FitSugar

Tips Straight from The Biggest Loser

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0700

If anyone knows weight loss, it's the folks over at The Biggest Loser.

While the new season of the Biggest Loser does not start until September 11th, 2007 (I am so excited I can hardly contain myself), Kim Lyons, Devin Alexander (author of The Biggest Loser Cookbook) and several of the "Biggest Losers" offer these tips and tricks on WebMD to help motivate you:

"Eat often -- snack often," says Alexander. While this may seem contrary to traditional dieting advice, the chef says that as long as you keep an eye on calories and portions, eating often will stave off hunger attacks that ultimately sabotage your diet. "When you're starving, you grab whatever is available -- and that's the quickest way to get off your eating plan," says Alexander.
"Eat your carbs in the morning," says Biggest Loser contestant Brian Starkey. "It gets your day off to an energetic start." Lyons adds that carbs are quickly burned with activity, so eating them may help motivate you for that morning walk or bike ride.
"Post a picture of yourself on the refrigerator -- at your worst," says Biggest Loser contestant Dana Desilvio. "The next time you're thinking of grabbing something you shouldn't from the fridge, you'll be reminded of what you don't want to look like!"
"Instead of watching the clock during workouts, listen to music," to make the time go faster,says Erik Chopin (pictured above), The Biggest Loser's season-three winner. Lyons reminds us that everyday activities, like bike riding, tossing a Frisbee, or walking your dog, count as physical activity, too.

There's six more so read more

"When eating out, always ask for a 'to-go' box -- at the start of your meal," says Biggest Loser contestant Bobby Moore. Then, when your food arrives, immediately put half of it in the box, he suggests. This way, you'll not only get used to eating smaller portions, but you'll have a snack for later.
Learn to cook healthfully. "Cooking healthy doesn't have to be hard -- or take more time," says Alexander. While many "Biggest Loser" contestants said they thought cooking healthy would be complicated or time-consuming, Alexander says, most found that cooking healthy is actually easier, less expensive, and faster.
"Never overlook the power of seasoning," says Alexander. One way she made even the blandest diet foods grab the contestants' attention was by using low-sodium seasonings. "People never realize what a major difference spices can make on even simple dishes like grilled chicken or salmon," she says.
"When it comes to cooking in flavor, it's never about the oil," says Alexander. Many dieters believe that unless food is fried in oil, you don't get much flavor. But, she says, the real secret is pan-browning, which can happen without oil. The trick to getting restaurant-quality taste, she says, is to never overload your pan with food. "If you put too much in the pan, the moisture content causes the foods to steam and not pan-fry," she says. "By reducing the amount of food in the pan you get that tasty pan-seared browning, without the use of any oils."
Don't try to do too much exercise, too soon. You not only run the risk of injury, but you'll also get quickly discouraged. "Don't try to stare down 45 minutes of exercise," says Lyons. "Tell yourself it will be OK to quit after 10 minutes, because most of the time once you get going, you'll keep going."
Remember: Self-esteem feeds on self-esteem. Accomplishing a little something toward your weight loss goal every day will not only get you on the road to success, but help keep you there. "You are not just losing weight, you are changing your life and your lifestyle," says Alexander. "If you keep that in mind, you come to see that every change, no matter how small, comes together to make a huge difference in not only your weight, but your life," says Alexander.

Foods That Could Bust Your Diet

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:15:00 -0700

We all try so hard to keep to a healthy diet, but sometimes we may be trying so hard that we don't realize we are doing more harm than good. To keep us on top of things, WebMD has created a list of the top diet busting foods (and I have elaborated):

Soups: Stay away from cream based soups and stick to low calorie soups that are broth based.
Sugar-Free Cookies: No Sugar does not mean no calories or that it's good for you.
Pork: Stick to tenderloin and sirloin if you need the other white meat.
Coffee: Orange Frappuccino - Need I say more?
Salad Dressings: Get dressing on the side or water it down and check out my nutritional breakdown on popular dressings.
Breakfast Bars: Watch out for high fructose corn syrups.
Dried Fruits and Granola: A handful of both is OK, with more than that you'll be adding more calories and fat.
Juice and Soda: They aren't just drinks and the calories do (and will) add up.
Low-Fat/Low-Cal Foods: The problem here is that most people see low calorie on the label and eat three times as much because, well, it's low-cal.
Nuts: Like dried fruit, nuts are great for you just in small handfuls worth, not in small jars worth.

To check out the full article, visit WebMD.com.

Source

5 Ways to Stay Fit While on Vacation

FitSugar — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:45:00 -0700

We all know that vacationing can make for a huge set-back on your quest to get fit. I know vacationing is supposed to be a time where you can just feel good and relax, but relaxing can be difficult if you are feeling each pound add up, one by one, day by day....

WebMD, along with Dawn Jackson-Blatner, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, has come up with these five simple ways to stay fit while on vacation:

Plan Ahead to Fit in Fitness: Vacations should be an opportunity to re-energize, refresh, and relax -- not an excuse to take a break from health. When planning your vacation, opt for locations that will allow you to engage in physical activities you enjoy. Keep in mind that physical activity is the ticket to enjoying extra calories without weight gain.
Be Prepared: When you travel, whether by plane, train, or automobile, be prepared with healthy food so you won’t have to eat whatever is available. Start the day with a nutritious breakfast, then pack easy and satisfying snacks or a small meal, such as a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato on whole-grain bread, a piece of fruit, and some cut-up veggies with hummus.
Avoid Dining-Out Disasters: Eating out may pose the biggest challenge for avoiding vacation weight gain. "It is easy to control calories if you stay away from fried, crispy, or creamy foods; hold extras such as cheese and mayo; top salads with low-fat dressings; drink water instead of sodas -- simple things that can shave calories and make room for the special treats," says Blatner.
Indulge in Moderation: Deprivation is no fun when you're on vacation. Instead, "the name of the game is moderation when it comes to controlling calories from treats and alcohol," says Blatner. So have one scoop of ice cream instead of the sundae, or split that decadent dessert with a dining companion.
Pare Down Portions: Even when you're on vacation, portions count if you want to avoid weight gain.

To read the full article, check out WebMD.

Source

Only One in Seven of Us are Actually Trying

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:30:00 -0700

Just when I was starting to think that we, as a society, are finally starting to get the whole eat right and exercise thing; WebMD has to go and totally burst my bubble with new reports.

Apparently only one in seven U.S. adults reported regular physical activity along with consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. What's more? The study may even overestimate actual healthy behaviors because it was based on subjects’ self-reports while research participants are known to routinely overestimate good behaviors and underestimate bad ones. Gabby Reese is right: Do something about it already! Reading FitSugar is a great motivation, but no one is going to shove fruits and veggies down your throat and you are the one that has to actually make yourself get up and exercise. Do it for yourself.

Write a contract up with yourself:
"I want to live longer so this week I am going to exercise at least three times and I am going to eat at least 5 servings of fruit and veggies per day.
If I do not meet this goal, my consequence is: [Insert your appropriate consequence here...Perhaps no Grey's this week].
If I do meet this goal, my reward is: [Insert your appropriate reward here...Perhaps a new pair of shoes]."

Sign it, make copies and put it on your fridge, your desk, where you keep your remote controls, on your nightstand, etc.

Ethnic Eating Out Tips: Thai, Indian and French

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 15:15:00 -0800

Navigating through a restaurant menu is often tough, but it's even harder when you're navigating through yummy food that you're not totally familiar with. WebMD has created an easy choose/avoid list for the next time you eat Thai, Indian and French.

THAI: My personal take out favorite, but it's definitely tough to sort through the often extensive menus.
Choose-
Sauces: lemon grass, lime, curry, sweet and sour, basil, chili, fish sauce
Stir-fried, sautéed, and braised dishes
Thai salads
Basil rolls
Broth soups
Any dish with lots of vegetables
Bean thread noodles
Seafood, tofu, poultry, lean meats
"Satays" -- skewered meat
Avoid-
Dishes made with coconut or coconut milk
Sauces with peanuts
Fried foods, including fried spring rolls
"Mee-krob" -- crispy noodles

To see what to choose/avoid when eating Indian and French, read more

INDIAN: Curry is the name of the game here, but there are also a lot of fried food land mines, so be careful.
Choose-
Basmati rice
Legumes (chickpeas and lentils)
Vegetable dishes
Yogurt-based sauces
Lean meats, poultry, and seafood
Mulligatawny or lentil soup
"Papad" -- baked lentil wafer
Tikki, tandoori, or kebab preparations
Avoid-
"Ghee" -- clarified butter
"Molee" -- coconut milk or cream
Any kind of fried foods
High-fat beef and lamb dishes
Creamy curry sauce
"Korma" -- cream sauce
(Limit portions of coconut and nuts)

FRENCH: French women could get fat if they stick to the foods on the avoid list.
Choose-
Broth-based soups
Plain vegetables
Vegetable salads with light vinegar-based dressing
Wine or mustard sauces without cream
Roasted or grilled lean meats, poultry, and fish
Avoid-
Cream soups
Cream or cheese sauces: au gratin, hollandaise, béarnaise, béchamel
Caesar salads or any with creamy dressings
Anything fried or seasoned with breadcrumbs
Pate, fatty meats, duck, and sausages

What's the Deal with: Volumetrics

FitSugar — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 08:30:00 -0800

If given the choice between eating more and eating less, which would you choose?

If you chose eating more then you're not alone and you may want to consider The Volumetrics Eating Plan. The basis behind Volumetrics is feeling full and satisfied. The book's author, Barbara Rolls, PhD, believes that people feel full because of the amount of food they eat -- not because of the number of calories or the grams of fat, protein, or carbs. The trick to the Volumetrics Diet is to fill up on foods that aren't full of calories. In some cases (especially of those of us who have been crash dieting for years now), following Volumetrics will actually allow you to slim down while eating more, not less than you do now.

The one major rule of Volumetrics is that you need to keep a watch out for Energy Density, which is the number of calories in a specified amount, in foods. The less energy dense a food is (like veggies and non-fat milk) the more you can have of it. The more energy dense a food is, like cookies, the less you can have of it. As you can imagine, water (perhaps the least energy dense food there is) plays a big role in Volumetrics.

Lower-calories, lower-fat, and lots of vegetables and fruits...hmm just sounds to me like another way (one that sells books) to describe a healthy diet, so if it sounds like a good deal to you, then you should absolutely try this diet.

Buy The Volumetrics Eating Plan on Amazon.com for $17.13.

Don't Blow Your Healthy Habits at the Movies This Weekend

FitSugar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:00:53 -0800

It's a big movie weekend, for sure. With New Moon finally out, I've already committed myself to spend an afternoon at the theater - the only complication is that I'm not so fond of the movie-theater fare. It's an admittedly challenging place to stick to healthy food choices, since there usually aren't any to begin with. Just in case you don't believe me, recent research is revealing just how unhealthy movie popcorn can be - and it's probably a lot worse than you think.

An article from WebMd highlights the Center for Science in the Public Interest's findings on the state of popcorn, which claims movie theater popcorn is just about as bad for you as "a pound of baby back ribs and a scoop of Haagen-Dazs ice cream or maybe two Big Macs" - and that's before you even add the butter. For the study, researchers sent samples of popcorn and toppings from three different movie theater chains and compared their findings to the chains' own nutritional information. What they found is likely to make you rethink how you view your movie treat.

The study's results show that the calorie count of movie theater popcorn ranges from just about 400 to 1,200 calories, and contains an alarming serving of saturated fat that's equivalent to three days worth of your daily recommended portion, and anywhere from 200 (in the smallest 6-cup size serving) to 1,500 milligrams of sodium. Additionally, the study revealed that both AMC and Regal theaters pop their popcorn in coconut oil, which has a saturated fat content of a whopping 90 percent. Cinemark theaters, which pops their popcorn in canola oil, earns the rep as the healthiest chain, with a significantly lower saturated fat content - ranging from 2 grams in the 420-calorie small size to 5 grams in the 910-calorie large popcorn bucket. But, keep in mind that popcorn is usually just a part of the order - add a soda or your choice of candy, and your order is easily nearing 1,700 calories.

To learn about healthier options at the movies read more.

To avoid a serious caloric overload on your movie outing, the solutions are simple. Opt to share a small, unbuttered popcorn, and request that it be popped without salt (according to the article, these chains will happily oblige), or knosh on something healthy before you head out. If you can, bring a small bag of almonds or a piece of fruit along. Be smart about your choices, and don't let one afternoon at the movies spoil your healthy habits. It's totally fine to indulge every now and then, but a 1,200-calorie serving of popcorn that packs more saturated fat than you need in three days is hardly a treat for your bod or health.

Trying to Lose Weight? Ask These Questions

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:26 -0800

Many of the people reading FitSugar have weight loss on the brain, but are your efforts really necessary? Are those extra pounds putting your health at risk, or are you just carrying around a little harmless fluff? WebMD outlined seven questions you should ask yourself to help decide if you really need to get serious about weight loss.

What is your lifestyle? "Regular physical activity and healthy eating are important," say experts who spoke with WebMD, not just for those trying to budge the scale. If you're not active and eat poorly, you should start making some changes for your overall health, not just because of a weight-loss goal.
What is your family history? If high cholesterol, "high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or another weight-related ailment" runs in your family then Web MD notes that "it's crucial to be mindful of your weight."
What is your weight history? If the pounds have been creeping up on you over the past several years, you need to watch out since "experts say your BMI should not increase dramatically, even as you age. Even moderate weight gain in adulthood can increase your risk of diabetes."

To see the other four questions read more.

How is your weight distributed? WebMD warns that if your body is "the so-called 'apple' shape," it can put your health at risk. So if this sounds like you, aim to whittle away your middle. If your weight is primarily in your thighs and butt, it's not as crucial to drop the pounds.
What is your waist size? The National Institutes of Health say that a "waist circumference of over 35 inches in women signifies a health risk, particularly those people with BMIs of 25 and 34.9 (the overweight category)." If you're not sure what your BMI is, check out Fit's Calculator to find out.
What is your health profile? "If your cholesterol and blood pressure levels are high and your BMI falls into the overweight or obese category, it's important to lose weight," writes WebMD. So make an appointment with your doc to get yours checked.
How do you feel? "If you're overweight and have joint problems, shortness of breath, or other health troubles that limit your day-to-day living," and interfere with being able to work, then experts quoted in the article suggest that melting away pounds would help improve the quality of your life.

Thinking of Getting Inked?

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:00:09 -0800

I have never gotten a tattoo unless you count the temporary henna kind, but it looks like I might be in the minority. About 25 percent of 18- to 30-year-olds have been inked, and 65 percent of them are women. If you've always wanted to get your fave butterfly etched onto your ankle, here are some things WebMD wants you to know before anyone puts a needle to your skin.

Pay the money and go to a shop that has licensed tattoo artists. Since getting a tattoo involves breaking the skin with a metal object and coming into contact with blood, you want to make sure the studio is clean, so there's the lowest risk possible for infection.
There are serious risks involved, such as contracting life-threatening HIV or hepatitis C from unclean equipment. You could also get other infections including impetigo, MRSA, or cellulitis. It's OK if you don't know what these are, just know you don't want them.
It's also possible to have an allergic reaction to the tattoo ink, so before getting an enormous fairy imprinted across your back, you probably want to do a small patch test on your skin first.

To find out what else you should know, read more.

Also note that your skin will look a lot different at age 25 than it will at 65, so keep that in mind when choosing the design, size of tattoo, and area of your body.
The artist should thoroughly wash his or her hands before they begin, and wear gloves to prevent the spread of infection.
Be sure all needles are removed from a sterile, single-use package, and all equipment is sterilized after each use.
Make sure you don't drink alcohol or take drugs (including aspirin) the night before or while getting a tattoo.
If you're sick, wait until you're healthy to get your tattoo, since you'll need energy to heal.
Follow the after-care instructions so your skin heals quickly and without any complications.
After you've had a tattoo, you can change your mind and have it removed by a doctor, but know that your skin most likely won't look like it did pre-tattoo. The procedure tends to require a series of visits, it's expensive, and often the tattoo can't be completely removed.

Do you have a tattoo? Did you have any complications? Tell me in the comments section below.

Source: Flickr User geishaboy500

5 Symptoms You Shouldn't Ignore

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:50:35 -0800

We don't always feel 100 percent all the time, and it's normal to feel a little nauseous, tired, or sniffly every once in a while. These are minor symptoms though, and usually go away on their own. But there are a few red flag signals our bodies flash to warn us of serious medical conditions, and they're symptoms you shouldn't pass off as nothing. WebMD spoke to the authors of Your Body's Red Light Warning Signals, and here are some symptoms that require a doctor's visit or emergency care.

Difficulty breathing. Tightness in the chest, wheezing, shallow breathing, or constantly coughing are all symptoms of asthma. If a person has these symptoms or full-on asthma attacks, and they're left untreated, the muscles used for breathing can get tired. That means the amount of oxygen getting into the lungs will decrease, while the levels of carbon dioxide increase. This has a drowsing effect on the brain, and the person may stop breathing, which could result in death.
Blood in your urine. When you go to the bathroom, you shouldn't see blood, and if you do, it could be a sign of kidney stones, bladder infections, or cancer of the kidney, urethra, or bladder. Even if you don't feel pain, call your doctor.

To see the other red flags keep reading