The shape of things

Ok. I'm not hungry. But I've been doing some revamping around here and wanted to bring all of you up to speed. I'm hoping that I have some pretty regular readers on this blog - and according to visitor stats - I seem to bring in a pretty steady flow of traffic.

If you are one of the regulars, if you're not already using an RSS feed, you really should. It makes reading and keeping up with blogs and news sites so much easier.

If you click on this graphic, you will subscribe to my feed. Basically when you check your feeds, it will show you whether or not I've posted something new. That way, if you visit a lot of blogs or just randomly browse, you only have to check in one place to see what's going on in your personal blogosphere.

I personally used bloglines.com. It's a free service and basically you set up a profile and list all the blogs and news sites you want to keep up with. Once you have them listed (and you can even organize them in folders like "fitness" or "fashion" or whatever you like) you can visit bloglines.com as often as you want and it will show you which sites have been updated since you last checked.

Magic, huh?

Here's a print screen of my current bloglines. On the left you can see a list of the all the sites I'm subscribed to, and on the right is the reader - showing my current posting in The Shape of Things blog.



If you're still really confused, don't give up. Visit Bloglines FAQ page and read up on this great service.

I'm just trying to make your life in the blogosphere easier - I sure wish someone had told me about RSS feeds a long time before I actually learned about them!!!

I've said it many times before - my trouble spot has always been my abs. So when I read articles about how to get flat abs I always take it in with a grain of salt - since I've read tons of these articles.

So today when I saw this "6 tips for Flat Abs" on webMD, I decided to give it a try. Although a lot of the tips are pretty standard - eat less, move more - there are some great ideas thrown in there. I decided to share those with you.

The first tip - and my favorite - is so simple and easy that by the time you finish reading it, you can have flatter abs. Seriously. Want to know what it is?

Stand up straight! Improving your posture can drastically make you look leaner, and in many cases get rid of your pooch. When your shoulders are back and your chest is up your abs naturally pull themselves in.

Here's how to have great posture while standing: "align your ears over your shoulders, shoulders over hips, hips over knees, and knees over ankles. Keep the fronts of the shoulders open like a shirt on a hanger, instead of a shirt on a peg. Draw your navel to your spine and keep your weight even on the balls and heels."

I also love the second tip - do pilates. Basically when you do crunches, you're not developing strength and flexibility around your core. Meaning - you're not hitting all the muscles of your core. The tip is to work your core in "3-D" the back, sides and middle.

A few other tips are to take things slow - you won't get fast long-lasting results - and to set realistic goals.

For the reast of the tips and some great ab exercises, read the article.

If you want some more information about flat abs:
Read about how Pilates has changed my abs.
Read why only doing crunches won't fix your abs.
Read about how contracting your transverse abs will help you get flat abs.

Sometimes we push ourselves too hard. I did just that last night. On Monday night I went to the gym and did a cricuit workout and then lifted weights focusing on my lower body. My calves were pretty achey from the circuit, but I stilll did calf raises and other strength training exercises targeting that muscle.

I was sore, naturally, yesterday and so when I finished work I did a tough run and then pilates. I actually had to sit out a few of the exercises in pilates that targeted the calves because THEY HURT. When I got home, I noticed that I could barely walk. In fact, I wobbled all night. My husband had a lot of fun making fun of me.

I did some stretches but nothing seemed to ease the pain and all night I was uncomfortable during sleeping.

It seems as if I strained my calf muscle. It happens to most people every once in a while and if it every happens to you here's how to treat it: R.I.C.E. - rest, ice, compression, elevation.

I'm at work so there really won't be too much elevation or compression. But I am keeping my walking down to the bare minimum as well as applying mineral ice to the area to give it some relief.

I went on Web M.D. to get some more tips on treating muscle strains. read the article here.

Some tips that stood out:

• Don't apply heat to the strained muscle as it can actually cause it to swell more. You should wait until the swelling has decreased to apply heat.
• Don't do any activities using the strained muscle until the pain has completely gone away (looks like I shouldn't run this evening...)
• Ice the area for 20 minutes for every hour that you are awake.

Just remember to be careful and to listen to your body. I should have eased up on the run and maybe skipped pilates last night, but I didn't and I'm paying for it.

It's Halloween today and chances are you have some plans either with a big candy jar at the end of the day or at a party with a big cocktail glass. Today is a great day to remind yourself of the benefits of a healthy lifestyle - in hopes that you'll go easy on the candy and cocktails.

MSNBC put together a list of how to exorcise your fitness demons. It's such a great play on words - and a great article - that I decided I'd share it with you today.

Thought this pic was funny. Adrian Grenier gets rid of his fitness demons by becoming Richard Simmons?? (source)

So what are your demons?

If it's always coming up with excuses not to workout - MSNBC says you should create a detailed schedule for the week including time and type of exercise (i.e. monday- 4:30 p.m. run 30 mintes, tue/thur - 5:30 p.m. pilates). This way it will be harder to make excuses if it's already planned into your schedule in the first place.

If you think you're chained to your desk - MSNBC says it's time you learn to let go of being able to finish everything and leave work at the end of a work day, at a decent time.

If you have a terrible diet - You eat healthy the first couple of days, then go way downhill from there - you need to remember that having small treats is not a bad thing, and in fact, if you don't you'll probably continue to spiral downward every week. (See yesterday's post)

If you drink too much - Remember that those cocktails have lots of calories, so a couple of drinks after work could lead to hundreds of calories. If that's the way you unwind, it may be time to find other ways to relieve stress - maybe yoga, massage, pedicures, warm baths.

Read the article here. Have a Happy Halloween!

I read this column today in the New York Times about one woman's healthy-eating philosophy. Sure we see a lot of these exposes of how people "stay so thin" etc. but something about this column really stuck out to me...

ICE CREAM! This woman keeps a ton of ice cream in her freezer - yet is still able to remain thin. She shares with readers how she does it - no deprivation. She talks about how when she tried for a year to lose weight by depriving herself of her favorite sweet treat, she was miserable and also found herself overindulging guiltfully.

So her approach now is to have her cake and eat it too (well her ice cream, that is).

She buys ice cream that is less than 150 calories per serving but never buys fat free or sugar free. She also bought bowls that can only fit 1/2 cup (which is a serving of ice cream) and she only eats that much a day. She tells herself that if she ever eats more than the 1/2 cup serving she'll throw away all of her ice cream - so she never does it.

I think we too often hear of diets and eating habits that encourage deprivation and labeling bad foods. This woman's philosophy is so much better - and so much more in line with my philosophy. (You know my affinity for ice cream is in line with Reese Witherspoon's)

We aren't just trying to lose ten pounds. We are trying to adopt a lifestyle that will keep us healthy for the rest of our lives. By doing these silly diets and obsessing over calorie counts and carbs, we set ourselves up for failure because we won't be able to do that for the rest of our lives - well we won't WANT TO do that for the rest of our lives.

Read her column and take some of her tips. She's a smart cookie and you can be one too!

The weather is starting to get colder and if you're not lucky - chances are you'll fall prey to the common cold or worse, the flu. If you find yourself with the sniffles you may be wondering whether or not you should exercise. Well, WebMD asked some experts when you can exercise and when you should rest.

First off - if you have a fever you should not exercise. You don't want to raise your body temperature any higher than it may already be. So go home and rest and wait that fever out.

All other illnesses - a good way to decide is to do the neck check. If your syptoms all occur above the neck (sore throat, congestion, sneezing, teary eyes) you're ok to exercise. Everything below the neck (coughing, body aches, fever and fatigue) you need to stay home and rest.

So if you're sick from the neck up and don't have a fever you can go to the gym and do some exercises but take the intensity down a bit. Instead of sprints, do a walk/jog or opt for a yoga class or pilates. Make sure that you don't spread your germs to everyone else at the gym by wiping down every thing you touch and not blowing your nose constantly.

Ultimately - the best way to avoid this problem is to not get sick. Exercise can boost your immune system. Thirty minutes of regular exercise three to four times a week has been shown to raise immunity by raising levels of T cells - one of the body's first defenses against infection. And always wash your hands.

I know. I know. All I've been posting about lately is running! I'm sorry. But I just couldn't keep this great tip from you guys.

Self.com enlisted 2-time Olympic Gold medalist Gail Devers to watch some tape of 5 or so girls running and comment on their stride, posture and give them tips on how to improve their speed.

I watched the video and listened to all the tips yesterday and when I got on the treadmill after work I picked one close to the mirrors so I could critique my form.

If you're new to running or an "old pro" this video will help you out. Maybe you aren't comfortable yet running and you are self concious about the way you run - or maybe you've been running a long time and are getting frustrated becasue you cannot increase your speed.

Here are a few of Gail's tips that helped me out:

1. When you run you want to be leaning just a little bit forward. Most of the women in the video were either too upright or were leaning back, this slows you down and adds drag.

2. You want to land on the balls of your feet when you run, but you don't want to have pointed toes (she calls it the dancer run). Your feet should be flexed when running and should hit the ground toe to heel - not flat footed and not heel first.

3. Your stride should feel like you're riding a bicycle. Your feet should come up quite a bit behind you. I tried this yesterday and was impressed at how much better it felt to move my feet in a circular motion.

Watch the video and go to the gym to critique your form (do like I did and find a spot near a mirror). Some basics you want to remember is to keep your shoulders relaxed and away from your ears.

How many of you have either heard this statement or said this statement in reference to a thin and fit woman: "but she was born thin."

I read through some comments on Fit Sugar's blog about Sarah Jessica Parker's "weight loss tactics" and the majority of the commenters reiterated the fact that SJP "was born thin."

This has to be one of my biggest pet peeves.

Don't get me wrong. I know that people are born with a certain bone structure and overall body type. And I also know that the enviornment you grow up in plays a huge role in your eating and exercising habits you develop later in life.

With that being said, I want to make something clear - just because you're born with it, doesn't mean you won't ever have to work for it.

There are a very small group of people in the world who actually have the problem of losing too much weight and have to eat tons of calories and protein to gain weight so that their bodies can function normally. Personally I've only known one person like this - and let's just say I've known quite a few people in my life so far.

Everyone elses bodies work this way - the calories (energy) going in a body has to be less than or equal to the calories (energy) going out or you will gain pounds. It's simple.

Case and point: I am one of those "lucky" people to be born in a "small" family. My dad is short and thin and so is my mother. I also grew up in a household that encouraged playing sports and being active outside rather than watching tv all day.

All through high school I weighed under 100 pounds (I'm about 5'1 or 5'2). I never watched what I ate - but I wasn't stuffing myself with junk all the time either - I played sports about 4 times a week so I had about 6-8 hours of exercise a week (intense exercise). Being thin back then was never something I worked on, but it was a product of my genetics, a youthful metabolism, my exercise, and the foods available to me.

When I started college I stopped playing sports and my only exercise was walking around campus and the occasional (once a week maybe) pick up soccer game. I turned to cafeteria and fast food since I lived in a dorm and when I moved out of the dorm I continued relying on fast food and takeout. So - despite my genetics - I gained weight. In fact, the beginning of my junior year I was around 130. (30 pounds in less than 3 years).

I brushed off the quick weight gain as a normal by product of "growing up" and the "natural" slowing of my metabolism. I went up in pant sizes without really thinking about the fact that I was gaining weight - I thought I was just getting older.

It wasn't until I started watching what I ate and started exercising regularly again that I shed those pounds that I had so quickly gained. See - calories in has to be less than or equal to calories out.

Moral of the story? Pretty much every person who is thin (and over 18) has to work to stay thin - whether it's watching what they eat, staying active, or just living a generally healthy lifestyle.

If you get discouraged that you weren't "born with it" just know that those who were, still have to work for it too. It isn't easy for anyone - BUT, once it becomes a lifestle it is easy for most. Make sure the things you are doing to stay healthy (maybe eating more fruits and veggies, getting into a dependable and enjoyable exercise routine, etc.) are things you can continue doing for the rest of your life without being miserable.

So the next time you find yourself making yet another excuse why you can't get to your target weight or you can't get toned in a certain area - remember that it's something we all work at. You're not alone.

If you're like me, the sight of these beauties may make your heart beat a little faster and your palms get a little sweaty. Right? But, we all know that wearing high heels is terrible for your feet. Don't fret, I will not tell you to trade these heels for tennis shoes, I'm just going to bring you some great advice (via Webmd) on how to avoid foot pain when you wear high heels. Love this.

The article this is from, talks about why heels cause damage to our feet (one being that all our weight is forced onto one tiny spot on our foot instead of being distributed) and why injections to the balls of your feet might not be the best route. Read it here.

On to the tips:

1. Buy the best-fitting high heels possible. If your feet slide in your shoes and if you can fit a cell phone between your heel and the back of the shoe - those are not good-fitting shoes. When your foot slides forward it actually causes more pain on an even smaller part of the foot.  

2. Cushion - if you'll be standing in your heels for long periods of time insert a cushion into the shoe (one that is just for the ball of the foot is sufficient) 

3. Wear a thicker heel for stability - and boy are you in luck on this one! That's the new trend - thicker and chunkier heels, check out the YSL oxfords booties in pic 2.  They also suggest to alternate the heel heights that you wear.

4. Pay attention to the slope of the heel -  You want one with a gradual slope, not an extreme drop because this will even out your arches.

5. Wear open toe high heels - this advice is so that you can relieve corns and calluses. 

Read the article here.

Ready to buy those lovely shoes pictured? Click here for the Stella McCartney Boots. Click here for the YSL oxford pumps. Click here for the Louboutin open-toes. Click here for the Jimmy Choo Red Snakeskin pumps.  

Don't know if you're a fan of tennis or not - but I've been watching the primetime U.S. Open matches the past few nights. I love watching pros play because their games are so fast and so calculated! When I play tennis and hit the ball I just hope it goes over the net and into the lines - definitely haven't gotten to the point where I'm strategic with my shots (want to get there though).

Tennis is a great workout and a fun sport to play after you're out of school. It only takes two people to play and you can always go to a practice wall and hit by yourself. A lot of people "play" (I put it in quotes, because people say that they play and really haven't since high school) but regardless it's not difficult finding a partner.

The sport is relatively cheap too. You need a racket (you can find an entry level one for $30-50) and you need tennis balls and that's it. If you get more competitive you might want to invest in real tennis shoes, but for just getting started any sneakers will work.

Besides being a great cardio workout, it's also a great upper body and core workout. If you play a match you'll feel sore in your abs, obliques and all over your arms, back and shoulders the next day!

Still aren't convinced to try? Well, you can wear some really cute outfits when you play! Tennis skirts, dresses, tanks, shorts, visors, hats, etc. So much fun. I have a great collection of sassy skirts and cute tank tops and they are all so functional.

Center court has turned into a fashion runway lately. Maria Sharapova (pronounced "sha - raw - pah - vah" not like "share - a - poh - vuh" this according to my Russian-speaking husband) and Serena Williams have such great contracts with Nike that they get new dresses designed for each grand slam (Maria has three for the U.S. open, a white "day" dress, a black "night" dress, and her special sassy "center court" red dress.)

I saw the press conference when Sharapova "unveiled" her dress and thought it might be a bit over the top. Then I saw her in this picture and I thought - man, she's got it going on in that red dress!

(Courtesy AP)

If I've convinced you to try tennis I've got two suggestions:

1. Tune in to USA network tonight and the next few nights and watch the prime time tennis matches.
   
   
2. Go to google and find out if there are some beginners lessons you can take in your area. Sign up and learn. It's the best way to really learn tennis because you get the basics from someone who knows what they are doing and you'll gain confidence to play. (Check your local YMCA or university, they may offer lessons)