Lean at last

15 great, take-no-prisoners strategies to get you back to the gym—from top fitness gurus and real people alike.

The caterers for a handful of chic, exclusive pre-parties for Barbra Streisand’s extravagant New Year’s Eve gala at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Hotel served over 500 pounds of caviar and lobster, 250 pounds of French cheeses and petits fours—and 1000s of bottles of Veuve Clicquot. Indeed, the fallout from 2012 is nothing compared to the damage done during the millennial, to-hell-with-it-all over-indulgence. Here, fifteen strategies for getting back in shape:(1) “If you had a love-fest with a box of Oreos, so what?” says Kacy Duke, creative consultant to New York’s exclusive Equinox Fitness Clubs, who gets her mega-star clients—everyone from Annabella Sciorra, Lenny Kravitz, and Maxwell to Monica Lewinsky—back on track with (2) rapid-fire bouts of cardio: one minute of jumping rope alternated with (3) 12-15 push-ups, repeated for 15 to 20 minutes. “It’s over; let it go.”“

Calista Flockhart

(4) “Just get moving—even if it’s only for 30 minutes once a week. Exercising one or two days a week, if done over the long haul, is far better than diving into a routine you won’t stick to, or living at the gym,” says Duke. If you gained a few pounds over the holidays, she suggests making a list of the all the foods you love to eat (but should be avoiding) and phasing them out of your diet slowly. “Don’t go cold turkey,” she says. “It’s about evolution, not revolution. Enjoy the journey toward a great body—don’t obsess about the end of the road.”

(5) “We lose weight and gain it back; that’s life. Don’t become so obsessed with staying a certain weight that you lose out on the good times,” says Jan Sharkansky, an executive for a hyper-chic, luxury fashion house and, in her spare time, a spinning instructor at Reebok Sports Club/NY. Sharkansky deals with post-holiday guilt by

telling herself—and her clients—that it’s okay to have celebrated. “Balance is important. If your gained a couple extra pounds, chances are you also had a great time celebrating the holidays—which is far better than sitting home alone eating diet food, and feeling depressed,” she says.

(6)Sharkansky’s secret for getting herself to the gym: “I get changed, and tell myself I’ll do just 15 minutes of exercise—I always end up doing the whole hour. People hire expensive trainers because they don’t understand that motivation needs to come from within first; a trainer is always only second-in-command. You are in control of your weight—it’s one of the few things you can control in life; (7) you are responsible for gaining the extra pounds, and you can take them off.”

(8) “What gets me to the gym is sheer terror—and a little chocolate,” says Jules Jordan, a 28-year-old model-lean brunette who hits the gym religiously at least three mornings a week. “When you’ve been skinny all your life, the idea that all that could change when you hit thirty is horrifying,” says Jordan, a grant-maker at a prestigious private art foundation in New York. That thought—and the promise of a little post-workout reward (one piece of Godiva dark chocolate with almonds)—keeps her motivated.

a post-workout reward

Cindy Crawford

(9) “Even slight changes make a world of difference,” says famously rigorous Manhattan übertrainer, Radu, who whips beautiful people like Jennifer Lopez, Cindy Crawford, Calista Flockhart, John Cusack, and Matthew Broderick into incredible shape—fast. “If you feel like you’re just going through the motions, do something new; once the body gets accustomed to the same routine, it won’t react.” (10) To make sure his clients—celebs or not—stay motivated after the holidays, he gives them gifts of one or two training sessions—to be used by January 31.

(11) Kirsten Hughes, an attorney at a top Chicago law firm, has one sure-fire tactic for staying motivated. “Once a week, I treat myself to an intense 30-minute stretching session with a trainer at my gym,” says the impossibly svelte young mother. It makes me feel fabulously pampered—and ready to run around after my 3-year-old.”

(12) For Rachel Symmons, 34, a sleek blonde publicist in San Francisco, keeping her gym bag stocked with indulgent shower products, like Origins Salt Rub travel packets and Erbe Bergamot Body Lotion, reinforces her resolve to get to the gym. “And I never spend more than 45 minutes working out,” she says. After 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer or the treadmill (set on a killer incline), Symmons hits the weights, concentrating on glutes—squats and lunges are best—and arms. (13) “I love weight-training because it produces such quick results—I feel instantly stronger.”

Crutchfield’s resolutions: Give up dairy and eat an orange every day.

(14) “Stay away from absolutes,” says Elizabeth Crutchfield—director of Homebodies, an elite fleet of personal trainers and massage therapists in Manhattan—who goes to the homes of top models, fashion editors, and chic urban socialites for discreet one-on-one training sessions. “The number one mistake people make is jumping into an unrealistic routine full of ‘shoulds’. Instead of saying,

‘I have to do 1 1/2 hours of cardio and weight-training every day,’ listen to your body and do what it feels like doing,” says Crutchfield. If you’re craving an adrenaline rush, go for a fast-paced run; if you feel tired, take a yoga class, spend thirty minutes just stretching—or don’t work out at all.” (15) As for resolutions, make them achievable. “Why let yourself down?” Her resolutions: to give up dairy products and to eat an orange every day. •

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