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Healthy Eating Tip: Pick a Time to Stop Eating

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 09:30:00 -0800

When you're home from work and you've finished dinner, it's easy to crave a late night snack, especially if you're watching TV or staying up late to get some work done. You can end up eating mindlessly and consume an extra 200 calories even though you weren't really hungry.

If you're trying to lose weight or maintain the weight you have, it's best to stop eating about two or three hours before you go to bed just to avoid those extra, unnecessary calories. Since bedtimes are often sporadic, I like to choose a "stop eating time." Mine is 8 p.m. That gives me enough time to exercise after work, make dinner and eat my meal. I have a satisfying meal so that by the time I go to bed, I don't feel hungry and I don't feel stuffed either. It also gives my body a chance to digest, so that I don't end up with indigestion from laying down right after eating. So what is your "stop eating time"? Tell me in the comments section below.

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Fit Tip: Pick a Time to Work Out and Stick to It

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:30:00 -0700

I know we all have crazy schedules. One day we have to stay late at work for a meeting. The next day a workout time is usurped by an appointment for a haircut. Then we have a lunch meeting with some clients. Of course those all are very important activities that need to get done, but you can't just keep skipping your workout because of them.

Whether or not you're trying to lose weight, exercise should be a part of your weekly schedule. One thing that works for me is scheduling my workouts at the same time, three to five times a week. Noon is the perfect time for me because I have an hour off for lunch and can eat at my desk afterwards. Maybe 7 a.m. works well for you because you never have early meetings. Or maybe your workout may have to wait until after work at 6 p.m., or even later until after you put your kids to bed.

You need to pick a time that you can easily stick to. A time that can't be overtaken easily by something else. This half hour to an hour time slot is just as important as your other appointments you may have. So be sure to schedule your workouts during times you are always free.

Fit's Tips: If you are going to exercise during work, talk to your co-workers and boss about your "workout appointments." It's common courtesy to make sure it's OK with them, and it'll also let them know that you aren't available at that time.

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Gifts Every Healthy Cook Wants

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:00:59 -0800

If you give the cook in your life more reason to get into the kitchen, chances are you'll be rewarded with a delicious meal. Here are our picks for what we think will make healthy cooks even happier come gift time.

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Celebrate Daylight Saving Time With a Morning Workout

FitSugar — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:30:05 -0700

It's that time of year again, where we "fall back," and turn our clocks back one hour. I love gaining an extra hour this one time of the year, so make the most of it. Don't just go through your day as usual, because you'll never even realize you received that extra 60 minutes.

Since most people complain that they don't have time to exercise, my advice is to get up in the morning when you normally do, and spend your freebie hour working out. It's a great habit to get into, especially if you love exercising outdoors. Mornings will be brighter, so it's safer to exercise before work, since it'll most likely be dark by the time you get home. Here are some ways to sweat it out for an hour:

Call a friend and go on a long, brisk walk. You'll burn 236 calories.
Pick up the pace and go on a relaxing run. An hour burns 473 calories.
Hit a mountain trail. An hour-long hike burns 355 calories.
Hop on your bike and tour a new spot in your neighborhood. After an hour, you'll have burned 473 calories.
Do a strength-training session and burn 177 calories after an hour.
Take a heart-pumping cardio class at your gym. You'll burn an astounding 414 calories.

Don't forget to change your clocks before you go to bed tonight. Daylight saving time officially ends at 2 a.m., Sunday, Nov. 1. Enjoy your hour!

Celebs Like to Shake It

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:50:58 -0700

At first, the Power Plate seems like another gimmicky weight-loss product, but its website features endorsements from fit celebs like Madonna, Courteney Cox, and Hilary Swank. On top of that, it's used by over 60 college and pro sports teams, and the Police brought one with them on their reunion tour. That's some serious ~~celeb~~ street cred.

The secret behind the Power Plate is its vibrating plates. The manufacturer claims that if you stand on it for 10 minutes a day, three times a week, you'll lose weight, tone your body, and improve bone density. To really maximize the benefits of the machine, it's encouraged that you do the same exercises you would do on the floor - sit-ups, for example - on the Power Plate.

Cougar Town actress Cox says the Power Plate was essential in shaping her up for her new role: "The Power Plate machine has dramatically changed my workout. I know that every muscle in my body is being ignited in ways that you can't do with traditional training."

To see a video of Cox's trainer Michelle Lovett demonstrating the Power Plate, read more.

They call the technology behind the machine Acceleration Training: the vibrations transmit energy waves to the body that are able to contract muscles 25 to 50 times per second. This is suppose to help stimulate blood flow, work the muscles harder than ever before, and increase strength and flexibility.

Vibration training is not a new thing in the fitness world (remember the black rubber belts that used to go around the waist to shake off fat?), but it's been picking up steam especially as it garners more backing from the medical community and health professionals.

Studies done on the effects of vibration training show that if used properly, it's more beneficial at building lean muscle mass, improving weight loss, and increasing strength and speed than exercise regimens without vibration training. Researchers warn that the machines should not be used for more than 30 minutes a day due to health concerns about engaging the body in high-amplitude vibrations like back pain or blurred vision.

I remain a little skeptical, mostly because I can't get the Shake Weights infomercial out of my head, but my curiosity is piqued. My gym doesn't have a Power Plate yet, does yours? I'd love to hear what you think of this new workout.

Crave Worthy: Jill Malek Yoga Mats

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:51 -0700

Sometimes I want to feel pretty when I'm sweating it out at my Pilates mat class. Since I usually keep my workout clothes pretty basic, I'm always on the lookout for a unique bag or mat. I was excited to find out that Brooklyn-based designer Jill Malek teamed up with the eco-friendly company YogaMatic for a new line of mats. Like all YogaMatic mats, the Jill Malek series is made from sustainable, recycled rubber that is 100 percent biodegradable, and a percentage of the price ($85) goes to Global Green, a nonprofit focused on preventing climate change.

This is the first time YogaMatic has teamed with an independent designer, and it's easy to see why they picked Malek. The designs are based from Malek's Frequencies wallpaper collection - nature-inspired designs with repetitive patterns. I know it sounds silly, but the designs get me excited about taking a yoga or Pilates class.

The mats measure 72-by-24 inches with a thickness of 1/4-inch and also come with a tote bag.

Would You See an Unhealthy Doctor?

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 03:47:00 -0700

Whenever I go to the hospital I see a group of doctors and nurses huddled together on the sidewalk smoking. A co-worker recently told me how she was given diet advice from a physician who was visibly overweight. In college I worked at a deli and I can still remember the lunch order of a doctor who came in four times a week - french fries, a Coke, and a pastrami Reuben.

It seems logical that a doctor should be a model of health, but the message some physicians are sending is, "Do as I say, not as I do."

Doctors often work long hours in stressful environments. Top that off with being surrounded by vending machines full of junk food and bad coffee, and you have the beginnings of an unhealthy recipe.

Should doctors be forgiven, then, for picking up a few bad habits? Is it what's "up there" that counts the most? Would you feel comfortable taking advice from a doctor who seems unhealthy?

How to Avoid Germs at the Gym

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:00:00 -0700

The cold temps are moving in and it's that time of year for colds and the flu. To prevent getting the sniffles, sore throat, and achiness, you've got to avoid the germs. It's not enough to watch out for germy places in your home. You've also got to beware of places that are shared by tons of people, and for FitSugar readers, that means the gym. Yours may seem neat and clean, but that doesn't mean it's germ-free. So here are some ways to avoid the invisible creepy crawlies that can make you sick.

Spray down all equipment before you use it with disinfectant spray. It may be a rule at your gym that you have to clean equipment after you use it, but who knows if the person before you remembered, or how thorough they were. Wipe down everything you touch including handles on weight machines and dumbbells, yoga balls, and buttons on the displays.
Purchase your own mat for yoga, Pilates, or strength training. They're sweat on by many, and rarely get washed.
If you're a major germaphobe, pack along other equipment like weights and resistance bands.
Bring your own towel from home to wipe off your sweat or to use after you shower. The gym towels are supposedly clean, but you never know.

For more tips on avoiding gym germs read more.

Refrain from touching your mouth, nose or eyes while working out.
Wash your hands often, or use hand sanitizer.
Keep a towel between you and the seat in the sauna.
Fill up a reusable water bottle at home, and bring it to the gym. Germs can pass easily from a person's mouth, to their water bottle, then to the fountain tap and back to another bottle, and to another person's mouth, if people hold their bottles against the tap when filling them. Gross.
Shower immediately after working out to get rid of germs. If you can't, be sure to wash your hands and face, place your sweaty clothes in a plastic bag, and put on a clean outfit.
Wear flip-flops in the shower to avoid picking up athlete's foot.

Michael Pollan's Food Rules to Live By

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:00:47 -0700

I've had a crush on Michael Pollan for a while now, and though the specifics of his food manifesto may be hard for everyone to adopt, I think his basic rules are ones to live by: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. (And processed food is not food.)

Whenever finishing a book or essay by Pollan, I always walk away with a new food rule myself. I was excited to see that in this year's annual New York Times Magazine food issue, Pollan turns the tables, asking what food rules we the readers live by.

There were thousands of submissions, and of those, Pollan picked the ones he felt made the most sense for a healthy life. What I found interesting was what he said about the ones he didn't use, "a banquet of food policies that even when they made little, if any, nutritional sense . . . nevertheless opened a window on our current thinking about food: the stories we tell ourselves, the games we play and the taboos we invoke to organize our eating lives."

I've been guilty of this myself - eating something "healthy" when it was nothing more than processed crap.

Learn a simple rule when you read more.

The reader-submitted rules are fun and wise, and the NYT's presentation make them a treat to read through. One of my favorites:

Avoid snack foods with the "OH" sound in their names: Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos, Tostitos, Hostess Ho Hos, Etc. -Donna David

In this piece, Pollan offers up another one of his own rules that I adopted years ago: pick butter over trans-fat-loaded margarine. Surely he and Julia Child can't be wrong.

What food rules do you live by?

Do You Grocery Shop the Same Day Every Week?

FitSugar — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 03:30:12 -0700

I like to go to the grocery store a couple times a week so I can pick up fresh produce and use it up before it goes bad. I typically go the same days - Sunday and Wednesday. What about you?