STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

bex · Chanel

Desperate times calls for desperate measures

ico · Dooney & Bourke

I am sure you'll get a lot of good suggestions from the stylethead girls! Here are mine.

July 15th is not too bad, don't despair.

First thing, limit the amount of salt you as much as possible, and avoid foods with a lot of salt added (read the label carefully)

try to figure out if there are some foods that cause you bloating after you eat them, and eliminate them completely from you diet, at least for the last week.

Avoid carbonated beverages. In the ideal case, your beverages should be limited to WATER (lots of it), green tea (NO SUGAR!) and other herbal teas (NO SUGAR HERE EITHER), and whatever you like for breakfast, milk or juice. Alcohol should be limited. Try to avoid artificial sweetened drinks.

LOTS of vegetables, they should make the biggest part of your meals. 3-4 fruits a day (watermelon is awesome!), and some whole wheat carbs (pasta, bread, or brown rice). Lean meat and fish, try not to eat lots of cheese. See what happens of you eliminate milk: although I don't have an intolerance, eliminating milk has helped me look leaner. Yogurt is good, tho.

I am usually against low-carb diets, I think they are really unhealthy. But you can try to focus more on lean proteins than carbs towards the end of your diet, without eliminating them completely. If needed (you'll have to judge, here), for the last 3 days eliminate carbs completely, eat lean meat, fish, veggies and some fruit; again, that's an extreme measure, I wouldn't use it unless it is an extreme emergency.

As for exercising, you can find suggestions on the shape.com, self.com, or on other magazine's web-sited.

I think swimming helps you trim the waist, due to the rotating movements. For sure, boxing and kikboxing are excellent, but I don't know how much time you have for that.

Hope this helps a little bit, good luck!

bex · Chanel

thanks ICO for your advice.

i drink green tea almost every morning- but i put honey in it... is that just as bad as sugar?

i can totally eliminate milk products the only thing i partake in is ice cream (one weakness of mine).

my other weakness is pizza and bread... i only eat whole grain bread.. but i love it. to the fact that i ate about 6 servings of it yesterday (and i should only have 2 servings a day).

currently my exercise regimen includes running about 2 miles 3 times a week and pilates a couple times a week. my gym membership lapsed about 2 weeks ago and since we are moving in a couple of months and it was summer- i figured i could get by- but with this new glitch, i am wondering if i should join a place for a month or two if they would let me...

any other great ideas for me oh wise ST Girls?

looks like i'll be joining you on the D/E thread everyday so you all can keep me in check!

crystal · Kate Spade

well, i was going to suggest yoga as that has really made me see results but if u are already doing pilates i think they are similar enough that u don't need to switch. u don't have to join a gym... i know lifting is an important part of an exercise routine, but if u get one of those stretchy band things or a "tube" u can use that for resistance & do the same moves you would in the gym. i would focus on the abs tho and i'm sure ur pilates is doing good on that. maybe up ur pilates from "a couple times a week" to 3 or 4 and i would increase ur distance and frequency on the running. for a while i was walking 4 miles 5x a week & i really noticed a difference as did people around me. my waist went in quite a bit... man, i need to get back to that again, sigh! ok, well, good luck & i'll see u in D&E!

esquiress · Marc Jacobs

i second ico's suggestions, and i used to never be a fan of low carb diets either but i have to admit that when you want to lose weight fast, the first two weeks of the south beach diet sure do the trick. so i'd probably try to cut out the bread as best i could, hth and good luck!