Plus Size Clothes Shopping Tools

Today shopping for trendy plus size clothing that fits well and looks great is easier than ever before. Clothing designers and merchants have finally discovered the huge market full figured women have to offer. We want stylish and comfortable clothing - and we are willing to pay for it.

Fabric choices, slimming cuts & shimmering glamor are available to us in abundance, but how to choose the best fit and most flattering size when shopping online? Trying clothes on before we buy is not an option.

But the good news is that as online shoppers, we have two very handy tools at our disposal:

Sizing Charts & Refund Policies

You will find plenty of websites online specializing in ladies plus size fashions. Before adding anything to your shopping cart (also called shopping bag or basket), check out the sizing chart on site. You will usually find this linked to in the same spot where you choose the size, quantity and color of the item to add to your shopping cart. If it is not there, look in the main menu navigation bar.

You will find that most stores offer sizing that is true to offline department store sizing. So if you are normally a size 2X, you should find that size fits the same when shopping online.

You will also want to know what the store Refund Policy is. The industry standard is between 30 and 60 days from time of shipment. You will see the date listed on the packing slip when your package arrives. With a generous Refund Policy, you are free to order 2 or 3 different sizes of the item you want! Try them on, keep the item that you are most happy with and return the other items for a refund.

What you will want to watch for is any shipping and handling charges. Most times the stores offer a full refund, but it is good to note any charges that may apply if you do opt for a refund. Sometimes it is still worth it if you find that perfect dress you just cannot get locally.

Because most of us do not have a lot of options when shopping for plus sized clothing at our local department stores, shopping online provides us with a happy alternative. Now we too can enjoy a wide variety and plenty of options for fun, trendy fashions!

If you are looking for plenty of options when shopping for plus size clothing, visit http://www.plussizegoodies.com for my top picks featuring ladies plus size shopping stores. Now over 40 stores listed! Copyright PlusSizeGoodies.com
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Know When To Wear The Right Bra

A skin toned bra is a bra that is camouflaged for fashion sense and will support without going noticed. This type of bra is best for stealth shaping underneath see through shirts or tops that have tiny straps, but you do not want to wear this type of bra when the bra does not match the skin tone at least close.

A strapless bra is designed to defy gravity without any tattle-tell straps. This type of bra is best for wearing with a strapless tops or other shirts when you can not find the proper color in a skin tone bra. However, when gravity wins, which is when your bra and breast both are being pulled down to the ground, then you do not want to wear this type of bra.

Adhesive bras are the Houdini of all bras. These bras are carefully designed so that they stay hidden no matter how low cut your top might be. Adhesive bras are great for wearing any thing backless, but be ware that when you are ready to take them off, then they are going to really hurt!

A minimizer bra is a comfortable breast compactor that will help your upper body clothing to fit much better. When you want to get rid of that awful gap that is between the second and the third button of your favorite shirt. The worst time to possibly wear a minimizer bra is if it is a poor fit. Instead of redistributing the breast tissue, the minimizer will simply push it up and over the top of the breast cups, which will in turn create a four chambered quadrant boob across your chest.

A push up bra is specially designed to be able to thrust the breast upwards and inwards. This in turn will create a luscious cleavage crack that so many men seem to enjoy looking at. This type of bra is great for wearing with either a v-neck sweater or an evening dress when you are trying to bring sexy back. In a professional setting or when you are wanting the focus to be on your face and not on your fabulous chest, then you may want to reconsider wearing a push up bra.

A sports bra has the ability to make you feel comfortable when you are exercising. Sports bras are created to be strong and supportive, while at the same time being extremely helpful when you are trying to reach your fitness goals. Any time that you would like to job without being reminded with each and every stride that you have breast attached to your chest is the best time to wear a sports bra. When you are trying to take off a really tight sports bra then it can definitely be a challenge, and it is even worse when you are sweaty.

Nursing bras are for mothers that are breast feeding and they feature removable inserts, which makes it much easy to access. However, you do not want to continue wearing a nursing bra when your youngest child is ten. A wire bra will lift and separate your breast with the aid of an under wire. These bras are designed to put your breast exactly where they need to be.

Shaper bras extend to or beyond your navel. They are not only for supporting your top, but they also provide you with a temporary tummy tuck. These are great for any one that is trying to hide an extra inch, which means the most of us. You do not want to wear this type of bra when you are wearing a cropped top or any other clothing that might reveal your shaper secret. Also, do not count on your shaper for all day every day wear, because it is not the most comfortable chest choice.

Debunking the Myths: Women and Bodybuilding

Author: Benedict Smythe

For the longest time, women who were not introduced properly to the bodybuilding lifestyle have had difficulty in making weight training a part of their daily routine. The "She Hulk" image has been one of the more durable myths that continue to frighten women from trying even lifting small weights.



The myths



The following are the most common of myths when it comes to women and bodybuilding.



1. You will turn into a "She Hulk" when you lift weights- this could not be farther from the truth. Natural weight lifting coupled with a healthy diet of nutritive foods with little of the bad stuff like saturated fats would give you a sexy body, not a monstrous one. Often this image is the result of watching too much television. Professional bodybuilders for one, are known for using synthetic testosterone to boost their muscle production. Though unfortunate, this is fairly common practice.



Women should remember that women with massive physiques often used artificial methods to gain muscle mass. These combinations are called "cutting stacks" and are composed of synthetic forms of estrogen and testosterone. Some even use illegal steroids, such as those that are used for horses that have been bred to race.



2. Weight training in general can cause the breasts to grow- though this might be a positive thing to look forward to, the answer is unfortunately no. Bust size depends largely on the amount of body fat you have- the more fat, the more tissue going into the woman's chest area. When exercise becomes more intense, there might even be a chance that your breast size will decrease, because the distribution of fat is automatically balanced by the human body.



3. Immediately, fat converts to lean muscle during weight training- this myth, though it might be something that could encourage other women to pursue their own goals through a bodybuilding lifestyle, is still a myth. Perhaps a clarification is in order here.



Fats are excess forms of energy stored in the body. The body can handle almost double its weight in fats, however, this does not mean that it does not do damage when excess levels of fat are present.



Exercise burns the fat, and reduces its different manifestations through the body: belly fat is one form of stored fat, chest fat is another, and so on. Exercise does not turn fat into muscle. Muscle, like body fats are already there. Exercise and weight training simply develops what is already there and reduces what is not needed by body.



4. Immediately stopping weight training causes all the hard-earned muscles to revert back to fat- still another myth. There is a chance that the muscles would again be covered in a layer of fat due to prolonged inactivity. But the muscle will not turn into fat.



This myth has been circulating for a long time due to the fact that people who have once engaged in weight training and stopped look like polar opposites of themselves after they've stopped training.



The important thing to realize here is that you have complete command of your lean muscle mass, as long as you engage in the right kinds of exercises.

About the Author:
For all your bodybuilding supplements and sports nutrition needs Benedict recommends Supreme Supplements. Supreme stocks products from the top manufacturers including ThermoLabs ProLab, and Mutant Mass.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/debunking-the-myths-women-and-bodybuilding-681395.html

Rapid Fat Loss Tips for Women

Author: Matt Lisk

Women who are constantly on-the-go sometimes do not have time to workout. Many women just want a few things they can do quickly to lose fat. There are a variety of fat loss tips but many of them are geared towards men.



As you know women are built different then men and have different bodies and body chemistry. Because of this it is important for them to have a way to lose weight that will take these things into consideration.



Because of this we decided to find the best of the quick fat loss ideas from several different sites. Here are the tips we came up with:



1. Cardio training -- Interval Cardio training works a lot better than regularly boring cardio. The reason is that you can trigger your body's metabolism work for you instead of against you. With the slower cardio your body gets used to the exercise after awhile and if you do not change the way you exercise the body will no longer respond. Instead interval Cardio combined with free weights will make sure that have the rapid fat loss you are seeking.



2. Eat more daily fiber -- when you think of fiber you might think of older women but the truth is that everyone needs fiber. You can get it simply by eating more fruits and vegetables on a daily basis and looking at the foods that are low on the Glycemic Index. Adding more seeds and nuts to your diet will also help you have the rapid fat loss you are after.



3. Stop drinking soda - many women have convinced themselves that diet soda is helping them lose weight. However, there are studies that have been done that say that diet soda actually makes you gain weight. Diet soda can make you feel bloated and this does not promote the rapid fat loss that you are seeking.



4. Get in the habit of doing resistance training -- most people combine resistance training 3 days a week with their cardio interval training. This is a good place to start and it also burns more calories. You will also burn fat.



5. Don't skip breakfast - it is tempting to miss breakfast especially if you have to get your family off to school and your husband off to work. The tendency is either to grab something off a kid's plate or to miss breakfast entirely. What you do when this happens is set up your body to have a sluggish metabolism for the rest of the day.



6. Drink plenty of water -- you can decide what type of water to drink but it should be some type of filtered water, distilled or spring. Although you may have heard controversy over distilled water experts say that distilled water is really better for you because it doesn't have the salts and the minerals in it. You can get these nutrients from food so you do not need it from water.



7. Get a good night's sleep -- many women do not sleep a full 6 hours and the body needs at least this amount to keep it moving. Your body burns fat when you are asleep and you are refreshed upon awakening.



8. Keep your stress levels low -- by keeping a stress-free life for the most part you can ensure that you will get more benefit from your exercise. Low stress also promotes good cardio health, your body won't store belly fat because it thinks it is starving and you will have a strong sense of well being. This will motivate you to do the exercise that is needed.

About the Author:

Matt Lisk is a REAL fat loss expert who shed over 80 pounds in 8 months and has maintained his loss for over 3 years. He is the author of Lean State University's Fat Loss 101 Newsletter.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/rapid-fat-loss-tips-for-women-672710.html

DivaCups are Silicone Menstrual Cups

There are a number of menstrual cups sold in the market today. They are made from different kinds of materials. The DivaCup is a menstrual cup that is made from silicone. The silicone menstrual cup is a comfortable and secure alternative to disposable menstrual products such as pads and tampons. This menstrual cup is worn internally whenever the woman has her period. It is made from durable medical grade silicone that is 100% hypoallergenic and is suitable for women who have allergic reactions to latex. Silicone menstrual cups are very convenient, reliable, comfortable and sanitary. These can hold up to 30 ml or a full ounce of content. On average, the menstrual cup is not even half full after 12 hours. This product is perfect for athletes and women who have strong menstrual flow. The vagina is self-cleansing. It washes away the dead cells and bacterias. The tampons absorb the natural fluids needed by the vagina to keep it moist and clean. With the DivaCup, the menstrual flow is collected, leaving the natural moisture the vagina needs. There are two models from DivaCup. There is the Model 1 for women who are under 30 years and have never had given birth and the Model 2 for women who have given birth or are over 30 years old. This is to accommodate the varying degrees of vaginal muscles strength and elasticity. A proper fit is important with the DivaCup. To find out more about DivaCup, go to www.divacup.com