The cutest butt in the room

There's always time to make positive changes in your diet and exercise that will impact not only the way you look in your undies, but how you feel in them as well.

Who wouldn't want to wear this pretty rose tulle chemise and low rise hipster set by Only Hearts (photo at right), or one of their fabulous stretch lace slips (photo below left) on a hot summer night? Helena Stuart for Only Hearts can be found in every major magazine -- on every major celebrity -- and at specialty shops and finer department stores throughout the world.

Work it!

For those of you interested in creating a lean toned look that you can show off in lacy lingerie, you may want to pay close attention to what Valerie Waters has to say. The way she trains some of the most coveted bodies in the world has become her signature style.

Her clients not only have great butts, they also train to kick butt in their roles. Jennifer Garner morphed into mind-blowing shape with Waters' help for her turn in Alias. Carrie Anne Moss (The Matrix) and Uma Thurman (Kill Bill) are two others who got death-defying bodies using her techniques.

As a fashion designer, I was fascinated with Valerie's careful consideration of how clothes will look on the body. She doesn't discount her clients when they tell her that they don't want to look too bulky in an evening dress.

Although Valerie believes in strength training along with a change in diet, she says it's the way you strength train that changes your shape into lean and toned. This woman knows what she's doing: she trained Cindy Crawford for 17 years, and other clients include Charlize Theron, Kate Beckinsale, Elizabeth Berkeley, Lauren Graham, Jessica Capshaw, Richard Gere and Jamie King.

Valerie believes that whether you're a soccer mom or a supermodel, you can't leave your eating up to chance. She stresses that anyone who attains an amazing body schedules workout times and menus ahead of time. "If you think stars get their bodies because they have personal chefs and lots of extra time on their hands, you're crazy," Valerie says. "When Jennifer Garner is shooting, she comes home from work and prepares all her meals two nights a week. We think others have it easier. They don't. Cindy Crawford doesn't get popcorn. Jennifer doesn't get the cookie. They don't sit around and order pizza except sporadically -- and then they have it with a salad. And happily so, because you get to the point where it's not deprivation when you learn to eat differently."

While workout times needs to be set up ahead of time, there's nothing wrong with breaking up your routine. Valerie says, "Bike, walk, hike -- do whatever makes you happy." Valerie is writing a book about her training methods, and my butt will be the first in line to buy it when it comes out. For more information go to valeriewaters.com.

While getting your derriere in shape, you might as well chose the most flattering options in terms of undies. Helena Stuart of Only Hearts suggests wearing a shirred back bikini for those with a flatter behind. She feels that thongs work best for those with a fuller bottom, as there's less competition and they reduce the likeliness of unsightly lines. Helena suggests a low rise hipster if you have a slimmer, shapely rump. I'm a huge fan of these tulle low rise panties.

Speaking of shapely, who doesn't think of Halle Berry when considering the loveliest bodies in Hollywood? In addition to training Halle, trainer Harley Pasternak works with celebs like Orlando Bloom, Benjamin Bratt, Eva Mendes, Rachel Weisz, Stephen Dorff and many more. For those who don't have access to his private sessions, Harley's new bestselling book outlines his simple diet and fitness program. In 5-Factor Fitness, Harley's simple plan requires you to eat more and workout less in order to easily achieve and maintain the best shape and health for your body. Harley's philosophy is simple: "There's a difference between training hard and training smart."

When it comes to getting the cutest butt in the room, Harley wisely advices, "Instead of worrying about that one part of your body you'll never be happy with, find happiness in doing the process properly. Don't focus on the end result." To learn more, check out his site at harleypasternak.com.

These fun briefs by Dirty Girl should put you in such a good mood that you'll want to work out. Available at sleepyheads.com.

David Kirsch, author of "The Ultimate New York Body Plan," and the owner of Madison Square Club, told me that the number one thing women want to work on is their butt. Dubbed "the butt expert" by People magazine, David is known for training stars like Faith Hill, Liv Tyler, and supermodels Heidi Klum, Naomi Campbell, and Bridget Hall. But Kirsch downplays that saying, "I pride myself on working with women in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s -- they've had their babies and want to feel sexy again. It's more than spiritual, on the deepest level it's about understanding balance and being at one with yourself." David feels all his workouts are very mindful. He advocates stepping back, taking a thought about what you're doing and what you're eating.

Don't let David's Zen attitude fool you. If you're seriously looking to change your body, The Ultimate New York Body Plan may be the way to go. David was a member of ABC's "Extreme Makeover" team, and in his book, he shares his two week fitness and nutrition plan which gives you the means to drop up to 8% body fat, 12 pounds and two dress sizes in fourteen days. To learn more, go to madisonsquareclub.com.

 

Shaping up doesn't have to be all about sacrifice. As you tone up, why not treat yourself to this yummy white spa wear from Only Hearts?

Like a lot of women, I practically grew up reading fitness tips from Gunnar Peterson in various fashion magazines. Gunnar is the author of G-Force: The Ultimate Guide to Your Best Body Ever, available at www.gunnarpeterson.com. If anyone can help you attain a great body, it would be Gunnar. Not only has he trained Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Matthew McConaughey and many others, but he also has an impressive list of NBA, NFLA and USTA athletes as clients.

When I asked Gunnar how he addresses body image issues with his clients, he says he tells them, "Be happy for what you have, not unhappy for what you don't. Certain things are genetic." Gunnar says he helps clients explore ways to counter their problem areas and draw attention to their strong suit. Good advice, especially for those of us who want to feel good about ourselves no matter what shape our butt is in.

If you're planning on juicing up your self image any time soon, it would be hard not to feel sexy in these sweet candy stripes, available at www.sleepyheads.com.

Gary Kobat, who trains clients as if they were Ironman triathletes, says he works on the mind set first. "Identity is the driving force. When you create an idea of the identity you want to own, and you walk like it, think like it, train like it, and dress like it, then you become it." He believes juicing up ones self image will shift to others areas of your life. Kobat says he even talks to his clients (who include Mariska Hargitay, Jim Carrey, and Will Ferrell) about having the cutest butt in the room and owning it.

Last but not least, no story on having the cutest butt in the room would be complete without mentioning Eddie Conner, otherwise known as The Hollywood But Doctor. If you suffer from a really big but, then Eddie's book, Kicking the Big But Syndrome, is a must. The "big but" he's talking about is any belief that opposes your desires. Eddie will show you how to get off your but and create the kind of life you want. Whether it's a wonderful body, love or money, you'll learn to banish negative ideas that drag you down and replace them with supportive thoughts. Best of all, you'll find yourself smiling while you learn to change negative belief patterns without breaking a sweat. To learn more, visit eddieconner.com.

Finally, if all else fails, remember it's easy to have the cutest butt in the room in these Only Hearts undies. To order, go to onlyhearts.com.