Blog Posts by SHAPE magazine

Moving in with your significant other? Follow these tips for a smooth move-in process. The idea of wrapping your dishes in newspaper and watching your living room drown in a sea of bubble wrap has never been more exciting. You and your man finally took the plunge, signed on the dotted line, and picked up two sets of keys. After ages of trying to squeeze your entire wardrobe into one tiny drawer at his pad, the time has come to merge your most prized possessions into a new place. While it's doubtful your grandmother's china will coordinate with his college beer mug collection, here are five tips to get through the adjustment period and make it "home sweet home."

1) Moving in with Your Boyfriend? Start from Scratch
To maintain a healthy relationship and avoid a turf war, move into a place that's new to both of you. This way you can start fresh as happy homemakers, instead of forcing him to throw out his old CD collection to make room for your shoes. Obviously Manolos trump Metallica, but he will beg to differ.

RELATED: Is He "The One" For You?

Is it ever safe to lose more than 10 pounds per week?Slow and steady often wins the weight-loss race, but is it ever okay to lose a large amount of weight in a short period of time? What about when you have a big event coming up, like a wedding or a reunion? We wanted to know if it's ever advisable (and safe) to lose 10 or more pounds in a week, so we went to our Diet Doctor, Mike Roussell, phD, to get his take. Here's what he had to say:

When it comes to weight loss and safety, the difference between safe and unsafe doesn't have to do with how much you lose but how you lose it. Losing 1-2 pounds per week is often cited as a safe amount, but little safety data exists to support that number. What makes 3-4 pounds unsafe? Only the way in which you lose it.

RELATED: 11 Ways to Rev Up Your Metabolism

If you drink nothing but lemon juice and maple syrup with a dash of cayenne pepper for a week and lose 10 pounds, I would consider that unsafe weight loss. On the other hand, if you complete three intense, metabolic

Think these foods are healthy? Think again!These foods may have a healthy reputation, but don't let that fool you! Here are six you should stay clear of, and what to eat instead:

1. Agave nectar:

Find it: Long touted as an "all natural" and healthy alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners, it turns out the agave nectar sold in stores, including "blue," "natural," and "organic" varieties, has more fructose than even high-fructose corn syrup and is far more processed than plain table sugar.

Fix it: Training your palate to crave less sweetness would be ideal, but in a world of frosted cupcakes and ketchup sometimes it makes more sense just to try to stick to the least processed sweeteners you can find such as raw, local honey, real maple syrup, dates, and even plain white sugar.

RELATED: 20 Foods That Can Slow Down Your Workout

2. Microwave popcorn:

Find it: Popcorn is a whole grain that is as delicious as it is fun to eat, but the microwave varieties-even those labelled as "healthy"-are a causing a stir among

Don't forget to stretch!Whether you're working out or not, you can still reap the benefits of stretching! We went to some of our favorite health and fitness experts to outline six benefits of active stretching:

1. Stretching leads to good posture, better blood flow, and more confidence: It's easy to forget to stretch. It's often overlooked because the results are not as visible as lifting weights and squatting-or so you thought. Stretching can lead to better posture, fewer aches and pains, greater confidence, and a cheerier outlook on life.

"That's because stretching increases your blood flow and circulation for a healthier body and sends oxygen to your brain for a clearer mind and sunnier moods," says Peggy Hall, wellness expert.

RELATED: Fitness Bloggers Reveal: "What's in My Gym Bag"

2. It's great for glutes: When we're at work, we do a lot of sitting, but did you know sitting is tough on your body, especially on your glutes? Sandra Hahamian, certified personal trainer, says that when you're sitting, the

Trainers reveal their No. 1 go-to piece of workout equipment. If you could only use one piece of workout equipment for the rest of your life, what would it be? We wanted to know, so we went to some of our favorite fitness trainers to see what their No. 1 go-to workout tool is. Here's what they had to say:

1. Kettlebells: "Kettlebells are so versatile and portable. Right now, my family and I are traveling to every state and I've made a goal to do a different kettebell workout in each one!" - Jenn Nims of Girl Heroes





RELATED: Fitness Bloggers Reveal: "My Gym-Bag Essentials"



Jeni S2. Tabata timer: My favorite piece of equipment is my tabata timer that plays through my iPod so I can play my sweet mixes and my class can hear the beep over the music. Awesome." - Jeni Svestka














fit knit chick3. Pull-Up Band: My new pull-up band! I've got several female clients using it to master an unassisted pull-up. And it's helping me in my quest for one too!" - Tamara Grand of Fit Knit Chick













Kristen S4. Bosu ball: "I love the BOSU ball! Burpies using it are my all time favorite! " - Kristen

By Charlotte Andersen

If you're tired of spending a fortune on workout clothes just to look like everyone else, try these seven little-known hot spots:

E-bay and Craigslist offer some surprisingly good choices. 1. E-bay and Craigslist: When nothing but the super expensive stuff will do (and hey, I'm not judging! I once had to have a running skirt that cost more than a week's worth of groceries), go to Ebay.com and Craigslist.org first. Often you can find Lucy, Lululemon, Nike, and Athleta stuff brand new with the tags still on for less than half of what you'd pay at the store. Even the "slightly used" items are usually in very good condition.






RELATED: 10 Cozy Knits We Want Now!


Athleta2. Athleta clearance sales: I get so excited every time the Athleta catalog shows up at my house. Unfortunately their stuff, while excellent quality, is usually out of my price range. But keep an eye on their clearance and you can find some great deals.












Dancewear solutions3. Dancewear solutions: Want something fun and unique that no one else in your gym will be wearing? Dancewear

If you're looking to ease into a raw food lifestyle, but don't know where to start, look no further! We've provided three delicious and nutritious recipes (they taste as good as they look!) that are also easy to make so that you can transition slowly into this healthy lifestyle.

Green giant cilantro pesto1. Green giant cilantro pesto: This stuff is good with everything! If there was ever a condiment that really gets me fired up, it's this one. Green Giant Cilantro Pesto wakes up just about anything you can throw at it, and breathes new life into those dishes you've made a million times. Invite the green giant over for a bite!

Ingredients: 4 bunches fresh cilantro
1 peeled medium sweet onion
Juice of 3 lemons
¼ cup toasted pine nuts (optional)
¼ tsp. ground chipotle pepper (or cayenne)
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. agave nectar or honey
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Trim ends off cilantro bunches and place them in a large bowl of fresh water, dunking them several times. Drain water and repeat once more to

Is he Mr. Right or just Mr. Right Now?He may leave his dirty socks on the floor, but at least he opens the door for you. When it comes to relationships, you take the good with the bad. But when you're dating a guy you think just might be Mr. Right, how do you determine if he's really the one you're destined to spend the rest of your life with?

We went to the experts to find out how to tell if a guy truly is Mr. Right-or just Mr. Right Now. Here are five tests your soulmate must pass.

1. The Chivalry Test: Patti Stanger, Millionaire Matchmaker, author, and Bravo TV star, says chivalry is not dead-at least not when it comes to the 'good' ones. "Things like opening the car door or immediately giving you your portion of food when you're splitting a dish at a restaurant-these are all important signs to look for to know if he'll ultimately treat you right," Stanger says.

RELATED: 5 Questions NOT to Ask on a First Date

And in this case especially, actions speak louder than words. "Words are often used as a substitute for