FitSugar

Using the LiveStrong MyPlate Online Calorie Tracker

FitSugar — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:00:25 PDT

Although I'm on the computer blogging daily, I'm a bit of a Luddite but trying to move away from paper journals for tracking my calories. Maybe because I'm a fan of Lance Armstrong or because the DailyPlate is one of my go-to sites for nutritional information, I chose the MyPlate feature at LiveStrong.com for my first foray into online food and fitness journaling. I've been using the site for two weeks now and so far so good.

Tracking calories consumed is super easy. You can either search for a food (the database has many commercial restaurants, bakeries, and packaged foods) or enter it manually. Many of my staple items are in there: Fage Greek Yogurt, Trader Joe's bread, soba noodles, and coffee drinks from my fave cafe, Peet's. You can also preprogram your favorite meals, making food journal entries a one-click activity. There is a recipe tool for tracking homemade meals too, which is great if you make a big old pot of soup and eat the leftovers throughout the week. When dining out you can use the LiveStrong app ($2.99) on your iPhone and learn that, when dining at Chevy's, you can save about 150 calories by ordering the veggie burrito and passing on the chicken fajitas. The app is great for tracking food on the go.

Learn about the fitness tracker when you

You can track calories burned via fitness too, which is always satisfying. If you work out with a heart rate monitor, you can manually enter your calories burned. The fitness function titled "loops" maps your popular running, walking, or biking routes. You can create circuit workouts too. Plan your circuit, enter it, and then click on the workout every time you do it. I only wish the fitness journal were larger; I'd like to see a week's or month's worth of workouts all on one page, just like the site does for nutritional information.

The calorie tracking on MyPlate is really just the tip of the iceberg, for LiveStrong is also a community and the groups are organized around dares: dare to quit smoking, lose weight, run a marathon, meditate (this is the group I joined and I'm still trying to get those sits in). If you're trying to lose weight, this site will be a super helpful tool to add to your dieting arsenal.

Get a feel for the site by checking out the screenshots below. Do you use LiveStrong.com for your journaling needs? And if you don't, what calorie tracking site do you use?

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5 Techie Ways to Track Workouts and Calories

GeekSugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 06:05:26 PDT

Squeezing a workout into your busy schedule is challenging enough that most people don't take the time to reflect on a job well done afterward. Luckily, there are plenty of simple techie tools that can keep count of your efforts, whether you're working on your fitness, carefully tracking your calorie intake or just curious about how much ground you are covering in your new favorite run.

Just like your fitness regime, most of the popular workout and calorie counting apps and websites require a little setup, but minimal daily effort once you get started. Ready? Set? Go geek out after your workout!

Tea Kettles for a Cure

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 03:00:00 PDT

You know that I'm always in the mood for a nice relaxing cup of tea. Now your health can benefit from all the healthy antioxidants found in tea while you benefit others with these tea kettles from a couple of great causes!

Here is the LIVESTRONG kettle by Chantal (for $39.95). A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of this will go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides funds for cancer research, education and support for those affected by cancer. In the signature "Livestrong" yellow color, this has a 1.8-qt. capacity.
This KitchenAid Cook for the Cure stainless steel tea kettle ($51.99) has pink silicone handles. For every teakettle sold, KitchenAid will make a $5.00 donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for breast cancer research and outreach.

Fit's Tips: What a great gift idea! Buy some of you favorite tea to accompany it and you'll be doing something kind for a friend and helping these foundations too!

Get in Gear: LIVESTRONG with Nike Gear

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 03:30:00 PDT

Lance Armstrong, the most famous cyclist EVER, created the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) after battling and beating Stage IV testicular cancer - he was diagnosed at age 25. His amazing story offers hope and inspiration to everyone; he is fast becoming the face of cancer survival.

In May 2004, we all started seeing these yellow LIVESTRONG wristbands everywhere. The LIVESTRONG wristbands must be one of the most successful fund raising/awareness raising products ever, since now over 55 million people around the world sport them.

You can now show your support for the LAF with a wide variety of LIVESTRONG gear made for women. Purchasing this Nike fitness apparel with the LIVESTRONG logo will not only support cancer programs but also inspire you to abide by the message yourself and "Live Strong."

The list of LAF gear includes: short and long-sleeve shirts, pants, and capris that are made with dri-Fit wicking fabric. Plus you can get track jackets, running shorts, socks, and polo shirts.

All proceeds go directly to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and knowing that 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, you can feel good about buying LIVESTRONG gear.

Want to look at all the gear? Then

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The 3 Weight-Loss Strategies That Actually Work

Leta Shy — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:20:52 PDT

A recent study from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that there are tried-and-true strategies to losing weight - and yes, they are exactly what you expect.

The report tracked 4,000 obese adults for one year to see what worked and what didn't on their quest to lose weight. After a year, 40 percent of those on the study had lost over five percent of their weight, and 20 percent had lost over 10 percent of their body weight.

So, which strategies worked and which ones didn't? Read on to find out the three that worked for the study participants and how you can employ the right weight-loss strategies in your own diet.

Get Red Carpet Ready With This Circuit Workout From Valerie Waters

Michele Foley — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 03:25:57 PST

With the Oscars and all its afterparties only days away, celebrity trainer Valerie Waters and her Red Carpet Ready workouts are in high demand! Valerie, who also serves as a fitness expert on the LIVESTRONG.COM advisory board, still managed to find time to create a full-body strength circuit exclusively for us. Start incorporating this workout into your weekly routine, and you'll be able to hit the red carpet in no time!

Keep reading to see the six moves Valerie uses to get clients like Kate Beckinsale, Poppy Montgomery, and Jennifer Garner in shape, and find out which moves are Poppy's favorites when shaping up for a big night out.

Complete this circuit without resting in between exercises. Rest one minute between circuits. Do it three times. What you'll need: resistance band with handles, a set of light weights, and the Valslide.

Source

Video: Reese Witherspoon Supports Her Guy Jim Toth During a Charity Night Out!

PopSugar — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:02:00 PDT

Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth joined up with fellow Hollywood couple Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves at last night's Art Mere/Art Pere benefit for Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation in LA. We were there on the carpet for the big arrivals, and we chatted with a few famous supporters of the cause. Take a look inside the event in today's PopSugar Rush!

Is the HCG Diet Safe?

Leta Shy — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:37:42 PST

Have you been convinced by the constant barrage of HCG diet testimonials? The diet has recently become the talk of the Internet, even though it was developed over 60 years ago.

The HCG diet claims this: HCG (or human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone found in pregnant women, is supposedly responsible for releasing stored fat to feed the baby in utero. By restricting your caloric intake while injecting the hormone or taking HCG drops daily (typically for 23 days, but many people stay on the diet until they reach their desired weight), the hormone encourages your body to release its fat stores to keep you nourished - leading to weight loss that can be as high as a pound a day. Sounds good, but is it safe? We spoke with Adam Bornstein, editorial director of LIVESTRONG.com, to learn more about the diet and its safety.

Does It Work?
Judging by the amount of success stories seen on TV or on the Internet, the answer is yes. Many users have said that the HCG diet is not only effective, but sustainable. Guests on a recent Dr. Oz show, for example, said that they lost as much as 50 pounds on the HCG diet. Dr. Oz's guests also explained that the diet was only difficult for the first few days, after which the pounds melted away without the users ever feeling hungry.

Experts, however, aren't so ready to give the diet a stamp of approval. For one, there are no studies addressing whether there are long-term side effects in using the pregnancy hormone, and there are no studies that illustrate if the hormone actually helps your body burn stored fat. "There's no research that can actually back up these claims. It's all hypothetical," Bornstein said. The fact that dieters lose weight quickly can most likely be attributed only the dieter's ability to stick to a strict 500-calorie diet and not the HCG hormone itself.

Read on to learn if going on the HCG diet is safe.

How to Ditch Cigarettes Without Gaining Weight

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:48:46 PDT

Quitting cigarettes can be tough to endure; nicotine is so addictive. That's why we're thrilled to hear Jennifer Aniston is putting herself on the nonsmoker list. People reports that in a recent press conference Jen said:

"And rumor Number two: no, we're not pregnant. It's just I quit smoking, so I've gained a couple of pounds."

It's common when quitting smoking to put on a little weight since you tend to reach for other things to keep your mouth busy. Cigarettes can also suppress your appetite, and when you give them up, your hunger may increase. If you're a smoker and are worried giving up the habit will cause you to pack on the pounds, here are some tips to help you quit without gaining weight.

Tell everyone you're quitting: You need all the support you can get. If everyone close to you knows you want to quit, your friends can help distract you when your cravings strike, and your co-workers will know not to ask you to come out for a cigarette break.
Avoid your triggers: Whether it's hitting a nightclub with friends, your morning cup of joe, or driving with the window down - know your triggers and steer clear of locations, food, or people that cause cigarette cravings.
Exercise: Studies show that people have an easier time quitting when exercise is part of their cessation plan, because exercise can reduce nicotine cravings. Plus working out burns calories helping prevent weight gain.

Keep reading for more tips to help you quit cigarettes without gaining weight.

Reese Witherspoon Shops Then Walks For Breast Cancer

Katie Henry — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:33:00 PDT

Reese Witherspoon embraced the cool temperatures in NYC Saturday and layered on a scarf and sweater for some light shopping around town. She was reportedly checking out furniture stores in the Big Apple and also picked up a few items from Derek Lam. Her trip to the East Coast was timed with Avon's annual Walk for Breast Cancer. Reese, wearing pink, joined 3,500 walkers from the tri-state area to raise more than $8.4 million for breast cancer research yesterday. The walk marks Reese's second philanthropic event on behalf of cancer this month. She joined her husband, Jim Toth, and Matthew McConaughey at an LA Livestrong fundraising event. Reese and Matthew are hanging out together on and off screen as they recently began shooting Mud. Matthew's the latest good-looking guy to work with Reese. She fell for Robert Pattinson in Water for Elephants and shares top billing with Tom Hardy and Chris Pine in This Means War. Last week we got the first glimpse of Reese, Tom, and Chris in their This Means War trailer, packed with equal parts action and romance.