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With my training on hold and succumbing to one of Autumn's sneakier viruses I did not expect astounding results from my Hot Pants at week 1.
HOWEVER after locating my tape-measure once more I had to eat my cynicism! My results were as follows:
Upper Thigh:
Left - 21.25 inches (loss of 1/4 inch)
Right - 21.5 inches (loss of 1/2 inch)
Bum/Hips: 36.75 inches (loss of 1/4 inch)
Lower waist/muffin-top area: 33 inches (no change)
Natural waist: 26.5 inches (loss of 1/2 inch)
Appearance of cellulite: Still present but definitely less apparent
It is the natural waist that has surprised me most, considering that the shorts barely reach that part of my anatomy, however the overall effect that they seem to be having is surprising!
My shoot is this Friday coming so I shall no doubt be sleeping in Hot Shorts until then! And a re-measure at 2 weeks on Monday.
Stay tuned! x
*Thanks to fotolia.com and ehow.com for the picture and advice on taking measurements.
To my relief, my marvellous osteopath Meraz Ahmed was able to offer me an appointment at 12pm today. As the next available appointment was not for two weeks I seized the opportunity to get my small skeletal niggles sorted out before they start screaming for attention!
Today was a day for all-day Hot Pants dedication. Working out of B Healthy health food shop in St Albans I was going to be standing all day (except for my osteopath apointment!) which had to be a good thing. Following this I was planning to do 1.5 hours Qi Kwan Do training and a final sports massage client. Exercise a-plenty!
Things did not quite go according to plan. It was only when I started listing my areas of concern to Meraz that I realized just how much my body hurt. It's not surprising considering that I had plunged head-first into intensive martial arts training only two months ago, and my massage client base has doubled over the same period.
Despite my emphasis on correct posture while working, my body was understandably feeling the strain. Unfortunately for my exercise plans, I was advised to take a couple of days off training to give my inflamed calves, knees and a case of the massage therapist's tennis elbow a chance to calm down. After taking note of the recommended ruta grav cream for strains, I set off back to work.
The afternoon was spent flashing my Hot Pants to interested female customers who all promised to return in two weeks to discover my results. One particular young hairdresser was halfway through a maple syrup detox and struggling with irritability. She said she hadn't lost any weight at all. After the natural Hot Pants conversation,
it occured to me to ask how much water she was drinking. To my surprise she said that she never drinks water, and that she felt the water contained in the Maple Syrup concoction would be enough. Rob, nutritional therapist and the owner of B Healthy went a shade paler. I then explained that without at least 2 litres of water a day to help wash through the toxins she was shedding she was likely not only to feel tired but also to experience water retention. It looked to me as though she didn't really have a weight problem, probably just water retention related in part to her job which keeps her on her feet all day. I am not an expert, but I suggested, with Rob's support that she gradually build up her water intake to 2 litres a day and see if she started to lose weight. Anything left over after her 7 days could surely be dealt with much less uncomfortably by a pair of Hot Pants!
All in all it was a successful day, despite my training ban. Thank God for Hot Pants if not for them, I would feel I hadn't a chance at keeping the thigh-shaping ball rolling! This is me signing off, sitting on my hot little bottom!
As you will know if you are a Hot Pants enthusiast, these shorts can only be washed by hand in cold water. Following their initial baptism yesterday evening my shorts were still wet in the morning. Consequently I went out without them to school and studio today. Naughty!
I had a phonecall during the day from my photographer Donato Cinicolo
to say that we may need to move our shoot forward due to the seasonal conditions at our location. Help! That would mean making the dress sort of.. well now, or choosing an alternative location. It also cuts into the halfway point of my Hot Pants challenge which means, well, more cellulite will be present than planned! Nothing for it but to wear them day and night until the shoot. Well, all day at least.
Arriving home I discover they are still wet, but as I had two sports massage client appointments swiftly approaching, I thought what the hell, I'm going to get sweaty anyway! I can see why people choose to buy an extra pair as the need to wash them arises almost daily, however, I will not go to this extravagance until after the two week test period.
I use my precious spare two hours before school run to start work on the red dress and am surprised at the progress I make. I have a great deal of stitching to do but at least I know what needs doing! So I now have some pretty domesticated plans following my massage clients tonight.
Wish me luck. Now for another pint of water...
This morning dawned and I was ready to really commit to the Hot Pants experience. I was wondering, as every day, what shall I wear?? As it was warm and I was heading out for the school run I wore this:
I felt I could afford to do a little brand flashing! After the school run, I headed to the studio to work on a Lucid Logic track (coming soon!) then rushed back to St A in time to bake my dear friend Ms Eliz a birthday cake. From there I changed into my Qi Kwan Do uniform and ran to school to pick up my son! I wouldn't normally, I really dislike running but I was so late! Then it was 1.5 hours of QKD training. Of course our instructor chose this day to train us intensively on... legs of course! Loads of kicks, most of which were appropriate to higher belts than me. Ouch. However, my worst Hot Pants fears were proved unfounded. Of course I sweated. I would have sweated without the Hot Pants but to my surprise they were not uncomfortable or restrictive. I didn't feel I was overheating at all.
By the time we got home again I was ready to retire them for the night. I washed them quickly and hung them out to dry, ready to surprise Ms Eliz with a birthday cake lit by a blazing firework!
Less than two weeks to the shoot now and I find myself strangely lacklustre. It may be that I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the task I have set myself of creating my own garment.
I had a successful shopping trip to Jersey Vogue Fabrics in Edgeware where I purchased a 9 metre end of vivid crimson silk dupion, gorgeous fabric. Now to create the look! Fortunately I still have Maria's tailor's dummy here in my flat and she has made me a sketch and given me tips as to how to go about it.
It's now just a case of going for it.
One of my measures to prepare myself for the shoot has been to buy some of the acclaimed HOT PANTS (tm) from Zaggora. I have this very moment started my two week challenge and am sitting, blogging wearing them.
The moment I took them out of the package I was reminded of my neglected wetsuit. Why? because neoprene is exactly what they resemble! First I measured myself.
Upper Thigh:
left - 21.5 inches
right - 22 inches
Bum/Hips: 37 inches
Lower waist/muffin top area: 33 inches
Natural waist: 27 inches
I feel it's important to be thorough! I have already made a start with toning up thanks to two months so far of Qi Kwan Do, a martial art. I've been training 2 or three times a week and I have seen a noticeable difference in my body tone and fat coverage! However, although my saddlebags have shrunk they are certainly still there, as is the appearance of cellulite covering the whole bum and thigh area to varying degrees. This is where I feel the Hot Pants come in. I am hoping they will ramp up the effectiveness of my regular workouts and even have an effect at more sedentary times.
After squeezing them on the first thing I notice is a prickly sensation. I hope they don't give me a heat rash! I am thinking. They are quite cosy but as I look down at my tummy I am reminded of a beached whale due to the extra bulk that the shorts provide! Yes, do not make the mistake of confusing these shorts with control pants. They are not the same thing at all. They aim to provide a long-term physical improvement, not a temporary cosmetic one.
Well, lets check in on the Hot Shorts in one week, I promise to wear them at least 30 minutes a day!
Maybe I can get that lustre back after all...
