The Best 'Get Skinny' Tips

1. Be realistic. Base your "skinny" on how you feel at a certain weight, how clothes fit you and how much energy you have. NOT on how skinny your friends, coworkers, prepubescent teens or Kate Moss look this month.

2. Self LOVE. Realize that if your skinny jeans don't zip this week that doesn't make you bad or wrong. It is an off week for your jeans and don't stress because Lululemon pants are more comfortable anyway. Also, it is perfectly normal for weight to fluctuate a few pounds during each day and throughout the month (ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A WOMAN). So go easy on YOU and know that you will get back to the basics of your eating and workout plan and those extra five pounds will fall off naturally. Never weigh yourself more than once a week (and only weigh yourself that often if you are actively losing weight). The scale is not the best indication of how you look and feel. You can turn five pounds of fat into muscle without the scale budging, but the way your clothes fit and HOW YOU FEEL will be the best indicators of that change.
Give yourself a self-hug. Look in the mirror and say you are sexy. Then find a figure flattering outfit that allows you to relax your tummy for today.

3. HYDRATE. I cannot reiterate this point enough. People that are skinny drink excessive amounts of water. When you are hydrated you digest food more completely, have more energy and stay full longer. Go for half of your body weight in ounces- if you weigh 140 lbs drink 70 ounces a day minimum! Bring a refillable water bottle with you everywhere you go so you will remember to stay hydrated (I'll allow you to skip black tie affairs with your bottle but thats it!) If you are a soda drinker (even diet soda), you will be amazed at how your body responds to drinking water instead and you will lose weight and feel better from making that one change in your diet. I recently gave up diet soda. I have gone two weeks without drinking any soda and had a sip of one yesterday and realized I have already lost my taste for it. I now prefer water with my popcorn snack. It was hard to forgo soda the first week, but stick to it and you will notice a huge difference in your energy and your belly bloat!

4. Slow down on the alcohol. I am a huge believer in having fun, but as I have grown older I realize that fun and alcohol are not synonymous.  When you are having several drinks a night it seems like everyone else is doing the same, but slow your roll and you will realize many people nurse the same drink all night, or separate their alcoholic drinks with an in-between water (YAY for hydrators). If you go out for long nights dancing, set a pace before you hit the dance floor. "I will have no more than 3 drinks today." That way you won't be tempted to keep throwing them back and losing track over the night. You also will likely cut out shots from your routine, which is a good way to stay in check of how much each drink is affecting you. By setting limits you will enjoy your night more, cut the crazy calorie intake of alcoholic drinks and have energy the next morning for a workout.

5. Snack Smart. I keep an apple, almonds and Skinny Bits in my purse. While running errands or working you often forget to eat when you get hungry. Having lean protein and fiber on hand is a great way to resist starving your body and craving the drive-in for a quick fix by the end of the day. When you drink water and snack on healthy snacks, you avoid wild blood sugar dips and will not be craving cupcakes or french fries by 4 pm. Starving yourself is never an effective way to lose weight. Keep your body feeling nicely satisfied all day and you will keep your metabolism moving and avoid the need to binge until you are stuffed.

Child-size, mini and sample are the best sizes :)

6. Avoid saying "I CAN'T". This tip is true for every aspect of your life. Even The Little Engine that Could taught us "I think I can", never I can't. So when you are on the path to a healthier life and someone offers you a slice of birthday cake please don't respond "I can't". It sets up a complex in your mind that there are things that are not allowed or forbidden. Just as we all learned as pre-teens, when something is not allowed it becomes more appealing. Change your language. It is never that you can't eat at that restaurant or that you can't order french fries or your fourth glass of wine or a shot of tequila, it is just that you "won't". You can do anything you want. Food has no power over you. So when a food comes up that you know will tip the scale or make you feel sluggish for the rest of the day just say "no thanks" and know in your head that you could have that cake, but you won't because you are focused on feeling your very best!
My friend, Kira, just taught me the genius trick of mentally telling yourself, "I can have it later" when it comes to dessert. This works phenomally for me because I am a sweets junky. So at the end of the meal when the waiter offers the dessert menu, I decline with the inner thought that if I am still hungry in an hour I can go get frozen yogurt. An hour later, I have digested more of my dinner and no longer am craving the sugar rush. If I still have my sweet tooth, I will make decaf green tea with a drop of honey knowing "I can always have dessert if I still want it later." Allow yourself to have something if you continue to want it, just don't over indulge. I believe everything is allowed in a healthy diet. Just use good judgement and smart portion sizes for high-fat and calorie dense foods.

(For more tips, see 5 things you can start doing today!)

It is so empowering to put yourself in charge of your health instead of following rigid rules and "I can't" philosophies. Your body is an amazing machine and when you feed and hydrate it well you will start to appreciate just how much your body loves being healthy. I hope that you can stay motivated and happy on your path to overall fitness. But, most importantly, LOVE YOURSELF for all that you are. I used to hate my thighs, I have to actively practice saying "I love you thighs," "You are strong, long and lean." I have come to realize that my legs are my best asset and even a possible source of my income, hello body parts modeling.  It may seem silly at first to use positive affirmations on what you have previously viewed as a body flaw, but trust me, you can change anything when you send it infinite amounts of positive energy. The more you love you, the more your body will respond to getting in the best shape of your life.

Health and happiness,
Olivia
xo

Getting back to health one bit at a time

It's been a long hot summer. As it is coming to an end I'm starting to see the results of my newfound summer routine-- traveling, eating, spending time at the beach and going to a few too many margarita happy hours. What is a girl to do when the long summer days get shorter and the promise of fall fashion weeks and pilot auditions are on the horizon?
It's time to get back to health! I am an Everything Fit girl through and through, but I also have an insatiable sweet tooth and a jam-packed schedule. When the summer temperatures hit their peak, I found myself abandoning my running schedule and finding more room in my diet for french fries. It happens, and you know what, it's okay to fall off the fitness wagon as long as you get motivated to get back up again!

I needed a little extra motivation since energy had plummeted as my gym schedule and eating habits had become lax. When you interrupt a steady gym routine it can be hard to remember how you used to get out of bed an hour earlier just to run around and lift weights.

I found my extra kick through my friend, Chrissy, recommending Bits of Health. They have algae tabs (mint-sized algae supplements) to help a variety of needs. For me, Recovery bits prevent an all-day slump after a morning workout and Skinny bits provide a high boost of complete protein pre-workout and between meals. They are one calorie a piece and are all natural (no cafffeine, sugar, or chemicals). I am always skeptical to try new fitness trends (pills especially) but it turns out algae is food. So it felt more like adding a wheatgrass shot to my day (and tasted similar) rather than popping a chemical compound. They have been a great way for me to protein up and power through my day. As I combed my favorite magazines, Shape and Women's Health, hoping to be inspired by the toned bodies of the models or the never ending list of ways to "Shrink your belly". The six pack abs were helpful to reminding me to buckle down, but I also found more evidence that algae is the new way to get in extra protein! According to the July/August issue of Women's Health "Spirulina, a blue-green algae, is a surprisingly good source of protein with all eight essential amino acids and up to six times the iron content of red meat. Research has all shown that it may help your immune system fight off infections." Skinny bits are 100% pure spirulina algae, so I feel good knowing a can chew or swallow these little bits to help keep me healthy.

I dislike "diets". I don't believe in self-deprivation or starvation. "Bits of Health" and I share the same philosophy: It is not about what you take away from your diet, it's about what you add to your health regimen. If you need to get back to your health, focus on the things that you can do more of: increase your water, protein, vegetables, fruit, and your vitamin intake and put in more hours at the gym. When you do start adding these things to your life, you will have less room in your tummy for a midday french fry snack and less late night cravings for cupcakes and ice-cream. When you focus on what you shouldn't be having, it's all you can think about! You feel deprived and let down and increase your risk of failure in your new healthy lifestyle.

Getting back to your fitness goals can be a challenge. I recommend going after it one bit at a time. Find what motivates you. Get excited about it. Practice it. Stick to it. And get back to your health!