FitSugar -- Healthy, happy you.

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

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,

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.