FitSugar

Holiday Diet Tip: Don't Skip Breakfast Before a Big Dinner

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:00:54 PST

Christmas is almost here, and many of you are gearing up for gifts, time with the fam, and that enormous Christmas dinner. It may seem like a great idea to forgo breakfast to save room for your decadent evening meal, but it's not a good strategy for a few reasons. Not only will you feel exhausted and too crabby to socialize, but avoiding breakfast will also slow down your metabolism. To compensate for the calories you didn't consume, your body will conserve them, so you'll actually end up burning fewer calories. If you skip your first meal, you'll be starving by the time dinner rolls around, so you could end up devouring way more calories than you otherwise would.

Research also shows that eating breakfast reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure. So do your body good by enjoying a hearty meal first thing in the morning. Choose foods that are high in protein, low in saturated fat, and full of fiber. Yogurt, high fiber cereal, oatmeal, and vegetable omelets are great choices.

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Mistakes That Could Ruin Your Morning Workout

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:50:47 PST

If you work or go to school full time, getting your sweat on in the wee hours of the morn is probably the only time you can fit it in. Kudos to you for resisting the urge to hit the snooze button and skip out. Make setting your alarm and pulling yourself out of bed worth all the effort and avoid these morning exercise mistakes.

Not eating: It's super early, but you need to eat in order to fuel your workout. Munch on something small while you're getting ready, like half a banana or half a piece of toast with a little peanut butter. You'll not only avoid the gnawing hunger pangs, but you'll also have an extra pep in your step to exercise harder or longer than you would on an empty stomach. When you get home, you can enjoy your usual breakfast, which is always something to look forward to.
Loading up on fiber: While it's important to eat a little something, you don't want to load up on bulky fiber that can make you feel too full or upset your stomach.
Not hydrating: Aside from food, you also need water. Definitely don't down half a gallon before you hit the gym because too much water can cause cramping, but make sure you sip a short glass of H2O while enjoying your small snack.
Not laying your outfit out the night before: You don't have oodles of time in the morning, so don't take away from your exercise time by scrambling to find your missing sock. Plan your outfit before you go to bed so you can just slip it on and go.

Keep reading for more morning exercise mistakes to avoid.

15 Ways to Annoy Your Boss

SavvySugar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:11:08 PST

Whether you're hoping to get ahead at work or just trying to build healthy relationships, it's important to understand how your boss works - what she appreciates, what she respects, and what she can't stand. Create a strong connection with your manager and avoid irritating her by steering clear of these 15 ways to annoy your boss:

Arrive late, coffee in hand. If you waltz into the office 20 minutes late, clutching a Starbucks cup, chances are it's not going to be well-received. If you're running short on time, skip the coffee shop and head to the office coffeemaker instead.
Dress inappropriately. Your boss doesn't want to feel like your parent, so she won't be thrilled if she has to regularly address your workwear. Keep things professional and remember to err on the conservative side.
Regularly bring up your accomplishments. Patting your own back is fine every once in a while, but high-fiving yourself for every little victory is sure to frustrate both your co-workers and your boss. Save the boasting for your year-end review and always note your successes with a purpose - as in, say, while negotiating salary.
Say you'll "try" instead of you "will." When you're asked to finish something, that means you're expected to finish it. Form your responses carefully, as even small tweaks can have a huge effect. Instead of saying, "I'll try to get to that," nod and assure your boss by saying, "No problem, I will get to that as soon as I've finished this."
Ask personal questions. Your boss will offer personal information as she sees fit, so refrain from asking anything too intimate. Small talk is fine, of course, but remember to maintain professional boundaries during conversation.
Tattle on other employees. Most information finds its way through the grapevine, so chances are your boss will find out about any significant scandals from someone else. Nobody likes the office tattler - and telling your boss someone else's secrets would say more about your character than theirs, anyway.
Reply to all her tweets. You may be Facebook friends, but that doesn't mean you need to "like" every status or comment on every one of her pictures. Keep the interactions minimal so that you don't aggravate her with hourly notifications that say you've commented on five more of her Instagram photos.

Keep reading for more ways to annoy your boss.

How to Go (Almost) Meatless

Leta Shy — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:11:40 PST

Maybe you've realized that all your meals are built around a slab of meat, or maybe you've read about the benefits of a vegetarian diet, but if you've been feeling like you should lay off the animal protein but don't want to make an entire lifestyle change, you can still benefit from tweaking your diet to eat less meat. Here are four ways to go almost meatless with your diet.

Meatless Mondays: One of the most popular ways to skip out on meat is to cut it out once a week. Start your week off right with a Meatless Monday; you'll feel good about getting back on track after any weekend indulgences. Need ideas? Check out all our Meatless Monday recipes and start cooking!

Vegan Before Dinner: Cookbook author and columnist Mark Bittman practices this policy. Focus on dairy-, meat- and egg-free meals until that last meal of the day. Cutting out nonvegan foods until dinner helps you get more creative for your lunch and dinner - plus, if you stick to whole foods, chances are your meals will be incredibly nutritious, too. Here are some vegan breakfast recipes and vegan lunch recipes to get you started.

Two more ways to go almost meatless after the break!

8 Tips For a Healthier Brunch

FitSugar — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:42:25 PST

Weekend brunch is one of my favorite meals, but with all the deliciously decadent foods to choose from, like a Belgian waffle smothered in maple syrup and whipped cream, it's easy to overindulge. To avoid having to spend the entire afternoon in a coma on the couch, here are some tips for making your weekend breakfast as healthy as it is satisfying.

Load pancake batter with fruit: Mix in at least three different kinds of fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, cut-up cherries, apples, or bananas. With all that fresh, warm fruit, you might even skip the maple syrup.
Don't stop at oatmeal: Any cooked grain makes a hearty and satisfying breakfast. Cook up some brown rice, farro, quinoa, polenta, or millet and add yogurt, nuts, and fresh fruit.

I'm just getting started, so keep reading to check out my other tips for a healthier brunch.

4 Don'ts For Your Next Breakfast

Leta Shy — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:16:35 PST

When it comes to meals, breakfast is the champ. Instead of grabbing a muffin at the coffee shop to fuel your day, give the mealtime the attention it deserves. Here are four don'ts for the most important meal of the day.

Don't skip it: Eating breakfast helps jump-start your metabolism after it slows down during your sleep. Not only that, but eating breakfast is an important tool in maintaining weight loss. So don't wait until lunch to nosh; eat a filling, healthy meal early in the day to keep your energy up, brain on, and weight loss goals in check.

Don't delay: The best time to eat breakfast is within an hour of waking up, so don't delay! Unless, of course, you are working out first, in which case you should make sure you fuel up with a pre-workout snack before you go (read our tips for choosing a pre-workout snack here). Afterward, be sure to eat a protein- and carbohydrate-filled breakfast 30 minutes to two hours after a workout in order to fuel your body the right way.

Read on for more breakfast don'ts.

How to Travel Cheaply in Europe

LearnVest — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:15:51 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

I recently embarked on a 16-day adventure through Europe: five nights in Paris, two nights in Milan, two nights in Rome and five nights in London. Sounds expensive, doesn't it? It doesn't have to be. Here are my secrets on how I saved tons of money on this vacation!

Rewards Programs. About a year in advance of the trip, I applied for a Marriott Rewards credit card (I pay off the balance each month and just accumulate points). The person I went with travels for work on a weekly basis and only stayed in Marriott hotels for a year. Between the two of us, our hotel stays were free for this trip. Even further, with Gold Status we got free breakfast every morning, and unlimited bottled water and snacks. Goes without saying that this was a huge money saver!
Fly Round Trip. I started scoping out flights months in advance, and what I noticed is that round trip flights to Europe were way cheaper than flying to one country and then home from another. So I booked a round trip to London, which only cost about $600 per person (including taxes and fees). The trip started in Paris, which meant getting on another (separately booked) flight from London to Paris once we arrived, but then I ended our trip in London for easy access going home.

Read on for more tips on traveling cheaply in Europe.

How to Cut 500 Calories From Your Day

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:21:13 PST

In order to lose a pound in seven days, you need to cut out or burn 3,500 calories in a week. That's 500 fewer calories a day. If you just can't squeeze in a workout, here's how you can cut those calories out of your diet, a little bit at a time.

*This is not a full day's meal plan, but rather examples of where you can cut calories in your daily diet.

Breakfast

Choose vanilla Greek yogurt (120 calories) instead of blueberry-flavored (140 calories): save 20 calories
Top yogurt with 15 sliced grapes (51 calories) instead of adding a quarter cup Craisins (104 calories): save 53 calories

Breakfast calories saved: 73

Continue reading to find out how to cut the rest of your calories from lunch, dinner, and dessert.

Mistakes Runners Make on Race Day

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:38:43 PDT

Whether you're signed up for your town's Turkey Trot 5K or a much longer distance (like this weekend's NYC Marathon!), you don't want to do anything on the big day that might cause discomfort while running - or worse, an injury. To ensure your best race, here are mistakes to avoid on race day.

Wearing Something New
Train in your race-day outfit during the weeks leading up to the race. I'm talking everything from your undies to your sports bra and your wicking socks to your hat. You want to make sure that what you're wearing is comfortable, breathable, and won't cause any irritation. Be sure to practice longer training runs in this outfit; sneakers that feel great after three miles might cause painful blisters by mile 12.

Eating Too Much or Not Enough
Your nerves might have your stomach in knots, but don't skip out on your prerace fuel. A few hours before the race, eat a meal of familiar foods that are easily digestible. Avoid a meal that is laden in fat and sugar - it won't give you sustained energy and may also cause stomach cramps. Like your outfit, food is something you can play around with during training. Find a meal that works for you by testing it out before going on a big training run. Hydration is key too. Drink 14 to 20 ounces of fluid two to three hours before you run rather than chugging an entire Nalgene 10 minutes before. Make sure you stay hydrated throughout the race, too.

Continue reading for more tips on what not to do on race day.

Healthy Choices to Make, Morning, Noon, or Night

Leta Shy — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:20:12 PDT

Even if your day is so busy you think that skipping lunch or grabbing a calorie-filled snack is the only way to go, you can still salvage even the unhealthiest day to keep you on the right track. No matter what time it is, it's not too late to make a healthy choice, so read on for tips on how to stay energized, healthy, and alert all day!

Morning
Boost your energy the healthy way - by waking up refreshed, refueling your body, and kick-starting your metabolism. This means training your body to wake up without the snooze button and eating a healthy, lean breakfast that will keep you full for a long time. And go ahead, have a coffee, but don't start downing cup after cup. Too much caffeine can leave you wired, which will only lead to a crash later in the day. Find more easy tips for boosting your a.m. energy without that second cup of coffee here.

Read on for healthy choices to make for the rest of the day.