Do You Have Baby Fat To Lose??

Do you think that because you had a baby or two or even three that you can't lose your baby fat?

I have to be honest with you, I have three girls whom I all love to death and wouldn't change for anything but it does take a toll on the body. Be pregnant changed my body in ways I couldn't have dreamed. Did you know that your feet can change permanently while pregnant? Along with my feet I saw changes in my hips, but even though I saw some changes in my body after having children, I didn't allow having children become an excuse. I didn't allow it to become an excuse to eat anything I want or not to exercise because I'm too busy. I have to admit, I had to become a little more creative with my workouts but I always get them in-even if it's only 10 min.

I was recently reading an article about 4 moms who worked hard and lost their baby fat ( I like to be inspired as well) and it confirmed to me what I already know, but it's nice to read about people having great success after going through one of the most challenging things a body can do. It also proved to me once more that with hard work and determination anyone can get the results they want.

I know first hand what having a baby can do to your body, but I also know that after my second daughter who I gained 10 more pounds with than my first, I was also in the best shape of my life after 12 weeks of hard work.

How To Lose Your Baby Fat.

1) Don't wait too long to start getting back into shape. Of course make sure you have the green light from your doctor, but if you keep putting it off it will only get harder.

2)No Excuses. Now that you have a baby in your life, life will never be the same again. Time will never be just yours and you have someone else to think about, but that doesn't mean you get to completely ignore yourself. The best thing about babies is that they will sleep anywhere (most of the time). Take them out in the stroller and do your exercises outside. Join a stroller class. Not only will you get out, you will meet other moms with the same goal as yourself.

3) Workout at Home. The great thing with workouts is that you don't need to go to the gym to get a great workout in. You can invest in some simple inexpensive equipment like dumbbells, a stability ball and some tubes and you have everything you need for a challenging workout in your living room.

4) Just Get Started. Don't wait for the perfect time because it will never come. You will always be tired, and you will always have laundry to do. If you wait for a better time it will never come and you could end up spending years waiting. If you have 10 min. then get it in then. I have do power workouts before and believe me when I say that you can pack in alot in 10 min.

My favourite do anywhere exercises:

1. interval training for cardio. You can walk or run (when you are ready). You can do it outside or on a treadmill or bike.

2. Lunges. As you know, this is my favourite all time exercise. It targets the entire lower body.

3. Burpees. You can do these anywhere and it gets your heart rate really going.

4. Push Ups- A great over all upper body exercise.

5. Bicycle Abs.

Don't give in to the excuses. Just because you have a baby doesn't mean you have to look like you have a baby. You determine what you are going to look like not your baby. Set your goals, be consistent and you will see great results.

Committed to your fitness success,
Kelly Parker
www.fitmommakeover.net

Freaky Friday: Makeup

So next week is going to be makeup week! YAY! I'm excited because it gives me an excuse to buy new makeup. And I thought I'd better preface it with some really bad makeup, so when I do tips and tutorials next week, you'll be like OMG Jae is a genius! It kinda goes with the whole smoke and mirrors thing. Shhhh don't tell.



I'd be scared except for that delightful daisy on his head.


Just in case you were looking to bring the age old clown fantasy to life. It's the nose that turns me on.



I really don't think I like her demeanor.


I don't know what's going on in this picture, but I can only assume it's one of the places that Stefan was talking about. Stefan makes me cry with laughter and a little uncomfortable at the same time.



Hey! Not only do you get to see a closeup of creepy blow up doll makeup, but it comes with a tutorial too! I want to see this at the next PTA meeting, k?


Don't look at me. I didn't paint you like the most depressed clown ever.


Silver eyeliner in the daytime? For shame, Gaga, FOR SHAME. (I've decided that if I don't acknowledge her constant search for shock then she'll start dressing like a human being. Fingers crossed!)


One time one of my best friends had a little too much to drink and then asked me to do her makeup. In the process, she started crying and her makeup ran down her eyes and I convinced her that it looked "Heroin Chic" and sent her back to the party. I haven't the slightest clue as to why the memory was triggered just now.

Alright, so next week when it's all about makeup you can be impressed by my skillz. If not, come back to this post and then read again and I promise you will.

Best Dress Ever!

I found myself at the mall the other day. Do you notice that all of my good stories are about finding myself at the mall? Anyway, my kids were bored, it was rainy, there was a play area. I gravitated toward it. While passing by the stores, I decided to pop into Charlotte Russe, which I haven't done in forever. They were having a huge maxi dress sale and with the warmer temps, I could not resist.

And then I saw her. The world's most perfect maxi dress. I was so excited because while I own five or so maxi dresses, I'm always having to modify them with a tank under or a cardi over. I wanted a dress that I could throw on without any alterations.

I give you the most perfect maxi dress ever made:



Oh, it may not look like much in the picture, but when I put it on, I knew I had found love. A deep-v that I can wear without a cami, fluttery, non-sausage arm inducing sleeves and the right length to wear with my favorite leather wedges.

So I carried her triumphantly to the cash register, where I learned that she was also 50 percent off.

So I bought a pair of jeans too.

I want to wear her every day of my life. So. Happy. I've worn the dress once and added gold bangles, a honkin' huge fuchsia ring and coral earrings. I looked like a disco queen and I loved it.

Just wanted you to share in my joy.

Come onnnnn summer shopping season!

Freaky Friday: Royal Wedding Edition

Just in case you weren't tired enough of Matt Lauer going on about the wedding, I had to weigh in. I'll admit I absolutely did not get up to watch the wedding take place. Instead I woke up around 8 and tuned into the Today Show for the sole purpose of seeing the dress. Union for the British Monarchy? I don't care... what was she wearing?



Um she was wearing the most awesome dress of all time. The only thing that makes me sad is that now this dress will be mass produced and everyone will wear it. C'est la vie. But this dress was spot on. The creative director for Alexander McQueen dressed her and I think it is pretty brilliant. I'm so relieved she didn't end up in some foofy concoction.


Speaking of concoctions, how many alcoholic versions did this girl drink before getting dressed? The only thing worse than the electric blue dress is the shoes, clutch, gloves and wackadoo hat. So basically the whole outfit. It looks like she was trying to fulfill the tacky drunk bridesmaid role.


So I love Joss Stone, but she always looks generally unwashed and barefoot. How did she clean up this nicely? I covet this dress. And the hat? Cute without being psychotic and attention grubbing UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE.


Just kidding, not you Queen Elizabeth. I can't say anything mean about you because I'm Canadian.


I LOVED Pippa's dress. And the name Pippa. If I ever have another baby, I will name it Pippa, boy or girl. Just kidding, I'll never have another baby. Next fish I get. Pippa for sure.


Unlike Miss Tim Burton over here. Like, she's totally not married to Tim Burton but her outfit is a little creepy like a Tim Burton movie is. Although, after looking at all of these pictures I feel like I need to invest in a pair of gloves.


Hellllooooo Mrs. Prime Minister! She did it right and looks like she was also reading my blog and learning about the importance of a nude shoe. I appreciate your allegiance! She's lovely.


You know what really helps Victoria Beckham's ice queen reputation? Wearing all black to a wedding. Not to mention I hate when pregnant women cover their bumps with giant clothes. Show it off! It's the only time it's socially acceptable to have a gargantuan belly.

Becks on the other hand looks dapper and adorable and I want to marry him immediately even though his voice is jarringly high and feminine.


Oh sisters. I can only imagine that Eugenie thought she would steal the show with her bright blue dress until Beatrice sauntered in with a massive cameo necklace pinned to her head. IN YOUR FACE 'GENIE!.


Kate's mom looked adorable. And I always feel badly for Camilla. I would really hate to be known as the other woman for the rest of my life. Of course, that's because I've never been an other woman and that would be a fat lie. Maybe it's different if you really are the other woman?

So, now that the wedding is over, can I get back to watching normal TV again? I swear, if TLC plays another version of the Wills and Kate love story instead of Strange Addictions I WILL cry.

(Photo credits: Geoff Pugh, REUTERS, Getty Images and PA)

Smoke and Mirrors

So I was driving around with a friend the other day, and we were discussing how we both needed to get into shape because swimming season is like, next month despite the fact that I live on a flipping mountain and I'm fairly sure it will never stop snowing, ever. Anyway, she made a comment about my being in shape and I almost laughed out loud. I know for a fact that my love of Big Macs and Mini Eggs will never allow me to be one of those intimidating hard-bodied workout types. It's just not me.

Still, I workout and *mostly* eat well, but the rest is all done with clothes. I completely believe in the power of clothes to trick the eye and make me look thinner than I really am. Plus, as a teenager, I had two best friends who were impossibly tiny and I still think of myself as the chubby one. I know I'm not chubby, but teenager stuff like that NEVER goes away. So I obsess over smoke and mirrors to get in shape without having to hit the gym. It's all about the instant gratification, baby!

Want my secrets? Ooookay. But first I will point out that anyone who knows me in real life will now know the jig is up and see that I only fake being in shape. Boo.

Scarves

When I'm feeling a little chubby 'round the old middle, a scarf is the fastest way to bring the eyes up to the face. Plus, it's long enough that it lengthens out the whole torso so everyone wins. Seriously though, it's also the fastest way to look fashionable without doing anything. I wear a scarf when I'm in a white tee and jeans and don't feel like putting anything else together. Skinny and fashion forward? I'll take it! Just look for gauzey scarves. 10 points if it's the color or this one from Lorisshoes.com because I heart it.

Wide Belts

After my second pregnancy, when my body didn't do the old bounceroo back into shape like the first time around, I took to wearing wider belts a lot of the time. And people would be like "Hey, how'd you get into shape so fast?" But really I'd just tucked it all in. Is that gross? Anyway, a wide belt can really camouflage a larger belly AND create a middle when you lack one. The big trick is to ensure that it isn't too tight. Sausage belts are a pet peeve of mine. Let it hug you, not squeeze you. There's a difference. Ask a boa constrictor. (F21)

Dresses


I wear dresses all. the time. Not only do they make me feel super feminine, but they make me look skinny, so bonus. It's because dresses create a long, uninterrupted line on your body so you look overall leaner. If you really want to go for full skinny potential, look for an a-line dress like this pretty one from Ruche. Add a little cardigan and how cute and svelte are you?

Trickster Shoes

Nude pumps are the equivalent to Bridget Jones' scary granny panties in the sense that they create this glorious illusion that is in no way true. While I have fairly long legs, the rest of me is pretty stumpy (seriously, my arms are so short that I can't touch my toes when stretching. It has nothing to do with flexibility, I swear) but when I put on a pair of nude pumps, I suddenly have these crazy long, slender legs and actually look something akin to statuesque. Of course, then I come home and put on my polka-dot cow socks and the illusion is utterly ruined, but I got it for a few hours, right? Look for nude pumps that have an open design. Straps and buckles need not apply. (PiperLime)

Structure


Structure can help lock and load your body so you look more put together. Wearing empire waist shirts and loosey goosey pants is all well and good, but when you're having a fat day, forget about it. Stick with button up shirts, blazers and more tailored pieces. And how adorbs is this Buckle blazer. I would be lying if I said I wasn't considering going to the mall and buying it immediately. Tailored clothes like this will shave inches off of your frame (not literally, that would be super dangerous) and nip in your body so you look tinier. Seriously. If I'm wearing a blazer, you can be sure that I binged on Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies the previous night and am making up for it via clothes.

Oh clothes, you never fail me.

Freaky Friday

Ohh I know how much you missed a good Freaky Friday! Every time I go looking for ugly clothes, they all remind me of weird things and then I have to Google image the weird things they remind me of. Then I get super distracted and three hours later, a post is born.



I was at the zoo last week and for some reason I picture this in the small animal house, in a terrarium. With dads taking pictures while the moms say "ewwww" and try to direct their kids to the koala bears.


Now, Nicole Sherzinger ... Schriezing... whatever her name might be is a perfect example of a pretty girl made ugly by hair and makeup. I don't even care that she's wearing her workout clothes because she's stumping for Reebok here, but OMG what is up with her horns? And why does her face take up so much of her head? Can't... stop.... looking.


Just in case you were wondering what goes with your shrunken tribal bustier. Pantaloons. The answer is always pantaloons.


Ohhh that's what I forgot to add to my outfit today. Oven mitts!

(They're so hot right now)

HAH! See what I did there? I couldn't stop my fingers from typing that if I glued them to my desk.


Possibly the world's most unflattering pair of pants. First of all, they start at the neck. Then add a droopy drawstring, some shine and the world's largest crotch. Then throw $245 into a wood chipper in front of nine starving babies. Fashion is silly.


So this is the side view of a handbag. I couldn't even get to the front view, because all I could see was a certain friend.


WILSON!!!! They've made you into a sequined purse? WHY!? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.


I am changing the name of this blog to "How Not to Look Thin." And every day I'll just post this dress. Until the end of time.


You know, at first I was like ew, what an ugly and unnecessary shirt. But then I got to thinking. As a girl who was not blessed with ample lady lumps, it may be helpful to have a shirt like this for informational and locating purposes. As in "Yes, the left boob is right HERE."



Girls wearing loincloths are creepy to me.



Remember when we talked about wearing florals without looking like an old timey plantation owner? Please remember this the next time you're in the market for a floral romper that is too short. I don't know WHY you would be in the market for a floral romper that is too short, but it never hurts to be prepared.


I am always down with a shirt that makes you look hairier overall. Also, are the ears really necessary?

Elise sent this to me over on the Facebook fan page (check the right sidebar) and I was so excited. You see, I am a huge King of Queens fan, so naturally it reminded me of Carrie's Christmas sweater.


So I dug around and found a picture of it, laughed for a while and then mourned the loss of that show.


Then, when I was googling "Giraffe sweaters" I found this and laughed even harder.

And that, my friends, is why my Freaky Friday posts are always late.

Prettying Up a Pony

...no, not an actual pony. Because why would I post about that?

Also, sorry for the lack of posting last week. I came home from Canada and went to the doctors for a cough, and whaddyaknow. I had pneumonia. Who gets pneumonia? Is this 1847? It was stupid. But I'm all better now!

No, I'm talking about the dreaded mom ponytail. Let me tell you, having a style blog is a lot of pressure. In the few times that someone has recognized me out and about, I panic and wonder if they go home and tell their friends that I was dressed sloppy or had spaghetti sauce on my shirt or *GASP* had my hair in a ponytail.

I'm not going to lie, I wear my hair in a pony at least one a week. But only once. And maybe on weekends. This is because I made a deal with myself that if I ever found myself wearing ponytails three days in a row, I had to cut my hair. And I am a strict mistress to myself. When I'm short on time and resign myself to a ponytail day, I at least try to ensure that there's something going on past the plain old droopy mom hair ponytail. Yes, I have THAT much pride and vanity. Also, I always run into people I don't want to at WalMart.

Ugh, is there anything worse than when you see someone at the store, chat for a minute and then say bye, and then meet up like, three aisles later? Well, yes, there is a lot worse. But that is still pretty bad.

But I digress. I won't hate on you if you have a ponytail. I understand you don't have time to do a full on blowout every day. But ponytails don't have to be shameful! They can actually be quite pretty and they don't have to take one moment longer than the traditional mom pony. Again, not an actual pony. I shouldn't have to keep saying this.

Anyway, I did my hair four times for your benefit today. My life is so hard. Also, after I was done I took my hair out and will not be wearing my hair in a ponytail because I am a hypocrite.



K, so this is a pretty common style for me. I just smooth my hair into a low pony, then I add a little hairspray into the actual pony to add texture. It's totally plain, but it looks put together and there is nary a scrunchie in sight. Please also note that I always wear dark brown hair elastics. You are not four. Put the hot pink elastics away. Use clear or hair-colored. You can also take a few strands of the pony and wrap it around the base of your ponytail and all of a sudden you look like you can do hair. Amazing!



I forgot how much I enjoy the buttons on that shirt. ANYWAY. If you're going to do a regular old ponytail, make it high and add some face-framing strands. Pulling your hair straight back can be kind of jarring, and the pieces look like I actually DID something even though this took me five seconds. I usually brush my hair into a high pony and then pull out the front strands before I put the elastic in. Then I can smooth out the top and secure it without messing up the front. I also might flat iron the front to make sure it looks sleek and not messy.



When in doubt, use accessories. They make a stupid old ponytail look like you actually spent time. I actually did a messy bun for this look. I remember my first day of high school, 14 years old, and I walked in the doors and a senior girl walked by whilst tying her hair into the perfect messy bun. I was so jealous. It took me YEARS to perfect the messy bun. YEARS. So I pulled my hair back into the bun and then folded a scarf into quarters. Once I tied it on, I messed up the back a little for the texture.



If you see me out and about with my hair like this, it's because my hair was not cooperating that day OR I didn't feel like washing it. The side pony just works with day-after-blowout hair. When you do a side pony, keep it low because this is not 1987. Secure the back along the nape of your neck so you don't have hair slipping out. Then I pull out a ton of pieces out front because I like the look to be messy and whateverish. Whateverish is totally a word by the way.

A few other notes:
-Keep bobby pins on hand. Yes, your husband will curse you every time he sucks up a bobby pin with the vacuum but it's still important. They are the fastest way to coax your hair back into shape after it goes crazy.
-Use other accessories like flowers, broaches, whatever, to make it seem like you actually care about your hair when you don't.
-Keep a bit of balm in your bag, especially if you're going to try on clothes. I HATE when my hair gets all staticky when trying on clothes. In a pinch, lip balm totally works on your hair.
-Earrings go a long way in making a ponytail look on-purpose. I'm wearing plain studs but seriously, almost any type of earring works with ponies. (NOT REAL PONIES OMG)

And, if your hair really isn't working, there's always your husband's hat.


Oh hat, how I love you. (Why am I staring romantically in the distance you ask? This is the day my Tahoe died in the rain and I sat in my husband's Jeep while he attempted to fix it on the side of the road. I am pondering the gladness that I feel that my hair isn't getting wet.)