FitSugar

From the Fit Community: I've Lost the Inches but Not the Weight

Fit Community — Tue, 10 May 2011 01:08:33 PDT

It's an age-old question: how come my pants feel looser but I weigh more now than before I started exercising? FitSugar reader livingthin turns to the experts for an answer and posted it in our 10 Pounds DOWN! community group.

Q: "I know everyone is always looking at the scale, but in my case I am slimmer than ever but the scale shows I am almost the same weight as I was on my son's first birthday - [I was] two sizes up [then]. I do two 50 minute exercise sessions per day five times per week; in total I exercise about 500 minutes per week if not more, and do a mix of plyometric exercises, Pilates, and hand and ankle weights. I can see my body is getting firmer and slimmer, but the scale takes my mood way down the higher it goes up. Is there a difference with different people's muscle mass density they build?" - Michele

A: Hi Michele! This question is an important one, and one that I have heard numerous answers to (although even I am not sure which one most accurately answers this). For help in responding, we turned to clinical exercise physiologist Jeff Dolgan.

"The human body tends to have a favorite weight that it functions most efficiently at," explains Dolgan. Scientists have termed this phenomenon the "set point" theory, which means the human body will adjust the components of mass to keep within a certain range. This allows for our center of gravity to stay the same and is helpful in maintaining biomechanical function, says Dolgan. Instead of worrying about the scale, says Dolgan, you should pay attention to your body composition instead. If you haven’t had your body fat tested yet, it may be a good idea to have a professional take this more objective measurement for you.

Keep reading for more advice on your body's muscle mass after the break.

Does Cold Weather Trigger Your Body to Store Fat?

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:50:58 PST

Ugh. Is it me, or does wintertime always translate to tighter fitting clothes? Just about everyone I know complains about Winter weight gain, but is it just inevitable? Does the cold weather trigger our bodies to hold onto fat so we don't freeze to death?

For some people who live in and are exposed to cold weather in the Winter, some doctors believe our bodies hold on to fat in order to stay warm. But let's face it - most people aren't roughing it outside all day and night in freezing temps. So for the rest of us, it's not the actual cold weather that makes us fatter; it's the cold weather that causes us to modify our lifestyles, and that is what contributes to bigger numbers on the scale.

In Winter, we wear more clothes to cover our bodies up, so we're less self-conscious about watching what we eat. Plus many of us find we're less motivated to exercise when the temperatures drop. Not only does staying inside mean we burn fewer calories, but being cooped up can also lead to depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Symptoms include specific food cravings, loss of energy, and oversleeping, which all contribute to weight gain.

In the cold months, we also crave warm, creamy comfort foods like soup, bread, pasta, and other high-fat carbs. These are much higher in calories than fresh veggies and fruit, which is another reason we end up packing on a spare tire. It doesn't help that Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day all take place during this cold season, because all those decadent foods don't do much to help our waistlines.

Don't worry, you're not doomed to automatically go up a dress size. Check out these tips on how to avoid Winter weight gain.

The Skinny On: Measuring Body Fat Percentage

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:50:09 PDT

If you're in the business of trying to lose weight, the best way to monitor your progress isn't by stepping on a scale. Since a basic bathroom scale measures your entire body weight, it doesn't take into consideration how much of you is made up of fat, and how much is made of healthy stuff like bones, muscle, blood, and organs. For a more accurate picture of your body composition, it's best to measure your body fat percentage, and here are the many ways it's calculated.

Home scales that measure body fat. They use the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis method to measure body fat percentage. It sends a low level and harmless electrical current through your feet and uses the data to determine how much of you is fat. They are fairly accurate and easy to use, as long as you follow the directions. A scale like this will cost between $50 and $100.
DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan. This test is normally used to measure bone density to check for osteoporosis, but it can also measure fat percentage. It uses two different low-dose X-rays to figure out bone mass and soft tissue mass. Even though it's super accurate and considered the "gold standard" for measuring body fat, it's also super pricey, about $100 or more.

To see the other methods,

Skin fold calipers (pinch test). You can buy a set to do on your own, or have a professional take your measurements. It basically squeezes your skin folds and measures how thick you are. This test is low in cost but tends to be less accurate than the DEXA scan.
Hydrostatic weighing (underwater weighing). You sit on a scale in a tank of water, blow out all your air, and then are dunked completely underwater. The more fat you have, the more you'll float. This test is very accurate, but it can be scary for some people to submerge themselves underwater. It costs around $50.

Do you have a scale that measures body fat?

The (New) Deal With Calorie-Burning Fat

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:00:16 PDT

After decades of believing that humans lose energy-producing "brown" fat after infancy, when we develop the shivering response, three new studies have found that it still exists in all adults. According to the New York Times,"brown fat basically acts like a furnace, consuming calories and generating heat." All three accounts are summarized in today's New England Journal of Medicine and reach the identical conclusion that brown fat is a calorie-burning machine when triggered by chilly temperatures between 61 and 66 degrees.

Most brown fat has been identified in the neck and collarbone areas, and if stimulated it could be an efficient way to burn the bad whitish-colored fat in the body. Here's what else the researchers discovered:

Leaner adults have much more brown fat than obese individuals.
Those with normal blood sugar levels have more brown fat than people with high blood sugar.
Women have a greater amount of this type of fat than men.
Younger people have more brown fat than older people.

This is exciting news on the obesity front, because if scientists can find a way to activate brown fat with a pill, it would be the first to focus on burning energy rather than suppressing appetite.

Source

Forget the Scale, How About a Bod Pod?

FitSugar — Tue, 22 May 2007 14:30:00 PDT

If you have a hard time stepping onto the scale, imagine stepping into the Bod Pod...

The Bod Pod is the latest in measuring body composition. Instead of underwater weighing, skin fold and circumference measuring or even a scale, your doctor (or personal trainer) may ask you to step inside the Bod Pod. This futuristic contraption will measure your body composition (fat mass and lean mass) in about 5 minutes flat.

There is something about this that totally reminds me of that look into the future ride at Epcot circa 20 years ago and I can't stop saying the name, Bod Pod, Bod Pod... However, this is actually a great device for fitness professionals. Don't be replacing your bathroom scale/body fat measurer just yet, because aside from the fact that it is absolutely huge, the Bod Pod is a bit on the pricey side. About $42,000 on the pricey side. Yikes -- I'll be sticking to the old fashioned ways myself, but you can check it out at BodPod.com.

Insanity's Shaun T's Last-Minute Diet and Exercise Tips

Leta Shy — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:34:46 PDT

Shaun T, the personal trainer who's motivated millions with his at-home workouts, knows how to get people in shape in a short amount of time. After all, his Insanity workout program promises incredible results in just 60 days of sweating and jumping in front of your TV.

With Summer a mere few weeks away, we spoke with Shaun about how to get in shape for anything - whether it's a beach holiday, wedding, or event - when you've only got a little time. Find out his recommendations below!

Watch your drink calories: "Don't drink your calories. That's the number one rule of thumb: not to drink your calories. It will eliminate so many calories in your body. Everybody knows that sugar that's not burnt off eventually turns into fat," says Shaun, who's also holding live workouts nationwide to promote his partnership with Powerade Zero. Shaun recommends portion control and cutting the amount of sugars and carbs in your diet in half, but "still ensure you have enough energy during the day," he says.

Kick it up a notch: "If you're a person who works out at the gym, try to take [fewer] breaks," Shaun recommends. "If you're a weight lifter, while you're not doing weights, try to do some different cardio exercise in between to try to ramp up the calorie burn."

Keep reading for more of Shaun T's last-minute diet and exercise advice!

Barre Workouts are Expensive! Try This At-Home Alternative Instead

Self — Wed, 23 May 2012 04:23:06 PDT

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

Barre classes may make you easy on the eyes, but at $20 or more a pop, they're definitely not easy on the wallet. Rather than take a second job to pay for our latest fitness addiction, we turned to Beverly Hill-based Cardio Barre instructor Stacey Bosworth to get the inside scoop on scoring a long, lean dancer's body in your living room. "This at-home workout is effective because it targets the whole lower body. Cardio Barre is amazing because it is a no-impact workout that allows you to lengthen and strengthen your muscles while burning fat. It will also help increase your flexibility and strength," says Bosworth.

Celebrity devotees, including Dakota Fanning, Neve Campbell, and Heather Morris, can all attest to the fact that Cardio Barre has given them "a lifted tush and leaner, dancer-like legs!" Incorporate these three moves into your regular routine three times a week for maximum results.

Butt Blaster
Come down to the floor on both forearms with your knees bent. Your left hip is directly over your left knee. Your right leg is bent to a 90-degree angle with your foot flexed. Extend your right leg toward the ceiling as if you were pushing the ceiling away from you (see photo above). Bring your right leg down past your left hip and then back up toward the ceiling, keeping your leg parallel to the floor with your kneecap pointing toward the ground and your foot flexed. You are doing a full range of motion, trying to imagine extending your leg all the way through the ceiling.

Keep reading for more barre moves you can do at home!

The Right Way to Eat Breakfast For Weight Loss

Leta Shy — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:24:46 PDT

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, because of so many reasons. But you need to make sure that you're doing it right. If you're trying to maintain or lose weight, here are some things to consider when enjoying your first meal of the day.

Eat it soon: Studies have found that eating breakfast jump-starts your metabolism, and not only that, it can help ensure that you don't feel so starved later, you make bad eating choices for lunch or dinner. To take advantage of your body's fat-burning potential, try to eat breakfast soon after waking up.

Go for filling: Stay away from foods that can lead to a midmorning crash. Instead, opt for meals that are full of slow-digesting nutrients to help keep you satisfied throughout the morning; high-fiber, high-protein breakfast options are a good choice for feeling full and energized. And make sure your breakfast doesn't have too much sugar in it - here are seven low-sugar, high-protein and fiber breakfast ideas that fit the bill.

Watch out for portions: A big breakfast can help fill you up, but you don't want to overdo it. Check out our handy chart of what servings sizes should look like, and keep calories in check with this list of the amount of calories in typical breakfasts.

Do You Avoid Eating Late at Night to Prevent Weight Gain?

Leta Shy — Mon, 21 May 2012 12:18:46 PDT

On one hand, knowing how to eat right can be simple - eat when you're hungry, and stick to nutritious foods that fill you up and keep you satisfied. But another component of playing the weight loss game is when you eat, and that's when things can get complicated.

While studies have proven that eating late at night doesn't automatically lead to your body storing more fat, a new study in mice has found a link between when you eat and weight gain. Researchers looked at two groups of mice, both of which were fed the same amount of a high-fat diet, and found that the mice who were only allowed to eat during an eight-hour period during the day ended up gaining less weight than the mice that were allowed to eat the same amount of food any time during the day and night.

Researchers believe that the difference in weight gain is due to the fact that the body's organs operate at peak efficiency at different times, so everything from your liver to your muscles may be burning more calories and working harder depending on the time of day or night. Frequent eating throughout the day and night, they say, may throw off your body's metabolic cycles, so you may be more successful with weight loss if you stop eating at a certain point during your day (even if you are eating the same amount of food).

This newest study is just one more piece of information in the late-night eating debate, but the theory hasn't been tested on humans yet. And it's important to note that this study doesn't prove the myth that you shouldn't eat past a certain time to avoid your food turning into fat - the study is just saying that restricting when you eat to a certain time period may help regulate your metabolic cycles. In any case, what's your take on the issue: do you avoid eating late at night to prevent gaining weight?

Tina Fey Shares Memories of Her Skinny and Chubby Years

Susi May — Fri, 18 May 2012 12:56:14 PDT

Happy Birthday to our fave funny lady! Tina Fey turns 42 today. We've been fans of the actress, writer, and comedienne since her early days on Saturday Night Live. Like many of us, Tina's weight has fluctuated over the course of her career, and to mark her birthday, we're sharing some of her funny quotes from juice cleanses to body image.

Before making the leap from writers room to on-camera talent, Tina followed the pragmatic Weight Watchers program to drop pounds. But that doesn't mean she hasn't dabbled in more extreme techniques to lose weight. She explained to Jimmy Fallon, "I don't really believe in those [cleanses] - your body's not like a purse. You're not supposed to turn it inside out and shake it. But I was like, 'Oh, I don't care. I just need to jump-start this.' So I tried it." After an allergic reaction caused her lips to swell, she abandoned a juice cleanse. Go figure.

These days, Tina works out with trainer when she can fit a session into her hectic schedule, and if she can't, she takes a walk. She's even become a fan of yoga and the superfood kale.

Before settling into her healthy weight, Tina experienced both sides of the weight equation and shared her memories of these phases in her book, Bossypants. In two short, consecutive chapters, she explains the positive and negatives of the different times. Keep reading for a brief excerpt after the break.