FitSugar

Great New Site: Diets in Review

FitSugar — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 03:00:00 PDT

There are so many diets out there that it's hard to keep track of them all. Wouldn't it be nice if there were one place where you could go online to get reviews of all the latest diets?

DietsinReview.com is a cool new site where you can find reviews of nearly 100 diets and weight loss plans, including weight loss supplements like the ever-so-controversial OTC pill alli. The site is easy to use so you can quickly find diets in four categories and compare and contrast them with informative reviews of each plan. I really like that there is a section to leave your own comments and/or reviews on the specific diet.

Are Your Birth Control Pills Safe?

Shape — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:06:17 PST

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

Last year during my annual exam, when I complained to my doctor about my terrible PMS, she was quick to pull out her pad and give me a prescription for the birth control pill Yaz. "You're going to love this," she said. "All of my patients that are on it think it's the best. It's even helped some of them lose weight!"

Less PMS and not having to worry about my weight? I was sold, even though I'd only intended to talk to her about lifestyle and/or diet modifications since my birth control needs were already taken care of. Before I stopped into the pharmacy, however, I looked up the pill online (Paging Dr. Google!). The results were anything but the lovefest I'd been promised. In fact, the information I found scared me so badly that I never filled that prescription.

Am I Normal? Your Top Six Sex Questions Answered

It quickly became evident that I wasn't the only woman concerned when Yaz and it's sister pill Yazmin, two of the most popular pills on the market, came up for review by the FDA after reports that the manufacturer may have hid and minimized critical health risks. But is the hysteria warranted?

Find out how safe birth control pills are after the break!

Lose Weight and Get Fit With Your Phone

Health — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:14:36 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

A sleeker, stronger body could be just a tweet or a Facebook post away
By Jamie Beckman

One of the best tools for peeling off pounds is already in your bag: It's your smartphone or iPad. In fact, all that texting, tweeting, and posting - the average woman spends more than 80 minutes a day on her phone, according to a recent report from the mobile apps analytics firm Flurry - can tip the scales in your favor.

And one in three of us are already using social sites like Facebook to get slender, reports research from the University of Arizona. So go ahead and steal these suggestions from women who took their shape-up viral.

Tweet Your Way Thin
Nancy Tessier, 50, lost 28 pounds by posting all her meals and snacks to Tweet What You Eat (@twye), an online food journal that lets others eyeball your noshes. "Sometimes it was a lot easier to decide not to eat something than to have to tweet it for the world to see," she says.

Posting your weight-loss numbers can help, too. The University of Arizona research suggests that women who reveal shape-up victories on a weekly basis trim down faster than those who update less frequently. If you're feeling shy, think up a Twitter handle and upload a cartoon character as your avatar so you can share the skinny without feeling self-conscious.

Health.com: Diet Tricks the Pros Tell Their Friends

Gain a Following
Get some virtual support pronto by following Twitter hash tags like #fitblog. Carla Shorts, 27, started chiming in on #fitblog's weekly live chats - and dropped from a size 12 to a size 6 in just a year. "When my weight loss reached a plateau, having women point out that my 30-minute elliptical routine wasn't going to cut it anymore was key," she says. "I started running and began to lose again."

You can also start your own hashtag, like Sherry Pagoto, 38, from Massachusetts, did with #plankaday, a challenge to spend at least a minute in plank pose each day.

Find more ways your phone can help you lose weight after the break.

Free Online Fitness Journals to Track Your Progress

Heather Dale — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:30:58 PST

I like to think I'm disciplined with my weekly workout schedule, but sometimes I need some additional coercing to get my butt to the gym. Online progress tracking tools are great for keeping you motivated, and for holding you accountable if your healthy habits happen to take a nosedive. With the holidays just around the corner, many of us will be on the road visiting friends and family, making it increasingly difficult to keep up with our fitness routines. So we've rounded up five fitness tracking websites to help keep you on track - and they're all free!

Keep reading to check them out!

Is the HCG Diet Safe?

Leta Shy — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:37:42 PST

Have you been convinced by the constant barrage of HCG diet testimonials? The diet has recently become the talk of the Internet, even though it was developed over 60 years ago.

The HCG diet claims this: HCG (or human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone found in pregnant women, is supposedly responsible for releasing stored fat to feed the baby in utero. By restricting your caloric intake while injecting the hormone or taking HCG drops daily (typically for 23 days, but many people stay on the diet until they reach their desired weight), the hormone encourages your body to release its fat stores to keep you nourished - leading to weight loss that can be as high as a pound a day. Sounds good, but is it safe? We spoke with Adam Bornstein, editorial director of LIVESTRONG.com, to learn more about the diet and its safety.

Does It Work?
Judging by the amount of success stories seen on TV or on the Internet, the answer is yes. Many users have said that the HCG diet is not only effective, but sustainable. Guests on a recent Dr. Oz show, for example, said that they lost as much as 50 pounds on the HCG diet. Dr. Oz's guests also explained that the diet was only difficult for the first few days, after which the pounds melted away without the users ever feeling hungry.

Experts, however, aren't so ready to give the diet a stamp of approval. For one, there are no studies addressing whether there are long-term side effects in using the pregnancy hormone, and there are no studies that illustrate if the hormone actually helps your body burn stored fat. "There's no research that can actually back up these claims. It's all hypothetical," Bornstein said. The fact that dieters lose weight quickly can most likely be attributed only the dieter's ability to stick to a strict 500-calorie diet and not the HCG hormone itself.

Read on to learn if going on the HCG diet is safe.

8 Wrong Mindsets That Are Preventing You From Getting Rich

Business Insider — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:24:40 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

Focusing on everything we lack, or lugging around a "scarcity mindset," is possibly the easiest way to wreck your finances.

You'll be so focused on what you can't do, you'll miss out on key opportunities, says Toby Johnston, CPA and CFP with Mohler, Nixon and Williams in San Francisco, Calif.

"When you think the pie is already set, it's already limited, so competing against the next guy to get a bigger piece of the pie seems pointless," he says.

What money mindsets are holding you back? Read on to find out and learn how you can change them.

You're stuck in the here and now

Someone stuck in this mindset may think they only have enough to make ends meet, says Johnston. In other words, they're living day-to-day, with nary an eye toward the future.

"They don't really put forth the effort, so they never get beyond thinking, 'Hey, if I made a little effort to cut back, I'd have something left over to invest,'" he says.

Make going on a BS diet a priority so you can stop spending on the things you don't want (or need) and have money left over to put the rest toward savings or investments.

You're on the paycheck-to-paycheck treadmill

Much like living day-to-day keeps you trapped in a scarcity mindset, spending your paycheck at the beginning of the month only to be left counting down the days until you receive the next check is no way to increase your net worth, or total assets minus liabilities (debt).

Here's a tip: Memorize the only equation you'll ever need to master you finances - Wealth equals what you earn minus what you spend. Live by it.

Read on for more wrong mindsets.

Calories and the Weight Loss Formula

Leta Shy — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:39:58 PST

Whether we're burning calories by sweating it out at the gym or resisting the call of the cupcakes, calories definitely affect our waistlines. Understanding the fundamentals of calories is about more than just reaching for the low-cal option. If you're watching your weight or looking to lose some, here's what you need to know about calories to keep you going.

What's a Calorie?
A calorie is just a form of energy. We burn calories all the time, whether merely breathing and sleeping or running a seven-minute mile. Metabolism is the rate at which our bodies use up this energy; the amount of calories we burn by simply existing is called our BMR, or basal metabolic rate (calculate your BMR here). Your BMR, age, and activity level are used to determine how many calories you should be eating in order to maintain your weight.

If you want to lose weight, however, the formula is simple: burn more calories than you eat. But that doesn't mean it's easy. It can be hard, and all-consuming, to keep track of every single calorie you eat or burn. Whether you're a calorie counter or someone who barely glances at labels, read on for tips on how to track calories to help you lose weight.

Foods That Prevent Weight Gain

Self — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:15:32 PDT

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

Prefer your morning java to a steaming cup of tea? Here's a compelling reason to make the switch: a new study in the online journal Obesity suggests that green tea may help prevent weight gain. Other recent studies have also suggested that drinking a cup or two of green tea each day may help you manage your weight. But is sipping green tea really the best way to stave off pounds before you pack them on? We asked Willow Jarosh and Stephanie Clarke, SELF contributing editors and co-founders of C&J Nutrition, to weigh in.

Green tea and veggies that are very low in calories like celery, cabbage, lettuce, cucumbers, etc. are healthy to include in your diet because they contain antioxidants, water to keep you hydrated, and fiber, which can help you feel more full and potentially eat fewer overall calories," Jarosh and Clarke say.

Jarosh and Clarke are not convinced that most of us can drink enough green tea to mimic the weight-loss results found in some of the recent studies. But enjoying a cup or two each day may improve your health as part of a relaxing ritual, so it's worth a shot!

Looking for a few more ways to prevent weight gain before it happens? Read Jarosh and Clarke's two favorite tricks after the break.

The Best and Worst Flu Season Remedies

Prevention — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:12:53 PDT

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

Find out which immune-boosting supplements really help — and which are just hype
By the Editors at Prevention

Flu shots, hand washing, healthy eating, and regular exercise are the best ways to avoid cold and flu.

But sometimes even the most scrupulous germaphobes and healthy people get sick anyway. While certain natural remedies can help shorten symptoms — or prevent infection entirely — many people waste money on measures that are all hype. Here's how to know the difference so you can get well faster — without wasting a penny.

The Germiest Spots in Your Home

1. Omega-3 Pill
The Verdict: Help
Take it: All season long
If you don't like or eat a lot of fish, pop an omega-3 supplement daily to reap the fatty acid's impressive immune-fortifying properties. Omega-3s increase the activity of phagocytes — cells that fight flu by eating up bacteria — according to a study by Britain's Institute of Human Nutrition and School of Medicine. Other research shows that omega-3s increase airflow and protect lungs from colds and respiratory infections.

Look for purified fish oil capsules that contain at least 1 g combined of EPA and DHA.

Keep reading for the rest of the list.

5 Must-Have Foods You Need Before Going Vegan

Lizzie Fuhr — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 03:06:04 PDT

I'm not sure whether it's the readily available resources online or the sheer number of food documentaries I've watched (Forks Over Knives was the latest viewing that gently pushed me over the edge), but I've officially decided to go vegan for 30 days. I realize this lifestyle change is not for everyone, but making the shift is something I feel ready to experiment with, if only for a limited time. After combing through resources and more than a few vegan must-have lists, I bravely headed out to my natural foods store to stock up on essentials. Feeling a little overwhelmed, it was like I had never been in a market before! In order to save you this struggle, I've prepared a beginner's guide for making the shift to a vegan diet.

Here are five items you'll definitely want to have before starting a vegan diet!

Legumes and grains. Beans and grains are going to become your new favorite friends. Beans are one of the options for vegans that are full of the nutrients we all need. Be sure to check out these five vegan dishes to help you create complete proteins. Similar to beans, whole grains are integral to a healthy diet. They're full of the fiber, protein, and vitamins our bodies need to run like a well-oiled machine. I've also learned that they really help fill you up. Quinoa is an awesome grain to start out with since it pairs well with just about anything!
Dairy substitutes. I've been a vegetarian for extended periods in the past, so giving up meat is a little less of a struggle. But going dairy-free is a whole new ball game! I've been absolutely amazed at the plethora of options I never knew existed for dairy-free divas. I am loving Follow Your Heart's nondairy dressings and vegan cheddar. Instead of cow's milk, try hemp, soy, or my personal favorite, almond milk. It's got the same smoothness and texture you love about the milk you used to douse your cereal with.

See the rest of my must-have vegan food items after the break!