HI - OK MUM goes on Monday so let the SPRING loveliness begin. It’s going to get warmer, its already lighter and that means we get outside more and wear less clothes. Excuses we had about the cold and rain and dark disappear and we have every opportunity to get outside!

I hear from some of you changes you're making to what you're doing and eating, one client this week flying to Europe managed 100 squats along the journey! IN THE PLANE!! Others who’ve been on holidays keeping up the exercise and maintaining healthier eating with a few treats.

I had a courier driver come to my front door the other day, he asked if I was that fit person running around town, YES I replied its most likely me. He did guess my age wrong (not sure who even mentions age in a question) anyway, he asked me what he could do to lose weight. I asked him what he ate and he replied lots of fried food. Along with exercise I suggested he eat a healthier diet. He said healthier is boring? I said he was wrong and I only wished I could show him it’s not.

This posed a question, do we choose the unhealthier foods because we find the healthier BORING and BLAND? If this is the case then we need to re-educate ourselves on what healthier foods are and how to make them into exciting dishes. I do this by reading magazines, looking online, my facebook page I follow food pages. I’ve discussed often with you about what constitutes a healthy food, it’s just a matter of looking at the books or pictures and then making it. As I’ve said before I understand trying a new thing can mean it takes more time the FIRST time we make it. But often the result can be fabulous. I know we can all say we are too busy, but realistically we are making dinner or lunch or breakfast anyway and an extra 10 minutes to make something new that is better for us is time well spent. EDUCATING OURSELVES IS FABULOUS.

I struggle to see why some (and I’m not pointing fingers, as I mean the general public) eat unhealthy when healthy is just so good. I had the most amazing gurnard fish with salad the other night, it was so good. Another night beautiful steak and amazing cauliflower/mushroom/feta etc salad. Gorgeous roast vegetables and chicken skewers, fabulous prawns, chicken, buckwheat, omelette nasi goring made healthy.

Try not to take that step back into the unhealthy, find a healthy alternative, think of ways to make the old unhealthy way of eating healthy, do we need to have potato with every meal? Instead of fried, try baked or grilled? Instead of store dressing try to make your own (read the ingredient list and make it from scratch - very easy and better for you) Instead creamy sauces go for a tomato alternative? Are your portions correct, palm = protein and carbohydrates = fist and fill up the plate with greens and more water based vegetables. Love Eggs and non processed proteins. Avoid Sugary treats.

Desert is generally unnecessary unless you're having guests and even then some find it unnecessary. Consider do you really need it or is it just part of what your parents made and therefore just like the sayings “eat everything on your plate” and “there are people starving in the world, don’t waste your food” desert is something you don’t need to do.

I get asked what do I do for exercise and I run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I plan your gym sessions which is a workout for me on Saturdays and I do an additional workout on Wednesday for those clients who come twice a week. Sometimes I walk on Sunday for fun. Sometimes I don’t want to run so I may walk but sometimes I put on my favourite crazy song and get myself out the door even when I don’t really want to. I talk myself into it, I put on my exercise clothes before I have a chance to say no. I am just like everyone else and sometimes find it hard, even in the gym and lack motivation, but on those days I ring or text a friend and ask if they want to walk as I know when I’ve made a date with someone else for exercise I will go no matter what.

I hope some of what I’ve said above helps, as I with only THREE weeks to go we need to push on to SUMMER. The three weeks to go isn’t an end it’s the beginning of a new chapter. The countdown to the BUSY season - CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAYS. It’s the time when we all get even busier so making plans and habits now is more important as these will hold us in check as time to exercise gets pushed to the side even more.

Consider EXERCISE OR MORE IMPORTANTLY FITNESS AND HEALTH are TRUELY ME TIME appointments your body can’t afford you to miss. HEALTH is that NUMBER ONE ON YOUR list of priorities and if it's not then consider where you are without your health. So BOOK IN THAT EXTRA time with yourself this weekend (ok the weather is looking marginal - just try) and enjoy the beauty that is SPRING!!!!

Tracey