The value of clothing that doesn't stretch.....

No room to over eat in this outfit:)  

I had a great conversation with one of my very bright, and introspective clients yesterday, and she said she had been doing some thinking, about when (according to her) her fitness levels had decreased.  She said that everything started coming undone when she began working from home, and no longer had to get dressed for work.

This insight really resonated with me, because I think that clothes serve as a better gauge for how you "look" than the scale.  Oftentimes when I am dieting, and working out hard, my body may not lose much weight on the scale, but my jeans fit more loosely, because I am loosing fat and gaining muscle.  It's really helpful to regularly wear clothes that don't have a lot of give, so you can remind yourself of what size you want to stay, or you would like to be again.  Exercise clothes can trick you into thinking that you look better than you do, because they have so much give.

I have a pair of True Religion jeans that have no stretch, and they tell me better than any scale, how my body looks.  If I'm starting to get the dreaded "muffin top"  I cut out dessert for a few weeks and add some jumping rope into my routine.  I know my tips are a little funny sometimes, but they are exactly how I have maintained my figure....and here's one:   When you are going out, wear something unforgiving.  Make it so that if you overeat, you'll actually be uncomfortable:)  I think that the key to success is understanding yourself, and knowing that you aren't perfect (no one is!) and anticipating where you may slip up with diet and exercise.  When I go out, I know that the urge to overeat is likely, so I plan ahead with my little tips and tricks.  Tomorrow I'll share my tips for staying on track when I visit my family:)

Stay gorgeous and healthy,

Megab

The diet trick that isn't a pill, and you should be doing for your health regardless....

Everyone is always looking for a magic pill, something that will make them slim, and young, and beautiful, with almost no effort.......the trick I am about to tell you won't do that, but it will make an incredible difference in your efforts to stay slim....

Take a powdered  fiber supplement 2-3 times a day 30 minutes before your meals.  Drink plenty of water when you do this, as the fiber will soak up any water that you have in your body.  The capsules, and fiber tablets are not as good as fiber in it's powdered form.  This will fill you up, thus helping you to eat less, remove toxins, and also help to stabilize your blood sugar.  You may feel a little bloated when you first try this, and I suggest gradually increasing your intake, but it will make such a difference.  No, fiber isn't the most exciting thing, but very few of us get enough of it, and it makes a huge difference in your overall health.  Try it!

Stay gorgeous and healthy!

Megan

Happiness is.......clothes from 10 years ago that still fit!

Did anyone see the episode of Sex in the City where Mirandah fits into her skinny jeans years and years later?  Yesterday I was cleaning out my storage space, and I found an old Claude Montana jumper?  Shorts and a top all in one....from 10 years ago, and it still fit!  Yay me!!!  And may I just say, it's not natural...and I don't have a fast metabolism, I work for it:)  Anyway, it made me happy...and I was making a little shopping haul video for my new website, so I thought I would include a picture:)  Also just a silly pic of me and ted my yorkie....happy day!

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 70 percent rule

I have a standard for how I like to look, and it doesn't involve looking perfect all the time.  Over the years, I have decided, that as long as you have done most things pretty well, no one is going to focus on your small percentage of flaws.  If you have a chip in your nail, but your nails are polished....great!  You'd be surprised how little everyone else is really focusing on your flaws, and if they are.....who really wants to be around them anyway?

A few years ago, when I used to judge how I looked more harshly, and I would always tell my mom that I wished that I were skinnier, she told me a story.  She said that when she was my age, she always wished she were thinner, and always thought she was too heavy, but looking back at photos now, she sees that she looked great.  I've worked on trying to borrow some of that feeling for myself, and appreciate what I have now, instead of wishing that I were more perfect.

Do things to accentuate, and increase your beauty, but always recognize that it is real, and present, and that while it may not look quite like anyone elses......your 70 percent is gorgeous:)