YumSugar

Kara DioGuardi Covers Women's Health

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:30:52 -0700

Since suffering from an eating disorder in her 20s, Kara DioGuardi has come a long way. With Paula Abdul gone, she is the current Queen Bee on American Idol; she also has an accomplished career as a songwriter and music producer. And at 38, she looks damn good - something she shared with the world during the series finale of American Idol last year. Kara stripped down to a black bikini to battle it out with a contestant known as "Bikini Girl," a move that she tells Women's Health this month defined her: "It probably saved my job. It was a defining moment. Like, 'She's serious and industry, but also as kooky as everyone else on this panel.' "

Here are more highlights from the interview.

Battling an eating disorder. "I’d pretty much clean out the refrigerator. Food was my drug of choice. It anesthetized me so I wouldn’t have to feel whatever I was feeling. I’d stuff myself full of sugar and fall asleep."
On eating healthy. "The more roughage you eat, the more it fills you up."
On the importance of water. "Two huge bottles a day, minimum. I have them around - one upstairs, one in the car - to force me to remember."
Her exercise routine. "Two miles of running or 25 minutes of cardio - boxing, treadmill, step-ups, walking lunges, sprints. I mix it up. And weight training is important as you get older. You build muscle which burns fat when you’re at rest."

To see the rest of the interview, pick up a copy of Women's Health, on newsstands tomorrow.

Photo courtesy of Fox

Rachael Ray Slims Down

FitSugar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:00:19 -0800

With all the burgers, beers, and EVOO Rachael Ray downs, I've always wondered how she stays so fit - I'm sure constantly being on the go helps. Just this week, Rachael was in Miami hosting her Burger Bash as part of the Food Network's annual South Beach Wine and Food Festival (SBWFF). And while I wasn't as lucky as Yum to sample the fare, I did get to read all about Rachael's exercise secrets in People. That's a worthy replacement, right?

While at the SBWFF, Rachael shared she went into serious exercise mode after having a cyst removed from her throat last year. Post surgery, she started running 3.5 miles every day: "The gym used to be my adversary. But that has all changed. Now, I look forward to it every morning." And when she talks morning, she's not kidding! To allow for gym time before heading to the TV studio to film her talk show, Rachael is usually up before 6 a.m. and raring to go. She runs for 30 minutes before heading to the gym for an hour-long workout on the elliptical. I'd say the gal loves her cardio!

How much weight has she dropped? Learn the details when you read more.

She can't tell you for sure how much weight she's lost - Rachael doesn't count calories or weigh herself - but there's definite progress. She says that her body has changed, her mind is clearer, and she's dropped several dress sizes. She doesn't slack off either. Even while letting the good times roll at the SBWFF, Rachael made a point to work out at a local Miami gym.

Hitting the local gym is a great tip to have when traveling yourself - I also pack workout DVDs and a resistance band before hopping on a plane.

Hannah Teter Goes Off the Grid

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:00:06 -0800

One thing that may have catapulted snowboarder Hannah Teter onto the Olympic podium for the second time in her career is her diet. Hannah - who scored a silver in the women's halfpipe - tells People that she credits turning vegetarian for making her a better athlete: "I started that [a vegetarian diet] last year and feel stronger mentally and physically, and springier."

Even though Teter has given up meat, she still gets plenty of protein. For breakfast, the snowboarding star has a power smoothie; dinner is often a veggie stir-fry with a side of quinoa. Quinoa is a great replacement for white rice and a staple among many vegetarians I know because it's exploding with protein and fiber. Though not a raw foodie, Hannah does admit to not cooking her food too long,"because you lose what's good in the food."

Besides a responsible diet, Hannah is also doing her part to live eco-consciously. And while I do my best to recycle, reuse, and reclaim, Hannah's taking it a step further by moving into a yurt on a parent's property in Vermont. (A yurt is sort of like a tent, except stronger and more weatherproof. It's portable and doesn't rely on a ton of materials for its construction.) Living green is not foreign to Hannah - her dad produces maple syrup on the family's property, and her mother keeps a huge garden and also tends fruit trees. If all goes as planned, Hannah hopes to be living off the grid by relying only on solar and wind power.

The Transformation of Kelly Osbourne

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:22:15 -0800

I have to admit that I've never been a fan of Kelly Osbourne, but after reading her interview in the latest issue of Us Weekly, I'm a convert. The singer talks in detail about the hard work she went through to transform herself from a size 14 to a size two. I love that Kelly did it in a totally manageable and healthy way, and has such a kick-ass attitude about everything she's been through. Focusing on a healthy diet and exercise plan, the 5-foot-2 star lost an amazing 42 pounds. Most importantly, she has let go of the shame she's carried for years because of her weight. Check out the highlights below.

How Dancing With the Stars changed her life. "He [DWTS partner Louis van Amstel] made me work out, practice six times a day and get fit. I fought him the whole time, but at the end of the show I realized he was right. It worked."
On working out. "After DWTS ended I followed the Bar Method and now I do that three times a week at least. Not every day. I don't have that kind of dedication. Working out sucks. You sweat and you stick, but then you're done - and then you see that just taking an hour three times a week can change you so much. It becomes addictive."

To find out what Kelly's eating and how her self-esteem has changed, read more.

On eating well. "You don't have to count calories. Just make sure what you're eating is good food. You can eat as much good food as you want if you're careful. I try to have no carbohydrates unless they're natural, such as apples. No bread, no pasta and real sugar . . . what that does to you is incredible. I lost five pounds in one week just by eliminating starchy carbs and soda."
Why dieting doesn't work. "If you want to lose weight for good, you need to make a commitment to a life change. You have to say, 'I'm just not going to eat that anymore. I'm going to change my bad habits.' Otherwise, you'll spend the rest of your life yo-yoing and you'll be miserable. By no means is it easy. Getting in shape is one of the hardest things I've ever done."
On loving who she sees today. "When I look in the mirror now, it's really different. For the first time, I look at myself and I'm really proud to not hate every single thing that I see. What has made this process so healthy and interesting to me is that it's been a whole transformation. It's like this feeling disappeared that I had carried around with me for so long."

To hear more about Kelly's amazing transformation, pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, which hits newsstands today.

AnnaLynne McCord Is Bikini Ready

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:00:23 -0800

AnnaLynne McCord looks like she's ready to hit the beach in Shape's March issue. In the magazine, the 22-year-old 90210 starlet shares with readers her eating and exercising tips. AnnaLynne's advice is really easy to follow and even leaves a little room for indulgence. Her vice? Taco Bell Mexican pizzas. Given her svelte body, the pizzas don't look like they're doing much harm - must be her three-hour hikes through Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles. Here are some of the highlights:

Don't always clean your plate. AnnaLynne has learned to finish eating when she's full, even if there's still food on her plate. It's a technique she learned from her mother, who lost 45 pounds following The Weigh Down Diet. "The author studied the habits of thin people and discovered that when they're done eating, they wrap up their leftovers instead of just finishing whatever they were served."
Make a fitness date with a friend. "With my unpredictable work hours, I rarely have time to exercise and have fun, so my idea of a good workout is to mix them both. I love being outdoors, playing beach tennis, going for runs in the sand, or doing a three-hour hike with my best girlfriend, Mieko."

To see more of AnnaLynne's tips, read more.

Start cooking. Because of her schedule, AnnaLynne doesn't get to cook as much as she wants but takes every opportunity that she can get. Cooking at home is the one way you know you're getting a healthy meal. A dish that Annalynne loves to cook is citrus marinated herb-chicken with spinach and fettuccine."I love this meal because it's simple and ready in 30 minutes."
You don't need to spend money to look good. "When I first moved to L.A., I didn't have a lot of money to join a gym or take classes, so I improvised. My sister and I went to the library and looked over their DVD collection and discovered Neena and Veena, these Egyptian twins who have a whole series of belly dancing routines. We did them all. When you're shaking your booty," she says, "you can't help but feel beautiful and sexy."

Weigh In: How Do I Stick to a Healthy Diet?

Fit Community — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 03:00:29 -0800

A FitSugar reader needs your help. She's got a case of the Winter blues and is falling off the healthy diet wagon. Can you offer her any advice on how to get back on?

Dear Fit,
I'd like to know what other readers do when they're in a funk, food-wise. After the holidays, I got in shape for a trip I took, but since then I've been eating more crap and feeling a little sorry for myself. I'm also feeling blah because of the Winter weather. I know that when it comes down to it I can be healthier but I'm just not feeling it right now.

What does everyone do when they need motivation to eat better? I have been keeping up with my exercise pretty well, which is probably why my clothes don't feel too tight, but I don't feel like I am on my game.
- A Case of the Winter Blues

Are you also thinking about your health goals for the new year or need advice about your goals from fellow readers? Join our Get Fit For 2010 community group and write a blog post about it. By participating, you'll be entered into the drawing for our weekly giveaway of a $100 Nike gift card as well as an awesome grand prize. If you want to keep your post anonymous from other readers, private message me here instead.

How Kelly Osbourne Boosts Her Metabolism

FitSugar — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:00:56 -0800

The proof is in the pudding or, in this case, the tango. Kelly Osbourne is in the best shape of her life, thanks in large part to all that booty shakin' she did on Dancing With the Stars. Kelly - who placed third - lost an amazing 25 pounds while on DWTS. Since the show, it looks like Kelly has lost even more weight, even showing up on the runway at Fashion Week.

Besides sticking to a healthy diet and keeping up with the tango, Kelly has some tricks up her sleeve to keep off the weight. The star recently told Life & Style Weekly that one of her diet tips is to eat before bed.

"I've completely changed the way I eat since doing Dancing With the Stars. A trick I've learned is to eat just a little bit of something that has no carbs and no sugar in it before you go to sleep because it keeps your metabolism going. They say you should never eat before you go to bed, but I've found just having a tiny little snack - like half an apple or something like that - before you go to sleep really helps."

Kelly is onto something too. First, that whole "no eating after 7 p.m." is bad advice because there is no magic cutoff time when it comes to eating. That little piece of apple Kelly is snacking on may be helping too. Eating smaller portions more often can stimulate your metabolism to work faster and also fuel your muscles, say the experts over at eDiets. Whenever you eat, your metabolism is put into motion - smaller but more frequent meals each day means that your metabolism is constantly going. Wait too long to eat, and your body feels starved and, as a result, will store fat, which causes your metabolism to slow down.

You Asked: Is the HCG Diet Healthy?

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 07:00:21 -0800

Hi Fit!
A co-worker is doing the hCG diet, which is a 500-calorie a day diet. You give yourself some kind of shot every day, and are supposed to lose one to two pounds each day. It sounds incredibly unhealthy, but I was wondering if you'd heard of this, and what info you could give me on it. Thanks!
-Katy

I have heard of the hCG diet, and you're right to be a little skeptical about eating a diet so low in calories, and losing seven or more pounds in a week. To learn more about this diet keep reading

The Healthiest Diets in America

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:00:02 -0800

I know many of you are trying to lose weight for our Get Fit For 2010 challenge. It's not always easy to change eating habits, which is why for some, the structure of following a formal diet works well. The problem is that many diets are unhealthy, unsafe, and ultimately don't keep the weight off. If you are struggling to find a plan to help you, Health - along with a group of doctors, dietitians, and nutritionists - came up with a list of their picks for America's healthiest diets. The panel judged the pool of 60 diets by looking at their ability to give total body healthiness, real results, motivation, and reasonably achievable exercises.

Volumetrics. The idea behind Volumetrics is to eat healthy but feel full. "Low-density foods like fruits and vegetables, as well as soups and stews, fill you up without overloading you with calories." This way you never feel like you're starving yourself. Volumetrics made the list because it’s “based on sound nutrition principles and overall healthy food choices.” We like it too because it's full of low-calorie and lower-fat food and lots of vegetables and fruits.

To see what other diets made the list, read more.

The Best Life. I don't have to tell you who Bob Greene is, Oprah already did that. His diet is a complete makeover, "which offers a sane, healthy approach to overall lifestyle changes." It's full of recipes, attainable goals, and small steps that lead you to a bigger reward. The three components of the diet offer a "strategy that leads to slimming, nutritional eating, and increased physical activity."
The Sonoma Diet. I've got big love for the Mediterranean diet, which is what the Sonoma Diet is based around: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, fish, and nuts. The Sonoma Diet helps dieters quit processed foods for "active weight loss and maintenance." The Sonoma Diet is more about food and less about exercise, though: "This diet teaches you to eat slowly and savor your meals."
The Step Diet. This diet wants you to get up and move - specifically, 10,000 steps each day. The book comes with a pedometer and gives dieters realistic ways to move more, like "parking farther away, taking the stairs." As far as food, the message is simple: "Cut food intake to 75 percent of what you currently eat."
The EatingWell Diet. A newer diet, EatingWell looks at the science behind food and tries to change eating habits through behavioral changes like, "finding and facing eating triggers, eating and shopping mindfully, and cultivating regular, joyful exercise habits." It also encourages steady weight loss - about a pound a week.

Check out Health to see the five other diets that made the cut.

Healthy App: Lose It

FitSugar — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:00:49 -0800

Have you started keeping a food journal yet for this week's Get Fit For 2010 weekly challenge? We've got a cool food journal that you can print out, but if you're a tech geek like me you might be scratching your head at the idea of putting pen to paper. Try Lose It instead - a free iPhone app that helps users manage their weight by tracking their calorie intake.

To start, you enter in your current weight, age, height, gender, goal weight, and how many pounds you want to lose each week to reach your goal (up to two pounds). Based on this information, Lose It creates a weight loss plan for you. For example: a 146-pound, 5-foot-2, 30-year-old woman wants to drop down to 130 lbs. by losing one pound each week. If she starts today, Lose It estimates that she can reach her goal by May 17, 2010, with a daily calorie budget of 1,439.

To see how easy it is to use, read more.

From here, all you have to do is enter in what you eat throughout the day and Lose It pretty much does the rest. The app has a huge database of fresh, store-bought, and restaurant foods, and records the calories of the food items you've eaten into a daily journal for you. Calories eaten are subtracted from your daily calorie budget, giving you a running tab of how many calories you have left in the day. What's cool is that you can also input physical activity - any calories you burn will be subtracted from calories you consume, leaving you with an accurate reflection of your calorie intake for the day.

Although it's a daily food journal, you have the option to look at your goals over the course of the week too. This graph is really helpful because it gives you a visual representation of days when you might have gone over or under your balance. If you forget to log in any food or exercise, don't worry. It's really easy to add in items you might have forgotten from previous days. Also, if there are any foods or exercises that are not in the Lose It database, you can input the information into your account so it is reflected into your calorie counts.

I love how straightforward and simple the app is - it's a great option if you don't always have a paper food journal or you live on your iPhone. The only drawback is that it doesn't focus on overall healthiness. When it boils down to it, Lose It is a calorie counter. You can enter an unrealistic weight goal into the menu and no alarms go off, or if all your calories are from fat, you won't get any stern warnings either. There is, at least, a daily nutritional breakdown of your day, which helps you become more aware of what amounts of fat, protein, fiber, etc. you are taking in. Despite this flaw, I think Lose It is a great tool for someone looking for a food journal or a calorie counter tool.

View 3 Photos ›