Good beauty habit advice? Want to change in 2014

[jadegreencake]

I have decided that I really want to change in 2014. Need to lose weight but I also want to tone up but in a feminine way. Can't do Shred as worried about knees.

Would be very grateful of any tips that you have found work for you in regards to grooming/skincare/weight loss/exercise etc...

Great thread idea!

All the boring stuff really works I'm afraid - get as much sleep as you can, watch the sugar and booze intake, drink lots of water, eat lots of veg, no smoking. Exercise is probably the best thing ever for making your skin glow - anything that works up a sweat and makes you puff a bit. Find something you enjoy doing and stick with it, do it 3 times a week and you will see results, which will be the best motivator ever!

You don't have the testosterone needed to bulk up in the way I think you mean, so crack on with the weights and tone up!

If you're a gym member get someone to show you what good technique looks like with free weights. If not, YouTube is great.

Sounds a small one, but I want to take better care of my feet. I always do my nails, but my skin is another matter.
Creams and soap and glory foot file ready!

Portion control is a better way to lose weight rather the going on a faddy diet where you start eating things you wouldn't usually have.

Over the years I've seen lots of women go on diets like weight watchers and slimmers world and lose weight and then put it all back on and more when they finish.

Most of us have got into a routine of eating what we like and it's easier to continue eating the same foodstuffs but less of it until you lose weight and then feel confident about swapping fattening foods for more healthy options.

Walking is free and a great way to get moving. Aim to do one brisk walk for an hour a day or two thirty minute brisk walks.

By a pedometer, it's a great way of encouraging you to walk more and see how you are doing.

I've been body brushing - I don't have much cellulite anyway, but I do it anyway and it exfoliates my skin at the same time.

I use my commuting time in my routine. I have hand cream, nail oil and lip balm in my make up bag, which I use on the train.

When shopping, I take advantage of samples like hand cream and perfume - it's a great way of trying new products before buying, plus it makes me feel good.

Hands: Thick hand cream after every time you wash your hands & before you go to bed. Cream on your feet before bed, too. (I have a habit of picking at my cuticles if they are dry so have been doing this since my teens, and now in my 40s, I have the hands of a 25-yr-old )

Weight loss: 1/2 of your plate must be steamed/grilled vegetables, 1/4 protein (1 egg, fish, steak, or chicken breast), 1/4 carbohydrate (1 slice of bread, a little rice/pasta with simple tomato sauce). Oily fish once a week. 2 fruits per day. And cardio exercise (see below)

Exercise: Go to a gym and get a trainer if you don't know what to do. 45 minutes of cardio, followed by weights, abdominal exercises & stretching. Cardio needs to be done within certain heart rate zones to increase fitness levels and/or weight loss, to be calculated according to your age.

The great thing about cardio is that the more you exercise, the less you want to eat (Except for swimming, which tends to leave you ravenous)

This is the perfect thread for me, so thanks OP. I'm looking to get fit and slim whilst virtually housebound with 2 toddlers so have got free weights but no idea what to do with them. I shall youtube for techniques.

If u feel hungry drink a pint of water, sounds strange but some people confuse hunger with thirst.

When exercising, try and vary your routine. Stops you from getting bored and also takes your mind off the fact of exercising. Try all different things like walking,swimming, cycling, running, playing tennis etc, take some exercise classes like Zumba, it's great fun and nowhere near as boring as being on a treadmill for 30 mins. Also add weights into your routine.

One of the best ways to burn fat is cardiovascular exercise, the general aim to start with is 30mins 3 to 5 times a week. Then try and improve on that after you have reached that.

Little treats for yourself are very important and just little things like a mini facial or a manicure or pedicure can lift the spirits. I always keep a few tubes of Handcream round the house and try to apply as much as poss, after Wasing up, when watching films TV, before bed. Also after exercising sometimes I treat myself to a bubble bath with a face mask and use a huge amount of sanctuary body oil and body butter, I slather it on then mooch around in a big cuddly dressing gown, makes my skin feel so soft and warm!!!!

Much of what I was going to suggest has already been mentioned but thank you for the thread as I need to put it into practice instead of letting things slide.
Portion control for me too, find I can stick to that better than a set diet. Get a slightly smaller plate & fill half of it with veg ( I cook extra) then add the rest. I don't do gyms, find it boring, have dogs & also a condition that means I mustn't do intense workouts. So I walk, with mutts, instead. Good for the soul as well as the body.
Look after your hands & feet, lots of cream especially at night, & wear polish it's a good incentive to keep them looking nice.
The old advice is true about removing makeup every single night, making sure you skin is clean & find a night cream you like, doesn't have to be expensive, Boots do some good ones.
Wear moisturiser, preferably with SPF in, every day & something to make you feel glam, perfume, lipstick, earrings, whatever cheers you up.

Read caroline hirons blog, I'm not spotty for the first time in 20 years.

Exercise - can you aim for a walking or running event? I always enjoy the day of the event too. Try and team up with a friend if possible.
And yes all the boring stuff works as lottapianos mentioned. Keep out of the sun too if trying to keep wrinkles at bay or use a high SPF. Moderation is the key.

Diet wise I've found the best thing has been learning to eat more mindfully and more in tune with my body (I found this tiny book very helpful) rather than deliberately depriving myself. It's also made me feel happier in my own skin despite not having the 'perfect body'.

I need to improve my skincare routines etc. so this is a great thread, thank you :) some good ideas for New Years resolutions!

I don't know how it would affect your knees but I'm just coming to the end of Couch to 5K which has really improved my fitness. I haven't noticed much difference in my tonedness yet but it's given me a healthy glow as a previous poster mentioned. Plus there's a (tiny) gap between my upper thighs for the first time I can remember! :)

I also do one Pilates class and one yoga class a week, but they've stopped for the holidays. My Pilates teacher has given me some great exercises for my knees as she thinks they're weak and affecting my posture, so if you can find a good teacher they may be able to help with your knee problems :)

Also re face: Botox. Unfortunately, there is no cream, no scrub, just really nothing that comes anywhere close to its rejuvenating effects.

Running: Absolute best cardio, as RunRunRuby said. Weight loss, toning, higher metabolism, radiant complexion, and last but not least, feel-good hormones sloshing through your body. It's the complete package

Cote, completely agree about running. It just makes everything better!

Re. grooming: invest in a brilliant concealer (like NARS' new one or Bobbi Brown's), mascara and tinted lip balm. These three make everyone look awake and pretty.

Thanks everyone for the brilliant tips. I love the sound of botox and fillers but don't have the money. Has anyone ever made any good progress with facial exercises?

I have started 4:3 and doing 30 minutes quick walking in MBTs every morning. I am also considering pilates or Callanetics as I really don't want to do weights.

I am worried about my arms so was wondering if this area can be turned around?

I do Callanetics with a DVD and Pilates. I've not managed to do the recommended ten Callanetics sessions in a row yet as every time I start something happens. There are some exercises that she says will tone your under arms though.

Weights really would be the easiest way to build a bit of muscle on your arms, you honestly wouldn't bulk up like a man as you won't have the necessary hormones. But otherwise you could try something like calisthenics which doesn't need any weights/equipment.

A couple of weeks ago I started the seven minute workout. I have an app called Seven which takes me through the exercises and tracks my workouts, but you could easily do it with just a timer. The only equipment you need is a chair. It's hard work but only just over seven minutes a day so not too time consuming

I've been doing 20 lunges on each leg, 20 squats, planking, forward and backward press ups, bum lifts (lay on your back, spine straight, legs in the air and use your stomach muscles to lift your bum off the floor) and Pilates. It was every other day until mid oct then my world sort of shattered a bit with both bf and dmother in hospital. I need to up it back to everyday.

But we are off swimming later.....hopefully that might help a bit. We haven't been for a couple of months as one of the dc has had a cold/cough/illness of some kind and ds and i have been on antibiotics for chest infections.

Just bought this, will report back!

jade I can vouch for the facercise facial exercise routine. It takes time to learn the exercises but it works and I shall be doing it until I'm too old to care. It's got rid of the pouches under my eyes, given me lovely apple-y cheeks (I naturally have flat cheeks), lifted my brows ad consequently my upper eyelids, it's made my lips fuller and poutier and keeps the under-chin wattle in check. I'm a total beauty hound with loads of posh products, but facercise is without doubt the most powerful beauty tip I know.

madmomma thanks for this, I was working up the courage to post in Style and Beauty asking what to do about the bags under my eyes. They bunch up when I smile not attractive. Sounds like facercise could be the thing!

Did you learn facercise from a book or a DVD madmomma? Have heard of it, but worry I won't do it properly.

Been on the Facercise website and been sucked in by the No Lipo Lipo as well

I just got the book jewel
It's a bit like callanetics and pilates in that if you don't patiently put the time in to learning the exercises accurately, then you won't get results, but the results are sooo worth the time investment.

Sorry it's a Daily Mail link but I've found this article on Facercise with some of the exercises in.