5 TIPS TO ENSURE WEIGHT-LOSS

Why does losing weight feel so difficult? Most of you will reason that it feels painful to: eat foods you don't particularly like, stop eating foods you love and limit socialising and eating out, for the risk of getting off-track from your journey of losing weight.
What if our understanding about weight loss was incorrect, at the first place? And the best way to go about is by not feeling restricted at all. So many people believe the ‘no pain, no gain’ approach to weight-loss is the most effective. But let me put it this way, if being miserable was part and parcel of losing weight, how motivated would you feel, to carry on? Zero per cent!
For your diet to be long-term it has to be pleasant. Otherwise you will always be struggling to follow it. Never blame yourself if you fail to sustain a diet plan. It’s not you but the diet the fails. Here are five ways to ensure that weight-loss is pleasant and sustainable.

1. Make tiny changes
A lot of weight loss advice comes from the ‘shock and awe’ school of thought. You throw out everything in your fridge and completely replace your existing diet with something radically different. But the more drastic and different your new eating plan will be, the less likely you are able to stick with it, especially when life gets busy. It's much easier to keep your eating plan relatively the same and then make small changes in the right direction. The best place to start is food portions. Reduction in food-portion by just 5 per cent is amazing. In case you feel no difference, cut back 5 per cent more. In other words, make changes slowly so that you don't notice them. Over time, lots of tiny changes add up to one big result.

2. Don't stop doing what you enjoy
Another popular diet strategy is to stop eating all the foods you love. But is that really sustainable? Of course not! Instead, prioritise. In place of eating both a cookie and a chocolate bar, decide which one you like more.

3. Remove temptation
I know a lot of people who keep food on their desk at work. These are often food items that they really love but also can't resist. If you keep candy on your desk, every time you see it you think ‘Should I have it?’ In case, you fall into a temptation, you are consuming calories that might easily have been avoided. By all means eat candy, but make it a deliberate decision.

4. Watch for the last third
Have you felt full after eating two-third of your meal? Did you stop eating? No, because of your mother’s childhood reminder to finish up everything on your plate, it’s a great habit, but we should only dish out moderate serving. In case you feel full earlier, then you can always store or freeze and eat it later. If you can train yourself to stop eating when you're full (or better yet, serve yourself less), it will help you to take in fewer calories, without any deprivations involved.

5. Avoid eating on obligation
This might not apply to everyone but still there are some people who over-eat due to obligation. Whether it's a pushy friend insisting you to have another glass of milkshake or a colleague making you eat another slice of the cake they baked, you must be prepared on passing on the offer. Most importantly, remember that you don't need to suffer to lose weight.

There are numerous ways to cut down on your calories consumption without feeling deprived, unsatisfied, and without losing out on quality life. Just always make a mental note about how you can possibly eat less, without compromising. You might even have fun, while you are at it.

FASHION’S WITH AFFAIR VALENTINE’S

From a fashion perspective, we can all agree that Valentine’s Day can get tacky. Our advice: pick one or two festive-but-chic pieces, and keep the rest of your look simple and refined. You won’t go wrong with our favourite V-Day finds and can try out on any day of the year too...

Outing with friends
A chich and fashionable everyday styling is good to go! You don’t need to put on pumps, but do that little something extra for this nice afternoon.
JEWELLERY TIP
Stack up those rings and remember matching nail polish.

A family feast

Gather all for a dinner and dress your best self! You are properly in charge of dinner, the kids, the table setting – everything. But make it festive anyway and dress up in a beautiful dress. The kids would
love it!
JEWELLERY TIP
Load up on the necklaces and wear more than just one.

With that special someone
Dress up warm, but not too much for this date. You want to look stylish for your better half, but you also want to stay cozy in the cold air and covered up if it is an outdoor place.
JEWELLERY TIP
You are wearing a jacket, so be smart and focus on your earrings.

Make-up tricks for your date night

Valentine's Day means flawless makeup. No matter what story you seek to tell - angelic, natural or au courant - it's imperative on the most romantic day of the year to keep lashes in place, lips perfectly rouged and flaws cleverly obscured. We got you covered with these beauty tips that will instantly boost your wow factor. Cupid, ready your arrow!

EVEN YOUR SKIN TONE 

With a sponge, apply a sheer/luminous foundation on the entire face, blending well. This will eliminate any redness and give a healthy glow to create the perfect base for your look. Don't forget to use a creamy concealer to soften and fade any shadows at the inner and outer corners of the under eye area and on top of the eyelid.

GET CHEEKY

Nothing says irresistible like a provocative rosy glow, so sweep a happy booster glow or a rosy blush on the apples of the cheeks for a perfect flush. Bonus: natural plant extracts in this powder formula mimic the effect of endorphins for an instant mood lift.

MAXIMISE YOUR LASHES

Transform stubby lashes into borderline falsies with a coat of any voluminous mascara. The ultra-nourishing base strengthens and protects, while the top coat forms tiny tubes around lashes for smudge-proof wear.

PUMP UP THE VOLUME

Beef up wimpy strands with a triple-threat product that gives hair hold, long-lasting body and shellac-like shine. Any good volumising hairspray will do the trick!

SPRITZ A SENSUAL SCENT

Choose an ultra-romantic scent of lush florals or sweet aromas of vanilla and amber. Remember to spray fragrance on your pulse points (wrists, inner elbows, behind the ears, etc.) for maximum effect.

ROCK SOME RED

Punch up your pout with a sexy crimson shade that’s sure to get you noticed. For a true femme fatale look, try something ultra red in nail colours too. Not so daring? Try other rosy and pink shades which will give your lips a super-sheer stain and high shine.

TRY A PLAYFUL PLAIT

Here’s the thing. Ever since braids made their comeback on the red carpet, the humble style has been getting increasingly more complicated. But it is worth trying on the V-Day.

COP(PER) AN ATTITUDE

Some nights call for a statement less serious than a full-on-smoky eye. Like, for instance a copper shadow. Not only is the mellow metallic universally flattering, but it’s exponentially more forgiving. Do rim eyes in black or charcoal liner to anchor the look.

SLIP INTO SATIN

Satin-finish lipstick, that is. Here’s a little secret: Matt lips scare men. And so do ultra glossy ones. Try any raspberry shade for a truly translucent effect. Do not blindly follow the latest fashion when it comes to lipsticks. Make sure you choose a shade flattering to your skin tone.

WEAR YOUR STYLE

You’ve got to bring on the bling! Slip into a sassy red number uplifted by a pair of strappy sandals and a stylish black clutch with gold pyramid stud details. Cap off this sweetheart look with a soft pink makeup palette.