It's time for INSANITY!

It's been quite a year for yours truly, Girl Six. I've gone from knocking on size 12 to fitting nicely into a six (the holy dress size grail) and bumped back up to size 8... Yep, it's true. I fell off the wagon. After working by butt off (literally) to reach my size 6 goal last spring I spend the summer having a heck of a lot more cocktails than workouts. My metabolism was on fire for a bit, so I managed to maintain but over the past month or so about 8-10 pounds have crept back onto my body. Thankfully, I haven't completely lost my sense of fitness. The work I did this year was about so much more than weight loss and that has proven useful in my effort to refocus and get back on track. Enter the Insanity workout by Shaun T:

JWoww Loses Weight, But Gains no Style

The "Jersey Store" reality star known as JWoww (real name Jenni Farley) was spotted in Las Vegas recently looking considerably smaller than the view public knows her to be. Truthfully, she didn't need to lose any weight, but the loss puts her more on par with the hollywood standard. Unfortunately, unlike many stars who lose weight then improve their style with a now eager stylist, Ms. Farley's fashion sense is an dreadful as ever. The Jersey girl has reportedly been offered numerous shows and a spread in Playboy to the tuneo $400K... I guess the countess was right: money can't by you class.

Gwen Stefani Shows Her Bones, Eats Pizza

In a sea of celebrities that have daily access to all the finest things in life, there are very few that actually seem to have "it all." There are a sprinkle, however, whose live come across as just perfect - Gwen Stefani is one of these. The woman has had an amazing music career and her move into fashion with her line L.A.M.B. has also been very successful. Add to that she is happily married and with two healthy kids. Amazing! She comes across as genuine, if not sugary sweet, so all the kudos in the world to her! And then there's this: at 37 she has a rockin (trim but not too skinny) body... and she eats pizza?! What kind of alien creature is she???

The Last Ten Pounds

It's official, folks. I'm facing that final stretch that's so infamously difficult. With just ten pounds to go my goal is well within reach. After losing 35+ it should seem an easy feat, but as many dieters know those last few pounds are always the hardest. To be honest, however, I haven't really been trying super hard. Having built up a nice store of lean muscle mass, I'm kind of coasting on my vastly improved metabolism. I feel good and look decent, so the whole "I hate looking in the mirror" factor is no longer a motivator. In addition, the less you way, the few calories you need to sustain yourself - which, of course, means calories cutting will have to be more drastic than ever. But since I'm definitely on some FINISH WHAT YOU START stuff this year, I'm ready to buckle down and go all the way. 134, here I come!

photo via anfas.org

Exercise Update: Interval Training

A little over a month ago, after completing Jillian Michaels' 30-day Shred, I turned my attention to interval training. At first I devised a few of my own workouts that consisted of timed plank jacks, mountain climbers, or running. They were okay, but I suspected that they didn't have the punch of a system developed by a professional. Next, I turned to my trusty

Style Motivation: Swimwear

It's beach season! That means months of calorie counting and sweating through my sports bras are about to be weighed against the mighty challenge of walking about in public wearing only my underwear (basically). Happily, I'm feeling very much up to the challenge. The funny thing is, in years gone by I've had a better body than I have now, but far less confidence. I don't need to look like a Victoria Secret model; I'm fairly fit and very happy. Cheers to that!

So for the first time maybe EVER I'm excited to go swimsuit shopping. The suit above, worn by Lauren Conrad, is so lovely.