Halloween is the one holiday that truly separates the parents from their childless friends. The differences in lifestyle between women with kids and women without kids is magnified more at Halloween than any other time of the year.

To a mom, a costume party means dressing up the kiddos and heading to the neighbors to watch her little pirates and princesses bob for apples. To many of her single friends without kids, it means throwing on their best slutty nurse, cat, or French maid garb and heading to a booze-fest to bob for something else.

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 Suzy and I have always been inspired by “real” women and how they manage to stay fit while juggling busy careers and families. By “real” women I mean the not so rich and famous gals. As we all know, celebrities  have a definite advantage when it comes to staying in shape, because a live - in nanny, personal chef, trainer and in-home gym take a lot of the work and time commitment out of the struggle to maintain good health.

This is not to diminish the hard work, commitment and sweat that is still required to have the body Madonna does,  just that it’s more impressive to us here at *f.a.t. headquarters when women with “real” schedules are able to do it without a lot of those things; and many having full time day jobs on top of it!

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  I am generally not a fan of celebs who tell us how they think we should act politically, as if we do not have a brain of our own, However, I’m giving Sheryl a pass on this because she has so many other redeeming *f.a.t. qualities.

Just looking at her should tell you why she wins the title of *f.a.t.ty (Fit After Thirty Hotty) of the week. She’s got a body of a woman half her age, which should tell all of you that the old attitudes and stereotypes about aging, can be thrown out right along with that boyfriend who didn’t appreciate you (Can anyone say Lance Armstrong?)

Speaking of which, have you ever seen anyone handle such a painful and public breakup with more class than this woman? I imagine fighting for your life after a breast cancer diagnosis probably has a way of putting things in perspective, making a girl a lot less concerned about a broken heart!

So, next to her music, it’s her survivor spirit that I admire most! Attitude is everything when it comes to being a Fit After Thirty Hotty!

In keeping with my theme to showcase a celeb whose positive qualities are so abundant, that I am willing to overlook the quality that is my biggest celeb pet peeve, (a tendency to think that their money and fame gives them license to preach), I’m choosing Matt as our Fit After Thirty Hotty! 

It’s no wonder why I like Matt, because I tend to be attracted to that special mix of qualities that seems to be unique to east coast men. It’s a perfect blending of a simple rather than overstated type of class, boy next door-niceness, traditional values, and pure, unadulterated masculinity and passion. Put all those in a blender, mix it up, and you have yourself a Matt Damon smoothie! (Mind out of the gutter, girls.)

The best thing about guys like Matt is that they place a higher priority on substance and they like normal girls. He could have had any model he wanted, yet he married a relatively average woman, and have you noticed how happy he looks when he’s with her?

It goes without saying that he’s a brilliant actor, but Good Will Hunting is one of my all time favorite movies so I still admire his writing talent the most! And what did he do with all that money and fame once he got it? He started Project Greenlight with Ben Affleck to give unknown writers and directors a chance to make it big too!

He was hot ten years ago, but with every Jason Bourne role he plays, he just keeps getting hotter! Age isn’t hurting this guy’s appeal in my eyes!

Remember when you were a pre-teen sitting in the school library one day, seeing a National Geographic for the first time while working on your Social Studies report? Well I do. And I remember that the sagging boobs in some of the images I saw made me think, gosh, when mine grow in, I hope they look different than that! It wasn’t until a couple years later that it dawned on me that the sagging isn’t a matter of how they “grow in”, but what happens over the years after they grow in. 

It stands to reason that in those tribal areas where the Wonder Bra hasn’t yet become a wardrobe staple, sagging might be exacerbated; hence the images in National Geographic, right? Well not so fast, girls. I’ve come across a couple of studies to the contrary, that seem to indicate that it’s not the lack of bra usage that causes sagging, but rather the wearing of bras that makes our little birdies fly South for the winter and never return. Hell, if that’s the case, then Britney Spears has pretty much ensured that hers will stay perky forever! (And we just thought she was acting trampy). My God, the girl’s a genius. Here’s the proof: 

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Michelle’s the big time runner around here, so how did I get relegated to do the running skirt review? Well, I assure you I did not volunteer. A coin flip and I lost. You would think that I would jubilantly embrace this assignment considering that I have a personal philosophy that women should proudly display and enjoy their femininity during sports, even while competing as fiercely as a man.

This belief is why I play soccer in my pink cleats and pink headband. This is why I buy lululemon fitness wear. This is why Florence Griffith Joyner, with her long, colorful fingernails was my hero after her performance in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Rest in peace, Flo Jo.

So why would I resist running around in a mini skirt? Hell, I’m even prone to thigh chafing on runs over four miles, so if anyone should welcome the running skirt with open legs, (so to speak), then it should be me!

However, as you know from reading my tech gadget posts, I tend to resist things I don’t understand and downright shun things that confuse me. And, well….the running skirt does both.  But lucky for all of you, I also love learning, so although I was not yet willing to sport the skirt out on a run along the strand, I was ready and able to research it for you AND take a lap around Sport Chalet in the thing. (I know. I know. I’m very much a slow to commit, toe in the water to see if it’s cold, kind of girl! What can I say?)

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Healthy snacking is a must for all *f.a.t. women. I don’t care if you are a mom or a single *f.a.t.ty; I have been both. I know how busy life is and how important healthy snacking is to maintain a healthy weight and to stay Fit After Thirty! We all remember the days in our twenties when we could grab any kind of junk food on the go, with no real consequences. Well, guess what? After about 30, our metabolism starts to slow down and decreasing hormones can more easily result in energy slumps. We have to be more mindful of what we are putting into our mouths both at mealtime, and snack time.

Three meals a day with two snacks keeps blood sugar levels on an even keel and keeps you from ever being in a desperately hungry state. (See our Fit After Thirty’s Top 10 Post Pregnancy Weight Loss Suggestions) The key to success is to always have snacks readily available. Snacks should be healthy, satisfying and convenient. And they should be within easy reach. So, pack your shelves, cars, purses, bras - or wherever else you can get to easily when hunger strikes - with healthy eating solutions. I know for me it’s all about convenience. It needs to be easy, nutritious and available at a tummy growl’s notice.

My Top 5 Pics:

1. Bear Naked all natural granola – I like the fruit and nut blend. Homemade granola made from real whole grains and “bearly” (or minimally) processed ingredients.

2. Kashi TLC 7 grain crackers – Just add some peanut butter or hummus and you are set. Kashi’s products are natural, minimally processed, and free of highly refined sugars, artificial additives and preservatives.

3. Snacktrition Smoked almonds – They have added calcium so you get more bang for your calories, so to speak. Each item of Snacktrition is unique in the nutrients that it delivers. Depending on the item, you will find three grams of dietary fiber or more than 100 milligrams of calcium, which translates to approximately 12 percent of the recommended daily fiber needs and approximately 10 percent of recommended daily calcium needs.

4. Luna Bar - I like the Lemon Zest. Luna’s ingredients come from natural sources, meaning they do not have added colors, flavorings, or preservatives, and are processed less than other products.

5. Grab an apple - they are readily available and convenient. They are full of fiber which slows the sugar’s absorption and maintains blood sugar at steady levels. They are also filled with the mineral boron, which is great for bone growth. This is why they are perfect for women and kids.

For your chance to win Kashi snack bags filled with convenient, healthy snacks, please use the Submit a Story button and send us a personal inspirational health or weight loss success story, along with a photo. If chosen we will showcase you on our site and send you Kashi goodies!

On the heels of our Halle Barry pick of the week yesterday, I thought it would be a great time to talk about pregnancy after the age of 35. As we mentioned in yesterday’s post, Halle just gave birth to a baby a few months ago. In fact, women over 35 having babies, is becoming more commonplace as more women pursue their careers and put off marriage until their thirties and forties.

Lately, many Hollywood celebrities have had babies over 35. Some of the most recent ones are: Salma Hayek, Nicole Kidman, Brooke Shields, Madonna, Courtney Cox, Marcia Cross. (See more information on Celeb moms 40 and older)  

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We figured that if she is good enough to be named Esquire Magazine’s Sexiest Woman Alive, in the most recent edition, then Halle Berry is good enough to be our *f.a.t.ty (Fit After Thirty Hotty) of the week!

Anyone who can look like she does in Esquire, at 42 years old after just having a baby deserves to be our pick of the year! Halle has always been gorgeous, but there is something about her now that is even more sexy than the Halle of a few years ago. (Which is saying a lot considering how she looked in the James Bond movie).

We love her because she is an inspiration to all women and a strong testament to what 40 and beyond can look like! I know some of you are thinking, yeah but when you have money for all the best cosmetic procedures and a personal trainer, how hard can it be to stay sexy?

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Some women like the classically handsome, model-good looks of Brad Pitt. Some women like the quirky, yet sexy, uniqueness of Ben Stiller. I happen to fall into the second group of women. This is the guy that if he wasn’t famous, all but a few women would dismiss at a bar. I am not one of them. The reason? Because I have always found uniqueness to be hotter than perfection whether the guy is rich, poor, famous, or not famous. Ben Stiller just has “it” and he always has (Does anyone remember Reality Bites?), and that is why he is our Fit After Thirty Hotty!

A lot of you women might say he’s too short, and at 5′7″ maybe he is shorter than a lot of you, but he’s a giant when it comes to sex appeal, in my book. Some women might say that his ears stick out too much or he’s too nice or too boy next door or too quirky. All of those things would be true, and that’s why he’s hot.

If there is any dude that embodies the Fit After Thirty principal of just being the best version of oneself possible, then it is this guy. He came out of the gate comfortable in his own skin despite his lack of resemblance to Mr. Pitt and other Hollywood stars, and he capitalized on his best asset - his humor. He embraced his own unique brand of sarcasm and blessed the rest of us with his creative genius. (The second Madagascar comes out in November, and I look forward to watching every promotional interview the guy does!)

Aside from his ambition, sense of humor, and fabulous looks, he seems to be what I think every woman would want in a husband. Have you heard this guy talk about his wife and kids? The man is passionately devoted. He’s full of heart all the way around. His family, his career, his friends. Is there anything hotter in a man than passion for the things that matter to him? I don’t think so.