FitSugar

Which Fall Activity Burns More Calories?

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:30:05 -0800

Even though the days are shorter, there are still a lot of ways to burn calories in the crisp Fall air. But do you know which activities burn the most? Take my quiz to find out. All calorie calculations are based on a 130-pound woman.

Take the quiz

Feel the DailyBurn

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:00:43 -0700

I'm becoming a big fan of DailyBurn - a website that lets its users track workout, diet, and health goals in easy-to-read charts and graphs. There's a ton of great health and fitness information on the site and it has a social side that lets users interact with other members.

If you're not very tech savvy, don't be afraid. The site is easy to use and is laid out in a friendly and intuitive way. There are three main areas to DailyBurn - nutrition, exercise, and social networking. To find out how they work, read more.

Nutrition: This is basically an online food journal on steroids. Its food database contains the details of close to 200,000 foods, which makes it easy to track your diet and calorie intake and get a complete nutritional breakdown of what you're eating. There's also a pretty good database of healthy recipes, too.

Exercise: In this area you can design a fitness program for yourself or use one of the 80,000+ existing programs already on the site. If you don't understand an exercise, it's OK, because DailyBurn has tons of videos detailing the exercises. The exercise tracking tool is awesome - you can track your stats for weight loss, muscle gain, strength, and endurance. If you need better improvement in a certain area, it's really easy to adjust your fitness program.

Social Networking: This is where DailyBurn really sets itself apart from other sites. Use this section to find online workout partners and confidants who end up being your biggest cheering section while you reach your goals. And if you like a little healthy competition, you can go up against one another in fitness challenges much like The Biggest Loser. There are also groups members can join depending on their interest.

The basic tools on DailyBurn are free but paid members get access to advanced options like meal planning. The site is a great tool for burning fat and gaining muscle, as well as helping make smarter food choices. I like that I don't need to spend a lot of time inputting information onto DailyBurn because everything I need is already in its databases and navigation tools.

Are Health Factors the Real Reason Behind Coca-Cola's New Labels?

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:00:01 -0700

Will larger labels help offset weight gain? That's what the folks at Coca-Cola are hoping.

New Coca-Cola packaging will feature prominent nutritional labels on the front of all its products by the end of 2011. The company hopes that the "at-a-glance" labeling will allow consumers to quickly find important nutritional information while grocery shopping.

"One thing nearly everyone agrees on, though, is that balancing calorie intake with regular exercise is the key to weight management," announced Coca-Cola in a press release. "And label literacy is the key to sensible calorie intake - people need information and it needs to be easy to find and understand."

The effort is not without controversy though. Many find the attempt by Coca-Cola to be a shrouded move to wield off the government's consideration of imposing a soda tax on the beverage industry, as health experts blame these sweet sodas for the rising rates of obesity.

What do you think of Coca-Cola's new move?

New York Warns: Don't Drink Yourself Fat

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:00:06 -0700

New York City is taking a bold stand against empty calories with its Don't Drink Yourself Fat ad campaign. Recognizing that liquid calories can be a diet saboteur, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is advising residents to avoid soda and other sugary beverages.

The campaign implicitly acknowledges that diet soda isn't necessarily healthier - just lower in calories - by recommending water, seltzer, or lowfat milk. The ads are pretty unappetizing, but I appreciate the message. Click on the gallery below and tell me what you think.

View 3 Photos ›

Short Bursts of Exercise Make a Difference

FitSugar — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:30:16 -0700

Despite what Time magazine says, exercise is good for weight loss, whether you're a marathoner or stair-climber. Though we tend to think of cardio in 30-minute increments, short bursts of exercise, like taking the stairs or walking home from dinner, are also highly beneficial. In fact, doing very frequent activities throughout the day may even be better for your body.

Our ancient ancestors didn't save all their movement for one daily workout, and neither should you. It can overtax your muscles to go from sedentary to sprinting through a 30-minute gym session. Better yet, mini exercise sessions throughout the day make a major impact. Your body begins using energy and burning calories after about two minutes of activity; first you'll usually burn up carbs, followed by fat and protein.

According to the exercise guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association, we should be getting 30 minutes of accumulated moderate exercise daily. There's nothing wrong with spreading that 30 minutes out throughout the day; just make sure you're working hard enough to feel warm and slightly winded. Longer workouts offer a deeper burn, but short sessions aren't a waste of time.

Are you into quick bursts of cardio, or do you save it for your workout sessions?

How to Build a Better Burrito

FitSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:00:38 -0700

If you've taken my Chipotle burrito quiz, you know that these simple Mexican wraps can contain some very serious calories.

It's easier to eat smart when making burritos at home, but what about when eating out? By making a few smart choices at the burrito counter, you can make your meal lower in calories and fat and better for you overall. Here's how.

You probably know that regular black beans, with 227 calories and one gram of fat per cup, are a better choice than refried beans, which can contain up to 16 grams of fat and more than 300 calories. But you may not know that one cup of black beans also offers 60 percent of your daily fiber, plus high amounts of protein and folate.

Get more surprising tips.

Can You Burn Off Those S'mores?

FitSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 04:30:00 -0700

One thing I love about camping and backpacking is that you stay very active, from pitching tents to building fires to hiking. So I don't have to feel guilty about enjoying a few s'mores.

Of course, lounging around the campfire isn't going to burn off those calories, but a few good old-fashioned camping activities will. Take my quiz to find out how much you have to work to feel better about those choco-marshmallow treats. (All calorie calculations are based on a 130-pound woman.)

Take the quiz

How Many Calories Are in These Restaurant Salads?

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Estimating the number of calories for menu items is a challenging task, even for eaters who think they have an eye for making healthy restaurant choices. One person's 400-calorie estimate could be another person's 700-calorie guess.

These dressed up greens aren't necessarily the worst salads in America, but some of their nutritional stats are pretty surprising. Can you guess how many calories are in these salads? Take the quiz!

Take the quiz

Spring Into Action and Guess the Calories Burned!

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 04:30:00 -0700

Ah, Spring, I'm so glad you're here. After all those short Winter days, I'm anxious to hop on my bike and enjoy the evening sun. But cycling is just one of many ways to get moving and burn off those lingering cold-weather calories. So take my quiz and see if you know how many calories a 130-pound woman burns doing these springtime activities.

Source

Take the quiz

New For 2009: CalorieKing Pocket Guide

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 08:00:00 -0700

To celebrate National Nutrition Month, why not put a nutritionist in your pocket? Or at least the next best thing: the 2009 CalorieKing Calorie, Fat and Carbohydrate Counter ($9). This handy book, which fits perfectly into a purse, is like all of my food breakdowns times 10. So if you haven't scooped up a copy yet, now's your chance.

The truth is, we never really know what we're eating when we're eating out, and the CalorieKing guide helps solve that problem. It lists calorie, fat, and carb counts for all manner of supermarket foods, including specific brands and broad categories like fruits and meats. It also dishes on 200 restaurant chains, including fast-food joints, coffee shops, and sit-down dining establishments, both national and regional.

The thing I really like about it is that it also helps when ordering food from nonchain restaurants, like your local taqueria or the takeout Chinese spot down the street. The more than 14,000 food listings include estimated calories and fat for just about any meal you might encounter: BLT sandwiches, chicken tamales, red beans and rice, and matzo ball soup, to name only a few. Get your copy here, and if you get really addicted, you can get a mobile version too.