FitSugar

Motivation to Workout: Cancellation Fees Apply

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:30:00 PDT

We have all had those appointments that if you don't show up, you will be charged a fee. While it can be annoying, I never miss an appointment with a cancellation fee. No matter what.

Why not think about treating your scheduled workout as an appointment with cancellation fees. You wouldn't miss if a personal trainer were there, so respect yourself as much as you would a trainer.

If you cancel a scheduled workout (in your mind or on paper), then penalize yourself with something. Nothing too big, because you don't want to be too hard on yourself (things happen), but perhaps something small such as no dessert after dinner or no TV.

My friend and her husband penalize each other with a 'cancel jar' and every time one of them doesn't work out when they said they would, the one who cancels has to put $5 in a jar. At the end of 6 months, the person who has canceled the fewest amount of times gets to spend the money however they wish.

Source

Real Mom Gift Guide: All Jessica Shyba Wants For the Holidays Is . . .

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:04:24 PST

We've got mamas on the mind this holiday season! When mom's done doing the holiday shopping for everyone on her list, we're sure there are still a few items on there that she wants for herself.

Jessica Shyba is the woman behind Momma's Gone City, a blog chronicling her daily life with two tots since moving from the Bay Area to New York City so her husband could attend dental school. Since becoming a city mama, she's learned - and written about - the ins and outs of public transportation, the beauty of living in small spaces, and the unexpected adventures of day-to-day life. She welcomed her third child last night (almost in the taxi on the way to the hospital) but shared a few things she's hoping to unwrap later this month.

An iPad 2 ($500): It's about time that our family has one of these brilliant devices. My kids will love it and benefit from it, and I would like something that I can slip into the diaper bag easily so that I can work on the go.
Keurig ($134): I am the only one in the house that drinks coffee and hot beverages, so the large coffeemaker is wasteful and time-consuming, especially when you wash it every single day! With this new baby, I know that a yummy, hot apple cider will be a nice treat for me during his overnight feedings.
Epiphanie "Lyric" Camera Bag. ($155): Just this week I purchased a new SLR camera and two new lenses - something I've been wanting and saving up for, for a while now. I just need a gorgeous new bag to carry it in as well. I rarely leave home without a camera, and this particular one will be able to accommodate a few diapers and wipes as well.
A session or three at The Braid Bar at the John Barrett Salon in Bergdorf's: This is the prettiest, low-maintenance hair style I have found, and this salon does an amazing job at braiding hair! I would love to treat myself to an appointment, especially when I know that showers will be few and far between in the very near future!
Tali Gilette's Mama Necklace, 14k Gold ($525): The perfect push prize, holiday gift, and everyday memento of the most important aspect of my life: motherhood.

Naomi Watts Shares Her Natural Beauty Tips and Tricks

Allie Merriam — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:59:11 PDT

Naomi Watts became the new face of Pantene's Flat to Volume collection last month, and yesterday she celebrated the appointment with a kickoff party in New York. She took the stage to speak about her latest honor and also introduced a short film about Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program, which encourages women and men to chop off and donate their locks to make wigs for cancer patients - impressively, over 20,000 real hair wigs have been donated to the American Cancer Society so far. We have a behind-the-scenes look at Naomi's shoot for Pantene, and she told us all about her beauty routine, the products she can't live without, and how she likes to keep makeup and hair care easy and quick! Naomi said:

On the one beauty product she can't live without: "I have to wear mascara or I have my eyelashes tinted because my eyelashes are completely blond. And my eyes just disappear if they're not framed well."
On how she changes her beauty routine for Summer: "Loads of sunscreen, just loads of sunscreen. The humidity just makes my hair curly, definitely and I just kind of go with that."
On her day-to-day hair routine: "It's not very much. I don't have the time, skill, or interest, really. So even before having kids but now it's really shrunk down to a bare minimum. That's why I expect a lot out of my shampoo and conditioner. But I will, if I'm doing it myself, use the triple action mousse. And then if I'm going to work and I know that I'm going to get hot irons all over the place then I'll use a little bit of the heat protector and that helps."
On picking up hair tips from working with pros for years: "You would think so, right? But I just have never done my own hair. I can't even blow-dry it. I'm a ponytail kind of girl. The best one for me is just the scrunch. Because I actually don't mind the look of, not unruly, but beach-y looking hair, slightly undone. I don't like big bouncy hair."

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To read what Naomi said about getting ready to go out and the start of working with Pantene, just

On what she does to look fancier to go out: "On my own time, I'm never wearing foundation. Even at night I'll just put lipstick and mascara and rouge and call it a night."
On how she came to work with Pantene: "I just got a call saying they were thinking about me and I was excited. I just thought, 'Wow, I didn't ever think I had good hair so why would they choose me?' And I think that's the whole point is that everyone should be able to have good hair. If it's well-treated, you too can have the volume and shine and I've got fine hair. So the product line that's specific for my hair type works very well with it. [You have to] stay consistent; it's not a magic potion that one uses and then overnight will have extremely different hair. It's a commitment. It's a process and I started using the products about a month ago and I have to say my hair has grown more because I'm treating it well."

Trick Yourself Into an Exercising Routine With These Tips

Leta Shy — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 03:07:23 PDT

Most of us have experienced it: we make excuse after excuse for not going on a run or hitting the gym, but once we actually finish our workout, we think, "That wasn't so bad!" For many, the hardest part of maintaining a regular exercise routine is motivating yourself to start exercising. There are so many things that get in the way - sleeping through alarms, extra-long doctor's appointment, or deadlines at work can keep us from staying motivated in order to make a once-off workout a regular routine.

If you are looking to start or maintain an exercise routine but haven't been able to stay on track, it may help to think small. Here are a few tips for tricking yourself into exercising more and creating an exercise routine.

Have a standing date with a workout buddy. Busy schedules mean some friends can get the shaft. If you feel like you need a little more quality time with a bestie, try setting up dates that only involve something active so you can socialize while you work out. Associating the weekly workout with something fun may keep you from dreading it.
Vow to do one active thing each day. Does the idea of booking it to the gym every day sound daunting? Start off small by making little goals for yourself each day. Whether it's taking a walking break every few hours or rounding up the family for an easy weekend hike, start making goals that sounds fun and easy to do so you can ease yourself into an exercise routine.

Read on for more tips for tricking yourself into exercising more!

The Best Time to Exercise, Eat Your Meals, and More

Heather Dale — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:06:39 PDT

Between work, friends, family, and social commitments, we're lucky if we can manage to get enough sleep, eat balanced meals, and squeeze in enough time for exercise. But did you know that there's a right time to do some of these things? And by right, I mean that there's actually an optimal time to eat, exercise, go grocery shopping, and more to benefit our overall well-being? Get your pencils and pads of paper ready because you may be shocked at some of these results!

The best time to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner: You should always eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. About 4.5 hours after that, you should have lunch, and a couple hours after that, dinner. If you delay these times, you're going to be hungry, and the hungrier you are, the more likely you are going to cheat and eat fatty junk food. According to Dr. Oz, the big rule of thumb is that you need to have dinner more than three hours before you go to bed, so that you aren't going to bed with a full stomach.

To find out best times for other daily duties, keep reading

Work From Home Without Gaining a Pound

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:46:36 PDT

There are tons of perks to working from home: the short commute from bedroom to home office, limited exposure to germs from coughing co-workers, and taking calls in your PJs. These perks are great, but when it comes to your health, working from home could be your downfall. You may be tempted to snack all day long since your kitchen is steps away. It's also tough to motivate yourself to leave your comfy house to exercise. Here are some suggestions for working from home without gaining weight.

Wake up and put on your sports bra and sneaks. Wearing exercise gear (instead of your cozy jammies) will motivate you to work out.
Schedule a time to exercise and stick to it. Write it down in your planner and think of your workout as an appointment you can't miss. If it's tough to break away once your work day begins, exercise before work. Better yet, make a fitness date with a neighbor so you won't be tempted to sleep in.
Take regular breaks from work to do some strength training moves and stretches. Keep a set of weights and a yoga mat in your home office. Since no one is around, you won't feel silly doing some bicep curls or Sun Salutations.
If you have more than one bathroom, use the one that's the farthest away, preferably one that's on a different floor so you have to climb stairs. A few extra steps throughout the day really start to add up.

Keep reading for more tips.

DrSugar Answers: So Many Questions About Going Off the Pill

DrSugar — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 05:50:42 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's answering questions about going off of birth control.

OK, FitSugar readers, we’ve recently received lots and lots of messages asking about what happens when you stop birth control pills, with questions regarding acne, abdominal cramps, weight gain, and lack of menstruation in the months following discontinuation. Since the topic is so popular, I thought I would round up my answers to the myriad questions so the various bits of information are all in one place.

To learn how stopping the pill might affect you, keep on reading.

DrSugar Answers: What Will Going Off the Pill Do to My Body?

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:00:49 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! This week she's answering a question about going off of birth control.

Dear DocSugar,
I have been taking birth control pills for 10 years and things have shifted in my personal life and I no longer need to worry about getting pregnant. I want to go off this pill, but am worried what will happen to my body and my cycle. Can you tell me what I should expect when I stop taking the pill? Will I gain weight? Will I break out? Will my period be just awful? Also, how long will it take for my hormone levels return to normal?
- No More Pill For Me

Let me take off my lady doctor cap for a moment and share with all of you that I went through this very same issue last year. After years on the pill, I stopped taking it, and will give both some professional and personal advice on this matter when you

To begin, the birth control pill works by preventing ovulation. Once you stop taking the pill, the hormones are out of your body quickly, usually within a couple of days (this is why women who miss a couple days of pills on birth control have a chance of ovulating and getting pregnant!). Another important point to make is that it does not matter how long you were on the pill, from 10 weeks to 10 months to more than 15 years, your body will still be rid of the hormones within a couple of days!

Once the hormones are out of your system, your body will begin to start producing hormones to initiate menstrual cycles. Some women will begin to ovulate in a couple of weeks, whereas it may take several months for other women to begin to ovulate. Generally speaking, your body should be back to "normal menstruation mode" within two to three months after stopping the pill. It is important to emphasize that if you had problems with ovulation prior to starting the pill, you may continue to have irregular ovulation/periods after stopping the pill. Most women with normal ovulation/periods prior to starting the pill will continue to have normal ovulation/periods after stopping the pill. But, some women who had regular periods prior to starting the pill may have irregular ovulation after stopping the pill. The key point here is that everyone’s experience with ovulation/periods after stopping the pill is different!

There is a condition called post-pill amenorrhea (or lack of menstruation) that can occur after stopping the birth control pill. According to the Mayo Clinic, the reason for lack of menstruation in these women is that the body is just taking longer to produce the hormones necessary for ovulation and menstruation. If you still haven’t had a period after three months, they recommend taking a pregnancy test. It would be prudent to also schedule an appointment with either your primary care physician or gynecologist for evaluation. Some women never get a period after they stop taking the pill because they ovulate and conceive right away after the discontinuation. If you do not want to become pregnant, use another form of contraception such as condoms or a diaphragm.

Many women take certain birth control pills to regulate their acne. Once you stop using birth control, you may notice an increase in acne on your face or on other parts of your body. When your body’s hormone levels regulate again, the acne can subside in some cases. As far as weight fluctuation is concerned, it has been shown that birth control pills that are higher in estrogen may cause weight gain and water retention. Therefore, your body may adjust after stopping the pill and some weight loss may occur due to a decrease in water retention. Again, each woman’s experience may be different. Case in point, I did gain some weight after I stopped the pill, but it may have been because of other factors due to the stress of trying to conceive, which is why I stopped taking the pill. Many birth control pills are designed especially to help treat exaggerated premenstrual syndromes or in certain women, premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Thus, some women will notice increased breast tenderness and other premenstrual symptoms such as nausea, headaches and fluctuating emotions.

I'll finish by telling you more about my experience with stopping birth control. I had regular menstrual cycles before I started the pill, but this was not the case after I stopped the pill. It took approximately two months to get my first period off the pill and they were very irregular after that (ranging from 5 weeks to 12 weeks between periods). After seeking consultation with my gynecologist after one year of irregular cycles, I was diagnosed with oligo-ovulation, which basically means I ovulate very infrequently. They could not find any medical cause for this problem after an extensive workup. At first, I felt like something was wrong with me or that I had done something in my lifetime to cause this. But, I now realize I am not alone and that there are many women out there going through the same problems I am going through! Hopefully, if any of my readers are going through the same problem as me, they can feel better knowing that there are many women out there (including myself) that are going through it as well!

Have a question for DrSugar? You can send to me via private message here, and I will forward it to the good doctor.

DrSugar's posts are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Click here for more details.