A pensioner who made headlines after revealing she is in the “best shape of her life” at 74 claims the key is to never diet or count calories.
Norma Williams, originally from Liverpool, previously made headlines revealing she is in the best shape of her life and says doctors tell her she has the “health and fitness levels of a very fit 20-year-old”.
Her weight fluctuated heavily in her 20s, with her binge eating and struggling to control her food intake, and it wasn’t until later in life that she found a healthy middle ground.
But while many people are adamant that dieting is the answer, Norma says she is firmly against the practice and will never count calories – and recommends others follow her lead.
In a YouTube video published on Shera, (@shera_oficl ), a digital platform dedicated to empowering women, she shared her thoughts.
Norma said: “I honestly do believe anyone who is attempting to control the way they eat must not, number one, count calories and, number two, deprive themselves.
“I think they are the two biggest rules that you should go by.
“If you want to eat something, it’s really easy…you’ve got to give yourself permission.
“If after dinner I want to eat some mixed nuts…I’ll eat them. If I want to eat the lot, I’ll eat the lot.
“I don’t feel guilty and I allow myself. The biggest problem for people who are trying to lose weight are the two psychological problems they have.
“One is they failed to do what they set out to do that particular today – i.e. eating all the right things.
“And number two, they feel guilty for having failed to do what they intended to do that day.
“So I say get rid of that feeling of failure and get rid of the guilt.
“Just allow yourself to be free to eat what you want!”
For Norma, this means a rather enviable diet that includes a bottle of wine a day and packets of biscuits.
She said: “Breakfast consists of a wholemeal croissant filled with honey, plus a milky cappuccino – sometimes two or three cappuccinos a day.
“I also drink about six cups of tea a day, each with two sugars.
“My diet is not perfect – I can demolish four or five packets of five savoury biscuits easily after my main meal.
“But I have two golden rules – I never eat before my daily exercises and walk, which can sometimes mean not eating breakfast until 3pm, and I never snack between meals.
“For dinner I have mixed nuts, selections of meats and cheeses, wholemeal breads, grilled salmon or battered prawns, potatoes and vegetables.
“I also drink one whole bottle of wine every night.”
But while she enjoys treats, and insists she never counts calories, she is adamant on maintaining an active exercise regime.
Norma said: “Monday-Friday each morning I immediately get out of bed and do between 20 and 30 various reps with 4kg weights.
“I later do another 20 to 30 reps while I wait for the kettle to boil for my morning cup of tea.
“Then I go for a fast 9km walk which takes 90 minutes, and on the weekend I rest.”
Norma first started focusing more on her overall health in her 30s, but says limiting her food intake was never a consideration.
She said: “Calories were a waste of time because it didn’t really matter what I ate, because so long as I exercised, everything seemed to start to fall into place.”
Now, her good looks and youthful energy mean Norma often “shocks” people when she reveals her age.
She said: “People are generally shocked when they discover my age. Often strangers will stop me and politely ask my age.
“All youngsters say the same thing: ‘When I’m older I want to look like you, Norma’.
“I am an emblem of the future, but I think I look every second of my 75 years. But because I look so fit and am different to the stereotypical image we have of the ‘elderly’, people find it hard to believe.
“They think I seem to have defied age, but I haven’t – ageing has benefitted me.
“I show no signs of slowing down – if anything, I’m faster and have more energy with every year that passes.”
