Caroline-related stories
How you'll lose with these 10 fad diets
Cellulite, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements
Brie Cadman over at Divine Caroline gives a humorous and right-on run-down of the 10 worst fad diets. Sure these diets, like Slim Fast, The Cereal Diet, The Subway Diet, and Dr. Siegal's® Cookie Diet™ might work -- try them and chances are, you will lose weight -- but if you're looking for weight loss that sticks around or if you want to just plain enjoy your food, these diets are, as Cadman calls them -- just plain ridiculous.
Cadman says of Slim Fast that yes, you will lose weight, "until you grow so bored and tired of eating the exact same thing for two meals a day you quit, and realize that -- wow -- there are a lot of other foods out there that cost a lot less. Say, fruits and vegetables."
About The Writing Diet, Cadman can't figure out why all writers are not size twos because according to Julia Cameron, author of the new book The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Sized, they should be. Cameron says that people overeat not out of hunger, but because of emotion. Says Cadman: "By writing daily, we tap into our emotions, and put them on the page instead of in our mouths. While I can concede that having your hands on a keyboard will prevent them from grabbing a bag of Doritos, I can't figure out how sitting on your butt is supposed to make it smaller." One of Cadman's readers disagrees, stating that the book does a pretty good job of promoting exercise too.
Cadman says of Slim Fast that yes, you will lose weight, "until you grow so bored and tired of eating the exact same thing for two meals a day you quit, and realize that -- wow -- there are a lot of other foods out there that cost a lot less. Say, fruits and vegetables."
About The Writing Diet, Cadman can't figure out why all writers are not size twos because according to Julia Cameron, author of the new book The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Sized, they should be. Cameron says that people overeat not out of hunger, but because of emotion. Says Cadman: "By writing daily, we tap into our emotions, and put them on the page instead of in our mouths. While I can concede that having your hands on a keyboard will prevent them from grabbing a bag of Doritos, I can't figure out how sitting on your butt is supposed to make it smaller." One of Cadman's readers disagrees, stating that the book does a pretty good job of promoting exercise too.
Gym newbies must read this
Gyms and fitness centers may not be for everyone. But they are convenient locations for working out -- think weights, treadmills, rowing machines, yoga, exercise classes, trainers, scales, and locker rooms with showers. They also can be pretty intimidating for newbies. "Gym phobia is not at all uncommon among people who don't have gym experience," writes Scott Saifer at Divine Caroline. With this in mind, he offers two basic tips for overcoming gym anxiety.
- Adopt a "beginners mind," admit you're new to the gym scene, and ask for help. Everyone in the gym was a newbie at one time.
- Locate a staff member -- a trainer, nutritionist, membership counselor -- who can teach you how to navigate the gym, how to use the equipment, how to eat right.
Within a few weeks or months of gym visits, you'll blend in, pick up the jargon, develop a routine, and start to show some muscle. And one day, you'll be the pro other newbies seek.
Wait, I have one more tip: Join us for America Takes It Off and gather some momentum for your gym adventures and more.
Fork over your playlists
Rebecca Brown over at Divine Caroline says she's worthless at her workouts without a good playlist to motor her along. I'm with Rebecca. My MP3 player is strapped to my arm whenever I exercise. I don't do well with silence and running, silence and weight training, silence and treadmilling. Silence and writing: I love the combination. But anything that causes me to sweat and huff and puff simply must be set to music.Rebecca's got a bunch of readers sharing their playlists here. Check out this one.
- Paula Abdul - Dance Like There's No Tomorrow
- Matchbox 20 - How Far We've Come
- Limp Bizcuit - Nookie
- Britney Spears - Stronger
- Jars of Clay - Faith Like A Child
