StyleSpy with Katrina Szish

There's really only one word that adequately describes attending the Oscars: WOW. 

The Golden Ticket was still golden....even though my seat was in the last row (no joke!)

It's not just literally brushing shoulders with mega-watt stars -- Cate Blanchett (I also shared a porta-potty moment with her at the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday afternoon at the beach in Santa Monica); Marion Cotillard (those fish-scale details on her dress were quite something to behold as I walked into the theater behind her), Cameron Diaz (we both tried -- to no avail -- to grab a last-minute, pre-ceremony libation), Daniel Day Louis (incredibly tall and slim), Tilda Swinton (incredibly tall and slim), John Travolta (very gracious, even at the end of a long evening) -- but it's also the psychological rush that happens when your brain finally processes that YOU ARE AT THE OSCARS.  Simply from a historical perspective -- this was the 80th, after all -- it is truly a mind boggling experience.

The closest I'll ever get to being Olivia Newton John in Grease

Working -- not to mention walking! -- the red carpet is always a rush.
Part of my job is to identify the trends as the celebs weave through the throngs of reporters (it's often difficult to get a good look at them) and instantaneously translate that to cohesive fashion commentary on live television. 

With CNN Showbiz's AJ Hammer and Brooke Anderson overlooking the red carpet

Last night, working the arrivals with the amazing team from CNN, the top trends I spotted were:

1.   RED

The color of the night!  Ladies in red include: Anne Hathaway in Marchesa (above), also wearing $1 million worth of Harry Winston gems on her ears; Miley Cyrus; Heidi Klum; Helen Mirren; Katherine Heigl in Escada...to name a few

2.  STRAPLESS

Forget cleavage -- it's all about the clavicles.  Shoulder-baring A-listers: Mom-to-be Jessica Alba in Marchesa, Jennifer Garner in Oscar de la Renta, Laura Linney in Michael Kors, Keri Russell in Nina Ricci, Kristen Chenowith in Armani Prive, Amy Adams in Proenza Schouler, Cameron Diaz in Dior

3. ASYMMETRICAL NECKLINES

An instant way to score points for elegance and edginess.  To wit: Hilary Swank in Versace, Tilda Swinton in Lanvin, Anne Hathaway, Katherine Heigl

4. THE STATEMENT NECKLACE

While many of the stars who went strapless kept their necklines unadorned, several of my fashion-forward favorites -- Nicole Kidman, Keri Russell and Jennifer Garner -- revived the statement necklace trend.

5. BACK IN BLACK

Black was also big (Jennifer Garner, Hilary Swank, Ellen Page, Nicole Kidman), and it felt fresh.  Perhaps it was the near overdose of bright colors at the Grammys (which I admittedly loved) that made my style spy eye pop for the classic gals in black.

I chose none of those trends (yep, a fashion rebel, that's me), and opted for a stunning silk taupe J. Mendel dress straight from the Fall 2008 runway collection, paired with about $60,000 worth of Sasha Primak jewelry (Primak regularly collaborates with It-designer Erin Fetherston). 

My moment in the spotlight!...sort of...this was taken by a valet parking attendant after the awards ceremony

I LOVED my ensemble, and it was the perfect way to show of the fruits of my Red Carpet Countdown labor.  I felt fit, fabulous and fashionable...what could be better?!

Perhaps a solid chocolate, ten inch Oscar statuette covered with 24-karat gold dust (below), as conceived by Wolfgang Puck, adorning the top of the dessert platters at The Governor's Ball???!!! 

I almost brought one home....but then what?  I pictured a melted gold mound at the bottom of my LV luggage, and decided remembering the moment with a snapshot was a better idea.

Almost, but not quite.
Feeling like a star at The Academy Awards definitely takes the cake...er, the chocolate.

And that's all she wrote.

Until next week.

Style Spy is taking a much-needed spa retreat (I just checked in today, and got the inside scoop that there happens to be a major TV star chilling out here, too)...Check back next week to find out exactly where I escaped (there are hot springs involved), complete with pictures and decadent details, of course!  See you then...

*all red carpet celebrity images courtesy of and credited on InStyle.com's Oscar photo gallery*

I'm referring to the Oscars, of course!  There's less than a week to go until the biggest night in Hollywood -- until the red carpet of all red carpets -- and Style Spy is going to be there checking out all the action, both on the carpet and inside the Kodak Theater. 

This night will also be the culmination of my Red Carpet Countdown, which means the Complete Body Development team and I have only a few days left to get me in gear.  Although I've been working hard since the last week in November, I still feel I have a long way to go.  Admittedly, Fashion Week put a bit of a wrench in my Oscars fitness plan: my crazy schedule meant no time to work out and less-than-perfect meals; then came my wedding anniversary celebration; then Valentine's Day; then President's Day weekend...you get the idea.  I will definitely be continuing the Countdown after the golden statues have been awarded.  Bikini season is rapidly approaching, after all, followed by my best friend's wedding in Jamaica.  See?  There's always a "red carpet" in the future -- for everyone -- which means the RCC is always relevant.

BUT...back to the present.  I hit the gym this morning and -- besides a killer workout, ouch! -- Alex, Alicia and Ramon gave me some final countdown tips to help ensure I'm as lean and mean as possible when I step onto the carpet next Sunday.

Alex Reznik, trainer extraordinaire!  Check out my pink boxing gloves!

RED CARPET COUNTDOWN:  ONE WEEK LEFT TO WHITTLE

1.  Cardio, Cardio, Cardio!  Focus on low-resistance training instead of weight training to streamline.

2.  Munch a little, a lot.  Keep your metabolism working overtime by eating small snacks throughout the day.  Stop eating by 7pm, or at least 3 hours before bedtime.

3. Food focus:  lean protein, raw or steamed veggies, low-sugar/high-fiber fruits (blueberries, grapefruit) -- no processed foods, salt, or alcohol and minimal carbs

4. Don't drink too much water; limit intake at least three days before the event to guarantee a bloat-free event

5. Steam!  Spending time in the steam room flushes toxins and stimulates circulation.

I never gave much thought to looking chic while working out, but style is style.  If you've got it, you should flaunt it at all times.

My new favorite workout wear is from So Low.  My top picks: their now-famous fold-over pants (love the ruffle and sailor versions); skinny tank tops (extra long so they don't un-tuck); and slim hoodies (with ruffle trim or nautical stripes to match the bottoms). 

Photo from SolowStyle.com

Comfy, cute and beloved by celebs (Cameron Diaz,  Gwen Stefani, and Kirsten Dunst), So Low is so good that I have officially banished my boyish track suits.

Click here to add some So Low to your wardrobe

I've been in a bit of a rut the past couple weeks.

The Globes cancellation threw me off -- made me think going out to (several) multiple-course dinners was an acceptable indulgence.

Then there was Tracy Stern's decadent tea party, which seemed innocent enough, until I found myself enjoying Tea-tinis and chocolate macaroons. 

Yet how could I not indulge while in the private abode of the founder of Salon Tea whose motto is "Enjoy Life. Drink Tea, Celebrate Often"?!

Bad Style Spy!

The good news is, despite my caloric transgressions, I have been hitting the gym (albeit not for the 200 minutes of cardio per week I'm supposed to be doing on my own), and Alicia and Ramon have been doing their thing.  Ouch! (in a good way)

On the cardio note, I've discovered that it takes a special kind of person to successfully spend hundreds of  minutes on a treadmill, elliptical trainer or stairmaster.  And, apparently I'm not that special person.  Alas, I must admit defeat.  It's not the cardio part I hate, it's the boredom of chugging along in one place staring at one wall for an hour at a time.  Cardio is intergral to the success of the RCC, however, so I needed an alternative:  CLASSES.  Ta-da!  Put me in an aerobics class, a circuit training class, a dance class, and I will get through that hour, no problem (and don't tell anyone, but I used to be an aerobics instructor, so this arena is exceptionally comfortable).  I haven't started said classes yet, but this weekend I plan to sign up at my neighborhood Gold's Gym, which just happens to be NEXT DOOR to the Complete Body mecca.  Done!  The takeaway here is that not all exercise regimens work for all people; if something isn't working in your routine, admit it and find an alternative.

As far as the food part of this equation, I simply have to focus.  I have to learn that just because it's my favorite weekly holiday called Thursday, I'm not entitled nor do I deserve to drink pink Veuve Clicquot.  I have to focus even more now, because my Nu-Kitchen experience has ended.  BUT, it gave me an excellent sense of portion size and the types of food I should be eating, so I'm doing my best to replicate that model on my own, and I feel 100% equipped to do it.  Thanks, Nu-Kitchen!

The Oscar nominations got my adrenaline pumping again (Cate Blanchett, Johnny Depp, George Clooney?!?!  Woo-hoo!), as I remembered that there is (hopefully) a (major) red carpet on the horizon (not to mention The Grammys).

Red carpet risk taker Blanchett, expecting her third child, has a double-shot at Oscar gold

It also dawned on me: FASHION WEEK STARTS IN ONE WEEK, and I simply don't have time to slack.  So, as of RIGHT NOW, I'm declaring my return to hardcore mode.  Alicia, Ramon, Alex...bring it on!

Although my dreams of hitting the red carpet at the Golden Globes this weekend have been dashed, I refuse to wallow.

Instead, I will be painting my nails red.  "E! Live From The Red Carpet" red, to be exact.  This limited edition shade is the result of a smart collaboration between nail polish guru Essie and the stylish peeps at E!, created in honor of awards season and all the glam glory that (usually) comes with it. 

And, at $8 a bottle, it's way easier to justify than Chanel couture.

So who needs a carpet to strut your stuff when you've got a bottle of limited edition nail polish to keep you on your toes?!

Kate Walsh rocks short red nails

Come to think of it, even if real-life red carpets continue to elude us in the coming months, this polish would still be a fab choice for Valentine's Day.  Good thing it's available (at Essie.com) 'till the end of February.

No point in working out like crazy in your hotel room if you're not planning on eating properly, so I thought I'd share Penny's travel tips (I received them one morning in my trusty Nu-Kitchen delivery bag):

1.    Pack a nutrition bar for each leg of a trip (e.g. one for each flight connection) to avoid making bad choices during delays or non-meal flights. Have a travel stash, including additional nutrition bars (Attune, Clif, Luna, or Nectar bars) and healthy pre-portioned snacks:

•    1/2 cup low-fat granola, 6-10 chopped nuts, 1/4 cup dried fruit (approx. 200 calories)
•    Single serving size (1/2 cup) canned fruit packed in water or light syrup (approx. 100 calories)
•    Fresh fruit that easily travels (i.e. banana, apple, pear, plum, etc): medium size (approx. 100 calories)
•    Single packets of peanut butter and jelly (all natural, i.e., Smuckers.com) with 6 graham crackers (approx. 250 calories)
•    1/2-3/4 cup of Your favorite dried whole grain cereal (approx. 200 calories)
•    BabyBel Cheese (approx. 100 calories)
•    Pre cut raw veggies 2 cup (approx. 50 calories)

STYLE SPY FUN TIP: Tote your travel stash in a cute custom lunchbox, like this one created by Reese Witherspoon for the New York City Food Bank auction.

2.    Local airports including JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark Liberty have common eateries that can help you stay on track. Remember to keep portions small and manageable. While we’re not endorsing fast food restaurants, we know that options may be limited so we want to provide the following guidelines:

•    Starbucks:
PENNY’S PICK: 1/2 whole grain bagel (any bagel will calorically be the same), 1 low fat yogurt, 1 piece of fresh fruit (or 1/2 cup fruit salad) with non-fat grande latte (approx. 300 calories)

Making the less healthy options work: reduced fat coffee cake with non-fat grande latte (approx 430 calories)

•    McDonalds:
PENNY’S PICK: grilled chicken snack wrap (variety) with a small yogurt and fruit parfait (approx. 430 calories) OR grilled chicken salad (variety) 1 serving of dressing variety (approx. 400 calories)

Making the less healthy options work: Hamburger, small French fries (approx. 500 calories, 30 grams fat)

•    Au Bon Pain:
PENNY’S PICK: Small vanilla yogurt with Granola and berries (approx. 300 calories) OR Large Chicken Florentine soup with a garden salad and fat free dressing (approx. 500 calories)

Making the less healthy options work: 1/2 sandwich (variety) with a garden salad and fat free dressing (approx. 500-600 calories)

Regardless of your mode of transportaion, Avoid the following: Fried foods and highly refined starches & carbohydrates, such as white bread, thick crust pizza, sugary desserts

3.   CALL AHEAD
•    Call airline and request low-fat/vegetarian meal
•    Research on eateries of destination
•    Call hotel and request a mini fridge if not already in the room

4.    BUY ESSENTIALS
Upon arrival, go to local store and stock up on items such as: low fat milk; cereal (Nature’s Path Optimum, Kashi Heart to Heart, Kellogs Organic Raisin Bran, Quaker instant oatmeal): low-fat snacks (example similar to travel stash); freshly prepared whole grain sandwiches (avoid pre-made versions)

5.    EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE
•    Make sure place you are staying has a gym. If no gym call to see if you local gym has privileges at gyms in the area:
•    Focus on cardio to burn more calories to counter the potential extra calories from eating out.

RED CARPET COUNTDOWN TRAVEL WORKOUT (EXCLUSIVE!) FROM COMPLETE BODY DEVELOPMENT

I've done this and it isn't fun, which means it really works.  I will be doing a bit of jet-setting this weekend, and with the Globes just over one week away, you can bet I'll be sweating through this several times.  In addition to logging in my 200 weekly hours of cardio (who's idea was this??!!).

This workout comes straight from Alicia's mouth and is one for the record books.  You'll want to print this...


WARM UP

1. Squats With a Stretch (1 set, 20 reps)
Stand with feet hips width apart, squat by lowering your butt a few inches off the floor. Stand while reaching both hands to the ceiling. Use this opportunity to stretch and breathe deeply to warm up your core muscles. 

2. Lunge to Arabesque (1 set on each leg, 12 reps)
Stand on one foot while raising your arms at your sides for balance. Keep your standing leg bent, and lower the free leg into a lunge. Stand to balance on one leg in an arabesque position. Keep your arms outstretched to the side.

3. Toe Taps (1 set on each leg, 12 reps)
Stand on one foot, hands on hips, or outstretched. Bend your standing leg slightly. Tap your other toe behind you, reaching your leg out as far as you can to the right and left. Maintain a tight core, and concentrate on the standing leg.

4. Pilates Roll Up (10 slow/10 fast)
Lie flat on your back, arms outstretched overhead. Bring your chin close to your chest. Inhale deeply. As you exhale, roll your upper body up, bringing your finger tips to your toes. Hold the stretch; check your form while you are holding. Repeat, do the second ten reps quickly to warm the upper body and abdominal muscles.

5. Standing Torso Twist (1 set each arm, 20 reps)
This is a ballet-inspired movement. Stand in a shallow 2nd position, keeping your knees slightly bent, deep pelvic muscles flexed. Port de bras your arms over your head. Roll your torso side to side. Incorporate your breathing and abs. Inhaling as you open the arms, exhaling as you curve your spine. Allow your breath to freely flow in and out in coordination with your torso.

6. Plank on Forearms (hold for 1 min.)
While on your stomach, prop your body weight onto your elbows. Put your weight onto your toes and elbows. Keep your butt down, parallel to the floor. No cheating! Steady on your toes and forearms, TIGHT ABS, breathe deeply.

ABS SERIES

7. L Shaped Abs Contractions (1 set, 3 reps)
Lie on your back. Bring your feet up, making a 90 degree angle with your body. Flex your feet at your Ankles. Take three deep breaths while in this position; relaxing your abs as you inhale and squeezing them as you exhale. Concentrate on stretching the back of your legs and keeping the perfect L shape of your body.

8. L Shaped Leg Pulls (1 set 12 reps)
Return to the L shape on your back. Bring your chin to your chest, drop one leg at a time, one inch off the floor. Pull it back in line with your other foot. Alternate legs.

9. Bicycles (1 set 30 times)
Bring your knee to meet your opposite elbow. Concentrate on the abnominal twist and the breathing. Alternate sides.

10. Repeat #s 7-9 once

BACK SERIES

11. Oblique Lifts (12/side)
Lie on your side, stacking your hips and legs. Bring your elbow directly under you body, push up onto it. Lift your body off the floor, balancing weight on your feet and your elbow.  Keep your core tight as you lift and lower.

12. Torso Twists Laying Flat (20 times)
Lie face up, arms flat, palms down, knees tight together. Swing your knees side to side using your breath and your abs to carry the weight of your legs.

13. Bridge (10 full/10 pulsing)
Lie flat on your back. Keep your knees and ankles pressed tightly together. Lift your pelvis, squeeze your butt. Pull the pelvis into your spine as you raise your hips.

14. Repeat #s 11-13 once

AEROBIC INTERVALS (REST 1 min. between exercises)

Pay close attention to your heart rate. If you have a monitor, use it to make sure your bpm range from 120-180 during the intervals.

15. Walking Lunges (20 times alternating legs)
Do these slowly across the floor, warming up the legs as you go.

16. Jumping Jacks (1 min.) Burpies (10-15)
Jumping Jacks followed immediately by burpies. Bring your butt low to the floor. Jump your feet out behind you into a push-up position. Jump your feet back between your hands. Stand with a jump, arms pushed over head.

17. Squats, Arms Stretched (10 times quickly)
Squat down low. Get your butt close to the floor. Stand up and raise onto your toes, squeeze all muscles, butt, abs, and calves.

18. Squats, Knee Lift (10 times quickly)
Squat low to the floor. Raise your body up onto one foot. Alternate side to side. Squeeze the butt and abs with every rep.

19. Two Leg Jumps (10 times quickly)
Squat down low, butt to floor, finger tips to the ground. Jump up as high as you can, finger tips towards the sky. Lower yourself as you land into a controlled deep squat.

20. Skaters (20 times, as fast as you can!)
Leap side to side, alternating feet. Touch your hand to the opposite toe. Hand to toe on every rep. Get your heart rate up one last time. If you find this easy, add a hop on one leg between leaps.

21. Repeat #s 15-20, 3 times

COOL DOWN

22. Stretching and Breathing (30 seconds or more per stretch)
●hips ●quads ●hamstrings ●shoulders ●back ●abs ●neck ●butt ●calves

REPEAT DAILY!

If Reese can sweat a killer workout, so can I!

It's been about one month since I started the Red Carpet Countdown.  I've learned how to do "gorillas" -- squatting, and balancing, on a wobbly Bosu Ball (Jessica Alba does crunches using one) while holding two 8 pound dumbbells and doing rapid bicep curls. I've learned to love -- er, tolerate -- stairmaster intervals.  I've spent more time in workout clothes than I have combined during the past 4 years. And, I've started wearing miniskirts again.

Yesterday was my first "weigh-in" since day one.

According to my Complete Body training team, Alex, Alicia and RaMon: "The math looks good."

Check out these stats:

I have dropped a total of 8.9 inches.
My BMI improved 5.1%
My body fat mass dropped 8.94%

Here is Alicia's official synopsis:

"You should be very proud of these numbers. Some people work all year for these kinds of improvements. I’m also very happy that your pace is healthy. I was concerned that you would drop too fast. That would be horrible for long term metabolic improvements. As I see it, you have replaced fat with muscle which is the best scenario for long terms goals."

I'm rockin' the RCC, if I do say so myself.

Chatting with Lost's Josh Holloway on the red carpet at last year's Golden Globes.

Hollywood, here I come!

Nu-Kitchen's Nutrition Director Penny Geller shares her tips for successfully navigating holiday treat temptations:

BEFORE THE PARTY
Eat smaller meals during the day so that you can splurge a little more during the holiday meal without overdoing it for the day. DO NOT SKIP MEALS!!!

Eat a small, low-fat snack before holiday functions to take the edge off your hunger.

Bring a low calorie/low-fat dish to the party to offer to the host.

AT THE PARTY
Drink water or other non-caloric drinks while waiting to sit down to eat.  If you want to have ONE glass of wine/alcoholic drink, save it to drink at dinner.

Stand far away from buffet table.

Eat Holiday foods and stay away from "everyday foods". Since these special items are only available this time of the year, indulge a little in those while avoiding the calories from foods that you can have anytime.

Eat half the amount of each food group that you KNOW you are supposed to have. This allows you to go back for seconds for the remaining amount.

Limit yourself to your favorite two starches or grains, and then split your allotted servings in half.

Stay away from added fats (i.e. dressings, gravy, butter). If you must have something, limit it to 1 teaspoon. Use less fattening toppings (i.e. cranberry relish on top of the turkey or holiday ham).

Wear something you look and feel amazing in -- not necessarily tight, but something that if you were to overdo it in, you know you wouldn’t feel great about the way you look anymore –- tent dresses hide everything and may lead to overindulgence.

AFTER THE PARTY
Take a nice long walk after the big meal. Feeling really ambitious? Take a 30-60 minute jog. (You can also take a walk or jog before the meal. No one said you can't do them both).

I'm fresh off week two of The Red Carpet Countdown (which henceforth shall be abbreviated to "RCC" for typing efficiency), and I feel amazing.  Stronger, both physically and mentally.  I have more energy.  I am actually enjoying going to the gym.  Even better, I am seeing muscles that have not existed since I first met Mr. Husband in 1999.  He is suitably impressed.

The RCC is definitely in full swing, and it's worth every minute.

In addition to re-training my mind and body, I am also learning how to eat properly.

I've learned that it's not just quantity and quality of food, but also the frequency of the meals.  I've been warned that I need to keep my blood sugar and energy levels up in order to withstand this intensive workout program, while at the same time eating foods that work as fuel and will be burned off efficiently.  Sounds complicated.  And, since one of my primary goals of the RCC is stress reduction, I decided that stressing about food during this program would be counterproductive.

Enter Nu-Kitchen, the gourmet-meals-delivered-to-your-doorstep operation in NYC, that counts Sarah Jessica Parker and Mary Louis Parker (she's on the program right now, too!) as fans.

Jeff Kravits/FilmMagic

Nu-Kitchen's Director of Nutrition, Penny Geller, signed me up for the Nu-Kitchen 200 program, 40 days of healthy meals (3 meals, 2 snacks per day) delivered to my doorstep, geared towards healthy weight reduction. 

(Here's Penny!!)

She even made an office-call and measured my metabolic rate to determine how many calories I need each day to achieve my RCC goals in the healthiest way possible (every client who signs up for the Nu-Kitchen 200 gets the same one-on-one special treatment from a wellness coach).  This 15 minute test required me to breathe through a mouthpiece into a hand-held machine called the Body Gem.  My nose was lightly pinched with a plug (like the ones little kids wear while swimming), which means that you can't really swallow and end up drooling a lot.  Penny kindly stepped out of the room to let me drool in peace.

According to the test, the minimum number of calories I need each day is 1500.  That means if I sit in one place and do absolutely nada all day, my body consumes 1500 calories on its own.  However, I made a mistake and scheduled a training session the morning of the test; to get an accurate number, you should refrain from eating, drinking caffeine and exercising at least five hours prior to the test.  Oops.  So, factoring in my workout (which would likely have raised my resting metabolic rate), we estimated my actual number was closer to 1350.  Based on my workout schedule, Penny wants me to consume at least 1500 calories a day (the Complete Body gang agrees).  That sounds high to me, considering I want to drop pounds, so she agreed that based on how I feel (I'm also learning to "listen to my body"), I can adjust calories accordingly.  I'm still at 1500, working to drop down to 1350.

Lucky for me, Nu-Kitchen makes such transitions ridiculously simple.  Not only can I log onto the website to select which yummy meals I want each day, but I can also select the number of meals -- and thus the calories -- that are delivered. Oh, and the food is really, really tasty.  From chicken burritos to pancakes to chai latte brownies and cupcakes...

I've almost forgotten about Christmas cookies (almost...).

Admittedly, this is probably the most difficult part of the RCC for me, especially around this time of the year.  I am of the mindset that everyday is a holiday, so why not have a little treat?!  A Christmas cookie?  A single glass of champagne on New Year's Eve?  Penny said, "No."  If I truly want to make a memorable red carpet entrance (a la Reese Witherspoon at the Globes last year when she turned every head in Hollywood with her fab figure tucked perfectly into that yellow Nina Ricci number, not to mention those bangs...), I have to be rigorous.

Frazer Harrison/Getty

There is no magic or miracle involved in slimming down and toning up. This stuff is simple chemistry: Consume calories, burn them off.

No wonder I always preferred my English classes...figgy pudding never seemed to have any real consequences.