Exhaustion!

I have 2 and a half weeks until Mexico and I have been working my tail off!!!!!!!! I just have to look my best in my bikini. Its terrible how I am the most critical of my body it consumes me. On top of that, fitness really rules my life. I have to plan everything around my fitness. Can I go out with friends this week? No, I can't deal with the temptation of drinking and eating what I'm not supposed to. Do I skip one day off at the gym? Yes, but I have to make that day I've missed somehow over the weekend. So all these things run through my mind. It can become very difficult.
Since I've talked so much about fitness these past few entries, I have to cover some fashion today. In the Oscar de la Renta runway show for Spring/Summer 2010, he featured side braids as a season trend. The side braid is so versatile, you can wear it in the office as well as out for dinner and drinks. I've done it myself, it is so quick, comfortable and easy to do! So don't be afraid to try a few hairstyles for the summer - make sure you wear the side braid to keep up with the latest trend!

How to get a body like Kelly Ripa

I was thinking back today when I first started to become interested in fitness years ago. The first person that came to mind that had inspired me was Kelly Ripa. At the time she went through a whole transformation after being pregnant (she has 3 kids, mind you) then all of a sudden I saw her body lean and so ridiculously toned! Okay so she is an actress and has all the resources like a trainer, chef etc..but that did not deter me from my goal of wanting to be fit like her. She is the same built as I am but she has no evidence of any fat in that little body!!
I got a trainer and I remember him asking me: "So what is your goal?" Keep in mind that it is helpful to have a realistic goal. And since Kelly and I are the same petite build I said " I want to be like Kelly Ripa. Toned arms, fit and a 6 pack." After meeting that goal within 3 months, strict diet, dedication to the gym, my goal had evolved into something a little more muscular than her.
Kelly's fitness and diet involves:
- Running 4-5 times a week from 3 to 5 miles
- Physique 57 which is a ballet toning class in NYC
- She has a personal chef who cooks lean proteins like fish or steak and plenty of vegetables
- Her meals are cut into small portions to keep her metabolism throughout the day.

This could be a lot of work for someone who has no experience in fitness at all but don't give up. I am just an average woman who works in the corporate world and trust me there is a way around all of this if you truly are dedicated. Feel free to email me and ask me anything from a friend to another and I will answer them the best I can. Now if I could just find out where she shops..Kelly has such great fashion taste and trendy petite fashion is so hard to find!

It's Been a While!

It has been sooo, sooo long since my last entry. Things have been busy, I've started my job search and also applied for a lateral move in my company. Work is a complete bore. I am now a member of Equinox gym and I go to the 43rd and 5th location after work. It's been about a month that I've gone and I am slowly adjusting to this gym. I will talk about this during another time since I have quite a lot to say about Equinox.
My trip to Mexico is about 3 weeks away and I am in dire need to look my best so I've been training extremely hard and even adding new exercises here and there. Thanks to Bodybuilding.com . This site is extremely helpful when it comes to anything that involves fitness and bodybuilding. It has a section called bodyspace where you can post your photos and monitor your progress. This specific part of the site really motivates me since I see the most chiseled and fit bodies I've ever seen. I am inspired how people have taken their fitness to astronomical levels. WOW!
I should be able to continue this blog and make sure I share it with everyone. I have not gotten the chance to care for it as much as I can. Hopefully this blog can start many dialogs and attract the like or maybe even inspire some people.

Boston

I know this blog is supposed to be about fashion and fitness but at the same time I am human and have many other thoughts that consume me on a daily basis. The hurt the happiness, the hope and the longing. My development and growth as a person.
This may not be familiar to many, but Boston is a very special place to me. The hurt from you I never express, but I think about you daily. It is sadness suppressed I never own up to. Times I feel I hide from the denial and the smile on my face I've never faced, this recovery is in a slow pace. I often wonder what could've been and did you feel the same? I gave it my all, had no boundaries and jumped head first. I was blind and oblivious.
Boston I was so touched by you, so distinguished, charming, thoughtful and proper. Our similar likes and dislikes. I was deceived by what you were feeling inside. You didn't tell me the truth, you lied and let me think you wanted to take a chance.
Only time will heal my experience, but my love for Boston will never leave. I know one day we will meet again. But right now the questions in my mind still linger - could Boston and New York City ever come together?

Running

Things have finally come to fruition and everything is working out in my favor, so I am in a better mood. I definitely had a rough couple of weeks and with the power of positive thinking and visualizations, the knot I felt in my chest has been diminished. The darkness I felt during these few weeks is something I do not want to occur again.

Due to my computer issues and such I haven't blogged but now its fixed. Right after work today the weather was nice enough for a run in the park. And amazingly after that huge snowstorm we had, the weather has warmed up a bit. I went to Astoria Park and jogged for about an hour. Running is not my first love, weight training is and I am no expert at this. I run about 2 or 3 miles at a time. This is just to shed a few pounds for my six pack to show a little better and get leaner. I use it in conjunction with my weight training for better results.

Here are some tips from runnersrescue.com:

Introduction
The most important point to remember for beginners is to start slowly. If you start an intense running regime without a gradual build up, your body will be rebel and you are more likely to suffer from a running injury. Do not skip any of the sections of the running program, sometimes beginners become impatient and try to speed up the process of adjusting the body to running. However, if you find the routine too hard then you can slow down each section and even repeat the section until you feel you are ready.

Preparation
Make sure you have correct running shoes and also a decent running watch. Measuring time/ distance is essential to monitor your progress. It is imperative that you stretch your muscles and do a warm up jog or walk. Many beginners forget to stretch before and after to prevent injury. Drink plenty of water before and after you run, it may also help to have a carbohydrate drink while you run to give you more energy.

Running Program
Each session should take about 20 or 40 minutes, three times a week

Week 1
Brisk walk to warm up. Alternate 60 second jogging than 90 seconds of walking for 20 mins.

Week 2
As above but for 30 minutes.

Week 3
Brisk 5 minute walk to warm up.
Repetition of the following:
Jog 200 yards (approx 90 secs)
Walk 200 yards (approx 90 secs)
Jog 400 yards (approx 3 mins)
Walk 400 yards (approx 3 mins)

Week 4
Brisk 5 minute walk to warm up.

Repetition of the following:
Jog ¼ Mile (approx 3 mins)
Walk 1/8 Mile (approx 90 secs)
Jog ½ Mile (approx 5 mins)
Walk ¼ Mile (approx 3 mins)
Jog ¼ Mile (approx 3 mins)
Walk 1/8 Mile (approx 90 secs)
Jog ½ Mile (approx 5 mins)

Week 5
Brisk 5 minute walk to warm up.

Repetition of the following:
Jog ½ Mile (approx 5 mins)
Walk 1/4 Mile (approx 3 mins)
Jog ½ Mile (approx 5 mins)
Walk ½ Mile (approx 5 mins)
Jog 1/2 Mile (approx 5 mins)

Week 6
Brisk 5 minute walk to warm up.

Repetition of the following:
Jog ½ Mile (approx 5 mins)
Walk 1/4 Mile (approx 3 mins)
Jog ¾ Mile (approx 5 mins)
Walk ¼ Mile (approx 3 mins)
Jog ½ Mile (approx 10 mins)

Week 7
Brisk 5 minute walk to warm up.

Repetition of the following:
Jog 2.5 Mile (approx 25 mins)

Week 8
Brisk 5 minute walk to warm up.

Repetition of the following:
Jog 2.75 Mile (approx 28 mins)

Week 9
Congratulations, you made it this far!

Brisk 5 minute walk to warm up.
Repetition of the following:
Jog 3 Mile (approx 30 mins)

PLEASE do not lose motivation because once you stop you pretty much have to start from the beginning.
Good luck!

Blizzard in NYC

I have not been in great spirits lately and I wanted to escape that feeling even for a brief moment by taking a few photos of this crazy snowstorm that has been ongoing for 2 days straight now. It is also supposed to continue throughout the weekend and my plans to meet with friends tomorrow night might be canceled. I miss my friends and we will sure make up for the time that has been lost.
I was frustrated that the photos I took last night did not turn out so great because the camera I have was either focusing incorrectly or in the wrong setting. My friend Manny who took some photography classes gave me a few tips to keep in mind for the next time . I am thinking about getting a better camera so I have been shopping around.
Look at the photos of the park I took this morning ..too bad I didn't catch the people I saw making snow angels - LOL I wish I was out there doing that instead of being in the office. YES, I WAS CRAZY AND DUMB ENOUGH TO MAKE IT IN. I WILL NOT BE DOING THAT AGAIN!
It has been a while since I was able to run outside, I want winter to pass desperately. Astoria Park is a beautiful place to run and my heart misses it so... <3

Take Action

I had an extremely peculiar day at work where I had to take action for hostility that I have been dealing with for years. I finally hit my breaking point and decided I am not going to take this shit any longer. And I am saying this while flippin' two birds - EFF YASELVESSSS!!!!!!!!!

Ahem, anyway getting to business here I want to talk about Jackie from Bravo's show "Work Out." I have an obsession with her and her body. Please take a look, this is the body I am trying to attain if possible. If I didn't have a day job it would be so much easier to attain - not that this body is easy to attain..but my focus would be 100% muscle building diet and fitness.
Diet is very important here and what I will be doing is taking photos of my progress. As of now I am trying to lose 8 pounds from holiday weight, partying and stress that has been happening. My regimen was lost and my focus was distracted but I am recovering from that now. The alcohol was a definite culprit - but I had done 3 days of cardio so far on top of at least an hour of weight training before that. I had 2 small bags of potato chips today, god that was awful ..I really need to get it together! I will though..I am..I am..

The Combat Boots

Celebrity Street Style : Ke$ha by Fashionmint(Catching up & Busy) featuring Donna Karan tops

In my very first blog I spoke about combat boots being a trend this season. I had to include this photo from polyvore.com which shows a photo of Ke$ha wearing these lovely studded boots that are meant to be worn flipped over on the top to show the studs. Look at how the studs dazzle with tremendous charm bringing goose bumps all over your body. Well at least that's what happened to mine!! The clothing and accessories featured around it is a guide on how to rock these boots with confidence and attitude.

The sad part is that the boots cost $460 from net-a-porter.com. If you can afford these, kudos to you! However, there are plenty of other styles you can find online from low to moderate pricing. Try Jeffrey Campbell styles or forever21.com,they have a pair of combat boots going for $29.80 shown below - ridiculous bargain!

Please make sure you wear these boots with leggings, acid wash skinny jeans, shorts or the right dress - the point is that they have to be form fitting bottoms. I recommend plenty of squats or running on the treadmill (which I will speak about on a future blog) to show shapely legs in such tight bottom attire!

Shoulder Exercises for That One Shoulder Dress

I've got to say I've had a really rough day today at work. I stayed a little bit later than usual and headed straight to the gym and worked out like a maniac. While I was weight training hardcore at the gym, I thought about another trend for the season which is the one shoulder dress. Look at the picture of Jessica Biel (from Instyle.com). I am a big fan of hers for the simple fact that she is also a fitness fanatic - her body type so athletic and healthy! Also, in my opinion she has one of the best shoulders I've ever seen in Hollywood.Speaking of the one shoulder dress, it doesn't hurt to have great looking shoulders to show off when you have it on! Being a gym member of the NY Health and Racket Club one of my favorite body parts to work out is the shoulders..I AM OBSESSED! So I use the Smith Machine see the photo below from Shapefit.com. The exercise is a simple up and down motion - you do not need a spotter since the machine has a guided hook to hold the weights when you have reached failure.
A popular shoulder work out is the bent over lateral raise, great for beginners and advanced level depending on how heavy the weight you use. You can also do this exercise standing directly upright to target different parts of your shoulders. This can be done at home as well as the gym. (The photo is from Ivillage.com)

Now when in doubt, if you are unsure about your form or do not have any weights to use, you can use household items like canned goods. If that still is not good for you, do some push ups. You can even do them on your knees, the tip is to go slow and do them regularly. You will have toned shoulders and arms in no time!

Fashion Week - Bryant Park

What a perfect time to start my new blog with photos of Bryant Park fashion week tents. I am lucky enough to work in the building directly in front of the park so we have a direct view of it. The 3rd photo was a photo from the 14th floor of the building. Now I know what you're saying, how about photos of fashion shows inside the tents and famous fashionistas? Sorry I am not up there yet LOL so for now this is what I have for you.
Trends from Fashion week which is for Fall 2010 are:

• Animal prints (this has been ongoing by the way..)
• Oxfords
• Cowboy boots
• Short pants
• Bright bold prints
• Combat or lace up boots

I could keep going, however please note these are must - haves and I would start purchasing them now in time for Fall!!