My son is now 13 weeks old (that’s me carrying Jonas at 8 months prego), and because I am no longer nursing; I am embarking on my journey back to a healthy body. The plan is that I am going to focus on how I feel and how my clothes fit versus the number on the scale.

Along with my PlasticSurgery.com co-workers and Beauty Chat contributors, we are all challenging each other to an in-office “Biggest Loser” contest. The winner gets a pot of money, which is inspiring me to lose my baby weight.

I have 30 pounds to lose and three to four dress sizes to go down to. My goal is to continue tracking my calories and fat on TheDailyPlate.com, walk on my lunches with Jennifer, and do some Pilates at home when the kids are in bed (I also have a 3 year-old daughter).

I would love to hear your weight loss suggestions, and of course your support is appreciated.

Track along with me and personal story on Beauty Chat!

‘Til next time…

Photo Credit: A Beauty Chat exclusive, taken at our recent Bejeweled photo shoot!

…Is my daughter really going to wear my wedding dress in 20 years?

The new thing these days: Brides are taking photos in their wedding dresses doing very unconventional things in unique locations. For my debut Beauty Chat feature, I had to tell everyone about my experience!

“Trash the Dress,” is a new trend that is quickly catching on in the photography industry. After watching my friend in a Trash the Dress photo shoot, and seeing how amazing the pictures turned out, I knew it was something I had to do! I have traditional photos from my wedding day, but I wanted to do something different with my wedding dress then just let it take up space in my closet.

So after checking out the work by various photographers on the site, I came across Michelle Pearson from Bakersfield, Calif. Michelle got her start in the world of photography in February 2007; she originally took children and family shots before turning on to the new Trash the Dress trend. Some of her favorite places to shoot are urban settings and anywhere different with “texture.”

Some of the places that Michelle took me on my Trash the Dress photo shoot were: a Bakersfield bar called “The Alley Cat,” a construction site, and the river. During our wild day of running around to catch several hot spots to photograph, one of the local news stations came out to interview and film us.

My photo shoot was on several local news stations as well as CNN! Talk about exciting. Besides my picture here, you can check out my coverage from the Bakersfield local news!

Even though the word “trash” sounds a little extreme, most dresses are good as new after the photo shoot with the help of dry cleaning (if, of course, you’re not completely covered with mud!)

If you are interested in scheduling a Trash the Dress photo shoot, you can visit Michelle’s Web site. Although she is too sentimental about her wedding dress to trash her own, preferring it be hung up and preserved in her closet, Michelle believes in something that I couldn’t agree with more:

Letting go of your inhibitions, while having fun with the wedding dress that held so much importance on your wedding day!!

Would you trash your wedding dress?

~ Jennifer   

Photo Credits: Michelle Pearson

For my birthday last month, I wanted a straight style that would resist the humidity associated with a night of dancing and mingling. Determined to put one man’s hair care line to the test, I decided to take my self-proclaimed “stylist” bag equipped with some of his products to my real-life hair stylist over at Kallisto Salon & Spa in Brea, California.  From shampoo and condition to styling, we went through each product in my little pouch with a spritz here and a quarter-sized application there. Hours later, standing outside The Room in Santa Monica at 2:30 a.m., I turned to my girlfriend to ask her how my ‘do was holding up. Her response – “Definitely not Tina Turner-esque!” Enough said.

Enter Frédéric Fekkai. Whether or not you have heard of “Fekkai,” it is easy to associate luxury with the name, simply by letting the syllables roll off your tongue (feh-kigh). For more than 20 years, this hair connoisseur has provided us with products that allow us to step into an A-list salon environment with each aroma. Fekkai made a pivotal move when deciding to trade in his scissors in his native country of France for a chance opportunity here in the States.

Since the opening of his first New York salon in 1989, Monsieur Fekkai has established a hair care system that targets a vast audience of female clientele from varying backgrounds. His products effectively treat all types of hair, from too thin and desperately dry to stringy-straight and coarsely-curly. Typical of my inner skeptic, I initially doubted the rumored “effectiveness” of Fekkai products: for I have had so many disappointments with products that claim to “effectively treat your hair.” Much to my relief and surprise, I was totally wrong.

With two product lines at my fingertips, I immediately began to open each bottle, only to unveil undeniably alluring scents. But with great products like Luscious Curls ® and Coiff Ô, the smell is only the beginning. This is simply because their actual use invites your hair to a rejuvenating experience in and of themselves.

Blended with ginseng/honey hydrates and a citrus-floral scent, Luscious Curls shampoo and conditioner moisturizes and shapes your curls, while conditioning the body of your hair. After a good week of consistently using this potent duo, my usually dry and frizz-ridden hair felt tamed and bouncy. The light silicone and elastic memory ingredients in the products further account for that soft, smooth feel.

Post-shower, I move on to the Coiff styling line, which is just magnifique! This “hair couture” product is Fekkai’s most recent and large-scale launch, aiming specifically at a luxury market. Now, don’t mistake this phrase for meaning that only a six figure income can afford this collection. Granted, each bottle will cost you about $23 to $25 depending on where you purchase it. Although the line does not exactly adhere to the “bang for your buck” principle, it, then again, will not necessarily break the bank. After all, you don’t have to collect every Coiff product to get the most out of the collection. Choose several products that speak directly to your hair, and trust me, you too can “coif” your hair with an overall glow. Indeed, every piece of the collection is each a luxurious formulation, but I especially adore the Defense/Pre-Style Thermal/UV Protectant, Controle/Ironless Straightening Balm, and Nonchalant/Piecing and Forming Wax. When I opt for the faux-straight look, these tools, infused with violet/tea leaves and a memory complex, keep my curls in check, while protecting them from excessive damage.

If you are a regular here at Beauty Chat, then you are familiar with my ranting on how my naturally curly locks have proven to be unmanageable and unruly – pretty much, a frizzfest! However, thanks to one man (by the name of Fekkai of course), they are definitely worries that I can work with.

~Mellori 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Dan and Kevin’s cameras and http://www.sephora.com

Denice’s Personal Story: OK…so on to Pilates’ “Day 4” (…Well not actually “Day 4,” more like week 6, session 4! HAHA!)  So I took off way too much time form Pilates.  It was quite a wake up call to my muscles.  I arrived at the Body Center in Claremont California at 4:45 p.m. with a miserable cold.  I really was having second thoughts about participating today due to not being able to breath, but I thought I had missed so much; I needed to jump back on this horse.

Stephanie came in as her bubbly self (she really gets me motivated!) and I explained I was having some breathing issues and she said to just take it easy.  I said, “OK!” And we were off! 

We always begin the session with leg work.  I enjoy these because it really helps me feel the burn in my quads.  My favorite is when we do “High Toes” on the bar and let our heels fall under.  It really works the quads and hamstrings.  FEEL THE BURN!!!! 

I found myself really concentrating on keeping my focus on the correct muscles and not just going through the motions, and boy did I feel it!  Stephanie had us do a new exercise…not one of my favorites, but I could tell right away I need to do more of them.  It was a mock push-up type of exercise. We were on our knees and facing the top of the Stott reformer machine, and we used ONLY our quads and abs to pull us.  My arms were getting the “crazy shakes” (as she always says) and it showed me how weak I am!  It is my new goal to be able to do this exercise with ease in the next few weeks.

After the session was completed, Stephanie had us stand next to the reformer and reach to touch our toes, then roll back up, and stand on our tippy toes.  I never really understood why we do this; it seemed meaningless to me after such a rigorous work out. But Stephanie explains it like this: “It helps you notice if your body is off balance, like if you overworked your back, you might fall forward, showing you that you may need to work your abs a little more and vise versa.”  I get it now! 

I am excited we are back on track — check back next week!

 Elana’s Personal Story: So my “Day 4” of Pilates was more difficult than our first day! I mean I almost wanted to say, “Stop! No more…I (inhale) can’t (exhale) take it (inhale) anymore (exhale)!” But it’s no one else’s fault but mine.

These are the 3 honest reasons why I allowed my body to move in slow motion and perform poorly:

• Skipped 2 weeks! (one of us was sick at one point, one of us couldn’t gather herself away from the computer to make it on time…wonder who that was?)
• Gained a few holiday pounds that didn’t quite make me feel as flexible and fit
• Grabbed a machine smack in front of the mirror! (Instead of noticing the definition of my arm muscles, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the size of my thighs!)

With these faults in mind, I am still proud of myself that I DIDN’T QUIT!!! But I must have done something right, because even writing this recap now – 3 days later – I can still feel the tightness of my abs.

 So here is what I vow to do in preparation for “Day 5” (which I already started today!):

• Do a 20- minute workout at home before I go to work
• Eat a protein-based breakfast before I get my usual Starbucks or Coffee Bean cup of caffeine
• Drink my 8 glasses of water a day!
• Get lots of sleep
• Return to recording my nutritional and fitness habits on www.dailyplate.com.)
• Forget about having a chocolate milkshake only a few hours before….(tear drop)

So I know I didn’t go too much into detail with my “Day 4” as I did with my “Day 3” details on the practice of Pilates.  So I will turn you to the recent, enjoyable interview with Jeff Fairley, the director and owner of the Body Center.

 Wish me luck for “Day 5!”

xoxox, Denice and Elana (so you probably figured out by now that those aren’t pics of us, but we thought you would get a kick out of seeing the EXACT type of movements we do!)

On this next-to-last episode of The Hills Season 3, the air was thick with tension for just about everyone. As preparations were made for Lauren Conrad and Audrina Patridge’s Halloween party (the first gathering I’ve ever seen at their apartment), it seemed that Brody Jenner was on everyone’s mind. Throughout the episode, from Whitney to Audrina to Lo, Lauren divulged her hope for a legit relationship with Brody, if only he would retire his player status. Could it happen? In the parallel universe of The Hills on MTV, I suppose anything is possible…

But not on Halloween night! What I did find notable was the costume run-down, as follows: Lauren: 1920’s flapper, Audrina: Huh?, Brody and Frankie: Batman/Robin, Jen Bunney: Huh???, Whitney: applied the “Mean Girls” Halloween rule to ladybug costume (come on Whit, you’re better than that!), and the other guests: more of the same rule with different critters. In my opinion, the male costume of the night goes to Corey, Audrina’s new guy who arrived in sailor attire (and who, it is later noted, bathes and is a keeper, in addition to being an “Aussie”). It looked like a pretty good party (complete with an out of control fog machine) until Lauren’s hopes for a Halloween hook-up were dashed, and  Brody took off.

( Lauren glams it up, but it wasn’t enough to reel in Brody on All Hallow’s Eve. )

Meanwhile, it was same-old-same-old for Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag, with a little help from Reality TV’s newest supervillain, sister Stephanie She-Pratt. The big climax before next week’s season finale was yet another wedding fight, ending in yet another Spencer walk-out (where he goes each time this happens is anybody’s guess. If anyone wants to take a stab at it, I’m listening). Finally, Lauren and Brody dined at Off Vine in Hollywood, where talks of becoming exclusive didn’t go very far (but we did get to hear the respectful nicknames that Brody gives to girls on his speed dial). Let’s hope for a more climactic finale next week!

~ Brook

Photo Credits: www.MTV.com
 

As Denice and I continue to commit to the practice of   Pilates, we are really learning about the focus of this exercise. During an in-depth interview with Jeff Fairley, the owner and director of the Body Center in Claremont, we gathered some great details about the uniqueness of Pilates and how it differs from yoga.

Beauty Chat: What is the main difference between Pilates and yoga?

Jeff Fairley: I think that first and foremost I should stimulate that I am a doctor of physical therapy, a functional movement expert, but I would not call myself a certified Pilates instructor because I’m not. I haven’t dug into the background and history of all the different holds of these exercises. I take a biomechanical approach and a neuromuscular control approach to Pilates, meaning I look at how the brain controls these muscle groups.

In general, yoga takes it’s origins many of thousands of years ago in India as a kind of exercise, but also part of an awakening and the introspection that comes with it. Many of the Pilates positions and activities are similar to many of the yoga poses; the work originally came from Joseph Pilates. He had some ideas about how the body should move and how you could heal yourself by having better control over your body; and how to do different exercises to try and help you get some of that control. So I think that there are definitely some parallels and similarities between the two.

B.C.: Why does the Body Center choose Pilates over yoga?

J.F.: That is a good question as well. Well it is interesting, a brief history: my wife and I purchased this studio approximately a year ago and it was called the Body Studio previously. When they [the Body Studio] planned the center they did yoga as well as Pilates and physical therapy. They made a business decision to slowly fade their yoga out of their business model, and so they added the reformer Pilates and physical therapy. We [the Body Center] tried a couple of different ways to introduce yoga, and we recently have introduced it again. 

 So we do have it a couple of nights a week because there is a crowd of people who want yoga. You know, my experience with yoga is that the challenge is slightly different then even with the mat or with the reformer Pilates machine. There is a more of an asymmetrical kind of sustained positioning; a bit different focus in the breathing, a little bit different mental focus, and I think my personal experience is that Pilates is more focused on being precise, and more controlled in the movements. With yoga, I kind of feel like I’m backing away and kind of…

B.C: Just letting it guide you?

J.F.: Yes.

Denice and I go onto agree that with Pilates, you can’t let your mind relax if you want to get as much as you can out of the exercise. Yoga, on the other hand (in its many forms), seems to losing yourself in the relaxation of it all.

Beauty Chat will bring you more interviews with Jeff from the Body Center. Be sure to follow our personal journeys towards getting fit, firm, and fabulous bodies!

We’re curious: Did you know the difference between Pilates and Yoga? If so, which do you prefer?

~ Elana

Photo Credits: www.bodyandmindworks.com and www.worth1000.com

Yes, we are still hard at work with the Body Center in Claremont and our Pilates adventure, but we are taking a break on telling you all about “Day 4″ until after Thanksgiving! 

Please check back soon to catch up with us.  Enjoy your holiday and eat lots of turkey!

xoxoxx, Denice and Elana

The weekend is almost upon us, but it’s never too late to catch up with The Hills on MTV. Here goes: In week thirteen, Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port pulled off the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood party beautifully. The Marc by Marc Jacobs fashion show was enjoyed by all, and although they resisted her ideas through every step of preparation, Lisa Love and Amy Astley congratulated Whitney on a job well done.

This week (episode 14), the girls were rewarded with tickets to the bash for Declare Yourself, a group that promotes voter registration.  Was it the carefree night they had hoped for?  Not if Heidi can help it.  Yes, Heidi Montag and her new office mate were – gasp! – invited to the event as well.  Channeling her inner eighth grader, Heidi strolled over to the table to start something with Lauren. In keeping with the theme of the event, Lauren declared herself by refusing to speak with Heidi unless she was going to apologize.  Thus, the confrontation died out rather quickly.

      (Awkward! Heidi confronts Lauren with demands for a reconciliation.)

But in Season 3 of MTV The Hills, Heidi has shown us that she does not give up easily – the next day, she sends Lauren a string of IM’s at the office until a meeting is finally agreed to.  However, when Heidi shows up at Lauren’s apartment bearing grocery store roses, but no admittance of guilt for starting the sex tape rumor (among others that we are too polite to address here), Lauren feeds her a line of fiery inquisitions, then says, “I want to forgive you…and I want to forget you.”  Ouch!  It hurts, but then again, isn’t the truth supposed to?

~ Brook

Photo Credits: www.MTV.com

 Denice’s Personal Story: So I really did not want to go  to Pilates the day of session 3.  I was tired…more like EXHAUSTED!!!!  But, for the good of my body (and to stick something out) I reluctantly went.  This turned out to be a good decision on my part. 

When we arrived at the Body Center in Claremont, Elana and I were greeted by the ever-so-charming and happy face of Jeff Fairley, owner and director of the “Physical Therapy and Pilates Training” facility. Jeff makes you feel so important and welcome;  he is always so encouraging and makes you feel like you can do anything.  We love Jeff!  We were a tad bit early today so we took a breather and relaxed on the comfy couch in the back of the center and waited for our fabulous instructor, Stephanie, to arrive. 

And of course she was there,  ready to work us at 5 p.m. SHARP. Today was unique as Elana and I were the only two in the class!  It was kind of cool because I did not feel bad stopping and asking Stephanie to clarify questions on technique or position.  She was great at explaining how important the position of your pelvic area and lower back are in Pilates. 

Here is some terminology (EverythingAboutPilates.com) that Stephanie throws around that I am finally getting a grasp on:

Neutral Spine:  where your hip bones and pubic bone are held in the same plane. It is neither too flexed nor too extended in the lumbar spine.

Imprinted Spine: A term generated in the Stott Pilates method of Pilates. A place where the lumbar spine is slightly more flexed giving the feeling of your lower back being closer to the mat.

Table Top: When lying on your back, a place where your legs are elevated and bent at a 90 degree angle both at the hip and at the knees. Legs squeeze gently together to engage inner thighs.

C-Curve: Where the spine is flexed into letter “C” position. Enables the feeling of strong navel to spine and prepares you to roll through the spine smoothly.

Now that I know and understand these terms and their importance in Pilates, I am able to concentrate on the specific muscle groups needed to perform the actual exercises.  I think my favorite would have to be leg circles.  I feel like I get the BEST stretch on these.  My least favorite thing to hear come out of Stephanie’s mouth is “Let’s do 100s.”  When I hear this, I know the “Good Shakes” are to follow.

Check back next week to see how I am doing!!!

Elana Personal Story: I was completely in tune with my body on “Day 3.” In fact, I actually busted a sweat. In pushing myself to really stretch, twist, and follow instructions, I began to notice how flexible I’m becoming. Who knows? Maybe after awhile, I will be able to do the splits! (Then again, I couldn’t do splits at 8 years old even when I took gymnastics…so I need to at least maintain some sort of realistic expectations)

That said, I take back the fact that Pilates doesn’t make you sweat. Maybe I should rephrase my initial thoughts to: “Pilates can cause you to sweat but not nearly as much as cardio.” There – that’s much more accurate. I’ve just redeemed a relatively false statement.

As Denice mentioned, we had private lessons from Stephanie at the Body Center. Even though she enjoys it a bit more when her class fills up to capacity, we were fortunate enough to receive direct, one-on-one attention from her, a certified Pilates instructor. I only know this because I asked her; I was curious to know which type of atmosphere is more conducive to her enthusiastic type of teaching. She still looked like she enjoyed our efforts, saying “Great job you guys!”

The next day I didn’t feel a thing really, except for a bizarre sort of pain under my armpit. Everywhere else was fine. Tonight is session 4, and I am going to have a little chit-chat with Jeff prior to our Pilates course at the Body Center in Claremont. I look forward to interviewing him! Not only is it a pleasure to learn even more about this intricate type of exercise, but Jeff is such a pleasure to work with, so I know his answers will be real and forthright.

xoxox, Denice and Elana

Hey Dr. 90210 lovers!

I want to keep you posted on the status of episode 15, the season finale. Unfortunately, I only caught parts of this show and want to see it in its entirety before giving you a full summary on iEnhance.com.

I am desperately waiting for a re-airing of the episode on E! Entertainment (and of course they aren’t airing it again for awhile: Sunday, Nov 18, 8 a.m. and Friday, Dec 14, 11 a.m.).

You can look for my recap soon. I’m so sorry about the delay! Until then, anyone have any thoughts or comments on the way the season ended? I did see the final minutes of the episode, and can I just say, definitely not the cliffhanger I expected!

~ Leeann