Body Beautiful Blog

Perfect Fit

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 21:13:00 GMT

    Ladies, if you could please put down that eggnog and second slice of fruitcake for just one moment, I have some exciting news for you:

    Self Magazine has named Orange County the “Most Fit” region in the nation on the 2007 list of the “Best Places for Women.”

    How about that? I just want to thank all those energetic, self-sacrificing gals out there – sisters united – who got up at the crack of dawn to sweat it out at boot camp, and ran 2 miles a day on their treadmill and fought rush-hour traffic to get to their evening aerobics classes on time (sorry I cut you off!) . . . so I didn’t have to. See? It doesn’t matter that I have been a real sloth this last year, sitting mostly on my butt in front of a computer because you’ve worked hard enough for all of us sloths – about 1.5 hours a week dedicated to pure exercise, says the study -- to make Orange County so terrifically toned.

    Researchers credit year-round beach visits as the reason we are so motivated to stay fit. I think it’s just our morbid fear of growing old. Either way, we were miles of bike trails ahead of Huntington, West Virginia, voted the least fit region in the nation.

    To read the survey in more detail, log on to self.com

    And who eats fruitcake anymore, anyway??

Don't Sweat It!

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:23:00 GMT

My daughter and I were eating breakfast at Mimi’s. (We love those pumpkin pancakes!) A group of about 10 women walked past our table, all carrying Christmas gift bags. They were in their late 50s, I would say. Good friends, a tight clan, about to share a Christmas moment together over lattes and pumpkin pancakes. What struck me was not how quaint the gathering seemed, but the fact that EVERY ONE of those women had a Christmas sweater on. Like the Red Hat Society, only warmer. I saw a parade of puffed snowmen and red Santas with jingle bells, and one woman had a sweater with fuzzy brown antlers so big, it looked like they were growing out of her chin. I turned to my daughter and said, “I beg of you, no matter how old I get, don’t you EVER let me buy or wear a Christmas sweater! And if you ever buy me a Christmas sweater, give me the gift receipt because I’ll be taking it back the next day.”

Ladies, I know it’s fun to wear these seasonal sweaters once a year, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING says “I am old and frumpy and have given up on ever having sex again” more than a Christmas sweater. So WHAT if you got a good deal at JC Penney’s? Leave them there, on a hangar, for the Christmas moths to eat, and go buy yourself a sexy, red-satin bra from Victoria’s Secret, instead.

You’ll thank me later.

Go Green

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:36:00 GMT

    Did you know that three cups of green tea daily can reduce body weight and waist circumference by 5% in three months? I’ve been drinking a cup every morning for about a week, and you know, there might be something to this. I’ve noticed only a slight drop on the scale, but what is radically different is that I have to run to the restroom more. Green tea seems to have a diuretic quality. I feel like it’s flushing out all that holiday fat -- from last year! This Christmas, when everyone’s drinking egg nog and Jack Daniels, I’ll be sipping on some green tea. That way, I can have a few extra pieces of fudge and not feel so badly about it.

    For those of you who might be concerned about packing on the pounds this holiday, here are 10 diet tips from Cynthia Graff, president of Lindora Medical Clinics, the medically supervised diet plan:

    · MONITOR YOUR EMOTIONS -- People eat to quell their emotions. When feeling vulnerable, take a walk, call a friend or go shopping instead of heading to the refrigerator.

    · ALWAYS AVOID SODAS & ICE CREAM -- Metabolically, they add calories while burning carbohydrates.

    · KEEP BOTTLED WATER WITH YOU -- Water helps to reduce your appetite and gives your skin a more youthful appearance.

    · GETA GOOD NIGHT 'S SLEEP -- When you don't sleep well, you tend to eat more. Try to sleep 7 to 9 hours each night.

    · ENGAGE IN MODERATE EXERCISE -- Maintaining an exercise routine can be as simple as briskly walking around your neighborhood for 20 minutes a day or riding your bike at a nearby park for the same amount of time.

    · MAINTAIN A MODERATE AMOUNT OF SALT IN YOUR DIET -- Perspiring eliminates the salt in your body, which can lead to fatigue, dizziness and headaches.

    · AVOID HIDDEN CALORIES -- Stay away from liquid calories hidden in coffee drinks (e.g., mochas, blended ice coffees, etc.), fruit smoothies, fruit juices and milk shakes. For a special treat, try an 8-ounce non-fat cappuccino with a shot of sugar-free vanilla flavoring.

    · REDUCE ALCOHOL -- Avoid alcoholic beverages as they contain lots of calories and carbohydrates that do little more than pad one's waistline.

    · STAY AWAY FROM FAT-LADEN SAUCES -- Avoid using more than a dab of butter, margarine or oil when cooking. Also, order salad dressings on the side.

    · INCONVENIENCE YOURSELF – Don't hire a maid; clean your own house. Ride your bike to run errands instead of driving. If you must drive, though, park far from your destination and enjoy a brisk walk to reach it. When shopping, carry your groceries or merchandise instead of pushing them in a cart. Also, use the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator. Instead of making one weekly or bi-weekly shopping trip, shop daily for what you plan to eat that day. You'll burn more calories walking the store and your food will be fresher!

Still A Bachelor

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 09:40:00 GMT

I know this is last week’s news, but my blog was shut down for a few repairs and I haven’t been able to talk about this buzz-worthy issue. So . . . how about that Brad Womack, “The Bachelor” who rejected BOTH women in the final rose ceremony? Poor guy. Surrounded by 25 young, beautiful and adoring women for six weeks, with nothing better to do than soak half-naked in Jacuzzis and make out with the woman du jour. I can’t imagine Thanksgiving was a happy time for him, coming alone to the dinner table, one soon-to-be member of the Womack family simply nonexistent. Brad was excoriated last week by women all over the world, blogging and e-mailing and sniping at work with all the other angry women about what a jerk he is. Click here to read article.

But you know what? I think he’s courageous. I have to give him credit for not buckling to the pressure of being on TV and following his heart in the end. And that very selective heart of his said, “I’m just not in love with ANY of the women I have met!” Yes, it was a letdown, and yes, he broke the hearts of two very hopeful women. But at least he was honest. I’d rather find out from him now, during prime time, that he is dumping both women rather than reading about it in People magazine six months from now. (By the way . . . did you hear that Mary, of the “Mary and Byron” bachelor hookup, was arrested for punching him in the face? And that was one of the show’s success stories, too! Click here to read article.

How would you like it if someone said to you: “OK, here are 25 gorgeous, successful men and you MUST pick one of them to marry after six weeks.” That’s a lot of pressure! But you know, I certainly would enjoy the elimination process, how about you?

Thankful For A Day Without Gravy

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:49:00 GMT

Well we’re up and running again. We had to shut down the blog for about a week to do some “de-spamming.” Unfortunately, in the process of eliminating all the spam, we also had to delete all your responses. Sorry about that. But look at it this way -- now you have a clean slate, a brand-new blog that invites you to share your brand-new responses.

Today is Thanksgiving. And while I’m certain you are either preparing a turkey or watching football rather than reading this blog (and I HOPE that is true!), I can’t let the day pass without wishing everyone a relaxing, warm and wonderful day spent with family. My family’s up north and my children are with their father this year, making my Thanksgiving a very quiet one. I was invited to a friend’s house for dinner, but declined. There aren’t many days out of the year when you get to huddle close with family, and I didn’t want to intrude on her “family time.”

I plan to use all this free time catching up around the house and starting a cherished Christmas project. I may even dive into a book I’ve been trying to read for a while. It’s going to be a perfect day, one without a lot of gravy. And I'm really thankful that I don't have to make that excruciatingly painful decision this year: pumpkin pie or cherry pie? My main objective today is to just relax and save up some energy for tomorrow – the busiest shopping day of the year!

If you get a moment, tell us how you spent Thanksgiving Day . . . aside from eating!