New Year New You

Sun Herald

Sunday January 18, 2009

Shelly Horton

Only three weeks into the new year and you've already broken your resolutions? Don't despair! SHELLY HORTON gets the experts' tips on making real changes.

HEALTH

Michelle Bridges, the kick-arse trainer from Channel Ten's The Biggest Loser and author of the book Crunch Time (out next month), says the problem with New Year's resolutions is they are often not realistic, so you set yourself up for failure, not success. Here are her top tips for getting healthy.

What's holding you back?

You need to have a serious conversation with yourself and be brutally honest as to why you're not slim and healthy. What are your main excuses? "Too busy"? "Not enough time"? "I'm just big-boned"? Stop making excuses and letting them get in the way of achieving your goals.

Clean out your junk

Get a big garbage bag and go through your kitchen pantry, freezer and fridge and throw crap food in the bin immediately. Do not even think about it for five seconds. Remove temptation. Some people use the excuse: "Oh, that's such a waste." That's bull, the waste is you being unhappy with your weight for 10 years.

Get your diary out

Find the time to exercise and put it in your diary like any other appointment that must be kept. For most people it's best to exercise before the day's events begin and you get swamped with emails and phone calls. Even if it is just to get up early and do a power walk. Schedule it in and don't you dare cancel!

BEAUTY

Still falling asleep drunk in your make-up and overbronzing like David Hasselhoff? The gorgeous Zoe Foster, editor of primped.com.au, says stop! Here she waves her mascara wand to reveal the hot beauty tips for this year.

Look back in time

That is, watch Mad Men (Movie Extra) and take your beauty cues from '60s chicks Betty, Peggy and Bobbie as they expertly hot-roller their glossy hair to perfection, paint their lips in red, pink and coral tones and powder their little matte noses. Classic, elegant and ladylike isn't just a fashion trend in 2009 - beauty is in on the act, too.

Kick the sugar, avoid the wrinkles

In news bound to distress Allen's lollies, new stats claim that 50 per cent of skin ageing is caused by glycation - the damage directly resulting from eating sugar. So for your best chance of retaining your youthful, plump skin, ensure you not only protect it from the sun and pollution but steer clear of refined sugars, too. For extra protection, look for skin-care products that specifically target glycation. These will start to hit the market this year.

Long hair

This is especially convenient when you can't afford to get the monthly $120 cuts that accompanied your Posh-inspired pixie crop. Take your pick from the soft, flowing new straight styles (best served with the perennially flattering centre part); some Britney or Madonna-esque crumpled waves; tamed so that it's dead-straight and super sleek; or twist in some Marc Jacobs-style milkmaid plaits. Oh and maybe consider going sun-bleached blonde: it's the hair colour for 2009.

FINANCES

Be a recessionista and make your money work for you during this economic downturn. Not good with numbers? Call in the big guns, like money man Victor Manauzzi from Platinum Associates (platinumassoc.com.au). Here's his advice to get you back in the black.

Know where you spend your money

Keep a record for one month of every single cent that you spend. And that means everything - not just big items like rent and health insurance but everyday things like your 3pm coffee and coins for the parking meter. Most people spend what they earn. It's only when you know where your money is spent that you can make a budget and stick to it.

Refinance

Don't be overwhelmed by the doom and gloom of the financial markets. Look at the positives. We're going into a period of potentially low interest rates so this is a great time to refinance whatever debt you have. Keep an eye out for loans with fixed rates that are locked in for three to five years. The interest rates could be as low as 3.5 to 4 per cent, which you could use to pay off your credit card debt that's costing you a whopping 19 per cent.

Reward yourself

Saving is hard, so set mini-goals to reward yourself. If you have your sights set on an achievable goal, it's easier to stick to a budget. Have some money that goes towards a house deposit but have another savings plan for a weekend away every three months. By achieving the mini-goals you will feel inspired and the big goal will seem doable.

STYLE

Sick of having a closet bulging with clothes but nothing to wear? Fashionista Kelly Smythe (kellysmythe.com.au) spent years styling Channel Seven stars and now looks after celebs including Jennifer Hawkins. She says looking fabulous in 2009 just takes a bit of planning.

Cull and organise

When it comes to the cull, if you have the luxury, consult a stylist or use a fashion-savvy friend. A fresh eye on your wardrobe is rewarding as there's no emotional attachment to pieces that need to go. Give away extra clothes to charity - or get close friends together for a swap night.

Know your own style

Establish your personal style by channelling your favourite celebrity; tear out pictures from newspapers or magazines for inspiration. Style is about your eye, not how much money you spend. A way to plan this is to take photos of every outfit option right down to jewellery, shoes and bags. Print the photos and stick them inside your wardrobe so you have endless options for work, dinners and parties. It's a fool-proof way to feel and look fabulous every single day.

Makeover

Reworking your current wardrobe is a sure-fire way to save money and get more life out of your existing pieces. A good tailor is imperative, not only to ensure the fit of your clothing but to rework pieces - like taking a maxi-dress you no longer wear and changing it to cocktail length. And a good shoemaker can not only re-sole your precious shoes but can re-dye shoes and handbags to another colour, doubling their life.

PERSONAL LIFE

We know how easy it is to ditch friends on Facebook but what about in real life? Nicole Richie got rid of Paris Hilton and never looked back. Psychotherapist Jim O'Connor (cleardayconsulting.com.au) reckons that in order to cull frenemies, you have to know what you want from relationships.

Your real BFFs

Look at your friends and decide who nurtures and supports you. Who is there for you in a crisis and who causes endless dramas? Look at their "friendship impact" and take action.

Pay attention to good friends

Sometimes negative friends take up more of your time. So focus on your positive friends. Good friends pay attention, don't judge or criticise and you can journey with rather than direct them. Take time to reciprocate, nurture and develop those friendships with empathy and equal regard.

Set boundaries ... and be willing to walk

If a friend lets you down repeatedly, ask what a reasonable person would expect. Then verbalise that to them. Use non-judgmental and non-blaming language and if they don't change their behaviour, be willing to leave. You can go for a lightweight approach like, "I honestly don't think this relationship is working" or a blunt approach such as, "I don't like the impact of your (insert issue here) and I'm not going to put up with it any more".

© 2009 Sun Herald

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