Think you’re not a breakfast person?  Think again.  If you aren’t hungry when you wake up, you’ve eaten too much the night before.  Our bodies are designed to trigger hunger pangs about every 3-4 hours.  After an entire night of sleep, whether it’s 10 hours, 7 hours, or only 5 hours, your body should be hungry.  If you are eating at night, this is off setting to your body’s natural biorhythm.  If you aren’t eating breakfast because you don’t feel hungry, stop eating at night and before bed to reset your mind, body, and habits.  Perfect way to drop five pounds, too.

Turns out, yoga does far more for make us limber, it’s also a major libido booster, too.  Yoga improves blood flow to sexual organs, which increases sensation.  Being limber certainly can’t hurt your game in that regard, either.  But more so, being in shape makes you confident in your body and assured with self confidence.  Yoga is a win/win in and out of the bedroom.

Jessica Alba’s interview with Lucky magazine this month depicts some major truths that no one is talking about.  Jessica says that she’s on a 1200 calorie a day diet, and says she’s “basically starving”.  And we applaud Jessica for admitting the obvious.  Because you really do feel like you are starving yourself when you drop down to 1200 daily calories or less.  Trying to have a personal trainer or an actress convince us that 1200 calories a day is plentyyyyyyy is simply not true.  Of course,  if you can tolerate it, it will pay off with a lean body like Jessica’s…so there are some benefits.  Here’s what Ms. Alba says about her routine:

On her meal plan to shape up after the baby:

“I have a hard time with portion control, so I have 1,200 calorie meals delivered. But I also work out, so basically I’m starving—it sucks.  I drink a lot of water.”

Working out everyday for even just 45 minutes is good for my mental state. But getting dress and actually doing it is the worst. It’s hard to get motivated.”

What’s the best time to workout, morning or evening?  The answer is, there is no right answer.  The best time to workout is a time that you’ll do it consistently, over and over, day after day.  Whatever time of day your personal sweet spot is for exercise is the best time to work out…for you.  There are certain benefits of a morning workout, such as a blast of energy throughout your day, however,  strength training in the evenings helps to give you a great night’s sleep.  Whatever time of day you choose to workout is fine, just pick a time you’ll consistently do it at least four to five days a week.

We’ve all been there.  The dread “bikini season” can be down right damaging to anyone’s self esteem…if you let it.  Luckily, we have our girlfriends to tell us “Well you know, Marilyn Monroe was a size 16 and she looked great”.

But was she really a size 16?  Or do we just say that to make ourselves feel better about a little extra chunk on the belly?  If it’s true, she certainly did a good job of hiding it.  I can see no clear signs of a size 16 from any of her pictures.  Can you?  Sure, she has far more “belly” than the models of today, but does that justify a size 16?  I’m thinking a size 8.  What do you think?

For years, Jillian Michaels has come into our homes, teaching us her workout techniques on The Biggest Loser.  How does Jillian keep her near-perfect physique?  Jillian says “I usually go to the gym three to four times a week.  I work out hard when I go.  I just kill it, whether it’s doing kettlebells, mixed martial arts, Spinning classes or power yoga.  I get bored easily, so I need something that’s going to keep me focused.  I mix it up.  Everything I do is a combo of body resistance and cardiovascular endurance.” Jillian’s favorite workout is mixed martial arts.  Her most dreaded workout would be a marathon.  She says “You’re at mile 20, and you have six more to go, and your body is just battered and bleeding and miserable.  I would rather be dead.”

Check out Fitness magazine’s July/August issue to learn more about Jillian Michaels’ signature workout style.

Neurologist have found that the brain cannot decipher between actually doing something that makes you happy or just thinking about it.  And that’s good news if you aren’t particularly happy with _______ (insert any pain-in-the-tail item here).  If you are not in your sweet spot in life, then imagine yourself being there. 

When you open yourself up and think deeply, ask yourself what it is that you’d do or have if failure was not an option.  A new house, a new relationship, a new body shape, a masters degree?  What do you want, specifically?  Think about how you you’d decorate your new house.  Think about the clothes you’ll wear with your new body.  Think about how you want to be treated in your next relationship.  Imagine it.  Get into the moment of it. 

You become your thoughts.  Whatever it is that you think of all day, that’s what you’ll bring into your life.  If you are thinking about bills, about being late to work, about how bad work is once you get there, and about how much weight you’ve gained….this is the energy your are providing for your brain.  Luckily, the exact opposite works, too.  Think about routes of cash flowing into your life.  Think about your ability to land a better job where you can use your talents better.  Think about how responsible you are and how you are always on time.  Positive energy works, and it works every single time.   Think yourself into a better state of mind, and therefore, a better overall life.  There’s nothing wrong with faking it until you make it!

If you want a seriously sculpted body, it’s all about exercise.  There’s no way around it…beside starvation, and even starvation won’t make you sculpted.  Try this to carve amazing abs for yourself.

1. Begin it with 5 minutes of jogging to warm up.
2. Follow it with 2 minutes of sprinting
3. Slow down your jogging pace for the next 5 minutes
4. Sprint again for 2 minutes
5. Return to jogging for 5 minutes

In a sentence….This Voda Swim bikini is the most amazing bikini I’ve ever had!  Not only is it the best fitting bikini, but it’s also the most stylish bikini.  The gorgeous bikini to the left, the Midnight Envy, is the one I have, and I rank it five stars across the board.

Voda’s ingenious Envy Push Up technology bikini tops gives instant lift and serious cleavage.  It can also make you look 1-2 cup sizes bigger as well.  You feel the difference immediately.  Gone are the days of two triangle pieces of fabric with stings attached.  This is serious technology right in your bikini top.  It’s detailed with beautiful Turquoise stones in both the top and bottoms, which gives it a rich, high-end look.

The bikini bottoms are made to fit, as if tailored for your body.  They adhere to your body like a glove.  The beautiful detailing makes it perfect to go from the pool, straight out to lunch with a cute wrap or cover up.

There’s no doubt, you’ll have the hottest bikini at the beach this summer with your Voda Swim bikini.  Check out their entire line here. I already have my eye on my next bikini, the Coral Envy Push Up Hoop Halter and Scoop. Ridiculously sexy!

If you workout regularly, you’ve probably had an injury or two.  That, however, is not a reason to give up your workouts until you feel healed.  In fact, as you are healing from an injury, you should not stop exercising.  Activity delivers oxygen and nutrients that help your body repair itself. Sure, take it easier.  Consider training with less weight and intensity, but by all means, don’t stop exercising.