YumSugar

Belly Worship: Fit's Beautiful First Baby Bump

babysugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:00:57 -0700

FitSugar recently shared an amazing photo from her first pregnancy in our Belly Worship group and I was completely taken aback by it because I didn't know her at the time. Today Fit has two beautiful daughters and wins my vote as one of the most active, healthy, engaged and enthusiastic moms around. Seeing her bursting belly just makes me love her more. Fit shared:

Here is my enormous belly, two weeks before I gave birth to my first. My belly grew even bigger than this. I look at my 5-year-old and it seems like yesterday that I was preggo with her.

Could she be any cuter? You can share a picture of your baby bump in our Belly Worship group. For instructions on how to join and contribute, read more.

You can participate in our special celebration of all things belly by joining the Belly Worship Group and submitting pictures of your belly in a blog entry. Make sure to tag your entry "Belly Worship."

You can also join the Belly Worship Group and just upload a picture (make sure you tag it "Belly Worship" too!). If you are confused, check out our guide to posting a blog for pointers.

FitSugar's Workout-Friendly Beauty Secret

BellaSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:00:05 -0700

Estheticians often try to cajole me into getting my eyelashes tinted, but I'm often a lazy wuss. Funnily enough, this is also how I am when it comes to working out - so when FitSugar let me in on her beauty secret, I suddenly realized that eyelash tinting makes sense for a lot of busy women. Here's what Fit says:

As a fitness fanatic, the thing that regularly makes my mascara run faster than my legs is the simple act of sweating that accompanies cardio and swimming. While I admire Alice Cooper, I don’t really want to project that smeary look while working out, but I do like my eyes to be fringed with long, dark lashes. For me, the simplest solution is not waterproof mascara, but a monthly eyelash tint where I have blackest-black dye gently painted onto my lashes. It is not the most comfortable process; it stings a bit, and sitting still for 12 to 15 minutes can be a challenge for me. But I love stepping out of the pool or ocean knowing I have long lashes framing my eyes, even though they might be lost behind foggy goggles.

Fit is the mom of two adorable little girls, she works outside of the house, and she really is the most in-shape person I know. If anyone is busy, it's her - which is why I now get it. A little time in the beauty salon saves her a ton of hassle. Stay tuned for more Sugar Girl beauty know-how...

Yummy Links: From Cupcakes to Potato Chips

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:57:49 -0800

Want to make rootbeer cupcakes, banana lime cupcakes and cherry cupcakes all from the same recipe? I know I do. - A Muffin Story
Oh boy, more energy drinks! This time Coke and Pepsi are both joining the energy drink bandwagon. - FitSugar
I heart salmon. I heart panko. So how could I not heart this recipe for panko-crusted salmon? - Simply Recipes
Want to make reservations at a busy restaurant? Check out these booking tips. - DearSugar

A slightly different way to prepare a tender, tasty chicken curry. - What's For Lunch Honey?
Jealousy ensues, I want to spend the afternoon taste-testing eleven different potato chips, especially the island jerk and curry flavors. - Serious Eats

Live Chat in 30 Minutes @ Noon PST

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 11:25:00 -0800

Since the Oscars are over, how about we chat about something else (even though I'll never stop talking about how amazing Pilobolus was).

I thought you might want to talk about models and how thin they are, since last week was National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

We could also talk about cleaning your cans, sweating, your favorite sneakers, what reasons you have for not working out, or anything else that's on your mind.

Join me and other FitSugar readers in the chat room every Monday at noon PST - that's 3 pm for all you east coast folks.

You Asked: How Do I Get Him to Take Care of Himself?

DearSugar — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 17:00:00 -0800

DearSugar --

I have been dating my boyfriend for 4 years. We're best friends and we will probably get married. The problem is that he's about 100 pounds overweight; don't get me wrong, I love him a lot just as he is--I wouldn't be involved with him if he weren's smart and funny and wonderful--but his weight is troubling to me and him.

He complains about being fat constantly but he has no motivation to get rid of the weight. It effects our love life and the activities we do. I used to be extremely athletic when we met and now I'm 20 pounds overweight because I've adapted his lifestyle of eating ice cream at 3 a.m. and sitting around for a whole weekend...every weekend. He has an excuse for
everything in his life, so having an excuse not to exercise is no different.

The biggest problem is that he says his doctors say he's "fine" despite being 280 pounds because he's young. Add that to the fact that he can't be duped into eating smaller portions or enjoying regular exercises. The little tricks that people use on themselves to make them forget that they're dieting or exercising don't really work on him.

All of this has turned into arguments with me saying things that I regret 5 minutes later.
What can I do to make sure that he is comfortable with working to make himself healthy?
-- Worried Wanda

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Hello Everyone: I asked FitSugar if she would guest-answer our reader's question, as I felt she would be most qualified to help. The following advice comes from Fit and is very appreciated.

Dear Worried Wanda --

From my personal experience, pushing a partner, boyfriend, or husband about issues involving weight is not very beneficial. Like most change, folks need to decide for themselves that they want to get fit and to lose weight. It seems like people need a conversion moment, something that makes it really clear that changes in habits and lifestyle need to be made. It could be a cholesterol test, surviving a car accident, or reading You on a Diet. It is clear to me that the person needs to come to the decision to make changes on their own.

Now, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t start on your own life style change path. Maybe seeing you change will encourage, said boyfriend, husband, partner to change too.

Another idea is to start doing more physical activities together, like: daily walks, hikes or snow shoeing on the weekends, yoga (take a class or do a DVD), take salsa lessons. Basically just figure out other ways to hang out together that don’t involve watching TV or eating. Be creative and have fun.

Yummy Links: From Food TV to Doughnuts

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 15:07:58 -0800

Earlier I gave you the Red Carpet coverage for the Food Network Awards, but be sure to read this hysterical recap of the actual award ceremony. It sounds almost painful and look at how empty the seats are! - Side Salad
In honor of National Pig Day, be sure to check out this Pig heaven Honor Roll that lists the best pork dishes from coast to coast. - Serious Eats
Should restaurants indicate unhealthy menu choices? - FitSugar
You know you love doughnuts, don't fight it any longer. Just go read how to make doughnuts and get inspired to host your own doughnut party. - Eggbeater

Be sure to check out how the whole John Mackey vs. Michael Pollan event turned out. Sounds like a potential food fight turned love fest. I couldn't make it, but luckily the webcast is up now too. The Ethicurean
Where was this Wonder Pizza vending machine when I was going to college? - Tastespotting

Dear Poll: How Comfortable Are You in Your Own Skin?

DearSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:30:00 -0800

This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and our own FitSugar has been running an important series of posts throughout the week about this serious health crisis.

Even if we're fortunate enough to be healthy, many of us still struggle -- and mightily -- with body image and beauty issues.
Many of us spend a good deal of time worrying about our looks and comparing ourselves to other women, whether they're in magazines, on TV, or across the street.

Even if we appropriately esteem our minds and our hearts, our friendships and families, it can be trickier to feel as sure about our body, our behind or our face. Let me know how comfortable you are in your own skin.

Source

Live Chat in 30 Minutes!

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0800

Ahhh...Winter. You gotta love it. There's so much to do. Skiing, winter hiking, snowshoeing, snowboarding, ice skating, ice fishing - even sitting in front of a fire and watching the snow fall is fun.

I want to know - What's your favorite winter sport and why?

Maybe you're new to this whole winter sport thing and you need some pointers about getting started.

Then join me in the chat room in 30 minutes. We meet every Monday and Friday at 10:30 AM PST / 1:30 PM EST.

Let's talk Winter.

See you in a bit!

Make Way for Miso!

YumSugar — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 15:03:12 -0800

Turns out that a bowl of delicious miso soup may burn belly fat. Since this is great news and since it's still National Soup Month, I thought I'd pass on this great little recipe. You could always make miso soup with an instant packet (just add water), but a homemade version is going to be a little heartier and taste a lot better. Unfortunately you will need to find miso paste (try Whole Foods or some place like that), but if you can track it down, it'll be worth it. To check out a recipe for vegetable miso soup, read more

Vegetable Miso Soup
From The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

6 cups (1.5 L) Vegetable stock
6 cups (1.5 L) Water
1/2 cup (125 mL) Medium soybean miso
1 Pkg (12 oz/375 g) extra-firm tofu, cut in 1/4-inch (5 mm) cubes
2 cups (500 mL) Sliced mushrooms
1 Sheet nori (optional)
2 Carrots, sliced
3 cups (750 mL) Broccoli florets

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring vegetable stock and water to boil. Dissolve miso in 1/4 cup (50 mL) water; whisk miso mixture into pot.

Stir in cubed tofu and sliced mushrooms; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate in shallow airtight containers for up to 2 days. Reheat to continue with recipe.)

If using nori, cut sheet into 3- x 1/4-inch (8 cm x 5 mm) strips with scissors; add to stock mixture in pot.

Add sliced carrots and broccoli florets; cook for about 5 minutes or until broccoli is tender-crisp.

Nutritional Info:
Per serving: about 105 cal, 8 g pro, 4 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 11 g carb, 3 g fibre, 0 mg chol, 1,128 mg sodium. % RDI: 9% calcium, 12% iron, 48% vit A, 23% vit C, 14% folate.

Print recipe with images | without images

Fab Gift Guide: FitSugar

FabSugar — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 09:20:07 -0800

Health junkie (oxymoron?). Exercise guru. Yogi. Friend. Hard body. FitSugar is all these and more; here are a few of her favorite things. To see all of my gift guides, click here. To learn how to contribute you own fabulous finds to our Fab Gift Guide, click here.

Under $50

Airex Foam Pad, $39.95. You can never have enough yoga mats right?

Two more, so read more

$50-$100

Maridade iPod Bootleg Pant, $82, Fit adores these, check out her story on these cool workout pants.

Over $100

The Power Plate, $9,250, is the latest fad in celebrity workouts. The theory is that it vibrates at super high speeds and you have to flex all your muscles to hold on for dear life. Did I mention Fit has expensive taste?!