Slimming Advice #3: Will Exercises Ever Work for Me?

To keep it short: exercises are necessary to loose weight and stay in shape after having reached the desired frame. Exercises, however, have 2 major flaws:

- It is next to impossible to commit to them on every day basis;
- Not all of them work for everyone for a number of different reasons.

It is important to accept these two facts and work around them, not give up. Finding the type of work out that will do the job for you will probably take some time, experiments and professional assistance. The most important task though is to start with regular physical activity, not every day but minimum 3 times a week. Fit it into your schedule and commit to it: 3 hours a week are possible to find if you are really serious about getting rid of extra weight. In combination with healthy and portioned meals, healthy consumption of alcohol and other beverages, the work outs should deliver great results. And oh, it will not happen over night or even in 2-3 months. The real results will be visible in about 6 months to a year, so let’s stay realistic.

This article is a part of the series "Models and Calories Are Friends, Not Enemies". To be continued...

Slimming Advice # 2: What You Eat Is As Important As How Much

Keeping your house clean takes enormous amount of efforts. Every day we do dishes, wash, dust and … the list is endless. Our body is our own house in a way and keeping it in shape is always challenging. After all, why should a gorgeous body come to you with no efforts? There is a pretty long list of things we should consistently do to stay in shape, and one of the most important tasks is to watch what ends up “in us”.

I am a big supporter of natural everything, including natural and organic foods. My top choices are fresh vegetables and fruit, natural nuts with no salt or sugar, dried fruit, then cooked and canned greens, raw or steamed/grilled seafood, grilled or steamed meats. Among others on the list are light salad dressings, home cooked meals with no or very little sodium, no or very little fat and frozen yoghurts or sorbets for dessert.

Does it mean fries, cakes, ice cream and other delicious treats are forbidden? No, it doesn’t! Everyone should find their own balance of foods. It is a very personal thing, to my opinion. But when you are buying your favorite half-prepared products, canned foods and fries, take a moment and look at the label. All of the products are very different and your body would thank you for choosing the ones with less fat, sodium, sugar, artificial flavors, preservatives, etc.

And one more thing: it’s not only food that counts; your drinks (both, alcoholic and non-alcoholic) as well as medications you are taking can make a huge difference. Sodas, wines, cocktails, juices (yes, even 100% natural juices!), coffee with creamers – they all add quite a bit to the 2,000 calories a day limit. The best thing one can do is always stay informed about new foods, drinks and studies. Aol. com and Yahoo.com regularly publish very interesting and informative articles about weight control and various scientific facts on their home pages. Also, there are many other sources of important updates including books, magazines and your own nutritionist or doctor, of course. So, look at your food labels, count your calories, regularly educate yourself and stay fabulous!

Read about healthy consumption of alcohol here

This article is a part of the series "Models and Calories Are Friends, Not Enemies". To be continued...

Slimming Advice #1: It Might Not Be Normal Just Because It's Normal to YOU

Everybody knows that one of the major cultural differences between many countries of the world is food. We all feel like Italian, French, Chinese or maybe Mexican once in a while. But not everyone knows that cuisine is not the only difference: portions differ, too.

Having lived most of my adult life in Europe, I experienced tremendous shock during my first visit to an American restaurant. The meal was delicious but the size was astonishing! That's when I really understood why American people have a "to go box", whereas in many countries of Europe it is not appropriate and almost cheap to take food home.

But that's not the point. There is nothing wrong with taking food home. In fact, I LOVE doing it! The point is that one’s portions might not be as normal as it seems and bigger portions definitely do not encourage staying slim. At home (not only in a restaurant) we often practice the same approach, especially if we have kids and have to establish solid examples of healthy eating. But what is healthy? Is it about how much to eat or what to eat? How much does our body really need to function well, stay in shape and receive all necessary vitamins and nutrients?

I will not make any statements just because I do not believe that internet blogs are the sources of health and weight advice one should rely on. “How much” is a question for a professional nutritionist. As for me, I live every day with a solid belief that a human body needs no more than 2,000 calories per day and maybe even less when one is not active (such as at a lazy weekend). You count for yourself. And you might be very much surprised how little food it is. In fact, it might be only ONE meal or ONE dessert depending on what it consists of, so it is important to watch the calories’ count in your food during the day. While eating normal in your opinion, you might be actually consuming 3-5 times more than needed and that’s how one gains weight every day. If this is the case, no food supplements, diets or “miracle” pills will help.

Don’t know calories figures? You can use the Calorie Counter or other information sources.

Bottom line: strict and consistent portioning is important not only for loosing weight but for keeping it off, i.e. for a lifetime (whether you like it or not).

This article is a part of the series "Models and Calories Are Friends, Not Enemies". To be continued...

Models and Calories Are Friends, Not Enemies

OK, it’s time to destroy the myth about the starving world of fashion. Yes, there certainly are a few models that eat almost nothing but these are the ladies who need professional help (as well as some Hollywood celebrities who admit to various disorders from time to time and head to a rehab). But seriously, “good” calories are the best friends of models and the best way to stay in shape! How so? It is rather simple: the clue is in eating right. The difficult part is how to find out what “the right stuff” is and how to resist temptations on every day basis.

Correct nutrition means eating just enough of “the right stuff” to maintain the necessary balance of vitamins, nutrients, minerals, fiber, calories, etc. It is definitely not easy to do without a sufficient base of knowledge about foods and human body needs. The right balance allows one to stay fit and healthy, maintain radiant and beautiful skin, teeth, nails and even avoid dark circles under eyes. But to be fair, I should say that the right balance of water intake, sleep and exercise are the same important. Celebrities and famous models have a demanding schedule and often a nutritionist on board to help them balance their needs successfully. Indeed, there is a good reason for that: correct nutrition is crucial for beauty and health and it is way more complicated than simply starving.

I often receive the same question from readers: how do you stay so thin? To be honest, it is a difficult question to me because for years I have been following the same routine without introducing any special diets or innovations. I always feel bad answering the question out of fear that my readers would take it as an attempt to “keep my secrets to myself”. One day I went out to lunch with an acquaintance of mine. We were discussing weight control and I shared my concern with her. Having listened to me, she pointed out that the daily routine I’ve been following HAD been my so called “secret”. No matter how easy and “not special” it seems to me, it is working. I am not a nutritionist or a fitness professional but will definitely share my routine in the upcoming posts. Keep reading!