FitSugar

Don't Lie to Yourself

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 16:30:17 -0800

I am not sure if you caught Oprah and Bob Greene talking about Best Life Diet Challenge but it was very interesting to listen to Bob talk about the possible setbacks people may have when getting fit. The one set back that really resonated with me is: Lying to yourself.

Basically, when you embark on a new journey, like losing weight by dieting and exercising, it is extremely important that you don't lie to yourself about getting healthy. If you say you are going to workout, then do it. Just like you can lose trust in another person who doesn't keep your word, you can lose trust in yourself. Stick to your word and you will eventually learn to trust yourself more which will help you along the process of getting healthy.

This makes total sense to me. If you tell yourself you're going to the gym, do it. If you tell yourself you're going to eat healthy starting tomorrow, do it. If you tell yourself you're going to quit smoking today, do it. Taking the step to Stop lying to yourself should be your first goal.

As you can tell, day one and I am already way into the Challenge. There are six contestants who are going to be doing this for nine months! I can't wait to see and hear about their transformations but to see the contestants on day one, read more

View 6 Photos ›

Check out Oprah's site to read more about the contestants, Bob and the Challenge.

The Best Life Diet Challenge Starts

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 16:30:00 -0800

Bob Greene, Oprah's trainer and author of The Best Life Diet is getting several lucky people in shape for The Best Life Weight Loss Challenge and you can follow along and get in shape too!

Before you get started, Bob wants you to ask yourself these questions:

Why am I overweight?
Rather than "I don't have time to make healthy food" or "I have to eat out a lot," recognize the feelings that lead you to overeat. For example, you're really anxious about work and ice cream calms you down. Or, your husband is emotionally distant and eating fills the void.

Why do I want to lose weight?
If you say, "To look better," push further to ask, "Why?" Maybe you're afraid your significant other will leave you for someone prettier. But what does that mean about your relationship? Maybe you're trying to meet someone. Fine, but are there other changes you should be thinking about? After all, it's not only thin women who have partners. When people think that getting thinner will make them happy only to find it doesn't, it almost always leads to the misuse of food and a return to being overweight.

Why have I been unable to maintain weight loss in the past?
Think back to the trigger that turned you from staying on a healthy program to eating out of control. Was the diet too rigorous? Did your spouse think you would fail? Many people have a core belief that they're not meant to be happy and so they continually find ways to sabotage themselves. Figuring out what drives you to relapse is the beginning of success.

Watch Oprah tomorrow, February 22nd, to learn more about the participants, the Best Life and the challenge.

The Best Life Diet on Oprah

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0800

Bob Greene has been helping celebrities get healthy and now he's sharing his tips and diet plan with the rest of the world - lucky us.

It's called The Best Life Diet.

Oprah Winfrey raves about this 4 phase program. After all, it's how she lost all of her weight and continues to keep it off and I think she looks amazing.

Phase 1: Truth, Commitment, and Self-Control - it's about getting in touch with yourself, and figuring out why you've gained weight in the first place since this will help you lose it.

Phase 2: Rev Up Your Metabolism by doing the following:

For the first month:

Eliminate alcohol for now.
Focus on exercising a little.
Drink Water.
Add a vitamin Supplement.
Eat 3 meals a day and 2 snacks.
Stop eating 2 hours before bedtime.

Want to hear the rest? Then read more

Phase 3: Get Real About Emotional Eating - understand why you emotionally eat and work towards eliminating it. In this phase, you increase your exercise and water intake.

Phase 4: Secure a Life of Health and Emotional Well-Being - Add strength training to your exercise routine. Cut fats from your diet and limit sugars and bad carbs. Prepare yourself for an active lifestyle that will last the rest of your life.

In the beginning phase of the diet, you want to watch out for these foods:

No white bread - replace with a whole grain alternative.
Replace regular pasta with a whole wheat version.
No more soda.
No trans fat.
No fried foods.
Ditch high fat dairy products like whole milk and ice cream.

Towards the end, you can re-introduce foods that you love, but in moderation of course.

If you want, you can sign up on-line, but I have to say, I tried and it seemed like a lot of work. Plus, the 1st 10 days are free, but after that, it's about $4 a week to be a member and receive the tips, exercise and meal plans, plus recipes.

I'd get the book for $15.60 and use that as my guide. This plan sounds doable and healthy - not like other diets where you're really restricting your favorite foods. It sounds like it will work for the long term too.

Michael Phelps Dives Back In

FitSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:30:00 -0700

After the infamous "marijuana pipe" photo mysteriously surfaced, Michael Phelps was suspended from competition for three months by USA Swimming. But Phelps returns to racing this weekend - his first competition since Beijing - at the USA Swimming Grand Prix in Charlotte, NC.

Riding his post-Olympic fame has been a little rocky to say the least, and the gold medal winner has had to learn how to navigate in "real life." His swimming career was superbly choreographed, but much of his youth was spent in the pool leaving him little time to develop other interests. His coach, Bob Bowman, is now teaching him a little self preservation as well as how to perfect his strokes. Bowman told the New York Times, “Michael wants to know people and open up to them a little bit, but it just doesn’t work. You just have to approach everybody with skepticism, which I think is sad." Fame does have a price it seems.

To see what kind of "grass" Phelps is into now, just read more.

Phelps has been surrounding himself with the green grass of golf links. Recently introduced to the game, Michael apparently loves it. His coach loves it for him too, hoping it gives Phelps some social polishing and a chance to schmooze with CEOs. Michael's training regimen still seems pretty tough. His weight training involves pull-ups wearing a 40-pound weighted vest. Wow! I will be rooting for Phelps this weekend, will you?

Source

Healthy Dose Link Time

FitSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Expand your notion of tofu - Daily Spark
Madonna makes her new boy toy go macrobiotic - FitCeleb
Bob Greene tells us how much exercise we really need - That's Fit
A word of caution to carnivores: red meat may cause blindness - Vitamin G
Fitness questions answered, from muffin tops to inner-thigh work - Fresh Fitness Tips
How the host of The Biggest Loser bounces back postbaby - Fit Tip Daily
Climbing back on the fitness wagon - Fit Bottomed Girls
Turn your next elliptical workout a cross-country ski adventure - Shape

Oprah's Trainer Explains Science of Weight Relapse

FitSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Oprah Winfrey has opened up about her weight gain, and her trainer Bob Greene has been right behind her in discussions about the emotional reasons for his famous client's issues with food abuse. However, for many people there's more to weight relapse than having an unbalanced life, and Greene gives some insight into the science of regaining unwanted weight.

Research has shown that a brain deficient in dopamine receptors could be more susceptible to weight relapse. Eating raises dopamine levels and makes some people desire more food, and overeating often occurs because it takes more food to reach a the same level of satisfaction when the brain lacks normal levels of dopamine.

Greene says that if you suspect that your dopamine levels are off, seek out sources of pleasure other than food and avoid any food that tends to trigger overeating. He recommends "hanging out with people you enjoy" and exercise as healthy alternatives to raise dopamine levels.

Oprah Gained Weight - Are You Surprised?

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:45:31 -0800

Oprah has always been very open about her battles with her weight. In 1990 she hit her heaviest at 237, but Bob Greene came to her rescue with The Best Life Diet, and she dropped to 160 by 2006. By 2007, she was fit and healthy and even ran a marathon. This year, she went vegan for a 21-day cleanse.

In the latest issue of O magazine, however, Oprah talks about gaining weight, admitting that she hit the "dreaded 2-0-0." For her height and weight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that puts Oprah in the obese category, since her BMI is 31.8. She's concerned that the extra weight puts her at risk for health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Since she has issues with her thyroid, she had a fear of working out, and she said, "I was so frustrated I started eating whatever I wanted - and that's never good." She also said, "I'm embarrassed. I can't believe that after all these years, all the things I know how to do, I'm still talking about my weight. I look at my thinner self and think, 'How did I let this happen again?'"

As Oprah is always looking to better herself, she's planning to get back in shape in 2009 with her upcoming Best Life Week series beginning Jan. 5.

Biggest Loser Families Recap: The Premiere

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

The Biggest Loser Families premiered last night and the five-season formula of the show did not disappoint. I got choked up a couple of times and was inspired by the family teamwork. Watching the teams of two being weighed in simultaneously and seeing how proud the duos were of their loved ones was truly touching.

As a viewer I find the elimination round of the show's opening week more than a little sad. It is amazing to see the dramatic changes that can happen in just seven days of Jillian ~~yelling~~ coaching her team through wall sits and Bob teaching his team the beauty of the treadmill.

The health issues of obesity were highlighted in scared-straight fashion, making it impossible to snack while watching the show. Through computer simulation, contestants were shown the detrimental effects of fat on their vital organs. The two oldest participants were put on exercise restriction, 30 minutes a day, due to health-related problems. That is a serious health problem.

To see who was unfortunately eliminated and how they look today, just read more.

The green team, Adam and Stacey, were voted off because even though they were in the bottom two teams in terms of weight loss the other contestants could see this married couple had the eye of the tiger. They were serious competitors and have done an amazing job since returning home to Ohio.

Stacey and Adam certainly understood the take-home message from the show and changed their lifestyle. They even started Biggest Loser Club at their work.

All in all, I say it was a good season opener and I can't wait to watch the slip-and-slide challenge. So, who do you think is going to win?

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Uno Is America's Healthiest Chain?

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:30:00 -0700

Health magazine just unveiled a big feature on the healthiest restaurants in the US, which breaks down eateries by category, including sit-down chains, fast food, and independent restaurants. The magazine studied 43 chains (each with at least 75 locations) and ranked them based on the nutritional information provided.

It sounded intriguing, until I started perusing the list and found many of the choices downright puzzling: Uno Chicago Grill, known for its deep-dish pizza, is the first restaurant on the list of sit-down chains. Health lays out its reasons, but I'm still not sure I agree. To see the reasons and the rest of the list, read more
Like Au Bon Pain, Uno Chicago Grill has added nutrition kiosks to its lobbies, where customers can look up the ingredients and nutritional content of its foods. Here's more on why Health chose Uno:

Sure, its famous deep-dish (read high-fat) pizzas still hold court, but nutrition has become the word of the day with a completely trans fat–free menu and plenty of grilled entrees (including antibiotic-free chicken). Adding to the healthy variety: whole-grain pasta and brown rice, organic coffee and tea, and flatbread pizzas that have half the calories of deep-dish ones. Plus, you can add a salad to your pizza for half-price because, according to the menu, “We want you to get some greens in your diet.” Now that’s a blue-ribbon commitment to health.

Can we really award a "blue ribbon" for health to a restaurant known for its deep-dish fat explosions? While I appreciate the low-fat menu options and the transparency about ingredients, there's something that just seems wrong about Uno now being able to proclaim that it's the healthiest chain in America on its website. I think it would be better to reward individual dishes, or just make smart choices when you're eating out), rather than deeming a pretty unhealthy chain "healthy."

Check out the healthiest fast food joints here. Here's the full list of the top 10 sit-down chains.

Uno Chicago Grill
Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes
Mimi's Cafe
P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Bob Evans
Ruby Tuesday
Romano's Macaroni Grill
Chevy's Fresh Mex
Olive Garden
Denny's

What do you guys think? Does this list bother you?

Source

Tips From Celebrity Trainers

FitSugar — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:00:00 -0700

One way that celebrities get to look the way they do is with personal trainers who have earned a bit of a celebrity title themselves. The back of their heads (i.e. Harley Pasternak training Sophia Bush pictured below) are always seen on PopSugar, so it's no wonder they are making a name for themselves based on the big names they work with.

CNN recently spoke with five celebrity trainers and they gave their own insights along with tips for us non-celebrity folk. So here are highlights I thought you would enjoy:

Valerie Waters
Worked With: Kate Beckinsale and Cindy Crawford
Tip: "Don't be afraid of weights. They're the quickest way to change your body"

Gunnar Peterson
Worked With: Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie and Matthew McConaughey
Tip: "Get on a regular routine. Exercise should be a cornerstone of your life, like brushing your teeth. It's not even an option to blow it off."

For tips from trainers who've worked with Christina Aguilera and Reese Witherspoon just read more

Ashley Borden
Worked With: Mandy Moore and Christina Aguilera
Tip: Take care of the arches in your feet. "When your arches collapse, your knees rotate inward, and your hips rotate outward giving you a saddlebag appearance. It then pulls your sternum down, it pulls your neck forward, and everything collapses." She suggests orthotics and mio-fascial release to combat chronic pain and posture problems.

Michael George
Worked With: Reese Witherspoon and Tobey Maguire
Tip: Don't wait too long to integrate a healthy diet and consistent exercise into your days. "I've seen a lot of people come to me when it's a little bit too late," he said, "I've had [clients] pass away due to illnesses, cancer, heart disease, whatever it may be. The time is now. If you don't put your health first you're never really going to truly be happy."

Bob Greene
Worked With: Oprah
Tip: "First thing is, know what you want," Greene said. He said a lot of people want to work out because it's "in" or they know they should be doing it, but don't have a specific goal. "Know the reason you are making these changes in your habits, what is it you really want to achieve." He also said most people need to do both weight training and cardio.

Bauer-Griffin