We have a Skechers<\/a> Today’s Special Value today on QVC and as you can see from the above photo, I\u2019m a huge fan of the brand. Not only have I got this collection of trainers (plus the pink ones I was wearing when I took the photo), but I also have several pairs of boots, some sparkly toe post sandals, which I didn\u2019t purchase from QVC, and several pairs of their fitness leggings! I\u2019ve had some very kind comments about my recent weight loss and one or two questions asking how I\u2019ve achieved it. The simple answer is diet and exercise\u2026 but let me elaborate.<\/p>\n

After all the health issues of the past two years, starting with the ankle surgery and swiftly followed by the broken wrist, I\u2019d been unable to keep up with my normal fitness regime. I\u2019m fortunate to have my little home gym, but my ankle wasn\u2019t strong enough for most of my Aeropilates exercises and certainly not the jumping using the cardioboard. Even walking on the treadmill was a massive effort and to be honest quite painful. Without exercise in my life, the weight had crept on, but I didn\u2019t realise the implications until after my brain surgery, I was having a problem with high blood pressure. I hate taking medication unless I absolutely have to so was keen to avoid going on blood pressure tablets. I asked my endocrinologist what I could do to lower my blood pressure and he was quite blunt in saying, \u2018lose some weight.\u2019 Wow!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to lie, I was a bit upset at first as the increase in weight was in part due to being unable rather than unwilling to exercise, but the next morning I started counting calories and committing to a daily exercise routine. That was mid-November and even with Christmas, Valentine\u2019s Day and my recent holiday, I\u2019m now almost two stone lighter and back to the weight I was for our wedding in 2019, and I feel so much better for it.<\/p>\n

I chose not to follow a fad diet because I know they don\u2019t work in the long term for me. I\u2019ve stuck to between 1200 and 1500 calories a day (mostly) and exercise for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, although it\u2019s usually an hour. I\u2019m almost at the weight I want to be when I turn sixty-six this June (and officially become a pensioner) and when I get there, I intend to adopt a 5\/2 approach to keep the weight off. Five days of being \u2018mindful\u2019 what I eat and two days more relaxed. So, to get back to my original point, I love my Skechers trainers and fitness gear for helping me achieve my weight loss\u2026 so far!<\/p>\n

Just to return to mentioning my holiday for a moment, as well as the photo of the line-up of Ultrasun<\/a> products we used while we were away, I also recorded this little video to mark their 30th anniversary \u2013 how could I miss the opportunity to congratulate them for keeping me protected in the sun from such a glorious location?!?<\/p>\n