Q. Dear Natasha, every time I start working out and eating healthy, I go strong for a few weeks and then I lose my motivation, or I get stressed with work and I give into temptations to feel better. Any advice on how I can fix this?

A. Motivation is not all that it's cracked up to be. Motivation is a feeling and feelings are fleeting. They change when your blood sugar changes, with the weather and with your hormonal changes. You need to make the decision to commit to getting in shape. You need to decide now that you will do whatever it takes to make this happen.

It's similar to a marriage. If we only stayed married for as long as we felt in love, the divorce rate would be 100%. I guarantee you there will be many bumps in the road. There will be times you will not feel like being married to this fitness program, but you stick with it because you know studies show those who exercise/married, live longer.

For the day to day, I suggest the following:

1. Don't bring foods that entice you to over eat into the house. If the only time you have willpower is when food shopping, that alone will take you far. If the food is not in the house, you can't eat it.
2. Water, water, water. It will keep you feeling full and you won't mistake thirst for hunger.
3. Sleep! When you don't sleep or get enough water, you need over eat to compensate.
4. Eating to feel better doesn't work. 20 minutes later you'll need to eat again to numb the pain. Feel the pain/stress and move on. Let it go. Distract yourself with a book, TV, a bubble bath, a phone call to a friend, or dare i say, work out!

Cellulite Smellulite

Q. Dear Natasha, is it possible to get rid of cellulite? I have tried every cream on the shelves but nothing has worked. Please help!

A. So, let me see if I'm following you. Dimples on one set of cheeks is cute, dimples on another set of cheeks, not so cute?

You can certainly diminish the appearance of cellulite. The condition itself will always remain if it's genetic and not simply due to being overweight. Don't fret, I have some good news. You CAN diminish the visible signs of it. Here's how:

1. Drink lots of water. This will help flush out the toxins.
2. Move! Cardio each day will help improve circulation, a contributing factor to the visible signs of cellulite.
3. Increase muscle mass by strength training with heavy resistance. The more muscle you have the less fat you will have. Cellulite and fat go together. You can be skinny fat (thin but a high ratio of fat/muscle) and still have cellulite.
4. Dry brush or massage your skin each night and, for the brave, try cold showers to help improve circulation.
5. Some swear by daily doses of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar and organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. I don't have personal experience with this but if you want more info, google it.
6. Consider fish oil supplements to help improve circulation.

What won't work:

1. Liposuction. In fact it can make it much worse. Stay away.
2. Body wraps - you're losing nothing but water and it will return very quickly. Save your money!

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

7-8-20-30-6 Program: Day 1

As I expected, I woke up sore from yesterday's 4 hour workout. I was hoping to climb 20 flights of stairs today but my quads are not going to allow that. Looks like I am in for a rest day. Rest is important. It's just as important as a workout day. When you workout, tiny tears are created in the muscles, the muscles repair the tears by getting stronger and bigger during your rest and recovery days. If you skip rest days, you will not see the results you are seeking. On rest days, I like to complete some nice and easy cardio for 20 minutes and then stretch.

I looked at my swimsuit photos taken yesterday. I'm not where I want to be, but that's ok. I love transforming myself and others into a new and improved version. It's a passion of mine. I encourage you to take your own photos. You might not like what you see but you need to acknowledge your starting place. Just like the maps at the mall, without the 'YOU ARE HERE' indicator, you have no idea where you are going or how long it will take to get there.

Planned Log:

• Breakfast: 1/2 a plain bagel with CC, Iced coffee. Usually I would have a whole bagel so kudos for me!
• Snack: food is being served at a meeting I have at BWH. It's cold. I'm not looking forward to the trek over but I'm still committed to carrying my iced coffee with me no matter how cold it is :). I will have some fruit if possible.
• Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken, no dressing.
• Snack: Small pkg of almonds from Trader Joe's
• Workout: Light cardio for 20 minutes, followed by stretching.
• Dinner: Steel cut oatmeal and 1 hard boiled egg.
• Snack (if needed): GNC Protein Shake with frozen organic berries and 1/2 frozen banana.

Off topic: Remember when Elaine would interview dates to determine if they were sponge worthy? In the past, my question has been 'are they waterproof mascara worthy'. What are the odds they will make me laugh or cry on the date and how much do I care if my mascara smudges in the process? Getting waterproof mascara off is a project and no one wants to spend time doing that after getting home late for a date. Am I right? Well, and I make no money off of this, have I got news for you! Fiberwig mascara is eliminating this question for me! It's made in Japan. It never smudges and it comes off with warm water! That's it! You can laugh and cry as much as you want, it will not smudge! You can find it at Sephora.

7-8-20-30-6 Program!

I spent the day at a PT convention that consisted of 4 hours of lecture and 4 hours of working out. Once the soreness I expect will arrive tomorrow goes away, I'm inspired to kick my program up a notch. My inspiration is this photo of Jessica Biel.

My body type does not put on muscle or fat quickly. If I didn't workout, I would be skinny fat. Skinny fat is when you're thin with a high ratio of fat/muscle. Most hourglasses have a difficult time putting on muscle. To do so, my diet needs to be perfect going forward and some serious strength training is needed.

So, I will be on the 7-8-20-30-6 Program beginning tomorrow! Every 2 weeks I will take photos of me in a bikini and will post in the Clients Only area and the end of each month. Call me shy, but I dress for work each day because I'm a firm believer my co-workers do not need to see me in a bikini!

• 7 hours of sleep
• 8 glasses of water a day
• 20 minutes of HIIT cardio 3 days a week.
  
• 30 minutes of strength training 3 days a week.
  
• 6 small meals a day. Eating every 3 hours. I will have around 100g of protein each day (.08g per pound of body weight - I weigh 124)
  

I'm committed to looking my absolute best this summer. Time is on my side and I will not settle for less. Now it's your turn, are you in?

Fitness made fun

Happy Spring! I was disappointed when I left my home this morning only to find frost on the car but the day has shaped up nicely.

I started off my day by taking my 80lb puppy, Skybar, who is currently in foster care (living with my parents), to Breakheart reservation in hopes of getting in a good run. Much to my dismay, every time we got a good rhythm going she would cross in front of me and stop. She's a a klutz just like me, but I know not to stop! You can't help but love her though, she's just so darn cute and afraid of her own shadow.

The topic of the day is making fitness fun. I am not a fan of cardio, in fact a month ago I hated it. Despised it. Never did it. I've now come to the conclusion that it's necessary for me to achieve my goals, and I'm slowly learning to like it. I only do 20 minute sessions due to a short attention span but the 20 minutes is a hard 20 and it leaves me feeling great. Then I stretch and try to do a split (I've got a ways to go), shower and I start my day on a high. Of course, I couldn't get through this without my ipod.

I strongly believe you need to find a version of exercise that is somewhat enjoyable if you want to make it a part of your every day life. Below are some options I will be investigating for you.

1. Zumba: Monday night I'm going to give this a try. It's a Latin dance class providing an amazing cardio workout, so I'm told.
2. Trapeze class: at Jordan's Furniture
3. Pilates: The Pilates Promise reads 'In 10 sessions you'll feel a difference. In 20, you'll see a difference. In 30, you'll have a whole new body'. I am suspicious of this but I'm going to try it with an open mind and report back.
   
4. Belly Dancing: I've done this in the past, but I didn't like the instructor. I could not care less about the spiritual side to this, I just want a fun workout. I will try with a new instructor.
5. Running: Considering signing up for a 5k. Only problem is I don't really like running. I'm more of a sprinter.

Want to join in? Email or leave a comment for more details.

Touchy Feely Preachers

Day 1 of the March Madness pool and I'm already in trouble. I don't really understand the brackets, but I'm told I will not be passing go or collecting $200. All season long, I could not care less about college basketball, but put me in a pool and I'm as involved as the Coach. My pool ranking of 53 out of 70 confirms what your gut instincts are likely telling you regarding my coaching abilities; I suck. Puleeze, I'm lucky if I can remember what color shirts my team is wearing. It was so much easier back in the day when it was skins vs. shirts. Football on the other hand? Well, I don't want to be cocky but I must tell you I suck slightly less at that sport. Baseball lost me at hello up until the bottom of the 9th. Do they really need to play a trillion games a season with a whole 9 innings? We need one game a week and one inning with a top and a bottom, just like the makings of a good outfit minus the bling.

Enough about sports. Let's talk about motivation. Some touchy feely preacher once said change comes from a positive place. They have a point. You are unlikely to succeed in your quest to get in shape if your source of motivation is coming from a feeling of negativity. Here are some examples of positive and negative motivation:

Negative: I need to lose weight, else I'll never have a boyfriend/girlfriend/friend with benefits.
Positive: I'm so excited to lose the weight because it will bring in new opportunities for me.

Negative: I need to lose weight, else I will die.
Positive: Once I lose the weight, I'll be able to enjoy sports/swimming/dancing/walking...

Negative: I need to lose weight because I'm the worst on my b-ball team.
Positive: When I lose the weight my jump shots will kick a$$.

Do you see the difference? One generates the feeling of not being good enough, the other generates a feeling of excitement and anticipation. You're going for the latter.

Here's your homework. Identify 3 reasons for you to lose the weight and get in shape. Most likely you will think of negative reasons, your next task is to turn it into something positive. Get your number 2 pencil and begin now.

Summer is coming folks. I don't want you knocking on my door asking for a quick fix diet June 1st because you spent Spring on your sofa. You know you're going to want to look good in a swimsuit so act now.

Tick tock!

Paging Dr. Nature

Rarely am I sick, but when I am, and it requires antibiotics, I know I'm in for a long road. 9 times out of 10 I will have an allergic reaction. I can eat whatever I want, but antibiotics never fail to make me look like a freak from the streets.

Thanks to my allergies to mold, my first instinct is to search for alternative treatments that our medical community sadly has no knowledge of. Below is what I've learned through my trials and tribulations. Keep in mind, I am not a Doctor. Not even close. This is what has worked for friends and family, as well as for myself. It may or may not be good for you. I encourage you to do your own research and speak with your Doctor before trying anything. Everything I've learned, I read on sites such as http://www.earthclinic.com. It's an amazing site.


I'm intentionally not offering recommended dosages to encourage you to do your homework. You can leave a comment or email me if you need more info.

• High blood pressure: Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (see previous posting on this)
• Acne: Zinc supplements and lots of water.
• Teeth whitening: Brush with paste of baking soda and water.
• Skin exfoliation: wash with baking soda and almond or olive oil once a week. I know it's tough to imagine putting oil on your skin but if it's the right kind of oil, it will not clog your pores. Seriously, this stuff is better than anything I bought at a super market. Google non-comedogenic oils to see how they rate.
• Dry skin and chapped lips: raw, organic honey (not the kind that comes in a teddy bear shaped container). You can get this in the organic section of Shaw's, Whole Foods, etc..
• Shorten the duration of colds: Braggs Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (this stuff is a miracle worker). Just be sure to do your reading, there is a lot to know on this as it can breakdown any medications you may be taking if the timing of your dose is incorrect. It can also be bad for your teeth if you don't rinse well immediately after and dilute it with enough water.
• Allergies/Sinus problems: Saline spray. You can find a product called 'Salt Air' at your local drugstore. Many also swear by Nettie pots.
• White coating on tongue: brush tongue with a paste of water and sea salt for an immediate fix, and drink lots of water. This can be a sign of dehydration. After a couple weeks of drinking sufficient amounts of water, the coating will disappear if that was the cause. Chinese medicine use the color of the tongue to help diagnose conditions. It's pretty interesting. You can google it for more info.
• Preventing wrinkles: Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. You can take my word for this, no need to check with your Doctor. A tan today is not worth the wrinkles you'll have tomorrow. Besides, smooth fair skin is in these days. Go with it.