Jessica Ashley
- http://www.sassafrass.typepad.com
We Love to Gawk at Fit Celebs Weekly Round-Up: Farewell edition
We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs Weekly Roundup, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Well, darlings, it's not that I don't love me some sweaty celebs, it's just that it's time for me to move on. To big things. You know, like talking about snacking celebs, shopping celebs, snarky celebs. Really gripping stuff like that.Not to worry! The That's Fit folk will keep you in the know, so check back for lots more of this high fructose corn syrup minus all the junkie stuff.
Now, on to my final bits of business here at We Love to Gawk:
Goodbye, Gwen! Please, sweets, kiss off the excruciating, incessant dieting mentality. Keep fit, stay strong, be healthy...sure! But let's not raise up another generation of 12-year olds who feel that they must attain a certain oft-unattainable body size. Um, like yours.
Take a bow, Tori! Or rather, a boa.
FitBeauty Reviews: The Running Skirt
As easy as it is to throw on a pitted out t-shirt from high school band and a pair of old yoga pants that are nearly transparent from wear (not exercise, mind you, just plain old wear) to go for a walk or to a class or, if I am lucky, for a hike while traveling to Oregon. But the truth is, I am just not as motivated when I am looking and feeling as schlumpadinka as my grunge gear makes me look and feel. And so I unabashedly admit to throwing on a little swipe of mascara and lip gloss before I walk around the block four times. I also admit to changing my workoutfit four or five times on occasion before I slink over to the Y to walk the treadmill with the old men in canvas slip-ons who live there and the middle age women tuned into the soaps on TV more than their steps on the elliptical. Crazy? Oh yeah. But does it work? Oh yeah.
For these reasons, I love love LOVE snazzy exercise shirts that not only wick away sweat (I swear, I do sweat) but also fit well and look like they were made this side of the millennium. I adore yoga pants with updated boot cut flares at the bottom and I drool over all those cute walking shoes and gym bags, even when I am only working out once a week. When I put on a workoutfit I feel fabulous in, it makes me even more amped up to be active. Putting on clothes that are more like pajamas than Pilates gear, makes me want to sit on the couch and watch America's Next Top Model with a giant bowl of chips.
This does not mean I sacrifice comfort. Stretchy and spandexy and soft pants are a must. The issue? Simply this: Badunkadunk. That's it. I've got a bubble bootie that is not always lycra-friendly. Plus, those kinds of pants very often don't have or look presentable with pockets. Dilemma.
Enter The Running Skirt.
We Love to Gawk at Fit Celebs Weekly Round-Up: C is for Celebrity edition
We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs, We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs Weekly Roundup, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Motivation
Some people get all weepy when they see their favorite soap star at some mall promotion or get all hyped up when they get a cell phone snapshot of some D-lister they remember from an 80s sitcom ordering a Jamba Juice before getting on the subway. I personally love it when celebrities struggle with stuff like muffin tops and plain old muffins, just like we do. I love it when they go all out in an athletic event and when they wig out about being the biggest person in the room, just like we do. And I especially love it when their own brand of celebrity wackadoodleness is plastered all over gossip TV, not at all like us but nonetheless fun to talk about at work. C what I mean?Commitment -- Just when you think you're a badass for completing a triathlon, Felicity Huffman comes along and steals your thunder. Not only did she bring it home while wearing lucky number 13, she promptly toweled off the sweat and slid on a hot purple number cut down to there for the Emmys (is it me or is this mama getting sexier every year?). Now that's commitment.
Collaboration -- And she wasn't alone! Felicity's hubs William H. was right behind his wife. David Duchovney did the old swim-bike-run and member of The Bachelor Dork Brigade Andy Baldwin also was victorious. Hmmm, I wonder if Tessa was cheering him on with Gatorade and hugs at the finish line?
Conversion -- Meanwhile, back at the Hilton ranch, Paris's new $6 million home has plenty of space for guests but not enough room for accessories. To remedy the situation and make her Manolos very happy, Paris is converting the home's fitness room into a shoe closet. But of course! I mean, she probably has people who work out for her in the servants quarters anyway.
Conventional -- Aretha Franklin laughs off her struggles with weight and reveals that the numbers she's found on the treadmill have made all her hard work "happy." She's working it off the hard, old-fashioned way and you know what that deserves.
Caked On -- Courtney Love has thankfully started to move past the skeletal look by indulging in cupcakes. I don't blame her and I certainly say that choice is better than a lot of other indulgences the now-reformed singer has made in the past. Now, on to real nutrition. There's got to be a happy and healthier medium between protein shakes and cupcakes, right?
Commonsensical -- Shanna Moakler seems to have it together with a spunky attitude about how her body's changed since having children. She's saying no thanks to the typical celeb post-partum routine of surgery or gym addiction and is instead taking nine months or more to slowly, surely work of the baby weight. I love the sentiment but just need to know: Who is she again?
Confusion -- And because for every sane celeb, there are fourteen kooky loos - Keira Knightley seems to be in the midst of some major distorted thinking about her body. The actress, who has certainly rivaled Courtney Love in the skeletal frame department, sees herself as double the size of other stars. That makes me sad. And also want a muffin.
FitBeauty: Handmade workout gear? Oh hell yes.
Fitness, Alternative & Green Health
So we're working on dressing in a way that suits our own styles, in clothes that fit our own beautiful bodies and in spending our money wisely on items that we will wear and will support the lives we want to live. If we want to be active, a way to support that is having workout wear that we want to put on and put to use. If we want to spend smart, we are not buying any old pair of ill-fitting spandex pants from the junior section clearance rack at KMart just because they are cheap and well, on the clearance rack. That means we need to find smart and fun ways to shop that will support all of our good habits and ease out the old tendencies.This week, I suggest you choose to buy something that's handmade. Handmade workout wear? Why, yes, kittens, it's possible to find clothes, accessories and gear that is unique, competitively priced and possibly customized just for you.
Luckily, one of my favorite sites, Etsy, is devoted to handmade items and their creators. Here are few fabulous finds that top my list of workout wear that will slip beautifully from the artists' hands to yours. Now, doesn't that feel good all the way around?
We Love to Gawk at Fit Celebs Weekly Round-Up: Help a sister out edition
We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs, We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs Weekly Roundup, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness
It's been a looky loo week in the world of celebrity fitness, friends. There was lots of heart-pounding working it out that had nothing to do with exercise. Regardless, after an overdose of VMA talk, nudey picture speculation and loaded accusations, I think we're all ready to let the healing begin. Before I hand out the hugs and heart rate monitors, I'll need a few things:Can I get HOLLA for the premiere of The Biggest Loser, complete with my soulmate and brand newish BFF Jillian Michaels? What is about a rock solid fitness phenom screaming at folks to carry big old truck tires that gives me the chills? Sigh. I guess it is not to question, just to inspire me to get out and dismantle my car for a morning workout.
Can I get a do-over for Brit-Brit? Yesssss, the VMA thang was enough to make Lindsay Lohan cringe and hand over some depressants to this guy (kidding kidding), but do we really need to have a conversation about her weight in the middle of that dance disaster? People! She's not fat. She's completely wackadoodle/one the sauce/in need of a big old mama hug/quite possibly all of the above, but the Collector of Ripped Fishnets and Marlboro Lite Cartons is not starving and is not overweight. So, can we just get back to talking about her extensions and broken acrylic nails now?
Can I get a reality show reunion for Kid Rock and Tommy Lee? The two had words and fisticuffs at the VMA awards, momentarily giving pause to all those "Fat Brit" flaming bloggers (see above). The only reason this gets a mention at all is that I have a sneaky suspicion this scuffle was a big boost in cardio for the two rockers. Well, at least since they each had their (ahem) days in the sun with Pamela Anderson. Next time add some intervals with handweights, bros and you'll have yourself some real sweat and possibly, find a way to love each other up on national television. I'll totally have Montel and Maury on the phone in like, 30 seconds.
Can I get a round of applause for Brooke Shields? She tells Fitness magazine that she's committed to an hour of working out everyday. EXCEPT when one of those beautiful babies has done what beautiful babies often do and cry a lot in the night. She gets through, not by doing The Hundred to boost her energy and inspiration, but by downing a bunch of coffee and then crashing for a nap. I love her for taking care of her body, which sometimes calls for a big cup of reality and self-care.
Can I get a towel ovah here for Vanessa Hudgens? The High School Musical star and recent canceller of many late-night interviews, was caught working out WITH HER CLOTHES ON! What?! The horrors! Is she even allowed to walk around full-clothed? Someone please use that towel to wipe the triple (and possibly quadruple, apparently) threat's brow?
Can I get a corner of that towel for Natalie Portman? She's busy not making tabloids (which I salute) and possibly, getting her Bikram on. Nat, I somehow knew you were a centered, yoga-type of lady.
FitBeauty: Be fit, fashionable and frugal this fall
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Alternative & Green Health
Just because I'm advocating tossing your cheapy clothes and choosing pieces you can invest your money, style and pride in, doesn't mean I'm not cheering for great fall fashion found on the cheap. Let me be clear - stay away from things on the clearance rack you wouldn't care about otherwise and steer clear of the brands in the store that are priced way lower for a reason. That said, you can still find those investment pieces at Target, Kohl's and other big-box retailers. After all, spending $30 is an investment for some of us and spending $30 on a well-made, perfectly-fitting and fun fashion is smart for all of us.Here are five fall finds for the fashionista who is fit with her wallet and her handweights:
1. Tie it up with a belted shirt-dress to show off or whittle your waist. Quite honestly, after too many twin sets and t-shirts that stretched out and faded in the first wash, I have steered way clear of Merona clothes at Target. I'm much more of an Isaac Mizrahi type of grrrl. But I stopped in the aisle when I saw this shirt-dress and just kept accidentally-on-purpose wandering past it. Now I'm convinced that this is the key to looking fab this fall -- from preschool pick-up to Bunco night -- by accentuating the positive and smoothing over the bits I'm trying to burlesque away. Although I didn't see it online, this dress is in stores in a yummy brown with white pin dots and -- me oh my! -- it is adorable for under $30.
We Love to Gawk at Fit Celebs Weekly Round-Up: Put up your dukes edition
We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs Weekly Roundup, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
This week it was all about bad-assness among the fit-minded celebs. Watch out, because these ladies are all about bicep curls, baked chips and business!Pamela Anderson's body is cut like a knife! Check out these pics but ignore ignore ignore the ridiculous comments about she has a baby bump. Whatev! I am so freaking tired of people automatically tagging any semblance of softness whatsoever as a pregnancy alert. I'm a sucker for the well-toned ass dimple and only Pammy could hold all that PA-DOW together with a few triangles and string. Go on, mama!
Liz Kelly's verbally HI-YAH-ing Maxim mag (which should totally burn calories, at least in my book). She calls them out on their latest list of the ten least appealing women, which speaks not only to the idiocy of whatever editor or writer came up with that idea and actually put those debasing thoughts to keyboard, but also the need to fill space or something irritating I don't want to give any more thought to. Props to Liz for standing up for the gorgeous and talented women like America Ferrera, Pam Grier and Tina Fey (lurrrrrve them) on the page.
FitBeauty: Self-care is two simple (but significant) steps away!
Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation, Alternative & Green Health
I did two things last week that have made me smile many times each day since and are contributing in small but significant ways to my wellness. No, this has nothing to do with my, errr, abs or almonds or range-free chicken. It does, however, have everything to do with my follicle and facial fitness.First, I finally (FINALLY!) got went to the stylist to get my hair cut, highlighted and styled. I've been a slave to the family budget and stretched out the time in between haircuts to three long, painful, scraggly layered months. I also been DIYing the highlights since April and even though I am an artist in other corners of my life, wielding that coloring wand is not a talent of mine. I was in the salon for more than three hours (I've had many nights of less sleep than that!), which may lead some sweet but skeptical readers to believe that I was in for a major overhaul rather than a quarterly tune-up, but really, this is just the way in this particular salon.
We Love to Gawk at Fit Celebs Weekly Round-Up: Stand up for your right to paddle edition
We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs, We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs Weekly Roundup
Sound the horns and roll out the yoga mats! We Love to Gawk is making its triumphant return. Thanks to all of you who sent the postcards scribbled out with "Wish you were here" and "Miss You XOXO." It got to us, really. (OK, the only postcards that arrived were in the form of emails from the producer that read something along the lines of "When the hell are you going to get back in the celebrity goss game, lazy pants?!" I kid, I kid. I've been far too busy doing lunges and roller-blading to take crap from my producer, write this feature or read postcards. Also, kidding). So, onward and upward to the fascinatingly mundane fitness routines of celebs you love, hate and read about obsessively anyway:
- Jennifer Aniston's standing up. And this isn't just big news because all of her precarious relationships with hot men. While in Hawaii with BFF Courtney Cox-Arquette, she's paddling while standing in sort of an African Queen type of exercise that proves how hawt she is. Who else (aside from Angelina, people!) would look sleek, toned and oh-so cool doing this stuff?
- Posh hates the gym, confirming my thoughts that the little indentation in her booty is caused from walking in monster heels rather than doing squats. But you know what does garner my sympathy? Her bum's too small for bicycle seats. That's just sad, y'all.
- Jessica Alba's just endeared herself to the teenage and frat boy populations even more. Not that it was necessary. She's not only buff as hell, she's now using Wii to get her game on.
- Reese gets in a jog in her Brentwood neighborhood. I love to see the celebs, who could and surely do all kinds of crazy exercisey stuff (yes, Jennifer, I mean you), keeping it simple. I've adored Reese since before the 'Election' years, but yowza! She's looking might fine these days. Go on, mama.
- Ashley Tisdale (who is she again?) is a curve-lovin' cardio-in-moderation kinda gal. Note to self: Stop being so freaking old and out of it and get on the 'High School Musical' bus already.
FitBeauty: Exclusive interview with Jillian Michaels
We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness
FitBeauty is a weekly feature focusing on the lovely intersection of looking fabulous and feeling (or getting) fit. FitBeauty isn't be about conforming to an unattainable ideal or all lip gloss and over-priced luxuries (although there may be a bit of the luxe, just for fun). We focus on things that help you help yourself feel phenomenal (and after all, sometimes that is lip gloss), things that feel great on your skin and are good for the earth, and above all, things that are healthy lifestylish. FitBeauty is a bit cheeky, a teense chic, and always celebrating the gorgeousness within.This is new! FitBeauty is proud to profile real life Fit Beauties like that woman with the snarky t-shirt on the treadmill, the instructor of your spin class who seems to have perfect skin and a stay-put ponytail through every class, your spotter with the eyelash extensions and the trainer in the killer cross-trainers. Oh yeah, and you, darling. Because you're fabulous and we know it.
To kick off all this, I sat down with my undeniable buff crush, Jillian Michaels. You know Jillian Michaels as the a tough-talking, ab-rocking trainer from The Biggest Loser and as the author of Making the Cut (she swears there was no airbrushing or photoshopping of her bod on that cover, just great lighting....rrrrowl!) among other books. After a bit of a hiatus, she's returning to The Biggest Loser this season as the trainer for a secret team (oops! secret's out) , which premieres September 11th. Listen in on our conversation following a fabulous AOL Body Life Lab luncheon.
Is there some aspect of your fitness routine that you're loving right now?
Classes! I don't have to think in classes. I think so much of the time. Someone else is doing the work, telling me what to do. I can also compete with other people in the class. I can look over at the woman next to me and push myself to do more than she is doing. It's bad but it works! I love spin yoga and boot camp classes right now.
What do you dread?
I hate running. I loathe it. It is the most tedious, monotonous thing to me. I've been doing it for years but it's really a slice of hell for me.
There are days when I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon than go to the gym. So I go for a bike ride or walk the dog or call a trainer friend and say, "Yeah, I need you to train me. TODAY!"
So what do you tell people who know all about healthy living but can't actually get up from the couch or make time for it?
The action begins when you take the steps. Then you are saying, "I'm worth it." Saying "I can't" is where the craziness comes from. Yes, you are strong. Yes, you are powerful. Yes, you are capable. Whenever you put that energy into the universe, it will all fall in place.
For more of what Jillian has to say on:
- leaping into fitness
- feeling sessssy
- her own iPod shuffle and
- Jessica's dish on Jillian
keep on reading after the jump!
