Tonight I played tennis with my sister and wondered how many calories we would have burned. I didn’t realise it was such a work out! 90 minutes of tennis (at my weight) = 476 calories burned. PLUS I went to the gym this morning so I’m feeling pretty proud of myself.

Here’s a chart that showing how many cals you can burn doing half an hour  of each sport/activity

(This table was first printed in the July 2004 issue of the Harvard Heart Letter. For more information or to order, please go to http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart.)

The table below lists the calories burned by doing dozens of activities listed by category (such as gym activities, training and sports activities, home repair, etc.) for 30 minutes. In each category, activities are listed from least to most calories burned.

This video is actually titled ‘The Best Home Workout – Exercise Routine’. I haven’t tried it out yet but will do it later on! I’m also downloading ‘Beach Body – Brazil Butt Lift’ as we speak (my bum and thighs is my problem area).

I also just stumbled across the most motivational video I have ever seen. Warning: There is a 99% chance you will cry while watching.

Best ending!!

What did you think?

If you’re still a little emotional after watching, enjoy the Cool Beans video below. A guaranteed mood lifter!

It’s getting pretty chilly in Australia and it’s hard not to go out wearing fifty jumpers and slippers. I LOVE this article on how to dress skinny for winter by layering. That’s it..shopping time tomorrow!

The layered look is still wildly popular for Fall 2010, so it’s probably time you learned the right way to wear layers — especially if you’re curvy.

From both a fashion and a frugal standpoint, I love this layering technique that Anthropologie is demonstrating above, taking a summer dress and adding layers to make three more warmer autumn and winter looks.

But there’s one small problem. The model is super thin. If curvy women like me — with breasts, a short waist, and hips — try to layer clothes like this, we often look like walking, talking sloppy frumpfests of clothing.

More from The Stir: Lucielu: A Plus-Size Site With Beautiful, Affordable Clothing

So, ladies with curves, let’s talk about how to layer clothes to our advantage.

When you’re a combination of 5′ 10″ and 125 pounds like the model above probably is, what’s a few extra layers, right? However, many women with curves need to accentuate their waistlines as much as possible — even in the autumn and winter — unless they’re cool with adding ten or twenty shapeless pounds to their physiques. And I don’t know many women who are cool with that.

Done right, layering can actually mask any soft, round areas you’re trying to play down. Here are eight tips for creating the layered look and NOT at the expense of your rockin’ curvy body:

1. Limit your layers. Three layers is probably ample.

2. Nice silhouettes. If your outfit foundation is a dress, choose a dress with a nice silhouette, well fitted but not tight around the breasts and hips, drawn in at the waist.

3. Structured pieces on top. Choose a top layer with a waistline — a cinched or empire waist, a belted waist, a blouse with well-placed darts, a fitted blazer, or a cropped jacket or cardigan, something with a waist. Look #4 above with its shapeless military-style jacket is most problematic for a short- or no-waisted woman. However, in Look #3, a nice waistline is still created where the yellow meets chocolate brown.

4. Chill on the chunky. Go easy on the fluffy and the puffy, the thick and the woolly. Rule of thumb: Don’t add bulk around your bulk. For curvy women, the layered look is about adding color and warmth not bulk. If you’re trying to play down a large bust, wear an open neckline to draw the eyes up. If you’re trying to camouflage your belly, keep layers at your midsection fitted, not tight, rather than oversized and floppy. Oversized and billowy clothes or sometimes even babydoll cuts can actually make you look larger than you are.

5. Pair lightweight pieces under chunky fabrics. If you do choose a single chunky piece like a cropped faux fur coat or vest, then pair it with under-layers made from thin fabrics and follow tips #6 and #7, too.

6. Balance layered tops with slim bottoms. If you choose to wear several layers on top, keep the bottom half of your outfit long and lean. Try skinny-cut, tapered, or bootcut pants or leggings or tights. Elongate your body by matching your shoes or boots to your pants, leggings, or tights. Consider #7 when choosing your bottoms, too.

7. Use light and dark colors to your advantage. Since dark colors are slimming, you should wear darker colors in the areas you want to deemphasize. And no, that doesn’t mean wear all black or charcoal gray. That’s not great either. Look at your body with a loving but critical eye, and use whites and colors to emphasize your best features.

8. Wear simple jewelry and accessories. When wearing the layered look, stick with simple accessories like stud earrings, plain necklaces, and thin, light scarves. It’s really enough to have a few layers going on.

We all have that one little diet secret that has helped us lose weight or stay on track! I want to know your BIGGEST and BEST diet tip.
Don’t be a frenemy and keep it under wraps!

I think it’s important to feel confident, be happy and help others. Post your tip in the comment section below and some good karma will come your way!

Buying fresh fruit and vegetables from the farmers market motivates me to try new healthy recipes!

Every once in a while, invite a friend over for a meal instead of eating at a restaurant. Restaurants aren't usually concerned about the amount of butter and oil going into dishes. They just want it to taste good! Know what you're eating

Making sure at least one meal per day is a fresh salad

Sharing dessert with a friend will cut calories in half! Imagine the difference after one, three or even FIVE years if you did it EVERY time!

Here are a few of your answers from twitter:

@MelissaJadeL 250-calorie meals, five times a day. my fave: boca burger w/ soy cheese + veggie bacon, w/ a little organic ketchup.

@MelissaJadeL hahaha Don’t Diet ! Just eat clean 80 % of the time & when you indulge make sure you ENJOY it

@MelissaJadeL NOT obsessing and thinking about dieting all the time, just choosing healthy meals etc & getting on with other things.

@MelissaJadeL eat only when I’m hungry and until I’m satisfied, not full! And hydrate all day long!

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