On The Couch: Goodbye Harry. It's Been A Blast

Tonight I'm going to see the final Harry Potter film. I've had the tickets booked for weeks and, like a kid before Christmas, the excitement is borderline unbearable (so apparently is my constant chatter about it). But this time, the thrill is bittersweet because it's The Last Time. Spanning more than a decade, my relationship with Harry Potter has far outlasted any of my actual relationships, so I thought on the eve of this final chapter in our 13-year history, I'd celebrate some of the magic Harry has brought into my life...

When we met... I was at high school and my favourite English teacher Mrs Matthews told us about a new book we simply had to read. It was about a wizard. It wasn't in the curriculum, but she'd ordered 25 copies for the library. "Just get through the first few chapters and I guarantee you'll love it," she assured us. She needn't have worried. I loved it from the first word.

When the last book came out... My sister and I lined up outside K-mart before it opened and bought one copy each. Both hardback. (Mum nearly had a fit about the price.) Then we read them together, checking in to ensure one wasn't further ahead than the other. Then I stopped to do something and my sister "accidentally" blurted out who died. I spent the rest of the day reading, taking a brief break every now and then to shoot my sister a death glare. Good one, Lucy.

I went to uni... And found possibly the only other crazy Harry fans at the University of Technology, Sydney to form a friendship with. While other uni students drank beer and debated politics, we got drunk and quizzed each other on the books' most intricate details. They really were the best of times.

One birthday... I asked (no, begged) my parents for the Harry Potter Lego castle. It was $110. Dad told me to grow up. Lucky Lucy knew exactly how much I wanted it (and maybe still felt guilty about the whole telling-me-who-died thing) and she coughed up the cash. I spent all morning putting it together and... It. Was. Awesome.  There was even little Lego characters and a detachable shark head so I could relive all the action of the Tri-Wizard Cup. Like I said, totally awesome.

My 21st birthday... It was a Potter Party and I went as the very loveable Luna, complete with radish earings. There were snitches and wands and Griffindor flags –and, best of all, there was a carefully crafted Sorting Hat cake made by my dad, and it blew all those Women's Weekly cakes out of the water.

What are your favourite Harry Potter memories? Did you ever lay in bed at night hoping a bearded giant would break into your room and say, "You're a wizard, Alice." (Or maybe that was just me...)

Duff's Got The Stuff.

Daily Mail

Back in 2003, I kissed goodbye any chance I had of ever being considered truly cool when I purchased Hilary Duff's first post-Lizzie McGuire album Metamorphosis – and then proceeded to sing So Yesterday to anyone who would listen.

But regardless, I've always been a big fan of the Duffster. And not just because the lyrics to her songs are so deeply felt out (I mean, "Why not take a crazy chance, Why not do a crazy dance"...) Also because, after admitting she struggled with an eating disorder, Hils has got her health back on track with a very balanced attitude to life – and boy does it show! The former teen queen has been flaunting her revamped beach bod Italy this week and it looks like those gym sessions have been paying off – she looks trim, toned, but not too thin. How refreshing.

And even more refreshing, Hilary admits that, like everyone, "I go through stages where I feel super motivated and want to work out every day, and then I won't work out for two or three weeks and I'll feel like s***. Then it's time to hop back on the wagon again."

Gotta love her. So rich. So famous. Yet somehow, so goddamn normal.

How Do You Measure Up?

 

You might jump on the scales every morning, fingers crossed behind your back for an acceptable number, but do you know how you measure up in terms of your waist circumfrence? Do you know how much your body burns every day just getting around (because, yes, breathing and walking to the fax machine all burns kilojules)? If you don't, check out these nifty calculators. 

 

They're very useful figures to know if you're serious about weight-loss. Your BMI might not always be the most accurate indicator of good health – it doesn't know how much of you is fat and how much is muscle – but, as Shakira would say, your hips don't lie.

Can A Nutritionist Help You?

snottub

Here's the thing about personal trainers – they are awesome at creating exercise plans, but dishing out diets? Not so much. That's where it's better to consult to a trained dietician or nutritionist (there's a good rundown on the difference here). Food is their forte. And we all know that when it comes to weight-loss, what you eat constitutes about 80% and exercise does the rest.

I went to see a nutritionist when I first started going to the gym. I was working out, but not losing any weight. I needed someone with fresh eyes to look at my diet, so I booked in a session with Kathleen Alleaume from The Right Balance. Before my first appointment, I savoured a last Cadbury Freddo, sure that she was going to put me on some no-carb, starvation diet. But alas, she looked over my food diary, took my measurements, talked to me about my goals, discussed my food likes and dislikes and came up with a new eating plan that was healthy, balanced and (most importantly) full of things I actually want to eat.



That's the thing about dieticians, they're not into fad diets or cutting out entire food groups – they work with you to educate you and help you change the way you think about eating. And that's the strategy that works if you want long-lasting results that not only get you a little lighter but enrich your body with all the nutrition it needs. So if you've hit a road block on the way to weight-loss, it might be worth considering investing in a dietician who can help get you on the right route.

On The Couch: Trasformers – Dark Of The Moon.

What's the story? After a rocky start in the first two Transformers flicks, the Autobots have found a peaceful new home on planet Earth, and Sam (Shia LaBeouf) has found himself a smoking new girlfriend in Carly (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley). But when the Decepticons return for a secret weapon found on the moon in the '60s space race, all hell breaks loose.

Why it's worth paying $20.50 to see in 3D... I'm a sucker for any movie where pimped-up cars turn into robots (I don't think the novelty of watching that will ever wear off), but this is the first time I've seen it in 3D and, well, it's awesome squared. Sure, the script is a little clunky, but the action sequences are slick and cool as hell. Making her leap from the Victoria's Secret runway to the big screen, poor Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has copped some flack for her acting skills (one reviewer said her acting makes former Transformers star Megan Fox's acting look as good as Kate Winslet's), but let's face it – with that hair and those legs, who really cares. There were moments I caught myself ignoring the robot war and just thinking, "Are those lips for real?" She's got the looks and that's really all a Transformers leading lady requires. Josh Duhamel adds some extra eye candy.

On The Couch: Holy Macaroon! It's Ginny Weasley.

Daily Mail

 

There'll be a line of boys stretching down the street to buy her a butterbeer. Yes, this really is 20-year-old Bonnie Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter films on the cover of Haute Muse magazine. And I have to say, she looks positively spellbinding.

Something I Never Thought About Before Today: What You Wear Down There When You Exercise.

Women's Health

 Cotton briefs, a G-string, commando... Does it matter? I never thought so. Then I read this, and now I'm not so sure.

The combination of heat, sweat, and friction in your nether regions is not only uncomfortable, it can be unhealthy. Tight and nonbreathable clothing traps heat and moisture, which can encourage the growth of candida, and lead to an unbearable yeast infection. That's not the only thing you have to worry about. When bacteria travels from back to front, it increases your risk for contracting an uncomfortable urinary tract infection (UTI) as well. These can both be prevented if you pay special attention to what you wear below the waist.

Sheesh! So what's the winner? Well it seems moisture-wicking undies like these Berlei Sports Boy-legs come up trumps and breathable cotton is the next best thing.