A Real Model's Diet - the Inside Skinny!

The Supermodel Diet … 
It’s not all about cutting carbs, starving or cabbage soup.

Many people ask me how models stay skinny? Convinced of some supermodel secret to dieting, everyone wants the short cut. Truth is, there is none. Some women, believe it or not, really don’t have to obsess over their weight. However, I have noticed some commonalities to the way my model friends eat that I want to share with you because models aren’t the only ones who like to look thin. 

Adhere to a Routine. Models tend to eat the same thing every day for breakfast. One of my best skinny model friends has a bowl of hot oatmeal, raisins and skim milk … EVERY SINGLE MORNING! This makes choosing what to eat a no-brainer and takes the variable of adding in extra calories out of the equation.

Brown bag your lunch. If you are grabbing something on the go, when ordering out do it the model way:

• Linda Evangelista has been quoted saying, “ I don’t diet. I just don’t eat as much as I’d like to.”  Order an appetizer as your entrée. Portion control is KEY and this method does it for you. If you’re with a friend order 2 apps and split them for variety.

• Skip the sauces and choose tomato or oil and vinegar in place of mayo, cream or butter sauces. Better yet, order all topping on the side and use sparingly.

• Use spices! According to a Forbes article, models that make the most money often eat fibrous foods with spices to speed up their metabolism. So reach for the red pepper flakes and hot sauce girls!

• What keeps me skinny is that I only eat food I really like. If something is on my plate that is just so-so, I leave it. It's important to be mindful of what you're eating and why.

Eat Green and Only White if it's protien . This is an easy trick we can all use. When you are making choices remember to load up on green leafy vegetables and keep away from any white processed carbs (bread, pasta, cookies, rice) Eating white only for protein  - egg whites, chicken, turkey, pork or fish.

Get Moving. Most models don’t aspire to have that hardcore, muscle-bound bodybuilder figure, but when interviewed you will hear ALL of them talk about doing some sort of regular exercise like yoga, pilates, or jogging ... several days a week – No Excuses!

Snack. At runway shows, it is common practice for the producers to bring in food platters. What is interesting is that the fruit and veggies trays are always empty, while the sandwich plates and chip bowls remain full. Models know that it’s important to snack on healthy low calorie foods. They are careful to never arrive anywhere feeling ravenous. I always carry a granola bar or nuts in my model tote when I show up for a job. Eating a banana and drinking a bottle of water before dinner will  help you eat less and pass on the bread basket or seconds because you already feel full. By the way, models are always drinking water and staying well hydrated!

Supplement. The Aussie supermodel, Elle Macpherson is reportedly a fan of dietary fish oil and makes foods like makerel and salmon, which coincidentally are good for glowing skin, a beauty staple. Emergen C and vitamins are also on a model’s list.

Work a Party. VIP invitations are always coming to models via their agency, promoters and social networks. Many believe that most models exist strictly on cigarettes, caffeine and alcohol, but lots of supermodels, like Heidi Klum, avoid alcohol. Most people realize that alcohol is filled with empty calories so drink sparkling water from a wine glass or a Diet Coke in between your cocktails. Also, carry a purse so you can’t snack as easily with your hands free.

Contrary to popular belief, not all supermodels have an eating disorder or believe in dieting, but they are motivated to keep a disciplined routine when it comes to eating. The secret comes from finding the sweet spot … a happy weight and an achievable way to maintain it.

Once you have the diet down pat, check out my other post on how to Make your Legs Look Longer or The Dream Diet: How to Lose Weight While you Sleep

To learn more model's secrets to looking your best and taking your best photos check out my new book Face This: Real advice from real models, photographers and makeup artists on how to become Picture Perfect! Available for just $7.99 on Kindle, Nook and iTunes. Also as paperback from Amazon.com

 

How to DeBloat after all Your Holiday Partying

The media suggest that the average American usually gains between 7-10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Years, but according to the most reliable study to date published in the New England Journal of Medicine, it is less than one pound!


If your clothes feel tight and your face puffy it is more likely you are experiencing the "bloat" which can tip the scales up to 5 pounds plus.

Holiday festivities include family potluck gatherings, neighborhood gift exchanges, Thanksgiving dinner, cookie swaps, Christmas and office parties, not to mention the celebratory New Years toast!  All of these rich and processed foods that are being served usually mean more sodium - leading straight to water weight. 

It’s important not to freak out and remind yourself that weight loss and weight gain are mathematical equations and in a few days it would be nearly impossible to consume enough extra calories for a real 5 pound gain. 1 lb = 3500 calories AND 5 lbs = 17,500 calories extra.  Here are some  strategies to help you de-bloat.

1.  In between parties cut back on calories. 

This shouldn't be very hard to do since you have overindulged and feel full. Bethenny Frankel, author of Naturally Thin, suggests whipping up a big pot of vegetable soup to slim down. Just throw some onions, broccoli and carrots, in a fat free chicken stock and puree to eat with brown rice. 

2.  Fill up with loads of de-bloating foods to tell your body to get rid of all that water. Some natural diuretics are watermelon, asparagus, oats, cucumber, ginger, pineapple, and yogurts containing probiotics ("good" bacteria) can help.

3.  Eat fiber to help clear your colon of any undigested foods and air. Foods like bananas that are high in potassium  have also been shown to beat bloat by causing your body to flush out the water.

4.  Drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Sodium intake acts like a water retention magnet so you need to drink enough water to flush all of this from your system or your body will keep trying to save water reserves.

5.  Sweat it out. Working out not only helps burn calories away but you can sweat out unwanted water swelling. Before supermodel Heidi Klum gets in front of the camera she de-bloats with an Epsom salt-rich bath. Magnesium sulphate in the salts draw out the fluids from your body.


6. Plenty of Zzzzzz's. Sleeping raises growth hormone and reduces stress. Stress can increase cortisol levels in your body over time and cortisol inhibits sodium loss through the small intestines. Water will stay where the sodium is which often causes water retention. So focus on getting to bed early and letting your metabolism get in check to help your body recover from the overindulging.

Shelley GoodStein is a 47 year old FORD model who speaks to women through television, national articles and public forums about a model's secrets to looking good from the inside out and the beauty of aging! She is the author of Face This: Advice From Real Models, Photographers and Make Up Artists on How to Become Picture Perfect!

How to take your Best Halloween Photos

It's hard to believe, but Halloween has now become the most photographed holiday in America so here are some photo tips to make sure you are camera ready!

IMMA BE, IMMA BE, IMMA IMMA IMMA BEE with the Bee Keeper!

My best advice ... Shoot first and ask questions later!

The secret in getting an amazing quality photograph is in the quantity of photos you take! So when you think you got it, shoot some more. Also, try shooting the same photo in different modes. One in automatic and another with a different exposure. This concept works for the flash too. Take some with it on and some without, being careful that you aren't shooting into a reflective surface with your flash like mirrors or glass. For an eery effect use candles or a flashlight to illuminate.  If you don't know how to use the settings and dials on your camera now's the time to figure out how to use just one. If you have lost your manual, google it to get your one lesson or watch a tutorial on You Tube. Who knows maybe you'll get bitten by the shutterbug after you see what you are capable of creating.


When you're shooting kids you should kneel down to their eye level, zoom in and Get Closer! Don't spend a lot of energy making your subjects pose a certain way. Rather, take advantage of the spontaneity in the character of their costumes and encourage everyone to act their part by flying, groaning or squinting while adding in the action of their guise. Make sure you're talking, joking and keeping it natural looking all the while you click! You should shoot fast before you lose the enthusiasm and fun, or the light. 


Shooting at twilight will be the best time to get the right lighting. Remember to take advantage of side lighting from the sun and if you backlight your trick or treater make sure to force your flash on so that the faces don't look muddy or dark.


When you are shooting a group, keep the background simple and make everyone invade some personal space to get closer together. Keep them interacting, laughing and then shoot several photos quickly. Sneak around and get some candids after everyone thinks you've put your camera away. These shots are usually the all time faves!

Special Effects for A Hallowed Night!

Here's a few tips for a girl heading out to the local Haunted House!

To give lips the picture perfect pout I just ordered Violent Lips Glitteratti for some added sparkle. They are a line of glitter, rainbow,"wild side" to fishnet themed, temporary lip tatoos that are vitamin enhanced and last for 4-8 hours. You can even buy them to express a single word on your lips like Fiesty, Poison or XOXO. ($15 for 3 sets)

To do a glitter lip yourself using gloss and craft glitter watch this easy DIY video to know how. 

Just in time, Make up For Ever recently launched Fluo Night Black Light Pigment. They are not only eerily fluorescent but they also show up under a black light. Glowing in the dark and body painting has never been easier! The white shade, available at Sephora for $31, is invisible in normal lights, but surprises brilliantly under UV.

Dior's Multi-Wear Adhesive Patches may have been the norm on the runway in Paris this year but decked out with Swavroski crystals and velvet they will definitely help indulge your costume in a dramatic eye look, the easy "press-on" way!

Don't forget your nails as you hand out your treats...This year there's OPI's Black Shatter which will create a crackled, shattered look on your nails. Or maybe you'll want to freak your friends out with an all white nail splattered with red, blood-like tips!

Happy Halloween and remember:
"Sometimes GORE is not more ... add some pretty to your BOO!"

Family Photos - Tips to Capturing the Moment

Click here to watch my video on the best ways to capture the spirit of your family ... the fun one!

It's that time of year again for families everywhere to endure the process of dressing up and looking happily into the camera all for the sake of the holiday card! This video will help inspire you and give you some things to think about so you can all really sparkle without putting makeup and gloss on Dad or the kids!

Basically, kids should dress like kids, and adults like grown ups. But leave the super hero t-shirts at home! Solids are best but one person in a small stripe or plaid will be ok. Mid-tones work great, like blues, but if everyone is dressed in denim it will look like a sea of blue so add some complementary colors in the same tone, or go all pastels/vivids or a variety of earth tones. You want to think coordinating, not matchy. Lay everything out ahead of time and make sure it all fits, the better the planning the easier to relax on picture day! This is not the time to try out a new hair do because you will hate it later on if you do something that you wouldn't normally do.

And what about including the long time boy-friend in your portrait? Well, families are constantly changing with additions and exits so I say include them if it represents the snapshot of your family at the moment. Just make sure they are placed somewhere on the end so if need be you can crop them out later on! After you get the money shot where everyone is perfectly positioned and looking at the camera, let everyone relax and be themselves. Posey posey pictures will never be the ones you love because they don't illicit any real emotion when you look at them and do people really ever say cheese when they smile? 

Honestly, don't be overly concerned about the messy hair or skinned knees, these photos are for you, to document your life. And if you decide to send out holiday cards ... well, your real friends don't judge! Be yourself and let the love for your family show through genuinely ~ These are the shots people talk about!!!