Give Yourself a Lifestyle Makeover This Weekend

Ever wish you had more time for self-improvement? Authors Jill Martin (a regular style contributor for the TODAY Show) and Dana Ravich prove that you don't need a year, a month or even a week to make positive steps to improve your life -- all you need is a weekend. Their new book, The Weekend Makeover, hits shelves on Tuesday, March 26th, guides you through steps to improve and refocus many areas of your life, exclusive from Friday night through Sunday supper.

If you're like me, you barely have time for yourself during the week, so weekends are a time to play catch up on you-time. That's the concept behind The Weekend Makeover and we are so jumping on board to "get a brand new life by Monday morning." Check out a few of Jill and Dana's must-have tips.

Makeover Your Diet: Martin recommends always asking other people for their diet tips (Have you signed up for Drop 10 yet?) and tricks to build your own pile of knowledge. A tip she gleaned from her TODAY Show colleague, nutritionist Joy Bauer? Mix plain Greek yogurt with a pack of sugar-free hot cocoa. Instant chocolate pudding that fills you up, not out. YUM.

Makeover Your Workouts: Use Sunday afternoons to schedule your workouts for the next week, like you would your meals. To really stick to a work out plan, you need to actually HAVE a plan, and that takes time, so map it out and put them in your calendar.

Makeover Your Closet: Purge, purge, purge! At the end of the weekend, make sure every item in your closet fits your lifestyle, age, personality and locale. Plus, every piece needs to be in great condition and you need to actually wear it. (Sorry, last season's trendy top!) Martin also adheres to a one-in, five-out rule. A tough but smart way to pare down your wardrobe!

Makeover Your Mind: Although work takes up most of my mental prowess, I've been wanting to brush up on my German and Italian; the authors say that if learning or refreshing a language is your goal, start incorporating some of its basic phrases into your daily vernacular and routine. Had a good day of language learning? Treat yourself to dinner at an ethnic restaurant where you can practice the language! Mi piace!

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