FitSugar

Speak Up: Taking Baby to the Gym?

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 08:45:00 -0800

A new trend I've been seeing in the fitness world is parents are taking babies as young as six weeks to special fitness gyms to get them moving early on in life. Fitness centers for children such as My Gym are popping up all over the country where parents are able to enroll their baby or toddler in a fitness class. While there could be many reasons for this rising trend, I think its safe to assume this trend is in part due to growing fears about childhood obesity.

While I agree that it is great to get kids moving and socializing, I am not sure an actual fitness class is necessary for babies. It seems to me that classes like these are more for the parents' sanity than the kids' health. Don't get me wrong, if you have a few extra bucks then I don't see anything wrong with giving it a try because it does look like a lot of fun. However, as far as being completely necessary, I am not overly convinced.

What do you guys think about this whole fitness center for babies and toddlers concept? Speak up and share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Amanda Peet: So in Love

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:00:17 -0800

Amanda Peet is undoubtedly feeling great. She's starring in the number one film in the country, and in the December issue of Self the actress shares that nothing brings her more joy than hanging at home with her hubby and baby girl. In fact, the actress credits her husband, screenwriter David Benioff, as being her healthiest habit. Oh, true love!

The 37-year-old actress is not without her envies, though - she wants "boobs, a gentle six-pack, and a perky butt." And when it comes down to it, she secretly wishes for a bod like Gisele Bündchen's or Jennifer Aniston's. Outside of a little admiration, especially since Peet strives to live a life full of balance and a lot of laughs.

To hear Peet's take on health, read more.

Amanda is a big fan of moderation:

"To me, staying healthy means doing everything in moderation. Eat a lot of greens, but in moderation. Exercise, but in moderation. Drink wine, but in moderation. Sleep as much as you can. And have people around you who are very funny."

At the end of the day it all comes back to love for Peet, who says that her 2-year-old daughter is the reason why she stays healthy.

"I do feel like it's important for her to have me be as healthy as I can be. So, you know, I don't want her to have horrible eating habits. I don't want her to never exercise. But obviously I'd much rather have her play a sport than have a gym membership before she's 20. I mean there are kids in LA who go to the gym and they have a trainer. I'm like, Play a sport!"

Check out more shots of the hot mama and visit lilsugar to read more about Amanda on mothering. Also, see lots more photos, quotes on Self.com.

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Heidi Klum's Got a Good Take on Her Post-Baby Bod

FitSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:30:38 -0800

Thanks to a healthy attitude - and a little encouragement from hubby Seal - Heidi Klum is working to get her body back in shape after baby number four. Still, if you're expecting the supermodel to take a turn in the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, you might be surprised to learn that she won't be walking the runway this year, but playing hostess duty instead.

In an interview with US Weekly, it seems this mom is a little more realistic when it comes to shaping up her body after giving birth. Heidi told the magazine:

"I wouldn't say I'm back in the shape yet. But I don't know. Everything changes when you get older. It was different when I was 31 with the first one. Now, being 36 with the fourth one, it's different."

It seems to me the mom is setting a realistic expectation for getting back in shape and going about it the right way. She knows that it takes some work to get the bod you want, saying that, "For me, it always works to get back into it immediately. I think that if you wait too long, it kind of sticks on and it stays there forever. I have to be motivated." Still, she's not gym-crazed or diet-obsessed, adding that she's not exercising too much for now: "I walk on the treadmill a little bit. I walk on the driveway. I'm very active with the children." Sure, she's blessed with some supermodel genes (and possibly a very long driveway), but even still, Heidi's take on weight loss seems surprisingly down-to-earth to me - do you agree?

Reality Check: Ashlee Isn't a No Carbs Kind of Girl

FitSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:00:02 -0800

Even though she lives the So Cal lifestyle, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz told Women's Health that she doesn't starve herself for a Hollywood figure; she simply loves food, and one of her favorite feasts features Mexican fare. Once a week Ashlee and her hubby, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, invite family and friends over for taco night. Ashlee told the mag that she's not afraid of cheese, eats cheeseburgers with ranch dressing, and indulges in French fries. But don't spread the rumor that she's eating for two, because she's not, and Ashlee shares that she's even slimmer than ever.

She boasts about devouring whatever she wants, doesn't deprive herself of the foods she craves, and still has such a great figure. To find out what she asys is her secret, read more.

Ashlee's secret weapon is Bronx Pilates! Her 1-year-old son is in her arms all day, and carrying around that extra weight has helped to really tone her arms.

Before she gave birth, Ashlee had gained 50 pounds, and her breasts were up to a size E when she was nursing. So once baby Bronx was two weeks old, she was ready to start losing the extra pounds. A home-delivery meal plan didn't work since she's a big eater. She says, "If I want a grilled cheese sandwich, I'll eat a grilled cheese sandwich." So she turned to exercise, and with the help of a personal trainer, the new mama set up a home gym and started circuit training. Four weeks later, Ashlee had lost half her baby weight. Her diligent workouts have definitely paid off. Of course, this young actress also has her youth and genes to thank. Though she looks amazing now, Ashlee dispels the notion that her bod was a result of Hollywood stress. She says, "I wasn't in a rush to get back to this body for anyone else. It was more like, 'I wanna look good [for me]? I wanna feel good.'"

Ashlee is feeling great and very appreciative of her family and all life has blessed her with. On top of a great career and a healthy son, her hubby is a great source of comfort and support. "Pete isn't worried about stretch marks, " she says, "He always makes me feel sexy."

The way she explains it, she doesn't really do anything currently to maintain her figure. Do you believe it?

Are the Kardashians' QuickTrim Diet Products Quackery?

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:50:02 -0800

A very pregnant Kourtney Kardashian is having a hard time accepting her baby weight. Slim sis Kim says that "Kourtney is going crazy. She feels so big right now. She's just ready to have the baby." According to Us Weekly, sisters Kim and Khloe are both dieting with their QuickTrim diet products and expectant mom Kourtney is jealous because she sees how they're both losing weight.

I've got to admit that I'm sick of hearing about the Kardashians, and now they're promoting this diet product and proving that it works. Ever wonder what it is exactly, or if it's even healthy? My gut says it's not, so I decided to check out the website to see what I could dig up. Here's what I found: QuickTrim Fast Cleanse ($30) is a "lemonade flavored drink designed to help rid the body of excess water weight, belly bloating, and intestinal bulk." So are you supposed to drink these magic citrus beverages all day and that's it?

To hear more about QuickTrim and what the ingredients are, read more.

The Fast Cleanse drink I just described is one product made by QuickTrim. It contains many ingredients including pure lemon juice concentrate, chicory root (fiber), and aloe vera gel. Although it's made with natural ingredients, detoxing your body isn't necessary.

QuickTrim makes two other diet supplements, but these are in tablet form: Extreme Burn ($50) and Burn & Cleanse ($60). Extreme Burn claims to burn up to 8,000 extra calories per month. Burn & Cleanse is a 14-day diet system that promises to burn calories all day, and cleanse and detox you all night. They're made with ingredients such as cocoa extract, acai fruit extract, hyssop, false unicorn root, and green tea leaf extract. Sounds like a witch's potion to me. But at least you're instructed to take these tablets between meals, not in place of them.

These pills are supposed to stimulate your metabolism, maintain your blood sugar levels, burn fat and calories, and contain antioxidants to promote a happy mood. Safety-wise, QuickTrim products are not FDA-approved, so I'd skip them completely and save your moolah to buy things you know will help shed pounds, like a gym membership or fresh fruits and veggies. If you're trying to lose weight, don't fall for this quick-fix diet scam. As I've said before, the safest and most effective way to slim down is with a healthy diet and regular exercise.

How Octomom Slimmed Down to 125 Pounds

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:00:37 -0700

Whatever your opinion of Nadya Suleman's decision to carry eight babies at once, most can agree that her quick slim-down is rather astonishing. When her octuplets were born nine months ago, Nadya weighed 270 pounds. In the latest issue of Us Weekly, she admitted she packed on the pounds by "eating everything in sight." Now this five-foot-seven single mom of 14 has lost 145 pounds and 39 inches off her waist and weighs 125 pounds.

How did she do it? To find out, read more.

With her previous pregnancies, the Octomom admitted she had no problems getting back to her pre-pregnancy size 1 or 2, thanks to her skinny genes. This last time around, simply delivering the eight babies in January helped Nadya lose 40 pounds instantly. Losing the rest of the weight, however, wasn't a walk in the park. This mama joined the local gym and sweats it out three times a week at midnight! Yep, after her children go to sleep, a nanny stays with them while she exercises late-night for 90 minutes. Since Nadya gets her cardio from chasing after the kids, her gym workouts are devoted to strength training. She does top-secret crunches (which she hopes to reveal in her own fitness video), tricep kickbacks, bicep curls, shoulder presses, and lunges. Her dumbbell of choice? A set of 12-pound weights. I don't know how she does it, but Nadya claims she gets by on only three hours of sleep a night. She can't possibly keep that up for too long.

A healthy diet also helped Suleman lose her baby weight. Her day is filled with five protein-based meals or snacks, including turkey, sushi, eggs, and lowfat cheese. She also includes whole grains such as oatmeal, and veggies by eating salads and stews. Her favorite snacks include Pinkberry frozen yogurt and cottage cheese with fruit.

Although Nadya needed help to get pregnant and deliver her babies, she boasts that she's slimmed down with diet and exercise alone, and didn't need any surgical help.

Alessandra Ambrosio Lunges For VS Runway

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:17 -0700

I know models need to work hard to stay slim and in shape, but a lingerie model must have to work 10 times harder since she just about bares it all.

So when Victoria's Secret model, Alessandra Ambrosio had a baby girl last August, she had to do a lot of cardio to lose her post-baby pounds so she could strike her stuff on the runway four months later. Her body looked amazing in a short amount of time, but she said for this year's show, it's not as easy. Alessandra said, "After I gave birth, my diet was a very healthy diet, like no sugar, no bread." But now the model admits, "I am just eating whatever." So to get toned up, she's trying to work out four days a week. "This year is all about weights, squats, and lunges."

I think this stunning mother already looks unbelievably toned and fit for the VS Fashion Show this December 1, but I'm sure if I was her and going to be strutting around in my undies in front of a huge crowd, I'd hit the gym as much as possible too.

5 Reasons to Try Kettlebells

FitSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:00:54 -0700

I can't stress enough how important it is to mix up the equipment you use when strength training. Dumbbells, weight machines, and resistance bands are common fitness tools you'll find at the gym, but you may have also seen kettlebells. Though they look like some medieval torture device you want to avoid, they're actually a really effective way to tone and strengthen your muscles. Here are five reasons you should give them a try.

This type of equipment comes in a variety of weights, so you can use different amounts depending on the exercise you're doing. They're also small, so they don't take up a lot of space.
Kettlebells are fairly inexpensive. A 10-pound kettlebell costs $26.50.

To hear why else you should use kettlebells, read more.

They're used primarily for swinging movements, so they end up combining strength training and cardio in one workout. Since they tone your muscles and burn calories, some think kettlebells give you more bang for your buck.
Kettlebell exercises utilize a greater range of motion, so they also increase overall flexibility and tone your core. Lifting static weight such as dumbbells tends to cause tight muscles, but using kettlebells will strengthen your muscles while keeping them supple.
Strength training with a kettlbell mimics the same lifting you'd do in real life, so it can prevent injury while doing daily activities like holding your baby, picking up groceries, or carrying a basket of laundry.

Tell me how you feel about kettlebells in the comments section below.

How Melissa Joan Hart Got Her Bikini Body

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Adding to the frenzy of celeb slim-downs is Melissa Joan Hart, former star of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She does look wicked amazing, bad pun and all. Inspired to lose her baby weight when unflattering bathing suit photos of her at a larger 155 pounds circulated around the Internet, Melissa lost 42 pounds. Now she's proud to say she's in the best shape of her life.

To learn about how long it took this mother of two to get down to 113 pounds, just read more.

Melissa wanted to prove to herself she could get in shape by her 33rd birthday. She said, "I'm not getting any younger. I need to lose this weight now or else I will never do it." It took her 14 months and she admits, "It didn't happen by magic - it was as hard for me as it would be for anyone else." In addition to exercising, she also stayed away from candy, bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes. Hiring a personal trainer and a nutritionist was helpful, but her biggest inspiration came from seeing other women lose weight after having babies, including her friend Jamie Pressly, and her own mother, who had seven children "and is tiny." She realized, "I don't have to be heavy just because I have kids."

Melissa's biggest fear is gaining the weight back. She says, "It's always going to be a struggle for me." She stays on track by allowing herself the occasional treat like chips and guacamole or frozen yogurt. She also keeps a food journal to ensure she makes healthy food choices, and hits the gym with her trainer three times a week to do a 60-minute interval training session using weights and resistance bands. Melissa also takes two group fitness classes, such as spinning, every week.

It's inspiring to hear Melissa say she's finally at peace with her body. She says, "I have a wonderful career, an amazing husband, and two beautiful sons. I really can't complain about my thighs!"

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Reality Check: Anna Faris Is Eating More Before Her Wedding

FitSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 06:00:00 -0700

It's easy to lose focus on the big picture while wedding planning. A romantic engagement suddenly warps into a stressful process, and this stress is often accentuated by the pressure some brides feel to lose weight for the big day.

Anna Faris is turning her back on the idea of spending months before her wedding regulating everything she eats or turning the gym into her second home. She's getting more comfortable in the skin she has, and instead of worrying about fitting in an extra workout or counting every calorie, Anna is spending more time with her fiancé. To see what she said when asked if she plans on buckling down before the big day, read more.

Anna told People magazine,

I am fattening it up! Now that I have a man, I'm like, "Oh, I don't have to try anymore! Now I can eat." We love to splurge at home. We love to cook. My fiancé is an incredible eater, and so he's really fun to feed, and it's great to share some wine and watch a movie. He's always like, "Baby, don't lose that butt!"

While "fattening it up" isn't appealing to most brides-to-be, I love that Anna is remembering to enjoy herself during her engagement. It's always important to be active and eat healthily, but Anna's attitude is a reminder for brides to give themselves a break.

For more wedding tips, check out all of the Sugar network’s wedding coverage here.

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