FitSugar

Oprah's Weight Loss Show

FitSugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 04:00:00 PST

I am not sure if any of you saw Oprah's show this week about weight loss, but it was inspiring - to say the least. Guests on the show had lost a significant amount of weight without the help of pills or surgery. One female guest (pictured here) even lost a whooping 530 pounds. The best part? She credited the Internet as being a major player in her decision to lose weight.

There were a few common threads behind all their unhealthy habits they shared before losing the weight, such as: drinking a lot of soda, binging late at night, sugar addictions, major lack of exercise, and eating way too much fast food.

Each person had their own reasons and methods for losing weight. However, again, I saw a few common threads in their methods, such as: cutting back on refined carbohydrates, cutting out junk food altogether, starting an exercise program, strength training, and eating five to six times per day.

Losing 10, 20 or even 50 pounds pales in comparison with the hundreds of pounds these folks lost. All you have to do is start with baby steps and before you know it you'll be jogging strides. If they can do it, so can you.

To see the full set of the before and after pictures from the show

View 13 Photos ›

Source

Naomi Campbell Feels Carbs Are a Treat

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:07:03 PST

With the birth of the Atkins diet, carbs immediately got a bad reputation. It seems like everyone I know has gone on a carb-free diet at least once in their lives to lose weight, and even Naomi Campbell is no stranger to forgoing carbs. In the March issue of Harper's Bazaar, the 41-year-old model admits that she's blessed with a high metabolism, but she also exercises and watches her diet. Naomi works hard to maintain her famous model figure and says, "For me, carbs are a treat now."

I can see ditching refined carbs - foods made with white flour, like bagels, cookies, cakes, and pasta - since they have very little nutritional value. But whole grain bread and cereals, whole wheat pasta, and whole grains like quinoa and barley are super nutritious. These complex carbs contain protein to sustain energy levels and filling fiber to curb hunger, both of which can help you lose weight. However, there is definitely some validity to cutting carbs and losing weight. A recent study showed that cutting carbs twice a week was more effective than eating a low-calorie diet, so I can see why some women may choose to limit their carb intake in the name of weight loss. How do you feel about carbs?

Source: Karim Sadli for Harper’s Bazaar

5 Ways to Get the Body's Metabolism Soaring

Michele Foley — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:40:25 PST

More than ever before, new research shows that what we eat to how we work out can actually speed up the body's metabolism - sometimes resulting in an extra 200 calories burned per day! At that rate, you can easily lose a few extra pounds per month, which is good news for those seeking a little help with weight loss. What's great is that these little tweaks require minimal effort and only add to a healthy lifestyle.

Britney Spears Does the School Run With Her Bare-Footed Sons

Allie Merriam — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:16:18 PST

Britney Spears picked up her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James from a class yesterday in LA. She had her hands full as she led the boys back to their SUV. Brit is in charge of looking after the little ones since their dad Kevin Federline is off on a job in Australia. Kevin Federline's out of the hospital after a health scare on Monday, when he was taken to the doctor's with chest pains. He apparently felt ill while filming a workout session with the Australian football team Greater Western Sydney Giants for the weight loss reality show Excess Baggage. He's currently down under and being looked after by his girlfriend Victoria Prince, who's also keeping an eye on their baby daughter Jordan Kay.

Britney, meanwhile, is planning for her upcoming wedding with fiancé Jason Trawick. The pair got engaged just before Christmas, and she was quick to show off her massive new Neil Lane band that features at least 90 small diamonds. Britney's marriage to Jason will be the beginning of a new chapter in her personal, and legal, life. Once they're legally wed, the conservatorship her father established for her welfare back in 2008 will finally end.

From the Community: New to Group Exercise Classes? 4 Helpful Tips From an Instructor

Fit Community — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:15:33 PST

No need to be nervous about taking your fitness class: FitSugar community member (and fitness instructor) livinginthin has some helpful tips to help you navigate your way through the workout.

Did you just join a gym? Good for you! Group fitness classes can be a fun and effective way to get into an exercise program, but venturing into that loud, crowded room for the first time can be pretty intimidating! As an instructor for the past ten years, I’ve seen many first timers take a class once and never come back. If you are just starting out, here are a few tips to ensure a successful experience in the group exercise studio (and keep you coming back for more):

Let me know it’s your first time: A good instructor should be available a few minutes before class (either in the hall or in the room), so please be sure to let us know it’s your first time. We may be able to give you some tips on how to get the most out of the day’s workout, tell you what equipment you’ll need, etc.

Stand in the middle of the room.: If you are new to class, I need to see you to watch your form, so please don’t hide in the back row. On the same token, don’t stand in the front row either - you’ll want to be able to follow some seasoned exercisers, and the front row usually consists of regulars who have been taking the class for years, and can be very helpful to visually follow when I am walking around the room to help students.

See more tips on taking your first fitness class after the break!

5 Reasons You Need More Sleep

Shape — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:14:00 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Whether you admit you need help nodding off or are still in denial about the major suitcases under your eyes, chances are you could use an intervention: a full two-thirds of Americans say they have trouble getting enough shut-eye at least once a week. That’s pretty harrowing, considering that sleep is absolutely essential for health and normal functioning. If you need a reason to hit the sack early read on. You’ll be surprised how much skipped sleep impacts your well-being.

You'll Live Longer
Chronic insomniacs are more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who sleep well, according to new research in the journal Circulation. Other studies have linked lack of sleep to a higher risk of dying from a stroke and developing breast cancer.

See even more benefits of sleep after the break!

Lose Weight and Get Fit With Your Phone

Health — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:14:36 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

A sleeker, stronger body could be just a tweet or a Facebook post away
By Jamie Beckman

One of the best tools for peeling off pounds is already in your bag: It's your smartphone or iPad. In fact, all that texting, tweeting, and posting - the average woman spends more than 80 minutes a day on her phone, according to a recent report from the mobile apps analytics firm Flurry - can tip the scales in your favor.

And one in three of us are already using social sites like Facebook to get slender, reports research from the University of Arizona. So go ahead and steal these suggestions from women who took their shape-up viral.

Tweet Your Way Thin
Nancy Tessier, 50, lost 28 pounds by posting all her meals and snacks to Tweet What You Eat (@twye), an online food journal that lets others eyeball your noshes. "Sometimes it was a lot easier to decide not to eat something than to have to tweet it for the world to see," she says.

Posting your weight-loss numbers can help, too. The University of Arizona research suggests that women who reveal shape-up victories on a weekly basis trim down faster than those who update less frequently. If you're feeling shy, think up a Twitter handle and upload a cartoon character as your avatar so you can share the skinny without feeling self-conscious.

Health.com: Diet Tricks the Pros Tell Their Friends

Gain a Following
Get some virtual support pronto by following Twitter hash tags like #fitblog. Carla Shorts, 27, started chiming in on #fitblog's weekly live chats - and dropped from a size 12 to a size 6 in just a year. "When my weight loss reached a plateau, having women point out that my 30-minute elliptical routine wasn't going to cut it anymore was key," she says. "I started running and began to lose again."

You can also start your own hashtag, like Sherry Pagoto, 38, from Massachusetts, did with #plankaday, a challenge to spend at least a minute in plank pose each day.

Find more ways your phone can help you lose weight after the break.

When It Comes to Weight Loss, Calories Count More Than Protein

Leta Shy — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:19:54 PST

There are tons of diets claiming that focusing on protein is the key to weight loss - either eating more or less of it can help you shed pounds fast. But a new study has found that weight loss may be less about how much protein you eat than how much you eat overall.

The study, released this week in JAMA, followed 25 participants closely for 10 to 12 weeks who all stayed in a hospital for monitoring. The volunteers were first fed a "weight-stabilizing diet" for up to four weeks, and then later fed a high-calorie diet about 1,000 calories over their previous meal plans. During the period they were overfed, the participants were split into three groups and put on either a low-protein, normal-protein, or high-protein diet.

Find out how much each group gained and why you shouldn't always focus on just protein intake after the break.

8 Small Ways to Lose Big Pounds in 2012

Prevention — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 04:06:22 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Quadruple your weight loss by making one easy tweak to your routine per week
By Alyssa Shaffer

If your goal is to lose weight and exercise more, forget the deprivation diet and marathon workouts. New research shows that taking baby steps - not giant leaps -is the best way to get lasting results. A study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that participants who made one small, potentially permanent change in their food choices and/or physical activity each week (such as drinking one fewer can of soda or walking five more minutes each day) lost more than twice as much belly fat, two and half more inches off their waistlines, and about four times more weight during a four-month program, compared with those who followed traditional calorie-restriction and physical-activity guidelines.

"When you focus on just a couple of small changes at a time, you begin to ingrain some healthy habits that last for a lifetime, rather than trying an all-or-nothing approach that more often than not fails because it's too hard to follow," says Lesley Lutes, PhD, an assistant professor in the department of psychology at East Carolina University. We've uncovered these simple steps (with proven results) to help you move more, eat less, and look and feel better than ever. Add just one or two a week to your regular routine and you can lose nearly three inches off your waistline and be about 10 pounds lighter come in a few months. Even better: Once these healthy habits become second nature, they'll benefit you for a lifetime.

1. Pick Up a Pen After Every Meal
Mindlessly munching on a bag of chips could result in easily polishing off the whole thing; write down how much you've eaten and you're more likely to practice portion control. Keeping a food log helps control extra calories in two ways: the combination of plain old reality check (I just ate 30 minutes ago!) and awareness that what you're putting in your mouth will soon be recorded for posterity. In a recent study, people who kept a food journal lost twice as much weight as those who didn't. When they combined it with a moderate diet and exercise plan, they lost an average of 13 pounds in 6 months. Journaling also gives you insight on your eating habits, says Lutes. Do you skip meals? Eat the same during the week as on the weekend? Binge when you're feeling stressed? "Knowing your routine helps you figure out what changes are right for you," she adds.

Avoid these 14 "health food" diet disasters.

2. Limit High-Fat Foods to One Per Week
Tag the high-fat/high-calorie foods that are typically your favorites (our top five: cookies, candy, ice cream, potato chips, and fries) and gradually downshift. "If you're eating six of these foods a week, try to go down to five," says Lutes. Each week, drop another until you're at no more than one or two; at the same time, add in a good-for-you choice like baby carrots, sautéed broccoli, oranges, and other fresh fruits and veggies.

Keep reading for more simple tip to help you lose big.

4 Weight Loss Lessons Learned From A&E's Heavy

OnSugar Blog — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:05:45 PDT

Here are four weight loss lessons that OnSugar blogger Coach Lark Says learned from the A&E series, Heavy.

What I like about the A&E show Heavy compared to The Biggest Loser is that it demonstrates clearly how challenging it is to achieve lasting weight loss. Under a 100-percent controlled diet and with full-time trainers for five to six hours a day on a strenuous exercise program, these people are losing one to two pounds a day.

Then, after a month, they go home to see if they can keep losing weight. They get a trainer at home and the council of a nutritionist. Frequently, they gain weight back during the period when they have to integrate the program back into their daily lives.

It’s a struggle, but all the episodes I’ve seen, ended with weight loss of 90-150 pounds after six months.

The take home message:

Find ways to bring accountability into your diet. Know how many calories you are consuming roughly and add them up each day. A food journal for a month or two can be very educational.
Know that a 300 lb. person exercising intensely for five to six hours a day can subsist healthily on 1,200-2,000 calories a day. When you eat this lightly, you only feel like you are starving. Your body will actually love it.
Work out hard to stoke your metabolism. By building strong muscles you get tons of energy, look great, and burn more calories - allowing you to consume more without weight gain.
No one’s body is perfect. We are all a bunch of beautiful weirdos. So get comfortable with your body and show it some love! It’s the only body you’ve got, after all. Might as well accept it.

Want to see more? Start following Coach Lark Says or start your own OnSugar blog. We'd love to post your inspiring stories and helpful advice here on FitSugar too!