Tiny weenie yellow polka dot bikini…YUCK

As the weather gets warmer, the clothes start to shed off of your slightly heavier, hibernated body.  You pull out that cute new bathing suit you bought at half price during the winter, ready to rock it out the first chance you have.  Then, comes “the” moment, that most all women dread…the first time you see yourself in that dental floss of a suit in the mirror.  You move side-to-side to see if there even is a better side, suck in your belly and jiggle your legs around to see just how much cellulite you do, in fact, have.  I hate this day…

The dreaded cellulite

Most of my young adult life, I did a lot of bikini modeling.  I had to be in tip-top shape 24/7, just in case I got that call to go do a photo shoot.  Perfect legs, bottom and stomach were the parts of the body that had to be flawless.

Back in the good old days

As a woman, you all know how hard that is to accomplish.  Our bodies are designed to be curvy and voluptuous.  After all, we are the ones who give birth to the human race.  However, there is a fine line between being “curvy” and being dangerously big.  Curvy, is when you still can see your toes when you look down but, have an incredible butt.  Big, is when you can’t see your toes.  Skinny, is when you can see your spine through your stomach.  We will always have cellulite, so it’s time to embrace that.

I just wanted to talk about this subject because I am trying to embrace the cellulite myself.  No matter how hard I work, it will NOT go away…at least like it used to.  For someone who could NEVER have one bit of cellulite on her legs…this makes me a little neurotic, as you can imagine.  If you are frustrated, just like I am, I have listed some workouts, eating regimens and suit accessories that will help you slip into that bikini without the fear of scaring all the people away at the pool.  I want you to be able to step out onto the pool deck with confidence.  You don’t have to weigh twelve pounds to look good in a suit.  Believe it or not, most men LOVE curves and pity the skinny ladies.

I have had a fabulous trainer and great friend for the last couple of years…Natalee Moreschi.  Talk about some inspiration…she is a crazy woman!  Jillian Michaels, doesn’t hold a candle to Nat…just saying.  Natalee and her hubby Anthony, compete in body building shows and win most, so they are extremely ripped up.

Natalee and Anthony after she won a competition.

I’m not really trying to do all that.  I just want a nice tone.  So, she put together an eight week workout and diet regimen that set me up to win.  Most diets these days, set you up to fail.  Most diets are all hard core diets, that once you’re done, you typically go back to eating the crappy processed food that you were eating pre-diet and gain it all back plus more.  This diet or what I like to call, “A life changer” does work.  You have to make up your mind that this is a change of lifestyle, not just for the moment.  Once you have decided this is what you really want…you are ready.  With that being said, there are truly a lot of heavier people who really love the way they look and kudos to them.  I just want to be able to run with my kids and puppies.  I want to be able to go on beautiful hikes without every bone in my body screaming at me.  I want to jump into that bikini and not feel like I need to be covered up for the sake of traumatizing a child.  This is not a daunting task.  It can be fun and a little bit of a science experiment, if you will.  It’s fun to watch the transformation of your body.  You are the only one that can control it.  Which brings me to this.  How many of you say you don’t have the time to cook meals?  How many of you say, it must be nice to be able to find time to workout?  How many of you say, I have children and a husband to take care of?  These are all excuses.  Truth is…you do have the time it takes to take care of yourself.  It takes more time to shove the family in a car and run through McDonald’s than it does to throw some chicken breast in the oven and steam some broccoli.  Plus, you get to sit down with your family and, oh I don’t know, talk.  No matter where you live, you can go do some brisk walking outside for 15 minutes in the morning and evening.  This is a good moment for either you and your hubby to get some alone time or bring your kids to have some one-on-one time with them.  If you’re at the ball field…take a couple of laps around the ball fields.  If it’s raining, go to the mall and walk or walk up and down the stairs in your home. There really isn’t an excuse, unless you are disabled, for saying I just don’t have the time.  Trust me, this was my excuse until Natalee had her way with me (ha,ha) and I don’t even have kids!  Living a healthy, active lifestyle only rewards you.  Your kids will appreciate it and your body will be grateful.

First…Water, Water, Water!

Distilled Water

I go to Kroger the first of the week and buy a gallon of distilled water and drink a gallon a day.  I refill the gallon every morning.  The best way to know how much water you should drink is take your body weight and half it.  This is how many ounces you should drink.

ex. 100 lbs.= 50 oz. of water.

The more water you take in, the less fat clings to your insides.  Water also strips away sodium, which is the cause of feeling “puffy”.

Second…Get your body out of starvation mode.

So, most of you probably think that eating less will help you shed those lbs…nope!  You must try and eat every three hours.  It’s not a four course meal but, a snack or protein shake in between bigger meals will help keep your metabolism working.  Here is what my day consists of…

Breakfast:  3 eggs whites, a piece of toast with smart butter and some fruit.

• Alternative: One scoop of protein powder with 8 oz. of water and 1/4 cup dry oatmeal…shake and drink.

Snack (2-3 hrs. later):  sliced apple or orange.

Lunch: 3 oz. Canned tuna in water with brown rice and something green like green beans or broccoli. You can substitute chicken if you’re not a fish fan.

Snack (2-3hrs. later): Protein Shake

Protein Shake

Dinner:  Chicken or Salmon with lots of steamed veggies.  I will also make chicken or fish Kale salads with Balsamic Vinaigrette, almonds, minced garlic and some sort of Mrs. Dash seasoning.

*Mrs. Dash seasoning is sodium free and is really amazing on everything!

I stick to this diet for two weeks straight.  This strips my body of sodium and prepares my body for the next few weeks.  I don’t take a cheat day until the first two weeks are done. Then, and only then, do I give myself one cheat day.

Workouts:

Morning:  15-30 minutes brisk walking.

Afternoon (before dinner):  3 sets of 12-15 reps of sit-ups, push-ups and 3 sets of 25, walking lunges.

Then I finish up with another 15-30 minutes of brisk walking.

• You don’t have to run to lose weight.  In fact, when you are in your lower heart rate zone, that is precisely when you are burning more fat.

Once you have completed your two week prep, this is when you should start rotating weights into your workout.  I do weights Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and still do  my a.m. and p.m. cardio on those days.  I will only do just cardio on Tuesday and Thursday.  Gives my body a break.  I only use light weights because I’m not trying to be a body builder.  I just like to have a little definition.  Try to get in five days of exercise, three at the least.

What in the world should I wear to the pool?

You probably have obsessed over what the celebs are wearing this year to the beach.  I can’t tell you how many news channels I’ve watched in the last week, with reporters obsessing over what Demi Moore or Ashley Tisdale are wearing to the beach.  Well…we are not these people.  I don’t know about you but, I don’t really want to spend $45.00 dollars on a beach bag or $200.00 on a bikini that I can make myself.  To me that is just silly.  So, I have done some cruising around to find the deals on great pool/beach stuff that will indeed make you look like a beach angel.

Target is my top pick.  $14.99 for the tops and $14.99 for the bottoms.  I love their selection because you can mix and match.  This is perfect for those who have a bigger top and smaller bottom or vice versa.  The big thing this year is having different colored tops and bottoms.  If you are a one piece person, Target really has some awesome choices.

http://www.target.com/Swimwear-Clothing-Womens/b/ref=nav_t_spc_1_16?ie=UTF8&node=13629631

When it comes to choosing your suits, it can be a little tricky.  Usually, the suit looks amazing on the rack but, if you aren’t the correct shape for the cut of suit it will, for sure, be a train wreck.  Here are my suggestions…

If you are slender with no butt or boobs, you can get away with wearing the side-tie  bottoms and a bandeau or triangle top.  Prints or frilly material are probably a good choice for tops and bottoms for you. You can also wear a one piece beautifully.  A bright short or full length sarong, medium shades, a little bit of a heel on your flip flops (to make your legs look amazing and to lift, what butt you might have, up) and a giant sun hat with a smaller beach bag are the perfect touches.

side-tie bottoms

Frilly top

wedge flip flop

Big Sun Hat

Full length sarong

Short sarong

If you have boobs and no butt, I suggest you go with side-tie bottoms and either a halter top, bra top or a triangle top that has underwire.  Stay away from horizontal stripes on the top, in fact, I would do a solid color on the top and a print with frills for the bottoms.  For your accessories, I would have a big sun hat, medium size shades, smaller beach bag, flip flops with a heel and a bright short sarong.

Halter top

If you have boobs and a butt, I suggest you stay away from the side-tie bottoms.  Those bottoms are made for ladies with no butts.  I’ve seen it over and over again, ladies with curves, wearing those bottoms and their cracks showing to the world.  That’s not very lady like.  I have a butt, so I know what I’m talking about.  Find a bottom that has a high-cut leg.  This will make your butt look amazing and your legs appear longer.  My favorite is a brazilian cut.  Some times you can even find a boy-short bottom that looks good too.  The only thing to watch out for, are the low riders.  They tend to not flatter bigger bottom ladies.  As far as tops for bigger boobs…halter or an underwire triangle top.  When choosing a print or color, I would go with a smaller print or a bright solid color.  For accessories, I would pair together a beautiful shear button down cover-up, medium sized shades, a giant sun hat, flip flops with a little lift, and a medium sized beach bag.

High cut bottoms

Boy shorts

underwire triangle top

cover-up

If you have a butt and no boobs, I suggest you find a high-cut leg bottom and a bandeau or triangle top.  When choosing color or print, I would go with a solid color bottom and a fun, frilly top.  To accessorize, go with a beautiful shear button down cover-up or a full length sarong, big shades, big sun hat, flip flops with a little heel and a medium sized beach bag.

Bandeau Top (can be strapless too)

If you are a bit heavier, Look into a gorgeous monokini or a one piece.  Tankini’s can get a little tricky for anyone.  Just make sure that the top of the Tankini fits appropriately.  I would stay away from big prints.  Smaller prints or stripes (horizontal or vertical) are great.  Bright colors also look amazing.  Accessorize with a beautiful shear button down cover-up, big shades, big sun hat, smaller beach bag and a fun sparkly pair of flip flops.

Tankini

• FOR EVERYONE:  When trying on a suit, make sure it fits.  If it is pushing your fat up and over your bottoms, a.k.a. muffin top, it is to small.  If your top is squeezing your boobies into torpedos, it is not the right cut for you.

I hope this has helped jump start your rocking “beach angel” look.  No matter what size you are, you are going to look and feel amazing!  Good luck and have a fantastic summer!