Tag Archives | bikini body

Swimsuit Season: Find The Perfect Swimsuit

June 21, 2013 in Fashion

One of my personal goals for June was to get myself toned & ready for bathing suit weather – You can check out my first post on this topic for tips & recommendations on getting fit – Swimsuit Season: How To Get Bikini Ready.

Step two in the journey towards enjoying swimsuit season is finding the perfect suit for your body type. I for one don’t fit into any of the convenient body type categories magazines use and finding the right bikini is definitely an exercise in trial and error. Check out the three great new suits that I picked out for 2013 at the bottom! <3

Retro-One-Piece-Peplum-Swimsuit

Check out these previous posts from MCLV on finding the right suit for your body & some of my favorite suits from seasons past – Bathing Suit Season… Le Sigh and Bathing Suit Season.

Galaxy-Print-Plus-Sized-Bikini

Coral-Ruffled-One-Piece-Bathing-Suit

{Pictures from Swimsuit Season Pinterest board}

As for me, my new bathing suit purchases this year include this fierce TopShop Bandeau Suit, a too cute Forever 21 Zebra Bikini, and to fulfill my love of one-piece retro inspired swimsuits I picked up this fabulous Marc by Marc Jacobs Maillot Swimsuit.

Need more bikini porn? Check out my Swimsuit Season Pinterest board for all the inspiration you can handle!

What’s your favorite style swimsuit for this year?

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Swimsuit Season: How To Get Bikini Ready

June 5, 2013 in Fitness, Food

Step one in the race for the beach is getting yourself healthy & in shape. And, of course, mentally preparing yourself… 🙂 So read on for what my Swimsuit Shape-Up plan is and some great tips & suggestions for getting yourself ready for your first beach, river, pool trip of the season!

Swimsuit Shape-Up:

My four-week plan to get bikini ready hinges on three important factors: (1) Spending some quality time at the gym, (2) Making healthy food choices, and (3) Staying motivated. For me the third is almost as important as the first two in terms of reaching my goals. We’ve all gone on a super healthy kick only to burn out a few days later and fall off the wagon!

SwimSuitShapeUp

Here’s my plan for the next four weeks:

  1. Eat Clean – No takeout, nothing processed, no packaged foods. Whole foods only. Smoothies, salads, stir fried or sautéed veggies & raw produce. Not sure what to snack on when you’re busy or traveling? Try baby carrots + hummus, Larabars, raw almonds, or a healthy sweet treat like mini gluten-free protein cakes or energy bites.
  2. 4-5 Weekly Workouts – Getting to the gym consistently is incredibly important so I’ll be aiming for 4-5 workouts a week including full-body circuits, core focused routines, and physical therapy. Plus daily walking.

Tips & Recommendations:

Sometimes, as hard as you work, the day you have to suit-up is thwarted by bloat or water weight. FitSugar is full of tips for getting back to your lean self – Flat Belly, Fast: 15 Ways to Debloat Today.

Don'tFreakOut

Your mentality when it comes to bikini time is important – Like with most of life’s obstacles, if you approach it with a negative mindset you won’t get the results you’re hoping for. Not sure how to improve your outlook? Read Garance Dore’s Don’t Freak Out.

Does the idea of adding weight training to your fitness routine intrigue you but you’re not sure what the first step should be or where to start? Check out Natalie Jill Fitness’s You HAVE to lift HEAVY if You Want to Lean Out and Change Your Body for some great insights!

Not sure what foods are best in the last few days before a trip? Try rehydrating and fiber-filled fruits and vegetables – MindBodyGreen has all the details in their 5 Best Foods For A Beach Body.

Something to keep in mind when you’re working hard to meet a fitness goal are the perils of over-training. If you don’t give yourself enough time for recovery and get enough sleep, you won’t see the results you’re hoping for. Check out this great piece on rolling our your muscles from Women’s Health – Soothe Muscle Soreness.

What are YOU doing to get yourself ready for swimsuit season?

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Links You’ll Love

May 6, 2012 in Fashion, Fitness, Food, Links You'll Love

Happy Sunday!

I don’t know about you, but I had another amazing weekend. The perfect combination of relaxation, family time, and social events. Before we get to this Sunday’s Links You’ll Love post, I just wanted to say a quick congratulations to my childhood friend Sophie who got married in a beautiful, moving ceremony yesterday.

Fashion:

Let's go!

Are you going to start a new internship or job this Summer? Not sure how to prep your wardrobe? Refinery 29 has you covered! The No-Fail Guide To Dressing For A Summer Internship (On A Budget).
If you’re in the mood to mix up your style this season head over to Little Tin Soldier who has rounded up a handful of Do It Yourself clutches if you’re looking for a project or FabSugar has tres cute DIY: Thread-Wrapped Bracelets that would complement anyone’s jewelry collection.
Check out the Harper’s Bazaar piece on The Best Of What’s New– The best of pre-fall’s modern takes on timeless pieces. But I should warn you first. You’ll want ALL OF IT. All.
Health/Fitness:

Interesting news on the supplement front from Natural News – Vitamin D and sun exposure work synergistically to prevent breast cancer.

Here’s this week’s healthy recipe round-up: Kale Salad with Oranges, Almonds and Avocado (the “detox” salad) from Eat, Live Run, 10 Flavor-Packed Tofu Recipes from Shape Magazine, Broccoli White Bean Soupfrom FitSugar, How to Make the Perfect Big-Ass Salad (and the Best Dressing Recipe—Ever) from Fit Bottomed Girls, Healthy Zucchini Breadrecipes from FitSugar readers, Sun-dried Tomato Cheezy Kale Chips from the brilliant OhSheGlows, and 15 Gluten-Free Recipes from Heath.com.

Video time! Check out these two motivation and instructional videos to get you in the mood for healthy eating and working out this Spring .

I think that this is a great idea! I’m always looking for something fun to do with friends that doesn’t revolve around eating or drinking. Yes, I love a cocktail as much as the next workaholic, but with my early mornings a booze-fueled “school night” is never a good idea. Barry’s Bootcamp – Party Fitness: 7 Workouts Better than Happy Hour. From a yoga rave to a Zombie Run, there are some great ideas here to try out.

How do you stay healthy and in shape when you have a hectic schedule and lots of traveling on the horizon? See what Miss Garance Dore has to say about her routines here.

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