NOW I’VE GOT MORE ENERGY THAN I HAD 30 YEARS AGO!
JULIE SILVER, 51, is a wellbeing therapist and lives in Manchester. She is divorced with one son, 23. Julie, who weighs 7st 7lb and is 5ft 2in tall, says: WHEN I tell people how old I am the general reaction is: ‘No way!’ I was always slim and healthconscious, but used to get so bloated that I looked pregnant. There was a moment in my early 40s where I really didn’t like the way I looked, how tight my clothes sometimes felt, or how sluggish I was. So, after years of dabbling in exercise, I took up yoga and invested in a rebounder — a mini trampoline. I committed myself to rising earlier every morning and doing at least 30 minutes of exercise before the working day, following yoga tutorials on YouTube when I didn’t have time to go to a class. I’ve also got a couple of Kettlebells — cast iron ball weights with a single handle — and use them occasionally to do weighted sit-ups.
As well as exercising, I began body brushing — where you use a firm bristled brush all over — to improve the condition of my skin. I also cut out wheat from my diet. The bloating disappeared and I felt less tired.
Inspired, I then cut down on dairy and refined sugar. Whereas once I’d rush a main course in order to get to dessert, I stopped craving sweet things.
The result is that my shape and tone has improved and I’ve got more energy now than I had in my 20s and 30s.
The greatest surprise is that I have a definition to my abs that had always eluded me.
Recently, I was in a bikini in a health club and a lady told me: ‘I’d love to have a figure and stomach like yours.’
I replied that, with just a little effort, she could, too.