FitSugar

Why Am I Still Flabby?

FitSugar — Fri, 18 May 2007 12:30:00 PDT

You may be six weeks into your current strength training program and you've lost the weight, but how come you're still feeling flabby? Well, for some reason your weight training is not getting the job done.

One reason you may not be getting as toned as you wish could be because you're not using enough resistance to challenge the muscles and stimulate them to grow -- Developed muscles are what makes us look toned. Women have been programmed to use light weights for fear of getting too bulky. It's important to keep in mind that those lovely, muscley ladies that grace the covers of magazines like Muscle & Fitness have worked very hard to look like that. Switching your 12 pound dumbbells to 15 pound dumbbells will not make you look bulky.

You need to use a weight that will fully fatigue your muscles (you couldn't possibly do another rep) by the last repetition. If you're feeling like you could go on and on with the current weight you're using, you should definitely think about going a little bit heavier.

Fit's Tip: A good rule of thumb is to increase your weight by 5% (or less) once it starts feeling too easy.

Source

Where's the Muscle?

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 07:30:00 PST

So you've been doing tons of crunches to get rid of your gut, and you feel the difference. But you've got to press through a layer of flab to feel it. What gives?

Even if you do your ab work out every day, you're strengthening your belly, but not doing anything about the layer of fat above your washboard stomach.

The answer? To lose the fat you have to combine all those abdominal crunches with some cardio. Do 30-45 minutes at 70-80% of your maximum heart rate 3 times a week. Curious to know what your maximum heart rate is? Check out Fit's Calculator for the answer.

Burning calories, doing your crunches, and eating a sensible diet will have you seeing your fabulous abs in no time.

Love Your Lower Half: Your Go-To Wardrobe and Workout

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:15:16 PST

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

We've been thinking a lot about our backsides the past few months here at Fitness, as our team put together part one of our "Body Lab" to help you get a butt that defies gravity (see the February issue for more!).

While we work hard in the gym to sculpt a better behind, we don't complain when we get a little help from a particularly flattering pair of pants. The minute we slipped on the GapFit gFast Color Binding Leggings ($60, gap.com), we fell in love with their comfy fit and cute colors. And after testing them out in a strength class at David Barton Gym to celebrate GapFit's new line, we knew they would be mainstays in our workout wardrobes. The fabric is just thick enough for cool morning runs, but doesn't feel too heavy for the gym.

If you're feeling a bit timid about rocking these leggings, add these three moves from David Barton Gym trainer Meka to your workout three times each week, and soon you'll be loving your rear view! Get the details on these booty-toning exercises after the break.

Lil Links: It's a Boy For Lindsay Price and Curtis Stone

LilSugar — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:32:29 PST

Lindsay Price and Curtis Stone welcome a son - Celebrity Baby Blog
10 inspiring quotes about motherhood - The Stir
A parents guide to video games with guns - Tecca.com
Your healthiest Thanksgiving ever - Health
Ben Affleck is surrounded by his gorgeous girls - Celebrity Baby Scoop
The right way to get rid of post-baby belly flab - FitPregnancy
Tips for ensuring your family can sit together during Thanksgiving air travel - Parenting
Is this baby doll cursing? - The Bump
Does having a girl scare you? - Momformation
Grateful kids are healthier - Yahoo! Shine
ErgoBaby buys Orbit Baby and announces expansion - Child Mode

5 Diet Foods That Are Making You Fat

Prevention — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:10:41 PST

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

Improve your weight loss plan by avoiding these health diet disasters
By Alyssa Shaffer

Thanks to confusing labels and unearned reputations, it's difficult to know what's good for you. You might automatically reach for items with a "health halo," such as spaghetti sauce (love that lycopene!), or labels like reduced fat!, low sodium!, and whole grain! But unless you're a super savvy shopper, be warned: your diet may conceal some nasty surprises. That low-fat cottage cheese you love? It could be higher in sodium than potato chips. And the low-fat dressing you drizzle on your salad? It could contain nearly as much sugar as two chocolate chip cookies.

The truth is that no manufacturer wants to compromise on flavor, so even healthy-sounding products can contain appalling levels of sugar, salt, and bad fats. To save you time, we've flushed out some of the most surprising diet food offenders - and found some truly healthy alternatives.

5 Weight Loss Excuses You Can Overcome

Fast Food Chicken Caesar Salad
Culprit: McDonald's Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken contains 890 mg of sodium - more than half the recommended daily limit. And that's without the Caesar dressing, which can pile on another 500 mg. (Select the low-fat Italian and it's even 30 percent higher!) In these ready-to-go salads, says Lona Sandon, RD, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, "the worst part is usually the chicken, which is often cooked in a high-sodium marinade for flavor and may also be injected with a sodium solution to keep the meat moist."

Smarter choice: Skip the entrée salad and go for the burger with a garden salad on the side. A McDonald's plain hamburger has 520 mg of sodium (250 calories, 9 g fat); add the side salad (20 calories, 0 g fat, 10 mg sodium) or snack-size fruit-and-walnut salad (210 calories, 8 g fat, 60 mg sodium).

Have you fallen prey to other "fake" diet foods? Keep reading to find out!

Healthy Dose Link Time: The Best Foods For Fighting Fat

FitSugar — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:54:32 PDT

Take a bite into these flab-fighting foods - Health
Before and after weight loss pics - obsessive or inspiring? - Blisstree
Kate Winslet is no twig and refuses to diet for anyone - Fit Celeb
Warm up with this protein-packed shrimp and veggie soup - Peanut Butter Fingers
Check out which foods are the absolute worst for your waistline - Fitbie
Eight sexy ways to keep your metabolism going - Shape

Healthy Dose Link Time: Was Pippa Middleton's Wedding Derriere "Enhanced"?

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 10:57:59 PDT

Still obsessed with Pippa's backside? Rumors arise that her wedding day look was "enhanced" - Fit Celeb
Never, ever order these high-calorie pasta dishes! - Prevention
Bee venom might replace Botox as nature's cure for wrinkles - Blisstree
Study reveals the best three moves to cure triceps flab. So get toning! - DailySpark
Yoga and Pilates moves to help you look 10 pounds thinner instantly - Fitness
Roseanne Barr is spreading her love of organic farming and yoga by creating a DVD series for kids. Surprised? - Mind Body Green
Green tea may be healthful, but avoid this oversweetened bottled brand - Vitamin G
Mix plenty of cherries with your spinach, and your green smoothie will be disguised as a lovely shade of purple - Fitnessista

Healthy Dose Link Time

FitSugar — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:58:43 PDT

Postcards from the Los Angeles Marathon - Lululemon
Going gray early? Calm down, it might not be genetics - My Daily
Why the Tracy Anderson Method left one woman starved - Fit Celeb
4 strange - but simple! - ways to fall asleep - Vitamin G
3 moves to help ditch the pooch before bikini season hits - Self
Salt - it's not as bad as you think - That's Fit.ca
Healthy recipes straight from the pages of The Biggest Loser - Shape
Ride on! 8 Spring cycling events - Active.com
Roll away the flab: 10 ways to firm up on a foam roller - Daily Spark
Opa! Greek quinoa stuffed peppers - Hangry Pants

Protein Infused Vodka: Recovery Drink For the Party Set?

Michele Foley — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:00:06 PDT

So this is, um, interesting. Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is leaving the Jersey Shore for a bit and West Coastin' it. On Saturday the trainer-turned-reality star will be in San Francisco signing bottles of Devotion vodka. If you've ever seen the Jersey Shore, pairing anyone from the cast with a vodka promotion probably isn't too surprising. The Jersey Shore crew likes to drink often and a lot. What is surprising is the actual product, Devotion vodka - it's protein infused! Whatever happened to using fruit?

I'm not sure who came up with this, but I think "The Situation" is the perfect spokesperson. He can still get his drink on and not worry about his abs turning into flab. I am totally kidding, obviously - I think I'm still shocked by the idea that someone is infusing vodka with protein. According to the Devotion vodka website, the protein gives its vodka a "smooth mouth feel."

And while Devotion vodka isn't marketing itself as having any health benefits (by law, it's not allowed to), "The Situation" is all about it: "The protein fits very well with my lifestyle, and this is the only vodka to have it."

What's next, fried Twinkies coated with chia seeds?

Chelsea Handler Shows Off Bikini Bod in Shape

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:00:22 PDT

Funny lady Chelsea Handler may love her cocktails, but that hasn't stopped her from looking positively smashing on the April cover of Shape. The comedian, 35, is candid about her long road to a fit lifestyle ("I was born with a French fry in my mouth"), but says today she is healthier than ever. After years of yo-yo dieting and jumping from workout to workout, Chelsea shares that she's finally found a fitness regimen that she can stick to. Here are the interview highlights:

On how she ate growing up: "My parents were not the healthiest eaters. My mom was a great cook, but her idea of a light after-school snack was mac and cheese and brownies. So of course I was like, 'Why am I 15 and struggling with my weight?' It took me a long time to deprogram myself after I moved to L.A."
On her favorite food splurge: "There's a diner in New Jersey that makes steak fries with melted mozzarella that you dip in gravy. Every time I eat there, I'm like, 'Can I move in here, please?' Seriously, why would I ever leave?"

To see what Chelsea has to say about exercise and drinking,