Blog Posts by FITNESS Magazine

By Marianne Magno

Thinking of giving the gift of fitness this year to your aspiring gym buddy? Here are some weird, tacky gifts you'll want to cross off your shopping list immediately.

Related: The Complete 2011 FITNESS Gift Guide

Ditch the suit, your friend will thank you.
Sauna Suit

There's nothing like showing your appreciation to your loved one by telling her you think she needs to sweat more while looking like a space cadet. We'd rather get a day pass to a spa. ($12.99, Amazon.com)

Related: Don't Sweat It: Deodorants That Work

The only belt we want is a trendy faux snakeskin one.
Waist Trimmer Belt

If you wouldn't want to give (or receive) a girdle as a present, then you should cross this waist-slimming belt off your shopping list. We think belly dancing and Pilates are more fun ways to work your abs, anyway. ($12.99, Amazon.com)

Fun fact: This thing isn't even battery operated! Talk about misleading.
Shake Weight

We still can't sit through a commercial for this free weight without feeling like we're watching something inappropriate. Avoid getting strange looks at the holiday party and give a spiffy set of dumbbells or kettlebells instead.

Don't let this holiday stress you or your waistline out.
By Colleen Moody

'Tis the season to eat, drink, and try not to gain any weight. The constant carousel of cocktail parties, gift swapping, and eggnog drinking can be a great time to catch up with friends and family, but it's hard not to stress over all those calories you're popping in your mouth. To help you beat your body blues this holiday season, we tapped our experts for tips to help you keep your cool through the New Year.

Related:Your Everyday Guide to Eat, Drink, and Still Shrink

1. Party Season Survival Tips
Cheesy dips, pigs in a blanket, bacon-wrapped scallops. We could go on for days torturing you with the most popular holiday finger foods. "Just remember that fried is basically synonymous with calories," warns Lisa Young, PhD, RD, professor of nutrition at NYU. In an appetizer crisis, steer clear of anything deep fried and crispy and instead choose something in a sauce that you can scrape off.

Related: The 10 Worst Holiday Party Foods to Eat
The more crunch, the better!

2. Cruise Over to the

Drop that cupcake!By Meghan Rabbitt
With diet traps lurking around every dinner table and pantry shelf, it's easy to overeat. Here's how to navigate the danger zones without gaining a pound.

Related: More Tricks to Outsmart Your Appetite

Diet Trap: Eating Slowly

Mom's been telling you for years to stop shoveling in your food, and you know that this bad habit makes you consume more calories. But eating too slowly can also backfire. Research shows that the longer a meal lasts, the likelier we are to reach for a third glass of wine or dinner roll. "Just sitting at the table means a greater chance of nibbling on something, even if you're not hungry," says Sasha Loring, a psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher at Duke Integrative Medicine.

Sidestep It: A meal should last 45 minutes: long enough for you to enjoy it, but not so much that you'll overeat. Make a 45-minute playlist, and get up after the last song.

Related: 15 Ways to Start Eating Healthier

Diet Trap: Too Many Choices

Ever

By Karen Ansel, RD
You try to eat right, but the number on the scale keeps creeping up. Sound familiar? According to a survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation, we eat a lot more than we should. Of 1,000 Americans polled -- about half of them women -- 43 percent couldn't even guess how many calories they should consume in a day.

"So many women are eating on the run," says Barbara J. Rolls, PhD, a professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University and author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan. We're not paying attention to supersized portions in restaurants, and we have no idea of the calories when we don't make the food ourselves.

The happy news is that your diet doesn't require a complete overhaul. Our advice: Instead of counting foods out, just start counting -- first by calculating how many calories you need, then by indulging in the dishes mentioned in this story. And remember, the more you exercise, the more you can eat! Read on for more indispensable

By Jeanette Moninger

There isn't a lot your body can hide in one of those crinkly numbers. Maybe that's why so many women refuse to reveal much else at doctor visits. About a third of men and women in the United States admit to lying to their M.D.'s, according to a 2010 survey. But keeping secrets can be dangerous, especially if the information you're withholding leads to a wrong diagnosis. Besides, "a doctor's job is to advocate for your health, not judge," say Gary Fischer, M.D., a general internist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Here's why it's time to tell the whole truth -- and nothing but.

Related: 9 Medical Tests Every Woman Needs

a cigarette
"I never smoke."

The real deal: Jean Thilmany has been lighting up a couple of times a month for the past 20 years. But because the 42-year-old Saint Paul resident doesn't consider herself a smoker, she never mentions it to her doctor. "I don't smoke often enough for it to affect my health," she says. Actually, if you puff even the

Keep one eye open for these warning signs to avoid a sleeping condition.By Christie Griffin
There are so many things that can sabotage the quality of your sleep, it's tough to keep track: the food and drinks you consume, the time of day you exercise, the amount you work in your bedroom, your TV and computer habits before bed, the temperature of your room, allergens and dust, and so on. Throw in some stress, anxiety, and your desire to "do it all," and getting a good night's sleep can be quite the challenge for a woman.

But none of those factors are necessarily why some women wake up constantly throughout the night and then spend their days severely exhausted. The culprit could be sleep apnea, a disorder in which you stop breathing multiple times throughout the night -- and your body in turn panics and wakes you up. (But, like, 50 times a night.) It's a health problem that goes undiagnosed 90 percent (!) of the time.

"It can be hard to admit you might have sleep apnea, but it can be a serious problem," says Olivia Ward, recent FITNESS cover girl, winner

Run off that turkey!By the editors of FITNESS Magazine
Food for thought: The average Thanksgiving dinner contains 3,000 calories. Work up an appetite and start a healthy new holiday tradition this year with one of the many Turkey Trots happening all over the country. Find one near you here!

Related: 15 Best Marathons for First Timers to Run

Dana Point Turkey Trot: Dana Point, California
Last year over 10,000 runners did this scenic coastal run.
• Sign up at www.turkeytrot.com

Sacramento Food Bank Run to Feed the Hungry: Sacramento, California
It's the largest Thanksgiving Day race in the nation; with over 20,000 participants.
• Sign up at www.runtofeedthehungry.com

Related: 5 Ab Exercises for a Faster Run

Turkey Trot: 6 Tunnels to Hoover Dam: Boulder City, Nevada
This course, about 20 miles from Las Vegas, runs through several tunnels in each direction.
• Sign up at www.mountainmanevents.com

Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot: Springfield, Missouri
Bring canned food -- past years runners have donated

Make over your motivation this winter!By Jan Sheehan
Ever start a diet or workout routine with the enthusiasm of a late-night infomercial host only to have your motivation disappear in no time flat like a canceled sitcom? You're not alone. Research shows that a quarter of weight-loss plans fall by the wayside within two weeks. On the other hand, stick it out for a month and your odds of success skyrocket. "Doing something for 30 days ingrains and strengthens the brain's neural pathways, so you're likely to keep that behavior going on autopilot," says Lawrence Perlmuter, PhD, a professor of psychology at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago.

Use our four-week bail-proof guide to survive the first crucial month of a healthy-lifestyle makeover without losing your thin-spiration.

Related: You Can Do It! The Get Your Best Body Ever Plan

Get a head start!Week 1: Stick-with-It Strategies

1. Start small. Aim to make one tweak a day: Add a new fruit to breakfast, skip your before-dinner cocktail, take a walk after