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HOW TO FEEL FULLER FOR LONGER – SKINNY GIRL SECRET

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Jillian Michaels is a world class weight loss expert and she has helped millions of people lose weight and keep it off. Here’s one of her TRICKIEST TIPS… 😉

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Before you’re about to eat a main meal STOP! Get 8 raw almonds or 5 raw walnuts and EAT them first, BEFORE you touch the meal on your plate.

WHY?
To get the body to produce cholecystokinin… a cheeky hormone that slows the process of gastric emptying. If your stomach takes longer to empty, you’ll feel fuller for longer… and it makes it harder to overeat.

I’m here rooting for you and I want you to have clear, no nonsense tips and tricks to lose weight and get your groove (and your energy) back! I’ll also have other slim savvy tips to help you in the areas of beauty, style, food and self help.

love
The Lifestylista
xox

#LoseWeight and #keepitoff #permanently #WeightLoss #JillianMichaels
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Dieting’s dirty little secret – the scientific truths behind WHY DIETS MAKE YOU FAT!

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You’re fat.
Again…
How the HECK did this happen??? #PostBackByPopularDemand
All that weight you lost on the last diet is back on and then some. Now you just feel powerless, confused, out of control and ashamed. You assume it’s because you weren’t disciplined enough or you didn’t have enough willpower… But still you can’t work out how you got back to square one so quickly.

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All you want to do is understand WHY now that you’re off the diet (BUT eating even less than you did before you started to diet)… you’ve still gained all of the #weight back and more.

 

WHY?

This is not a mystery.

 

Once you understand the science behind how diets actually make you fatter, you will have taken the first step to losing weight and keeping it off for good.

 

A groundbreaking study (“Long Term Persistence of Hormonal Adaptations to Weight Loss”) conducted at the University of Melbourne reported that when people diet, the body’s hormonal balance changes and it goes into serious weight gain mode.

 

According to researchers, #calorie restriction results in a rapid, significant reduction in levels of leptin – a hormone that speeds up the metabolic rate and curtails appetite. It also causes a reduction in the levels of the appetite suppressing hormone Peptide YY. So when you diet, your metabolism slows down and all the regular hormones that keep your appetite in check just aren’t around to protect you… As if that wasn’t enough, there is a huge increase in the levels of ghrelin – a hormone which not only makes you hungry as a horse but also stimulates the release of a polypeptide that makes your body store even more fat, especially in the abdominal region! #BellyFat

The lead researcher, Joseph Proietto, said, “Our study has provided clues as to why obese people who have lost weight often relapse. The relapse has a strong physiological basis and is not simply the result of voluntary resumption of old habits.”

Dr Rudolph Leibel of Columbia University agrees. He believes obesity is a biological, not a psychological illness. According to Dr Leibel’s research, a body that has dieted behaves very differently to a body of the same size that has never dieted. When we lose weight, the body fights fat loss by making our muscle fibers more energy efficient so they burn up to a quarter less calories than the muscles of someone of the same weight who had never dieted. If you lose 10% of your body fat you’ll need to eat 20 – 25% fewer calories to maintain your new weight. So if you were eating 2000 calories a day before your diet, now you’ll need to eat 400 – 500 calories LESS per day just to keep your weight stable. This ‘dieting effect’, needing to eat fewer calories, can last years. No wonder we gain the weight back!

Dr Rosenbaum, a researcher at Columbia University scanned the brains of dieters vs non dieters. He found that the body tries to return to the old weight by giving the dieter a much greater emotional response to food combined with real cravings that make the person more excited about food and less able to resist it. Dr Rosenbaum said that this, when combined with the fact that the post diet body needs significantly fewer calories, creates the ideal situation for weight regain… ARGGH!!!

UCLA researchers analyzed 31 long term diet studies and found that the biggest predictor of long term weight gain was if the subject had been on a diet at some point in the past. So basically, if you’ve ever dieted, you’re the one they expect to gain weight long term. One study they analyzed, where dieters were followed for 2 years, showed that 83% of dieters ended up heavier than when they started their diet.

Diets really don’t work. They actually make the problem worse. Much worse.

Now you understand the science behind why diets don’t work can you forgive yourself for all the ‘failures’ of the past? You’ve been blaming yourself for years and now you need to cut yourself some slack, recognize the huge opponent you’ve been dealing with and work out a strategy. I am working on a course that will lead you through this process step by step. I lost 50+ lbs and I kept it off. Knowledge is power and always remember you’re not losing weight to get fabulous… you’re fabulous now!

Love,

The Lifestylista
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GOT DANDRUFF AND WANT TO GET RID OF IT? #BackByPopularDemand

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WHAT IS DANDRUFF: The shedding of skin cells is normal… BUT dandruff isn’t.

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There are a few different types of dandruff:

DRY SCALP:
Dry scalp caused by environment or a skin condition e.g. eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis etc. Are you using a very drying shampoo? Go for a mild, moisturizing one instead… Perhaps a sulphite free shampoo…

OILY SCALP:
Fungal overgrowth:
One ‘popular’ form of dandruff is caused by ‘malassezia’, a yeast-like fungus… This fungus lives on a healthy scalp but when it starts to grow out of control, it starts to speed up the turnover of the skin cells. These shed skin cells bind together with the oil on the scalp and cause what we call “dandruff flakes”… Yuk! We’ve all had it.

WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO DANDRUFF?:
– Making your scalp an even more tantalizing environment for these naughty microbes through overuse of hair products – hair gels, mousses, sprays etc. (fungal overgrowth)
– Humidity and heat (fungal overgrowth)
– Dry, cold weather (dry scalp)
– Dry, indoor heating (dry scalp)
– B complex or zinc deficiency
– Stress
– Hormonal changes
– Not rinsing your shampoo off throughly after each wash.

ANTI-DANDRUFF SHAMPOO:
Make sure your anti-dandruff shampoo contains one of the following active ingredients:
Try ones with different active ingredients to see which ones work…
– zinc pyrithione – decreases fungus and bacteria, cut down on scalp oil production
– selenium sulfide – decreases fungus and reduce the rate of cell turnover
– ketoconazole – anti fungal
– salicylic acid – helps get rid of the dead skin cells
– IF NONE OF THESE ANTI-DANDRUFF SHAMPOOS WORK… TRY A full-on TAR SHAMPOO! Yes it smells appalling and it may even irritate your ski (lol) but it’s an age-old remedy that works! It decreases fungus and reduce the rate of cell turnover.

***Wash with shampoo twice. On the second wash, allow the shampoo to ‘soak in’ and have the active ingredients work… for 5 mins.***

HOMEMADE ANTI-DANDRUFF REMEDIES:

— A homemade salicylic acid remedy:
Pound 4 aspirins into a powder and add it to your shampoo. Allow it to penetrate the skin cells on your scalp for 5 mins before washing away with regular shampoo.

— Lemon or Lime rinse:
3 tablepoons of lemon or lime juice in one cup of water.
This balances the pH levels of your scalp, reduces itchiness and has an anti-bacterial action. It’ll even make your hair shine. VERY IMPORTANT: Wash off all the lemon or lime before you go out into the sun (or else your hair will bleach!)

and

If your dandruff doesn’t go away or if you feel it is extreme, see a dermatologist!

Good luck chica! I’m here rooting for you.

love,

The Lifestylista
xox
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Got PUFFY EYEBAGS and need a 7 minute way to zap em???

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Celeb eyebag trick: Dip cotton balls in ICE COLD MILK, rest on eyes for 7 mins and ZAP PUFFINESS!

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Using full fat milk will help to soothe your skin if it’s irritated.   The coldness of the milk helps bring down any inflammation and causes temporary constriction (shrinking) of your blood vessels.
It’s quick and it works… And it’s strangely relaxing too.
love
The Lifestylista
xox
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CELEBRITY SECRET: HOW TO LOOK SEXY & FABULOUS IN SKINNY JEANS

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IMG_1233This post is back by popular demand! You love the look of blue skinny jeans on your favorite celebrities but you think they won’t be flattering for you?

Let’s face it, for most women there is nothing more traumatic than going to a store to buy jeans!

The problem is, so many women don’t know the celeb style secrets that make looking good in skinny jeans a breeze!

Let’s fix that now!  Give the tips and tricks in this article a try and you might find yourself looking fierce & fantastic in a pair of skinny jeans!

DEFNITION: Skinny jeans fit snugly along the entire length of your leg from your hips right down to your ankle.  They create the illusion of long, lean legs.

A DARKER WASH

You will find a darker wash to be more slimming and it’s also much more versatile.  It can be casual during the day and dressed up for a more sophisticated evening look. If you’re curvy, avoid the distressed look with bleaching, tears etc. because it will make your thighs look bigger.  Stick with plain dark wash jeans.

STRETCH

If you go for some stretch in your jeans – Lycra – you will find that they are much more forgiving to your curves.  They expand and contract just where they need to.

STYLING:

The key to making skinny jeans work is choosing the most flattering tops and accessories to go with them.

TOP:

  • Proportion is crucial when you wear skinny jeans!  Don’t go for short or tight tops.  Wear a LOOSE, FLOWY TOP – the volume will create a visual balance the tightness of the skinny jeans on the bottom.  Dolman sleeve tops, empire waisted blouses, flowy tunics… these will not only balance the skinny jeans but they will also cover your waistline & behind AND not cling to your tummy.
  • FITTED JACKET or BLAZER that comes below the hips – this can give your skinny jeans flattering and sophisticated look
  • COLOR – Blue skinny jeans can act as a neutral foundation for your whole outfit and so you can add color with your tops.
  • If you want to draw the eye away from your hips and thighs, you can accessorize using a big necklace or a fabulous headband.

SHOES

  • Fabulous footwear is a must with skinny jeans! Wear with heels because this will extend the lines of your legs in the skinny jeans and make your legs look longer and leaner.  The heels will also lift your behind so it will appear even perkier!  You can wear flats but if you are curvy, be aware that wearing flats will make you look wider than you are.

BELT – if you have an hourglass shape you want to show off – use a stylish belt at your waist to pull it in.

LENGTH

Go for a little more length in the hem when you’re wearing skinny jeans.  A bit of scrunching at the heels is a good thing. It’s stylish and it makes your skinny jeans NOT look like leggings!

When skinny jeans work, they really work.  You can become a sexy, skinny jeans siren if you just give these tips a try.  I’m here pulling for you.

love,
The Lifestylista

xox
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THE 7 KEYS TO LONG HAIR NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF HAIR YOU HAVE…

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Yes Lifestylista ladies, you heard me!  So many of you want long hair but you tell yourselves that it’s all down to genes and that there are some kinds of hair that don’t really grow…  Not true!  Most of my posts are universal but this post isn’t – today I’m speaking directly to black (/ African-American) ladies.
With black hair, it’s as important to STOP BREAKAGE as it is to ENCOURAGE GROWTH.  So often we think our hair isn’t growing, when in fact what’s really happening is that it’s breaking… 🙁
1) DO AS LITTLE TO IT AS POSSIBLE
Ever wondered why the same people who say their hair “can’t grow” get dreadlocks and, all of a sudden, WOOSH – long hair?!  This is the ‘lowest manipulation’ hairstyle possible – there’s no combing, no brushing, no chemical relaxers.  I’m not saying get locks, you choose your hairstyle… I’m just illustrating a point:
— When we do the minimum to black hair (no matter what texture), we see it grow and grow and grow … So intensive styling every day with combs, brushes and heat doesn’t help the cause.
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2) BE GENTLE WHEN YOU WASH YOUR HAIR 
– Don’t use hot, hot water – this can dry your hair out.
– Use a gentle, moisturizing shampoo (preferably sulphite free) and sometimes try washing your hair with a conditioner… This is called “co-washing” (if this sounds crazy to you, just try it and you’ll think you were crazy for not knowing about it all these years LOL!)
– Try to deep condition your hair at least every two weeks.
3) ADD MOISTURE AND LOCK IT IN
Our hair is drier and more brittle than other types of hair (European, Asian  etc.) partly because our curly roots make it hard for our natural hair oils to find their way along the hair shaft right down to the ends of our hair…  So if we don’t keep our thirsty hair moisturized, it’ll be less elastic and it’ll be much more likely to break the heck off whether we like it or not.
4) CUT YOUR SPLIT ENDS
OK – this is no joke!  I know some of y’all hate to cut your hair (“I’m tryin to grow it b&*tch not cut it!”) but if you really want long hair you’re going to have to trim your hair before the split end damage moves further up your hair shaft.  Think of it this way… You’re containing a fire before it spreads!
5) PROTECT THE HAIR
– Sleep in a silk or satin scarf to prevent all the friction and breakage when you rub your head on your cotton pillow at night.
– After washing, don’t dry your hair with a cotton towel – too much water will be absorbed before you can seal in moisture and there’s too much friction.  Instead use a microfiber towel, a cotton T-shirt or kitchen paper towels – these smoother surfaces absorb just the right amount of water and don’t cause friction, knots or disrupt your natural post washing curl pattern…
–  Be mindful that any chemicals or heat you apply to your hair will promote breakage.  So either stop doing it OR be extra careful to minimize the amount of extra styling you do and maximize the amount of moisturizing you do.
– Don’t use products containing alcohol (talk about drying your hair out… YUK!)
6) CLEAN PORES
Girl, your scalp needs to breathe! All the stuff you put in your hair builds up over time and can block your pores and stunt the growth of your hair!   And NEVER use Vaseline or any other petroleum based product on your hair or scalp unless you want your darned pores clogged the heck up…

7) DIET 
If you don’t get the right nutrition your hair won’t grow…
For more on this, go to www.TheLifestylista.com — Beauty & Style section to see my article “WANT TO GROW YOUR HAIR LONG? Here’s how to EAT to help make that happen…”

I am here rooting for you!  (“Rooting” get it 🙂 Hair roots… Nevermind).
love,
The Lifestylista
xox

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WANT TO GROW YOUR HAIR LONG? Here's how to eat to help make that happen…

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So many of you have written asking about hair growth and diet that I had to write this for you!

NUTRITION
If you don’t get the right nutrition your hair won’t grow. Eat a nutrient dense diet, add a good multi-vitamin as a back up.
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VITAMIN E:   This, among other things, increases circulation and stimulates hair follicles so your hair grows more healthy and more gorgeously thick!  Food sources include nuts and green, leafy vegetables, liver, eggs and certain vegetable oils.

BIOTIN: This increases the growth rate of your hair.  There is some scientific evidence to suggest that women with thinning hair may not have enough biotin in their bodies…  Food sources: swiss chard (a delicious, nutritious type of greens), onions, cucumbers, carrots, nuts (e.g. almonds) and more.

ZINC:  One of the sad symptoms of a zinc deficiency is your hair falling out! OUCH!
Make sure you get enough Zinc in your diet – it helps with hair growth. We need zinc to maintain the health of the cells in our hair follicles… so it’s pretty important because no healthy hair follicles, no healthy hair!
Food sources: beans, Fresh or dried pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds and squash seeds, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, peanuts and various meats and seafood (esp Oysters).

IRON: Hair loss can occur if you’re iron deficient. If you want your hair to grow and be healthy, make sure you get enough iron in your diet.
Food sources: Dark, leafy greens (spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, kale), beans (inc lentils, soybeans, garbanzo beans / chickpeas etc.), artichokes, prunes, raisins, meat (inc liver) and egg yolks.
Iron tip: make sure you eat a food with vitamin C in it at the same time as your iron rich food… this HUGELY enhances the absorbability of the iron!

Eat your greens, your beans and all that other healthy good stuff and grow your hair girl 🙂

I’m here rooting for you!

love,

The Lifestylista
xox
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5 STEPS TO HELP YOU COPE WITH A SHOPPING ADDICTION…

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Do you find yourself compulsively spending money you don’t have on things you don’t need???
If you do, you’re not alone. I’m writing this article because so many of our Lifestylista sisters have written to me asking for help with this.

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5 STEPS TO HELP YOU COPE

1) Admit what’s going on.
It’s much harder to cope with an addiction when you’re in denial. Tell your family and close friends the truth so they can support you. Ask them to step in when you are about to lapse… Tell them it won’t be easy because you might get defensive, angry, impossibly hard work but beg them to help you all the more because it’ll be harder for you to beat this without their help.

2) Don’t use checks or credit.
These payment methods can help you to forget that you are actually spending money. If you must buy that hair / dress / handbag, then make it as hard as possible. Hand over actual cash to the shopkeeper!

3) Keep a spending diary.
Write down EVERY SINGLE THING YOU SPEND or use a free expenses tracking program like www.mint.com . Even a coffee or a lunch – write it all down and at the end of the month, you’ll have a MUCH better understanding of where your money goes…

4) Don’t tempt yourself
Would a recovering alcoholic hang out at bars and pubs??! Well don’t hang out in shops! Don’t window shop. Don’t just “visit a sale for information purposes only” LOL. Avoid the places you are the most tempted.

5) The 30 day mind trick 🙂
– See an item you want… Something you ‘must have’. Instead of buying it immediately, STOP YOURSELF.
– Keep a wishlist on a piece of paper or on your computer. On your wishlist, you’ll write down the date and everything about the object of your desire 🙂 e.g. the Clarks Shoes you found at Store X for $Y.
– Days 1 – 29: You can research the object, you can think about it… heck you can even dream about it and drool about it BUT YOU CAN’T BUY IT!
– Day 30: If you still want to buy your ‘must have’ item then you can but very often the urge will have passed (and you’ll be on to something else! Ha! 😉

WANT TO CHECK IF YOU’RE A COMPULSIVE SPENDER? DO THIS TEST…
According to the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, if you experience 4 or more of the symptoms below, you may have a spending addiction. Here are the signs of compulsive spending / shopping:
– “Shopping or spending money as a result of being disappointed, angry or scared.
– Shopping/spending habits causing emotional distress or chaos in one’s life.
– Having arguments with others regarding shopping or spending habits.
– Feeling lost without credit cards.
– Buying items on credit that would not be bought with cash.
– Spending money causes a rush of euphoria and anxiety at the same time.
– Spending or shopping feels like a reckless or forbidden act.
– Feeling guilty, ashamed, embarrassed or confused after shopping or spending money. Many purchases are never used.
– Lying to others about what was bought or how much money was spent.
– Thinking excessively about money.
– Spending a lot of time juggling accounts and bills to accommodate spending.”

If you have an addictive spending disorder, you will consistently fail to control your overspending, you will feel “increased tension” before you do it and pleasure when you are doing it…

THE EMOTIONAL PROFILE OF A COMPULSIVE SPENDER

– SELF ESTEEM: You don’t feel good about yourself and shopping is one way you try to make yourself feel better. Especially when you think the thing you want / need / must have will make you into the amazing person you’d like to be… e.g. that bag / those shoes / that dress / that hair will make you beautiful, desirable, worthy of love… someone else, someone better.

– IMPULSE CONTROL: When you need something, you just have to have it. It’s irresistible. You can’t control it. Compulsive spenders have less control of their impulses than other people do.

Girl, you might find this article a tough, painful read but I have written it to help you to help yourself. I care and I know that change is possible in all aspects of our lives: spending habits, weight, relationships… life!
You go my Lifestylista friend. I’m here rooting for you.
love
The Lifestylista
xox
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