For the past six months my exercise regime has been slashed to a minimum by an annoying stress fracture in my foot. Stress fractures are an over-use injury and my particular one was called a ‘march fracture’ because armies who marched long distances often suffered them. In my case it was vanity – some flimsy, pretty sandals which I teetered around on every day for four or five months. It’s taught me an important fashion guideline. Similar to the number one dietary guideline ‘eat a variety of foods’ my new mantra is ‘wear a variety of shoes’!

“No walking or running for at least three months,” my physiotherapist commanded me. I was devastated. How could I cope without even a walk in the fresh air and sunshine? And how would I stop from morphing into the Michelin man? Overnight I cut out 25km of running and 10km of walking each week. All I had left was 5km of swimming and some Pilates. I went through a few months of exercise withdrawal before I finally settled comfortably into slothfulness. It’s been great sleeping in until 6.45am rather than dragging myself into the icy dark streets at 5.30. And the surprising thing is that I didn’t gain any more bulges than I usually do over winter. What was my secret? Don’t eat after dinner at night. It’s easier said than done so here are my top five tips for resisting the after dinner nibble urge.

• 1. Brush your teeth straight after dinner
• 2. Keep your tight jeans or skirt on when you get home rather than slipping into some sloppy, spacious track pants
• 3. Do some exercise after dinner. I would go to Pilates one night and swimming another night. It really helps to do this with a friend so you stay committed. If the evenings are light, walking or tennis with a friend are also great options. I’ll be trying these soon now that daylight saving has started in NZ.
• 4. Eat a reasonable sized lunch which includes protein and ideally a vinaigrette dressing. Protein has lasting power and vinegar lowers the glycemic index which also makes the meal last longer. Yesterday I went out for lunch and had a delicious salad of grilled salmon on baby spinach leaves with a soy sauce, ginger and lime dressing. I wasn’t hungry until 8pm! If you can’t have a decent lunch, have protein mid-afternoon. Try sushi or a handful of raw nuts.
• 5. Go to bed early and read a good book. Compared to blobbing in front of TV with a block of chocolate you’re more likely to expand your mind and shrink your stomach!