Give It Up

Giving up a vice is never simple, but FitSugar reader kelliechio is coming clean on her gummy bear addiction for the 10th challenge of our Get Fit For 2011 giveaway.

Just look at them . . . they are so cute . . . so sweet . . . so tasty . . . so . . . EVIL??? Yes, they are evil! But how could I? How could I say the bite-sized treats adored by adults and children across the globe . . . are bad?? Well, I will tell you why gummy bears are bad, at least for me. You see, I have a bit of a problem. OK, it's a full blown addiction. I am obsessed with these cute little gummy critters. By obsessed I mean I must have them . . . MUST have them . . . each and every day. I have been eating them every day since . . . hmmm, I don't even know. There have been years and years and years of gummy bear consumption. But my sweet friends, I must bid you adieu. I always knew you were bad for me but like a girl hooked on the "bad boy" type, I just kept coming back. I knew your sugary goodness was being stored by my body and was slowly being turned into the newfound fat on my thighs and stomach. None of your bad qualities really sunk in until last week. I visited the dentist for my bi-annual cleaning. The dentist didn't have good news. She asked me what was going on . . . was I chewing sugary gum? Drinking Coke after Coke? "Gummy Bears," I mumbled as I stared at the floor. "What?!?!?" Yes doctor, I am 31 years old but I have an uncurable craving for those sweet and sinful animals. "I am sorry to say, your friends are rotting your teeth, you have SEVEN cavities," she said. 

 So you see, I have no choice but to put my gummy bear eating days in the past. I came home and threw away ate the rest of my stash, and I haven't gone gummy shopping since. I must admit, I am a bit nervous without those "beary" delicious treats around . . . so please wish me luck. For this week . . . and from now on . . . I am giving up my vice, my gummy bear addiction!

You too can enter to win our weekly prize of a $100 New Balance gift card and our fabulous grand prize — a four-day fitness boot camp in LA. All you have to do is pick a vice (or an unhealthy habit) to give up for a week and then blog about it our Get Fit For 2011 community group. The more you participate, the better your chances of winning!

Flickr User Joostje

We are two weeks into our health and fitness giveaway challenge — how's it going? This week's challenge is to keep a food journal in our Get Fit For 2011 group. Simply writing the blog posts enters you into our giveaway with weekly prizes ($100 gift card from Nike) and a fabulous grand prize (trip to LA for a fitness boot camp).

Well, we have a bonus challenge for you (remember, the more you participate, the more chances you have to win). Week Two Bonus Challenge: give up a vice for a day and blog about your experience in the Get Fit For 2011 community group.

You've been monitoring what you eat for a few days now with your food journal, and we're wondering if you see a pattern. Too much processed foods? Too many sweets? How many glasses of wine with dinner? We challenge you to give up a vice for 24 hours — just to see what it's like to live without it. You might find it's easier to do than you expected. Be sure to tell us what you're giving up, why, and if it was hard or not. Include an image with your blog post and we might just feature your post on FitSugar!

When it comes to medical opinions, it's sometimes wise to get a second one, which is what I am asking of you, oh wise FitSugar readers. A fan of Dr. Oz, I watched his show the other day where he mapped out a 28-day plan to rid one of his audience members of her 12-sodas-a-day drinking habit. A cola junkie, she seemed excited about their plan to walk away from the bubbly drinks, but I'm just not sure I'm buying his month-long program.

Curious to see what it is?

The Give It Up community challenge may be officially over, but it's making a lasting impact for some FitSugar readers; sagebliss is giving up TV for the long haul!

I saw the Give it Up Challenge when it was first posted on FitSugar, but at the time I didn't feel inspired to give up anything in particular. But within the last few days my husband and I have decided to give up television. More accurately, we decided to cancel our cable service, and we even returned my beloved DVR to our service provider. It was my husband who first proposed the idea, and I have to admit that when he suggested it, I looked at him as if he were crazy. After all, the new fall season is just now starting! But, the more I thought about life with no television, the more it appealed to me.

Life without television means that I have more time for the things that are important to me — family, friends, a healthy lifestyle, reading, writing, and learning. Now that I have embraced the idea, I'm actually feeling excited about it.

Join our Get Fit For 2010 and share how you're taking charge of your health and fitness.

FitSugar reader lauren decided to give up meat for the Give It Up Challenge.

I had given up meat for a week and a half. At home, my husband and I cooked up a variety of meals full of veggies! Absolutely no meat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sure I had started to miss meat but when there is no meat in the fridge, it is an easy temptation to resist.

My husband never signed up for the challenge, so the minute we ended up at a restaurant for dinner, he ordered a juicy bacon cheese burger complete with French fries. As I still have another two days of no meat, I ordered a grilled cheese and tomato soup. Hoping the melted cheese would be close to substitute for a juicy burger. Once our meals arrived I couldn't resist eyeballing his burger, it smelled just delicious. Unfortunately, my grilled cheese and tomato soup couldn't stop me from having just one bite of that juicy burger. I savored every moment of it and then went back my vegetarian plate. I did feel a little guilty for falling off the vegetarian wagon for just a moment but I quickly got back on. Do you miss your vice?

Having troubles giving up your bad habit or vice? Share the deets in the Get Fit For 2010 community group. The challenge is almost over, but the last days can be really tough.

We're already through an entire week — and then some! — of our Give It Up community challenge. How the heck are you, ladies? I'm doing pretty OK with my meat-free diet, but cravings definitely hit. I have moments where I want to saddle a little bacon next to my eggs or toss some chicken into a salad. But the hardest part is definitely lunch.

On the days I forget to pack my own lunch, I end up walking from spot to spot trying to find something healthy, meat-free, and filling to eat. Since a lot of places just throw whatever random veggies they have onto bread, it can be hard to find quality vegetarian meals. It's mildly frustrating and definitely time consuming, but the upside is that I get to walk more during my break. But man, I do miss a good turkey sandwich!

How about you: what's been the hardest part of your Give It Up challenge?

Don't just read about it, join the challenge. It's a chance to turn over a new leaf as the seasons change. Give up a vice or a bad habit for two weeks and see how your life improves. Tell us what you're giving up in the Get Fit For 2010 community group.

It's been easy living meat-free for the Give It Up Challenge, except when it comes to lunch. Lunch for me is a turkey sandwich of some sort, which is off limits right now. And while I love a good veggie sandwich, I'm already tiring of the usual combos. But a recent lunch date taught me that fruit makes an awesome sandwich filling and, in terms of heartiness, a great meat fill-in.

On my lunch date, I had a grilled peaches with arugula and goat cheese sandwich; total game changer. The sweet peaches paired nicely against the peppery arugula and went especially well with the tart goat cheese. And because the peaches were grilled, they were a good substitute for meat. Vegetarian or not, fruit is a great way to put some extra nutrients on your sammie. Here are some fruit combs that I'm especially fond of:

• Grilled cheese gets a makeover. Apple and cheese is a classic pairing, whether on a cheeseboard or at the fondue pot. Expand on this idea and make yourself a grilled cheese and apple or pear sammie like this grilled Gouda and apple sandwich. And how about this grilled brie with prosciutto and blackberries?

See more ideas for fruit sandwiches when you read more

FitSugar reader Angelica is giving up sugar and processed foods for the Give It Up Challenge. So far, so good, but check out this test of temptation she faced earlier in the week.

I've joined Fit's Give It Up Challenge and I've said sayonara to sugar and processed foods for two weeks. I grocery shopped the day I set the goal so my meals have been extra fresh and delicious, and so far it has been a painless exercise. My first unexpected temptation came in the form of a salty bag of chips that came with my deli sandwich yesterday. They would have been a delightful compliment to a veggie sammie, but knowing they are the classic processed food trap, I left them in the office kitchen for someone else to snack on. Halfway through week one and going strong!

Way to go, Angelica! Don't just read about it, join the challenge. It's a chance to turn over a new leaf as the seasons change. Give up a vice or a bad habit for two weeks and see how your life improves. Tell us what you're giving up in the Get Fit For 2010 community group.