How to tame your tum: Is yours a spare tyre or a stress bulge? Finding out your tummy type is the key to getting a perfect midriff

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER


Get a flat stomach: First you need to identify your tunny type


For many women, getting bikini ready means tackling one dreaded area in particular — our tummies.

Most of us still think the best way to achieve a washboard stomach is by doing hundreds of sit-ups. Not so, says A-list trainer and body guru James Duigan.

James, who sculpts supermodels Elle Macpherson and Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley among others, insists there is no ‘one size fits all’ method for getting a flat belly.

Instead, he’s identified five key ‘tummy types’, all of which require a different approach to achieve successful toning.

Once you’ve identified your type, you can transform it following James’ tailor-made plan and get that flat tummy fast.



THE SPARE TYRE TUMMY
The spare tyre: This is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate because it's caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
These people are likely to lead sedentary lives, perhaps with jobs that keep them desk-bound. They may also have an emotional attachment to sugary foods.
Luckily, this ‘spare tyre’ is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate as, according to James, it’s caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
‘If you exercise very little, eat lots of sugar and refined carbohydrates in products like biscuits, cakes and white bread, or rely on starchy carbs like pasta and rice, you probably have an overweight tummy with accompanying fat on your legs and hips,’ says James.



THE STRESS TUMMY
Stress tummy: These types are typically over-achievers with perfectionist personalities


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
Stressed-tummy types are typically over-achievers with perfectionist personalities. They are usually also susceptible to digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can cause bloating and make their tummies look far worse.
‘Stress tummies are easy to spot, as the weight is specific to the front of the midriff and the umbilical area,’ explains James. ‘When stressed, we produce cortisol, a hormone which encourages the body to cling on to fat around the stomach.’
Stressed tummies will also be fairly hard to the touch, rather than wobbly.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
It’s likely you skip meals, abuse your adrenal system with too much caffeine and grab junk food for convenience.



THE LITTLE POOCH
The little pooch: These women are likely to be busy mums or have demanding careers - hey may even be a gym junkie


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
These women are likely to be busy mums or have demanding careers. ‘They may even be a gym junkie, but stuck in a workout-and-diet rut, perhaps always eating the same foods and doing the same routine at the gym, which keeps you slim but leaves you with a lower belly that spoils your silhouette,’ says James.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
‘Doing excessive crunches and using gimmicky gym items such as ab-rollers can place a strain on the hip flexors and the lower back, causing the tummy muscles to protrude so your belly sticks out,’ says James.



THE MUMMY TUMMY
The Mummy tummy: Women with these bellies have usually given birth in the past few years, and, being a typical mum, have little time for themselves


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
Women with these tummies have usually given birth in the past few years, and, being a typical mum, have little time for themselves. ‘After giving birth, the uterus drops and is much heavier than it was pre-pregnancy,’ says James. ‘It takes at least six weeks to return to its usual size, so don’t even think about trying to get a flat stomach until after then.

‘You need to re-train your pelvic floor and lower abs to increase blood flow and strengthen loose muscles.’

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
Rushing back to exercise too quickly. ‘I would suggest waiting around two to three months,’ says James. ‘Being stressed about getting rid of your baby weight will only make you cling onto it more. Give yourself a break!’



THE BLOATED TUMMY
Bloated tummies: These are often flat in the morning, but swell throughout the day with gas or indigestion


HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE
Bloated tummies are often flat in the morning, but swell throughout the day with gas or indigestion. Bloating affects both slim and overweight women. It is almost always caused by food intolerances and allergies, or sluggish bowels as a result of a poor diet.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS
You eat the same foods and may have done so for a lifetime without realising you’re intolerant to them.


source : dailymail

For Bea, what a difference three years makes as self-conscious teen is transformed into glam princess

By FAY SCHLESINGER

What a difference: Princess Beatrice shows off her glamorous frame which is the result of a strict fitness regime after an unflattering photo of her in a bikini was published in 2008


Growing up in spotlight is never easy.

But these days Princess Beatrice cuts a much more confident figure.

The 22-year-old student showed off the full extent of her stunning weight loss this weekend, as she holidayed with her long-term boyfriend Dave Clark on a £400,000-a-week super-yacht in the South of France.


Yippee! Beatrice leaps into the air on the end of this trapeze before plunging into the Mediterranean


As she sunned herself off the coast of Antibes, Beatrice’s black strapless swim suit displayed her slender frame to perfection.

And while the frills across her chest and hips highlighted the curves inherited from her mother the Duchess of York, the Queen’s granddaughter showed that she has kept up the regime developed with her personal fitness instructor in the lead-up to last year’s London Marathon.


Can't take my eyes off you: Dave Clark smiles as his girlfriend Beatrice leaves the water in Antibes, Southern France


Her toned appearance on Sunday was a far cry from pictures of the princess in a tight blue bikini in the Caribbean in 2008, which spurred her into vowing to shed her puppy fat.

Beatrice told the Daily Mail at the time: ‘It was such an unflattering bikini and I've got one that's so much nicer, so I could have kicked myself for wearing it.


Making a splash: Dave Clark leaps into the sea from a jetty where the yacht was moored in the Mediterranean


Slimline: The Princess's one-piece swimsuit perfectly showed off her frame with the frills helping to highlight the curves she has inherited from her mother


Surf's up! Beatrice and Dave also had fun on a pair of jet-skis


'I thought people were a bit mean, although I know it comes with the territory. The trouble is, I don't have much confidence so it can be quite upsetting. I could probably do with losing the odd pound though, so perhaps it is the kick I need.'

But this weekend the royal’s self-assurance was palpable as she changed into a bikini and let down her auburn locks.

Watched by admiring friends on the 195ft German-built Oasis yacht where she and 29-year-old Mr Clark are thought to have stayed as guests, Beatrice leapt into the air on the end of a trapeze before plunging into the Mediterranean.

An equally svelte Mr Clark, a millionaire’s son who works for Virgin tycoon Sir Richard Branson, executed an impressive back-flip from the boat’s second deck.

The six-berth yacht comes with a crew of 15 and a gym that transforms into a private nightclub. According to online advertisements, it can be chartered for between £285,000 and £418,000 a week.


Testing the water: Beatrice dips her toes into the Mediterranean before taking a dip with her boyfriend


That's enough: Following her swim the Princess returns to the boat - which houses a gym that transforms into a private nightclub


Luxury on the waves: The Princess and her boyfriend are staying on a £400,000-a-week yacht


Beatrice, who has faced a similar battle with yo-yoing weight as Sarah Ferguson, has previously put her transformation down to trainer Nadya Fairweather, whose help she enlisted in the lead-up to the London Marathon.

She is also understood to have embarked on a diet that centres on eating fresh fruit and drinking plenty of water.

Beatrice and her boyfriend have been dating for five years since meeting at a birthday party for Sean Brosnan, youngest son of James Bond actor Pierce, in 2006.

The fifth in line to the throne has just finished a three-year course in history and history of ideas at Goldsmiths College in South London.

Rather than becoming a full-time royal, she is expected to get a job once she has graduated, possibly in the field of art, fashion or charity work.



source :dailymail

Hoping for a fitness DVD deal? Josie Gibson shows off her curves on the beach

By ANDREA MAGRATH

Sunshine holiday: Josie Gibson parades on the beach in Marbella in a red bikini


She proudly posed for pictures in a bikini after losing three stone in January.

And while it appears as though Josie Gibson has gained back the weight, it hasn't stopped her proudly parading on the beach in a bikini.

The Big Brother winner wore a skimpy red two-piece during a hen's weekend in Marbella, Spain.

The 26-year-old looked like she is well and truly over her split from John James Parton, laughing and smiling in the sunshine.

Later Josie tucked in to a big lunch at a cafe with a friend, enjoying a large beer to wash it down.

The Bristol blonde announced in late March that she and her former Big Brother housemate had parted ways.


Baywatch moment: The Big Brother winner jogged along the shoreline in another red swimsuit


Chilling out: After her run on the beach, Gibson sat down in the sand


Speaking to Now magazine, she revealed that the Australian taunted her about her weight.

'He put me through so many mind games. He used to go on about my weight all the time,' she said. 'He would take the p**s out of my looks and make me feel ugly. He used to tell me I was thick.

'I can only be myself and I can't always be everyone's cup of tea.

'I think I'm a bit like Marmite, really. People either love me or f****** hate me.

If people like me, they like me; if they don't - they can f*** off!'


Appetite: Josie tucked in to a large lunch by the seaside, with a beer to wash it down


Now and then: Josie appears to have re-gained some of the three stone she lost earlier this year


In January Josie dropped from from 16st 7lbs to 13st 7lbs.

At the time she credited her weight-loss to eating healthily and exercising between three and four times a week.

A friend told Mail Online that she had re-gained some pounds in recent months, and rather than desperately trying to lose the weight fast, Josie is embracing her size 16 figure and designing a plus-size clothing range for Curvissa.


'He made me feel ugly': Josie says her ex John James taunted her about her weight


source: dailymail

Secrets of an A-List body: How to get legs like Nicole Scherzinger

By PETA BEE

Enviable figure: Singer Nicole Scherzinger has legs as lean as a toned athlete's


We reveal how to get the enviable physiques of the stars. This week, U.S. pop star Nicole Scherzinger’s legs...

She’s replaced Cheryl Cole as a judge on the U.S. X-Factor and has Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton as a boyfriend — and on top of that, Nicole Scherzinger has legs as lean and toned as a top athlete’s.

WORKOUT SECRETS

Scherzinger works out with Beverly Hills-based personal trainer, Adam Ernster, who prescribes plenty of running and dancing as cardio activity to keep weight down, alongside a specific lower-body workout for the singer.

Exercises include squats performed with an exercise ball, lunges with kettlebells and single-leg squats.


Dance fit: Nicole has a personal trainer and her energetic dance routines give her regular work outs


TRY THIS

One of the moves Adam Ernster prescribes is The Froggy:

Lie face down with your hips centered on a large exercise ball and your hands on the ground in front of you, elbows slightly bent.

Bend your knees and press the soles of feet together.

Lift your legs until thighs are parallel to the ground.

Lower legs and repeat ten to 12 times.


Having it all: The popstar dates F1 driver Lewis Hamilton and has just bagged a judging role on the U.S X Factor

source: dailymail

When & How To Do Your Pregnancy Test!

What is a pregnancy test and how does it work?

Pregnancy tests are designed to tell if your urine or blood contains a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone is produced right after a fertilized egg attaches to the uterus. This usually happens but not always about six days after fertilization. If you're pregnant, levels of hCG continue to increase rapidly, doubling every two to three days.


What types of pregnancy tests are available?

Two main types of pregnancy tests can let you know if you're pregnant: urine tests and blood tests.

Urine tests can be done at home or in a doctor's office. Many women first choose a home pregnancy test (HPT), about a week after a missed period. Home pregnancy tests are private and convenient.

These products come with instructions. Follow them closely for the most accurate results. After testing, you can confirm results by seeing your doctor, who can perform even more sensitive pregnancy tests.

Blood tests are done at your doctor's office, but are used less often than urine tests. These tests can detect pregnancy earlier than a home pregnancy test, or about six to eight days after ovulation. But with these tests, it takes longer to get the results than with a home pregnancy test.

Two types of blood pregnancy tests are available:

A quantitative HCG test (beta hCG) measures the exact amount of hCG in your blood. It can find even very low levels of hCG. Because these pregnancy tests can measure the concentration of hCG, they may be helpful in tracking any problems during pregnancy. They may also be used to rule out a tubal (ectopic) pregnancy or to monitor a woman after a miscarriage when hCG levels fall rapidly.

A qualitative HCG test simply checks to see if hCG is present. It gives a "yes" or "no" answer to the question, "Are you pregnant?" Doctors often order these tests to confirm pregnancy as early as 10 days after a missed period. However, some of these tests can detect hCG much earlier.

'It was my mom's dying wish': Man, 23, loses almost half 459lbs body weight in just a YEAR

By FIONA ROBERTS

Half the size: Alex Respess reveals his astonishing weight loss next to a cardboard cut-out showing him at his heaviest, when he weighed 459lbs


When Alex Respess's mother died after a battle with cancer, she made one last request - for her son to be happy and healthy.

And now, four years later, the 23-year-old can proudly say he fulfilled his mother's dying wish after he lost almost half his body weight in just 12 months.

He showed off his astonishing transformation on ABC's Good Morning America today, where he revealed his new 243lbs figure next to a cardboard cut-out showing him at his heaviest, 459lbs.



Before and after: Alex Respess, left, at his first weigh-in a year ago, and right, today on Good Morning America after he lost an astonishing 216lbs


The audience gasped as he held up one of his old shirts, and showed how he could now fit his whole body into one leg of a pair of shorts he wore before he shed the pounds.

Mr Respess, of Duluth, Georgia, said: 'The one thing I think [my mom] would say is she's proud of the man I've become.

'Because I'm not that kid that was overweight that she remembers - now I'm grown up.'
He added: 'Now in her memory I am happy and healthy and helping my brothers get that way too.'


Inspiration: Alex Respess pictured with his mother, Kim, who died four years ago. She told him she wanted him to be happy and healthy


Last year he was literally double the size. After a lifetime of unhealthy eating, Mr Respess, an ardent baseball fan, was too big to play, and was too mortified to go out to eat after once breaking a chair at a restaurant.

He said:' I was very introverted, I just didn't get out there, now I have the confidence to talk to anyone, to do anything.'

So, in desperation, Mr Respess wrote to personal trainer Chris Powell, who agreed to help him on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.

At the beginning Mr Respess was so big he had to be weighed on a freight-scale, and could only enter his bathroom door sideways.


Morbidly obese: At the beginning of the programme, Alex Respess was 459lbs, and had to be weighed using a pair of freight scales


First he travelled to Los Angeles, where he began his training - and learned how to make a healthier turkey version of his favourite bacon cheeseburger.

For the next 90 days Mr Powell lived with Mr Respess at his Duluth home, staying with him for 24 hours a day to help him meet his initial target, of losing 100lbs in just three months.

At his first weigh-in, he missed his goal - and the prize of a season ticket to his favourite baseball team, the Atlanta Braves - by just three pounds.


Astonishing transformation: Alex Respess demonstrates how he can fit inside one leg of his old shorts, left, and disappears behind an old shirt, right


Strict regime: Alex Respess meets Chris Powell, who spent the last year training him. Mr Powell even moved into his Georgia house for three months


But after Mr Powell moved out Mr Respess began to struggle, and worked out less and less. He said it gave him too much time to think about his mother's death, and he was angry about his father's impending marriage to his new fiancée.

The turning point came three days after the wedding, when Mr Powell took Mr Respess to an Army base in Georgia for a 24-hour boot camp.

He said the encouragement from the other soldiers as he trained alongside them spurred him on, and he went away with a coin to symbolise his goal: 'Get to it and fulfill your mission!'


Desperate measures: Alex Respess even let the Army shave his hair off so he could attend a 24-hour boot camp. He described it as a turning point


By January, he had lost a whopping 195lbs, and was able to undergo skin removal surgery to complete the transformation.

The end of the programme shows Mr Respess attending a ceremony with all his family and friends at a baseball field where he used to play little league - the last time he thought he made his mother proud.

He officially renamed a corner of the field Kim's Corner in her honour, and as he celebrated his 216lbs weight loss said: 'That number means a new life.'







sourc: dailymail

A face in the life of Kate Moss: The coarsening effect of drink, drugs and non-stop partying

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Serene, poised and with the hint of a shy smile — Kate Moss was barely recognisable when the Mail published pictures of her yesterday as a sweet 17-year-old posing for a bridal magazine.

Twenty years on, and the wear and tear of her notorious lifestyle has taken its toll.

Here, we look back at Kate’s 20-year career and chart the decline of a once-great beauty.











2011: Looking 37 going on 47, Kate is now busy preparing for her July wedding to Jamie Hince.


How she is dressed on the big day will be a surprise, but one thing is certain: she’ll be almost unrecognisable from the fresh-faced 17-year-old that she was 20 years ago when she posed in that early shoot for Brides magazine.


source: dailymail

Cindy Crawford treats her mirror image daughter Kaia to a night out in Hollywood

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Lookalikes: Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia Jordan, left, was the mirror image of her supermodel mother, right, as they stepped out for dinner at Katsuya restaurant, last night


Cindy Crawford's daughter is looking more and more like her genetically blessed mother everyday.

Kaia Jordan, 10, was the mirror image of the 45-year-old supermodel, as they stepped out for dinner to the star-studded Katsuya restaurant in Hollywood, last night.

The mother and daughter duo were there for a family dinner and were joined by one of Kaia's friends.


Stunning: Cindy first became famous in the 80s alongside Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Helena Christensen


Dressed in jeans and a white singlet top, Kaia certainly bears a striking resemblance to Cindy, with the same signature brunette hair, facial features and tanned skin.

Her mother also slipped on a similar outfit of skinny jeans, a white top and a leather cropped jacket.

Both girls also wore near-identical flats.

Cindy is one of the most photographed women in the world, and first became famous in the 80s alongside Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Helena Christensen.


Model behaviour: Also bonding with her daughter was fellow super Christy Turlington, who took Grace for a frozen yoghurt in New York


In her mid-forties, the mother-of-two looks nowhere near her age and still models in various fashion and beauty campaigns, and was recently on the cover of Vogue Mexico in May.

But Cindy has admitted to using a little help from a plastic surgeon in the past to help maintain her looks.

In a magazine interview in 2006, she admitted that she first saw a plastic surgeon at the age of 29.

She said: 'I'm not going to lie to myself: Past a certain age, creams work on the texture of your skin but, in order to restore elasticity, all I can really count on is vitamin injections, Botox and collagen,' she told Gala magazine.



Genetically blessed: Cindy is seen here this month with her gorgeous family, husband Rande Gerber, left, son Presley, far left, and daughter Kaia, right


Cindy had once claimed that a 'miracle mixture' of ground coffee and olive oil kept her skin in its enviable condition.

Yet with refreshing honesty, she came clean and admitted to a little help.

'I have a very simple, healthy life, which works miracles,' she says. 'I drink a lot of water, watch what I eat and exercise. But I owe the quality of my skin to my cosmetic surgeon.'

Then last year she told Piers Morgan in the Mail on Sunday: 'There's a doctor here in London who I've gone to for Botox.'

In 2005, Crawford created a line of beauty products with Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh called Meaningful Beauty for Guthy-Renker

Married to club owner Rande since 1998, the couple also have a son, Presely, 11.
Cindy was also famously married to actor Richard Gere for four years.

source: dailymail