FitSugar

Where Do You Stand: Sharing Clothes With Someone Bigger Than You

DearSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:00:00 PDT

Even if you're all for swapping clothes with friends, I bet you have a friend or two that thinks she wears the same size as you when she clearly doesn't! If you're like me, you take good care of your things, so lending your favorite top or dress to a friend with a bigger chest or wider hips just isn't an option. But how do you say yes to some people and no to others? Is there a polite way, or am I being too finicky about my clothing? Where do you stand on lending clothes to friends that are bigger than you?

Source

Breasts: Shrinkydinks or Balloons?

babysugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:00:00 PDT

One of the perks of being pregnant was filling out dresses and shirts like I'd never done before.

My curvy chest began to swell during the nine months of pregnancy and increased while I nursed. After weaning my babe, I deflated big time - resembling the barren plains of Texas rather than the Swiss Alps.

While some people claim to have more voluptuous tatas after the whole delivery and breastfeeding process, most mamas I know are like me – smaller than they were at the starting point.

Source

Diet Tip: Quality and Quantity

FitSugar — Fri, 11 May 2007 08:45:00 PDT

In many people's minds "DIET" is a four letter word, if you know what I mean. So, instead of dieting, these folks just decide to eat "healthy." Which I must say I commend. However, if you are trying to lose weight you have to look at both the quality and the quantity of the food you are consuming.

For instance we all know that nuts are good for us, but if you are trying to lose weight you need to keep the portion small since they are high in fat. One handful a day is plenty, and I have read that if you are trying to lose weight, to only eat nuts every other day.

With this in mind, I urge you to measure out your food for a while, to really become acquainted with portion sizes. A serving of Kashi Go Lean is a cup; so pour the cereal into a measuring cup before pouring it into a bowl. Do the same with milk. This way you know that you are eating the recommended serving size and how many calories you are consuming. The same with pasta, and I might add, if you are shooting for both quality and quantity it should really be whole wheat pasta since it has so much beneficial fiber in it.

While you are pondering how you eat, remember to focus on all those fruits and veggies you can add into you diet not what you have to eliminate.

Our Ultimate Swimsuit Guide - Get the Best Fit For Your Body

Hannah Weil — Fri, 25 May 2012 16:22:49 PDT

Finding the perfect Summer suit can seem like an impossible task, especially when you don't know quite what you're looking for. We're putting an end to all that with our ultimate guide to getting the right fit for your body. With the help of swimwear fit and style expert Audrey Jimenez over at Everything But Water, we're breaking down the best fit tips for every body type and the best styles to shop for your figure all right here. From curvier frames to athletic body types, we're helping to make sense of the endless swimwear options out there and narrowing down all of our favorite options that were made to fit and flatter your frame. Want to know what you should be looking for? Get the expert's quick-hit dos and don'ts, then click on to find your perfect suit - and resolve to never hate swimsuit shopping again.

Dos

Do try on lots of different suits. Swim styles change all the time, so look outside of your comfort zone and you may find your new favorite silhouette.
Do go with a smaller size if you are not sure. Swimsuits expand when wet.
Do use ties and adjustable straps to fit the suit to your body. Go tighter than you think. Once tied, lean forward and adjust until your bust is covered and stays put.

Don'ts

Don't choose a trendy silhouette if it doesn't fit you well. Great style begins with a great fit, so it's more important to find the silhouette that best flatters your figure.
Don't assume a size larger or more fabric will give you more flattering coverage. Many women purchase suits that are too large, and as a result, the fabric gaps and the suits don't support properly. If you want more coverage, find a style that offers more coverage.

Hit the Grill With These Vegan-Friendly Burgers

Lizzie Fuhr — Fri, 25 May 2012 14:09:32 PDT

There's nothing better than some grilled goodness on a sunny Spring day. If you've taken on a vegan or vegetarian diet and you're tired of those prepackaged burgers, you're in luck. I've got you covered with nine vegan burger recipes that are bursting with flavor. There's something to tempt every vegan regardless of their preferences, from white bean to black bean to portobello. No one-size-fits-all here! Click through to get inspired for backyard BBQ bliss or a weeknight supper.

Ink Up With Photojojo's Camera Tattoos

Kelly Schwarze — Fri, 25 May 2012 07:37:06 PDT

What do you give a photography pal who already has every camera, lens, and accessory under the sun? Gift skin ink of the nonpermanent variety in the form of the Tattly Camera Tattoo Set ($25). Since the photographers we know are rarely without a camera, a tattoo of any duration seems like a natural next step.

The illustrations by three Brooklyn designers are not your average grocery-store toy-machine temporary tattoo. The set of 12 tattoos in six different designs - including an old-school Polaroid, Rangefinder, TLR, SX-70 Polaroid, and black-and-white aperture shutters - are so beautifully crafted that we almost hated having to use them during our real-world testing. A breeze to put on, each tattoo is about three inches in size and surprisingly long-lasting! Many of our testers weren't able to clear the ink for several days, scrub as they might (I'm going five days strong with my tat).

Sure, temporary tattoos may not seem like the most practical use of $25, but as a just-for-fun gift or party activity to show off your photography cred, this new scene of high-end washable tattoos is something we're ready to stick to.

Trench Time! 9 Great Trench Coats For Your Stylish Little Girl

Lisa Horten — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:15:34 PDT

Jacket weather is almost behind us, but until Summer's officially started, it's a good idea to bring along a little something for those chilly afternoons. Trench coats are a Spring staple for many city slickers, and there's nothing cuter than a scaled-down-to-size version for tiny tots. Your pint-sized fashionista will look fab, whether her style is classic khaki or a fanciful floral print.

8 Myths About Sex Differences

The Good Men Project — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:00:49 PDT

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, The Good Men Project. Today, Agustín Fuentes points out that when it comes to men and women, what "everyone knows" isn’t what science shows.

Everyone knows that men and women are really different. We think differently and act differently because we are wired differently. I mean look at our brains and genitals: they are just plain different. Right?

Wrong.

What if many of the things we assume about the biology of difference are not so different at all? What if it is not our “wiring” but the ways in which our bodies and minds develop and play out in society that makes us seem so unalike? Could it be that men and women are more similar than we think?

I Dumped the Love of My Life and Now She Doesn’t Trust Me

Yes, women give birth and lactate and men do not. And yes, men are, on average, slightly larger than women and usually have greater upper body strength. There are these basic biological differences between the sexes and they are important . . . but why always focus on the differences and not the biological, and behavioral, similarities? Ahh, that would be because of gender.

Gender is a powerful reality; it is the perception and expectation of differences between males and females and it shapes both our bodies and our society. Gender differences are real and important, but they are not hard wired or even static. There is no biological or evolutionary mandate that only women really care for babies and show emotions, or that males are the best at economics and politics and prefer beers and skirt-chasing to domestic bliss. These are patterns of gender roles and expectations that shape the ways we look at our biology and behavior. They influence the way we expect the world to be. It is the strength of the societal myths about sex that fool us into thinking that men and women are so different by nature.

So let’s bust some of those myths.

Gender and sex are the same thing.

Sex and gender are interconnected, but not the same thing. Sex is a biological state that is measured via what chromosomes you have (XX or XY, usually) and aspects of your body and physiology. Gender includes the roles, expectations and perceptions that a given society has for the sexes. Most societies have two genders on a masculinity-femininity continuum. Some have more. We are born with a biological sex, but acquire gender. There is a ton of individual diversity within societies and sexes in regards to how sex and gender play out in behavior and personality.

There is an extensive body of data demonstrating this, but people interested only in specific differences between men and women choose to ignore it.

Male and female genitals are totally different.

Most people think that male and female genitals are about as different as can be: penis=male and vagina=female. But even this basic dichotomy is not quite correct: the genitals emerge from the same mass of embryonic tissue. For the first six weeks of life the tissue masses develop identically. At about 6-7 weeks, depending on whether the fetus has XX or XY chromosomes (usually), the tissues to start to differentiate. One part of the tissues begins to form the clitoris or penis and another forms the labia or scrotum. Another area begins to form into either the testes or the ovaries. This means that physiologically, male and female genitals are made of the same stuff and work in similar ways.

Male and female brains are different.

If there were really deep seated differences between male and female human behavior and biology they should show up in the brain. The genitals start in the same place and end up looking different, the brain does not. Our brains are pretty much the same. Male brains are a bit bigger than females’ (like their bodies) and females’ brains stop growing earlier than males (as with their bodies). However, whatever one may believe about other organs, in the case of healthy brains, size really does NOT matter one iota. There also might be a few differences in a small part of the brain called the straight gyrus (need more testing in this one). Other than these minor aspects there are no consistent and replicated reliable differences in male and female brains; it is a human brain . . . but how we use it is another matter.

Hormones make the difference.

Everyone thinks that males and females have different hormones . . . testosterone for men and estrogen for women. Nope, all the actual hormones in males and females are the same: there are no male-only or female-only hormones. Both men and women can get a flood of testosterone when they get into a fight or take part in an exhilarating sports match. Both men and women can get a flood of oxytocin and prolactin when they pick up a newborn baby. There can be differences in the levels, patterns, and impacts of some of these hormones in male and female bodies, but individual variation is often more important than the variation between the sexes.

Keep reading for the rest.

Britney Spears Rolls Into Austin For Her First Day of X Factor Auditions

Katie Henry — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:12:46 PDT

Austin rolled out a Texas-sized welcome for X Factor judges Britney Spears, Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, and L.A. Reid today. The foursome were all smiles upon their arrival and looked ready to get down to business on their first day of taping. The group of judges is back together after meeting up last week for the official unveiling of the new X Factor judging panel.

When the cameras weren't rolling, Britney had fiancé Jason Trawick by her side, but in the studio she took her seat between Simon and Demi. It looks like Brit and Simon are getting off on a playful foot since she tweeted "Simon better watch out" and joked that they were "still waiting on Simon Cowell of course" when she arrived at the event. Taping continues in Texas tomorrow before production moves on to Kansas City, San Francisco, and Providence next month.

Shop Minted's Amazing Custom Kids' Prints For a Cause!

Kate Stahl — Thu, 24 May 2012 09:27:02 PDT

Minted has been one of our favorite stops for party invitations and holiday cards for some time, but the company's new collection of limited-edition and customizable kids' art has us really flipping out. Minted sources the prints from artists around the world, and all are available in multiple colorways and sizes. Not only are they totally incredible and affordable (most start at $15 to $20), but also, if buy one before the end of May, then 50 percent of your purchase price will go to support for Every Mother Counts, Christy Turlington's advocacy group that promotes global maternal health. Keep clicking to see 10 of our favorite Minted prints, but if they don't inspire you, then there are literally more than a hundred other options to choose from!