FitSugar

Fit for December: Must Haves

FitSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 05:30:00 PST

They say the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, but I must add that it generally isn't the healthiest. Here are a few things I think will help you stay happy, fit, and healthy in December.

Source

A Cancer Survivor's Goal: 50 Triathlons by Her 50th Birthday

espnW — Fri, 04 May 2012 04:26:06 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Julia Savacool

It's a good thing Jenn Sommermann discovered triathlons when she did. "I was turning 40 years old, and my friend and I were looking for a way to commemorate the occasion," Sommermann said. "We decided to train for a triathlon." Because Sommermann was on the East Coast and her friend was on the West, the two trained together virtually, exchanging workout notes and messages of encouragement. Several months later, they competed in the Danskin Women's Tri in Seattle.

"That was it, I was in love with triathlons," Sommermann said. Little did she know, two years later the fitness she gained through the sport would help her win a battle against ovarian cancer.

It was December 2006 when Sommermann received her diagnosis. She'd been feeling out of sorts for months, but had been reluctant to see her doctor.

The symptoms for ovarian cancer are subtle: Bloating, weight gain, fatigue and indigestion are all indicators for the disease, but they are also common symptoms for many women during their monthly cycle. The main difference with ovarian cancer, explained Sommermann, is the symptoms don't go away.

It was by chance she discovered the cancer - she was pressing on her stomach one night and came across a hard lump. "I called my husband over, and he felt it, too," she said. "I knew this wasn't good." She went to see her physician immediately, and an ultrasound revealed a tumor about the size of an eggplant. "I had Stage 3 ovarian cancer," said Sommermann. "I was in shock. The disease is 94 percent curable if you catch it by Stage 2. But after that, the numbers are not in your favor."

Surfing gets Anastasia Ashley through tough times

Read more about Jen's inspiring story after the break.

Meeting My Sperm Donor

The Good Men Project — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:00:50 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Ben Sommer, conceived through alternative insemination, is a young man now and tells the story of deciding to meet his donor.

I grew up in a middle-class home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with two loving parents, both of whom are women. My conception was perhaps the most organized and scientific miracle of the modern American family - my architecture, the dream of dozens of individuals conducting their work across thousands of miles.

Objectifying Ryan Gosling

I was conceived through alternative insemination. A donor submitted his sperm to the Sperm Bank of California in Oakland (TSBC). Later, it was sent to the Fenway Community Health Center in Boston. Since opening its doors in 1982, TSBC has helped families without the ability to conceive on their own to birth over 2,000 children. Two thirds of those have ended up, like me, being raised in a lesbian household. TSBC is also the first sperm bank to offer a donor-identity-release program, which allows children of alternative insemination access to their donors' information when they turn 18.

I am not as much an oddity as you might think. As of 2005, some 270,000 children in the United States had same sex-parents. We are a generation that is just now beginning to come of age and able to share our stories. This is mine.

Growing up in a lesbian household was much like growing up in any other family unit, I imagine: vacations to Cape Cod, parents working late and sometimes not, play dates with a diverse group of friends.

I never gave much thought to that mysterious figure across the country. I never questioned the fact that I didn't have a father. As far as I was concerned I didn't need one. Is having two moms really all that different than having a mom and a dad? Parents are parents, right? I didn't see a difference at the time. My parents didn't either - at least at first.

They decided to conceive through a donor, in part, to avoid the complications that a third parent would bring. Asking a close male friend to donate, like some couples have done, can create unforeseen consequences. In the past, there have been custody battles between the donor and the parents raising the child. This was the case with a friend of mine, whose parents arranged donation from a male family friend. With a semi-anonymous donor like the man my parents chose, it would be clear who my parents were. And it was.

That's not to say that it was smooth sailing. "When we first learned you were going to be a boy, we really panicked," my mother told me recently. "Who's going to teach him to throw a ball? We didn't have many male friends. There was even basic stuff, like who's going to teach him to pee standing up. That doesn't come naturally."

Read the rest of the story below.

Are Your Birth Control Pills Safe?

Shape — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:06:17 PST

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

Last year during my annual exam, when I complained to my doctor about my terrible PMS, she was quick to pull out her pad and give me a prescription for the birth control pill Yaz. "You're going to love this," she said. "All of my patients that are on it think it's the best. It's even helped some of them lose weight!"

Less PMS and not having to worry about my weight? I was sold, even though I'd only intended to talk to her about lifestyle and/or diet modifications since my birth control needs were already taken care of. Before I stopped into the pharmacy, however, I looked up the pill online (Paging Dr. Google!). The results were anything but the lovefest I'd been promised. In fact, the information I found scared me so badly that I never filled that prescription.

Am I Normal? Your Top Six Sex Questions Answered

It quickly became evident that I wasn't the only woman concerned when Yaz and it's sister pill Yazmin, two of the most popular pills on the market, came up for review by the FDA after reports that the manufacturer may have hid and minimized critical health risks. But is the hysteria warranted?

Find out how safe birth control pills are after the break!

How to Lose 5 Pounds in 5 Minutes

Self — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 04:05:05 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Pumpkin pie, Christmas cookies, potato latkes, mashed potatoes and gravy . . . We're all guilty of overindulging in December but getting back on track doesn't have to be as difficult as it sounds. It may take weeks to melt away those post-holiday pounds but it's easy to create the illusion you haven't gained an ounce simply by improving your posture.

"Most of us spend way too much time slumped in front of computers, slouched at steering wheels or vegging out in front of TVs," says fitness expert Liza Savage-Katz. "It collapses lung space which restricts our breath, affects our mood and cuts off proper nerve and blood supply to the brain."

To counteract these bad habits, Savage-Katz recommends a few "very simple exercises kind of like sucking in your stomach" to "carry your body as nature intended." You'll instantly look as if you've dropped five pounds. Add these three moves to your daily routine to "strengthen your abdominals, improve your posture and strengthen your back."

Get the moves after the break.

Christmas List Giveaway

Sponsor — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 10:00:00 PST

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MAKING A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. The Christmas List Giveaway (the “Contest”) is sponsored by Sugar Publishing, Inc. (owner and operator of FabSugar.com & BellaSugar.com), having an address of 111 Sutter Street, Suite 850, San Francisco, CA 94104 (“Sponsor”).

ELIGIBILITY:
Open only to permanent legal U.S. residents physically residing in the fifty (50) United States of America and the District of Columbia. Employees of Sponsor and its respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies and any other entity involved in the development or administration of this Contest, and their immediate family members or household members are not eligible to participate in or win the Contest. All prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parents or legal guardians on their behalf. Winners may be required to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility and complete relevant tax forms as a condition to the delivery of the applicable prize. Void where prohibited by law. All applicable federal, state and local laws apply.

HOW TO ENTER:
No purchase is necessary to participate in the Contest. To enter, you must log into your profile at any PopSugar Network site (or register for a profile at http://www.onsugar.com/user/register), navigate to Sponsor Post in FabSugar’s eBay Scout Community (http://ebayscout.fabsugar.com) and leave a comment as described on the entry page between 10:00 am PST on December 12, 2011 and 11:59pm PST on December 18, 2011 (the “Entry Period”). Entries generated by script, macro or other automated means are void. Normal time, toll, connection and usage rates, if any, charged by your Internet service provider will apply. All entries become the property of the Sponsor. One entry per person.
By registering and leaving a comment, you will be agreeing that your registration and any other information collected in connection with the Contest may be used by Sponsor in accordance with Sugar Publishing, Inc.’s Privacy Policy and may be shared with Sponsor’s affiliated business entities, and that you automatically opt-in to receive email, text messages or other communications from Sponsor. You may subsequently opt-out of the receipt of such email or communications by following the directions in the email, communications or by contacting Sponsor directly.

All registrations must include entrant's valid email address. The email address provided by online entrants will be the identity of the entrant and, if selected for a prize, the identity of the winner. We expressly reserve the right to disqualify any entries that we believe in good faith are generated by an automated program or via scripts. By participating, all entrants agree to abide by these Official Contest Rules.

PRIZES:
At the end of the Entry Period, there will be one (1) drawing in which one (1) potential winner shall be selected from all eligible entries received during the Entry Period by employees or representatives of the Sponsor to receive the prize one (1) $100 eBay gift card (retail value = $100). Decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding with respect to all matters related to the Contest. All prizes will be awarded. In no event shall the Sponsor be obligated to award more prizes than the number of prizes stated in these Official Contest Rules. No substitutions (including for cash) are permitted, except that Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater monetary value for any prize. All prizes won by minors will be awarded to their parents or legal guardians on their behalf. Winners shall be responsible and liable for all federal, state and local taxes on the value of their prize. To receive a complete list of winners or a copy of the Official Contest Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Prize Fulfillment, Sugar Publishing, Inc., 111 Sutter Street, Suite 850, San Francisco, CA 94104. Specify winner's list or rules on your request.

Please allow 6-8 weeks for prize delivery.

SELECTION:
The winning entry will be chosen at random. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting the entry, the entry will be deemed to be submitted by the person in whose name the e-mail account is registered. The Contest will be conducted under the supervision of the Sponsor. The decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding in all matters relating to this Contest. The winners will be notified by email and/or by private message through the winner’s onsugar.com account; Sponsor reserves the right to determine the method of notification. Winners must claim their prize within three (3) business days after the date of notification of such prize. A Contest winner's failure to respond to the prize notification within the specified three (3) business days will be considered such Contest winner's forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries. Sponsor reserves the right to ship prizes directly to the email and/or mailing address provided by winners during their entry to the Contest. Each entry submitted in response to the Contest and in accordance with the rules will constitute an official entry. All entrants agree to abide by these Official Contest Rules. All entries become the property of the Sponsor.

General Conditions and Releases:
An entrant or winner may be disqualified from the Contest if he or she fails to comply with each provision of these Official Contest Rules, as determined in the sole discretion of the Sponsor. Participation in the Contest is at entrant’s own risk. Sponsor shall not be liable for 1) failed, returned or misdirected notifications based on inaccurate information provided by the winner on the contest entry form, 2) entries and responses to winner notifications which are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, postage-due, misdirected, damaged or otherwise not received by the intended recipient in whole or in part or for computer or technical error of any kind, 3) any electronic miscommunications or failures, technical hardware or software failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit an entrant's ability to participate in the Contest, 4) any technical malfunctions of the telephone network, computer on-line system, computer equipment, software, program malfunctions or other failures, delayed computer transactions or network connections that are human, mechanical or technical in nature, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from downloading any part of this Contest or 5) any warranty of fitness or merchantability of any prize or the function or operation thereof, which shall be the sole responsibility of the manufacturer of the prize. Sponsor does not make any, and hereby disclaim any and all, representations or warranties of any kind regarding any prize. Unless prohibited by applicable law, your entry constitutes your permission to use your name, photograph, likeness, voice, address (city and state) and testimonials in all media, in perpetuity, in any manner Sponsor deems appropriate for publicity purposes without any further compensation to such entrant. By entering or accepting a prize in the Contest, winners agree to be bound by these Official Contest Rules and to conform to all federal, state and local laws and regulations. When applicable, the winner (or, if the winner is a minor, the winner's parent or legal guardian) may be required to execute and return to Sponsor within ten (10) business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release to be eligible for the prize or an alternate winner will be selected. Winner may be required to furnish proof of identity, address and birth date in order to receive a prize.

By entering, an entrant agrees to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its respective parents, subsidiaries and affiliated entities, directors, officers, employees, attorneys, agents, and representatives from any damage, injury, death, loss, claim, action, demand, or other liability (collectively, “Claims”) that may arise from their acceptance, possession and/or use of any prize or their participation in this promotion, or from any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded, regardless of whether such Claims, or knowledge of the facts constituting such Claims, exist at the time of entry or arise at any time thereafter. Any person attempting to defraud or in any way tamper with this Contest will be ineligible for prizes and may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Sponsor reserves the right to modify these Official Contest Rules in any way or at any time. Sponsor reserves the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel or suspend this Contest should viruses, bugs or other causes beyond their control corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the Contest. In the event of cancellation or suspension, Sugar shall promptly post a notice on the Contest entry page to such effect. This Contest shall be governed by California law. By participating in this contest, entrants agree that California courts shall have jurisdiction over any dispute or litigation arising from or relating to this Contest and that venue shall be only in San Francisco, California.

15 Days of Holiday Giveaways, Day 2: Win a $1,500 Victoria's Secret Gift Card

TresSugar — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:36:38 PST

It's the holiday season, and we're getting in the spirit with our third annual 15 Days of Holiday Giveaways! Every day for the first 15 days of December, one of the PopSugar Network sites - plus our sister sites PopSugar Shop, Fashionologie, and ShopStyle - will feature a new fabulous giveaway.

For our second day of Holiday Giveaways, you can enter to win your naughty and nice wish list from Victoria's Secret with a $1,500 Victoria's Secret gift card.

That's not all – don't forget to enter our other 15 Days of Holiday giveaways including LilSugar's $1,300 Huggies holiday prize package, PopSugar Shop's exclusive Pamela Love necklace and $500 shopping credit, FabSugar's $2,500 to J.Crew, FitSugar's giveaway of two Trek bikes and Vella bags, ShopStyle's giveaway of a $2,500 Barneys New York shopping spree, and YumSugar's $1,000 Williams-Sonoma gift card. We will be revealing more amazing giveaways every day, so come back daily and enter them all.

This giveaway has ended.

15 Days of Holiday Giveaways, Day 7: Win $2,500 to Barneys New York

PopSugar — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:36:15 PST

For our seventh day of holiday giveaways, our sister site ShopStyle is giving away a $2,500 shopping spree to one of their favorites, Barneys New York.

Enter ShopStyle's giveaway now!

After you enter ShopStyle's giveaway, don't forget to enter PopSugar's giveaway to win a $2,500 shopping spree to Bloomingdale's, TrèsSugar's giveaway to win a $1,500 Victoria's Secret gift card, LilSugar's giveaway to win a Huggies holiday prize package, PopSugar Shop's giveaway to win an exclusive Pamela Love necklace and $500 PopSugar Shop credit, FabSugar's giveaway of a $2,500 gift card to J.Crew, and FitSugar's giveaway of two Trek bikes and Vella bags. We will be revealing more amazing giveaways every day, so come back daily and enter them all. Good luck and happy holidays!

Giveaway Official Rules

15 Days of Holiday Giveaways, Day 5: Win a $2,500 J.Crew Gift Card

FabSugar — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:14:57 PST

For our fifth day of holiday giveaways, you can enter to win a new Winter wardrobe from one of our favorite brands - J.Crew - with a $2,500 J.Crew gift card.

This giveaway has ended.

After you enter our giveaway above, don't forget to enter FitSugar's giveaway of two Trek bikes and Vella bags, ShopStyle's giveaway of a $2,500 Barneys New York shopping spree, YumSugar's giveaway to win a $1,000 Williams-Sonoma gift card, SavvySugar's giveaway to win a Lenovo U300 Ultrabook powered by Intel, CasaSugar's giveaway of $1,000 to Design Within Reach, and PetSugar's giveaway of three Limited Edition iRobot Roomba 780s. We will be revealing more amazing giveaways every day, so come back daily and enter them all. Good luck and happy holidays!

Enter Our Amazing 15 Days of Holiday Giveaways Now!

PopSugar — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:50:00 PST

'Tis the holiday season, and we're getting in the spirit with our third annual 15 Days of Holiday Giveaways! Every day for the first 15 days of December, one of the PopSugar Network sites – plus our sister sites PopSugar Shop, Fashionologie, and ShopStyle – will be revealing a new amazing prize. Click on the unwrapped presents below to enter to win that site's fabulous prize and remember to check back every day to enter to win. Be sure to enter now so you don't miss out! Good luck!

Day 1: PopSugar – $2,500 to Bloomingdale's	Day 2: TrèsSugar – $1,500 to Victoria's Secret	Day 3: LilSugar – $1,300 Huggies Prize Package
Day 4: PopSugar Shop – $500 to PopSugar Shop and Pamela Love Necklace	Day 5: FabSugar – $2,500 to J.Crew	Day 6: FitSugar – Two Trek Bikes and Vella Bags
Day 7: ShopStyle – $2,500 to Barneys New York	Day 8: YumSugar	Day 9: SavvySugar