Inner Beauty: How Do You Define It?

Through my work I help women with their outer beauty, but part of what I do is also help them with their inner beauty  ~ as I truly believe that inner beauty and outer beauty go hand in hand.

Society today is so hung up on outward appearances.  But part of my mission in life is to help you see your INNER BEAUTY.

I believe there is nothing better than seeing a woman who exudes beauty from the inside….and with that her outside beauty shines, flaws and all.

Which reminds me of a quote from Sophia Loren, a woman who truly had both inner and outer beauty:

“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical”

So tell me:  How do YOU define inner beauty and what does it mean to you?  What makes a woman beautiful on the inside?  And how does she (or you) find it?

Kelly Clarkson’s “Self” Magazine Cover: A Weighty Issue

It’s all the buzz today, and I just couldn’t help but discuss it.  In case you haven’t heard, there’s a new controversy over the cover photo of Kelly Clarkson in September’s issue of SELF magazine.  She’s looking slimmer than ever.  But it’s not due to a new fad diet or hectic workout schedule, but because she’s been photoshopped.  But noticeably  photoshopped — she’s been dramatically and artificially slimmed down due to all the retouching.

And it’s causing a big debate.

The big debate is because Kelly looks a lot thinner on the magazine cover than she does in recent photos.  At this point in her life she is not as thin as the cover photo portrays.  And to make it even more interesting, the theme for the September issue is all about “Total Body Confidence.”

Both the magazine and Kelly Clarkson admit the photo was retouched — and let’s be honest here, ALL magazine covers are retouched, airbrushed and photoshopped.

The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Lucy Danziger, told Entertainment Tonight: “Yes, of course we do post-production corrections on our images. Kelly Clarkson exudes confidence, and is a great role model for women of all sizes and stages of their life. She works out and is strong and healthy, and our picture shows her confidence and beauty. She literally glows from within. That is the feeling we’d all want to have. We love this cover and we love Kelly Clarkson.”

Kelly has had many ups and downs with her weight and is always very open about it.  She’s happy with her size and shape, no matter what the scale, the press, or what other people say.  She’s really comfortable in her own skin (go Kelly!!)  This is a woman who truly doesn’t care what other people think.  Even in her interview for the magazine’s cover story Kelly said:   “My happy weight changes.  Sometimes I eat more; sometimes I play more. I’ll be different sizes all the time. When people talk about my weight, I’m like, ‘You seem to have a problem with it; I don’t. I’m fine!’ I’ve never felt uncomfortable on the red carpet or anything.”

This morning I saw a segment on The Today Show where they had on the magazine’s editor-in-chief, defending the magazine’s actions.  They also had Emme, the well known plus-size model and host of the tv show “More To Love,” representing the other side of the issue .  She talked about the changes going on in society and that people want to see more realistic images (though she does agree with some basic retouching….but not going as far as changing her shape).

I‘d like to know how YOU feel about this whole issue:

Is SELF magazine (and other magazines) sending the wrong message to our girls and all us women (and men)?

Or is all of this retouching and photoshopping okay, as long as the person themselves is fine with it and comfortable in their own skin (like Kelly Clarkson)?

Is it okay to photoshop a few wrinkles and bags under the eyes, but is making someone look thinner going too far?

And where do we draw the line in all of this?

Speak up and tell us what you think!

The Deceiving Scale

I must admit, over the last few months I have not been working out as often as I should.  I had been doing some cardio (okay, a little cardio) but really got out of the habit of being consistent and stopped lifting weights.

About a month ago, I started to notice a change in my body (not for the better) and decided to get back to exercising more regularly and doing some light weights.

Back to Business

So a month ago I stepped back into the gym to get back to business.

That first day I weighed myself.  Though I usually measure my weight by how my clothes fit, I wanted to get a reality check of where my body was.

I wasn’t too shocked by the number (I HAD gained some weight) and wanted to be a few pounds lighter.

Okay, I don’t really need to lose weight (I’m at a healthy range) but as I get older I’ve noticed it’s not as easy as it once was to stay at my weight.  (And yes it’s true, I guess I was eating ice cream a few too many times!).  And I noticed my clothes getting just a bit snug.

Consistency

Since that day at the gym 4 weeks go I’ve been really consistent in my cardio and weight routine.  Though there have been days when I didn’t want to go, I just visualized where I wanted to be and knew the only way to get there was to put in the effort.

Taking The BIG Step

Yesterday was the one month mark and when I was at the gym I couldn’t help but notice the scale.  I hadn’t weighed myself since that day 4 weeks ago.

So I got on the scale, saw the number and freaked out!   “What?  Four weeks of consistent weights and cardio …and that’s it? “ I was down by only one pound.  One freaking pound.

What the heck was going on?  Hmm, maybe it’s due to my eating and food intake?

Food Does Matter

I’ve been eating quite healthy (with the occasional treat…hey, one has to live!) and as food and weight-loss is my business, I know not to “fool myself” and can honestly say I have been eating really well.  With the summer bounty of fruits and vegetables, it’s been easier than during the winter.

But my “freaking out” lasted only about 2 minutes.  I gained my composure, took a sip of water, and tried to stay “zen.”  I didn’t want that bad feeling to ruin my workout.

Reality Check

Then I remembered that muscle weighs MORE than fat.  And I have been gaining muscle.  My clothes are fitting better, and when I put my hand on my hip I can feel it’s tighter and more firm.

I also remembered the first time I lifted weights a few years ago.  I lost a couple of pounds, then put on a few.  I remembered how worried I was that I was doing it all wrong.  But I kept it up — I continued to eat healthy, get enough cardio, and stuck with my weight routine.  Within a few months I was down a size, and clothes that were tight now fit perfectly.  So I remembered that.

So yesterday when I weighed myself and saw I only lost one pound, I gave myself a reality check:   I’ve been feeling really great, sleeping better, my clothes are fitting better, and I can see my body is a bit firmer.  Besides, I’m also able to stay on the cardio machines (treadmill, elliptical, etc) for longer and at a higher pace.

AND it was a reality check of what my clients sometimes go through.

You see, when we start exercising and eating better our bodies will start to lose weight, but then we’ll hit a bit of a plateau.  Our bodies are getting used to the change, and if we’re doing enough (and the right kind) of cardio, we’re also building muscle.

It’s Only A Number

So though I freaked out a bit by the number on the scale, I realized it’s just that:  a number.

I’m looking better, sleeping better, and feeling better and THAT’S what matters.

Have you had any times when you freaked out over the number on the scale — even though you knew you were doing all the right things?