Blog Posts by FitSugar

Source: How to Enjoy Carbs and Still Lose Weight

If you're a carb queen, losing weight on a bread-, pasta-, and muffin-free diet is just not happening. Have no fear - going carbohydrate-free isn't the only way to lose weight. Follow these eating tips that allow you to enjoy your favorite carbs and still drop pounds.

• Timing matters: Studies show that it's better to eat more calories at your midday meal than at dinner, so enjoy your carbs then. Go for a bowl of pasta salad, a sandwich made with whole wheat bread, or rice and beans, and you can even follow it with an oatmeal cookie. Then at dinner make your plate mostly about protein and veggies with a small serving of carbs.
• Choose wisely: The right carbs are nutrition powerhouses, so be sure to eat complex carbs that are as close to nature as possible. Munch on fiber-full whole grains like oats, barley, and quinoa, and go for pasta and bread made with whole grain flour. Limit the refined carbs like white bread, bagels,

Source: 8 Ways to Boost Your Immunity and Prevent Bugs

If it feels like you're constantly battling a cold, a weakened immune system might be to blame. Making a few changes to your lifestyle can help strengthen your body's ability to fight back against pesky germs and keep you feeling healthy.

• Drink green tea: Green tea can help you lose weight and de-stress, but it has also been linked to preventing the flu. In a study, Japanese children who drank green tea six times a week were less likely to catch a bug than their peers.
• Work out consistently: According to the American College of Sports Medicine, people who exercise on a regular basis report fewer colds than their inactive peers. Studies have shown a 25 to 50 percent decrease in sick time for people who take part in moderate exercise for at least 45 minutes most days of the week.
• Promote positivity: When you're feeling down and negative, you might be doing more harm to your body than you realize. Keeping

POPSUGAR FitnessSource: Pre-Workout Mistakes to Avoid

It takes a lot of effort to carve out time for a sweat session, so don't sabotage it by making these poor choices right before you exercise. Find out which mistakes make it harder for you to get in a good workout and which can cause an injury that sidelines you from hitting the gym at all.

• Working Out on Empty: If you work out first thing in the morning, then it's important to eat a little something to fuel your workout, or else you'll end up burning the muscle you're working so hard to build. Here are some light pre-workout snack ideas.
• Fueling Up With Fiber: Apples and peanut butter may be a healthy snack, but the high fiber content can cause digestive issues such as gas pains or the need to run to the ladies' room mid-workout. Choose snacks like these that are focused on protein and carbs instead to offer you energy without the tummy troubles.
• Gulping Down an Energy Drink: Caffeine can give your workout a boost, but energy drinks are also

Source: A Handful of Reasons to Exercise in the Afternoon

You're not a morning person - you barely have enough energy to brush your teeth let alone muster up the pep it takes to hit the gym. No problem. There are plenty of other opportunities during the day to work out, and here are five reasons to make it happen at noon.

• Everyone else is doing it: If procrastination is your middle name, it's easy to say you're going to work out, but then find a million reasons to put it off until it's 6 p.m. when you're too starved to even think about exercise. Around lunch is a popular time to sweat it out - you'll probably even notice a few of your co-workers slipping out of the office and heading out with gym bag in hand. Getting inspired by joining the pack at the same time every day is one way to make sure you don't skip out on your workout, and once you do it for a few weeks, it'll become a habit.
• Reduced risk of injury: Since your body has been awake for several hours, it's had

Source: A Lot of Weight to Lose? Tips to Keep You Going

Whether you recently had a baby or the scale has slowly been creeping up over the years, when you have 50, 100, or more pounds to lose, the task can seem so daunting that you're tempted to give up before you even try. Here are some things to keep in mind to help you stay motivated on your big weight-loss journey.

• Keep in mind results won't happen overnight: When you're watching your calorie intake and exercising regularly, it's safe to lose about two pounds a week. That may not seem like much, but over time, those little bits of weight loss will add up. You didn't gain all that weight overnight, so don't expect to lose it that quickly either.
• Set small, realistic goals and then celebrate them: Sure, your ultimate goal might be to fit into the jeans you wore in college, but in order to stay motivated, you need to set mini goals along your weight loss journey. Every Sunday night decide what your goal will be - to

Source: Timing Is Everything: When to Eat to Lose Weight

When trying to slim down, we're bombarded with what foods to eat and how much, but it's not the only thing you need to think about. Timing is important, too. If you've had issues slimming down, check out the info below to see when to eat each meal and snack to optimize your weight-loss results.

Breakfast: Don't skip breakfast, and be sure to eat your morning meal within an hour of waking to jump-start your metabolism, consuming 25 percent of your daily calories. Example: 7 a.m.

Morning snack: Eat two to three hours after breakfast. This will keep blood sugar levels stable to avoid the low-energy sluggishness that makes you reach for high-calorie treats. Snacking also prevents the famished feeling that makes you inhale way more calories at your next meal than you would if you weren't plagued by hunger pains. Stick to 150 calories or less, about five percent of your daily calories. Example: 9:30 a.m.


More from POPSUGAR Fitness:

Source: How to Burn More Calories on Your Next Swim

There are tons of ways to burn more calories when running, but if swimming is your go-to form of cardio, here are ways to burn more calories in the pool.

• Choose full-body strokes: Both butterfly and the crawl stroke burn 297 calories per 30 minutes (based on a 130-pound woman). They burn slightly more than the breaststroke (270), and more still than the backstroke (216).
• Include speed intervals: Picking up the pace will burn more calories, so include speed intervals, say every third or fifth lap, where you're pushing harder than during the other laps.
• Isolate muscle groups: Grab a kickboard or a pool noodle and do fast-paced kicking laps, or head to deeper water to tread. Not only will making your lower body do all the work not only will tone your core, butt, and legs, but also, it's a heart-pumping way to amp the calorie burn. To target the upper body, use one of these ankle bands that holds your feet together, so

POPSUGAR FitnessSource: 8 Gluten-Free Energy Bars Worth Trying

With so many surprising food items containing gluten, it can be challenging to find a gluten-free snack. Energy bars can be a great way to get a quick nutritional boost while also making a convenient, healthy snack. But just like anything else, you need to be careful you're choosing a kind that is packed with protein, vitamins, and minerals, rather than high fructose corn syrup or sugar. Here are seven bars that are not only good for you, but safe for people with celiac disease or an intolerance or allergy to gluten.

• Bumble Bar Organic Energy Bar: These organic energy bars from Bumble Bar are made from simple, delicious ingredients like brown rice syrup, flaxseed, vanilla, and cinnamon. Everything used in each bar is certified organic, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Choose from 14 tasty flavors like chocolate crisp, chunky cherry, and awesome apricot.
• Pure Organic Raw Fruit & Nut Bars: Pure is the perfect name for these raw