Hold the French Fries and Accessorize

You've held the french fries, tearfully sacrificed your former favorite artificially sugary drink at Starbucks and perhaps you've even switched to a healthier birth control. We know it wasn't easy. But you did it. And you deserve a little something for all your hard work. Rewarding your own good behavior helps keep you on track so you'll continue making healthy choices. No, this is not permission to order a giant plate of nachos. Instead, go buy yourself a little something that makes you feel hot—a fun accessory that calls attention to the new and improved you.

To help in the fashion department, here's a guest post from our healthy style guru, Amanda. If you haven't met Amanda yet, check out her introduction post and personal health testimonial here.

Ladies, as promised I'm back to talk about fashion! I’m sure you've all been following the healthy recipes and tips each week and have been super active this summer, so you are ready to show off your hot self.

What I want to focus on today is the definition of style. Do you ever walk down the street and feel like every woman is dressed exactly the same as the hottest celebrity or wearing the same trend of the week? She may seem extremely fashionable, but she is simply copying exactly what she has seen on TV or in a magazine. I like to call this cookie-cutter fashion. There is nothing wrong with wanting to emulate what celebs or artists are wearing and what is currently hot, but you also have to make the trend your own. You have to rock your own style! The difference between fashion and style is that fashion is what you see in the magazines and on the runways, and style is being able to take key fashionable pieces and mix and match them within your wardrobe to create your own look that fits your personality. For instance, the military look is super hot for the fall, but not every woman can pull off a green jacket, camouflage purse and super chunky belt. Maybe you prefer leggings and a longer cardigan in the fall…but you can easily add some camouflage heels or a funky camouflage bracelet. You have to figure out your signature style and the basic elements that allow you to feel confident and comfortable. Invest in key pieces like your favorite skinny jeans or black trousers or taupe heels, and seek out less costly picks for trendier items.          

At this point I am sure many of you are thinking, what the heck is my signature style? My suggestion is to spend a few hours (okay at least 30 minutes!) going through your closet and drawers and start noticing patterns. Do you have 25 pairs of dark trousers or 10 white long-sleeve blouses? You will start to get a sense of what you typically gravitate towards when shopping and getting dressed each morning. Hopefully what you typically wear makes you feel extremely confident and amazing. If you’re looking to add some “style” to your wardrobe, my number 1 recommendation is ACCESSORIZE! Throw on a colorful scarf with your black trousers and white blouse or rock some leopard print shoes. I like to call these accents, and they truly can take you from average to stylish. 

My assignment for each of you this week is to incorporate an accent that you typically would not wear like a massive cocktail ring, red patent heels, a snakeskin purse, a tie-dye scarf, etc. I guarantee you will leave the house feeling sassy and may even find the nerve to say hi to the cute guy you always see at Starbucks. Perhaps you can start by offering to buy him an alternative to his usual artificially sugary drink.

- Amanda