FitSugar

Fit Tip: X Your Calendar After You Work Out

FitSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:00:00 -0700

If you have a hard time motivating yourself to work out, here's a little trick. Every time you exercise, whether you go for a walk, hike with a friend, or hit the gym, mark that day with a big X in your calendar. It'll give you a quick general overview of how often you've been working out that month so far, plus it'll serve as a visual reminder of how long it's been since you last worked out.

If giant Xs don't do it for you, then draw a smiley face, or a heart, or a little flower. You can even use different shapes or colors to show what kind of activity you did each day. It's definitely a great feeling when you can look back in your calendar and see all those days marked off. For even more motivation, reward yourself every time you get 20 Xs.

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Get Organized With the '08 Yoga Journal Calendar

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:30:00 -0800

It's 2008 and time to get organized! Everyone benefits from hanging a new calendar on the wall. Why not find one that will motivate you to move your body and calm your mind?

I am loving the 2008 Yoga Journal Calendar ($13.95). Whether you're new to yoga or have been practicing for a while, these gorgeous photographs of yoga postures will inspire you to practice yoga all year long.

Buy one here.

Fit Tip: Mark Your Calendar After You Exercise

FitSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:01:45 -0700

If you have a hard time motivating yourself to work out, here's a little trick. Every time you exercise, whether you go for a run, a hike with a friend, or hit the gym, mark that day with a little star in your calendar. It'll give you a quick general overview of how often you've been working out that month so far, plus it'll serve as a visual reminder of how long it's been since you last worked out.

If stars don't do it for you, then draw a big X, smiley face, heart, or a little flower. You can even use different shapes or colors to show what kind of activity you did each day. It's definitely a great feeling when you can look back in your calendar and see all those days marked off. For even more motivation, reward yourself every time you get 20 stars.

Quit Tip: Pick a Day to Quit Smoking

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 09:30:00 -0800

One thing I can wholeheartedly recommend to improve your health is quitting smoking. It decreases your chance of getting and dying from cancer, heart disease, and stroke. I am not saying you should quit today cold turkey, but if you did I would be so glad. What I am saying is that you should pick a date to quit and begin publicly counting down until that day arrives.

The American Cancer Society wants to help you count down to your momentous quit day, and they have even designed a couple little desktop helpers. One is a countdown calendar to help you rev up to quit day. Just pick a date, any date, but make sure it is within the next 30 days - you can’t put it off forever. The clock lives on your computer desktop and counts down the days until your chosen day to go smoke free.

Their other helpful widget is the Craving Stopper, a little distracting memory game that lasts about two minutes, the amount of time it take for a craving to subside. Just preoccupy yourself with the game and let the need for a smoke subside naturally. Unfortunately, these widgets only work with Windows OS. Sorry Mac folks.

Hey. I have a great idea . . . make this Thursday, November 15, your quit date, since it is the Great American Smokeout!

Lunafest Film Festival Supports Breast Cancer Fund

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:30:36 -0700

Luna, maker of the sports bar for women's nutritional needs and super stylin' biking gear, also dabbles in the arts. Every October to coordinate with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, for the past nine years Luna has put on Lunafest, a festival of short films, by, for, and about women; the proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Fund.

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the premiere here in San Francisco. It was inspirational - both creatively and health-wise. The Breast Cancer Fund's mission is cancer prevention through educating women on environmental factors, including household cleaners and beauty products, that might play a part in the disease, as well as how healthy living - diet and exercise - help prevent it.

The cool thing is, you can host a Lunafest event, too, to raise money for the Breast Cancer Fund as well as a local nonprofit - more details on that later this month. There are already 110 screenings of the festival planned across the nation. Here's the calendar of events so you can find when the festival will be coming to a theater near you. One of the 10 films features Laura Dern (it's nice to see her again) in Courteney Cox's directorial debut, the charming 19-minute film Monday Before Thanksgiving.

I highly recommend this evening of films. How often do you get to raise funds for a good cause while sitting in the dark eating popcorn?

PMDD: My Dirty Little Secret

FitSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Three years ago I was diagnosed with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) - it's sort of like PMS on overdrive, except way worse. Before the diagnosis I was embarrassed at how unstable I felt as my period approached, especially when all of my girlfriends seemed to be handling their PMS symptoms in a manageable way.

My menstrual cycles were always preceded by feelings of severe depression, crying bouts, anxiety, fatigue, and extreme back pain that would disappear the day my period started. I decided that I could no longer live like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and had a conversation with my doctor. To my relief she confirmed that what I was going through was much more severe than PMS.

For those of you who might be suffering with PMDD, here are some tips I've learned from my doctor over the years to make life more bearable. You'll want to do everything on this list during the two weeks leading up to your period.

To see my tips, read more.

Keep a rigorous calendar of your cycle so you can anticipate when your symptoms will start. Knowing this time frame helps calm anxiety and allows you to take the necessary precautions to offset PMDD. It's also helpful to let those close to you anticipate these dates since they can help offer extra support during this time.
Exercise has been shown to help decrease symptoms of PMDD - go on more walks or bike rides leading up to your menstrual cycle.
Uncontrollable cravings and fatigue are signs of PMDD and can be offset by having a balanced diet of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins. Adjust your diet by reducing caffeine, salt, refined sugars, and high carb meals.
Take the herbal remedies chasteberry and L-tryptophan. In clinical trials, both have shown to help decrease the emotional effects of PMDD.

If these tips don't improve your PMDD, talk to your doctor about other options. I've also had great success taking Yaz, the only birth control pill approved to treat PMDD, but some health experts are not convinced that Yaz is as safe as it claims to be.

Many women have symptoms so severe that they go on short cycles of antidepressants each month or take oral contraceptives to help with hormone regulation.

Need a Little Exercise Motivation? Try These 8 Techniques

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

There are a million excuses you can come up with not to work out - you're too tired, you don't have time, you forgot your sneakers at home, or you have your period and would much rather eat chocolate. We've all been there so here are some fail-proof ways to motivate you to follow through with your workout dates.

Plan ahead. Get out your calendar and jot down exercise appointments before anything else comes up. Call personal trainers to set up sessions, sign up for salsa dance lessons with your partner, or mail your deposit in for that flying trapeze workshop you've had your eye on. It only takes a short amount of time to organize your exercise commitments, but once they're set up, you'll be more likely to stick with them.
Get into a routine. Either work out at the same time every day, or if that's not possible, get into a routine of working out the same days each week such as Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. It will be tough to get going at first, but soon it will become as habitual as brushing your teeth.

To see the other six ways read more

Keep a fitness journal. It allows you to keep track of every aspect of your workouts so you can see your progress, and also forces you to be accountable to the commitment you made to exercise.
Set a goal. Maybe you want to reach a certain weight, fit into your pre-pregnancy jeans, or train for a race. Having a goal you want to reach by a certain amount of time can give you the push you need to exercise regularly.
Be creative. If you do the same workout every day, in the same place, you're bound to get bored. So run or bike a new route, use different weight equipment, take a new fitness class, or follow a brand new exercise DVD. Your body will become stronger and is at less risk for injury when you challenge it with different activities, and it'll also keep your mind stimulated.
Be flexible. If you always work out at noon, but today a surprise meeting came up for work, don't let that ruin your plans. Figure out another time to fit in exercise that day.
Do it with other people. Humans are social creatures and exercising with one or more people not only makes you keep your fitness dates, but it's also more enjoyable.
Reward yourself. The physical and emotional benefits of exercise may not be enough to push you to stick with it, especially when you're just starting out, so try a tangible reward. Once you reach mini goals, such as losing a pound or being able to do 10 push-ups without your knees on the ground, buy yourself a new exercise shirt, a CD of music to work out to, or a chocolate truffle. When you reach bigger goals, get larger rewards such as a massage or pedicure. The rewards should be something you'll really appreciate, but make sure it doesn't undo all the good you've done.

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How Do These Berries Compare?

FitSugar — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0700

When the calendar turns to June, the holy trinity of berries are all in season: strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

I couldn't be more pleased with the tastes of the season since all three berries are nutritional powerhouses, but how do they compare? Take this quiz and see.

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Take the quiz

Healthy To-Do: Check Your Skin

FitSugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 14:30:00 -0700

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Today, take some time out to check your skin for suspicious moles and markings, which could lead to skin cancer.

Put yourself in front of a mirror, naked, and scan your entire body, especially body parts you don't see on a regular basis, like your back. If you'd like a trained eye to examine your skin, the Skin Cancer Foundation is offering free screenings at locations around the country now through September with its Road to Healthy Skin Tour; it is veritable mobile dermatologist office. Check this calendar that has the events listed by state - it will visit more than 80 locations.

If you're not sure what you are looking for, check out these four warning signs for skin cancer, with visual representations of healthy moles versus questionable ones.

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Dos and Don'ts of Healthy Wedding Planning

FitSugar — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Let's face it: planning a wedding is stressful. Depending on how big your wedding is, it could be one of the most stressful projects you've ever taken on. So amid all the excitement, it's important to keep yourself fit, healthy, centered, and sane. Here's what do to (and what not to do) when planning a wedding the fit and healthy way.

Do make a plan. It sounds basic, but start by planning out your timeline, then go down the list one by one. Otherwise, you'll easily feel overwhelmed.
Don't be shy about accepting help. People have gotten married many times before, so why start from scratch? Registry checklists, like our downloadable registry, will save you serious time. You'll also have people offering to help you left and right, so let them!
Do come up with a fitness plan. If part of your plan includes getting fit for the big day, map out a workout schedule - with the help of online programs or a trainer - to keep yourself on track.

For a few other ideas for how to stay sane while planning your wedding, read more.

Don't overdo it. Getting in shape shouldn't mean setting unrealistic goals that require crash-dieting and unsafe lifestyle changes. Losing a maximum of two pounds a week is considered reasonable.
Do make time for yourself. You'll be bombarded by people and questions right through the wedding day, so set aside some alone time for yoga, massages, walks - whatever.
Don't neglect your workouts. Make sure your exercise routine doesn't get lost in the shuffle. Put workouts on your calendar, alongside all your wedding appointments. If you want, recruit a special wedding workout buddy.
Do control your party-food intake. You're likely to attend some engagement and bachelorette parties before the big day, but if you're trying to stay slim, keep your indulging in check. Have a bite of something you're craving, then move on.

Any of you recent brides out there have anything to add? If so, share them in the comments!
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