Day 10, Colour Your World!

Day 10. Colour Your World
Every woman understands the difference between beige, ecru, cream, ivory, off white and eggshell!
Uncover your colours
We’re all born with an intrinsic inclination towards particular colours so the chances are that at least 50% of your clothes are in the most flattering colours for you. You’ll know which garments they are; they’re the clothes you feel attractive and confident in and they’re probably the pieces you receive compliments on when you wear them.

Wearing your best colours empowers you with self confidence that’s revealed by the radiance on your face and the spring in your step!
As the clock ticks, our natural colouring changes - hair goes grey, eyes become paler and lose their intensity and skin can often have a muted looking surface. We need to adjust the colours we wear, take them down a notch or two in strength, especially when brighter colours have been preferred.

Everyone has a unique skin tone. When you’ve established your skin tone and then wear the colours that complement it you are more than half-way to gorgeous!
Although we can tinker with our eye colour by wearing tinted contact lenses and we can play with the colour of our hair, we can’t do much about our skin because skin colouring is genetic. We’re stuck with what we’ve got!
Skin tone is derived from three pigments, carotene (yellow), hemoglobin (red) and melanin (brown). The proportions of these three pigments beneath the skin’s surface determine the undertone. It doesn’t matter what ethnic background or ancestry you have, there are just two skin undertones. There’s warm and there’s cool. Yours will be one or the other.
Warm toned skin has a golden undertone.
Cool toned skin has a blue or blue-pink undertone.
When you’ve established whether you are cool or warm toned you’ll find it easy to determine your most flattering shades - blue based colours or yellow based colours.

Try these tests to work out your skin tone.
The Metal Detector
Put a gold bracelet on one wrist and a silver bracelet on the other wrist.
Which looks best?
If the gold bracelet looks better against your skin then you are warm toned.
If the silver bracelet looks best, then you are cool toned.
Blue Blood?
The veins on the inside of your wrist are a good indicator of whether your skin tone is cool or warm.
Place your hand, fingernails side down, on a piece of white paper with your palm and inner wrist facing you.
Look at the veins in your wrist.
If they are blue or blue-pink then your skin tone is cool.
If they have a greenish tinge then you’re warm.
If you have freckles, do they look golden brown (warm) or are they more charcoal brown (cool)?
The Top Test.
Pull on a solid white tee shirt and stand in front of the mirror. Drape a cream coloured garment over the top of your tee shirt.
Focus solely on the light reflecting on your facial skin and not the garment.
Drape the cream garment on top of the white tee shirt. Quickly whip it off the white tee shirt. (You will probably need to do this a couple of times).
Which colour softens your features, outlines your lips and clears and smoothes your complexion?
Does the white do it for you? Then you’re cool.
If the cream most enhances your skin then you are warm.
The Towel Test
Drape a piece of orange fabric (towel, scarf, etc.) across your chest right up to the base of your neck so the orange colour reflects on your face.
Looking at your face and not watching the fabric, quickly replace the orange fabric with a pink fabric.
One colour will accentuate the lines and wrinkles on your face, emphasize shadows below the eyes or harden your features.
The other colour will add radiance to your complexion, diminish deep wrinkles and make your teeth and the whites of your eyes appear brighter.
If the pink does you the most favours then your skin tone is cool.
If the orange colour makes your skin look best, then you’re warm skin toned

Here’s what to look for when you hold colour to your face:
The right colour:

• Smoothes and clears your complexion


• Minimizes facial lines and wrinkles


• Reduces shadows


• Diminishes circles


• Brings colour and radiance to your face


• Brings attention to you, making your face pop and pushing the colour to the background

The incorrect colour:

• Makes your complexion pale, sallow, muddy or sickly


• Deepens lines and shadows


• Accentuates circles


• Emphasizes blotches


• Can look stronger or weaker than it really is


• Brings attention to the colour making it pop and pushing your face to the background
  

There will always be shades and tones within each and every colour family (red, violet, blue, green, yellow, etc.) to suit you. It is just a matter of working them out.
If your skin tone is warm your most flattering colours are those that are gold or yellow-based. When you select clothing think of the glorious colours of the setting sun - ivory, teal blue, orange, apricot and the peaches, salmon and all the caramels. Golden sunset hues such as rich browns, creamy beiges and the orange-reds will all be good for you.
Aqua, light royal blue and the periwinkles look good on you. Interestingly, people with warm skin tone usually don’t have very many blue coloured garments in their wardrobe.
Avoid wearing clear cold colours near your face. Steer away from frosty colours - icy yellow, icy pink, icy blue, taupe, the blue-based pinks such as hot pink, and black.

If your skin tone is cool your most flattering colours are the blue-based colours of a painterly sunrise. Think of the sun’s cool morning rays as they touch a brand new day. Most pinks and blues will suit you. You’ll look great in blue-greens, blue-grey, icy lemon, plum and crimson, plus all the greys and frosty silvers. Your worst colours are those in the really warm colour range – orange, scarlet, pumpkin, and clear citrus colours such as lime green etc.
Most people manage their colours without getting too lost once they know their skin tone. A personal colour analysis professionally done by a trained consultant will establish your skin tone and identify the exact colours to enhance your appearance.

Here’s the thing: The colour you wear nearest your face matters the most!
Colour carries light that is reflected onto the face. So it’s important that the colours worn on the upper torso and around the face are in the correct shade for you.
Colours worn below the waist do not reflect light onto the face and therefore do not impact on your skin. But it’s not quite plain sailing – the colours worn below your waist do matter when it comes to style:

• Dark colours diminish size so they are slimming to wear.


• Medium colours have little or no effect on your apparent size.


• Light colours can make you appear bigger.
  

Central colours
The right colours imbue your skin with a healthy glow, your eyes with a lively sparkle and your hair with lustre and depth. Everyone can wear shade and tonal variances within each colour family, but a wardrobe anchored with a few central coloured garments provides maximum flexibility to build in other colours.
You don’t need me to tell you what you already know - the most versatile central colours are in the neutral range.
Basic garments – skirts, pants and jackets in beige, white, grey, navy, camel, mahogany, coffee, or black and chocolate coloured fabrics are the most useful. Accessories and accents from more vibrant palettes will add visual interest to your appearance.

Colour confidence
Colour is a marvellous tool. Used to advantage, it hides flaws and imperfections and can enhance one area while drawing attention away from another area. Utilise colour to create clever illusions.

• Dark colours are the most dominant colours.


• A dark colour worn over an area of the body you consider large will make the area appear smaller.


• When dark colours are worn below the waist (for example black pants) and a light or bright coloured garment is worn above the waist, attention will be attracted upwards, making you appear taller and slimmer.


• If you want to appear shorter and heavier (well, some women do!) then reverse the above and wear light pants beneath a dark top to attract attention downwards. This strategy can be used to deflect attention from the bust or midriff.


• Light colours worn over an area you consider small will make that area appear larger. For example wear a light colour to visually enlarge a small bust. If a light colour is silhouetted against a dark background the area will appear even more dominant and bigger.

Six quick ways to use colour to appear taller and slimmer:

1. Wear just one dark colour right through your body


2. Wear a dark-coloured outfit in a smooth fabric.


3. Blend pantyhose with your skirt hemline and footwear.


4. Flow one dark colour up the centre of your body.


5. Wear a bright colour or a light colour on the top half of your body.


6. Attract attention as far up as possible with eye-catching necklaces, earrings, neckwear, eyewear, lipstick and hair colour.

Six ways to appear shorter and heavier:

1. Break your height with horizontal bands of colour.


2. Wear a dark colour above your waist and a light colour below.


3. Wear light colours and bright colours all over.


4. Wear large bright patterns.


5. Wear a brighter colour below the waist.


6. Attract attention downward with borders on skirts and details on footwear.
   

Universal Colours
Universal colours are colours that contain equal amounts of cool and warm elements.
They flatter everyone. There are dozens of universal colours and they’re found in the stores every season.

The most common universal colours are denim blue, aqua, chocolate, warm pink, watermelon red, silk white, medium charcoal, plum and teal blue.

Aqua is by far the most useful universal colour for those of us in our summer years. (Well, no one wants to be in their autumn years do they?)
Aqua is perceived as youthful, it’s the best friend we have on the colour wheel! It’s the colour that suits all skin tones and complexions; it complements and coordinates with most other colours and it tones with everything else. Aqua looks amazing when teamed with russet or chocolate and makes a zingy and youthful statement when it is teamed with orange accessories. Aqua evokes feelings of freshness and vigour, and when we wear aqua we actually feel vital and healthy.
Wear aqua with white, amethyst or mint for a soft and refreshing affect.

Don’t confuse aqua and turquoise, aqua is bluey/green (more blue than green), turquoise is green/blue (70% green, 30% blue) and tends to give off elderly vibes!
In corporate or professional situations tone down aqua a notch or two by using neutral colours such as stone, cream or chocolate to complement it and thus enabling you to still wear it successfully.

Menopausal colours
They are Doomsday aren’t they? But how do we recognise them? It’s easy actually - menopausal colours are dusty and greyed colours. They have names like dusty rose, soft lilac and eau de nil, colour names we traditionally associate with elderly women. Every season they make the rounds and can present themselves as the bain of our lives.
However, musty and dusty colours can be useful, so don’t disregard them all together. They can be successfully used to soften and tone down colours that have become too bright for mature complexions. When combined in a pattern with other clearer colours, provided it is not the dominant colour, the menopausal colour is often barely noticeable. If it is solid, and in a very trendy, not too young, not too old, current style (a big ask!) a muted, dusty or greyed menopausal colour can be very wearable. Having said that, in the interests of our youthful persona it’s better to steer away from these stereotypical colours when given the choice!
Some of us gravitate naturally toward muted colours because these are the colours that suit us best. If this is you, that’s fine, wear the muted colours in current styles with confidence and panache. There is a difference between muted colours and dusty/greyed colours.
Try teaming muted colours with strong, clear accent colours for a youthful look.
Here’s how:
Wear a stone coloured jacket (muted colour) over a watermelon coloured top (accent colour) with a pair of rich chocolate pants (universal basic colour) and accessorize with a multi-toned scarf in stone, chocolate and watermelon (stronger, accent colours) to blend all the shades together.
Or take the same stone coloured jacket, throw it over a gorgeous classic periwinkle blue sweater, pull on a pair of dark pants (black, charcoal or dark blue denim) and add a funky, chunky metallic necklace. Youthful and polished!
In the navy
How often do we read in the fashion magazines that “Navy is the new black”? Well, I have to tell you that navy is not the new black! And it won’t be for a long time. Navy is the new menopausal colour. Yes, navy! That old faithful dark blue garment we trot out when we’re in doubt what to wear is actually on the top of the menopausal colour list! Younger people perceive navy as old fashioned and dated; it’s the colour they associate with their parents, grandparents, teachers and the elderly.

There was a column in The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper written by journalist Lisa Pryor who had observed an altercation on a bus. While the nature of the encounter was trivial – someone made calls on his mobile phone thereby irritating another passenger - the stereotypical descriptions are interesting:
“One of the nattering women, in navy cardigan and reading glasses, looked at the guy and started berating him.”
And there we have it, a triple menopausal whammy! The navy colour, the cardigan and the reading glasses all place the protagonist in the mature age group. We know what was happening! And it definitely was not youthful!

Dark blue (navy) denim jeans are seen as timeless, which is just as well as dark blue denim is the most flattering coloured jeans we can put on!
Apart from being a strong universal colour and suiting most people, navy coordinates with most other colours and this is the reason that universally it is the most prevalent uniform colour.
Update the navy garments kicking around in your wardrobe and wear them in a modern way.

Here’s some ideas:

• Navy works well with other dark colours.


• Uplift and intensify a navy skirt with a pair of burgundy coloured boots or highlight a navy summer dress with a pair of blue sandals in a bright shade.


• Avoid the cliché of navy and white unless you are a sailor.


• Avoid the next cliché of navy, white and red unless you are a French sailor!


• Could you slip a slim tan coloured woven leather belt around the waistband of a navy skirt?


• A gorgeous garnet coloured top gives navy pants understated, low contrast elegance and a new lease on life.


• How about wearing a shiny emerald shirt beneath a classic navy jacket? If the old rhyme ‘Blue and green should never be seen, except upon a fairy queen’ rings true for you, then remember you are The Fairy Queen!

Black Magic
Black is the most misused, misunderstood colour of all. It is not considered to be a universal colour nor is it known as a menopausal colour. In fact black is not actually a colour, like white, it is the absence of colour!
Black makes us feel slimmer, taller and more chic, but as we mature black also has the power to drain our faces of colour and throw cruel shadows that emphasize our lines. This is because black reflects little, if any light.
Black is proclaimed to be the king of the fashion industry. It is a perennial favourite and seen everywhere every fashion season. Black does not suit everybody, and it does few favours to women over 35.
Black has made us lazy; we throw on a black garment when we can’t decide what to wear. We’ve fallen into the habit of considering black to be a ‘safe option’. It’s not.
Black is not our friend, and it should not be treated lightly.
If you must wear black there are some strategies to help you pull it off successfully:

• Any garment worn below the waistline does not reflect its colour onto your face and will therefore be ok. That’s good news when you consider how slimming a pair of black pants is compared with a pair of light coloured pants!


• The lower the neck line, the less impact black will have on your face. Showing some décolletage and baring your arms detracts from the harshness of black. The more body shrouded in black, the more scary the appearance.


• A soft shade worn near your face counteracts black’s severe effect. Wear a necklace, a metal chain, pearls, a coloured scarf or wear a collared shirt in a light colour beneath a black Vee-neck pullover.


• Introduce a strong vertical line. Team a pair of black pants with a black camisole that skims your bust, and then add a great jacket in a colour that flatters your skin tone. Leave the jacket open. Stylists use this trick over and over again to visually slim female and male clients.


• Take fabric into consideration. Choose garments made from fabric with a fibre, texture, weave and surface that you know suits you. Soft draping fabrics such as medium woven knits, smooth fine silks or matte crepe wool suit most people.


• Brighten your lips. Ramp up your lipstick colour a notch or two more than you’d normally wear (pink of course!) or slick pink lip gloss over your usual lipstick when you are wearing black clothes.


• Wear a scarf or a wrap in colours that enhance your skin tone.

Laundering black garments
To get longevity from black clothes (or any dark coloured clothing) turn the garment inside out and wash in liquid fabric softener instead of soap powder or soap liquid.
Peg them inside out to dry in the shade and iron them inside out too.

Colour strategies
Pink is the colour most associated with youth and beauty; it flatters the mature complexion and looks great with black. The exception is baby pink – it’s just too pale for most mature women and looks best on soft little babies and soft little old ladies. If your skin tone is cool wear hues from the sunrise spectrum of infinite pinks – pastel pink, pale cameo, lolly pink and deep rose pink. If your skin tone is warm then the golden sunset pinks are for you – coral, warm pink, pale peach and light salmon pink.
White is subtly sexy. If all else fails throw on something white – a shirt, tee shirt or a white top and blast up the colour with a bright scarf or necklace.
Team colours that you haven’t worn together before. Chocolate and black convey a feeling of understated elegance. Wear aqua and orange with white accessories for a fashion-forward and youthful appearance, or try putting together a warm and earthy red and russet combination.
Black and navy are another subtle, low contrast combination that is great for casual wear.
Recharge navy and ramp it up a couple of notches with purple. This works even better when there is a high percentage of blue in the purple.
There is no rule that says you can’t wear black in the summer, keep it below the waist for a sophisticated look.
Wear white in the winter. Why shouldn’t you be a snow queen or an ice princess? Mix and blend ivory, cream and white with patterns and textures.
Mixing patterns works best when the patterns contain similar, the same or have related colours. The easiest combination to pull off is two patterns- for example a thin stripe and a delicate paisley, mixed with a third, solid unifying colour. Alternatively mix two solid colours with one pattern containing the two solid colours. Bring textures into play as patterns.
Colour Impact
Colour associations influence our feelings, moods, impressions and well being. Each colour family contains a range of temperature elements and a spectrum of shades from light to dark. For example if we take orange we can start at the light end of the spectrum with pale, icy orange which has a cool temperature and a light shade. When we travel the gamut to the other end of the spectrum we find deep pumpkin with a warm temperature and dark shade.
There will be a colour in each family that you like and look good in.
Yellow
It’s the colour of sunshine and always associated with youth and happiness!
Yellow garments look best when they are made from natural fibres – cotton, linen and silk. Yellow man-made fabrics tend to look cheap – the exception is the universally popular bright yellow plastic mackintosh!
The most flattering yellows are pale and slightly muted – maize, butter, and banana, and when these yellows are teamed with aqua and ivory, or soft apricot and pale pink they have a shimmery gelato effect.
Choice of shade is important when it comes to yellow; it works really well as a companion colour when it is coordinated with lilac, black, taupe, white, orange or grey. Yellow is a great casual colour.
Stronger yellows – gold and buttercup demand hot intense coordinates such as tobacco, burnt orange or lipstick red.
Yellow and black are by far the strongest attention attracting combination you can wear, but if you wear yellow and black stripes you’ll look like a bumble bee!
Green
Considered to be a healing colour, green is the colour that is easiest on the eye. We instinctively turn to green if we are stressed or suffering from emotional trauma,
It is the colour known to ground (or anchor) our feelings and emotions.
Green elicits feelings of youthfulness, relaxation and balance.
The most attractive green garments are made from natural fibres – wool, cotton, linen and silk.
Dark green garments can successfully replace black garments in your wardrobe.
Try switching up your wardrobe and wearing some unusual combinations for a change– dark racing green with sea green, purple and mustard, or go for big impact and team emerald green with lime, turquoise and purple! Looks fabulous, and why not?
Blue
The most loved and most worn of all the colours, versatile blue flits effortlessly from day to night and from casual to formal.
Think of the colours of the sea when you are coordinating several blues. Recall images of a warm tropical lagoon - turquoise, periwinkle, sky blue and navy, to the chilly waters of Antarctica – dove grey, white, pewter and ice blue.
Blue is the colour of loyalty, faithfulness, top prizes (blue ribbon), and love; which is why the traditional bride carries ‘something blue’ on her wedding day.
Blues look clean and fresh when they are coordinated with white; they look rich when they are combined with cream.
Pale to mid blues do not look as good when they are teamed with black.
Purple
Purple is the colour we associate with people we consider to be sexy, powerful, passionate, wealthy, sophisticated and spiritual.
Purple is the regal colour of bishops and kings.
Find the purple that is yours and work it into your wardrobe.
Purple is more rare and royal than navy although the two colours together form an elegant alliance. It has great feminine appeal when it’s coordinated with garments in the pink family.
Purple takes on a mystical air when it is teamed with neutral, conservative colours such as stone.
Purple stands alone well – a solid purple dress for example looks fantastic on its own. Carefully chosen accessories in olive, burgundy or deep green bring an earthy sexiness to this most royal of colours.
A dash of black, or green-turquoise, grey or khaki dresses purple up.
Fuchsia, orange and strong pinks add zing.
Brown
Bringing warmth to every colour it is combined with, brown relies on fabulous fabrics and textures to reveal its beauty; otherwise it can be bland and boring.
Use dark brown (chocolate) to replace black in your wardrobe.
Brown has a more casual and more comfortable feel than black, and it is kinder to the mature complexion.
Brown and black are a subtle combination. Brown coordinates and pulls together all the earthy colours, plus the orangey autumn colours, and purple, raspberry and beige.
When it’s mixed with green, grey or tomato red brown takes on a smart appearance.
Red
Red is the strongest, most radiant and dynamic of all the colours, a little red in clothing can go a long way. It is considered the most energetic colour; red demands attention.
Not surprisingly red is the preferred colour of the economically stable, the secure and the risk takers!
Red harmonizes surprisingly beautifully with light pink and light yellow and it adds a touch of sophistication to pink and grey combinations.
Wear it at full blast with pink, orange, tobacco and fuchsia.
Pink
Universally symbolizing love and beauty, pink elicits feelings of calm, relaxation, kindness, consideration, acceptance and contentment.
Pink is used as an appetite suppressant in diet therapy.
Navy and brown garments take on a sophisticated edge when they are teamed with pink.
A combination of pink and magenta, fuchsia or aqua looks fantastic; pink can be overpowering when it is worn alone, but when pink is teamed with orange-red and watermelon it fires hot and sexy!
Orange
Orange is always considered a young colour, and is usually associated with youth, energy and fun.
If your skin tone is cool and you love orange try the tamarillo shades, or wear pale apricot or peach accessories to add orangey hints to your outfit.
If your skin is warm toned, if you are olive or sun-bronzed, any orange will totally be your colour so go for it!

That's it for colour! Coming next is Day 11. Define Your Style. There is a lengthy piece on Jeans Genius - how to identify the perfect pair of jeans and five suggestions to wear a denim jacket. We look at mixing styles up - it's so easy to be stylishly presented when you know what to put with what (and what not to!), how not to look too polished and 10 hot ways to switch your look from up to down.
I hope you've enjoyed colour, if you have any comments or questions I'll try to answer them, I'd love to hear from you. Kisses, Dawn

Day 9, Fit and Fabulous

Day 9. Fit and Fabulous
“Take care of your body; it’s the only place you have to live” Jim Rohn, US motivational speaker.

Our movements reveal volumes about our vitality, youthfulness and enthusiasm.
When we plod around from place to place, one foot in front of the other without a spring in our step, it’s a given that others will perceive us as elderly; aged people are expected to move slowly without energy or direction.
Youthful people step out with purpose, confidence, energy and excitement. They know where they’re going and how they are getting there!
Perhaps the most difficult thing about exercising is summoning up the motivation to begin! Then the second most difficult thing is sticking with an exercise regime once you have started! The trick is to do something you enjoy. It’s pointless accompanying an enthusiastic friend to the swimming pool every morning if you aren’t in the least bit excited about getting your hair wet. Your interest will quickly wane and you’ll be looking for excuses not to accompany your friend!
If you haven’t exercised to a while the secret is to start gently and build up gradually. The great thing about walking is that it costs nothing except the dollars for a decent pair of shoes (good walking shoes are essential). Studies have shown the best time to exercise is early morning when the body is fresh, we feel more energetic and the temperatures are cooler. If we put off exercising until the afternoon or evening we are more likely to find excuses not to do it.
The same experts tell us our bodies become accustomed to repeating the same regular exercise and that we should mix it up a bit.
While you might not be up for alternatively running, jogging, skipping, walking or hopping your way around your neighbourhood streets you could consider switching around your circuit and walking in the opposite direction every alternative day. Apart from it being free, walking provides us with precious time to ourselves. We can stride off frustration, mull over problems, solve the current world crisis (wouldn’t it be a better place with us in charge?) plan your dinner menu or decide what to wear that day.
And while we’re discussing apparel – for goodness sake ditch the daggy old trakkie daks and the paint-splattered tee shirt! You’ll exercise with more heart, vigour and confidence when you’re wearing clothes that you look and feel good in. Step out in style – a colourful tee shirt and a slick of lipstick do wonders for the self esteem!
Mass retailers always have stocks of current, reasonably priced exercise-wear.
Try on lots of different styles and take a selection of sizes into the changing room.
Dark coloured exercise pants will make you look and feel slimmer.
Exercise pants or shorts with pockets to hold your door key and mobile phone are more useful than sleek Lycra numbers without pockets.
A bum bag containing your paraphernalia bouncing and flapping around your butt is unattractive!

Are you tightening your belt?
Have you noticed you haven’t been able to tighten your belt lately? If you’ve found you’ve had to let it out a notch or two you’re not alone. We’re not talking about the housekeeping budget here; another ageing issue is that when our estrogen levels drop our bodies redistribute the fat stores and usually this involves thickening of the waist.
According to the Australian Better Health Initiative, a waistline measurement of over 80cm for most women increases the risk of chronic diseases such as some cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Of course does not only pertain to Aussie women!
The risk rises as the measurement increases, so isn’t it worth doing all we can to maintain a healthy body? It’s the only one we’ve got!
Body shape is largely genetic, take a look at photographs of your female family members; it’s likely they share a common shape and pattern of fat storage.
It’s worth knowing that even though there might be a family tendency towards love handles and muffin tops, you don’t necessarily have to follow suit; a healthy lifestyle can overrule genetic tendencies. All the experts tell us that while menopause can cause a change in body shape, regular exercise can help maintain muscle, boost metabolism and prevent weight gain.
We are so influenced by the media and fashion’s quest to show the latest creations on slim bodies that we forget that not every body is made to wear single figure sized clothing. Our genetics dictate the size of our bone structure and body frames.

There is such a thing as bone scale - being big boned or small boned. Our goal really should be to maintain body weight within the healthy range.
Sometimes a mid-life woman who diligently works out at the gym finds that although she is not eating any differently and she’s exercising more, her clothes don’t fit as well as they used to. Sit-ups, crunches and ab-exercises will improve the muscle tone but the only way to lose body fat in the long term is to eat fewer kilojoules and burn off the fat with exercise.
Of course, it’s sod’s law that the bits of our bodies that we really would like to thicken - eyelashes, hair and lips - all go in the opposite direction and get thinner!
The soles of our feet also lose some of the fatty cushioning that protects the balls of the feet. Every step we take puts pressure on the feet – have you ever wondered why you find it uncomfortable to stay on your feet all day? Now you know, your soles are probably thinning.
Good walking shoes are essential for exercise. Look for a pair with great underfoot cushioning and padding. A pair of decent walking shoes can be expensive but they’re worth investing a little bit more in.
I’ve worn the same Nike walking shoes to go “waddling around the docks” as my son so eloquently puts it, for 40 – 50 minutes nearly every day for the last four years. Although the shoes are starting to look a bit ordinary, they’re still in good walking nick. I bought them for around AUD$146 which is less than 1c per day – not bad!

Incidental exercise is extra everyday exercise and every single step helps towards overall fitness.

• Lose the remote and get up off your butt to change the television channel.


• Walk upstairs each time you need to put something away instead of leaving it all to accumulate at the bottom of the stairs for one big upward haul in the evening.


• I have a friend who never uses a long handled broom to sweep her kitchen floor. Instead she gets down on her knees to clean it, or she bends over and sweeps up fallen debris with a dustpan and brush. Excessive perhaps, but she does have an enviable waistline!


• Peg the washing onto the line instead of bunging it into the dryer.


• Stop buying stuff on eBay and get out to the shops.


• Walk to the local shops instead of driving.


• Park your car as far as possible away from the lifts or pedestrian exit in car parks and walk.


• Return the supermarket trolley to the trolley bay instead of leaving it tucked between cars.


• Take the stairs instead of lifts or escalators.
  Once you put your mind to it you’ll be surprised how many ways you can incorporate a little extra incidental exercise into your day, so up off the gluteus maximus and out you go!

A Weighty Problem
There are some things that only women can understand: cat’s facial expressions, fat clothes, why bean sprouts aren’t weeds, and the inaccuracy of every bathroom scale that has ever been manufactured!
There are hundreds of weight loss programmes available to us and it’s a difficult task to sift through them all to find The One to suit our needs.Food supplement sachets, protein powders, fat dissolving tablets, pre-assembled diet meals that are delivered to the home, a bewildering choice of frozen diet food in the supermarket freezers and pages and pages of fad diets accompanied by glowing testimonials, are all there waiting to tempt us and extract copious dollars from our pockets.
Weight loss is a trillion dollar business world wide, and weight loss companies have generous marketing budgets to promote their products. It’s easy to succumb to extravagant advertisements for regimes that don’t actually fit our individual needs, our lifestyle or our pockets.
The key is to establish a programme to suit you and your lifestyle.
If you know that your proposed regime is sustainable before you embark on it, you’ll have a better chance of following the programme right through to your goal weight and then maintaining your new weight.
Some programmes offer minimal education about healthy eating. Participants can end up with severe headaches, death-breath and minimal weight loss. These quick-fix programmes produce results if you follow the instructions to the letter. Often the weight that was lost whilst on these ‘all fluff and no substance’ regimes is regained within weeks of finishing the programme simply because information on wise food choices, kilojoule intake and good health guidelines were not offered.
A great weight loss programme is one that provides you with the knowledge to develop the skills to lose weight safely and effectively, and keep it off.
Look for a system that provides a maintenance programme once you’ve reached your ideal weight to help you retain it. Many people find that losing weight in a supportive group environment is a major key to success. The other participants in group situations are interested in your weight loss and are happy to share their successes and the pitfalls they’ve encountered. Most people lose weight more steadily with group encouragement. Commercial weight loss companies such as Weight Watchers offer sustainable scientifically backed programmes and realistic goals at a reasonable cost.
If you have medical issues it is worth approaching an accredited practicing dietician to tailor a weight loss programme to your medical history and your lifestyle. Surf the internet to find a dietician near you.
Aim to lose your weight in 5 kilogram blocks! This is less daunting than setting a weight loss goal that when you start the programme seems very far away and almost unachievable. Every five kilos you lose will take you down about one dress size.
The way to really burn kilojoules is to be generally active and doing regular, planned exercise. Walking is the easiest fat-burning exercise, and it’s the exercise most recommended by experts and let’s face it - walking at a reasonable pace four or five times a week for thirty five minutes is a small price to pay for a healthy body
Every gram you lose is a step closer to a healthier, slimmer, gorgeous you!

My Magic Diet
My family calls this “The Dynamite Diet” because it blasts away the kilos. Movie stars and celebrities will often go on a similar plan when they need to quickly shift a kilo or two to look their best at public appearances.
This diet is sometimes known as “The Cardiac Diet”. Occasionally doctors place obese cardiac patients on it for two weeks prior to cardiac surgery to encourage weight loss.
My doctor gave me the diet when I wanted to kick-start a weight loss regime. She advised that I do it for two weeks. I figured this wasn’t a long time out of my life so I followed the diet to the letter. At the end of two weeks I was so over vegetable soup, but I had dropped a dress size! I then went on the Weight Watchers maintenance programme to sustain my weight loss.

I share the diet with you, exactly as my doctor gave it to me.
Vegetable Soup
3 x tomatoes, peeled
2 x 500ml tetra packs of Campbell’s Beef Consommé
2 x 800ml cans crushed tomatoes
2 x cups water
1 packet Continental Spring Vegetable dry soup powder
1 bunch spring onions
1 bunch celery
300g fresh or frozen green beans
2 red peppers
3 carrots
4 zucchini
2 corn cobs
2 chicken stock cubes
Wash, peel and chop all the vegetables into small pieces. Combine all the ingredients in a very large stock pot. Add some cracked black pepper and stir well. Boil the mixture for 10 minutes, reduce the heat and simmer until all the vegetables are tender. Add more water if you want a thinner soup.
This soup can be eaten any time you are hungry. Eat as much as you want whenever you want. The soup contains minimal kilojoules. The more you eat the more weight you’ll lose. Fill a thermos with the soup if you are going out or to work during the day.
For drinks use unsweetened fruit juices, tea or coffee without milk or sugar, cranberry juice and water.
Day 1
Eat any fruit (except bananas) and soup today.
Rockmelon and watermelon are lower in kilojoules than most other fruit.
Eat only soup and fruit (as much as you want) today.
Day 2
Eat vegetables and soup today (eat as many fresh, raw, frozen or canned vegetables as you like). Eat the vegetables with the soup.
At dinner time reward yourself with a jacket potato and butter.
Don’t eat any fruit today.
Day 3
Eat all the soup, vegetables and fruit you like today.
Don’t have the jacket potato today.
If you have eaten as above for three days and not cheated you should have lost between 2.5 and 3.5 kilos.
Day 4
Eat bananas, skim milk and soup today
Eat at least 3 bananas and drink as much milk as you can today
Eat as much soup as you want
Bananas are high in kilojoules and carbohydrates but you will need the potassium. You will need the calcium from the milk.
Day 5
Eat, beef, tomatoes and soup today
You may have half a kilo of beef today (or skinless chicken if you prefer). Cut all the fat off the beef, don’t eat it. Grill or BBQ the meat without oil or fat.
Eat as many as six tomatoes
Eat the soup at least once today
Day 6
Eat beef, tomatoes and soup today
Eat to your heart’s content –lean beef and vegetables only. You may even have 2 -3 steaks if you wish, with leafy green vegetables. Grill or BBQ the meat without oil.
No potato today
Be sure to eat soup at least once today.
Day 7
Eat brown rice, vegetables, fruit juice and soup today.
Be sure to eat as much rice and vegetables as you like, and eat as much soup as you can.

By the end of the seventh day if you have not cheated on the diet you should have lost 5 to 8 kilos – depending on your activity/exercise level. If you lose more than 5.5 kilos stay off the diet for 2 days. Then start day 1 again.
The recipe makes enough soup to feed one person for at least 3 days. Store it in the refrigerator.
The soup freezes well. Divide it into 2 cup portions and freeze each portion separately.
Adapt mainstream recipes to suit the diet – fat-free chicken san choy bow, stir-fried vegetables, handfuls of herbs into the soup, minced steak to make beef kebabs on rosemary skewers with smoky eggplant puree and on the 7th day a fat-free pumpkin and vegetable risotto… but this is not a cook book!
I went on the diet because I’d quit smoking and gained fifteen kilograms. With all the will in the world there was no way I could have continued for longer than the maximum two weeks without cheating!
Whenever your scales begin to tip towards the top of the radar you can always revisit the diet again for a few days.

Dieticians advocate that steady weight loss on a healthy eating programme is more sustainable than weight lost on fad diets (such as my diet!).
When we first embark on a weight loss programme we’re enthusiastic and motivated. We want fast results. Many schemes recognize this and introduce an austere eating plan for the first week to encourage good results.

• We all have “OMG-I’ll-never-do-it-so-I-might-as-well-have-some-chocolate-and-be-done-with-it” moments!


• If you succumb to a binge - chocolate or anything else, don’t beat yourself up about it. Put the binge behind you and jump right back onto your programme. The worst case scenario is that it could take a few more days to get your weight to where you want it.


• Plan your meals and eat them at regular times.


• Plan snacks ahead – carrot and cucumber sticks in the fridge are clichéd and boring but they do work for mindless snacking - i.e. when you poke your head into the fridge in the vague hope that some fabulous treat has wafted itself in there without your knowledge and you find it hasn’t but a carrot or cucumber stick will do.


• A crisp snack will make you feel as though you’ve had something to eat. An apple cut into a zillion (or at least 40) slices works, and so do mini rice cakes impregnated with vegemite/marmite flavours (or vegemite/marmite spread on top).


• Drink plenty of water to ensure you’re getting enough fluid. Water is kilojoule-free and a glass of water can help to quell hunger pangs.


• Introduce extra flavour to meals with good quality balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs and interesting spices all of which you would need to eat truckloads of before any difference is made to your kilojoule intake.


• Sit down to eat.


• Weigh yourself just once a week, on the same day, on the same scales and at the same time.


• Eat more slowly. Put your cutlery down while you chew each mouthful. This gives the brain a chance to assess how full you are feeling and it does make a difference.


• 
  Portion size control will help to keep weight under control. Weighing food is not neurotic; it is all about health measures. If scales aren’t available Weight Watchers suggest simple household items as a guide to evaluate healthy portion sizes:
  A small skinless (140g) chicken breast fillet, an 80g bunch of grapes, or one medium sized (125g) potato are all about the size of a computer mouse.
  A medium portion of dry spaghetti (60g) stands vertically on a 5c coin.
  A medium portion of uncooked rice is ¼ cup which swells to ½ cup when it is cooked – about the size of a medium can of tuna
  A single scoop of ice cream is about the size of a lime
  A medium portion of fat-reduced cheese (30g) is the size of a small matchbox.
  
  Excess weight didn’t go on overnight; (it probably took you quite a long time to put it on) and it won’t fall off overnight. It will take time to shift. Be patient and persevere.


• If you’ve a bad day and blown your diet; it’s not the end of the world! Forgive yourself, put the day behind you and continue with your programme the next day.


• It’s a very bad idea to go shopping for clothes when you’ve just started a weight loss programme or are just a few weeks into one. If you have to buy clothes for an occasion, purchase garments in simple classic shapes and in solid colours. These are the clothes that can probably be taken in by an alteration expert when you have lost your weight. A better idea is to shop for stunning accessories that will boost your self esteem while you are losing weight, and still be very wearable once you have reached your goal.


• Simple measures for better health include at least 2 serves of fruit and at least 5 serves of vegetables every day, limiting “treats” such as unhealthy snacks, takeaways and alcohol, varied activity and at least 30 minutes of physical exercise.

“Nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels!” Kate Moss. Don't believe everything you read or hear - skinny isn't all that fabulous! Dawn Short!

Pelvic Floor Exercises
Regular pelvic floor exercises are vitally important to us as we mature. The exercises can be done any time, anywhere and they are so secret that no one even knows you are doing them! Simply, they strengthen the pelvic floor and help prevent the nuisance and embarrassment of a prolapsed uterus and a leaky bladder.
Basically all you do is this:
Use your internal muscles to squeeze your front passage as tightly as you can.
Hold for 5 – 10 seconds, then release.
Repeat 10 times.
Do this as often as you can, whenever you think of it. If you can’t isolate the front passage (urinal tract) then just clench the lot!

Cellulite
There’s no ultimate cure for that long term un-budging enemy called cellulite. It is often attributed to stress, lack of exercise or a build up of fluids. In reality cellulite is actually fat. Nothing else! Sorry!
Some foods are known to contribute towards cellulite – caffeine, fizzy drinks, buttery pastries and croissants – but we know they contribute to weight gain anyway; we don’t need clever scientists to tell us.
Cellulite has its enemies – water and good circulation. Drink plenty of water (side benefits are that water keeps skin hydrated from the inside and can hold hunger pangs at bay). Get your body going under the morning shower with a stimulating body brush to increase the circulation and you are halfway there!
Use a medium bristle body brush on your dry body, brushing from your fingers and toes towards your heart. Jump into the shower and continue brushing, use a body scrub containing menthol. If you have the discipline to do this daily and if caffeine, soda drinks and buttery pastries never pass your lips again you will have some success in shifting cellulite.

The Model’s Roll
Have you seen women walking around with their shoulders hunched over? How old do they look?
Poor posture is not youthful and it’s easily corrected.
‘The Model’s Roll’ was shown to me by Caroline Byrne, a beautiful young model who taught catwalk modelling at the June Dally-Watkins Model School in Sydney.
The model’s roll instantly relieves those knots in the shoulders that come from crunching over a keyboard, or from physical and emotional stress (often associated with irksome family members!), from poor posture or from too many years of toting a heavy bag around on your shoulder. It can also temporarily ease muscle-induced pain in the neck and upper torso.

Stand up with arms dangling your sides, hands empty and relaxed. If your palms are facing behind you and your thumbs are brushing your body, your posture is hunched and you need to carry out the model’s roll posture realignment.
Keep your arms by your sides and roll your shoulders backwards in large circles a couple of times, the more exaggerated the better.
Now circle your shoulders forward. You should feel your palms naturally turn to face your sides and your thumbs face the front as the hunches dissipate and your shoulders drop.
That’s it! Simple! If you remember to do this whenever your palms are turning inwards or you feel your thumbs brush your sides you will retrain your body back into a relaxed and normal posture.

Retail details and magic products
Exercise clothes
Mass retailers such as Target, Big W, K-Mart and M&S carry a good choice of exercise gear all year round at reasonable prices. They tend to be on the small side so you may find you need to go up a size. Rip the size tag out when you get home!
Aches and pains
Nurofen Adhesive Heat Packs $10 for a pack of 2, from Supermarkets and pharmacies
Dietician
To find an expert dietician near you by either locality of specialty go to www.daa.asn.au
Try Weight Watchers, there are meetings world wide or you can make an individual appointment for a one on one consultation at Myer. www.weightwatchers.com.au

Next time we're going to uncover your own personal colours! My simple foolproof formula will allow you to determine your skin tone and then you'll find clothes shopping will be a breeze. When you are confident of your skin tone there'll be no more agonising over colour choices, you'll know what does and doesn't suit you! We'll also discuss colours that have the power to make us appear taller and slimmer (and those that make us look shorter and wider), menopausal colours, how to look fantastic in black, the impact colour has on personality and self esteem and how your favourite colours work best for you. Did you know that every person can wear a shade or hue from every colour family (green, red, purple, yellow etc)? It is personal preference that makes us hesitate, I'll show you how to choose colour and get it right every time! Until then, kisses, Dawn