FitSugar

Five Food-Craving Killers

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 11:00:00 PDT

Sometimes I get fixated on a food craving, and it's all I can think about. But a few hours later, my fixation feels silly. Most times, you can avoid giving into cravings by using simple strategies or healthy substitutes. Check out my slideshow for five ideas for killing food cravings.

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Savory Sight: Bacon Bread Pudding

Yum Community — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 03:02:17 PST

Bacon doesn't do anything wrong - and that certain truth applies to everything, including the blank canvas of bread. Here, Monica Bennett shows how, when combined, bacon, apples, and sage make for a killer sweet-salty bread pudding.

Bread pudding is like a blank canvas. The sky is the limit as far as what you can add. This time I wanted something savory. I was craving bacon so into my bread pudding it went along with some diced apples and sage from my garden.

For the recipe, check out her blog - and share your latest culinary creations with us in the YumSugar Community.

5 Reasons Your Workout Isn't Working

Shape — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 03:44:13 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Have you been working out consistently for months (maybe even years) and yet the scale is creeping up? Here are five ways your workout could be keeping you from losing weight, and what our experts recommend to start shedding pounds again:

1. Your workout routine is making you eat too much.
Is your workout causing you to use the "I burned it, I earned it," excuse when it comes to your diet? "Studies show that people tend to eat more calories when they take up exercise," says Michele Olson, Ph.D., professor of exercise science at Auburn University Montgomery, and creator of the Perfect Legs, Glutes & Abs DVD.

Think your 45-minute morning run was enough to burn off that slice of chocolate cake on the dessert menu? Consider this: the average, 140-pound woman burns about 476 calories (at a 10-minute mile pace) running for 45 minutes. The average restaurant dessert clocks in around 1,200 calories (or more), so even if you only eat half of a slice, you'd still easily eat away your run - and then some - in less than 10 minutes.

The solution: Make your workouts count by pairing them with a healthy diet that stays within the appropriate calorie range your body needs in order to lose or maintain your weight. Olson recommends writing down what you are eating to keep track of calories consumed, and then subtracting the calories you burned, for your true daily number.

See even more reasons why your workout isn't working after the break!

Outdoor Cardio Workout: Run Suicides in the Park

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 03:05:56 PDT

I am all for a good treadmill workout when it is too hot or too cold to run outside, but these days the temperature has been just right. I have been craving a good interval workout, but not at the track. Nope. For some reason, I have been nostalgic for running suicides. Sprinting from line to line on a basketball or tennis court or a soccer field just like the practices of my youth is a great way to mix up your sprinting workouts. Let me remind you, suicides like sprint interval training, should only be done if you have a solid running base.

A Suicide Set Defined
If you can find a tennis court basketball court, or soccer field use it! If not, just make your own lines in a field using your gym bag, extra layer, water bottle, etc. to create markers. Make six lines, six yards apart. Or if you are cramped make three lines, six yards apart. For basic suicide (or killers as they are sometime called), start at the first line and sprint to the second line, bend down and touch the line with your hand then return to your starting mark and touch that line (make sure to alternate hands so you work your torso evenly). Sprint to the second line, touch it and sprint back to the start. Keep going, running and touching the next furthest line until you have touched all the lines and returned to your starting mark. That series of sprints is a set.

Now you that you know the basics to see the workout, just

The Workout
Warm up:
Start with a dynamic warm to prime your joints. Run two to four basic killers at an easy jog. Touching the lines with your feet. Then stretch your quads, hamstrings, hip flexors, and back.

Main Event: Run as many sets as you can in 20 minutes, taking a one to two minute walking/jogging break between sets. If you are new to sprinting, I advise you take two-minute breaks and walk. You can also try running a set of suicides at a faster pace than your normal run, but slower than a sprint. Find a sweet spot where you're working hard, but are not going to injure yourself.

Cool Down: After your last set, slowly jog a basic killer, then decrease your speed to a walk to bring your heart rate down. Stretch your legs, hips, and back.

If you're trying to vary the intensity of your workouts, this is one to add to the mix. Plus it is fun to run as fast as you can for short periods of time. Really! It is.

Sunday Dinner: Pasta With Bacon and Cauliflower

Susannah Chen — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 06:30:29 PST

Bacon, spaghetti, and grated cheese are all massively popular in their own right, so it's no wonder that the synergy's magical when you put them together. But as crave-worthy as dishes like pasta carbonara can be, they're heavy on the meat, fat, and carbs but not much else.

Next time you're craving the killer combination, round out your meal by tossing in sautéed cauliflower, along with a few leaves of fresh sage for some earthy, herbal notes. You'll find the result more satisfying. To add creaminess and heft, stir in an egg at the end, too. Want the simple supper now? Then read on.