Photo of and by: Debbie Hugo

Our smartest diet and fitness plans usually mean an admirable weight loss of a few pounds. Unless you're Debbie Hugo. This Kent, Wash. Weight Watchers leader is the inspiration behind WW's national Lose for Good campaign, kicking off August 30 to raise big money to support the hungry. That's Fit recently interviewed Hugo to find out how her brilliant idea metamorphosed in millions raised for food banks nationwide.

Approximately six years ago, Hugo needed to come up with a motivational idea to spark client weight loss over the food-driven holidays. As a leader, she found it frustrating that "You're down a quarter pound!" typically resulted in a lackluster "That's all?" response by clients. A success story herself -- Hugo lost 40 pounds through WW -- she knew those quarter and half pounds add up fast. So her "food shrine" idea was born.

For about two months, Hugo asked clients to build a non-perishable food shrine at home, equivalent to weight lost each week. A 6-ounce loss became a can of tuna on the shrine. At the end of the program, client shrines were hauled into a meeting -- a tangible example of weight shed -- then donated to a local food bank. Hugo's food shrine idea had clients abuzz with excitement. "People were building it on their TV because they had late night snack issues," explained Hugo. "I had others tell me they were building it on their dinner table, so they wouldn't reach for more food."

Photo: chanchan222, Flickr

Bored with hit the floor and give me 20? FitSugar suggests you spice it up by adding the Superman move before the grrr back up. Fly first, then push up.

A Superman push-up will have you stretching and strengthening your back and engaging your core -- before your tummy ever goes airborne. This video makes them look fairly easy, perhaps it's the music?

Get stronger than a locomotive and start out with 20 or count how many you can complete in a single minute.

Weight loss stalled? Kick your speed in gear and start interval training -- that's when you do an exercise at high intensity for a short period of time, followed by low intensity exercise for the same period of time.

Photo: PinkMoose, Flickr

Kids sliding their trays through school cafeterias are seeing more vegetarian options, and it's not just grilled cheese. According to a survey by the School Nutrition Association, two out of three U.S. schools offer veggie lunch options regularly, a 40-percent increase since veggie meals were measured by the nonprofit, which represents school food providers, in 2007.

Lunch ladies are serving up more meatless entrees such as vegetable burritos, lentil sauce with pasta, egg salad, vegetable cacciatore and stir fry. Even black bean brownies. Hmm, now there's a dessert with a potentially high yuck response, but commenters rave over these sugary squares of black beans at Eco Child's Play and this recipe variation, too.

Hip, hip, hooray -- there are more meatless entrees. But before you start cheering, the National School Lunch Program remains seriously at-risk in the wholesome foods department. Ann Cooper, aka renegade lunch lady, says the paltry $2.68 federal subsidy per free school meal served under the NSLP must be raised to $4 or $5 to properly equip school cafeterias to truly go healthy -- just one of her 10 guidelines to bring wholesome into schools. Dietitian Kathryn Strong's editorial in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette points out the federal government's own School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study found 80 percent of schools don't comply with federal guidelines -- there's too much fatty food served up in cafeterias. Nutritionist Clare Miller noted not one school met recommended sodium limitations and few met recommendations for fiber.

Nicole and Damien on the big day Photo: Parris Whittingham Photography

There's only one thing sweeter than watching NBC's "The Biggest Loser" contestants reveal their slimmer selves at the finale -- a Biggest Loser wedding cake. Season 7's Nicole Brewer and Damien Gurganious just tied the knot last Sunday in a wedding day to remember.

That's Fit spoke with Nicole on Thursday about the couple's life-after-ranch wedding, upcoming honeymoon and future diet and fitness plans. Regarding her new skinny bride status, Nicole felt "victorious." She didn't have to starve herself for her wedding day or go on a juice fast. She simply maintained her post-show diet and fitness habits, swapping self-consciousness for a gorgeous size 8 dress designed by Amsale.

Trainer Bob and the show's producers were invited to the wedding, but they're deep into another Biggest Loser season and none could attend. However Season 7's Jerry and Estella Hayes and Carla Triplett were on hand to witness the occasion, along with Adam and Stacy Capers from Season 6. Carla even designed the bride's flowers. In true runner-up winning fashion, Jerry reportedly wore his BodyBugg at the wedding. There's no way this guy is gaining back the weight.

Check out more wedding shots in the gallery below! Story continues after the gallery.

Photographs Courtesy of Parris Whittingham.

Photo: D Sharon Pruitt, Flickr

The latest diet and fitness news steadily grabs our attention. So many adult and young Americans struggle with weight issues, it's no wonder we're curious about the latest high-fiber cereal, fitness gadgets or whether or not we should keep flavored milk in the fridge. All this as millions face a much different challenge -- eating disorders.

Per the National Eating Disorders Association, 10 million females and one million males have an eating disorder in this country. Just yesterday the TODAY Show shared some of the fallout of eating disorders, including premature aging, osteoporosis, low blood pressure and heart problems. It's important to know more experts now believe family support is critical to teenss controlling their eating disorders, and that parents can play a major role in prevention.

One study of 80 bulimic teens revealed double the success rate for those in a treatment program that included family therapy. Another study of 32 teenage girls with anorexia found 75 percent in full remission three years post-treatment that, again, incorporated family therapy. Steps parents can take to support a teen recover include self-education about eating disorders, emotional support, avoiding denial and following directions outlined by the treatment team.

In one sense, fresh, sweet cherries are like potato chips -- you can't eat just one. It's been a good summer for cherry fans, crop yields exploded with sweet cherry harvests up 52 percent from last year. Often priced upwards of $5.00 a pound, a luscious bowl of dark cherries is a pricey treat. But when you see $2.99 a pound, suddenly you're grabbing a bulging bag of nature's candy from the produce aisle.

But before you start spitting pits from a big bowl of fresh cherries, be aware of the caloric cost. How many calories in a single, sweet cherry?

Photo: Qfamily, Flickr

If you're a government employee advocating against junk food, don't mess with the doughnuts, especially Dunkin' Donuts. Dr. Jason Newsom, the head of the Bay County Health Department in Panama City, Fla, was recently fired for his controversial messages equating Dunkin' Donuts with death.

It all started innocently enough, according to the Associated Press. Citizens driving by were greeted with electronic sign one-liners such as "Sweet Tea = Liquid Sugar," "Hamburgers = Spare Tire" and "French Fries = Thunder Thighs." No doubt this county's eating habits aren't stellar, 39 percent of all adults were overweight in 2007, and one in four obese. But when Newsom started naming corporate names with "America Dies on Dunkin'" and "Dunkin' Donuts = Death," two local lawyers who owned a Dunkin' Donuts came calling. They knocked on the door of the County Commissioner, who also happens to own a local doughnut shop. Hmm -- wonder if their sugary meeting was fueled by a dozen Dunkin' or a plate of Commish doughnut holes?

Some of Newsom's staff were angry he'd banned the sacred doughnut from department meetings and replaced vending candy bars with peanuts. Cruel. Newsom would probably have a job today if he hadn't messed with the corporate doughnut giant of them all. But he did.

"My method was a little provocative and controversial," he told the AP, "but there wasn't a person in Bay County who wasn't talking about health and healthy eating."

Now it's your chance to make the right Dunkin' Decision for your waistline.

Photo: bobsredmill.com

Should you be pouring those whole flaxseeds into a grinder? Yes, ground flaxseeds are best, says FitSugar. Turns out the whole seeds sail through your system undigested, which means you miss out on all those great omega-3 fatty acids and cancer-fighting antioxidants packed in each seed.

Before grinding, make sure the lid is secure on the blender or coffee grinder or you'll be tripping over seeds for months. Even better, buy whole ground flaxseed meal.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge and sprinkle on your cereal, yogurt, smoothies, pancakes, soups, you name it. Check out these other high-fiber Bob's Red Mill products.

Photo: tanais, Flickr

You have approval to skip the weight room, but not the workout. Those isolating moves on weight machines and benches are building asymmetrical strength -- a perfect set-up for future injury. You need to be building mobile strength. Outside Magazine's Marc Peruzzi would know, a lifting regimen in his 20s left him vulnerable to several injuries sustained during full-body outdoor athletic endeavors. He blames the military press for a shoulder injury while skiing, the bench press for a herniated disc and the seated leg press for a blown ACL simply carving soft powder.

Peruzzi shares that one professional hockey trainer in Canada noticed rookie skaters off the farm were exploding with whole-body strength compared to seasoned pros relying on machine-circuit workouts. And a 2008 study agrees. It looked at strength related to fixed range machines versus free-form weight cables. After 16 weeks, the free-form group's strength and balance increased 115 percent and 245 percent respectively, compared with 57 percent and 49 percent for the fixed lifters.

What outdoor athletes really need is mobile strength, which is training for power across real-world movements for flexible, strong muscles in tune with the rest of the body. Outside Magazine's 10-exercise mobile strength workout can kick-off your farm-boy or girl physique. Mix-in all 10, including Donkey Kicks for the lower bod, Push-ups Plus for upper-body and the Kick, Slide, Punch for torso/balance. They'll also guide you on all the mobile-strength training equipment you'll need, for around $250-$300.

Here are a few additional tips to get that home gym for cheap.

Photo: wharman, Flickr

Croquet is a casual game played upon manicured lawns in crisp, white slacks, right? In between swings of the mallet you sip your cocktail and snicker at grandpa's poor shot. This game is historically all about the party, so much so croquet was even banned in Boston in the late 19th century thanks to all the gamblers and drinkers stumbling over wickets.

But if you ever get a chance to play extreme croquet, you're in for an entirely different experience. Forget the backyard, Connecticut Extreme Croquet Society says the ideal course is a stand of woods, a bumpy field or a drainage basin. Imagine whacking a wooden ball from wicket to wicket across unpredictable terrain for a couple of hours. If a 175-pound person playing traditional croquet burns about 200 calories per hour, an extreme match must shed at least 300. Pass on the cocktail and you've got yourself a decent workout.

The Succop Conservancy in Butler, PA opened four extreme croquet courses earlier this summer -- a creative way for visitors to literally immerse themselves in the rolling terrain. You can't help but develop a better appreciation for wetlands after traipsing through one in search of the next wicket. The best part of extreme croquet has to be the lack of a governing body, and experimentation has delivered beveled mallets for loft shots and two-story wickets for extra points. Extreme clubs play by disparate rules with one constant -- fun.

In the spirit of That's Fit editor Katie Tweed's family, start a competitive extreme croquet tourney in your area. Design your own extreme course, master it, then beat everyone you invite over to play.

Photo: rattler97, Flickr

Millions of sports moms (and dads) are dusting off folding chairs, calibrating calendars and filling the tank with gas -- fall football, soccer and baseball season are fast approaching. Organized sports are the perfect avenue to transform your body into a fit, hip sports mom. As schedules rev up, turn that harried feeling in the pit of your stomach into firmer abs:

• Their Practice is Your Game Day. No folding chairs allowed at kids sport practices. When your tweens or teens are drilling, you need to be working out. Run around the field, try 20 minutes of alternating abs, push-ups, dips and jumping jacks. If you're dropping off, head out for a run or the gym for a sweat all your own. Reserve the folding chair for kid game day only.
• Pack Fit Snacks. Be a soccer snack grouch. You can't help but admire the parents who pack rockin' healthy snacks for their kids -- be the one who whips out sliced oranges and apples from a cooler filled with ice. Bring bananas and dried fruit, bake/freeze a double batch of homemade granola bars. Be doughnut-free.
  
• Know the Lingo. A hip sports mom understands subtle intricacies of the game. Weplay.com is a good place to start, Moms Guide to Sports offers quick-look pamphlets for sale, and "Soccer for Moms: Game & Parenting Essentials for Healthy Kids" looks like a fun read.
• Emergency Gym Bag. Keep fitness clothes/shoes in the car at all times. You never know when a game delay may strike, which means your fitness game day is on.
• Coach. The best sports parents are involved ones. Volunteer to be an assistant coach. You'll burn more calories running after kids than running to the grocery store.
  
• Get The Glow. Fit sports parents have a certain look about them. When you eat right, hydrate and work out, you have a glowing energy others can't miss. Set a goal to get the glow this sports season -- consistent behavior over time develops into a habit.

Fit Family Summertime Challenge -- For the next two weeks of your sports mom season, work out as often as your kids go to practice. If they can do it, so can you. Then drill with them at least once a week at home.

Photo: fdecomite, Flickr

Following up an intense workout with a dinner of fish and veggies may be the best one-two punch against Alzheimer's disease. Movie and a steak dinner? Not so much. New observational research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals the power of the Mediterranean diet and regular exercise to reduce your risk for developing Alzheimer's disease in later years.

Researchers interviewed 1,880 elderly subjects about their diets and physical activity habits, then observed them for about five and a half more years. Average age at study start was 77. Subjects who were very physically active had a 33 percent risk reduction of developing Alzheimer's, while those who stuck closely to a Mediterranean-type diet had 40 percent less risk. The knockout punch was clearly combining both -- participants had a 60 percent risk reduction when they were exercising a lot and sticking closer to a Mediterranean-style diet comprised of lots of fish, veggies, legumes, fruits, cereals, monounsaturated fatty acids, moderate alcohol consumption and lower intake of dairy/meats/saturated fats.

A second, shorter-term observational study in France has found some correlation between this diet and slower cognitive damage. Hmm ... don't wait for your AARP card to begin eating right and moving more. Making the choice to look and feel great today could mean keeping your marbles later.

And if this good news hasn't brightened your mood, check out the mental health benefits of exercise over at AOL Health.

Dairy Queen has a way with gooey hot fudge, peanuts and vanilla ice cream. They're so good at this combo, they figured out a way to serve it up on a stick with their delectable Buster Bar treats.

But the Buster Bar cowers in the shadow of the towering DQ Peanut Buster Parfait.

Ever had one? Soft serve ice cream layered with yummy hot fudge and crunchy whole peanuts. You'd better be hungry or good luck finishing this dessert.

Really, it's a meal in itself. So how many calories are in DQ's Peanut Buster Parfait?

Photo: un-sung, Flickr

Your couch habits? They're killing you. That's a fact, according to a leading expert on exercise and its health benefits. Steven Blair called American's sedentary living the biggest public health problem facing Americans this century.

Frighteningly, it's not a small minority sitting on the couch. Research reveals 25 to 35 percent of American adults are inactive. Meaning, they're in sedentary jobs, don't work out regularly and are pretty much inactive around the house. That describes up to 50 million Americans at increased risk of health problems and early death. It also explains why one-third of adults in the U.S. are obese.

Exercise may undermine thin when people overestimate their exertion, but fitness level has a whole lot to do with your mortality. Blair's research leans heavily on the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, an ongoing research effort since 1970 involving 80,000 patients. Various follow-up studies have found moderately fit men lived six years longer than unfit men, very fit women were 55 percent less likely to die from breast cancer than women in poor shape, and poor fitness level accounted for about 16 percent of all deaths in a pool of 40,842 study participants.

Don't give up on exercise if you're not reaching your goal weight. It only takes a little bit of moving around to reap the health benefits of exercise. Jumping on the treadmill, going for a 15-minute walk or just puttering around the garden could very well equate to a healthier, longer life.

Photo: AP

Got an iTouch or iPhone and some pocket change? For less than a dollar you can tap iHeart Rate Monitor's on-screen heart in rhythm with your own pulse to pull a load of fitness stats like Training Zone Meter, resting/training heart rate, calorie-burn, body fat percentage and more.

Bring fitness into your digital world by downloading a few of these eight healthy iPhone applications recommended by FitSugar.

iFitness has 230 strength-training moves to keep you training anywhere, anytime. Download EatingWell for healthy recipes and a guarantee you'll stay slim even when you forget the shopping list.