Over the weekend I went to an event related to my work from a previous life. I met up with dozens of friends, associates and ex-colleagues, many of whom I hadn’t seen for almost a year or more. The response was almost universal – “Wow, you’re looking fantastic!” Nobody asked me my secret, everyone knew that I’d spent the last 18 months training to be a Pilates instructor. But that’s not the whole story.

One friend got closer to the truth – she asked “Have you been working out as well as doing all your Pilates?” My answer was: No, not really, but we went off on a conversation tangent before I could explain. The thing is, Pilates is not really a cardio workout. Your heart rate will probably go up, but unless you’re in an advanced class where you’re really sweating it out, you’re probably not going to burn any fat. I haven’t been doing any cardio, I haven’t been ‘on a diet’, so where did that 12-15 pounds go that everyone is noticing?

The answer is in the slow, gradual changes that I’ve made to my diet. Not a Diet with a capital ‘d’, just what I eat day to day. And there I do believe that my Pilates training has had a big influence. Like any mind-body discipline, Pilates helps you to tune in to your body’s needs. Over years, and decades, we may stop listening to what our body is saying and eat according to habit or other outside influences. Marketing, social pressure, emotional needs and in-grained habits are hard to combat and often difficult to even recognise, but it can be done.

When you become more in tune with your body and figure out what you are eating as fuel, and what is just superflous habit-food, you will make the mental switch from a diet where you deny yourself treats, to one where you realise that you didn’t actually want them after all. This is the big difference. Are you having a donut every morning because you love the taste, or because the cute donut guy always gives you a smile? (Maybe he sells apples too) A huge revelation for me was when I went veggie for a week and discovered that I didn’t actually need meat to feel satisfied. I had a deeply ingrained belief that I would constantly feel hungry if I became a vegetarian. These days I rarely eat meat, and feel much better for it.

Investigate what you eat

Yoga, Pilates or a similar activity will help you tune in to what feels ‘right’ for your body, but I also strongly recommend you try a food journal. Start to write down what you eat and how it makes you feel. Maybe mac-and-cheese is your favourite, but if you realise you always feel icky and bloated the next day is it maybe time to find another favourite?

Start to compile a list of foods that make you feel energised and also those that you really enjoy. If you have time and flexibility, ask yourself what you truly want to eat for your next meal. Just because it’s Tuesday doesn’t mean you have to have pork chops. I noticed something interesting last summer: I was running a lot and craving pasta, I ate it sometimes twice a day. Then I stopped running and pasta suddenly didn’t appeal any more. My body was demanding extra carbohydrates to keep up with the work and once it wasn’t needed any more, I listened.

It will take time, and it may take a lot of work, but it will have an impact. Try some new things, check out how you feel, and start to make some tiny changes. And let us know how you get on!

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