FitSugar

Mindy Kaling on Her New Year Diet Plan

Tara Sharp — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:57:37 PST

Freshly minted author of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? Mindy Kaling made an appearance on Conan last night, and she dished that her New Year's resolution was a new diet plan. Mindy's approach to losing weight in the new year is to stop eating by 4 p.m., which she admits can hinder any chance of a dating or evening social life. It's also been making her cranky in the morning, but the funny writer's assessment is that "if you look good enough, no one cares if you're really unpleasant." Watch the clip below!

What We Learned in 2011 About Dieting

Leta Shy — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:39:36 PST

Over the year, we shared with you the strategies that work when it comes to dieting. Here are our top diet tips of the year, from the latest findings to tips on losing weight without exercising!

Is It Hard to Stick to Your Diet Over the Holidays?

Leta Shy — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:05:42 PST

Chances are you've been to a holiday party or two already. And besides the guaranteed drinks and merriment with your friends and family, there's another guarantee - the table of never-ending treats.

It can be hard to think about diet and exercise during a month chock-full of cookies, candy, and eggnog. I've asked my friends if it's been easy to stick to a diet as the holiday festivities ramp up, and most of them answer with a resounding, "No!" I'm the same; for me, the holidays mean less a focus on diet than ensuring I stick to a pretty normal workout routine (regular exercise is one of the best ways to prevent holiday weight gain), so I don't feel a compelling need to limit myself when the treats roll by.

If you're having the same trouble staying with a diet plan, don't worry; we have some tried-and-true tips for staying healthy whether you're at a holiday party or if you're eyeing the food court while gift shopping. But if you've abandoned all hope until after New Year's Eve, you're not alone - after all, January's a big month for renewed diet resolutions for a reason, right? So tell us: do you conveniently forget about your diet plans over the holidays, or do you make sure you stick to your normal healthy eating plans?

The Biggest Diet Trends of 2011

Leta Shy — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:35:06 PST

Like years before, 2011 was chock-full of trendy diets that got everyone talking, as well as trying. So what were the top diets of 2011? Read on to find out!

HCG Diet
The HCG diet isn't new (it's been around for more than 50 years), but it's once again a phenomenon. This was the year that people flocked to doctor's offices to get a pricey hormone injection all in the name of weight loss. The diet's deal: eat a restricted calorie diet, usually 500 calories a day, and inject the HCG hormone (or use drops or lozenges) every day. The claim is that the HCG hormone, which occurs in pregnant women naturally and helps them burn fat to use to feed their babies, helps convert body fat to energy so you get all the adequate calories you need every day without feeling hungry, but experts warn that there aren't any studies that prove the safety and effectiveness of the diet.

Paleo Diet
Eat like your ancestors did - as in, the ones from a very long time ago. The Paleo diet is a meal plan based on the hunting and gathering instincts of cavemen. That means lots of free-range, grass-fed meat, fresh seafood, and vegetables, but no grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugars, and processed foods. The Paleo Diet's main focus is to improve your overall health, and many people who have been on it say it's cured their digestive conditions, such as IBS. Experts are split on whether or not it's an effective diet - especially since some very common foods, like dairy and grain, are forbidden.

Read on for more top diet trends of 2011.

Do You Eat Whatever You Want Over the Weekends?

Michele Foley — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 12:04:40 PST

Normally I only see my workout buddies during the week. We meet at the gym, and they're always in uber-fitness and healthy-diet mode. After months of only hanging on the treadmill, we got together a few times this weekend. Since I was so used to hearing them discuss diets and workout regimens, I was shocked to see these gals eating and drinking anything - and everything - they wanted.

They explained that during the week, their diets are strict, regimented, and controlled. Once the weekend rolls around, it's all out the window: indulgent brunches, Bloody Mary happy hours, and a Saturday spent bar hopping are all the norm. They told me that they "bank" calories during the week to use on the weekend. While I definitely give myself a little break on weekends, I am still pretty mindful of what I eat. Especially since two days filled with booze, fried foods, and refined carbs is enough to leave me feeling hungover into the work week.

What Healthy Choices Will You Be Making This Halloween?

FitSugar — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 03:06:00 PDT

Thanksgiving and Christmas aren't the only overly indulgent holidays. Halloween gives them a run for the caloric title spot. Between candied apples, trick-or-treating stock, and Halloween-inspired cocktails, it can be hard to resist the constant temptations. But anything helps, whether it's bringing a healthier treat to your neighborhood Halloween party or limiting the amount of Halloween candy you consume, so what healthy choices will you be making? If you need ideas, check out our healthy Halloween survival guide for tips!

The Paleo Diet: Are Our Ancestors the Key to Weight Loss?

Michele Foley — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:57:57 PDT

The Paleo Diet, or Caveman Diet, is gaining momentum in the fitness world as a healthy way to lose weight. My trainer is all about the Paleo Diet - a meal plan based on the dietary habits of our Paleolithic, cave-dwelling ancestors. We're talking wild game, meat, and seafood, and vegetables, fruit, seeds, and nuts. What you won't find as part of the Paleo Diet are foods that developed during the agricultural and industrial eras like grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugars, and any other processed foods.

Given the Paleo Diet's low-carb leanings, it makes sense that it's gaining popularity as an effective way to lose weight. On the calorie meter, protein, vegetables, and fruit give a lot of bang for the buck, and the elimination of grains, refined sugars, and legumes can dramatically drop a person's daily calorie intake. The big question is whether or not the Paleo Diet is healthy and can be sustained for the long run.

Keep reading to find out if the Paleo Diet is a healthy solution to weight loss.

Reward and Remind: How to Maintain Weight Loss

Leta Shy — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:17:58 PDT

As hard as losing weight can be, sometimes the battle begins again when you try to stay at your goal weight. A new study from the USDA shows that the secret may be in the way you think.

The study sought to find strategies that would help people maintain their weight in addition to dieting and exercising. After studying 926 people with BMIs 25 or higher (the marker for being overweight) who lost 10 percent or more of their total weight, researchers found that there are two main ways that help them successfully keep the pounds off. The secret? Remind yourself why you need to control your weight, and reward yourself for sticking to a diet and exercise plan. The people who followed these strategies were more apt to stay motivated after they lost weight.

Find out more about rewarding and reminding yourself to keep the pounds off after the break.

Blake Lively Uses Cupcakes to Fatten Up Ryan Reynolds

Michele Foley — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:51:55 PDT

Based on her baked-goods antics, it looks like Blake Lively has a bit of a competitive streak in her. At a press conference for The Green Lantern, Blake joked that she attempted to thwart costar Ryan Reynolds's efforts to bulk up with his weakness - cupcakes. "It was just a way to sabotage Ryan. He was working out as much as he was, and I'm the girl. I'm supposed to look better." Ryan was happy to oblige, but based on the previews I'm seeing of the movie, it looks as if the cupcakes did very little in wrecking his form.

While Blake was definitely joking, this isn't always the case. Have you ever known anyone that was just a little too generous with gifting you baked goods?

6 Weekend Weight-Loss Tips to Slim Down

Shape — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:44:06 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

After a week of spartan lunches, rigorous workouts, and sleep-depriving presentations, it's easy to feel you've earned a happy hour margarita and a plate of cheesy nachos. But topping off a tough week in this way can undo all your hard work and even pack on the pounds. According to a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, women consume about 115 more calories on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday than they do on weekdays. "Those extra 300 to 400 calories can leave you nine pounds heavier by the year's end," says Barry Popkin, Ph.D., the study's lead author. Fortunately, when armed with the right advice, it's possible to avoid the most common dietary traps while savoring that delicious downtime. And you may even wake up on Monday a little slimmer. Not a bad way to start the week!

FRIDAY

Overdoing It at Happy Hour
Alcohol isn't only high in calories, it also diminishes resolve - making it harder to keep your hands out of the pretzel bowl.

Keep reading to see the solution to this and many more weekend dilemmas!