That's Fit

If you missed our daily postings this past week, we invite you to take some time to catch up on our prior week's news and gear up for a new week of healthy living information and inspiration.

Jessica Simpson embraces her curves this week, while her sister Ashlee Simpson is "disgusted" that Jessica's weight was ever an issue to begin with.

Kristen dishes with Skinny Bitches authors Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin about their new fitness DVDs and about their decision to go vegan.

A reader asks Fitz, "Is extended cardio good or bad?" Fitz shares her opinion with all of us.

Queen of Burlesque, Dita Von Teese, has an -- get this -- 18-inch waist. How does this sexy star stay so fit? Jacki's got the goods.

Want to quit red meat but can't find a tasty replacement? Jacki thinks you should try eating mushrooms instead.

Maggie doesn't like the new Oreo Cakesters commercial, and thinks 100-calorie packs are a waste of time too. What did you think about the commercial -- amusing? Or over-the-top?

Now this looks like fun: If a yogi and a trapeze artist had a love child, they'd invent AntiGravity yoga. Swing around in a cozy hammock while getting a toned bod at the same time.

Rebecca Romijn is already perfect in every way, and now that baby weight is slipping off of her too. Some girls get all the good genes.

It's the simple math of a healthy weight: It's a lot easier to add than subtract. Maggie shares some reasons why this (frustrating) fact is so true.

You go to the gym to get healthy, but could your gym make you sick? Jacki's got a simple tip for staying healthy while you work out.

And finally ... drum roll please ... you lost 306 pounds in our America Takes it Off: Shrink a Size challenge! A total of 56 pounds more than your goal. You rock! But then you already knew that, didn't you? Now take that momentum and keep on rolling. We know you can keep those healthy habits up.

Have a great week, everyone!

Weight is the exact opposite of a grade point average. GPAs drop lightning fast, but they're really difficult to bring back up. Weight, on the other hand, is quite easy to gain and not-so-easy to lose. Divine Caroline counts down four reasons why weight is so finicky:

• Simple math. To maintain your weight, you need to burn as many calories as you take in. Consuming extra calories will result in weight gain. It's easy enough to exceed your calorie needs on a day-to-day basis, it's especially easy to do so when your routine is altered (like during a vacation).
• A pound is a pound is a pound. To gain a pound you need to consume 3,500 extra calories. Over the course of a special dinner out, an extra serving of dessert, and some extra large portion sizes you can reach that 3,500 calorie mark quite easily. To lose a pound, you need a deficit of 3,500 calories. Reducing the calories you eat and burning extra calories through exercise can give you the deficit you need -- but it takes commitment and effort on your part.

BMI is far from a perfect measure of your body's fitness (as evidenced by one reader who is classified as obese, but just completed a half marathon). But knowing where you fall can be helpful none-the-less. We wondered where That's Fit readers land in the BMI scale:

• 56.2 percent fall in the normal range.
• 22.2 percent are overweight, but not obese.
• 12.8 percent are considered underweight.
• 8.9 percent are obese.

It's awesome that so many readers fall into the "normal" category. But it's important to keep in mind that BMI isn't a perfect measurement. Follow a healthy lifestyle, maintain an appropriate weight and use BMI as a general gauge only.

This is it. The official end of our America Takes It Off: Shrink a Size initiative. Now, this does not mean we want you to stop slimming down if your belt is still a little too tight. Just the opposite. We want you to keep challenging yourself, keep stepping on the scale and keep working hard at your healthy lifestyles. Because let me tell you: You have made great strides this month. I mean great strides. And it seems only right that you keep on truckin'. OK, ready to marvel at your greatness?

No one likes to talk about it. But, fess up ladies. After a powerful sneeze or a hearty laugh, you've probably dealt with a little urine leak, right?

For some, this is a regular occurrence. And, not only is it uncomfortable, it's potentially embarrassing and has a huge yuck factor. But there's good news. If you're overweight, losing those extra pounds will help with urine incontinence.

In the meantime, there are some simple exercises you can do to strengthen your pelvic muscles and reduce/limit urine leaks.

I've always been envious of those people who have a hard time eating when they're nervous. I have the opposite problem -- I want to stuff everything I see down my throat. And then, because I don't do that, I'm crabby. I'm not a lot of fun when I'm nervous.

Kate Winslet, on the other hand, sounds like an absolutely delightful nervous wreck (but, then again, when is she ever not a complete delight?). She admits that she's more nervous this awards season than ever before (she's nominated for two different films, The Reader and Revolutionary Road), and she has a surprising way of dealing with the butterflies.

She told People magazine that she's "not exercising at all, and I'm eating whatever I like." Including lobster macaroni and cheese. And she still looks like that? I'm willing to bet that this phase is a very short one, and she'll be right back to her healthy habit of "everything in moderation" shortly. She might not think she has an impressive body, but the rest of the world does, and I don't see her letting it go anytime soon.

Watch the full red carpet interview here, or click on the badge below for motivation.

Nutrition and exercise both play a role in weight loss. And, while the food you choose probably makes a bigger impact on cutting calories, it's important to make exercise a priority. Just ask Bob Greene! In addition to the calorie-burning benefits of exercise, it just helps you feel good about yourself and can motivate you to stick to your weight loss plans.

We wondered if you make exercise a priority. Here is what you said:

• 39.8 percent rarely miss a workout.
• 30.1 percent have a routine, but sometimes get sidetracked.
• 17.7 percent are pretty vigilant about your workouts, but put family obligations first.
• 6.2 percent say you have more important things to think about.
  
• 5.3 percent don't exercise.
  

Just like two people are alike, not everyone approaches weight loss the same way. What worked for me was giving up (well, let's be honest, mostly giving up) sugar. What works for you might be something different.

But when you've got a lot of habits to change -- you eat too much, you drink too much, you never exercise, you have a love affair with your couch -- it can feel overwhelming to change all your habits at once. That's where baby steps come in, and CNN has a great list of places to start. Cutting out cheese and mayo won't transform your body overnight (or even over a year), but for some people, taking it one step at a time is the thing that finally works for them.

I have a friend who lost a significant amount of weight over a 12-month period. A soda-addict, she started with a glass of water -- just one -- instead of her morning bottle of cola. At lunch, she drank another. At dinner, another. A year later, she's got healthy living down pat, and it all started with that one glass of water. Baby steps, indeed.

This is your last chance during America Takes It Off: Shrink a Size to fess up and tell us what you see when you step on the scale and it stares back at you. That's right. Our final weigh-in starts today.

You've got until noon tomorrow (Thursday, January 29) to tell us what you've lost. We know you've been whittling away at that extra weight. You've lost a combined 214 pounds already. Only 36 to go to reach that 250-pound goal. Did you do it? You tell us.


Did Bob Greene's tips for losing weight and keeping it off make a difference this week? We can't wait to find out on Friday. Come back then for our final results post.

People who eat more slowly tend to be thinner. We've heard that one for a long time and now there's some proof it works.

Of 3,300 Japanese adult participants in one study, those who ate fast were nearly twice as likely to be overweight, and those who ate until they felt full -- bad idea -- had twice the risk of being overweight.

There are lots of suggestions for putting the brakes on fast eating -- eat with chopsticks, put down your fork after every bite, get hypnotized, tell yourself to slow down, simply stop eating so fast. But as one of those fast eaters, I don't think I'd like to make a habit of this new European food craze -- eating dinner with a blindfold on.

Supposedly blocking vision wakes up those taste buds, results in smaller bites and a savory, slower meal. I can understand the smaller bites, it has to be harder to quickly stuff your face when you can't see that fork or spoon. Cutting your food and simply figuring out what pile is what on the plate takes time, too. Studies show blindfolded eaters listen to their satiety cues better and stop eating before they're full, and a 2003 Swedish study revealed blindfolded eaters ate 24 percent less food than visual eaters without feeling less full. As annoying (or humorous) as this will be to my family, I'll blindfold myself for dinner once this week and let you know how it goes. Would you try a blindfold diet?

If you want to lose weight and actually see everyone around the table, try and shrink a size today with America Takes It Off.

Here at That's Fit, we're constantly telling you what we think about things, but sometimes it's nice to know what you think. So from time to time, we'll ask you a question. Don't be afraid to speak up -- we love feedback.

So you're cruising along with your diet and then it happens ... a piece of chocolate cake. Oh, the horror! All of a sudden your weight loss plans seem hopeless and why should you even bother trying?

Does this sound familiar? A lot of people are guilty of having an all-or-nothing mindset when it comes to weight loss. As if one little slip off of their plan can wipe away all of the healthful choices they've made up until then. So, I wonder ... what is your diet frame of mind?

When it comes to weight loss, alcohol is usually a no-no. Learn how to drink smart with these tips.

As fabulous as we at That's Fit think this blog is, the truth is there are hundreds of wonderful blogs on healthy living to be seen all over the blogosphere. So in this feature, Fit Links, we'll introduce you to some that have caught our eye.

Possibly the youngest smoker ever? ParentDish dishes on a toddler who lights up.

What would you do if you won a $1000 Nike gift card? Fitsguar has some ideas.

Don't feel obligated to choke down wilting lettuce -- Green Daily has some tips for keeping it fresh.

Cooking healthy means cooking safely -- Slashfood has some tips for avoiding salmonella contamination.

Waiting for a plane or train? Why not burn some calories by dancing, like these folks on Lemondrop.

Need inspiration as you attempt to shrink a size? Click on the badge below.

I understand both sides of the to-weigh or not-to-weigh debate. On one hand, weighing yourself regularly keeps you honest and it can be motivating. On the other hand, for some, scales can become an obsession and, if you weigh yourself daily, you may get a bit down on yourself when the numbers don't move as fast as you wish they would.

I'm of the mindset that people just need to figure out what works best for them. I'm a weigher. Each morning, like it or not, I climb on the scale and see what's what. I've had to get used to the fact that sometimes -- even if I've done everything right -- I might go up a half pound or so. That's just the nature of weight loss; I accept that and don't let it ruin my day. Also, I'm a data-loving girl. For some reason, I just need to know that number on the scale when I'm trying to lose weight.

Glamour has an idea for weighing yourself without revealing the full truth. They suggest covering the first two numbers on the scale and just watching the final number. If you fall squarely in the not-to-weigh camp, this might be a handy trick for you.

This is bittersweet. It's our last challenge for America Takes It Off: Shrink a Size, and that's kind of sad. But it's happy too, because those who have been participating for the month of January have lost a whopping combined 214 pounds. Who can be sad about that?

Only 36 pounds stand between us and our 250-pound goal. Let's let Bob Greene deliver us to this goal -- and help us maintain our losses well into the future. Here, your final challenge:

• Make exercise a priority. That's what successful losers do, says Bob. Find a balance between cardio and strength training, and schedule these activities on our calendar just like you would a work meeting.
• Never skip breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day. Don't believe it? You should. Studies show that breakfast eaters are slimmer than those who skip. Gotta make it healthy for it to count, though. Hint: No donuts.
• Eat on schedule. Three meals a day with snacks in between will keep your hunger under control.
• Work out in the morning. Your metabolism is elevated more in the early hours, which means your body burns more calories all day.
• Get support. Locate family and friends who support your goal. Find a workout buddy too.
• Look inward. It's not just about diet and exercise. You've got to figure out your emotional eating issues too.
• See beyond black and white. Don't make diet and fitness all-or-nothing pursuits. Do the best you can, get back on track if you fall off and try to make healthy decisions most of the time.

Shrink a size with these seven -- and we'll see you back here on Wednesday for the final weigh-in.