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Oil Free Sweet Potato Fries Recipe | Crispy, low calorie & Delicious

In honor of the release of my latest book, “The Oil Free Diet” (May 7th 2015) I have decided to post some of my favorite oil free (no added oil) recipes that didn’t make the book (the book has 30 recipes). The first one up is oil free sweet potato fries (you can also cut the sweet potatoes to make wedges or circles instead)

 

Ingredients:

  • Sweet Potatoes, peeled and evenly cut
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of Vanilla Extract
  • Pumpkin Spice
  • Cloves
  • Cinnamon
  • All Spice
  • 5 cloves of Garlic
  • A pinch of sea salt

 

Directions:

1. Soak the sweet potatoes in a bowl of water from 35 minutes up to 2 hours. This will release the starch and is the secret to getting crispy fries

2. Drain the sweet potatoes, pat dry or allow to air dry and turn on the oven to 350 – 375 degrees Fahrenheit so that it can heat up while you add the seasoning.

3. Generously coat the potatoes with all of the spices and mix thoroughly with your hands so that all of the potatoes are evenly coated

4. Take a baking pan lined with parchment paper or non stick foil and arrange the sweet potatoes so that none of them are overlapping. If you don’t have non stick foil regular foil will do but you must be sure to keep on them and flip them before they stick)

5. Bake for about 20 – 30 minute before removing from the oven. Flip each fry / slice over and return to the oven for another 20 – 30 minutes.

6. (optional) If you like your sweet potato fries extra crispy, put in the broiler for 2 to 5 minutes making sure to watch them so that they do not char.

That’s it! You now have yummy sweet potato fries that are low calorie, crispy, crunchy, slightly sweet and incredibly satisfying! Never buy another bag of frozen sweet potatoes with weird additives again! Bon appetit!


Annoying or Smart? Why I Pay Full Price to Order Half Entrees

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In front of a restaurant that wouldn’t serve me a half portion of food (I’m not so good at making a frown face)

Yesterday, I was featured in a NY Post Article titled The Annoying New Dining Trend – Ordering Half Entrees.

From that article, I was asked to do an interview with Fox 5 News to give a more in depth report on why I order half entrees and sometimes pay full price for it.

Obviously, I would prefer to pay half the price if I’m getting half the food another patron is getting, but sometimes that’s not possible. In those situations I would rather pay the full price for half an entree.

Why would I ever do that? I promise you, there is a method to my madness, and here it is:

* What’s the price of your goals?

Especially when I first started losing weight, I had to come to the realization that I needed to stop trying to get the most bang for my buck when it came to food. Most of us have been taught to finish everything on ours plate since we could eat on our own, but if you blindly eat what’s put in front of you when eating out it will be very hard to not fall into the overweight / obese category so many Americans are trapped in.

Since the restaurant weren’t going to help me with portion size, I had to make sure I helped myself! That meant creating an environment that would ensure I did not overeat (if there is no more food left on your plate it’s impossible to eat more of it).

Now that I have reached my goal weight, eat slower, retrained my hunger (which I teach you how to do in my book, “The Thigh Gap Hack,”) and know what it feels like to be satisfied, I am apt to paying the full price for the entree, stop eating when I should, and have the rest boxed to go.

* What are they going to do with the leftovers?

I understand the hesitation of some restaurants to half the price of an entree when a diner only wants to order half the food. After all, what are they going to do with the leftovers? Who are they going to serve it to if there are not many other diners requesting the same dish halved?

That being said, if I find a restaurant that can accommodate my needs (and the number of restaurants catering to this need is growing every day) I am more likely to return to that establishment than the ones that won’t.

* Sometimes you don’t want to carry a doggy bag!

If I won’t be home for a few hours after eating and can’t refrigerate my leftovers (in other words the food would probably spoil from seating in a hot car or I don’t have my car to store the food while I go about the rest of my day) then it just doesn’t make sense to receive what is likely to be a huge portion of food and then force myself to eat it all.

As I mentioned in the Fox 5 interview, your stomach shrinks when you start to eat smaller portions and overeating to the point of feeling uncomfortable just so that I don’t waste the food is not worth it to me.

* It’s not such a foreign concept

Whenever I travel internationally I am served smaller portions of food and pay the equivalent of what I would pay for a meal here in NYC. Additionally, whenever I eat at more upscale restaurants, I pay a lot more money for a small portion of food.

To me, eating out is not so much about stuffing myself like a bloat fish, but being social and enjoying the company I am with, especially since I try to cook most of my meals at home.
New York News


How to Get Legs Like Taylor Swift

taylor-swift-at-2014-mtv-video-music-awards-4Long gone are the days of people only associating Taylor Swift with cheesy pop music about former lovers and that infamous incident involving Kanye West.

Now, all the talk about the 5’11” singer is more about her looks (specifically her lean, slim and shapely legs), closely followed by those less than stellar dance moves and finally, her music.

It’s quite obvious that in the last year or so Taylor has undergone a complete body transformation and in most people’s opinion, it’s for the better!

No, Swift has never been grossly obese or even overweight, but there is no denying that the star has dropped a few pounds and is looking more modelesque than ever.

Call it the breakup diet (when you’re so sad and depressed from a breakup that you lose your appetite, no longer have a boyfriend to constantly take you out or order food in with, or want to show your ex just what he’s missing by hitting the gym), single girl diet (where you suddenly get the surge or motivation to look your best so you can do better in the dating market or actually resemble your old pictures on tinder), or the model friends diet (where you learn all the weight loss tips from your skinny BFF’s Karlie Kloss and Cara Delavigne), whatever reason is responsible for Taylor’s new look has clearly raised her stock and women worldwide are wondering how to follow in Swift’s footsteps.victorias-secret-2013-19_115338715420

Clearly, no one will be privy to exactly what and how much Taylor Swift eats, works out, exactly what types of exercises she does, and how active she is on a day to day basis. However, we can assembles pieces of her diet that she has divulge to the media, get insight into the types of work outs that she prefers thanks to the stalkarazzi taking pictures of her everywhere she goes, and drawing from others who have managed to get similar bodies.

With that said, here are some tips to on how to get the Taylor Swift Body (and amazing legs)!

Taylor Swift’s Diet:

During weekdays, Taylor is said to eat only healthy foods, such as salads, yogurt, and sandwiches. Meanwhile, on weekends she allows herself to enjoy eating cookies, ice cream, burgers, and fries. This style of eating resembles the calorie cycling technique that I talk about in my books “Bye Bye Thunder Thighs” and “The Thigh Gap Hack”.

Raising your calories on the weekends or alternate days is great for keeping the metabolism boosted so that when you go back to lowered calories during the week, you burn more fat instead of your body adapting to a steady low calorie diet all week long by slowing the metabolism. You can either workout at home by looking for where to buy peptides? As the benefits of using it have shown positive results in many cases or you can opt for working out at a gym which is a great motivation as you get to see other people working as hard as you to be the best.

Another secret of Taylor’s is the fact that she eats less as the day progresses. She states, “I try to eat a lot in the beginning of the day and not so much at the end.” This strategy is akin to intermittent fasting where one has an eating widow of around 6 to 8 hours and fasting window of 18 to 16 hours.

Many people chose to skip breakfast on this protocol due to social reason (wanting to eat dinner with family and friends) but it’s just as fine to skip dinner instead. Doing so allows your body to turn to it’s fat stores for energy once all the glycogen has been used up as opposed to constantly eating lots of food throughout the day and never giving your digestive system a break, or a chance for the body to burn stored fat. Again, I talk all about this in both books.

Taylor Swift’s workout:

FFN_IMAGE_51297979|FFN_SET_60073753Some websites have reported that Taylor does an hour of cardio everyday either on her treadmill, on the elliptical or on the road. Besides cardio ensuring that her endurance is on point for her to be able to perform without being out of breath, it allows Taylor to burn a lot of calories and bring circulation to her legs.

But running/jogging is not the only way Swift keeps her heart rate up. The singer has been spotted going to dance classes, hiking and long walks (steady state cardio) to switch things up.

For toning and stretching Taylor opts out of lifting weights and doing any particular muscle building exercise – as I’ve preached for years to those wanting a more feminine, slender physique than hard and buff, fitness model finish.

Instead she swears by ballet (she has been spotted leaving the hip boutique ballet bodies), yoga and pilates. In other words, this girl switches things up and has been quoted as trying not to do things that “feel like working out” otherwise she would be less inclined to do it. (Read my last article about the power of switching up your routine and trying new workouts and/or activities  you find fun or intriguing to remain motivated. Swift is a testament to this strategy working extremely well).

To sum things up, if you want to get the Taylor Swift body and legs, find activities that you’ve always wanted to try or love, be consistent with your diet and exercise – making a little room for things you enjoy that won’t derail you (if you know you’ll eat the whole bag of popcorn, ball one single serving pack) so that you don’t feel deprived, ditch the heavy weights and muscle bulging exercises (unless you don’t want to look like Taylor) and rock on!

 

 


How to Stay Motivated When you’ve Lost Weight, but Have More to Go

stop-giving-upPART II

This question came to me yesterday and I wanted to make sure I shared it, along with my response, here because I thought it could be beneficial to anyone who is currently facing the same problem. The first part deals with how to stay motivated and stop making excuses to work out when you formerly had the zeal and zest to do so.

It’s a very common problem people face, especially after they’ve lost a lot of weight and the weight loss has slowed or they’ve hit a plateau. Thankfully, the answers are not so complicated and difficult to turning things around – in fact there are pretty simple and effective solutions. My answer to this aspect of the question can be found here.

The second part of the question deals with how to prevent backsliding on your diet/exercise regimen and tap back into the motivation you once had specifically after you’ve lost a lot of weight but still have more to go.

Here’s the question and my answer to part II follows.

QUESTION:

Ok. I’ve lost 127 lbs. I hurt my knee pretty bad and needed surgery. I am fully recovered but I’m having suck a hard time with being motivated this time around and I don’t know why. I loved working out before and looked forward to it. Now I find myself making excuses not to. My surgery was 15 months ago. I gained 4 lbs right after surgery because I couldnt move much. I have not gained anything else, just the 4. I also find myself eating stuff I know I shouldn’t because I’m no longer trying to maintain my weight I’m trying to lose some weight. Do you have any advice?

MY ANSWER – Part II:

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7 Ways to Weigh Your Food / Figure out your Calories When Eating Out

eating-out-while-dieting-1Recently, thanks to Obamacare,  restaurants with 20+ locations are required to list calorie content information for standard menu items on menus. Total calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, sugars, fiber and total protein have to be made available in writing upon request.

Unfortunately, most restaurants and cafe’s don’t fall into the 20+ locations category, and as such it can be very difficult to accurately guess what’s in the food you’re consuming when eating out. It would be easy if they had paper overwrapper, as they would need to mention all the info there.

That doesn’t mean all hope is lost though. Here are my tips on how to get a good idea of the nutritional value of food not prepared by you. Keep in mind that all these things can be done in tandem to get the most accurate estimate:

 

Step 1. Order the Most Unprocessed Food

Processed foods have the most variation when it comes to calories. That’s because added ingredients meant to give food a distinctive taste (creamier, richer, sweeter, crispier) can really add to the bottom line of the nutritional content.

That doesn’t mean that a restaurant can’t totally wipe out the lower calorie value of whole foods like vegetables by pouring on sauce or oil. However, you have a better chance of asking your whole food to be prepared (or not prepared) a certain way to cut back on those calories, while you have no such option of pre-packaged foods the restaurant chooses to purchase – like bread.

So, when dining out look for the most unprocessed, whole – closest to its natural state – foods on the menu. Look out for the way it is prepared and avoid anything deep fried, fried, or breaded and go for grilled, baked, roasted, or boiled.

In case you’re wondering how ordering the most unprocessed food will let you know how many calories you’re consuming – be patient my friend, we’ll get to it in the later step.

 

photolibrary_rf_photo_of_food_take_outStep 2. Always Section Off Half to Go

The next thing you should do when ordering out is immediately upon getting your dish, divide your meal into two. If you are dealing with a solid type of food (like salmon or other white fish, it’s easy to cut and stack one piece on top of the other to visually make sure you have half).

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7 Reasons You Aren’t Losing Weight With Zumba

image-208-origRight off the bat I would like to declare that I am a fan of Zumba. In fact, I’ve recently begun taking a zumba class here in New York City two times a week after discovering the studio/class during New York Dance Week.

In case you’re not familiar with New York Dance week, it’s a little over a week, and hundreds of dance studios allow folks to check out their classes for free. I actually checked out two zumba classes held at different studios that week and decided on the one I’ve been attending for reasons I’ll cover in just a second.

I had done zumba before through the workout videos where the guy with the accent and the interpreter get on a very nightly colored stage and dance to different genres of music for approximately five minutes each. The videos were pretty cool but it wasn’t something I was crazy about, the way many Zumba devotees praise their method of training.

I just like to switch up my routine, and an hour of the zumba videos did leave me sweating – mission accomplished.

The zumba class that I attend now was completely packed my first day, and every day I’ve attended since then. I’ve also gotten a chance to chat with a few of the women and was surprised that many of them had been doing Zumba faithfully for months!

The problem is, they didn’t have much to show for their hard work. Before you take offense, I obviously understand that just because someone is not a size 2, doesn’t mean they haven’t made any progress. Who knows where they could have been coming from right?

No one understands this more than me. I am specifically talking about women who have been dancing Zumba multiple times a week over a long period of time who complain about not losing any weight – but coming back anyway because class is in their own words, addictive.

Perhaps you can relate?

Zumba is really fun and doing the live classes with a bunch of other folks really creates a sense of community, but what’s the point in paying for a workout program if you aren’t getting the results you want?

 

ZUMBA AND WEIGHT / FAT LOSS

If you put in a search on the internet for zumba and weight loss, you’ll find countless stories from women who have lost weight using Zumba as their only method of exercise. Clearly, it is possible to lose weight with this program. After all, it’s cardio – and cardio burns fat and will assist you in losing weight by allowing you to burn more calories than you ingest.

So the immediate answer to the question of whether you can lose weight with zumba is, yes!

However, that being said there are reasons why someone might find themselves plateauing or even gaining weight from just doing Zumba alone. What really works is the combination of Zumba and CBD! CBD products like CBD gummies and oil, have fat burning and weight loss properties. Try it out today!

 

1. You’re not working hard enough 

I see it all the time in the classes I’ve attended – people with low energy, doing modified steps, taking long bathroom or water breaks, etc. If you’re doing a half-assed job of working out, just know that you’re not burning nearly half as many calories that you think you are.

 

2. The Zumba Teacher Sucks / Lacks Energy

As I mentioned, I tried out two different studios offering zumba. The second class I tried was at the infamous Alvin Ailey dance studio. The class was huge compared to the studio I currently attend, but the instructor was not nearly as motivational or energetic as he could have been. Perhaps it was a long day or something, but the energy of the teacher as well as his/her choreography is going to make a world of difference in the results you can expect.

If the choreography is way too complicated, you’re going to be spending most of your time flubbing steps than actually burning calories. If your teacher is modifying the steps, it’s unlikely that you and your fellow dancers will choose to do the advanced version to push yourself. It all starts at the top!

 

3. The Group / Class Dynamic

Additionally, the overall energy of the class is important to your success. If your class is full of beginners or people who are not very fit, it’s likely your instructor will try and cater to the majority of the participants and do simpler moves. You’re better off finding a more advanced class with folks at a fitness level more in line with yours or higher that will challenge you.

 

4. Over-estimating the Calories Burned

The very first day of class my teacher proclaimed, are you ready to burn 800 calories? My face immediately distorted as I know the amount of effort it takes to burn 800 calories is quite significant. Sure, we burn a lot of calories dancing but not anywhere near 800 in my one hour class that includes a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down.

If you are being told you are burning 800 calories and go home and eat as though you actually are, be prepared to not lose a single pound – and probably even gain a few. Remember, you need a calorie deficit and in order to figure that out you have to be accurate about not only the calories you are eating, but the energy you are burning.

 

5. Your Body Adjusts

Zumba is great and all, but the thing with any workout that we do all the time, your body adjusts. It gets more efficient at doing things you require it to do often (we’re awesome like that). If you are not incorporating other workouts and challenging your body in other ways, or your instructor is not modifying their routines often enough, rest assured that you burn fewer and fewer calories every time.

 

Is this your pre workout meal that you've earned?

Is this your pre workout meal that you’ve earned?

6. You Haven’t Addressed Your Diet

Remember, that diet is key to weight/fat loss (80%), while exercise is only approximately 20%. For some people, intense cardio makes them feel entitled to eat a feast because they’ve earned it. We’re not talking about feasting on protein and vegetables either. If you end each class with a celebratory cheesecake, don’t be shocked if the weight isn’t falling off you. One fast food meal (even from the kiddie menu) alone could wipe out your exercise efforts / calories burned.

You must, must, must address your diet to lose weight. There’s simply no way around it. You can get more weight loss tips at Mr Trim Fit.

 

7. You Might Have Water Retention

You know I love the subject of water retention. In fact, my new book “How to Lose Water Weight –  ” is almost complete and is slated to come out next month. I’m excited for you all to read it, but I digress.

In the book I talk about something called the whoosh affect, also known as dieter’s edema. This is when after a while of cutting calories and working out to create a deficit, the body retains a large amount of water that hides your fat loss. Then, seemingly overnight one day you wake up a few pounds lighter, where you remain until your next whoosh occurs.

The point is that you may actually have lost weight because you’ve been doing everything right, but that weight loss is not visible on the scales because of water retention. There are many ways to get rid of water retention (I give 1 day, one week and two week plans in the book for when you need to shed water weight fast for an upcoming event), but if you’re not in a rush lowering sodium, drinking more water, taking hydrogens beauty tablets, cutting carbs and eating foods that act as natural diuretics is a good place to start.


You vs your Jeans – How women put on tight jeans Video

maxresdefaultYikes!

I’m sure the viral video (How women put on tight jeans) making the rounds on the internet has been shared hundreds of times because so many women can relate!

The struggle is very real (especially for my pear shaped ladies) and no amount of vanity sizing, which is the unstated theme of the video, is going to change the fact that you’re not the actual size you might want to be!

Sure, those jeans might say size zero but what do you care if when you see a woman who is a real size zero (wearing a 00) reminds you that you’re only deluding yourself? Do you still feel better about your body?

Look, I’ve been in the position of the woman in the video and I know firsthand that it doesn’t have to be this way! You don’t have to engage in a battle of epic proportions to slip into a pair of pants (only to have the thighs rub out in a few weeks or the back split open when you bend down). Don’t even get me started on the amount of butt cracks I’ve seen on women in my every day observations. It’s shameful and embarrassing! Not even plumbers sport butt cracks anymore and that was their thing.

 

The way I see it is you have one of three options

Option 1: Give in to the fact that you are not willing to do what it takes to lose the weight and buy bigger sized pants that fit. You’ll be doing everyone, including yourself, a favor!

Option 2. Become well versed on the clothing companies that cater to vanity sizing. Buy that size 24 waist jeans but when you’re thumbing through the rack and realize that in order for a size 24 to fit you, new sizes such as 00 and xxs are now options, you won’t be able to kid yourself for long. You also won’t be comforted by the fact that your body/shape is still not where you want it to be at the end of the day.

Option 3. Do something (like join the thousands of women who have bought one of my best selling books – The Thigh Gap Hack or Bye Bye Thunder Thighs) to lose the fat/weight so that you can buy the actual size you are proud to wear, whether that be a 2, 4 or 6, without giving yourself rug burn trying to scoot into your clothes on a daily basis… or buy the smallest vanity size and still feel great about the way your body actually looks in the mirror and to others.


Did Beyonce Photoshop her Thigh Gap? You Decide!

Beyonce-InstagramBeyonce posted a picture of herself golfing while on vacation with her fabulous family and people are speculating that the singer/actress/everything else photoshopped her legs to reveal a thigh gap before making the photo public on social media.

Of course, people are up in arms!

I’m not sure why they would be though given Beyonce famously whittled her legs down to reveal a thigh gap during her grammy’s performance with Jay-Z.

SIDE NOTE: Want to know how she did it? I think she used water weight and dehydration tactics, which I will be covering in my next book: How to Lose Water Weight and Look Great in 2 weeks or less, but you can find out the other ways she could have gotten her thigh gap in this post.

Now, it should be noted that Mrs. Carter is bending her knees and leaning forward which will make anyone’s legs look slimmer and trimmer, so it’s possible there was no foul play involved. What do you think?

I think people need to stop trying to make Queen Bey the epitome of bootyliciousness since it’s obvious she doesn’t even want that physique or title anymore. She keeps dieting and trimming down for a reason: she clearly wants to look more mainstream, slender and feminine and loves to show off her body when she manages to drop a few pounds.

Beyonce won’t be your savior or poster child for women with thunder thighs anymore – and can you blame her? This is the same woman who strives for perfect in all that she does and wants to be anything but ordinary. This is also the same woman whose publicist tried to get unflattering images of her removed after her Super Bowl performance. In fact, those were the images that probably sparked her desire to get those thighs in check!


Blessing in Disguise: Will Sugar Alcohols Make you Gain or Lose Weight?

think-thin-bar-coupon

You see them next to the checkout counter at your natural health food supermarket or whole foods – think thin bars with zero sugars. You mean I can have fudge with 0 grams of sugar? you ask yourself, while curiously examining the back of the label to see if it’s too good to be true.

Do you have a sweet tooth that’s got addicted to sugar? In this article you can discover how to leave sugar. Highly addictive and capable of impacting your health adversely, sugar leads to obesity and a spate of other health issues. It can even increase your risk of cancer. This is certainly bad news in the face of packaged foods, fast food items, high-calorie food items, sweets and confectionery, and other sugar-rich food making it to your list every day. Read on to find your way out of the sugary maze by adopting helpful alternatives to sugar.

Indeed, zero sugars… but what do those kazillion grams of sugar alcohols mean? You whip out the smart phone and do a little google glossing before determining you’re good to go and toss a variety of delicious sounding flavors into your basket of unprocessed foods. Sold!

But the question is, are sugar alcohols actually any better than sugar, which is bad for you because it causes huge insulin spikes that prevent fat loss? Will it slow down your weight loss and be stored in the body just like carbohydrates and regular sugar is? Does it count towards your carb consumption? And of course, the number one question on your mind: “Does sugar alcohols make you fat?”

sugar-alcohol

What are Sugar Alcohols?

Is it sugar? it it alcohol? Try neither. The definition of Sugar alcohols is: one type of reduced-calorie sweetener. You can find them in ice creams, cookies, puddings, candies and chewing gum that is labeled as “sugar-free” or “no sugar added. The impact of such sugar can be explained by dentists too, find out more about Smiles By Glerum to learn details.

So, to me it sounds like they are the latest and ‘greatest’ sugar substitutes or sweeteners. We all know how well other synthetic sweeteners touted as low calorie worked out. If you’re not aware, this article from HOW STUFF WORKS  will give you some insight.

Are Sugar Alcohols healthy or bad for you? Just say yes or no!

I know, you want the truth and nothing but the truth. No wishy washy, well… maybe, stuff. Ok, I’ll give it to you straight. A huge disadvantage is that you will have a harder time kicking your penchant for sweet foods if you continue to stoke your sugar cravings fire within with sugar alcohol filled foods. So, that’s one strike right there.

Sugar alcohols are indeed a carbohydrate and they do raise blood sugar. You don’t get free carbs here, so if you’re keeping your carbs low like you should be on my ‘thigh gap diet’, you’re cutting into your real meals that’ll keep you full a heck of a lot longer than some candy bar, big time! So, that’s strike two.

The fact of the matter is, sugar alcohols are not good for you and just like other artificial sweeteners, will make you gain weight. But I have to say, overall they are a blessing in disguise! Browse around these guys to learn more effective ways of weight loss.

Sugar Alcohols are a Blessing in Disguise

So why do I call sugar alcohols a blessing in disguise after saying they are not good for your health,  and make you gain weight? Did I leave out some redeeming quality that trumps all the bad stuff? Not quite.

However, there is one thing that I haven’t mentioned about sugar alcohol (strike three if you will) and it’s that they stimulate diarrhea and make any irritable bowel syndrome you may have a lot worse. Be prepared for abdominal pain, bloating, gas and a lot of embarrassing tummy sounds if you’re out in public.

Hence, my opinion that they are a blessing in disguise.

TRUE STORY that’ll make you Kick Sugar Alcohols to the Curb

You see, a friend of mine found out the hard way when she shoveled down a few think thin protein bars touting zero sugar (but a lot of sugar alcohol) and ended up with a seriously upset stomach, crazy abdominal pain and vicious gas, you may need to look for helpful hints that will tell you that you need help.

She couldn’t sleep for the entire night and vowed off the stuff for good. “Never again!” She exclaimed when I called the following day to find out if she was feeling any better. If you’ve ever experienced gorging one food so much that it starts to taste gross or it gives you ill consequences, you’ll understand perfectly why I say this!

There’s almost no faster way to kick your habit than being met with undesirable side effects like the ones sugar alcohol causes.

Have you ever experienced painful tummy aches from sugar alcohol or any other food that helped you swear off that food forever? Are you an anomaly who eats sugar alcohol and still manage to stay in shape? Tell me about it in the comments


5 Spring Fashions That Just Go Better with a Thigh Gap

If you’ve worked hard to get those ultra-thin thighs (or even if you haven’t), you are definitely ready to sport all those spring fashions that just go better with a well-defined thigh gap. Especially if you’ve spent the winter bundled up. Since anyone can get a thigh gap, if you don’t have one yet, you can look to these fashion choices as great motivation! If you are looking for party or prom dress check these two piece prom dress styles.

There are so many spring fashions that just don’t go well with bigger legs. Let’s face it, though: Very few Cowboy Up Apparel actually look bad with a thigh gap,  signature collection it’s a new trend here can find different options where to buy. Thin thighs are complementary, no matter which way you slice it, girls. Right? But there are some styles that hide your assets, while others actually enable you to show off your thigh gap! No doubt those are the fashions thigh gap gals want to sport. Looking good in the latest fashions is just one of many reasons that women want a thigh gap. Most of the next fashion styles products can be adquired at https://matchinggear.com/ for discounted retail prices !

Short Shorts

Who wears short shorts? Girls and ladies with a thigh gap wear short shorts, that’s who. They may be a little too chilly in the evening, but during a nice spring day, short shorts are fun and look great. They elongate the legs and make the feminine body look taller. They also provide a sporty, sexy and fun-loving image. Short Shorts makes a perfect combination with bandanasupply.com bandanas.

Mini Skirts

Mini skirts work as soon as the snow melts! They show off great thin thighs and if they are short enough (or when they blow in the wind) they might just show off that thigh gap as well. Mini skirts also give that air of youth, beauty and fitness. They elongate the legs and help give the illusion of just a little more height. And the finishing touch to any costume has to be some cool contact lenses and colored ones like these red contacts make such a striking image so very much recommended.
Gym Wear

The gym is hard work, but it doesn’t have to be all work and no play. When spring hits, you can ditch the heavy sweats and put on some real gym clothes again. Looking good at the gym can be a huge motivator for staying in shape. When you’re sweating your thighs off, sporting a great pair of workout pants, nothing makes you feel better than getting a glimpse of that thigh gap in the mirror. Bonus: others get to see it too. There’s nothing wrong with that! Custombaba have the best deals for t shirts and light clothing.

Skinny Jeans

Ah, the skinny jean. The place where it all started. Nowhere has the thigh gap been more popular than in the skinny jean market. Jeans can be worn in any season, but are especially perfect for spring, when you don’t need to bundle up, but are not sweltering hot either. You can wear jeans in almost any setting too. Even some formal occasions are perfect for a pair of skinnies with a blazer and some dazzling jewelry. You just can’t go wrong with denim, and the best part is you can be fully clad and still show off that thigh gap!

 

Swimsuits with Wrap-Arounds

On a warm spring day, there’s nothing like a swimsuit with a wrap-around skirt to make for a perfect outfit. If you were looking for cloths and had no success then you should think to buy a  Rasta Zip Up Hoodie as a great gift for a family member or for yourself. No matter what style you’re wearing, there is no hiding flab and cellulite in a bathing suit. The flip side of that is that it’s obviously one of the best fashions you can be seen in when you have a thigh gap to show off. When going to the pool or beach make sure your feets keeps healthy, tristandining has posted fungus eliminator review

Once you’ve got a great thigh gap going, don’t be afraid to show it off in the latest spring fashions!


Boycott Planet Fitness! Don’t Pay to be Insulted

Planet Fitness Middletown NY Oct 2009 006I’ve never understood people who knowingly patronize establishments that clearly do not value your business and/or hate you. I’m glad one woman didn’t just fall for the okie doke and quit/got her money back instead of just taking the abuse lying down. If you haven’t heard of Tiffany Austin’s story – watch, (like and share) the interview  below.

The cliff notes version is she stood up against the thin shaming police that is Planet Fitness, after being harassed and insulted for her body being ‘too fit’.

 

To me, it’s a stockpile! In light of all the recent whiny thigh gap articles about Target and old Navy – something needs to be done. Read on about how you can help send a strong and clear message that we won’t be pushed around by the thin shaming police any longer by signing my petition to boycott Planet Fitness and spreading the word. https://www.change.org/petitions/planet-fitness-boycott-planet-fitness-don-t-pay-to-be-insulted-harassed

By Camille Hugh, Author of “The Thigh Gap Hack” – https://thighgaphack.com

No Judgement, huh? It’s quite clear that Planet Fitness’ motto is to judge, ridicule and harrass anyone who cares enough about working out to get their desired end result – a fit, slim or muscle toned body. If you fall into that group, you are not welcome at this establishment. If you start out as being overweight but through the use of their facility manage to slim down, you will no longer be welcome at their establishment. Why are you still giving them your money?

 

PROOF THAT PLANET FITNESS DOESN’T VALUE PEOPLE LIKE YOU

1. Take a look at the advertising Planet Fitness used to launched their company. Their more famous one mocked ‘meatheads’ who ‘pick things up and put them down’. They even have a ‘no grunt’ policy, where if you grunt an alarm will sound so that you can be publicly called out, because god forbid anyone actually works hard and strains enough to show normal signs of fatigue.

2. Then there’s the more recent commercial where Planet Fitness mocks women with slender bodies by portraying them as brainless, self absorbed ditzes in a gym changing room, while an overweight member looks on in what more resembles disgust than intimidation.

3. Finally, in more recent events – there’s former member, Tiffany Austin, who was humiliated with stares from members and by two separate staff workers because her ‘too fit’ body was intimidating members. She was asked to cover up because she wore a midriff and arm baring outfit while working out.

Planet Fitness’ response? They stand by their managers and company policy. ENOUGH SAID!

 

Every company has the right to decide who their target market is, but if you are someone who hopes to really get in shape this company has made it blatantly clear that you are not their target market. Oh, they’ll take your money, but continue to mock, judge and humiliate you in their advertising, outlandish policies and demeaning behavior (e.g. sounding alarms if you work out too hard!)

 

SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE

Lately, we’ve had the media and specific journalists reaching and grasping at straws to pound into the public’s mind that being slim or thin is wrong. All of a sudden being slim is an ‘unattainable body standard/goal’.

Images of slender people are somehow oppressing overweight individuals and without any specific words portraying a specific message, images of slim/fit women is somehow telling nonfit women they must look like the model to be deemed attractive, or influences them enough to develop an eating disorder.

By refusing to apologize to Ms. Austin and the public at large, Planet Fitness joins the ranks of the thin shaming crew. Actually, they’ve been long time members of this crew.

 

WHY ARE YOU SUPPORTING PEOPLE WHO DON’T SUPPORT YOU?

If you give them your money, you are only fueling the fire for this unhealthy and dangerous message to continue to spread. Let them know you’ll take your business elsewhere, where you are actually valued, appreciated and respected as a customer: that place is NOT Planet Fitness

To bring the point home, how about this for double standard: If an overweight or obese person decided they were Big and beautiful and walked into a gym or establishment wearing revealing clothes and were told they needed to cover their bodies up because it was upsetting others, you know there would be an instant lawsuit!


Old Navy Thigh Gap Reach – Thin Shaming Police Strike Again!

old-navy-thigh-gap-photoshopOh, brother! Just when you thought it was safe –

Here we go again! The thin shaming police are really working over time now and seriously reaching with the latest accusations of Old Navy photoshopping a thigh gap on to a ‘plus sized’ mannequin.

For those of you who have googled your way on to this blog – and journalists – please note that a true thigh gap is when someone is standing with their feet together, legs straight and there is a gap or space, ranging from small to large, in between the thighs. I mean, do these bloggers even do any research? They can start with my website or book to educate themselves before blindly throwing terms around to get a reaction.

CLEARLY, if you look at the picture in question from Old Navy’s website, the model has one knee bent and the picture is also taken from an angle. Many women would naturally have a small space between their thighs with the combination of these two things; bent knee and posing at an angle.

Also, is it possible that since we are talking about a mannequin here that the mannequin was actually fashioned in this way.

Finally, I’ve said it a billion times before, and I’ll say it again – there are overweight women and women with what would be considered BIG THIGHS with thigh gaps. This is because of the shape of their hip bones. If these women were to lose fat, they would be the ones with the really large thigh gaps.

On the other hand, there are women with smaller hips who have to work a little harder to get a thigh gap and if they were to lose a lot of fat and follow the other tips in my book to get lean and contour their thighs. They would have a smaller thigh gap.

This mannequin is representing someone’s (in fact, thousands of someones) body out there! It is not unrealistic nor is this picture magically water dunking women into trying to look like the picture. No one is forcing anyone’s hand here – we all have free will and minds to think and rationalize for ourselves! Since when does one model, or one mannequin for that matter, have such a stronghold over us?

n51e3578cd1fe8FACE THE FACTS: Many women and men find thigh gaps sexy, feminine and appealing all on their own. And just look at this picture and you’ll see why.

In the immortal words of Robin Thicke, “You know you want it!” ;D


NOT FAIR! 10 Celebrity Guys with Thigh Gaps (Man Gaps? Guy Gaps?)

BiU96-OCYAAXUUMI can remember when I first told my boyfriend about the thigh gap and subsequently put him through the thigh gap test. My bemused beau obliged and to our surprise, he was indeed sporting a pretty sizable thigh gap!

You may be able to relate as you stretch, tone and do copious amounts of cardio in an attempt to winnow down those legs or keep your gap from closing and then catch a glimpse of your boyfriend of guy friend scarfing down pizza while his gap remains firmly in tact.

By the way, what should we call it? Man Gaps? Guy Gaps? Let me know your preferred or most creative terminology in the comments section.

As I cover in my book, it’s easier for some people to get thigh gaps than others (although anyone who is determined can get one in a healthy way). Men included possess thigh gaps if their hips are wider and legs are on the skinnier side. They also tend to hold their weight in their stomachs as opposed to their legs, which as it turns out is more dangerous for your health but easier to lose.

I’ve also had a lot of male customers who have used my protocols successfully (Hey, guys like skinny jeans too).

Here are a list of well known guys whose stems you can totally be envious of.

# 1 Adam Levine –

The Maroon 5 singer and The Voice Judge has a pretty lean frame and as can be seen here in slim fitting jeans, is sporting a thigh gap.


BgGC_pbIIAEBKcW# 2 Harry Styles – Member of the popular all boy band ‘One Direction’, Harry Styles, is seen here in a before picture with no thigh and after with slender legs.

His hips don’t look particularly wide to me! If he can do it, so can you!

jared-leto-gold-and-black-suit-oscars-nominees-luncheon-beverly-hills__oPt3. Jared leto –

Fresh off of his Oscar win, Jared Leto has always been a pretty slender guy. Here’s gorgeous, rich and successful – and yup, has a thigh gap to boot. Some guys get all the luck!


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In Defense of Target – Should Target Have Apologized?

Target-bikini_Photoshop_fail_bottomsIn this week’s roundup of thigh gap news:

TARGET PHOTOSHOP DEBACLE – WHY THEY DON’T NEED TO APOLOGIZE OR EXPLAIN:

As you all know by now Target has come under fire for photoshopping a thigh gap, as well as a narrower hip, arms and torso on a model for its bikini-wear. Ok, so we can all agree that it was a pretty bad photoshop job (and not just some technical glitch as Target claims). It was an oversight that made its way on to their website or a big publicity stunt to get people talking about target, or forgetting about their data breach which was recently in the news.

Of course, you have the hang-wringing, body policing, opportunistic journalists who have taken to their blogs and websites to publicly flog Target for setting ‘unrealistic body goals’ and standards for those girls who saw the ad. “They can’t un-see the ad and the feeling that they got when they looked down at their thighs and wondered why a huge chunk of their private wasn’t missing!”

THIGH GAPS EXIST IN REAL LIFE

Ok, that wasn’t a direct quote, but that’s the gist of their argument. If we dissect their argument we know that first, a girl with a thigh gap is not an unrealistic body goal because there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of women (and men) out there with natural thigh gaps – ergo: very realistic body type.

Of course, there are also plenty of women out there with narrow hips (like my clients and myself) who have gotten slender enough to see some light between their thighs – ergo: very realistic!

target-photoshop-521x336THIS IS STANDARD ADVERTISING PRACTICE

The other aspect of the uproar is that Target would DARE put a thigh gap on a young model who is already pretty slender. “Why would they even do this?!” These overly sensitive, outraged and offended people want to know.

Here’s the thing, every single company does this. So, if you want to be outraged at Target, you should be outraged at everyone – but it’s not healthy to go around raising your blood pressure for silly things such as this.

Companies make advertisements and marketing campaigns that appeal to their target market / demographic. In this case, target wants to TARGET teen girls, who as we all know (along with plenty of adult women) want slimmer thighs and thigh gaps. They find this look to be attractive and desirable.

Target, knowing this, wants the model in its ads to appeal to those young girls who ALREADY want thigh gaps. If Target were to put an obese girl in its pictures on its websites you can be sure that people who don’t find obese women attractive or see themselves reflected in the model won’t be interested in the product regardless of how cut the piece is.

MODELS APPEAL TO WHAT WE LIKE OR ASPIRE TO LOOK LIKE

If they can’t relate to the model or find the model inspirational, they won’t be compelled to want to wear, much less buy, the outfit that she is wearing. This is why the most popular models are beautiful and skinny. Most women want to be skinny and beautiful and look like the models do in the ads. We in turn buy those clothes to look like them!

Come on, we all know this to be true, so to rake Target over the coals for being business savvy, and in fact following common advertising practices is quite silly.

Yes, it was a botched photoshop job, but the only person who should be apologizing is the graphic artist/intern who was clearly either drunk on the job or on his last day. Let’s stop appeasing these extreme people who want to place the blame on everyone but themselves when it comes to their daughter’s/childrens self image.


5 Ways Celebrities who Procrastinate Slim Down for the Oscars

Screen Shot 2014-03-02 at 12.28.57 PMMany celebrities have been prepping for months for their close up and full body shots at the Oscars! Others, have been bitten by the procrastination bug and had a bit of catching up to do to be in tip top form.

You can bet, for the past week some of the most famous faces have been turning to tried and true diet tips to slim down their waist, hips and overall figure. Since it’s harder to drop a lot of weight in a short time, they’ve opted to lose what’s known as ‘water weight’.

Our bodies are comprised of mainly water, and when you lose the water weight you can drop anywhere from 5 to 15 pounds enabling you to zip up that super glamorous designer dress for the cameras.

After the jump, I reveal 6 of the industry tips/secrets for losing water weight fast! (Watch the video and don’t forget to subscribe)

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THE TRUTH: Anyone can get a thigh gap! Dr. Oz confirms my findings

1and2

#1 and #2! Thank you for forming your own educated opinions!

This post will be short and to the point because ultimately people will still believe what they want to believe as an excuse to be lazy and not try to do anything about changing their bodies.

It’s far easier to say I will always have fat/big/thick thighs the way I used to lament being stuck with my ‘grandmother’s legs’ (I don’t have granny’s legs anymore, by the way). That way, you don’t have to make an effort and then you don’t feel so bad about having the body you actually really dislike or are uncomfortable with.

Dr. Oz confirmed everything that I wrote about in my book about anyone being able to get a thigh gap. In fact, I thought he broke it down beautifully – those with wider hips will have an easier time achieving a thigh gap due to their bone structure. My hacks will teach you how to get leaner faster and smarter. (e.g. – to lose fat you need a calorie deficit.
** Hunger training(™) enables you to stop the uphill battle of ALWAYS being hungry and makes it much easier for you to create the deficit you need to burn the fat.
** Intermittent fasting (which Dr. Oz extols on his own show) allows you burn more calories for example, by delaying breakfast. Not eating 12 – 16 hours could mean not eating from 8pm to 10am. Should you eat because it’s 7am and you’ve just rolled out of bed? I don’t think so.
** I also have loads of other methods in my book that you are free to pick and choose from. You don’t have to do them all!

He also showed those with narrow hips (like me) will need to lose overdeveloped / bulky muscle in order to get a thigh gap. Now, I will admit he didn’t recommend you do so – because he’s a conventional doctor who has to appeal to a large group of women who need an excuse to remain comfortable and fat.These women don’t like the thought of the thigh gap because they’re against anyone being slim/thin as it makes them look bad. I get it.

However, unlike Dr. Oz alluded to – losing a little bit of muscle on your thighs is not going to bring your metabolism to a screeching halt. In fact, all of us lose muscle from our entire body all the time! 

To also say that having narrow hips precludes you from joining the thigh gap club with me sitting right there is disingenuous. I mean, I did it and so have countless of my clients/readers!

My book teaches you how to lose and tone down the overdeveloped bulky / muscle that prevent women from having a thigh gap in, again, a smart and healthy way. No starving required. You do this by training strategically: I tell you which exercises to NEVER do and what types of training to do instead, how long to do it, when to do it, etc..

I also reveal how to eat to avoid feeding the muscles you’re trying to get rid of (you should NOT be drinking protein shakes after your workout like body builders do. Realize your body goals are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum).

And that is all. So, while they edited me in order to cast my book as being a potential scapegoat for people who suffer from a true mental illness, which I don’t think every woman is easily susceptible to, I’m still very thankful for the exposure and opportunity to get my message out there to the thousands of people I have since the show has aired, and re-aired. And I’ll be happy when it re-airs again because I’m confident there are a lot more women out there with this problem who are independent thinkers!

If you believe in taking advice from an expert who has actually accomplished what you hope to do rather than accept advice from experts who’ve read textbooks, resist anything foreign/new, and in many cases taken the bare minimum on nutrition/exercise, get my book today!


Watch Me on The Dr. Oz Show! + NEW DVD

drozstillstage Yes, to all of you who are asking – that’s me you’re seeing in the previews for the Dr. Oz Show airing tomorrow, February 25th. I was invited to be on the show as an expert on the subject of ‘how to get a thigh gap’ and to defend the rights of countless women around the globe who seek a thigh gap because they find it attractive (just like men find six pack abs and huge biceps attractive and train to achieve those ‘body goals’).

show

Behind the Scenes at the Dr. Oz Show

Luckily, I already had a ton of experience with ‘thin shaming’ and the claim that women SHOULD try to look “strong” “muscular” and “powerful” instead of the way they want to look (feminine, slender, slim) – when Facebook shut down my page because they erroneously thought that the mere mention of the word thigh gap was associated with an eating disorder. Thanks to my lovely readers we set them straight and got the page reinstated! (Like the Page here) You see, I give women way more credit than the other ‘experts’ do. Yes, I’m an expert because I’ve written a 260 page book on the sole subject of how to lose fat from your thighs. I also am an expert and know it’s possible to get a thigh gap without an eating disorder, because I’ve done just that and have helped women around the world do the same. The whole point of my book is to help women learn there is another way! Tune in at 4pm EST to see what I had to say on the matter to America’s favorite Doctor, Doctor Oz – and see if I changed his mind… DO YOU THINK I DID? Also, I’m releasing a workout video called “BYE-BYE THUNDER THIGHS”. DESCRIPTION:

From the Best-selling author of the book, “The Thigh Gap Hack” comes her debut workout dvd, “Bye-Bye Thunder Thighs”. This 70 minute workout is broken down into a 10 minute warm up and cool down, and three 20 minute segments, which includes:
  • 10 minutes of stretching/lengthening and toning lower body exercises meant to release the fat from the cells
  • 10 minutes of cardio and upper body strength training meant to burn the fat you’ve just released and maintain upper body muscles that will keep your metabolism revving
  • 15 – Day Sample meal-plan

YOU’LL LOVE THE WORKOUT & THE RESULTS, GUARANTEED!

Pre-order the DVD below (DVD’s will be shipped out in March 2014)






How to Spend Your calories Wisely

Screen Shot 2014-02-09 at 8.21.34 PMThe folks over at wise geek put up an eye opening post regarding what 200 calories look like for different foods ranging from coca cola, to peanut butter, to carrots.

It’s such a great post because it visually demonstrates why you need to spend the allotted calories you have each day wisely. You see, if you are trying to lose weight there’s no getting around the fact that you need to create a calorie deficit. That means, you need to expend more energy than you consume.

However, the food that we have available to us is typically so calorie dense that one can feel deprived or as though they are starving, making it quite difficult to adhere to their caloric deficit.

The pictures from Wisegeek puts it all into perspective. When you see that you can have a full plate of broccoli OR eight hershey’s kisses for the same amount of calories, you start to understand the importance of learning how to spend your calories just as you would your money, carefully!

Check out the post at wise geek here


5 Common Calorie Counting Mistakes You’re Probably Making

Are you working out and eating right, but still not losing weight?

The amount of calories you consume play a huge role in whether or not you will lose, maintain or gain fat/weight.

Being 100% accurate when logging calories is darn near impossible, but the goal is to get as close to the true number as humanly possible.

Consider the following common calorie counting mistakes unexpectedly being made by many frustrated individuals who may be pondering what they’re doing wrong.

Logging Calories for Raw vs. Cooked – Some foods expand or shrink when cooked and thus logging calories for that particular food without taking into consideration how the food was prepared will lead to inaccurate figures.

For example, four ounces of chicken raw will not be the same amount of calories for four ounces of cooked chicken. When chicken cooks it will get lighter. It’s best to work with the raw weight of a food, as this is what most nutritional labels will represent.

Using Measuring Cups/Spoons instead of a Scale – Measuring cups mislead easily, as it’s possible to compact food into them (resulting in additional calories) and too easy to use “heaping” portions – that’s common when measuring high calorie items such as sugar, flour and peanut butter, but pile the food sky high above the rim of the cup or spoon. Using measuring cups and spoons, while better than eyeballing and visually estimating, can yield up to a quarter more food than using a food scale.

Size Shortcuts – Log into myfitnesspal or two other free calorie database meant to give you a size shortcut for a specific food (e.g. – the calorie content for one serving of something like a  piece of chicken or one corn). You might notice the number will vary. Depend on that number, referred to as a size shortcut meant to make your life a little easier and accommodate those without a scale, and you’d be making a grave mistake. The amount of calories listed for a piece of corn can vary greatly depending on the size of the actual corn.

Not Counting the Oil – When most people prepare their food and log calories, for some odd reason they forget to add in one little thing, that is really a big thing: oil. One tablespoon of cooking oil is usually around 120 calories and as discussed in my previous article, depending on measuring spoons and actual silver spoons will yield stunningly different results. Besides that fact, most people simply aren’t measuring their oil but eyeballing it when they throw it into the pan. That oil gets absorbed into the food and you are indeed consuming it, so remember – measure and log those oil calories!

Trusting Restaurant Menus – A mushroom veggie burger at Shake Shack is listed as 490 calories so you log that into your food diary because it must be true, right? Wrong. The calorie amounts (and calorie ranges) you see listed on menu boards at huge chains and restaurant represents the standard or ideal end product. Each chef or cook is so busy making food that they hardly have time to make sure all the variables are precisely the same, and an extra spoonful of butter, oil, sugar, cheese, etc. can change the caloric amount of the ‘meal’ drastically.

Here’s another interesting tidbit of information – It’s totally legal for companies to be off by a huge percentage (25%) when making their projections for the caloric content of their food product. The FDA completely approves and there aren’t many organizations going around and fact checking these foods. This is why I advocate preparing unprocessed whole foods at home as much as possible.