moroccan tagine is a slowly cooked stew, bursting with unusual flavour from fruits and spices, in a rich succulent sauce. This vegetarian version is simply delicious.
Serves 4
Per Serving: 103 kcal 1.5g fat (excl. accompaniments)
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes
3 medium aubergines
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 small bulb fennel
2 medium red onions
2 red peppers, seeded
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 x 400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes
150ml (¼ pint) vegetable stock
1 orange
6 cardamom pods
2 tablespoons tomato purée
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
freshly ground black pepper
extra chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, 400°F, Gas Mark 6.
- Take 2 of the aubergines and slice down the centre lengthways with a sharp knife. Using a dessertspoon, scoop out the centres, taking care not to damage the outer skin. Season the shells with salt and black pepper and place, skin-side up, on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes until soft. Remove and set aside.
- While the aubergines are baking, wrap the garlic cloves in a small piece of aluminium foil and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the fennel and the remaining vegetables by cutting into rough pieces, about 1 cm (½”) thick.
- Preheat a large non-stick saucepan, add the vegetables and cook briskly for 8 - 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown. Add the cumin, cinnamon, coriander and roast garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding the chopped tomatoes and stock.
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove 3 strips of orange peel from the orange, and then squeeze out the juice from the orange. Add the strips of orange peel and the orange juice to the saucepan.
- Place the cardamom pods on a chopping board. Using the broad blade of a chopping knife, crush the pods and remove the inner black seeds. Discard the pods and crush the black seeds. Add the seeds, tomato purée and parsley to the saucepan. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Place the pre-roasted aubergine shells into an ovenproof dish, spoon in the tagine and bake in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes.
- Just before serving, garnish with parsley.
- Serve hot with couscous, rice or potatoes.
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Fun, Facts & Fitness from Mary Morris MSc.
One of those times that I have seen people 'on a mission' to tone up and lose weight is just before a summer holiday.
I highlight the season deliberately as it is the one time of year when we are exposing far more flesh than we would normally prefer. So, let’s take a good look at a successful pre-holiday exercise programme so you set off in the best shape possible.
When to start
The ideal time is a minimum of 4 weeks before your holiday if you want to see real results. Set that 4-week date in your diary as soon as you have booked your holiday and commit to a plan and stick to it. We have told you before that when you really apply yourself to a programme of healthy eating and exercise, in 2 weeks you will 'feel it' but in 4 weeks you will 'see it'! You will start to see your shape changing and improving...and there is no better motivation than that.
If you have booked a last-minute holiday and you have, say, only 2 weeks to prepare that is still a good length of time to see at least a 4 - 5lb weight loss (if you need to lose weight) and with some serious targeted toning exercises, you will still get a great result.
What to do before you start:
- If you need to lose weight then set a target loss over the time of your campaign. 4 weeks can easily result in a 7lb weight loss, and even more if you have a lot to lose. Prepare your meal programme from The 28-Day Immunity Plan. Stick to a shopping list and stop buying and eating snacks!
- Measure yourself in all your key areas with your Magic Measure if you have one. There is absolutely no doubt that you will lose inches if you stick to your programme and lose some body fat.
Your 4 Week Pre-holiday Quick & Easy Exercise Programme
- Up your Walking / Slow Jogging to increase your calorie-burning.
- 30 minutes brisk walking = 200 calories
- 30 minutes brisk walk/slow jog = 300 calories
- Do Toning Exercises every other day. Whether you are going away or just enjoying the sunshine at home, here are all those key areas that need firming up:
- Chest and underarms
- Waist and tummy area
- Inner thighs
- Outer thighs
- Bottom
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This Week's Fitness Challenge
In an attempt to shape up those potentially more exposed areas, do this series of 5 exercises every other day without fail. It will take you less than 10 minutes to do all 5 exercises. It’s a short and sharp wonder- workout whether you are going away on holiday or not!
- Exercise 1 - Chest and Underarms. Do 10 Press-ups either leaning against a kitchen worktop or on the floor.
- Exercise 2 - Waist and Tummy. Do 10 Curl-ups and 10 Twisted Curl-ups (knees bent).
- Exercise 3 - Inner Thighs. Sit on a chair with a cushion between the knees and really squeeze it! Do it 20 times.
- Exercise 4 - Outer Thighs. Stand behind a chair and lift one leg out straight to the side, toes facing forward, 16 times. Then change legs. Alternatively, lie on your side and lift the straight top leg up and down (toes forward not up) 16 times then change legs and repeat.
- Exercise 5 - Bottom Toner. Stand behind a chair and lift one straight leg out behind you 12 times and change legs and repeat. Alternatively, lie on your back with knees bent and lift hips up and down slowly 8 times.
If you are unfamiliar with any of these exercises, they are included in The 28-Day Immunity Plan book and are demonstrated in the videos on the website, giving you the correct technique.
- Walk for 30+ minutes every day.
If you prefer, do the Standing Weights Workout and Floor Weights Workout for a comprehensive whole-body shape-up. It will work wonders!
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Did you know...
One of the earliest known references to paperwork that served in a role similar to that of a passport is found in the Hebrew Bible. In approximately 450 BC, an official serving the King of Persia asked permission to travel to Judea; the King granted leave and gave him a letter "to the governors beyond the river" requesting safe passage for him as he travelled through their lands.
 Henry V is credited with having invented what some consider the first passport in the modern sense, as a means of helping his subjects prove who they were in foreign lands. The Safe Conducts Act, an Act of Parliament in 1414, made it high treason to break a truce or promise of safe conduct by killing, robbing or "spoiling" a documented person. The Act was suspended for 7 years in 1435, and permanently repealed in 1442, so mind how you go!
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And finally...
Whether we are going on holiday or not, giving ourselves a 28-day healthy super-boost is always stimulating for our physical and mental wellbeing. I hope you enjoy it!
With love and best wishes,
Rosemary Conley CBE DL
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LIVE LONGER | LIVE HEALTHIER | LIVE HAPPIER
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