Does Latisse really work?? 

Yes. It does.

I have been using it (well, actually an off label brand from Canada) for the past several months and I have to tell you it REALLY DOES WORK. It took a good 6-9 weeks to notice any growth, but once they grew, they REALLY grew, and voila, my lashes were the way they were back when I was 10. 

If you go to the doctor to get Latisse it will be expensive. I recommend going to the doctor and getting a prescription for it just to make sure you’re cleared to use it (not everyone is since it is a glaucoma medicine). Then, instead of paying hundreds for the name brand at the pharmacy, go to www.alldaychemist.com and search for Latisse in the brand area. It will direct you to an off brand product that costs $10 a bottle. Shipping is $25 so I always stock up on several bottles as well as some other products. It takes awhile to arrive but it’s worth the savings. 

The Latisse people say to go 12-15 weeks but I recommend 9 weeks then go on the maintenance program. Otherwise you will end up with lashes that are too long and wiry and look like spider legs. 9 weeks seems to be the magic number. Yes, they will grow longer if you go longer but like I said, they’ll look weird. 

Happy lashes everyone!

Just got off the phone with Mark McDonald, fitness and nutrition guru and author of Body Confidence. I’m all fired up to keep going with my quest towards a healthier me!

I told him of my struggles with not being able to stay consistent with the meals (basically my eating potato chips and sub sandwhiches all the time). I talked with him about dreading the gym and feeling bored during my workouts. I think these are challenges many people face, so it was really refreshing to hear that I still can eat the potato chips (I’ll tell you how in a minute) and that if I don’t want to go to the gym I don’t have to. I can do the activities I’m falling in love with (Ice skating and ballet) rather than droning out on a treadmill.

So here it is: Mark teaches all about balance with food. Its about getting in the zone and eating a perfect balance of protein, carbs and fat at each meal. Obviously some foods are better than others, but in the beginning its simply important to just eat the balance, food quality will come later. Thus, if I MUST eat some potato chips, I can, but I MUST pair it with high quality meats. So turkey with potato chips (not a turkey sandwhich- you’re only adding more carbs). Just pure turkey and potato chips. He also told me I can eat veggie trays (which I love) as long as I eat it with meat. My favorite meat snack is beef jerky and what do you know, I can eat that too! I just need to look at the grams and carbs (so that I don’t go overboard and eat and eat and eat). its a balance of pretty much equal propotions of carbs, fat and protein. I recommend you sign up for his website (its about $15 a month or something) and when you log in your food it tells you the percentages so that you’re not needing to be a math genius. www.venicenutrition.com

Sample foods I get to eat that I’m excited about:

Edamame - Perfectly proportioned on its own

Veggies and Beef Jerky

Potato chips and fresh turkey (150 calories of chips)

0% fat greek yogurt mixed with with truvia sweetener and planters digestive health mix trail mix (only 1/4 cup of nuts)

My week of workouts will include trips the ice skating rink and at home ballet mixed in with some long walks with my dog. :)

The truth is, what you look like has nearly EVERYTHING to do with what you eat. You have to eat the right proportions to keep your blood sugar under control so you don’t crave and cave, and you have to eat small amounts so that your body uses the fat it has as fuel. Working out and staying active is a big part, but the VAST MAJORITY is food. This is why you meet those fat active people. They go home and gorge out on whatever because they think they’re fit because they’re active. Simply not true. Gotta get your food under control. I learned a lot by reading Mark’s book, Body Confidence.

Currently I’m at a whopping 25% body fat. That is UNHEALTHY. I don’t care what I look like…it’s about my future, ending up with diabetes and being tired all the time. 25% is UNHEALTHY. I’m skinny fat and I’m determined to fix it!

Ok…here it is. The REAL beginning. I thought I’d start last week but I have to admit that I failed miserably, and then there was the holiday…lol  This is a 12 week/84 day plan to completely transforming your body and LIFE!

I am sick and tired of finding excuses to not go to the pool, the beach, the lake etc. It’s time to feel 100% confident in my own skin (ok…95%). It’s time to really stick to a plan to get in great shape. Let’s face it, once you get there, it’s WAY EASIER to maintain. Don’t believe anyone who tells you its easy. Think of it like remodeling a car. It takes WORK. Doing it the easy way means you did it the cheap and fast way and it doesn’t look nearly as good nor do the results last.

Tip 1: GET A BUDDY! Someone to text throughout the day when you’re feeling weak. Someone to go out to eat with who will make sure you order something off the menu that is within your diet. Someone to send you pictures of the body you want to keep you motivated. You don’t have to work out together and you don’t even need to be following the same plans, you just need to be each others support.

Here’s my plan:

Eat 6 times a day. Healthy lean protein - chicken, lean beef, egg whites, turkey, fish…Pair it with a healthy carb like fruit of veggies and add a little fat like nuts or avocado.

Workout includes something high intensity and something low intensity. 3 days a week I do weight training (high intensity) and follow it with a brisk 30 minute walk. The other 3 days a week I do high intensity cardio like run sprints, jump rope, take a spinning class etc for 30 minutes followed with a low intensity cardio once again like a brisk walk.

TODAY’S WORKOUT

Today I ran sprints for 30 minutes. I ran up a field, walked slowly back…took a little break and then did it all over again. I did it until 30 minutes on the clock was up. After wards I went to the gym in my apartment complex and walked on the treadmill for another 30 minutes.

TODAY’S MEALS

Meal 1: 1 cup frozen blackberries and 1 scoop protein. Add water and blend.

Meal 2: can of tuna mixed with horseradish sauce (yes yes I know you think its gross but I really like it). I also had a cup of strawberries

Meal 3: Jimmy Johns Turkey UnWhich with no mayo.

Meal 4: Another Jimmy Johns Turkey UnWhich with no mayo ( all these are are lettuce, turkey, tomato and sprouts. I add avocado for a little (sauce and healthy fat).

Meal 5: Oatmeal with a scoop of protein powder

Meal 6: Didn’t have one… :( I’m not hungry and I can’t think of anything that sounds good right now. I think I ate enough today.

Tomorrow I plan to eat the same sorts of things except I’ll make a huge think of chicken breasts so that I can do chicken and veggies for a couple of meals instead of spending money at Jimmy Johns. My workout will be weight training and another 30 minutes on the treadmill.

Come on guys…lets stop hating our bodies!!! Look at what some of these people have done in 12 WEEKS!!!!!!!!!

Everyone’s been asking so I’m delivering!

“Kim, what is the vitamin you were talking about on the show that makes your hair grow faster, nails grow stronger and skin more radiant?”

Answer: It’s called BioSil

This product really works but here’s a forewarning. It’s DISGUSTING. I MEAN TERRIBLE. You can opt to do the capsules to ease the terrible taste, but the capsules are more expensive. I went for the less expensive drops. You take them 2x a day, 6 drops in the morning, 6 drops at night. To eliminate the terrible taste I drop them in about an ounce of orange juice each time. Since using this stuff, my nails grow REALLY fast, they’re very hard (say goodbye to your nail hardening polish treatments, you wont need them anymore), my hair grows fast and shiny and my skin looks great. Not to mention this stuff (orthosilicic acid) is what pretty much everything in our bodies are made of, so not only is your hair skin and nails benefiting, your joints, tissues and everything inside is as well. You’ll just be all around healthier. Besides, what you see on the outside is a reflection of what is going on on the inside. 

You should be able to pick this product up at a health food or vitamin store. I bought mine at Whole Foods. 

Do you want smooth silky skin? Looking for better ways to exfoliate? Enter DDF’s Revolve 400x Micro-Polishing System!

I was sent this device by Guilana Rancic a few months ago and have been using it ever since. It’s really a great little machine. A bit on the expensive side $80-$100, but it really works. My skin is always smooth and radiant’; I’m complimented all the time. Though I don’t think this machine is the ONLY reason my skin has been looking great these days (I’ll keep posting tips in the coming days) but I do think it’s been helping.

Basically  you smear on a little exfoliating cleanser, turn the machine on and rub it along your face for a couple of minutes. When your done your skin will feel like velvet. It’s amazing. You only do it a couple of times a week. On the off days the machine comes with a little brush attachment that you would use for a deep cleansing in the evening.

Ok…day 1 wasn’t the BEST ever but Day 2 is off to a good start. 

Breakfast - 1 slice whole grain toast with 1tbs of natural peanut butter, 1/2 c fat free cottage cheese. 

Lunch - Today I REALLY am going to bake some lemon chicken, brown rice and broccoli

Dinner - Mixed steamed veggies and turkey meatloaf (Im being lazy today and I know they sell this pre-made dinner at the grocery store, so I’m going to buy one. There’s no sauce and no starch). 

Snacks - McDonald’s Iced Roast Coffee with Light cream and Stevia for sweetener (Hey…I still need to love my life…)

I’m not sure what my other snacks will be right now so I’m going to wing it. This is dangerous, its ALWAYS best to pre-plan your day’s worth of meals otherwise you end up snacking on junk. 

As far as diet goes, I try to follow “The Zone” formula. Basically each meal and snack is perfectly proportioned. 40% Carbs, 40% Protein, 20% Fat. In grams it comes to about 27g carbs, 21 g protein, 9 g fat for meals. 9g carbs, 7g protein, 3g fat for snacks. This is for the average sized woman. If you’re a man, it would obviously be more. I recommend reading  one of Dr. Barry Sears Zone books. It’s the diet Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt followed to get in stellar shape 10 years ago. 

Workout - I weight trained yesterday so today will be a cardio day. I’ll hop on a treadmill and do 20 minutes on a 10% incline at a speed of about 3.2. I’ll try to do this twice today, but if I can’t make it the second time around I’ll just throw in a cardio DVD for 20 min and do some stuff at home. 

Good luck to me! ;)

Kim

Ok..day 1 was an epic failure. Not gonna lie to you. I had this whole plan of eating grilled lemon chicken and broccoli and do you know what I did???? I ate leftover chinese in my refrigerator…TWICE! Plus I had a McDonald’s Premium Iced Coffee with light cream. Ugh…the GOOD NEWS is that I DID get my planned workouts in. So that was a win. Plus, when I did eat poorly I at least kept my portions down so that I didn’t overload on calories. I think from a calories perspective I did ok, but from a nutrition perspective I didn’t give my body what it needs to build a sexy bod. Oh well…on to Day 2!!! 

Ok…I’m officially starting my transformation tomorrow. I was at the dog park today and saw this girl with the most amazing legs. I was jealous. Legs like these….

I need these and damn it no one’s gonna stop me! I’m getting serious about getting in shape. No more hiding behind loose shirts and jeans!

Meals:

Breakfast - 1 cup frozen Blackberries, I scoop EAS Vanilla Soy Protein, 1 tablespoon of milled Flax seeds, water, blend

Lunch - Brown rice, grilled chicken breast seasoned with lemon pepper, steamed broccoli

Dinner - Sweet potato, grilled chicken breast, sauteed in olive oil (tiny amount) green beans. 

Snacks - 1 slice whole wheat toast, cottage cheese, tomato 

               Chopped veggie salad - cucumber, celery, tomato and balsamic vinegar

               Coke Zero (Yeah yeah….I know, but I have a sweet tooth)

Workout - Morning 20 minute brisk walk with my puppy Lucy

                 Weight training for no more than 45 minutes - Lower body, especially                            glutes, hamstrings and calves (my weak spots) 

Follow along with me! Let’s get trim and toned! My idol is Brooke Burke. Slim, toned and very healthy!