FitSugar

All Sheryl Crow Wants to Do Is Get Fit

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:30:00 PDT

Here's something that running moms like Sheryl Crow should give themselves a pat on the back for . . .

Research has found that running with a stroller provides a much more intense workout than running without a stroller. What's more? Your form is not compromised by pushing the stroller, as once previously thought. So Sheryl has the right idea, and it looks like she is getting in a killer workout while her adorable son just hangs out. If you're looking to get fit with your baby, then you may want to check out StrollerFit that just happens to be offering a free class on March 15.

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FREE Stroller Fit Class

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:00:00 PDT

On Saturday March 15th the good folks over at StrollerFit - an innovative fitness company that helps moms exercise with their babies - are offering a free Family Class and lunch (classes are approximately 50 minutes including warm-up, strengthening, cardio, stretching and cool-down). All you have to do is find a location near you. Check out StrollerFit for more information, find a location, and sign up.

Source

Healthy Dose Link Time: Why Being Single Can Sometimes Be Better

Michele Foley — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:27:35 PST

Why being single is sometimes better (for your waistline) - Self
Find out what happens to unused muscles - Fit Bottomed Girls
The foods that health experts always keep in their kitchens - Real Simple
Salad isn't boring: rosemary and balsamic-roasted grapes and olives - Vegetarian Times
Make it really count! Sex positions that double as exercise - Fitness
How one couple lost 285 pounds together - Daily Spark
Rebecca Romijn says losing baby weight was "hardest thing I've ever done . . . " - Fit Celeb
Seven simple ways to get healthy right now! - InStyle

Lil Links: Postpartum Sex Tips For New Dads

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:32:50 PST

A dad's guide to postpregnancy sex - Parenting
5 things not to say to divorced moms - The Stir
Bobbi Kristina was Whitney Houston's pride and joy - Celebrity Baby Scoop
Lily Aldridge debuts her baby bump - Celebrity Baby Blog
3 simple exercise routines to get expectant mamas going in the morning - FitPregnancy
Mom gets fired for asking to pump at work - The Bump
Can you cheat at potty training? - Momformation
New Barbie wears your face on her stomach - Yahoo! Shine
7 creative birthday party ideas for under $7 per guest - LearnVest
Former Spice Girl Emma Bunton is inspired by her kids for a children's fashion line – Child Mode

Fat-Proof Your Life

Health — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:06:06 PST

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

By Maridel Reyes

It's true that there are certain times in your life when extra poundage seems to appear out of nowhere . . . and settle on you. In fact, experts have honed in on the exact moments when you're most vulnerable to weight gain.

"Life transitions, having a baby, and going through menopause cause many women to pile on pounds," says Susan Albers, PsyD, author of But I Deserve This Chocolate!: The 50 Most Common Diet-Derailing Excuses and How to Outwit Them. "But with planning and prep, you can stay thin."

We asked top experts for their strategies to help you ward off weight creep - and even shed pounds - at these tricky stages. Solutions ahead.

Getting married

Heavier ever after? It can be the flip side of wedded bliss: "Six out of 10 of my clients come back heavier after the honeymoon," says celebrity fitness and wellness guru David Kirsch.

Health.com: 25 Diet-Busting Foods You Should Never Eat

Young newlyweds pack on an extra six to nine pounds in the five years after getting hitched compared to singletons, according to research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And most of that gain happens in the first year of marriage.

"Couples start to mirror each other's eating habits," explains Albers. "You might be matching him calorie for calorie without realizing it."

Learn how to keep the pounds down postmarriage and in the mommy years, after the break.

Foods That Can Make You Look Pregnant

Shape — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:29:06 PST

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

Over the weekend, I saw a photo of a female celebrity (who is in a relationship with a male celeb) leaving a café with the caption, "Baby bump?" and I had to refrain myself from shouting out loud, "Come on, can't a girl eat without the world thinking she's having a baby?!"

The truth is having a perfectly flat stomach all the time just isn't normal. After you eat or drink, food and liquids naturally expand your stomach and intestines, so at least a little "bump" is inevitable every single day. So if you regularly get stalked by paparazzi or you have family members who are anxiously awaiting news of a new addition, here's the lowdown on when you might get mistaken for being pregnant:

See which foods may make you look pregnant after the break!

David Kirsch's Boot Camp Circuit Workout

FitSugar — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:54:27 PST

He helped Heidi Klum bounce back post baby, and now David Kirsch is here to help you revamp your exercise routine. He created this fun and challenging workout to help FitSugar readers stay on track through the Winter months! Tone your entire bod with these moves while burning some serious calories. Here's how to follow the workout.

Instructions: Work through the entire circuit doing 15 to 20 reps of each exercise. Then repeat entire circuit twice more for a total of three sets. Your goal is to complete three full sets in 45 minutes. Props needed: a set of three- to five-pound dumbbells, a four- to six-pound medicine ball, and an exercise ball to fit your height.

Click here for a printable PDF of the workout. After printing it, hang the workout on your fridge to remind you to get your sweat on!

Source: WireImage

Relationship Rehab: 12 Steps To Becoming A Happier Couple In 2012

YourTango — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:00:30 PST

We're happy to present this excerpt from one of our favorite sites, YourTango.

What's your New Year's resolution for 2012? To exercise more? To be more productive? We bet "a more honest and open relationship" isn't on many of your lists. That's because tons of people put their relationships on autopilot, hoping the kinks will just work themselves out - and then they argue each and every day, and end up resenting each other. The best way to have a happy relationship is to keep working on it, so even if you're not currently in a relationship rut, follow these 12 tips from our staff and you'll keep being happy.

Say "please" and "thank you." This shows your partner you appreciate them and keeps you from taking each other for granted.
Grab your partner's butt every day (or at least every other day).
Kiss every morning!
Say "good morning" every morning.
Cuddle.
Spend at least one night a week with your significant other and family/friends, i.e. don't hole up all by yourselves.
Use baby talk/pet names very sparingly. If you overuse these, you could damage your relationship since you won't be able to relate to each other seriously.
DO THE DISHES. Set up some type of system for who does them when.

Get the final steps when you finish reading the rest of the story on YourTango: Relationship Rehab: 12 Steps To Becoming A Happier Couple In 2012

Written by Natalie Gontcharova for YourTango.

4 More Facts You Don't Know About Calories

Prevention — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:08:37 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 percent 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? Last month, we shared some reasons you might be confused about calories - here are four more and the simple steps that will help you do the math.

1. Exercise makes you hungry
Though studies are mixed when it comes to whether exercise actually stimulates or suppresses appetite, many people think of working out as a way to eat whatever they like. "There’s definitely a mentality of 'I have sweated therefore I deserve,'" says Bonci. However, with most people burning about 100 calories per mile, a short workout won't give you a free pass to eat junk food. "If you walk two miles, eating a handful of chips post-workout can undo the calories you burned," says Bonci. As mentioned above, gym machines don’t accurately measure calories burned, either.

Stop the confusion: To stop an after-workout binge, fuel up pre-gym, Zied suggests. "Have something before - something with carbs and a little protein, like whole wheat toast and peanut butter or a banana and milk." Depending on the intensity of your workout, you may need something afterward as well. After a workout longer than 45 minutes, you should aim to eat about 200 calories.

Tips to Stop Overeating After Workouts

2. Liquid calories are ignored
"People are spending hundreds of calories on beverages each day," says Zied. Unfortunately, a lot of those calories are from sugar-sweetened drinks and alcohol, not milk and 100 percent fruit juice. According to a 2007 study, beverage intake accounted for roughly 12 percent of total calories in 1965 and steadily increased to 21 percent in 2002 - that's 222 extra calories a day from drinks alone! Because bottled drinks often contain multiple servings, it’s best to either pour a serving in a glass or look for mini soda cans and juice boxes.

Keep reading for more info about calories and weight loss after the break.

8 Small Ways to Lose Big Pounds in 2012

Prevention — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:06:22 PST

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

Quadruple your weight loss by making one easy tweak to your routine per week
By Alyssa Shaffer

If your goal is to lose weight and exercise more, forget the deprivation diet and marathon workouts. New research shows that taking baby steps - not giant leaps -is the best way to get lasting results. A study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that participants who made one small, potentially permanent change in their food choices and/or physical activity each week (such as drinking one fewer can of soda or walking five more minutes each day) lost more than twice as much belly fat, two and half more inches off their waistlines, and about four times more weight during a four-month program, compared with those who followed traditional calorie-restriction and physical-activity guidelines.

"When you focus on just a couple of small changes at a time, you begin to ingrain some healthy habits that last for a lifetime, rather than trying an all-or-nothing approach that more often than not fails because it's too hard to follow," says Lesley Lutes, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of psychology at East Carolina University. We've uncovered these simple steps (with proven results) to help you move more, eat less, and look and feel better than ever. Add just one or two a week to your regular routine and you can lose nearly three inches off your waistline and be about 10 pounds lighter come in a few months. Even better: Once these healthy habits become second nature, they'll benefit you for a lifetime.

1. Pick Up a Pen After Every Meal
Mindlessly munching on a bag of chips could result in easily polishing off the whole thing; write down how much you've eaten and you're more likely to practice portion control. Keeping a food log helps control extra calories in two ways: the combination of plain old reality check (I just ate 30 minutes ago!) and awareness that what you're putting in your mouth will soon be recorded for posterity. In a recent study, people who kept a food journal lost twice as much weight as those who didn't. When they combined it with a moderate diet and exercise plan, they lost an average of 13 pounds in 6 months. Journaling also gives you insight on your eating habits, says Lutes. Do you skip meals? Eat the same during the week as on the weekend? Binge when you're feeling stressed? "Knowing your routine helps you figure out what changes are right for you," she adds.

Avoid these 14 "health food" diet disasters.

2. Limit High-Fat Foods to One Per Week
Tag the high-fat/high-calorie foods that are typically your favorites (our top five: cookies, candy, ice cream, potato chips, and fries) and gradually downshift. "If you're eating six of these foods a week, try to go down to five," says Lutes. Each week, drop another until you're at no more than one or two; at the same time, add in a good-for-you choice like baby carrots, sautéed broccoli, oranges, and other fresh fruits and veggies.

Keep reading for more simple tip to help you lose big.