Blog Posts by FitSugar

Happy New Year! I love a fresh start, don't you? On the first of the year, we holiday revelers hoping to lose our December pounds, as well as those with weight-loss resolutions, start searching for some outside help. Over 2009, we provided tons of tips on the subject, so as we head into 2010, we can put all these weight loss tips to practice.

• It's All About Calories - After the nonfat food trend and the no-carb diet fad, we have all finally learned that weight loss is really about calories. To lose weight you need to be in a calorie deficit, meaning you eat fewer calories than you burn, so your body begins to burn stored calories. Calories are energy, so think of the food you eat as fuel for all the activities you want to do. Start your diet off by counting calories in a food journal. This way you can monitor how many calories you are truly eating.
• Eat Breakfast and Eat It Early - A healthy, well-balanced breakfast is essential for dieting. Countless studies have found

When you're away from home, it can be hard to stick to a normal fitness routine, but that doesn't have to mean giving it up altogether. When traveling this holiday season, use these helpful tips to ensure you'll be active well into the new year.

Pack your gym bag. If you pack your workout gear in your suitcase, you'll have no excuse not to exercise, and you'll be ready to work out regardless of where you're staying. Traveling with workout clothing also acts as a visual reminder to stay fit even when away from home.

Carry a workout on you. Depending on where you're staying, it may be hard to find a gym, and depending on the weather, exercising outdoors may not be an option. Always bring a workout that you can do indoors. Good options that are easy to pack are a jump rope, fitness DVD, or one of our printable home circuit workouts - I always pack resistance bands. If you forget, hit up the local library or video store and borrow a fitness DVD instead.

Get a visitor's or day

One of my favorite things to do during the Fall and Winter is to go on a long hike - the barren trees and snow-capped mountains provide an absolutely gorgeous backdrop. But one thing I can do without is the water in my water bottle freezing, which can happen a lot during an overnight camping trip. It's important to stay hydrated during a hike, and frozen water will only add dead weight to your carrying load.

A simple tip I use to prevent my water from freezing is to insulate my bottle using recycled wool. I use an old wool sock that is missing its better half and slip that over my Nalgene water bottle. The wool helps keep the bottle insulated and the water from freezing. I also keep my water bottle close to my body to keep it warm with body heat. Filling a water bottle with warm water rather than cold is helpful too.

If you want something cuter than an old wool sock over your bottle, try making a cute water bottle cozy out of an old wool sweater. Or if you're feeling lazy,

When seeing your doctor, gynecologist, dentist, or other specialist, women often get asked some tough questions like, "Do you smoke pot?" or "How many sexual partners have you had in the past year?" Whether it's because we're embarrassed, don't want to get lectured, or don't want to be judged, women tend to bend the truth a little in the exam room. However, it may be at the expense of their own health, since small fibs can have big, life-threatening consequences. Here are eight lies women tell the person in the white coat.

• "I'm not a big drinker." -You know you should be sticking to one alcoholic drink a day, but some days, you definitely exceed your quota. Don't lie about it. It's important to be truthful since a high consumption of alcohol is linked to breast cancer. Also, when your doctor prescribes medications, drinking too much alcohol can cause complications or risky side effects.
• "I'm monogamous," or "I practice safe sex." - It's understandable that you don't want

With all the holiday parties and visits with friends and family this time of year, you're probably doing a lot of dressing up. Whether you wear heels solely on special occasions or rock them every day, here are some stretches to offer your tootsies a little relief from soreness or pain.Related Conte

The days of the rock star/model couple are over - now it's all about the athlete. I mean, who wouldn't want a fit and healthy partner by their side? A toned physique and rock hard abs don't hurt either.

Oh man, what's not to love about Beyoncé? She's a talented actress, has a curvy body we love, and has a knack for delivering some of the best music to work out to. We're excited that Beyoncé is leading the pack in Grammy nominations and can't wait to see her on the red carpet! In our last installment of Get the Bod, Grammys edition, we'll be taking a look at what Jay-Z's girl does to stay fit and healthy, and how she'll most likely be preparing for her big night out.

At the core of Beyoncé's workout regimen is trainer Marco Borges's Power Moves system. The concept is that you work several muscle groups at once, doing exercises like reverse lunge presses, dumbbell front squats, and jumping lunges. Borges revealed that to get Beyoncé in shape for her Summer tour, the singer did "interval training - 45 minutes of alternating between sprinting and running on the treadmill, followed by body-resistance work." During the tour, Beyoncé did yoga and Pilates for an hour on show days and

The benefits of exercise seem to be neverending - among other things, it helps the brain function better, reduces stress, and is important for healthy heart function. But, if you need another reason to get out there and start moving, exercise may also protect against swine flu.

I've read that exercise helps boost the body's immune system and that doing some light cardio is good during a cold, so it made sense that it could also help protect against swine flu. But given how quickly the virus has spread, coupled with a shortage of the vaccine, I think any new advice is beneficial and should be taken seriously.

While there has not been a study on the benefits of exercise in relation to swine flu specifically, there have been numerous findings that show exercise boosts the immunity system and may protect against colds and seasonal flus.