Looking Good, Babe!: Pig out Aftermath

With Chinese New Year, comes major pig out sessions (At least for me...) What to do if you can't fit into that favourite dress anymore? Never fear, the Belle is here to help.

What this post is not: Filled with unrealistic ideas that promise lightning quick weight loss, with unrealistic, unsustainable diets and exercise routine. If you came expecting an immediate solution... well, I am sorry, I do not have a magic wand...

What this post is: Ideas that I myself have tried and tested true over the years (Although I may not be putting them into practice now...haha...)that are easy to follow and keep up.The Belle likes things that are easily incorporated into the lifestyle.

I am an impatient person. I like seeing results quickly (Who doesn't?) and I have fallen victim to diets, pills, etc, but thankfully, no real damage was done to my health. It takes a lot to recover damaged health, and simply isn't worth it.

When it comes to shaping up, steady, sustained results should be what we are aiming for--my mantra is, if you can't make it part of your lifestyle, you won't be able to keep it up. The pounds will come creeping back sooner or later.

Enough of my nagging. Read on!

Diet

Junk Food-I am terrible at keeping to diets. I love food. Rather than abstinence from 'evil' foods, I prefer to eat them in small portions to satisfy myself, and then move on. Eating small portions of the real thing is better than substituting. (Come on, do you seriously think pastry made with margarine tastes better than pastry made with butter?) 

Sugary Drinks-Plain water is the best, but the Belle gets bored easily with plain water, so sweet drinks have become a great temptation. What to do? I keep reminding myself that sugar causes the skin to sag, so that I will think twice before reaching for that canned drink. Soups and teas are great alternatives, and it is a good thing that I do like green tea--plenty of antioxidants and good stuff in it.

Hunger-If I find myself snacking too often, I will stop and ask myself if I am really hungry, or just bored. Suprisingly, many people mistake dehydration for hunger pangs and reach for food rather than their water glass. Next time you find yourself hungry, try a glass of water instead.

Detoxing- So many people get stuck in a rut trying to cut the pounds, failing to realize the importance of detoxing the body first. Let's put it this way. Like a machine, if the body is clogged up with waste, it simply cannot function properly. Likewise, when it is clean, fat burning becomes more efficient, and pounds start to melt away. (Note:Detoxing is not crash dieting. Always consult a doctor before you start any intensive regime, especially if you have prior health problems.)

Exercise

For lazybones-Exercise. Easier said than done, I know. A good idea, if you are lazy (like me), is to trick yourself into exercising. Insert it into your daily routine. For me, I walk my son to school, rather than take him there on the bus. 30 minutes to and fro, twice a day, means I do an hour of brisk walking a day, five times a week.

For the bored-Variety is key. I sometimes have little races and games with my son (provided we are not near the road or anywhere dangerous) on the way home. This way, I get exercise, and a happier kid. When The Husband is available to fetch the kid, I insert a short half an hour yoga session at home.(Note: Standing yoga positions and The Sun Salutations are good exercise for weight loss!). Remember, if you are bored, most probably, you will not keep up with the regime.

For the time strapped-For mothers, especially, sometimes, 24 hours simply isn't enough. A good idea would be to incorporated the exercise into your daily regime. Mopping the floor? Take the opportunity to use a cloth on hands and knees to do it rather than use a mop. (The floor gets cleaner too!) Wiping the windows? Alternate using the left and right hand, so that both sides get a workout. In the office? Do some dips on your office chair before you leave the office for the day. (When no one is looking, of course. Haha...) The possibilities are endless.

As I always say, and feel strongly, beauty takes time, and sustained effort. I hope I made it easier for you to work towards your dream body.

Product reviews, coming up next. Come back soon!

Looking Good, Babe!: Happy Chinese New Year!

It's Chinese New Year over here in Singapore, and I have been and will be busy this couple of days, so updates are a little slower than usual. Please be patient with me!

Coming up next will be some of my thoughts and journey on my battle of the bulge, plus some information (for shaping and slimming the body) that I have tried and tested true over the years.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone! May the year of the Snake bring about bountiful harvests and good luck for all!

Looking Good,Babe!: Shape Me Slender!

With Lunar New Year round the corner, whats a girl to do? There's so much to prepare, and there simply isn't any time for exercise. Hiding at home is not an option. Now, you can look slimmer immediately (although temporarily). Impossible, I hear. Now, now, let Big Sister Crystal Belle help.

1) Posture- Keep tummy tucked in, and back straight. Instantly trims the figure, and helps to tone the tummy in the long term, if you make it a habit. You also look much taller!

2)Shapewear- Corsets are a great invention. They tuck in the excess, and lift what needs to be lifted. Plus, they can become part of your outfit. But don't limit yourself. There is shapewear designed specifically to shape the waist and tummy, as well as lift your derriere. While they may not magically shrink your spare tire, they smooth out the figure for shapelier curves. If they're good enough for Hollywood stars, they're good enough for us.

3)Killer heels-A good pair of heels can do so much for your legs(and your behind). And no, wedges look good, but the effect somehow isn't the same. To minimize discomfort, look for gel cushions to relieve the pressure on the foot.

Now, some may choose the option of tanning to look slimmer.While it does help to a limited extent, the Belle does not recommend it-- a patchy tan is hard to get rid of. Even the bottled ones.

The list is not exhaustive. Feel free to share if you have any good ideas.

Here's to looking good this Lunar New Year, Babes! *clinks glasses*

In the pipeline- a post to help you shed the excess inches and pounds after all the festive eating. See you soon!

Looking Good, Babe!: Drink Me Slim

Misleading as it may seem, I am not talking about any special diet drinks. What I am referring to about some readily available or easily made drinks and methods to help you fight the bloat brought about by water retention. Without further ado, I present to you my tried and tested methods.

Black Coffee

A well known diuretic. It flushes out water.  But those sensitive to caffeine might want to try other options.

Tea

Black tea or green tea should do the trick. Does the same thing as coffee,but with a little less caffeine. Again, those sensitive to caffeine might want to take note.

Barley Water

Listed as 'Cooling' in Chinese/Asian food. It helps to flush out excess water and toxins in the body. (Just boil barley in water, add sugar to taste, and if you like, a squeeze of lemon to add some zing)

Cranberry Juice

Again,a diuretic, plus yummy goodness. Mmmm...

Lemon Water

A refreshing drink that helps cleanse the insides. Feels particularly good after a meal-- it also helps to cut out the greasiness.  (Tip: To save time, freeze the juice into ice cubes. when you are ready to drink, just pop the preferred number of cubes in into a glass of water.)

Apple Cider Vinegar

Add a tablespoonful ACV to water, with some honey to taste. This not only helps with water retention, it has many other health benefits too. More about that later.

The list is not exhaustive. I have however tried and liked the above. Just be sure the restroom is nearby when you try them out. And try only ONE at a time please...(Those with existing health problems, please check with the doctor what you can or cannot take.)

With water retention, it is important that you avoid salt like the plague. Strange as it may sound, you need to drink more water to fight water retention. (Water retention happens when there is too much salt in the body, and the body therefore retains water to try to maintain the balance.)

 While the above may not slim you down immediately, they will greatly reduce bloatedness brought about by water retention. (And allow you to fit better into that gorgeous dress, or tight pair of pants.)

Coming next, quick tricks to make you look slimmer (ALMOST) immediately.

Looking Good, Babe!-Introduction

Doesn't everyone love festivities? I do.  But while I love the holidays, festive eating does not bode well  for my quest to a shapelier body. With Chinese Lunar New Year coming up, and festive feasting up ahead, dieting seems to have become a very distant possibility for me. (Not that I was able to stick to it in the first place.) So, exercise seems to have become the only option for me.

But as time is running short (Yikes, three more days to Chinese New Year), I will be sharing a few methods to help you look better in your new clothes in the next post--even if its just temporary. (Cheating,I know, but hey, what's a girl to do when time is running short?)

Watch this space!

Body Beautiful

I write this with an extremely heavy heart. Why? Because I'm FAT!

Those who tell you to love your body? Well, couldn't you like to love it just a little more, if you had a firmer stomach? Or less orange peel on your jiggly bits? Haha...

Joke aside, my quest for a beautiful silhouette has not been a short one. Elephant thighs, spare tire, cellulite...you name it, I've worried about it. Even to this day, my weight is a taboo topic, which I will carry to my grave. Hubby is not an exception.

I'm not overweight. But looking at the societal perception of "ideal", who, or how many, can still step out in their swimsuit without a second thought?

So What does one do? Conform. What have I done? Let me see. Diet pills:Check. Miracle creams/serums: Check. Fad diet:Check. Everything except the one thing that really works (unfortunately). Exercise.

Exercise. The dreaded word that sends shivers down my spine. Don't get me wrong. I love to exercise. I just don't like the hot sun. Being extremely prone to heat rashees, too much sun worsens the condition. So, I am left with little choice except top go to the gym. But having the nearest gym quite a few stops away from my residence, and being the queen of procrastination that I am, the future for my 'body beautiful seems bleak.

(So exercise in the evening...take a bus...blah...blah...blah...yes, I hear you...)

(Brings out anti cellulite cream. Sighs.)

(slaps self.Brings out exercise gear. Sighs again.)

Time to get off my couch. But let me finish my chocolate and TV program first...