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We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on POPSUGAR Fitness.

By Jenny Everett

When you want to shed serious weight, walking might not even come to mind. But it should.

"Fast-paced walking, when combined with healthy eating, is hugely effective for weight loss," says Art Weltman, PhD, director of exercise physiology at the University of Virginia. And those simple steps can have a big impact on your overall health, cutting your risk of everything from heart disease to depression. If your daily strolls haven't made you skinny so far, your speed may be the problem. Many of us stride more like a window-shopper than a power walker. The goal — thankfully — isn't crazy race-walker style; you just need to move at a challenging pace.

In studies, Weltman has found that women who do three short (about 30-minute) high-intensity walks plus two moderately paced recovery walks a week lose up to six times more abdominal fat than participants who simply stroll five days a week. (This despite the fact that both groups burn the exact same number of calories.)

The power walkers also drop about four times as much total body fat. "There is a strong relationship between intensity of exercise and fat-burning hormones," says Weltman. "So if you're exercising at a pace considered to be hard, you're likely to release more of these hormones." The best part: When women walk, deep abdominal fat is the first to go. That's a scientific fact we can get excited about.

Health.com: 10 Ways to Walk Off Fat Faster

Another happy truth: Although you're moving at a fast clip, power walking is still easier on the joints than running. "During walking one of your feet is always in contact with the ground," says Weltman, "but during running there's a float stage where your whole body is lifted in the air. Then you come back down and subject your body to the impact."

That's why walking is a smart long-term fitness plan. To get you off on the right foot, here's a complete primer, from how to tweak your speed for maximum burn to what gear you need (hint: almost none). Follow the workouts and wisdom — along with healthy eating — and not only can you lose those extra 10 pounds in three weeks, but you will have a no-fuss plan that you can do anywhere, anytime.

Dial in your speed
To make sure your pace is on point, use these guidelines from exercise physiologist Tom Holland, author of Beat the Gym. For maximum fat burn, aim for 30 minutes at power-walk intensity three days a week. That time can be completed all at once, or you can break it up into spurts with recovery strides (stroll or brisk walk) in between.

• Stroll. Think window-shopping pace, or an intensity of 4 on a scale of 10. It burns about 238 calories an hour.
• Brisk walk. This means an effort of 5 or 6 on a scale of 10. It burns up to 340 calories an hour (at a 3.5 to 4 mph pace). While you can gossip about Mad Men, you need to catch your breath every few sentences.
• Power walk. You're torching off approximately 564 calories an hour (at a 4 to 5 mph pace). Moving at this clip, using your arms to help propel you forward and taking longer strides, your effort should be a 7 or 8 on a scale of 10. Talking is possible only in spurts of three or four words, but . . . you'd . . . rather . . . focus . . . on . . . breathing.

Health.com: 20 Ways to Torch 200 Calories

The amped-up plan
This program from Holland mixes a regular walking workout with interval routines to help you reach your power-walking quota of 30 minutes, three times a week. Aim to walk on three nonconsecutive days and either rest or cross-train on the other ones. If you cross-train (think power yoga or swimming), you'll help your body recover; and with diet, you'll progress more quickly to dropping up to 10 pounds in three weeks.

Keep reading for more tips plus the full walking plan.

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on POPSUGAR Fitness.

By Amy Spencer

You'd never guess looking at her now, but just four months ago, Brooke Burke-Charvet was undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer. The diagnosis was a shock for the 41-year-old Dancing With the Stars cohost. Newly married to David Charvet, the mom of four was busy juggling her career and blended family when, last Spring, her doctor found a lump.

She is now cancer-free, and the experience reinforced Brooke's belief in the importance of taking care of yourself — inside and out. Here's her everyday advice for eating right, getting fit, and staying grounded.

Focus on what matters
"Dance through the chaos. Breathe through everything. I've got four kids — including a 13-year-old going on 30 — and this is my second marriage. I know there's not going to be balance in every day, so I don't beat myself up. I'm an idealist; I strive and dream big. But I focus on the stuff that really matters, and I let everything else roll off. Truly, truly, truly."

Keep the romance going
"In our house, with four kids, it's tough to remember we're a couple, not just people's parents! We try to have a regular date night, but sometimes it doesn't happen, so we make sure we connect every week. Maybe it's a lunch. Maybe it's dinner after the kids fall asleep. Sometimes it's with another couple. It's just the fact that we got up, got dressed, and got out of our sweats!"

Keep reading for the rest of Brooke's tips.

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on POPSUGAR Fitness.

By Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD

One of my clients sought me out after she trained for her first marathon and gained weight. She thought the pounds would fall off and couldn't understand what she was doing wrong. Dozens of others have asked, "I go to the gym six days a week; why am I not losing?"

It may sound odd, but being active doesn't guarantee weight loss.

I know, it doesn't seem fair. But if you're in this rut, don't give up! Keep on exercising; you will see results. But put these five dos and don'ts into action first.

Don't overestimate the impact of your workout
After a good run or a class that kicked your derriere, you may feel like you've earned the right to splurge. The hard truth is, it's incredibly easy to "eat back" much of what you've burned. For example, in a one-hour circuit-training class, an average woman burns about 550 calories. Not too shabby. But even if 100 percent of that was body fat, which it isn't (it's impossible to burn pure body fat, even in the "fat burning zone"), that's only enough to shed one seventh of a pound.

Treating yourself to a 16-ounce smoothie, a large oatmeal cookie, or a large red velvet froyo cancels out more than half of your hard work, whittling your calorie deficit down to less than 300.

Tip: On workout days, stick to your usual healthy eating routine, or if you have the urge to splurge, create some balance — instead of tacking a cookie onto your sandwich order, ditch the bread and opt for a salad topped with lean protein, to make room for those cookie carbs.

Health.com: 30 Quick and Easy Fat-Burning Recipes

Do focus on the benefits that indirectly affect your weight
Even if exercising didn't burn a single calorie, it's still essential for good health and a smart weight-loss strategy. In addition to building muscle, numerous studies have shown that being active reduces stress and improves sleep quality, two factors that strongly influence your metabolism. One study, which tracked over 60,000 nonobese women for 16 years, found that those who slept five hours or less per night had a 30 percent greater risk of packing on 30 pounds, compared to those who slept a solid seven hours each night. Another Yale study found that nonoverweight women who are vulnerable to stress are more likely to carry excess belly fat.

Tip: Rather than obsessing over the calorie reading while on the elliptical, visualize yourself happily relaxed and sleeping soundly, two states that translate into a healthier (and thinner) you.

Keep reading for more reasons exercise alone might not be enough.

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on POPSUGAR Fitness.

By Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD

I loathe the word diet. Technically, it can simply mean a manner or style of eating, such a vegetarian diet or Mediterranean diet, but for most people, the 'D word' means a short term period of deprivation and downright misery, that will inevitably be abandoned. That's one of the reasons I didn't use the word diet in the title of my latest book S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim (the S.A.S.S! stands for Simple and Satisfying Solutions).

While it is a weight loss strategy, the book is really all about getting into balance; and in my experience, when you do just that, you'll lose weight as a side effect. Even better, if you stay in balance, you'll keep the weight off. That's why no matter what type of program you try, the real key to shedding pounds for good — which is what everyone really wants — is stick-with-it-ness.

If you can't realistically see yourself happily hanging in there six weeks or six months from the start, chances are you'll regain all or more of the weight you lose. Have you been down that road before? If so, avoid going there again, by asking yourself these five questions:

Health.com: Are You Making These Dieting Mistakes?

Is it one size fits all?
A lot of weight loss programs are designed for the average woman, who is 5'4" and based on a moderate activity level. If you're taller or shorter, less or more active, or you're a man, you shouldn't be following the same plan as a woman of average height who exercises for 30 minutes five days a week. If you can't or don't know how to modify an approach for your body's needs, it probably won't work for you.

Does the premise make sense?
When I meet with a new client, I ask them about every other diet or weight loss program they've tried in the past. As we talk through each one, I often hear things like, "I didn't really understand it, but I lost nine pounds." This is often because many diets have nothing to do with science, or how the human body optimally works, but because you ate less or ate differently, you lost weight. And while that may be one way to cut excess calories, it may not be the best way to build or maintain muscle mass and lose body fat, optimize energy, and best support your immune system and overall health. In other words, the 'whys' behind any approach really matter, and if they're flimsy or fishy, you may be seriously shortchanging yourself.

Keep reading for three more questions to ask before trying any diet.

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on POPSUGAR Fitness.

By Sunny Sea Gold

Let's face it, sometimes there's nothing better at the end of a long day than a glass of wine. But sipping much more than that can wreak havoc with your shape, and not just by adding hundreds of calories to your diet. Alcohol temporarily keeps your body from burning fat, explains integrative medicine specialist Pamela M. Peeke, MD, author of The Hunger Fix. The reason is that your body can't store calories from alcohol for later, the way it does with food calories. So when you drink, your metabolic system must stop what it's doing (like, say, burning off calories from your last meal) to get rid of the booze.

"Drinking presses 'pause' on your metabolism, shoves away the other calories, and says, 'Break me down first!'" Dr. Peeke explains. The result is that whatever you recently ate gets stored as fat. What's worse: "Research has uncovered that alcohol especially decreases fat burn in the belly," Dr. Peeke adds. "That's why you never hear about 'beer hips,' you hear about a 'beer belly.'"

So can a girl ever enjoy a drink without putting on pounds? Absolutely, if you imbibe the right way. In fact, large, long-term studies published in the Archives of Internal Medicine and International Journal of Obesity found that middle-aged and older women who drank moderately (about one drink a day) gained less weight over time than those who never imbibed at all; they were also less likely to become obese.

It's a complex topic, but JoAnn Manson, MD, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-author of the studies, says that the moderate drinkers appeared to be more likely to compensate for the occasional drinks by taking in fewer calories from other sources and also tended to be a little more physically active. (In other words, they didn't get blitzed on margaritas, then dive in to a bowl of fried ice cream.) What else beyond basic exercise and calorie-counting can keep happy hour from turning into hefty hour? Health dug into the research and grilled the experts on how you can have your sips and jeans that still zip.

Keep reading for four rules on how to drink alcohol without gaining weight.

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on POPSUGAR Fitness.

By Sunny Sea Gold

You already know it's important to start your day off right. Now it's time to kick it up a notch nutritionally, with these easy ideas from Jackie Newgent, RD, author of 1,000 Low-Calorie Recipes. The best part? You don't have to change your regular morning menu. Just add these five nutrient-packed ingredients.

Flax
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed in your bowl of oatmeal for brain-boosting omega-3 fats and two extra grams of fiber.

Health.com: The 20 Best Foods to Eat For Breakfast

Pistachios
Spread toast with chocolate nut spread; add chopped pistachios for cholesterol-lowering phytosterols.

Turmeric
Toss a pinch of ground turmeric into beaten eggs to add earthiness and cancer-fighting antioxidants to a veggie omelet.

Health.com: The Best Foods For Every Vitamin and Mineral

Keep reading for two more breakfast superfoods.

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on POPSUGAR Fitness.

By Tina Haupert

When I'm hungry, I'm more likely to reach for quick, easy foods in my kitchen, which are not always the healthiest. I've learned, though, that with a little strategic organization and stocking of my refrigerator, I'm more likely to reach for nutritious choices. Here are my go-to tips for giving your fridge a healthy makeover!

Put the healthy stuff front and center
Instead of keeping fresh fruits and veggies in the crisper drawers at the bottom of the refrigerator where I can't see them, I put my produce in a big, clear container on one of the shelves. Whenever I open the door, it's the first thing I see, so I'm more likely to grab an apple or handful of baby carrots over something not as nutritious. Similarly, instead of wrapping leftovers in tinfoil, I store them in clear containers so I don't forget about them when my hunger strikes.

Health.com: Skinny Up Your Kitchen

Keep the more indulgent foods out of sight
I love to splurge every now and then, so I keep my favorite unhealthy foods out of sight (and out of mind). Seeing a delicious food makes me more enticed to eat it, so I store these more indulgent foods in opaque containers or various drawers in my refrigerator. For example, I keep a bag of chocolate chips in the butter compartment on the door, so they're not the first thing I see when I open the fridge. Sometimes, I actually forget they're there!

Do some prep work
On Sunday afternoons, I take some time to prepare healthy snacks for the upcoming week. My favorites: sweet potato wedges, hard-boiled eggs, and chopped veggies for dipping into hummus or guacamole. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips when I need something to tide me over until dinner, these healthy snacks are quick and convenient.

Health.com: Essential Items for a Healthy Pantry

Keep reading for more fridge tips.

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on POPSUGAR Fitness.

By Amy Spencer

"I have a list on my iPhone of things that make me happy," says Jennie Garth. It must be working, because she looks brighter than ever in skinny kelly-green jeans (hmm, a nod to her Beverly Hills, 90210 character, Kelly Taylor?) and a white sweater. Jennie is definitely due for some happy: She's spent the past year going through a very public split from her husband of 11 years, Peter Facinelli, with whom she has three daughters: Luca, 15; Lola, 10; and Fiona, 6. But the breakup was also a wake-up call, in body and soul: "Now I feel stronger and more confident in my body."

And, boy, does it show. The 40-year-old lost 30 pounds and earned herself a "Da-amn, girl" shape. Her secret? Eating clean and exercising five days a week (three doing plyometrics and kickboxing, and two hiking with one of her dogs). Jennie is also amping up her career: She has a show in development with her friend and former co-star Luke Perry. After such a transformational year, she's learned a thing or two about working to reach any goal. Here are her tips:

3 ways to feel happier this year

1. Inspire yourself. "I put Post-it notes with quotes or reminders of my awesomeness on my mirror. My favorite is: 'You are enough.' So often we walk around and feel inferior—not smart enough or thin enough. It means that I'm enough exactly the way I am."
2. Say I love you. "They're my favorite words, and I don't say them enough to other people, let alone to myself. When you say them, it makes you want to be gentle and kind. Even if you're mad, there's that love."
3. Be your booster! "There's no room for negative self talk. None. Just ban it from your vocabulary."

Learn Jennie's workout tips after the break!

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health here on FitSugar.

By Kate Ashford

Raise a hand if you have a fast metabolism. Anyone? Truth is, we all think our metabolic rate is slowww—and assume that speeding it up would require two-hour runs and boot camp till we're wrecked. Not so. In fact, all the little decisions you make about eating and moving make a big difference in your calorie-torching ability.

"Your metabolism isn't fixed," says exercise physiologist Gary Ditsch. "You can impact it significantly with your daily activity and diet." Adopt a few of these strategies to get the metabolism you crave—in the time you have.

1. Think: strong
We all know weight-lifting builds muscle, and the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn. What you may not realize is that the calorie burn continues long after your last rep. In a study at Southern Illinois University, exercisers who did a 15-minute resistance routine burned 100 extra calories a day for three days afterward.

"Strength training causes micro trauma to the muscles," says Wayne Westcott, PhD, director of fitness research at Quincy College in Massachusetts. "Your body has to rebuild the muscle." It does that by torching additional protein and carbs. Boost your fat burning: Three days a week, do 1 to 3 sets each of five resistance exercises (think push-ups and squats).

2. Lift first, do cardio second
Exercisers who pumped iron 20 minutes before cycling melted more fat than those who didn't lift or those who waited longer between lifting and doing cardio. So move right from the hand weights to that bike or treadmill.

Health.com: 20 Ways to Burn 200 Calories

3. Spice things up
That beyond-hot mustard that comes with Asian takeout can rev your metabolism by 20 to 25 percent. "It boosts production of fat-burning hormones," says Lori Shemek, PhD, author of Fire-Up Your Fat Burn! Try adding one teaspoon to your usual vinaigrette.

Keep reading for three more ways to kickstart your metabolism.