FitSugar

Oprah's Weight Loss Show

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:00:00 -0800

I am not sure if any of you saw Oprah's show this week about weight loss, but it was inspiring - to say the least. Guests on the show had lost a significant amount of weight without the help of pills or surgery. One female guest (pictured here) even lost a whooping 530 pounds. The best part? She credited the Internet as being a major player in her decision to lose weight.

There were a few common threads behind all their unhealthy habits they shared before losing the weight, such as: drinking a lot of soda, binging late at night, sugar addictions, major lack of exercise, and eating way too much fast food.

Each person had their own reasons and methods for losing weight. However, again, I saw a few common threads in their methods, such as: cutting back on refined carbohydrates, cutting out junk food altogether, starting an exercise program, strength training, and eating five to six times per day.

Losing 10, 20 or even 50 pounds pales in comparison with the hundreds of pounds these folks lost. All you have to do is start with baby steps and before you know it you'll be jogging strides. If they can do it, so can you.

To see the full set of the before and after pictures from the show read more

View 13 Photos ›

Source

Dieter Support Group: Laura's Story

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 10:15:00 -0800

Have you joined Fit's Dieters Support Group? If not you totally should because you'll get to read motivational and inspiring stories from people, just like you, looking to get fit. Recently user misstsapinay shared this incredible story with us in the group:

"Hi everyone! My name is Laura, I'm 24 years old, and new to the group. I currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area and have lived here all of my life.

I started to lose weight is because of something very traumatic that happened to me, a few months ago in August 2006. I was hit on the freeway, coming home from work, by a man who fell asleep behind the wheel of his SUV. I was immediately rushed to the ER from the scene with minor injuries that could have been a lot worse. (The CHP officer said that if he'd plowed 1 more inch into my vehicle, it would have hit my gas tank and I'd have died.) I was very lucky that day. When i survived I knew that I was being given a second chance at life and things needed to change. So, I began eating healthier and working out for 15 minutes a day, then 30, and now to about 1 hour a day. It's been a long process, believe it or not, I turned something horrible into something amazing, and I'm feeling the best as I ever did now =)"

Want to see how much weight she's lost and see fabulous after pictures? Then, read more

"So far, I've lost about 80 lbs since my car accident. I have become a vegetarian and incorporated a healthy lifestyle into my busy work week.

Anyway, I joined this contest sponsored by Star 101.3 FM called April's Biggest Losers. Basically a group of women, including myself, agreed to lose weight and we have to show up in our bikini's on August 1st to the studio. The winner will be chosen by whoever loses the highest amount of body fat and will get an all expense paid trip AND a new wardrobe. Anyway, FIT suggested her site to us and that's how I came here =) I'm hoping that with everyone's help here I can stay motivated and hopefully win! You can check me out on the radio website here. I'm the 3rd woman down -- Laura"

Here is how fabulous she looks now...

View 3 Photos ›

Doesn't she look great? Are you motivated now? I am! Nothing is better than when someone takes a hardship and turns it around. So many times people will take hardships as opportunities to dwell, but not Laura! Way to go! We're all pulling for you and can't wait to hear updates in the Dieters Support Group.

Do You Wash Your Face Before Working Out or After?

FitSugar — Thu, 31 May 2007 07:30:00 -0700

Working out can do a number on clear skin. A lot of people wash their face prior to hitting the treadmill, but some people wait and wash their face after. I am personally terrified of breaking out, so I like to carry wipes with me and clean my face quickly first, but do the deep clean immediately after the workout. I am curious which you do?

When Should I do Cardio?

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 08:40:00 -0800

The question has been posed: When is it best to do cardio, before or after weight training?

Really there is no sure fit answer to the question. It really depends on your body, the results you are looking to get and how long (and hard) you're doing the cardio.

Before: It is best to do your cardio workout before weight training if you're training for something endurance related (such as a 5k). Putting cardio first allows your body to give the most energy and effort into the session so that it can produce the best results. However, if you're going to do a low intensity cardio workout then it can serve to warm up the muscles. Then you can move right into high-intensity weight lifting without having to do as many warm-up sets.

After: It is probably best to do your cardio after weight training if you're looking to shape your body (for bikini season, perhaps). The reason is that a high intensity cardio workout could actually take away from an effective weight-training workout. You need carbs for effective weight training and cardio burns both fat and carbs. So if you do cardio first, you may not have the carbs you need to have a beneficial weight training session. Furthermore, increasing your lean mass will help burn fat because lean mass is what will help use up calories all day long. So if you are looking to build a little muscle, and get killer arms like Cameron Diaz, then weight training should take priority in your workout.

You Asked: Energy Bar For a Meal?

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:00:48 -0800

Dear Fit,
I just got off the phone with a friend and I need some advice. She says for breakfast, she eats one Balance Bar. I know some bars are fortified with vitamins, but this doesn't seem like enough to me - calorie- or nutrition-wise. What do you think? Is it OK to eat an energy bar for a meal?
-Concerned Friend

This is an excellent question because I think many people grab a bar for a quick meal because it's quick, easy, and fairly inexpensive. Is it enough, though? To find out what I think read more.

Replacing a meal with an energy bar is not a good idea. For one, most bars contain only about 200 calories. That calorie amount is suitable for a snack, not a meal. Another reason is that those bars were designed to give someone energy before or after a workout, so they tend to be high in carbs and low in fiber. That translates to quick energy at first, but your friend probably feels tired and hungry soon after. The low fiber issue may also affect regularity. The bottom line is that energy bars are not designed to replace a well-balanced meal, since they won't offer the same kind of nutrition. Even the ones that are fortified with vitamins and minerals only offer about 25 percent of your RDI, which isn't very much.

I think it's best to ask your friend why she's only eating an energy bar for breakfast. Is she short on time? Is she trying to lose weight? Does she think it's healthy? Once you find out her reasoning, you can suggest healthy breakfast ideas that suit her needs. There are plenty of tasty options that are high in protein and fiber to offer sustained energy, are easy to make, and won't break the calorie bank.

Exercise, Weight Loss, and the Fat Burning Zone

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:50:01 -0800

Much has been made of late about exercise and its relation to weight loss. There was the Time cover story The Myth About Weight Loss and a recent article on the topic in the New York Times, which recommended working out in the fat burning zone.

You see the phrase on all types of cardio machines: the fat burning zone, aka the "weight loss zone," means working out at a lower intensity to burn fat as fuel. But these workouts also burn considerably fewer calories. I was confused about how we should all be spending our cardio time, so I took my questions to exercise physiologist Jason Karp, who also happens to be an avid runner.

When I asked him if we should all be scaling our workouts back and aiming for the fat burning zone, Karp explained that it's not the type of fuel your body is burning, but the overall calories that count. "It doesn't matter if you're using fat or carbohydrates. In order to lose fat from your waistline you don't have to be using fat as fuel during workout," he said. He offered up the example of sprinters; they don't train in the fat burning zone, but they're mighty trim in the torso. Losing weight comes down to math - you want to be in a calorie deficit to shed pounds and body fat. Higher intensity exercise puts you at a higher burn rate. To burn the most calories in a cardio workout, skip past the fat burning zone and work out with more intensity. To really burn up calories, Karp recommends intervals. To learn why, read more.

Essentially, interval workouts give you the most bang for your sweat buck. Karp explains that with "intense exercise you're pushing your body more out of homeostasis," that is, the equilibrium of energy the body prefers to maintain. During the few hours after an interval workout, the body must go through a recovery period, and a lot needs to happen to return to the body to pre-exercise levels. "You've got to drop the heart rate, synthesize glycogen for the muscles, remove lactate from muscle and take it to the liver," says Karp. All these actions require energy, which raises the metabolic rate for many hours after exercising. Thirty minutes of exercise at a low intensity doesn't place nearly as much stress on the body as intervals, so you burn fewer calories both during and after the workout.

Before you hit the track and start running intervals, Karp recommends building a strong cardiovascular fitness base and working with a trainer for guidance. Even if you're not ready for sprints, play with your speed during your next cardio session. Slow and steady might win the race, but intervals will burn more calories.

Source: Flickr User pistoldrawn

Thinking of Getting Inked?

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:00:09 -0800

I have never gotten a tattoo unless you count the temporary henna kind, but it looks like I might be in the minority. About 25 percent of 18- to 30-year-olds have been inked, and 65 percent of them are women. If you've always wanted to get your fave butterfly etched onto your ankle, here are some things WebMD wants you to know before anyone puts a needle to your skin.

Pay the money and go to a shop that has licensed tattoo artists. Since getting a tattoo involves breaking the skin with a metal object and coming into contact with blood, you want to make sure the studio is clean, so there's the lowest risk possible for infection.
There are serious risks involved, such as contracting life-threatening HIV or hepatitis C from unclean equipment. You could also get other infections including impetigo, MRSA, or cellulitis. It's OK if you don't know what these are, just know you don't want them.
It's also possible to have an allergic reaction to the tattoo ink, so before getting an enormous fairy imprinted across your back, you probably want to do a small patch test on your skin first.

To find out what else you should know, read more.

Also note that your skin will look a lot different at age 25 than it will at 65, so keep that in mind when choosing the design, size of tattoo, and area of your body.
The artist should thoroughly wash his or her hands before they begin, and wear gloves to prevent the spread of infection.
Be sure all needles are removed from a sterile, single-use package, and all equipment is sterilized after each use.
Make sure you don't drink alcohol or take drugs (including aspirin) the night before or while getting a tattoo.
If you're sick, wait until you're healthy to get your tattoo, since you'll need energy to heal.
Follow the after-care instructions so your skin heals quickly and without any complications.
After you've had a tattoo, you can change your mind and have it removed by a doctor, but know that your skin most likely won't look like it did pre-tattoo. The procedure tends to require a series of visits, it's expensive, and often the tattoo can't be completely removed.

Do you have a tattoo? Did you have any complications? Tell me in the comments section below.

Source: Flickr User geishaboy500

Stretch It: Shin and Ankle Stretch

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:00:20 -0800

After long bike rides, my shins and the tops of my feet are often tight. All that flexing of my ankle and pulling up on the pedals to maximize my stroke takes its toll on this part of my body. Once I slip off my stiff cycling shoes, this is the first stretch I do.

Here's how:

Cross your left ankle over your right with your toes pointed to the right.
Bend your right knee to increase the stretch for the top of the left foot.
Hold for 15 to 30 seconds then straighten the right knee; repeat before switching sides.

This is a great stretch post-run as well. Try it. You'll like it.

6 Questions to Ask Yourself When Buying Hiking Boots

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:50:34 -0800

If you choose your hiking boots carefully, you can wear the same pair for years. But tracking down the perfect pair is easier said than done. I recently purchased a new pair of hikers, and they seem promising; I'll know after I break them in!

If you're gearing up for some cold-weather hikes, don't forget to bring these questions along when you head into the store.

Will you be hiking on wet ground? If so, it's worth investing in a pair of waterproof boots; they are more expensive but essential for preventing moisture-based blisters.
Do you need a heavy or light shoe? The heavier the boot, the tougher your hiking will be. For day hikes, a lighter boot is best, but if you're scaling inclines and/or carrying a heavy pack, you need the extra support of a heavier shoe.
Do you need ankle support? If you are going to be hiking on steep inclines or uneven terrain, get a boot that covers the ankles, rather than a low shoe such as an approach shoe. This will help prevent injury.

Three more tips, so keep reading.

A Little Yoga Insight You May Not Learn From Your Instructor

FitSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:00:10 -0800

Sure, practicing yoga is all about health and wellness, but Smart Money knows that it is also booming business. There are some aspects of yoga class that may not be in keeping with the healthy lifestyle you seek - just don't expect your yoga instructor to let you in on them. Here are a few pointers for staying healthy while practicing yoga, and remember that even when taking a fitness class led by an instructor, it's best to think for yourself to figure out what feels right and what practices work best for you.

Your Instructor May Be New to Yoga Too - With all of the various certification programs around, there's a range of skill that's being taught to instructors. "The problem is that there’s no real standard for how much teacher training is required of instructors, so almost anyone can lead a yoga class," writes Smart Money. It's best to try out a class before you commit, and learn where the instructor trained.
Yoga Mats Aren't Just For the Die-Hard Yogi - Bringing your own mat to class doesn't mean you can do full lotus. It's simply good hygiene. Yoga studio owner Ann Merlo told Smart Money, "One of the key elements of yoga is cleanliness." Sure, many studios hose down the mats after a few sessions, but there's no guarantee they do. With all the contagions flying around this flu season, it just might be worth it to spring for your own mat and avoid catching a bug.

To learn more about how to make the most of your yoga time, read more.

It's OK If You Don't Want to Be Touched - Yoga tends to cultivate a very intimate atmosphere in the studio, and many members of the class may feel totally at ease with the instructor helping them into a pose (which is fairly common), but that doesn't mean that you do. "A thoughtful teacher should always tell you that he’s going to touch you," writes Smart Money, and all adjustments should be done with professionalism. However, if you'd prefer not to be touched at all, don't be shy about speaking up and making your preference clear.
The Advanced Class May Not Be For You - While yoga instructors may ask some general questions about your level of experience before a class begins, no one is likely to turn you away from a session that may be too advanced for you. Yoga requires serious strength and flexibility. The article suggests calling the studio beforehand to find a class appropriate for your ability.

To find out exactly what else your yoga instructor may not be telling you, get up to speed with all of SmartMoney's tips, and be sure to check out our Yoga Stretch and Tell Group to connect with fellow yogis and share your questions, stories, and advice.