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Yoliswa Dube-Moyo
THE Vice-President of Malawi, Dr Saulos Chilima (pictured) has been trending on social media of late. I even gave him a second look and I only look at something twice if it’s really REALLY good!

Anyway, this guy is 47 years old and I must say, most men his age don’t look half as good! Just by looking at the man, it’s easy to assume he smells good, he’s confident and highly likely eloquent.

That’s what looking good does. It puts you at a good footing before you even open your mouth.

In some of the pictures of him circulating on social media, Dr Chilima is on the court playing basketball in full kit. In other pictures, he’s in dapper casual wear and looking fresher than fresh. To be honest, it’s always refreshing to see someone who cares that much about the way they look.

Being a basketball fanatic got me thinking this is probably how he keeps in shape. At 47, he’s still out there playing sport and here you are at 30 huffing and puffing up one flight of stairs. Have you ever thought what it would take for you to actually look as good as you want? Have you ever thought how maybe, just maybe, the only thing standing between you and your dream body could just be eating less and being more active?

A lot of women, and men too, are often complaining about their body image. They get onto different diets or try out the gym but before long, call it quits because it’s too painful or too inconvenient. Apparently if you do something consistently for at least 21 days, it becomes a habit. Why don’t you give yourself a 21-day challenge and healthy eating and exercise could become a lifestyle?

With a lot of us spending more time at home because of the lockdown, it’s easy to go all day without taking a bath. It’s also very easy spending the entire day in pyjamas. You know what’s even much easier? Stuffing your mouth all day and then not bother getting into any physical activity.

Although there are ways around covering extra body fat, it’s so much easier and certainly healthier for your wardrobe to exercise regularly and eat healthy. All the more now during winter when we eat all sorts of comfort foods and avoid the outdoors because of low temperatures. Summer bodies are made in winter after all!

I’m not quite the weight loss expert, but I’ve started to make certain changes to my lifestyle to enable my wardrobe to strive in its fullness. Exercising is still a struggle for me, but let’s look on the brighter side. I hardly eat junk food or take fizzy drinks. I don’t eat margarine or bread and have cut down on my sugar intake. I’ve also significantly cut down my meal portions.

I no longer want to tone down so I can rock some butt high shorts with a blazer and a pair of killer heels, no. I just need to become and maintain a healthier weight. It’s good for all of us.

There are certain things about ourselves that we can’t change, but there are some that we can. Instead of having to change your wardrobe every six months because your eating habits are out of control, why not invest in your health and your wardrobe will take care of you.

I often see people whining and mopping about how they can’t get sizes in the clothes they want. Why not drop a kilogramme or two and wear whatever you want? Nobody is saying you should become model-thin, trim to a weight you’re comfortable in and maintain it.

It’s heart-breaking to see people hiding themselves in track pants and sweaters because they’re too embarrassed about their bodies. It has killed their confidence and they don’t get out much because they feel they’ve nothing good to wear.

Stop mopping, get up and do something about it! You’ll thank me later.

Until next week, flaunt your pattern and style and don’t forget to catch up with me on Twitter handle @PatternStyleZw or drop me a WhatsApp message on +263774492700.