Plus Size PLUS Model Magazine [The Pulse of Plus Size Fashion, Beauty, Arts and Plus Size Models] » Health

Our Interview with Carre Otis

Natalie Monet, Editorial Assistant — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:26:01 +0000

By Tulin Reid

Carre Otis was a rock star to many of us, having modeled for Guess, Donna Karen, Calvin Klein, and Revlon and appearing on the covers of Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, and Cosmopolitan. The media couldn’t get enough of her turbulent love life with Mickey Rourke and her undeniable good looks. Her memoir, Beauty, Disrupted written with Hugo Schwyzer; speaks of her difficult years, naming her rapist, a shooting and survival; but there is so much more to Carre Otis. Her rebirth, self-discovery, faith, sensuality, and journey into motherhood are part of who she is and what she shares with us. I found myself rooting for her, pained for her, and in the end, learned lessons about myself. Join me in my interview with Carre Otis.

Tulin: The media has touched on your more challenging years, but I would like to focus on other aspects of your journey. I’m really inspired by your self-acceptance and how you moved on.

Carre: Ohhhh, I am more than OK with that! Thank you!

Tulin: Where did the addiction start for you?

Carre: From the beginning, like the first signs of addiction, were around food. I think you have so many of us that had disturbed eating patterns, from a young age. As a child I was dyslexic and my family wasn’t necessarily in a safe place. I didn’t have a strong relationship with my mother; there were no discussions about femininity and embracing yourself, and all the miracles and joys about becoming a woman. It was a strange disconnect and quite terrifying, because what isn’t explained to you can be quite scary. My eating habits were an attempt to control all that was out of control, that whole vicious cycle is typically about emotional issues. That was my big attempt at controlling what was out of control. To find my way into the modeling industry that looks the other way, or actually condones that behavior, because you’re expected to be a certain size, was a really bad match for me. The attempt to medicate myself was a further extension to that initial wound in life.

Tulin: It’s completely evident throughout the book how much you empowered yourself truly from within. Do you feel that having been through what you have been through that you’ll be able to empower your daughters in ways you had not been?

C: Totally! It’s such an amazing, graceful, wonderful responsibility to have given birth to two girls at this point in time. I have this obligation and responsibility to share and give them, age appropriate, as we move along this journey together, all the dialogue. There is no question that is unanswered in our household. The way that we discuss the body, the way we talk about nutrition. We don’t use the words fat or diet or anything like that in our household. They are growing up in a very aware and empowered way. That’s not to say that they are not going to realize things down the line or go through their own hardships, because we all do, but I am giving them a very different opportunity to administer their own lives.

Tulin: You have experienced a lot of success in modeling. Then after sometime, you reemerged as a plus size model.

Carre: Yes, after my heart surgery, I was in Grace Magazine.

Tulin: I remember you had gorgeous plus-size editorials and campaigns in Grace Magazine! One I remember vividly was shot in the Palm Springs Desert.

Carre: I thought it was really cool too; I was so defiant. I saw another side of the modeling industry; the discrimination. I had gained weight and I was a different size, I could not understand why I was not going to get the same day rate. On the other hand, sometimes I wasn’t big enough so they wanted me to put padding on underneath the clothes. It was just this endless barrage of “you’re not this, you’re not that.” I was so proud of that time for myself. I was not going to not work as a model because I was a different weight or size; that to me was just unacceptable. It was a moment when I really found my voice.

To read more about Carre go to PLUS Model Magazine.

AdoraOm’s New Year, New Look, New You Contest!

Natalie Monet, Editorial Assistant — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:57:08 +0000

This month AdoraOm is giving 1 LUCKY WINNER a fabulous makeover for the

“New Year, New Look, New You” Makeover Contest

which starts

Midnight November 29 & runs until Midnight December 31, 2011.

The winner will receive:

* A Complete New Hairdo, compliments of Stylist Antoinette Holton of Jaeso Studio in Anaheim. Have you ever wanted to have that “celebrity style” and were always afraid to try it? Now with Antoinette’s help you can have your chance!

* Makeup application and tips, compliments of Makeup Artists Nicole Valentine of Nikki V. Beverly Hills. Always wanted to rock an amazing Smokey Eye look and never could quite get it right? Nicole can show you step by step!

* AdoraOm 3 piece outfit. Sick of wearing your boyfriends over-sized t-shirt and sweats to the gym or running errands? Now you can look fabulous doing any activity, everyday in your new AdoraOm premium active wear.

* Lunch with Danielle Line & Founders plus a Suprise Goodie Bag full of items to get your New Year, New Look, New You off to a great start!

TO ENTER:

*On Facebook “like” the AdoraOm fan page, Jaeso Studio fan page, and Nikki Valentine (makeup artist) fan page.

*Email contest@adoraom.com a photo of you doing your favorite activity where you plan to rock your AdoraOm active wear. Pictures will be posted under the New Year, New Look, New You Contest album on Facebook. Please No Inappropriate Images.

*Visit the AdoraOm Lounge and leave us a comment under the “New Year, New Look, New You” Makeover Contest and tell us why you want to win.

*On Twitter “follow” AdoraOm and tweet the following:

I just entered the @AdoraOm “New Year, New Look, New You Makeover Contest” and you can too! Click here to enter http://blog.adoraom.com/

For Contest Rules & Regulations click here

The Winner will be Announced on

January 3, 2012

7 Confidence Boosters For Overweight Daters

Natalie Monet, Editorial Assistant — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:05:57 +0000

According to the CDC, approximately 34 percent of adult Americans are overweight; according to TV shows and films, however, most of the people who fall in love tend to be thin and preternaturally good-looking. Empirical evidence shows us that people of all shapes and sizes meet and fall in love; for proof, any trip to your local mall should yield up scores of overweight people holding hands with their beloved partners, strolling and shopping. And yet, when overweight people enter the dating scene, they’re often overwhelmed by feeling unlovable and unattractive to others. It’s a feeling that naturally undermines a person’s confidence — one of the qualities that experts agree is essential to attraction.
Plus-sized daters should “have unshakeable confidence,” advises Rachel Russo, a New York City-based dating, relationship and image coach (www.RachelRusso.com). “The overweight single must not be apologetic for his/her weight but should rather embrace it, and realize [that a person's] weight does not have to impact [someone's] self-worth — and the ability to love and be loved.”

But how does someone gain that confidence in a culture that tells us “thin is in” everywhere you look? We’ve culled ideas from experts on body image, self-esteem and plus-size fashion and compiled their seven best success strategies for curvy daters.

1. Practice self-acceptance
“In order to have confidence, you have to accept yourself for the beautiful person you are,” says Marie Denee, the plus-size fashion and style blogger who founded The Curvy Fashionista blog, which provides fashion, lifestyle, and beauty tips and tricks specifically for plus size women. “Not everyone will like you — and this is OK!” Denee says. “You are not attracted to every person, are you? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but more importantly, you have to accept yourself for who you are — curves, love handles and all!”

Holistic health counselor Golda Poretsky agrees, and she advises overweight daters to “make friends with their reflections.” How? “Every time (and I mean every time) you catch your reflection in the mirror or a window or whatever, affirm to yourself: I am beautiful,” she suggests. Say it aloud or in your head, if you prefer. Try mixing things up by adding in other phrases, such as “I am sexy/gorgeous/fabulous,” if you like. “If you keep this practice going, not only will you believe it, but you’ll exude it,” says Poretsky, who teaches the “Body Love Makeover Attraction Program” course for overweight women who would like to date more and feel more attractive.

Poretsky says that self-acceptance can also come from seeing yourself as part of a beautiful, plus-sized lineage. “The ‘thin is in’ motto of the last century or so is just a blip in the human timeline,” she asserts. “For thousands of years, women of all shapes and sizes were honored as embodying the divine feminine in the world. Connect with that heritage — and the heritage of big, beautiful women in recent history — to connect with the true beauty within and without. Connect with it, and you will exude it.”

2. Don’t assume that others think you’re unattractive
We all make assumptions about what other people find attractive, but often, those assumptions needlessly limit us. “Let go of assumptions,” Poretsky urges daters of all sizes. “What do you assume [anything negative] about your attractiveness? Do you think you ‘can’t wear’ certain things? Do you assume that certain people, based on their looks or background, won’t be interested in you? Get clear on your assumptions and practice operating without them. It will open up worlds!”

3. Be honest when posting photos of yourself online
While the temptation to post online pictures from thinner times of yesteryear is a strong one, experts agree it’s better to fight the urge. Instead, they suggest only posting photos with your online dating profile that are both flattering and truly representative of your actual appearance today. “Posting several recent photos that represent how you really look from all angles is essential,” says Russo.

For more tips go to Match.com

Hotter Than July Bellydance Extravaganza

Natalie Monet, Editorial Assistant — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 00:14:38 +0000

The Hotter than July Bellydance Extravaganza is a celebration of the Girls Raks
Bellydance and Body Image Summer Program.  The event will be held July 9, 2011
at 1:00pm at the La Peña Cultural Center at 3105 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley.
Now in its second year and led by Raks Africa, Girls Raks is a fun and engaging
summer program for girls ages 13-19.  The goal of the program is to provide
survival tools for girls of all sizes who may struggle with body image and
self-esteem issues.  The two-week program gives teenage girls an opportunity to
have a body-positive experience, free of judgment and competition.  “Programming
for young people, especially arts related programming, are usually the first to
be cut during a budget crisis.  Girls Raks was our way of stepping up and
stepping to the gap.  It’s been an inspiring and successful intervention,” says
Co-Director Etang Inyang,

A $10 to $20 donation at the door is suggested.  The Extravaganza features Bay
Area bellydance treasures Nanna Candelaria, Ahava, Monica Berini, Khalilah,
Queenie TT, Asata Iman, Zadiyah, Raks al Khalil, Shabnam’s Ooh La La Dancers,
Monica McCartney and a special performance from summer program participants,
Girls Raks and event producers, Raks Africa. 

Raks Africa
 510-229-0539      
raksafrica@yahoo.com
www.raksafrica.com
http://www.lapena.org/event/1808

http://www.raksafrica.com/hotter-than-july.html

http://www.raksafrica.com/girls-raks.html

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=240300862646707

Being a ‘fatshionista’

Natalie Monet, Editorial Assistant — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:20:11 +0000

Via Mirror Magazine

In a world where beauty essentially means being thin, can a curvy figure be as acceptable? The Mirror Magazine finds out.

There’s a photograph taken by Lionel Wendt of a woman’s torso – her abdomen is divided into neat, long rolls of fat. Clearly, he saw some beauty in it, that voluptuousness that traditional cultures all over the world have prized as a sign of prosperity and health. “Ideas of what is beautiful change from generation to generation and even from country to country,” says Dr. Piyanjali de Zoysa, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of Colombo. “Chubbiness was nice because it showed prosperity. It’s good to be rich and so it was good to be plump.”

In the past, for the many women who could be politely described as zaftig (adj: having a full, shapely figure; plump. From Yiddish zaftik meaning ‘juicy’) their fat was a point of pride – they could survive a famine and illness, they could bear healthy children, they stood as solid evidence of their husband’s prowess as a provider.

“There were also evolutionary preferences – women with hour glass figures were seen as more fertile,”says, Dr. de Zoysa. From the Paleolithic figurine known as the Venus of Willendorf, to the heavy hips of the Hindu goddesses and the luscious weightiness of the Ruben’s women, it was clear that fat was once fabulous. (I should confess that the significance of the Venus figurines are hotly debated – sure, they could be a prized symbol of fertility, alternately they might be inspired by a mushroom cult.)

Then things changed – apparently, somewhere in Paris, a designer declared breasts were “out” and within a few decades, models like the iconic Twiggy and later Kate Moss made the semi-starved pre-adolescent look the most sought after. The Rubenesque women of the world began to feel fat. “Now if you look slim and sporty it’s because you have the money to go to the gym,” says Dr. de Zoysa, adding that our views on beauty continue to be tied up with our perceptions of what it means to be wealthy. And of course, fashion is a business. Designers in cahoots with mainstream media continue to determine who qualifies as ‘beautiful for the international markets.’ “The media decides what’s going to be in,” says Dr. de Zoysa.

Now, ever so slowly, the tide has begun to turn – and you can see it happening in mainstream media. As early as 1979, there was the BBW Magazine (filled with Big Beautiful Women) and in 2006, Twiggy’s heirs were summarily thrown off the ramp when Jean-Paul Gaultier and John Galliano used plus-size models to showcase their spring collections. These were fairly isolated rebellions though – Fashion T.V remained the province of the young and the anorexic. However, of late, ‘plus-size models’ have appeared on the pages of Harpers Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire, Glamour and even on the cover of Vogue. Models like Tara Lynn and Crystal Renn are put into clothes that showcase each roll of fat, each thunderous thigh, each pendulous forearm in loving detail.

Their rise to popularity, it is believed, has less to do with haute couture and more to do with a grassroots movement among young ‘fatshionistas.’

The web is filled with these blogs. There’s 24 year old Gabi Gregg who blogs at ‘Young, Fat and Fabulous’ (http://www.youngfatandfabulous.com/). In one blog post she offers her readers advice on what to do about ‘chubrub’ (thigh chafing) and in another encourages them to wear bikinis: ‘Newsflash: you don’t have to lose weight to look good in a swimsuit… Don’t let other people dictate what you wear. If the sight of my body makes people cringe, that’s their problem, not mine,’ she writes. There are many, many others: Christina Lewis at www.musingsofafatshionista.com who told The Guardian newspaper, “I’m never afraid to put myself out there with what I wear. I always tell people I don’t dress to look slim, I dress to look amazing!” You can find more of the same at www.fatshionista.com, confessionsofafatgirl.typepad.com and http://curiousfancy.com)

People like Christina and Gabi might just have the right idea, says Dr. de Zoysa. “Basically if you think of yourself as good looking it impacts many things – how you walk changes, you hold yourself well and when you seem more confident that will attract other people to you,” she explains, adding that “believing yourself to be attractive has a rewarding effect…there can be people who think they’re good looking, who behave that way, and who have lots of admirers.”

Still, it’s a rare woman who can’t find a flaw in her body. Magazines are filled with suggestions about thinking positive and accepting yourself, but these attitudes are easy to embrace but much harder to maintain. “It’s like a hot water bath but then afterwards, you again feel dirty,” says Dr. de Zoysa, sharing her belief that our attitudes are moulded during critical childhood years.

A practical step is to embrace a healthier lifestyle – a diet that emphasises health and vitality will bring a glow to your skin. Another is to objectively evaluate your attractiveness. Dr. de Zoysa says she asks her patients to attempt the occasional ‘behavioural experiment.’ For instance, she suggests you count the people who come up to you at a party or show some sign of interest. The results might challenge your preconceptions.

“The feeling you may have, of being fat and unattractive, may not go with your reality.” In the end, she offers a word of caution: “celebrating being fat can be as negative as wanting to be thin,” she says, referring to the spectrum of diseases associated with obesity. “To overcome society’s fascination with thinness we should not develop a fascination with fatness. Instead our preference should be for a healthy body.”

Shapeez: Shapewear That Makes You Feel As Good As You Look

Natalie Monet, Editorial Assistant — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:14:45 +0000

Shapewear is all the rage these days. More and more women- and even men – are using shapewear to look thinner and create a sleeker profile. But what if your shapewear can offer health benefits such as back pain relief, posture enhancement and abdominal support for women with abdominal muscle tears from pregnancy?

The result is a revolutionary all-in-one bra and body shaper brand called Shapeez that fuses function with fashion to forge a new generation in women’s underwear, delivering a stylish look with healthy-body benefits and visible cosmetic improvements.

“Shapewear for women has come a long way,” says Staci Berner Creator of the Unbelievabra by Shapeez. “There was a time when bras and body shapers were one of those topics that women typically prefer to keep private, undercover so to speak. But today’s women expect a great deal from their shapewear garments.”

Many women who use shapewear do so to look thinner and to reduce self-consciousness about excess weight; however the added health benefits of posture correction and back pain alleviation can do a great deal to help overall health, confidence and appearance. With this in mind, Shapeez is pleased to announce the Shapeez Health Distribution Program. This program is offered to health care professionals whose patients would benefit from wearing Shapeez garments.

“Shapeez is everything that I have been telling my patients to buy for the past eighteen years and I just didn’t know it existed,” says Dr. Bret Staley, a Chiropractic Physician and charter member of the Shapeez Health Distribution Program. Dr. Staley explains that he has always suggested his female patients wear a posture bra-sports bra, while not endorsing any specific brand. “A regular bra puts all of the weight of your breasts on thin shoulder straps and a 1-2 inch back band. This puts too much stress on your shoulders and one or maybe two of your thoracic vertebra, commonly causing neck and middle back pain.” According to Dr. Staley, “most sports bras available compresses the breasts and are mainly made from non-breathable nylon/spandex – an unpopular and uncomfortable alternative for a majority of my patients.”

‘Standing Tall’ with Shapeez

Shapeez is a breakthrough in garment technology. Made from the company’s patented ‘smooth-back’ design (no back bands or closures), it is constructed with breathable cool-tex lycra which allows it to cling to your body and compress trouble areas for a slimmer silhouette, lending itself naturally to posture correction. The compression from the elastic encourages you to stand straighter and more confidently, with your back straighter and firmer. This improvement in posture while standing, walking and even sitting can help reduce strain on the back and shoulders, particularly for those who sit for extended periods.

Fitness For All Bodies

Natalie Monet, Editorial Assistant — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 08:40:56 +0000

Who says big girl don’t work out? Meet Rochelle Rice. She’s a nationally-recognized speaker, educator and author of Real Fitness for Real Women. She holds a Master’s degree from NYU specializing in Plus-Size Exercise and has been working passionately with the plus-size population for 15 years.

To read the entire article click HERE.

It’s Time to Talk About the Big “O”… and the Big “D”…

Valery Amador, Executive Director — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 02:38:51 +0000

This is a letter to all Daily Venus Diva and PLUS Model Magazine Readers from the Publisher, Valery Amador –

It’s Time for a Conversation… This is a shout out to ALL Curvy Women (and Men) who have embraced who they are and are living the ‘Vida Curvy’. For years, we have been on a mission to learn to love who we are… no matter what the size on the clothing tags. As we have learned to love every curvy inch of ourselves, we have started a revolution where the fashion industry finally caught on and are designing fabulous plus size clothing with color, pattern and style. Even the media has embraced curves like never before in 2010 with the portrayal of nude plus models in magazines and campaigns. All fantastic? Absolutely!

But there is a dirty little secret that goes unexamined… and this is the dialogue I want to open with you today.

With the October issues of both PLUS and Daily Venus Diva focusing on “Loving Your Body,” I wanted to take a moment to share a bit about what this really means… and what it doesn’t mean…

What Does Loving Your Body Mean?

YOU are more that a ‘pretty face’… YOU are a unique individual and through your very existence, YOU bring something rare and beautiful to the big picture we all call life.

YOU are the definition of joy… Your friends, family, or those you ‘choose’ to have in your life adore you (and if they don’t, find some who do because you deserve this kind of adoration!)

The numbers on your dress tag or scale are NOT the measure of your worth…

What It Doesn’t Mean…

That we can ignore what is medically happening on the inside. YOU have been given a precious gift… a body that houses the very soul and life-force of who you are. When you choose to embrace your curves without considering ‘healthy curves’, you choose to put yourself at risk of a greater danger to your health and well-being.

Why do I even bring this up?

This past February I went for a physical and was shocked to discover that I had the ‘triple-threat’, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. I was devastated, numb and depressed by the numbers on my tests. My doctor was very thorough in explaining what I needed to do; this included classes to attend as well as a bag of pills to take. When I asked her how long I would need to stay on these pills once I was able to get my health in order and my test numbers in check, she informed me that I would be on most of them for the rest of my life. Something in me snapped on that day and I was determined to change my life around… without medication if at all possible.

As I am not a medical professional, I don’t feel at liberty to discuss my actual journey towards health and wellness in this article (feel free to email me directly on this). But suffice it to say that I HAVE and AM turning my life around.

Has it been easy? No.

Is it a quick fix? Absolutely not.

Is it a lifelong commitment? A resounding yes!

Will I ever be thin? Not likely. And this is NOT what I am going for anyway. To me, it will never be about the numbers on the scale or the tags on my clothing. It will ALWAYS be about the numbers on my tests as this is the TRUE marker of health and wellness.

In our quest to love our bodies, we do need to address health and wellness. And today, I am hoping that you will open your heart and mind to one subject, Diabetes. This disease is not size specific (my father who was the perfect size for his height his entire life was an insulin dependent diabetic), and yet the rise in diabetes is at epidemic proportions. Why? It has much to do with what we put into our bodies, and what we are not being told about what we put into our bodies. THIS is the dirty little secret!

For example, the other day I was driving in my car and listening to the radio when I heard this shocking news… By now I am sure you have heard how badly high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is for you and the correlation it has to diabetes and obesity. On the market since around 1970, it is used in the manufacturing of many processed foods (many marketed as ‘healthy’ foods), including soups, condiments, lunchmeats, yogurt, breakfast bars, breads, cereals, beverages and even yogurt. Did you know that the manufactures of HFCS, are concerned about the bad press their product has been getting? Therefore, they are trying to re-brand HFCS by calling it ‘Corn Sweetener’. They are not reformulating, merely re-branding; they are not trying to make it better or safer… they are changing the name to try and coax people into believing that it is better for them by calling it something innocent, “Corn Sweetener.” Something is drastically wrong with this country when marketing takes precedence over health.

Yes, Diabetes in the Unites States IS an epidemic, and nothing can illustrate this point as quickly as the following studies from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) on their study of the increase in diabetes in our country:

http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/national/figpersons.htm

http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/DDT_STRS2/NationalDiabetesPrevalenceEstimates.aspx?mode=DBT

When I looked at these maps and numbers, I was shocked. After showing the numbers to my husband, he commented that IF, in any other area of healthcare, we would see a growth on a chart as we did for Diabetes, our country would be in a national panic. Think back to the AIDS epidemic and how it has changed our country, or just last year when people were standing in long lines for half the day to get a the H1N1 shot due to the POTENTIAL pandemic, which was further incited by a lack of vaccines to go around.

Let’s get the dirty little secret out in the open and start a dialogue…

Why, as a country, are we not making changes in the way we live our lives?
Why are we not treating diabetes as an epidemic?
And why are we not demanding healthier foods? Are we not worth it?

Please share your thoughts…

And keep thriving in all that you do….

Valery Amador
Publisher, DailyVenusDiva.com & PLUSmodelmag.com

Expert John Rowley Offers Up Health and Diet Tips

PLUS Model Magazine — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:05:41 +0000

(Remember, plus modeling IS about looking YOUR personal best… and a healthy plus model is a working plus model!)

John Rowley, fitness expert and best-selling author of the sensational hit Climb Your Ladder of Success Without Running Out of Gas, offers the below health and fitness tips to Americans across the country looking for fitness tips to lead a healthier life. Rowley is also the Director of Fitness and Wellness of The American Institute of Healthcare & Fitness.

HEALTH AND DIET TIPS

CALORIC INTAKE IS IMPORTANT – This is simple math. Burn more than you consume. Your caloric intake must not exceed the amount you normally burn, since any excess would then be converted and stored energy into fats.

PUT SOMETHING WITH A FACE AND SOMETHING GREEN ON YOUR PLATE- If you don’t like counting calories you will like this. Eat something with a face…protein and green vegetables and avoid all the starchy carbohydrates like bread, cake, potatoes, rice,etc then your body will learn to burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates and you will become a lean, mean fat burning machine, without counting calories. Then once a week have a victory meal or victory day when you eat what ever you want. THE SKINNY ON FAT – Cut out the bad fats but get some good fat in your diet. Avoid fried foods, food high in saturated fat and focus on lean proteins such as chicken and turkey breast, fish, egg whites, no fat cottage cheese. And make sure you get your good fats from fish and fish oil, olive oil, avocado and nuts like almonds.

WATCH YOUR ALCOHOL INTAKE – While recent studies show a glass of wine a day can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. And one drink can pack in 100 calories or more and make it harder for you to reach your fitness goals.

DRINK WATER- Drinking water does several things, it keeps you hydrated, it helps flush your body of fat and toxins and it will also help curb your appetite. You should be drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water a day.

SET A REALISTIC GOAL – Weight loss and fitness goals should be three things: realistic, believable, and exciting. Despite what is seen on TV, losing more than 2 pounds a week can make permanent weight loss difficult, set a steady but realistic goal and reward yourself for reaching milestones along the way. Make goals believable but also exciting, challenge yourself and take everything one day at a time, towards an overall goal of a healthier life. The key is to make this part of your lifestyle to enhance your life.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY- Success in an endeavor follows consistent action. Remember it requires discipline to do the things today that you don’t necessarily want to do, so you can do the things you dream of doing tomorrow!

Expert John Rowley Offers Up Fitness Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle

PLUS Model Magazine — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 05:30:58 +0000

(Remember, plus modeling IS about looking YOUR personal best… and a healthy plus model is a working plus model!)

FITNESS TIPS:

MOVE MORE EVERY DAY – Make it a daily challenge to find more ways to move your body. Take the stairs over the elevator, walk your dog, take brief walks during lunch breaks, ride your bike to work – any small step goes a long way in improving your overall fitness.

MELT AWAY FAT WITH MUSCLE- Your metabolism is a direct reflection of your muscle mass to fat mass ratio. A good resistance training routine will supercharge your metabolism in just 90 minutes a week. Simply do 3, 30 minute sessions a week. Cardio is great for over all health and burns fat while you are doing it, but when you do resistance training you build muscle and muscle burns calories even at rest, hence supercharging your metabolism.

BE SMART, WORK YOUR HEART – There are many conflicting opinions on cardio vascular exercise and a study to back up each of them. Some say do very short, very intense interval training and others endorse going slower but for a longer time period. I know people that get great results doing both. I think the best form of cardio is the form you will do on a consistent basis. Getting your heart rate into the fat burning zone is important and the best way to judge this is that you are exercising hard enough that you can barely carry on a conversation, in other words you can speak but just barely but not so hard that you are gasping for air in order to finish a sentence.

THE POWER OF FLEXIBILITY – Keeping your muscles flexible is very important especially as you age. Today with yoga, Pilates, etc there are many fun ways to incorporate this into your fitness routine both at home and in the gym.

YOU ARE YOUR BEST INVESTMENT – Everyone today is worried about their investment portfolios, their income, their home, business’s, jobs and tend to over look their greatest asset…. themselves. You can have the most incredible God given talents, abilities and skills and the best education money can buy and still fall flat on your face, it happens every day. Action not assets is the key to an extraordinary life and by not taking care of yourself you are minimizing your greatest asset and your ability to take action. It is difficult to take action when you are exhausted. Also keep in mind that the same blood that flows through your body flows through your brain. Do you think you will be more aware and alert if the blood flowing through your brain is fat laden or if it is rich in oxygen and nutrients? Take care of your greatest asset by following some of these simple tips.