FitSugar

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.

5 Healthy Reasons to Eat Valentine's Day Chocolate

Leta Shy — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:07:13 PST

It's almost Valentine's Day, and that may mean you've got chocolate on your mind. Though you may be fearing the amount of calories in those heart-shaped boxes, there are many reasons to love Valentine's Day sweet treats. In fact, here are five healthy reasons to eat dark chocolate.

It helps you exercise longer: A recent study found that eating a tiny amount of dark chocolate before a workout helps fight fatigue, which means you can go that much further during your workout. The amount that worked in the study was tiny - just half a square, but if it's good quality chocolate, a small square will go a long way.
It's stress-relieving: And not just when you're PMSing. A study found that when highly stressed participants ate an ounce and a half of dark chocolate (the equivalent of a Hershey's bar) a day for two weeks, the level of stress hormones in their bodies, dropped significantly. While eating a candy bar a day can contribute to a whole new set of stresses if you're watching your weight, it's nice to know that dark chocolate has a measurable effect on stress levels.

Read on for three more reasons to eat dark chocolate.

Don't Starve Yourself: 5 Natural Ways to Detox the Body

Michele Foley — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:10:41 PST

Forget what you think you know about detoxing: juice-only diets, colonics, and herbal supplements are not the healthiest ways to cleanse the body. But after a period of overindulging, feeling lighter is what many of us crave. Instead of going to extreme measures, opt for these five natural ways to detox the body to feel healthier, more energized, and focused!

Step Off the Scale! There Are Better Ways to Gauge Your Weight

Leta Shy — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:49:47 PST

Using the scale has its place, especially if you are carefully tracking your weight-loss progress. But spending too much time focusing on a number can discourage you when you think you've dropped weight after a rigorous diet and exercise plan only to find that you haven't lost as much as you thought you have (which can happen for several reasons, usually because you are gaining muscle instead). If you dread stepping on the scale, here are three ways to gauge your weight instead.

Your clothes: One of the best ways to figure out if your diet and exercise plan is working? Nix the scale for your favorite pair of jeans. The fit of your favorite clothes can be more accurate than knowing how many pounds you are.

Your energy level: Chances are, if you're eating healthy, drinking water, and exercising, you'll be feeling the effects - you'll have more energy, sleep better, and be less lethargic overall. Feeling healthy is the first step in looking your best, so don't discount the inside-out effects of your new lifestyle, even if weight loss is your main goal.

Your body fat percentage: Your body's muscle-fat ratio can make the scale tip up even when you are feeling svelte. So be sure to keep your fat percentage in mind when it's time to step on the scale. That means investing in a model that includes an accurate fat percentage measurement so you can track your progress accurately. Or get your body fat percentage measured professionally with one of these tests. And don't always rely on your body mass index (BMI) to gauge whether or not you're in a healthy weight range; it's not always the most accurate measurement. Read more about the difference between BMI and body fat percentage here.

How do you measure your weight-loss progress when you're not on the scale?

Get Fit For 2012: Take the Challenge

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:23:27 PST

We are three days into 2012, but it feels like the year is finally just starting. If one of your goals for the year it to get stronger, we have strength training challenge to jump-start your January. It's simple: see how many push-ups you can do in minute, then share your number in the comments section. If you need to lower your knees to the floor at the start or at anytime during the minute - no worries. Keep on going and keep on counting. This challenge will quickly assess your upper body strength, helping you set a baseline to measure your gains over the year. Plus, if the temps are dropping where you live, this activity will warm you up!

Here is a little reading to get you motivated: Five Things to Remember When Doing Push-Ups.

No Joke: The Shake Weight Works Muscles 66 Percent Harder

Self — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:36:37 PST

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

It's the stuff of dreams for raunchy Saturday Night Live comedy writers, but the Shake Weight might be worth more than just a few laughs.

In case you haven't heard of the Shake Weight, it is, according to its makers, the "revolutionary new way to shape and tone your arms, shoulders and chest." Basically, it's a 2.5 pound dumbbell with springs on either end, and instead of merely lifting, you, yes, shake it. Exercise physiologist Amy Dixon, group fitness manager for Equinox in Santa Monica, Calif., isn't surprised the Shake Weights are selling so well - according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), in its first year on the market, more than 2 million Shake Weights were sold and they have since surpassed the 4.5 million mark. "People are always looking for the new hot product and the quick fix," Dixon says. "This product promises fast results and has a marketing campaign that promotes the idea of 'sexiness' - if you want sexy arms like the people on the commercials, you need a Shake Weight!"

But will it really give us sexy arms? Wanting to test out some of the claims made by the Shake Weight informercials - primarily that the Shake Weight can "increase your upper-body muscle activity by up to 300 percent compared to some traditional weights" - ACE commissioned a team of exercise scientists from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. The researchers compared the degree of muscle activation when using the Shake Weight to using a traditional dumbbell of equal weight, and they came up with some interesting results.

So, does the Shake Weight actually work? Find out after the break.

4 Surprising Things You Don't Know about Calories

Prevention — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:12:55 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Only 12 percent of Americans can estimate the calories they eat in a day! Find out why we're so clueless and get easy ways to stop calorie confusion.
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

You know what calories are, and you probably know that if you eat too many, you’ll gain weight. But do you know how many are in your favorite deli sandwich? Or how many calories you should really eat each day? Most Americans don’t. Only 12% can accurately estimate the number of calories they should consume in a day someone their age, height, weight, and physical activity, according to a 2010 survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation. So what is it about calories that keeps us baffled? Here are 8 reasons you’re confused about calories and the simple steps that will help you do the math.

8 Healthy Foods That Help Fight Disease

1. Portions Sizes Are Out of Control
You’ve all heard about the rapidly expanding serving sizes of restaurant and fast food portions, but just how bad are they? Portions sizes in restaurants may contain double or triple the calories of home-cooked meals, and studies show eating out is associated with a higher BMI. Unfortunately, those portions affect our waistlines. When there’s more food on the plate, people eat more-up to 30% more, according to an analysis of several studies.

Stop the confusion: Use this cheat sheet of portion sizes. We know it’s hard to look at your plate as decks of cards, tennis balls, and all the other, so start by measuring out your food servings at home and take a good look at what a half-cup of pasta looks like. Until the serving sizes are engrained in your brain, when dining out, aim to eat half of your meal, saving the leftovers for lunch the next day.

Comfort Food That’s Actually Good for You

2. Serving Sizes Are Deceiving
"There really aren’t standard serving sizes for packaged foods, which makes them confusing," explains Elisa Zied, RD, author Nutrition at Your Fingertips. She gives the example of cereal. A standard serving size of breakfast cereal is approximately 50 g, but depending on the cereal, that could mean a cup and a half of flakes or half a cup of heartier granola. Depending on the type of cereal you’re eating, just eyeing how much you put in the bowl, like most people do, can lead to inaccurate calorie counts.

Not only that, but larger-than-life snack foods may seem like single servings even though they often contain two to three servings per packet. Buy a 16-ounce bottled Coca-Cola, and the nutrition label reads 100 calories . . . for one of the two servings in the bottle. Drink the whole thing, as many people do, and you’re really getting 200 calories. Eat the whole bag of Austin Zoo Animal Crackers, commonly found in office vending machines, and you’re getting 230 calories, nearly two servings, instead of just one.

Keep reading to learn even more about calories!

From the Community: Trainer Tips For Exercising While Pregnant

OnSugar Blog — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:31:53 PST

OnSugar blogger Coach Lark Says encourages his pregnant clients to exercise while pregnant - safely, of course. He shares a few tips on how to exercise when pregnant below.

Here are some of the best reasons to exercise when you are pregnant, which I have gathered from a variety of sources.

Better psychological wellbeing
Reduced incidence of gestational diabetes
Decreased incidence of preclampsia
Reduced lower back pain
Improved weight management
Improved fetal development
Easier or shorter labor
Decreased risk of premature labor
Greatly reduced incidence of abdominal surgery during delivery

Of course, it’s important to modify your workout to accommodate and support the pregnancy. But that doesn’t mean you can’t work out as hard. Maintaining the workout intensity you had going into your pregnancy is exactly what you want to do. It’s not time to start a new program. It is time to work the core in three planes of motion to strengthen the abdominals for pushing during labor. When I work with expecting moms at my training facility at the Bentley Reserve in downtown San Francisco, I advise them according to the following parameters.

Read his tips after the break.

Proposed Warning Labels on Photoshopped Celeb Photos to Prevent Eating Disorders

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:14:11 PST

Alcohol can lead to liver problems and cigarettes can cause lung cancer, so it's obvious why these products have warning labels. What about Photoshopped images of celebrities and models? Should these come with warning labels, too? Research shows that images portraying "perfect bodies" can have negative effects on body image, leading to anxiety and eating disorders, especially in young women.

Last June, the American Medical Association urged advertisers to work with child and teen health experts to set limits on Photoshopping. In response, two Dartmouth computer science researchers are proposing a new software tool to measure just how much an image of a face or body has been altered, using a scale of one to five to indicate the extent of the changes. Warning labels on images would allow the viewer to know just how extensively a photo has been manipulated.

Child psychologists aren't convinced these labels are the answer, feeling the most effective solution to preventing poor body image or eating disorders lies in the hands of parents. Modeling healthy eating habits and encouraging regular exercise is key, as well as not focusing attention on appearance. What do you think about these warning labels?

What to Rent: New DVDs This Week

BuzzSugar — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:05:00 PST

In addition to the movies below, the DVDs for Our Idiot Brother, The Art of Getting By, Another Earth, and The Smurfs are also available to rent this week.

Friends With Benefits

Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis star as Dylan and Jamie, two Manhattanites who become quick friends and find that they have the same problem: they want to have sex without the burden of a relationship. They start a no-strings-attached sexual relationship, but fall for each other before the credits roll. This romantic comedy is as predictable as it is cute, with plenty of laughs courtesy of the super likable Kunis and moments like JT busting out '90s hits. DVD extras include deleted scenes, a commentary track, and a blooper reel.

71%

One Day

In this adaptation of David Nicholls's novel, Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess play Emma and Dexter, best friends with an occasional romantic streak. The two meet in college and embark on a 20-year friendship, and the film revisits them on the same day each year to depict where they are in their lives and relationship. While fans of the book may not think the film version measures up, the dreamy Sturgess makes this romantic drama worth watching. Extras on the DVD include commentary from director Lone Scherfig, deleted scenes, and a few featurettes.

37%

See one more new release when after the jump.