Look good for the clothes you have, instead of looking for more clothes!

Me, in action....shopping....

I love shopping, I really do!  The smell of new clothes wrapped in tissue paper, a flawless and crisp new blouse that hasn't been worn once, but there is something that looks even better than new clothes.....you, in your clothes that you already have, just languishing in your closet, if your body isn't feeling so great.  When you put your time, and resources into your fitness, and nutrition, it's amazing how just about anything in your closet will suddenly look great on you.  Have you ever noticed that when you are really in shape you get tons of compliments on the clothes that you are wearing?  It's because you make them look great!  Save some money on new clothes, and instead spend it on produce......and the time you would have spent finding a black dress that makes you "look" skinny, going to the gym, and making your lunches.....so you actually are!  Your credit card, and the clothes in your closet will thank you!

The difference between skinny and fit

(At a fashion show, feeling good in a sleeveless dress thanks to my resistance training!)

When I was in my early 20's ( ummm, which I still am?:) I wanted nothing more than to be skinny, rail thin in fact.  I ran an hour every day, and my diet, left a lot to be desired.....I was hungry, a lot.  I was constantly moving up and down with my weight, and not just a few pounds, most likely because my body was trying to find a healthier weight for me, and I.....was trying to look like a fashion model.  Funny thing is, no matter how much I tried, I was never going to look like a couture model, and everything that I was doing, was tough on my body and my mind.

Now that my workouts are largely resistance based, whether it be weights, or a body weight workout, I have seen huge changes in my body.  Having a healthy amount of muscle under your skin gives a beautiful, healthy appearance and makes you look "toned".  That's right...to be toned, you must carry a healthy amount of muscle!  I am by no means big, but I am also not thin and frail.  When I look at side by side pictures from when I was "skinny" to now when I'm athletic and toned....the difference is pretty amazing, and appearance wise, I think the majority of people would choose my current look over the one from my past.  I would compare the past look to Lindsay Lohan, and the current one to Britney Spears in her heyday.  The best part about a fit, healthy, lean look?  I eat 6 meals a day, and I'm never hungry.  This is so much more enjoyable and easy to maintain than constantly feeling that I need to deprive myself.  I clearly watch what I eat, which I think is true of most lean people, but I enjoy life so much more:)

What is your goal?  Skinny or lean and healthy?

* Photo courtesy of Jeff Baker

The best exercises for sexy abs!

After my first fitness competition, I looked at my abs and wished they were a little defined and athletic looking like some of the other girls who were competing.   I hadn't been training hard for the competition for long, and I had more of a "pilates body" as opposed to the more defined, and slightly more muscular competition body.  For something like this, you might want to add more ab training, to really define, and even build a little....

For the average woman who just wants to look great in clothes, and have sexy, firm abs......total body exercises and a clean, balanced diet are much more efficient that doing exercises which focus on the abs. Squats, dead lifts, rows, snatches, sprints, pull ups, push ups, dips, lunges, kettlebell swings and plyometrics will burn way more fat and calories, as opposed to working the small group which is your abs.

The other day in the gym, I saw a man doing at least an hour of ab exercises, and I would have loved to tell him to get off the floor and do some of the things I mentioned, with a minute of jumping rope in between, because he was a longggggg way from his goal, and not any closer with that workout.  Work smarter not harder!

Most of us actually have a great set of abs, but we need to deal with the body fat which is hiding them!  Concentrate on lowering your body fat, and you'll be pleasantly surprised to see a great set of abs underneath!