A woman in her 70s has spoken out about getting in the best shape of her life - and shared the secrets behind how she achieved her sensational figure.
Despite being 74 years old and continuing to work on her vacation rental business in Europe, Norma Williams has also managed to get into the best shape of her life.
Her youthful looks and positive attitude have resulted in the septuagenarian amassing thousands of followers on social media.
Williams has also taken to Quora is share her outlook on life in her seventies, writing: "I’m proud of myself. I have achieved the way I look through sheer discipline."
She explained that she didn't realize life would one day come to an end until she was in her fifties - up until then she thought she would "live forever". Admitting that she used to be the sort of person to "overindulge", Williams overhauled her eating and exercise habits.
"I am thin and fit," she writes. "I’m beautiful according to some, not to others. Others may consider me to be too thin or, maybe, out of synch with my age group. Some think that I should not dress the way I do. This is the way that teenagers dress, they cry. You’re not a teenager!
"Far from it! And why would I want to look like a teenager? As a teenager, I was 'an ugly duckling'. No style! No confidence! I had eating disorders and weight issues!"
Williams admits that there are many "tell-tale signs" of her age, and she's not "trying to kid herself". However, after spending much of her life dealing with the effects of eight years of chemotherapy, she now focuses on the importance of improving her strength the older she gets.
"By the time I was 70, I was stratospheric. Released from pain, anxiety, and eating disorders, I have fully embraced this new me," she writes, adding that she is proud of the body she has worked on "for many years."
"It takes me up and down mountains, climbs countless steps, walks for miles and occasionally lifts weights," she writes.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Williams explained: "An excellent shape is not to be defined by height nor figure type. You can be small or tall. You can be curvy or straight up and down (my husband’s nickname for me when I’m tanned is "liquorish stick"). Or you can be anything in between."
Williams also told the Mail that she has tried to exercise daily since she was in her early twenties - switching up her routine every few months.
As well as fast walks and uphill climbs, she also enjoys "highly strenuous" Zumba classes and PT sessions.
In terms of her diet, she tells the Mail that she starts most days with a couple of cappuccinos and a pastry. In the afternoon, she'll usually enjoy a selection of fruit, before enjoying a dinner of chicken breast and veg or perhaps a
wholemeal pasta dish.
Living in Italy, she says: "I love olive oil and drench everything in it! I also love thin crust Napoli pizza with anchovies but I only eat that once in a while."
After dinner, she admits she enjoys "naughty snacks" like cookies and even a couple of glasses of red wine.
Overall, Williams says she is "much prouder" of herself now than when she was younger.
"I’m very happy to be such a great version of myself," she writes. "'Young', 'old'... they’re just words! What does it matter how we are described, It matters that we’re fit, (unless something untoward strikes us down!)."
