Kokova Magazine

During this month I have been following a plan to get #FabForFeb with the help of some great companies along the way.

If you are trying to change your diet for a healthier option then forget the fads and go for 'real food for real people' and make small changes everyday to keep you on track to a healthier lifestyle.

Over the last couple of years, since I became a full-time editor for YST, I have gone from an active lifestyle to sitting for prolonged periods at my desk. Working primarily from home also means the kitchen cupboards are not too far away and instead of having a ready-packed lunch I have access to a wide variety of good and not-so-good ingredients to make myself food whenever I fancy.

For some this is ideal but for other, like myself, I have found this a challenge. Without the stricter rules of a working office I tend to be working for longer periods without a break and move around less. And when I do have a break I make a quick snack to fill me up so I can get back to my desk again.

The results? A few extra stone in weight and a lot less exercise.

So for 2014 I decided to get Fabulous For February; not a quick complete makeover and false sense of feeling good - what I want to achieve is a real deep down change to my lifestyle BUT one that can be sustained.

For many people embarking on a new lifestyle or faddy diet means the change is too drastic and they set themselves up to fail by trying too much at once. I opted to start the year with a meal makeover; removing the dairy and gluten from my diet, while eating breakfast everyday and making the potions smaller and more often throughout the day.

Gone is the 'starve until after lunch' diet, when sensible eating was replaced by a need to make up for lost meals and in is a regular eating plan, with snacks included.

So far I have lost 5lbs. Not a great deal over 20 days but by continuing on my plan I hope to keep these off and maintain a steady loss over a sensible period. Aside from the weight loss, this plan is designed to make me feel better, with more energy and more enthusiasm to change my lifestyle, while making it fit around my busy schedule and real life.

What has happened for me in the last three weeks is my desire to do more. My house is cleaner, my work time more focused and I have started to exercise everyday. It has taken 20 days to focus myself and slowly introduce the new regime, one step at a time, making it more achievable and less likely to fail.

I have slipped once or twice. But instead of going for an all-out fail I have simply limited the damage, got back on the programme and refused to be hard on myself for being human.

Throughout this month I have been posting my results to our Editor's Blog so that real people can follow my journey into being #FabForFeb.

For next month, as well as 'Marvellous for March' I will also be attempting to reclaim my natural hair colour (complete with the grey) and find an alternative to dying my hair with a plethora of chemical. Wish me luck!