FitSugar

Yet Another Reason to Exercise and Eat Right

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:00:00 PDT

A new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that if a woman, who has survived breast cancer, eats at least five servings of vegetables and fruits a day and walks briskly for 30 minutes, six days a week, her risk of death from breast cancer, goes down by 50 percent. Those who were both physically active and had a healthy diet were much more likely to survive through the follow-up period than the rest of the study group. Moral of the story? Both exercise and eating healthfully are key components to living longer, period. So if you don't do both, then you probably should start.

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Healthy and Not at ALL Ugly: America Ferrera

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 09:25:17 PST

The whole world loves America, but not just because of her hit sitcom but also because she has a very healthy outlook on her body.

America tells the March 5th, 2007 issue of In Touch that she wasn't always so confident in her body:

On her body before: "I've tried almost every diet."

On her body now: "You have to build a normal relationship with exercise and food, for me it's not about looking like a supermodel -- it's about feeling good about who I am naturally."

On how she maintains her figure: "It's called a lot of stress and a lot of work!"

On working out: "I don't have much time to exercise, but when I do, I hike, run and do yoga."

On working with models: "Well in real life, I'm not sucking down pies or anything! I'm not unhealthy."

On sizes: "We're not all a size 2 and we're not all a size 0, and you know what? That's okay because some of us like to eat!"

Definitely a woman comfortable with her genes.

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American I"doll": Carrie Underwood

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 09:02:56 PST

Carrie Underwood has been in the limelight ever since winning American Idol last season. Turns out that becoming an Idol is working out just nicely for her as she has a booming career, a cute new man and a slender new body.

How did she slim down? Underwood has claimed that she maintains a healthy diet by eating vegetarian and staying away from junk food, pizza and traditional southern fare. Typically you'll find her eating veggie burgers, soy-based sausages and the occasional protein bar.

Underwood does not claim to be a workout guru. While she does have a TreadMill, she doesn’t have a trainer and she will swim whenever she finds the time. Underwood also credits slimming down to, "Bouncing around on-stage," which is definitely a workout in itself.

I have always thought that Carrie looked great from the beginning of her career and that she did not need to lose weight, but I do applaud her for getting healthy during such a hectic time in her life. Cutting out the junk food is a great start for anyone looking to get healthier in 2007!

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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!

Fit Tip: Keep It Up Long After Summer Ends

Leta Shy — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:59:20 PDT

Last-minute Summer shape-up plans may help you shed pounds and tone fast, but they do involve a lot of hard work and dedication as you race against the warm-weather countdown. So as you ramp up your healthy routine in time to don that bikini, make an even better resolution: stick to your new healthy resolutions, even after the Summer season fades.

Whether you're detoxing with a debloating meal plan or kicking your workouts up a notch, Summer prep can be the best time to jump-start a commitment to a healthier lifestyle, not only because you're making healthy eating and exercise a habit, but also because waiting until the last minute to prep for a beach vacay can be stressful! Insanity's Shaun T says it best: "Make it a lifestyle change so next Spring you're not cramming for the test," he recently told us. (In the meantime, you can read his tips for last-minute Summer prep here).

Does this season's frantic shape-up routine have you vowing to make a healthy diet and exercise routine part of your regular life? Luckily, you don't have to do it alone; follow our tips on how to stick to an exercise routine, and this time next year you can rest easy knowing you don't have to beat the clock!

Opposites Attract: Celeb Couples With Different Diet and Exercise Regimens

Leta Shy — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:00:28 PST

Many celeb twosomes like to work out together, but others know you don't have to swap sweat to show your love. Sometimes it's the hard-core adrenaline junkie who falls for the yoga fiend, or the carnivore in love with the staunch vegetarian. In honor of Valentine's Day, here are five celebrity couples who like to do their own thing when it comes to diet and exercise!

Fit Philosophy: Ginnifer Goodwin

Michele Foley — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:02:27 PDT

Happy birthday, Ginnifer Goodwin! The Once Upon a Time star turns 34 today, and to celebrate we're taking a look at how Ginnifer stays active and fit in her daily life.

Always on the go: Ginnifer often credits living in health-conscious LA for her active lifestyle. Whether she's going to Ballet Body or The Bar Method, her workouts gravitate toward leotards, the barre, and pliés. She also turns everyday excursions into an excuse to power walk, "I'll speed-walk a couple of miles, get a cup of coffee, speed-walk back. It’s so easy. Just break a sweat for 30 minutes and you’re fine."

It's a lifestyle not a diet: An outspoken fan of Weight Watchers, she credits the diet program for helping her maintain a healthy weight in realistic ways. She told People, "It takes time because you lose the weight slowly . . . You don't have to go through that horrible yo-yo cycle of binging." Even when counting points, Ginnifer can indulge in treats like her favorite dark chocolate or a pasta dinner. Ginnifer maintains a sense of balance when it comes to eating, so she never has to feel deprived.

Health is more than just weight loss: For Ginnifer, being healthy means being confident, feeling less stressed, and maintaining a well-rounded perspective in her life. She told Health, "Healthy is beautiful. Because what comes with health is a clear mind and a high spirit. When I’m not healthy, I can’t think straight, and I’m unhappy. I’ll realize that I’m an emotional mess, and it’s because I’m dehydrated. Or I’m cold and cranky, and it’s because I’m not exercising and my circulation is poor."

The Rise of Weight Watchers in the 1960s

Annie Scudder — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:00:42 PDT

This week on Mad Men's "Dark Shadows" episode, Weight Watchers serves as a type of therapy for Betty Francis, who can definitely use it. Boredom, jealousy, and insecurity dominate Betty's life as a 1960s housewife on her second marriage, and she's turned to bags of Bugles to pass the time. Now determined to lose the weight, the former model turns to a new diet plan gaining popularity with women like her, Weight Watchers. Considering Betty's mother-in-law already tried to push diet pills on her, which contained amphetamines at the time, the group meetings are the responsible approach to weight loss for Betty Francis.

If you think Weight Watchers was a phenomenon of the '80s or remember Duchess Sara Ferguson as its spokeswoman in the '90s, you may have been surprised to see Betty attending meetings way back in the '60s. Jean Nidetch, the founder of Weight Watchers, got the idea for the weight-loss method after struggling herself to lose and keep off weight with diets and pills. Jean, who had weighed as much as 214 pounds, lost 20 with a diet prescribed by the New York City Board of Health, but couldn't keep it off. So in 1961, she decided to hold meetings with other women facing the same issues with weight at her home in Queens, NY. By Oct. 1962, she had lost 72 pounds.

Thanks to her success, Jean's meetings took off, and she went from having them every week to multiple times a day. She soon recruited other group leaders, like the one we saw running Betty Francis's meetings, who had previously lost weight with the program and continued to keep it off. In 1963, Jean and her husband Marty incorporated the business, and by 1965, they exported the franchises to Canada, Puerto Rico, Great Britain, and Israel, with 102 in total. Changes would come in the '70s, with a psychologist coming on and exercise being introduced, and in 1978 the company was purchased for $100 million by another brand featured this season on Mad Men: H.J. Heinz.

In 2010, Weight Watcher's founder published her autobiography, The Jean Nidetch Story: An Autobiography, which came after her 1972 book The Story of Weight Watchers. The autobiography is described as the story of Jean's "personal struggles, rags-to-riches rise, and sunny, can-do attitude." If only Betty had a hint of a sunny disposition. Instead, her all-consuming jealousy is casting dark shadows.

Photo courtesy of AMC

3 Ways to Say Goodbye to Belly Fat

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:53:32 PDT

A nutritious diet and regular exercise have helped you reach your weight loss goal, but you're still trying to get rid of that little extra pooch around your midsection. Here are three things you can do every week to help you achieve a trimmer belly.

When eating: Take an honest look at your diet and your bathroom schedule. Your belly might not be caused by fat, but by air trapped in your digestive system. If you're not getting enough fiber (you need 25 to 30 grams a day), constipation can cause bloating. Here are some common reasons women don't get enough fiber and how to overcome them. On the other hand, overdoing it on fiber or eating too many gas-producing foods like broccoli, apples, or beans can also make your belly stick out. There are also foods you can eat, like blueberries, that are proven to diminish belly fat, so be sure to include these five fat-blasting foods in your diet.
When doing cardio: Studies show that including interval training in your cardio sessions is proven to diminish belly fat. If you find that you normally stick to a consistent pace when running, biking, or swimming, mix it up by adding 10- to 60-second fast-paced or sprinting intervals.
When strength training: Basic crunches can help tone your abs, but they only target certain abdominal muscles. Incorporate full-body exercises like side planks as well as balancing moves on a ball or on one leg to target all the muscles in your core.

What Healthy Living Advice Did You Learn From Your Mom?

Leta Shy — Sun, 13 May 2012 04:12:07 PDT

Mother's Day is a time to celebrate and appreciate your mom, and what better way than to reflect on all the good advice she's given you over the years? That's especially true when it comes to healthy living advice. Many times, it's our moms who we turn to when it comes to diet and exercise, whether that means following in your mom's sports-playing footsteps, or heeding her advice about eating all your vegetables.

My mom always encouraged me to be active, whether it was disappearing for hours with my friends on our bikes or joining the track team later on at school. She also always made sure I had healthy meals to eat, all while whipping up the best chocolate chip cookies and cakes for later. I loved the balance she taught me about food - that it should be kept healthy, in general, but in the end should be enjoyed.

What healthy living advice did you learn from your mom? Celebrate your mom by telling us in the comments below (or tell us how you are teaching your kids to be healthy)!