All the best for 2013, Sparkfriends!

I hope all of you had a lovely Christmas break

I was off work for 2 and a half weeks, which was just wonderful! Most of you know how I feel about my job, so you can imagine I was pleased to be away from it for a good, long break.
However, it meant being at home with my usual terrible Internet connection, which is why I did not get in touch with Sparkpeople/friends during my break.

I've been back at work since yesterday (boo! ) but it also means that I am back to my healthy habits that I built up before the holidays: clean eating and exercise. I know it doesn't sound like much, but I think it is challenging enough.

I shall not lie and tell you that my Christmas break was all clean and healthy food and physical activities... No, I shan't. Let's be honest: I had a streaming cold for 1 week out of the 2 which completely tired me out, tried to eat my weight in chocolate and mince pies, ate out a lot with my son and never crossed the gym threshold in 2 weeks (I can't go to the gym when my son is with me, but I could have worked out at home, which I didn't so no excuse: I was just being a lazy so-and-so!)
And, in the name of honesty, I have paid for this slovenly behaviour. It took me a while to shake that cold off, I have had more headaches, been feeling tired and sluggish yet I've had a bout of insomnia and, on a memorable day, my digestive system completely gave up on me (I will spare you the details!)

I know, deep down, what works for me and what makes me feel at my best: clean eating (mainly plant-based) and regular exercise.

And, after all this indulging, it actually doesn't feel difficult to go back to clean eating and exercise - probably because I'd established a good routine before the Christmas holiday and probably because my body is craving what is right for it (sorry, body, for putting you through hell over the holidays! )

So I have decided that, for the moment, I am going to stick to a mainly plant-based, clean diet with portion control (I have invested in 2 great vegan cookbooks: Eat Drink and Be Vegan + Let Them Eat Vegan, both by Dreena Burton) and I will visit the gym 3 times a week (Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays) and go to Zumba/Bokwa on the Friday mornings.

That is that! I'm not actually making a new year resolution (I always break them!) but I'm going back to the good and healthy routine that makes me and my body feel great.

And because I can always do with a bit of motivation, here are some of the gorgeous Latin dancers I admire:



They all have the body I yearn for. I'm not looking for skinny (I don't like skinny!) but I'm looking for strong and toned - this is really the kind of physique I aspire to and all the women above are great inspiration.

My lunch hour finished 10 minutes ago (ooops!) so I'd better sign off.
Have a lovely day, Sparkfriends!