From Fitness to Fashion

Monday, September 05, 2016

A few weeks ago, my fitness goddess friend Charlene Bazarian (FBJFit) and I ran a workshop called From Fitness to Fashion at Helen Thomas Simply Smashing  (an AMAZING boutique in Andover, MA).  Our mission was to give women simple and easy to implement tips for losing weight and staying stylish along the way. By the way, Charlene is a product of her own advice...she lost almost 100 pounds by herself!

I thought I'd share a few of our tips with you.
Charlene says...

  • Remind yourself that you're no busier than a fit person.
  • Vodka leads to Oreos"...another words, pay attention to what triggers your overeating!
  • Think of food as a choice and not as a reward or punishment. You don't "deserve" a decadent dessert, nor are you "depriving" yourself if you don't have it.
  • Make workouts something you do regularly, just like brushing your teeth.
  • Switch up your exercise routines and make them something you genuinely enjoy such as dance lessons, Sunday morning bike rides or taking walks with friends or family.
  • Recognize the saboteurs. Resist the "just this once", "just a taste or bite won't hurt" and even the "you're no fun anymore" from some of the people closest to you.
  • Eat foods in their lowest common denominator (whole form). For example, oranges instead of orange juice and shop the aisles on the outside of the supermarket where the least processed foods are located.
  • View your body like a race-car-- where you wouldn't use cheap fuel and the goal is for the car to take you someplace, not just be the destination itself.

Susan says (that's me :)

  • Make sure your closest only contains clothes that are in your current size. Holding on to smaller or bigger sizes does nothing for your self-esteem or motivation (contrary to popular belief!).
  • Stay away from big baggy clothes. Many women think that by wearing something oversized, it will cover them up. The reality is that your body takes on the shape of your clothes --so the looser the clothing, the bigger you may look.
  • Pay attention to your bras size as you lose weight...most likely you'll need a few fittings along the way. A good fitting bra will actually make you look thinner!
  • Don't spend a lot of money on clothes while you are losing weight since you probably won't wear them for long. Stick to simple color palettes (colors that can be easily mixed and matched).  Buy just a few pieces at a time and look for fabrics with stretch and styles that can easily be tailored in. Shop at consignment stores, Target, Old Navy and the clearance racks for transitional pieces.
  • A wrap dress is a great transition piece since it can be pulled in tighter as you lose weight. Love these styles! HERE and HERE.
  • Treat yourself well...try a fun new hair-color, get manicures, and load up on accessories to create lots of new outfits along the way!

Check out some of the delicious healthy snacks we served!

La Croix Sparkling Water. With ZERO calories and all the flavor of natural essential fruit oils these drinks are so refreshing and flavorful! Charlene made me a "mocktail" of La Croix grapefruit water mixed with just a splash of cranberry juice. Delish!!!
Riceworks rice snacks are a great alternative to chips since they contain whole grains, zero cholesterol and trans-fat and are gluten-free. They come in lots of yummy flavors. I sampled Sweet Chili, which tasted a lot like Doritos (but actually better!). 
Halo Top ice cream--this amazing product made me RUN out to Whole Foods to buy 3 pints! With just 240 calories for the WHOLE PINT, this ice cream won't pack on the pounds--not to mention, it's delicious! I tasted the vanilla, chocolate and lemon cake...all were so good! Imagine...healthy ice ream! Who knew it could actually exist?
Prints can be camouflaging! Here are some similar print dresses that I love HERE and HERE
 Use accessories to change up your outfits. I love a poncho or wrap for added style and coverage! Other styles HERE (love the color and the sale price!) and HERE (fabulous plaid for fall!). 

So stay fit, healthy and stylish. Treat your body well, it's the only one you've got!
XO Susan
Are you ready to update your wardrobe?
I do distance coaching too!
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Photos by Chantal Kellerd.
Thanks to all of the fabulous businesses that helped to make this event so fun!


Affiliate links in this post may generate a small commission and some pieces shown are gifted. However, the content of my posts are based on my own honest opinions and are not in any way influenced by partnerships.

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