FitSugar

Tori Spelling Asks, "Now I'm Too Thin?"

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:30:00 PST

Former Beverly Hills 90210 star, Tori Spelling, has always sported a thin frame. After giving birth to her second child, she quickly lost the 50 pounds of baby weight in only about six months. She did it all on her own, by watching what she ate, walking and swimming with her family, and doing strength training moves like crunches and squats.

Now the media is accusing her of being too thin, speculating that this 5'6" celebrity weighs an estimated 112 pounds. While Tori hasn't shared the number on her scale, she's brushing off negative comments that say she's too skinny. In an Us Weekly article, she defended her weight, saying that she eats sensibly and exercises with her family. In the past, she felt "bullied by the press and public opinion about her weight," but now she has more important things to worry about. Aside from spending time with her family, she's been having a blast filming multiple episodes of the New 90210. It's nice to hear that she's doing her thing and not worrying about what the media has to say. I just hope she really is taking good care of herself.

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Love Your Body Day Is Today

FitSugar — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 13:30:00 PDT

I just found out that today is Love Your Body Day. Although it might be a little late in the day, you still have a few hours to love your body, and don't stop the love when the clock strikes midnight. Being kind to yourself is an important mindset to maintain.

The Love Your Body campaign was created by the National Organization for Women to expose the unrealistic beauty standards created by the media all around us. You know how it bothers me when I see how much cover girls, like Faith Hill, are photoshopped. NOW's campaign delves deeper into the beauty myth with their educational video and slide show The ABCs and Ds of Commercial Images of Women. It is definitely worth checking out.

So don't criticize your body, at least for the rest of the day! Remember, even Faith Hill doesn't look like cover girl Faith Hill!

How will you celebrate your body today? Tell me in the comment section below.

Shawn Johnson Talks Weight Loss and Learning to Love Her Body

espnW — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:05:26 PDT

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

By Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is blogging for espnW throughout her training for the Olympics in London this summer. Follow hers other Olympic hopefuls' journeys on espnW.com.

Four years ago, I was standing on an Olympic podium, wearing a gold medal, and still thinking to myself how I could have been better. It had nothing to do with my performance - it was all how I looked. Back then, I always felt like I could have been a few pounds lighter. But the irony is, when I look back at the pictures, I look unhealthy and too thin. It's easy to get into a trap as an elite athlete, because you're made to feel that you're never perfect, that you can always be better. That's how you improve in your sport, but it's also tough because you aren't satisfied with yourself ever - it's second nature not to be. I'd always think, "Just get a little stronger, a little lighter," until it was completely ingrained in my mind.

Shawn Johnson takes us inside training camp

It's easy for people to blame gymnastics for this mentality, but I feel like the sport has improved a lot. The horror stories we heard from generations ago (think Joan Ryan's infamous book Little Girls in Pretty Boxes), you don't hear at all anymore. But I do believe it can improve further and that good nutrition could be a key to all of this, if it were only taught at a young age. Many gymnasts go into the elite level at 13 or so, and a 13-year-old isn't going to go to the library to read some book on nutrition! She needs to be given the right information on how to eat well. Otherwise, it's not until she's out of the sport that she realizes the damage she's done to her body by not eating enough over the past 20 years.

Shawn Johnson in the driver's seat

I see all the success we have as a country where the gymnasts aren't 100 percent healthy, and I imagine how amazing we could be if we were doing it in the healthiest way possible. I don't think it's a failure on anybody's part; the education just isn't there right now, and it's just not thought about in our sport. My parents have told me since I was little, "You're given your body for a reason. It's OK to be different. Being unique is a good thing." But I always struggled to believe it. I'm stocky, muscular and short, and I wanted to be thin and flexible so bad! My mom would say, "You're not made that way, and you're not going to become that, so you have to learn to accept and love the body you're in." Well, some people are born with that appreciation, and some people have to work really hard to get there. Put me in that second camp.

Read on for more on what Shawn Johnson has to say about body confidence and how she feels in her gymnastics leotard.

Should the Price of First Lady Fashion Matter?

Tara Block — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:05:59 PDT

Ann Romney, wife of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, is getting flack for wearing a $990 top on CBS This Morning. Ann wore the Reed Krakoff bird print shirt while talking about how relatable her husband is to US voters . . . probably not the best idea. But some say that seeing as they aren't the ones running for office, spouses should be off-limits when it comes to media scrutiny. After all, Ann isn't the only political wife to garner negative attention for her fashion spending habits. In 2009, Michelle Obama wore $540 Lanvin sneakers while volunteering at a food bank, a decision many viewed as questionable due to the tough economic times. And then Michelle was again criticized for her wardrobe during the Obama family's vacation in Hawaii last December. Over in the UK, first lady Samantha Cameron was chastised for the $1,198 dress she wore to a Tory conference in 2010 amidst budget cuts in the country. To add fuel to the fire, she wore a $103 dress at the same event the year prior.

But the question remains: whether they're wearing Target dresses or frocks straight from the runway, should the spouses of our world leaders be judged for what they spend on fashion? And is it really about the expensive clothing, or is it more about the context in which it's worn? Weigh in below, and click through to see more photos of the controversial first lady outfits.

4 Star Apps to Correctly Re-Create the Titanic Night Sky

Kelly Schwarze — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:05:19 PDT

When Titanic was released in 1997, part of the media craze surrounding the film was director James Cameron's painstaking work on re-creating the ship, staterooms, and even table linens with historical accuracy. One person not impressed was astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who became a vocal critic of Titanic's depiction of that fateful night sky. In meetings with James himself and in public appearances, Neil called out the director for his inaccurate and "lazy" use of a random assortment of stars despite knowing the precise latitude and longitude where the ship sunk, and thus easily capable of re-creating the exact stars Rose would have seen when waiting in the water for rescue.

Scientific accuracy proves victorious as James Cameron admits his perfectionist defeat and changes the stars to reflect what Titanic survivors would've seen at 4:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912 - 100 years ago today. In honor of Neil's constellation concern, and the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's fateful crossing over the Atlantic Ocean, download one of these four apps to ensure that you'll always know which stars you're gazing at on a clear night.

Photo courtesy of Titanic Facebook

Jessica Simpson Embraces Her Pregnancy Weight Gain - Did You?

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 11:00:01 PDT

Once again, Jessica Simpson is being criticized by the media because of her weight. During yesterday's episode of The View, Joy Behar referred to Jessica as "fat," saying, "Most women who are pregnant are not supposed to gain more than 25 pounds. She looks like she gained a lot more than that." Surprisingly, Sarah Palin, mother of four, defended Jessica on the Today show with the response,

"I would have wanted to punch [Jessica's critics] in the neck. It's none of anybody else's business how much weight I would gain. This isn't even an issue. Hollywood . . . is full of itty-bitty people, people [who are] unrealistically tiny."

It doesn't bother 31-year-old Simpson though. She recently posed nude on Elle's front cover in all her expectant-momma glory, and is loving her womanly figure:

"I'm like 170 pounds and I wanted to pose nude. I try to be like 110 pounds. It's funny to be at your heaviest and feel the most confident. I just take such pride in being a mom! I just love my body more than ever now."

It is refreshing to hear a mother-to-be loving her larger body during pregnancy. Many expectant mothers are strict about diet and exercise to avoid gaining too much, while others embrace pregnancy as a free ticket to eat whatever they want and skip the trips to the gym. When pregnant, how do you feel about weight gain?

4 Star Apps to Correctly Re-Create the Titanic Night Sky

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:21:05 PDT

Finally, with today's Titanic 3D rerelease, scientific accuracy proves victorious as James Cameron admits his perfectionist defeat and changes the stars to reflect what Titanic survivors would've seen at 4:20 a.m. on April 15, 1912. In honor of Neil's constellation concern, download one of these four apps to ensure you always know which stars you're gazing at on a clear night.

Star Walk for iPad ($5) - Tour the universe in all its stunning, bright-eyed wonder with this HD app that has been beautifully remastered for the retina display of the newest iPad generation.
The Night Sky ($1) - Should you find yourself in the desert or aboard a cruise ship with limited WiFi, this is the app to have for 4G-less connectivity. View the local stars even without a data connection.
SkyView ($2) - Point your phone's camera to the sky for an augmented reality view in 3D graphics of the stars above. Travel back or forward in time to see the sky on a particular date. Very handy should you ever make a historical film.
StarTalk (Free) - This radio program hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson won't show you the stars in the sky, but by subscribing to the podcast, you'll stay on the cutting edge of all things space, science, and pop culture.

Photos: Neil deGrasse Tyson Twitter and Titanic Facebook

What Has Today Show Guest Host Sarah Palin Been Up to Lately?

Annie Scudder — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 02:00:21 PDT

Almost four years after Sarah Palin told Katie Couric she couldn't recall the specific newspapers she reads, the two are going head to head again. This morning, Sarah and Katie are hosting rival morning shows. Liberal-media critic Sarah is this morning's guest host on NBC's Today, while longtime Today show host Katie is cohosting ABC's Good Morning America all week. No, this is not a leftover April Fools' Day joke. If you turned on your TV this morning to see Sarah Palin and wondered what she's been up to lately, here is a rundown.

Keeping up the heat on Obama. She may be out of politics officially, but you can still count on Sarah Palin to weigh in on the day's politics. Last week Sarah said, "President Obama will have ‘more flexibility’ to weaken us if he’s reelected in November."
Backing up Santorum. When GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum accused a New York Times reporter of "bullsh*t" Sarah had his back. She said, “Welcome to my world, Rick, and good on ya."
Handling the Game Change drama. Last month, HBO released its high-profile movie about the 2008 campaign, Game Change, with Julianne Moore playing Sarah Palin. In response, Sarah wrote to ABC News: “I believe my family has the right priorities and knows what really matters/ For instance, our son called from Afghanistan yesterday and he sounded good, and that’s what matters. Being in the good graces of Hollywood’s ‘Team Obama’ isn’t top of my list."
Keeping up with her Facebook friends. If you follow Sarah Palin's Facebook page, you can count on a steady stream of musings. On March 24, she wrote a Facebook note claiming that Alaskan women don't tolerate sexism, titled Last Frontier Women Don’t Tolerate Misogynists. "I personally do not seek an apology from these narrow-minded men. With a full family and productive 'to-do' list everyday, I just don’t have time for them. But I do feel sorry for them and for their obvious need to compensate for something that’s missing in their own lives, which compels them to belittle others in order to feel big," Sarah quipped.
Working for Fox. It's somewhat surprising Sarah Palin is going on NBC, considering she's been a contributor for Fox News. Just last week, she wrote an op-ed on Fox Nation, titled God, Guns, the Constitution – Still Clinging.
Being nominated for a Razzie. At this past weekend's Razzies, Sarah was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award as worst actress on account of her performance in the documentary The Undefeated, which chronicled her political career. She lost to Jack and Jill, which took home every single Razzie.

Bully's Director Tells Us Why the Movie Should Be on Every Parent's Must-See List

Rebecca M Gruber — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 07:46:25 PDT

Bully just may be the most important movie of the year. The documentary weaves together the stories of five families dealing with the long-term effects of school bullying - two that have recently lost their children to suicide and three that are experiencing it day in and day out. While the film has received significant media attention for receiving an R rating from the Motion Picture Association of America's ratings board due to the inclusion of six curse words (it is now being distributed without a rating through many theater chains beginning today), it is the honest, heartfelt look at how 13 million kids are treated each year that should make it required viewing for every parent and school-aged child.

I spoke with the film's director, Lee Hirsch, about the bullying epidemic, the ratings controversy, and why even parents of kindergartners need to see Bully.

LilSugar: You've really started a national dialogue with this film - was that your goal?
Lee Hirsch: In a way, it was my goal. We were busy thinking, what could our movement look like, how could we do this, how do we engage, and how do we amplify? I don’t think I ever imagined that we would have this level of support and that we would grow to be this high. It just feels like just a wonderful blessing to have so much support.

I knew that there were so many people that had this narrative, and I remember when I was first talking about this film, I would say, "God, everybody has a story when it comes to bullying." But I didn’t really feel the way that I do now. Now I really feel like there are hundreds of thousands of people speaking out, [and] you start to see the impact of all these generations of people who’ve had this experience, who never really had a place to process them. It’s really exciting.

LS: With the R rating, Bully’s getting more attention than anyone probably ever expected. Why did you decide not to bleep out the six curse words and get the PG-13 rating? Was it worth fighting to keep them in there if it means that the film might not be seen by everybody who needs to see it?
LH: I think it’s worth fighting, because what we are saying is that this is a movie about what happens. It's what really happens when it comes to bullying. In this bullying and situations of bullying, language is critical. Language matters - it's a weapon. It's such a ridiculous argument that the MPAA says that they will allow one F word, but what if you see the film four times? It makes no sense! On the flip side, we are saying we are talking about bullying, we are talking about violence, we are talking about people being numb to violence, and so the MPAA has put a rule on that, they have stamped movies that have sexified and glorified violence all the time with a PG-13 and PG ratings. So I think the stamp matters - it matters for the people that are bullied.

LS: You spent a year in three Iowa schools. How did you convince the boards of education to let you film in their schools?
LH: We had rigorous conversations with the schools; it took many conversations and days of flying out there. We presented them honestly what we were trying to do with this movie - what our hopes were. We wanted to show what it looks like from the perspective of being able to just really see what goes on at a school. They were very brave. The school district is taking a lot of heat from this film, and at the same time, most school districts would never agree to this - they wouldn’t open their doors, wouldn’t admit they have a problem.

Keep reading to see what surprised Lee the most during filming and what parents of younger children can do to stop the bullying epidemic.

31 Days of Spring Cleaning: Go on a Digital Diet

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 04:21:04 PDT

Who says you have to stay connected 24/7? Taking some time off to detox from your digital life may be hard, but it could also be good for your health and well-being. While some people use Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of social media to stay in touch with friends, others can't step away for five minutes without losing their minds. Are you one of them? Daniel Sieberg, author of The Digital Diet, offers up tips on how to break your tech addiction, below.

Avoid tech turds - One of our own favorite tech etiquette tips says that, as a rule of thumb, you shouldn't leave your phone out on the table. Sieberg has a more colorful way of saying it, calling these situations "tech turds": "Don't just dump your smartphone on the table at a restaurant or at home. Keep it in your pocket or purse unless it’s critical to have it out. If you must have it out, acknowledge its presence and inform your companions that you’ll check it only in an emergency. It’s a courtesy that you’d appreciate, too."

See more tips after the break.