FitSugar

Stick to Healthy Eating, Even at Your Bridal Shower

FitSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 02:30:00 PDT

Now that you're engaged you're going to be attending a lot of parties in your honor: Engagement parties, showers, bachelorette parties, etc. Nothing can kill healthy eating like a wedding shower complete with a plate full of potato salad and cake.

To make sure you don't overindulge this wedding season, here are a few tips to keep you from stressing over eating at parties:

Don't show up on an empty stomach. Have a little something healthy at home, this way you won't feel the need to stuff your face upon your first sighting of the buffet table.
Have a say. Chances are the person planning the party may ask what kinds of foods you'd like to have there. Ask for healthy options as well as typical party fare.
Make sure you eat. I know this one seems obvious, but everyone wants to talk to the bride and sometimes it's hard to get a bite in. Chances are your body is already running on low fuel as it is and the last thing you want is to get sick because you're not getting enough nutrients. Can't break away from Auntie Emily telling you about her bunions? Ask a good friend or mom to fill a plate for you with lots of healthy (and yummy) stuff.
Drinking can be your worst enemy. I'm not saying don't drink, but drink in moderation at these parties. A drunk bride can be a little unsightly, not to mention the added calories you'll be getting from that 4th vodka tonic.
Party games anyone? Parties do not have to only consist of drinking and eating. Ask the planner to plan activities that get everyone moving and burning off a little of that ganache. Pin the veil on the bride anyone?
Don't be too hard on yourself. This one is important! These parties are meant to be fun. If you splurge and have a few extra pieces of cake, it's OK...besides you didn't want to be rude, now did you? Just promise yourself you'll hit the gym for an extra 5 minutes the next day.

Source

Sheila Kelley's S-Factor

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 10:16:22 PDT

Have you heard all the buzz about Sheila Kelley's S Factor yet?

After seeing photos of Lindsay Lohan heading to S Factor class, hearing Oprah rave about Sheila Kelley and knowing that Kate Hudson and Teri Hatcher have expressed their love for this class, I had to see what the excitement was all about for myself. So, I bashfully made my way over to an intro class to see. Walking into the studio was terrifying, to say the least, as I saw the two shiny poles flickering in the red hue of the lights...

Want to read the rest of my experience at Sheila Kelley's S Factor? Then,

read more. Turns out, my preconceived notions that I would be doing crude things against a pole in a room full of oversexed women were totally wrong! The class has a high focus on getting warmed up, stretching the hips and chest and just getting used to moving slowly and sensually rather than jumping right into the whole 'stripper' thing. The lights are turned down low. It's dark enough that you don't feel like anyone can possibly be watching you, but light enough that you can eyeball the instructor to see what the heck she is doing. The movement is slow and controlled and you'd be surprised at how much you work your abs. The end of the class is 'pole tricks' time and by that point I was ready to swing around the pole, just to see if I had it in me... and I sure did! I had a fabulous time at my intro. I felt that my muscles got a workout and other women who were there for the same reasons as me, not because they were sexed up vixens looking to improve their skills, surrounded me. The whole thing was a lot of fun and boy, if I didn't know how to arch my back before I sure do now. S Factor is a great, and very unique workout for anyone looking to tone the muscles, firm the body, increase flexibility, promote weight loss and elevate energy levels. The S Factor was designed by actress Sheila Kelley to achieve specific health benefits, including physical fitness and stress reduction, as well as to cultivate sensuality, self-confidence and a positive body image. Sheila Kelley describes the movement as:

“The S Factor is about women rediscovering their own shapes and their muscles, overtly, playfully and unabashedly. We’re teaching women a body language they’ve been told not to explore.”

Once you've completed the introduction you can start your explorations in a series of classes. Classes run in eight-week-long sessions and meet once a week for two hours. There are seven levels of S Factor, each level increasing in difficulty. You'll need to complete a session to move on to the next level. Each class in a session builds on the skills learned in the last class so students are encouraged to attend the classes in order.

Work It, Martha!

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:30:25 PST

I'm loving this clip of Martha Stewart going completely outside of her box by doing a pole dancing workout with S Factor founder, Sheila Kelley. Check out this clip as the domestic diva gets down and gyrates her hips in full workout gear. Despite not being able to slide upside down on the pole, Martha did finish with an impressive leg lift.

If you've ever wanted to try a pole dancing workout but were too afraid, you've got no excuse now. If Martha can do it, so can you. In her own words: "She's got me on the pole. Woo-hoo!"

Is one of your fitness goals for 2010 to step out of your fitness comfort zone? Are you ready to work with a pole?

Water For Elephants' Donna Scott on Kissing Robert Pattinson's "Luscious Lips," Reese's Circus Skills, and Big Top Burlesque!

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:15:00 PDT

Donna Scott has a role millions of women would kill for in Water For Elephants. As bawdy burlesque dancer Barbara, she initiates Robert Pattinson's character into the circus - sexually! We chatted with the mother of two and wife of director Tony Scott this weekend, just before she headed out to the theater to see the movie for the first time. She talked about shooting under the big top with Robert and Reese Witherspoon, how Rob's family helps him handle his unprecedented fame, and filming her slightly awkward sexy scene with him! She also told us about training with a tassel-twirling expert for her risqué role, and what happened when a trio of zebras got loose on set and sent her, Reese, Rob, and Christoph Waltz ducking for cover.

Tell us a little bit about your character, Barbara.
She's a sideshow coochie dancer, a burlesque dancer, definitely targeted to the male audience going to the circus in the 1930s. There was one part [of the circus] that was for the family, and the other was the sideshow.

Was Rob nervous for your kissing scene?
Just a little bit. It’s really funny, because Rob is so...Rob. And even though he’s a huge heartthrob movie star, he’s so genuine. I figured since he was a megastar that he’d be like, 'Yeah, ok,' and I saw that because I’m older and lived a lot more life, I was comfortable being way more forward than he was. So, I definitely was aware that it was genuine, and that when I would move in to kiss him, he’d be like 'Whoa!' He was genuinely shy and it was all fantastic. How we prepared was just stepping into it and doing it. [He played] naïve and deflowered!

How does Rob rate as a leading man and kisser?
Rob, on a scale of one to ten, is a ten. He’s got luscious lips, and he’s so sweet, and he’s a tender person.

Reese told a story about Rob running scared from the zebras on set. Is that true?
After Reese had injured her ankle and when Rosie ran off, we were shooting this scene where it was just Reese, myself, Christoph, and Rob, and there were three zebras staked right near us. They’re very high strung, and they were going crazy and pulling up the stakes. Rob went running away and Reese grabbed Christoph and put him in front of her as a human body shield, and she was like; 'Oh my god, I don’t know what I just did!' And I was behind one of the support poles, and it happened so fast, it was really funny. But Rob was running away because he was supposed to be leaving to do something in the scene, so I think he didn’t want to break character. He felt so bad. He was like, 'Everyone is going to think I ran away because I was scared!'

To read more from Barbara on Reese's circus skills, how Rob's family keeps him grounded, and the way she prepared for her sexy role, just

read more Did you get to watch Reese perform with the elephant? Yes. It was amazing, when she was in the center ring we were all there watching, and I got to watch her as she went on top of Tai. What an amazing experience. Rob actually has to cross-dress for a particularly funny scene in the movie. How did he handle that? I think he was genuinely really shy about coming out of that trunk. It was pretty funny for him to come crawling out with all of us eating our breakfast. And no one had seen him in his outfit, because his double was in there the whole time they were setting up. So when he came out of the trunk all the response to him was genuine. I think his response was genuine, too. He was really embarrassed! Was there a lot of fandemonium near the set for Rob? Every day. It was insane to me, because where we were shooting was so remote. We were an hour and a half outside of LA in these huge orange groves, and we’d be shooting nights, and when I’d leave work 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 in the morning there would be unbelievable amount of women in a ditch across the shooting area waiting for Rob. They didn’t leave. I was blown away. I’ve never seen that level commitment from fans until I saw all that. How does he deal with that remarkable level of attention? It’s remarkable how he deals with it. He deals with it immensely well, and I also think he can’t believe what’s going on. I think he stays really grounded, and I think he views it from a point of view of, 'Is this really happening in my life?' And all of the craziness around him and Kristen, I think they navigate it immensely well in how he handles situations. He’s so close to his family and they’re so grounded, his mom and his dad and his sisters, so I think that helps him. And the maturity. He's very well educated and very well read, but it’s lovely that he can be that mature. How did you prepare for the role? I’m a level four pole dancer at Sheila Kelley’s S Factor, and then I took burlesque classes. The choreographer, Tracy Phillips, is a dancer, and I had a private tassel-twirling instructor that came to my house to give me tassel-twirling lessons. I took it very seriously!" Did you get to keep your burlesque gear and tassels from the set? No, I didn’t, and it didn’t even dawn on me to keep them! The thing is, Penny Star Jr., when she taught me to twirl the tassels, she said there’s a trick to how they need to be built so they swing properly with centrifugal force. Penny Star built two pairs for me and sent them to the costume designer. It's still a secret. What's next for you now that you're getting back into acting? It was so fun to do a movie like this, completely removed and on my own. My desire is to really get back into my career because I’ve been raising my children for 11 years. We have twin boys. It was the first time I’ve gone and done a red carpet when it was not affiliated with Tony and it was a different ball of wax.

Kate Hudson I'm a Huge Fan: Stripping Lessons and Badminton Before Kate!

PopSugar — Fri, 06 May 2011 05:58:00 PDT

Meet our latest I'm a Huge Fan winner, who is embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interview her favorite star, Kate Hudson! Kyla is so shocked to hear she's the lucky viewer who gets to sit down with the gorgeous Something Borrowed actress, but first she has to get in the spirit of Kate and the movie with the help of FitSugarTV's Zelana. Kyla and her friend fly all the way from home in New Jersey to LA in style, thanks to Virgin America. Next, Kyla takes on the Sheila Kelley S-Factor workout - yes, on the stripper pole! - which Kate helped make famous. Plus, she has to prove her badminton skills like Kate's character in Something Borrowed in order to earn more questions with the star during their interview. Watch part one now and check back for the next installments on PopSugar!

Skip the Shots: Healthy Bachelorette Party Ideas

FitSugar — Thu, 05 May 2011 12:50:47 PDT

Not into doing shots or going to see male strippers for your bachelorette party? Buck tradition by celebrating your bachelorette party in a healthy (and fun!) way instead.

Say Om: Gather up your mats and have a yoga class for just you and your friends. A private class at a studio or in your home is a great way to enjoy the company of your gal pals while also de-stressing. Add in an ayurvedic spa treatment or mehndi painting to the evening for a complete theme. Follow the class with a dinner at a nearby restaurant, or opt to cook together in your own home.
Get lifted: If strength training is more your style, invite your friends to an outdoor boot camp workout. Sweat and bond while practicing push-ups and lunges in a nearby park. After working out together, you and guests can nurse your sore muscles with some mimosas at brunch.

I have two more ideas, so keep on reading.