FitSugar

How Long Does It Take to Fall Out of Shape?

Self — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:00:06 PDT

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

As we move into the dog days of August, that going-to-get-my-best-body-ever summer motivation starts to wane, and we're more likely to skip a few days or weeks worth of workouts.

This often leaves us wondering just how much damage we've done. I mean, if we take two weeks off, are we (gulp) back where we started?

For a little morale boost and a dose of reality, we called on Craig Rasmussen, a fitness coach in Newhall, Calif.

Obviously, just how quickly you lose fitness depends on your starting fitness level, as well as other factors such as age and genetics. But Rasmussen's general take is this:

After two weeks off . . .
"We will probably start to see a decline in general fitness levels," says Rasmussen. "These can occur at different rates in the muscular and cardiovascular systems." At this point, it's probably safe to jump back in at the same intensity you were cranking at before the hiatus.

Secret shortcut: Cardio levels decrease faster than strength - the magic of muscle memory. To take advantage of this phenomenon, during hellish work weeks, do just one set of five strength exercises - studies show that 50 to 90 percent of your strength gains come from your first set (though when your schedule eases up - to build muscle and ward off bone loss - go back to 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 exercises 2 or 3 days a week).

Learn what happens after 14 days of skipping workouts when you read more.

Brooke Shields on Shape, Talks About Being Out of Shape

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:00:00 PDT

Brooke Shields, despite being a big star, still has her fair share of fitness issues. She knows the importance of staying healthy but understands that life can throw you curve balls. In the October issue of Shape, she opens up about how she overcomes such shake-ups. Here are highlights

Sure, it’s easy - as Brooke knows - to stick to a healthy eating and regular exercise program when everything is going according to schedule. It’s when your day-to-day routine gets an unexpected shake-up that your skills are put to the test. "I was worried about getting out of shape and gaining weight after the [foot] surgery," says Brooke. "So just as I did with my pregnancies, I decided to go into it at my physical best." For her, that meant ramping up her exercise routine to preemptively drop a few pounds before her operation.

To see what her go-to workout is for dropping a few pounds, just

"Spinning is the only way I ever lose weight," she says. "It’s purely about keeping my heart rate up and burning calories." Now, two months after surgery, she’s gained 9 pounds. "That was a little more than I’d hoped, but by giving myself that cushion, I know I’ll get back into shape pretty quickly once I can start Spinning again," she says.

How true is that? And one of the hardest things is to stay on track when things are not on schedule – um hello, holidays. Have you ever experienced a little (or big) shake-up in your life that put your health and fitness goals on hold? If so, share with us below!

Jennifer Garner Doesn't Like Her Belly Either

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 12:00:00 PST

Not liking the shape you're in or the shape of your body these days. Well you are not alone.

Here's what Jennifer Garner recently told Elle about the state of her body:

"My trainer just shakes her head and says, 'This is a disaster.' I am as physically unfit as I've probably been in my whole life. It's such a horror in front of the mirror without any clothes on...." (She lifts her sweater and squeezes her tummy) You still have that little bit of extra skin, know what I mean? But still, it's enough for people to think that you're knocked up. No, everyone calm down. Nobody's pregnant."

Her daughter just turned one, and I know that the first year of mothering is hard. But I think she should make a New Year's Resolution to occasionally put herself and fitness first. If you're making the same resolution or any resolution, join my Declare IT: Fit's New Year's Resolution Group. I would love to hear what you are up to.

Source

Minka Kelly Shares Her Heart-Healthy Fitness and Diet Tips

Fitness Magazine — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:02:38 PST

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

Esquire magazine once named actress Minka Kelly the “sexiest woman alive," so walking in the Heart Truth’s Red Dress Fashion Show to raise awareness for women’s heart health should be a breeze, right? Not quite. “I’ve been nervous all week!” Kelly said when we got the chance to chat with her on her new ambassador title with Diet Coke. We caught up with the brunette bombshell hours before showtime to get the scoop on how she lives a heart-healthy lifestyle, the exercises she swears by, and more.

Tell us about your partnership with Diet Coke and Heart’s Truth Red Dress Fashion Show. What made you decide to get involved?

Before I started working with Diet Coke as an ambassador, I wasn’t even aware that heart disease is the number-one killer for women. I figured this would be a chance for me to use my voice and let other women know how important it is to eat right and exercise to keep your heart in good health.

How do you manage to stay in shape, especially with such a busy schedule?

I try to do yoga every morning at 7 a.m.; it’s good to get your workout out of the way early. I also work out with my trainer Gunnar Peterson two days a week on top of that. I owe him a lot of credit for the shape I’m in because I love to eat! I have to work out extra hard to balance my love for food out.

Keep reading to learn how Minka Kelly is trying defying gravity.

Get the Conversation Started With Sugar Cookies

Lauren Hendrickson — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:51:31 PST

Sweetheart candies are an essential on Valentine's Day, and recently Williams-Sonoma took the same idea to cookies with Message in a Cookie, a kit that comes with three different cookie-cutter shapes: a heart, a star, and a scalloped square. Each cookie cutter features slots for text, where you can use the accompanying letter stamps to make your own talking sugar cookies.
I whipped up a quick batch of Alton Brown's delicious sugar cookie dough and stamped sweet sayings into my heart-shaped cookies. I can't wait to use the scalloped square to create edible place settings at my next dinner party. Of course, you can achieve a similar idea by using a traditional cookie cutter and carefully etching out your text with a paring knife, but these handy cookie cutters just make it easier. Stop by your local Williams-Sonoma to pick up your own conversation cookie cutters, and keep reading for the sugar cookie recipe.

Corsets: Lots of Controversy Squeezed Into One Undergarment

Tara Sharp — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:40:11 PST

Nowadays, women who want a trimmer waist in a pinch typically turn to Spanx or some other body-slimming underwear. But when it's less about practicality and more about looking sexy in nothing but your skivvies (like for your Valentine's Day date night, for instance), you may choose to don a corset. While modern women are free to wear these fitted underpinnings whenever we want to spice things up in the bedroom, corsets and the idealized tiny waists they create have a long and controversial history that doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

Just last September, Vogue Italia controversially featured Ethel Granger and her 13-inch waist, which she achieved by wearing a corset 24-7. Ethel, who holds the record for the smallest waist in recorded history, went through the painful process for her husband. Her motivation brings up one of the main issues with corsets: are they for the men or the women? And Romanian-born model Ioana Spangenberg, "the human hourglass," is being criticized for setting a bad example with her 20-inch waist, even though she claims she can't help her shape and didn't use corsets to achieve it.

To find out more about what made corsets so controversial back in their heyday (including info from Valerie Steele's book The Corset: A Cultural History), let's look back at some of the vintage ads and photos of these constrictive undergarments and the nonhuman-like shapes they created on women.

Preen Fall 2012

Hannah Weil — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:34:05 PST

Drawing inspiration from Victorian-era scrapbooks and abstract expressionists, Preen's Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi crafted a set of clean, cool silhouettes washed in bold color, florals, and collage-like prints for Fall '12. It's a cool-girl juxtaposition that plays out in this collection - minimalist separates dressed up in textured, overlapping prints and sequins create an almost literal scrapbook effect on dresses and tops. Still, it all works flawlessly - while some collections feel disjointed, there's no sense of losing the theme here or feeling disconnected. There isn't a look that doesn't speak to the overarching palette, structure, or playful printing, giving the whole collection a cohesiveness and effortlessness. Even in botanicals, sequins, flirty lace, and peplum, each piece carries with it an underlying ease - shapes are simple, sporty, even, with drawstrings on pencil skirts and color-contrasted collars and sleeves to counter the intricacies of every embellished cuff or printed silhouette.

Trends: Florals, graphic print, peplum, lace, sequins; textured, overlapping prints.
Colors: Camel, navy, white, red, black, and soft pink and moss-green florals.
Key Piece: The white fur coat with orange cuffs; the navy lace peplum knit.
Accessories: Neutral and floral-printed platform lace-ups.
Who Would Wear It: The modern sophisticate with an eye for clean lines and cool-girl flair; Kate Bosworth, Jaime King, and Rachel Bilson.

Steve Jobs Honored With Grammy

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:01:01 PST

Steve Jobs was honored with the Trustees Award at last night's 2012 Grammys for his contributions to the music industry and his role in creating the iPod and iTunes, which helped shape the music industry as we know it today. Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet software and services accepted the award on behalf of Steve last night. In case you missed it, check out his speech below.

What 100 Calories Really Looks Like: Valentine's Day Treats

Jenny Sugar — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:58:01 PST

The day of love is almost here, and besides exchanging Valentine's Day cards and romantic glances, this is a huge day of sweets. We're talking boxes of chocolate, heart-shaped sugar cookies, and other decadent treasures. You should definitely enjoy some bites of your favorite desserts, but before you do, find out how many calories those little bites will run you.

10 Sexy, Healthy Foods For Valentine's Day

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:01:18 PST

The search for sexy foods is an ancient pursuit, and aphrodisiacs come in many healthy forms - with skins, peels, and shells. And healthy living and romantic meals aren't mutually exclusive. We've rounded up 10 foods considered sexy for their suggestive shape, texture, or color, and found recipes so you can add them to your romantic Valentine's meal. If you're on the prowl for a healthier love potion, check out these sexy, healthy recipes that might just help you get in the mood.