That's Fit

When it comes to weight loss, there are a lot of gimmicks out there. But That's Fit readers know this: Gimmicks never work, and sometimes they can leave you with more weight to lose than when you started. The other day, however, a friend told me about an idea that sounds gimmick-y, but is actually just a new way of looking at solid, time-tested advice.

It's called the 5 and 30 plan. The idea is easy -- eat a minimum of five fruits and vegetables a day and get 30 minutes of moderate exercise. Essentially, the plan reduces calories, increases fiber, improves nutrition and ensures daily physical activity. But at the same time, it sounds pretty simple.

It's not a diet, it's a way of life. And this week, I'm going to try it on for size.

Photo: richardmasoner, Flickr

Day 1: Eight o'clock at night, I suddenly realized that I'd completely forgotten to exercise. I'd taken my kids out for a long bike ride earlier in the day -- which is probably why I forgot -- but that doesn't count as exercise for me. My 4-year-old goes slow enough that I do more pedaling backwards than forwards.

Since my bike was still out, I jumped on it for a fast and furious ride that made both my thighs and lungs burn. I was enjoying myself so much, I didn't notice the clouds rolling in and got stuck three miles from home in a downpour. Still, soaked to the skin or not, I tasted the sweet victory of breaking a sweat and reaching my goal for the day.

Thirty minutes isn't hard, and it can even be broken down into several shorter workouts over the course of they day.

Photo: Watermelon is a sweet summer treat. sxc.hu

Day 3: If you're trying to build a five-a-day habit (or even better, more!), summer is the time to do it. My fridge is overflowing with fresh tasty produce: Lettuce and green onions from the garden, fresh-picked strawberries from the farmers market, melon, every color of pepper, cucumbers -- you get the idea.

An easy place to start is incorporating just one fruit or veggie into every meal or snack. (If you're not a snacker, aim for two servings at every meal.) Today, I ate two small plums with my breakfast smoothie, a whole bunch of carrots and cucumbers with hummus for lunch, and I had a big bowl of fruit salad -- cantaloupe and watermelon -- with my grilled turkey sandwich (also topped with romaine and tomato) for dinner.

I don't like to spend a lot of time at a hot stove in the summer, so these simple meals worked perfectly for me.

Photo: miky jpeg, Flickr

Day 5: Today was one of "those" days. I missed breakfast due to an early appointment, and I ended up at a fast food restaurant for lunch. I'd love to report I ate a salad, but honestly, lunch looked more like a chicken sandwich and a few stolen fries from my kids.

So by 3 p.m., I'd neither exercised nor eaten any fruits or vegetables. Days like this can be dangerous to people like me -- all-or-nothing thinkers. Old me would say, "Well, I blew it today so I might as well start over tomorrow." But there's no reason why one mistake has to lead to a whole day's worth of overeating.

So dinner was light, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables -- probably not five full servings, but the best I could do. And I was back out on my bike after dinner. And just to make up for that chicken sandwich, I added in 10 minutes of ab work when I got home.

Photo: sxc.hu

Day 7: For some reason, biking was my workout of choice this week, a switch for me since I'm usually a walker. But in just seven days, I can already see some small changes. My legs don't burn quite so much, and my usual route just doesn't seem long enough anymore. What this proves to me is what I already know (but it's still fun to see it in action): Consistency really is key.

The same goes for the fruits and vegetables, I think. Tonight, during a family trip to the ice cream store, I passed up the treat for some fresh blueberries I knew I had waiting for me at home. Eating fresh produce at every meal has helped keep me satisfied, making it easier to say no to sugary treats.

Photo: sxc.hu

Want to make the 5 and 30 challenge work for you? Here are some simple tips to get you started:

• If you're brand new to exercise, start small. Think 5 and 10 challenge instead, and work your way up.
• That 30-minute workout can be broken into two to three smaller workouts if time is short.
• Choose an exercise you love, so you look forward to it every day. But change it up now and then to challenge both your mind and your body.
• Visit your local farmers markets for the freshest fruits and vegetables. They'll taste better.
• Love to snack? Make a rule that between meals, only fruits and vegetables are allowed.
• Put a big bowl of fruit out in plain sight. We had the most magnificent plums this week, and putting them out in plain sight meant the whole family reached for those first, before something from the snack cupboard.
• On the other hand, if you're trying to lose weight, there shouldn't be anything in your snack cupboard. Keep your trigger foods at the store and out of reach.
• As always, get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water -- both will help keep hunger at bay.

Have you ever tried a challenge like this one? What kinds of tips and tricks can you share with our readers to make this healthy habit stick?

Got a Walking the Walk idea you'd like to see Bethany try for seven days? Share it with us in comments!

That's Fit: Can you explain why "inefficiency" in exercising may help you achieve a leaner body?

Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic: Think about it in the way gasoline fuels your car: If your car is really efficient, you can go farther on less gas (which is what most of us want for our cars), but if it's inefficient, you burn more fuel faster. In the case of your body, when it's "inefficient," when you start running out of fuel (i.e., food energy), your body will need to tap into other resources to help it perform. This sometimes will be your fat stores because they are the most energy-dense fuel in your body. However, you have to eat fat to help your body burn fat, otherwise it will use other sources in your body such as glycogen (stored carbohydrate) or muscle protein (not desirable when that's what you're trying to maintain or increase). So, try to avoid eating a fat-free, or ultra-low fat diet or your body won't be able to burn the fat within you that you're trying to get rid of.

Photo: eric langner, Flickr

Obesity and fertility are closely linked. Not only can obesity cause ovulation problems, it also seems to impair fertility in obese women who ovulate normally. But recent research gives new hope to obese or overweight women who are hoping to get pregnant. Research shows that a small amount of weight loss can increase fertility.

Women in the study had a BMI of nearly 40. They were given medication (orlistat or metformin) to help them shed pounds. After 12 weeks, researchers discovered that even a modest 5 percent drop in weight increased blood flow to the womb, which reduced testosterone levels and triggered the ovaries to function properly.

When you have lots of weight to lose, it can be daunting to look at your long-term weight goal. Particularly so when you have an important goal -- like getting pregnant -- in mind. That's why it's important to set milestones along the way. If you're overweight and trying to to get pregnant, start with the goal of losing just 5 percent of your weight. Then aim for 10 percent. Short-term goals are more attainable and can help keep you motivated.

Most of the women in the study had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) which can make weight loss more difficult. If you have PCOS and have had difficulty losing weight in the past, ask your doctor for advice. But healthy eating and exercise are necessary for everyone who's trying to lose weight, and they're particularly important for women on the verge of getting pregnant. Check out AOL Health for weight loss tips that work.

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Welcome to Twitter Fit Tips. Keep track of the latest diet and fitness Twitter trends and opinions with this weekly post. Each week AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's Fit will post fitness-related questions and the best tweet responses will get posted here. Start following Healthpop and That's Fit today.

This past week we asked, "Which do you like better -- exercising in hot, humid weather, or icy, windy?"

Here's what our fellow getting-fit Twitterers had to say:

boschae@HealthPop I have my treadmill on the deck in the shade for summer. Can't stand really hot weather but like the view! lol

LouLou197533@HealthPop Somewhere in between is probably ideal but if I had to pick one it'd be icy cold. Bring on the brr, brr, brr.

RemoveMyFatSuit@HealthPop hot, & humid =D I hate the COLD!!

choose2befit@HealthPop Hmmm...that's a toss up. Hate exercising when cold, but don't care to be TOO hot either. My vote is hot over cold.

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Before you hit the 4th of July picnics and get tempted by all things patriotic and delicious (think coleslaw, potato salad, pie, burgers and more), do your body a favor and get your metabolism in gear. Turbocharging your body's personal calorie-burning system can not only help you lose pounds but can also be as simple as catching a little shut-eye or sipping a cold drink. For 15 ways to speed up your metabolism, click here.

Photo: sxc.hu

If America could choose a diet, what do you think it would be? Low-carb? Low GI? High protein? Or maybe just fast food and soda. Americans might not have a traditional diet to fall back on, but other cultures rely on time-tested foods and patterns of eating that not only keep their weight in check, but appear to prevent disease as well. Forbes as a few examples:

• Okinawa, Japan: In Okinawa, people don't stuff themselves. Instead, they practice portion control and load up on seasonal vegetables, tofu, fish and green tea. Breast and prostate cancer levels are significantly lower in Okinawa.
• Cameroon, West Africa: Eating a mostly vegetarian diet that's rich in fiber and includes fermented foods -- like pickles and yogurt -- means Cameroon has a lower colon cancer rate.
• Iceland: Icelanders, naturally, dine on plenty of fish, but also grass-fed lamb and wild game. These types of meat are rich in omega-3s, which might be why Icelanders -- despite their long winters -- are protected from Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression.
• Crete, Greece: Here's the classic Mediterranean diet -- legumes, nuts, olive oil, fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. They make for a heart-healthy diet, which is probably why heart disease is so low in Crete.

While Americans might find it easy to adopt some of these eating practices, researchers say that we're unlikely to see the benefits unless we understand the diet and stick to it. For that reason, most diet experts recommend the Mediterranean diet, which is most familiar to Westerners.

Even if you don't eat like an Okinawan, you can still practice their portion control strategy of only eating until you're 80 percent full!

So, have you done your grocery shopping for the big cookout this weekend? Before you do, think about how comfortable you really are with blowing several days' worth of calories in one big, fatty meal. Since you're here, chances are good you'd rather keep the damage to a minimum. And no, lightening up your Fourth of July spread of food doesn't make you any less patriotic.

Want to cut some calories without sacrificing flavor? The video below has some great tips. We want to hear from you, too. Share your top tips for a slimmed-down barbecue in the comments!

Photo: mason bryant/Flickr

I promised myself that there are some numbers on the scale I will see never again. When I got down to 300 pounds, I said bye-bye forever. Again at 200 pounds, I vowed the needle would never reach two anything -- ever again. Having consistently teetered between 183 and 191, my two-hundred-phobia has resolved. However, still looming in the back of my mind is the fact that by medical standards, I am still considered 'overweight.'

My 'normal' weight range is between 125 and 150 pounds. Did anybody else laugh reading that? Because I sure did. Those numbers are a little too low for someone stricken with bigbuttitis. In my usual fashion, I have taken the initiative to set a goal of 170 pounds. That is still 10 pounds above the recommendation of my doctor and trainer Jake, but any lower and I may have to turn in my big-butt club membership. I'm not quite ready to do that. It does have its privileges.

This goal lead me to my first Weight Watchers meeting at a local synagogue. I jumped on the scale and went through the routine hesitantly but proud of myself for making the steps and not stopping where I am because I "feel" good. Losing these 20 pounds, I expect to feel better.

Photo: j / f / photos/Flickr

Yoga is great, but can it help you lose weight? Sure can, says Sarah Brown at That's Fit.ca. The best type of yoga for shedding pounds, she says, is the technique that combines a cardiovascular workout with strength building and flexibility. Try vinyasa-style (either Bikram/Hot Yoga or Ashtanga) and watch the weight melt away. Don't forget a healthy diet, though -- exercising and junk food just don't work well together.

Meet your host, Marissa Jaret Winokur. Photo: dyao.oxygen.com

Host Marissa Jaret Winokur calls Oxygen's latest reality TV series "Dance Your Ass Off" a "cross between "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Biggest Loser."

And she should know. Not only is Winokur blogging her own weight loss at People.com, she's also a "Dancing with the Stars" alum.

Here's how it works: According to the website, 12 finalists (totaling 3,000 pounds) will "shake and rattle their rolls" with a professional partner. They'll be judged each week on both their dancing ability and their weight loss. Plenty of DWTS contestants have raved about how fit they were after their run on the show, so we'll see if dancing can do the same for this crew.