barack obama-related stories
"Survivor" Host Works Out in the Wild
Celebrity Fitzness Report, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Our fitness expert Fitz sits down with the stars and digs out their great and not-so-great methods for staying healthy.
Jeff Probst is best known as host of CBS's long-running hit show "Survivor," but he should also be known for his amazing body and fitness routine. Think you have no time to look like him? Think you have no access to fitness equipment? Jeff offers great advice on how to pull off quick and effective workouts, even if you're stuck in some freaky part of the world.
Fitz: You seem to be more fit now than you were when "Survivor" began. What have you been doing?
Jeff: I think I have put on a bit more muscle, but it could also be that my shirts fit better! I have bulked up a bit in the past couple of years; I'm just trying to stay ahead of the toll that aging takes on the body. It's hard to stay fit while on location, though, because I don't have the same routine. I've also found that to stay in shape, it doesn't necessarily matter what you eat, but when you eat. Eating frequently teaches your body that food is on its way, so it doesn't have to store extra calories as fat. I eat about six small meals a day. They are more like snack-size portions than meals. I'm not necessarily in love with eating, so I truly treat food as fuel.
Fitz: Have you ever really blown it while on location and came back in worse shape?
Jeff: Oddly, my fitness level never suffers while shooting "Survivor." But I recently spent a few months traveling domestically, and my diet was really different. It was the first time I noticed a change in my body that I didn't like, so I quickly got back on the track with eating to manage my metabolism.
Jeff Probst
Jeff Probst doesn't just survive on location -- he thrives! He always brings fitness equipment with him while shooting "Survivor," and in unusually hot climates, which tend to be an energy-drain, Jeff does a 20-minute intense workout each day. An hour would be too long.
Monty Brinton/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Jeff works his back, shoulders and triceps with a One Arm Clean and Jerk using a Kettleball. Step 1: Jeff Squats with the ball close to the ground while keeping his back flat.
Monty Brinton/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 2: Jeff simultaneously curls the Kettleball towards his shoulder and rises up using his legs.
Monty Brinton/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Step 3: Jeff performs a squat again and explosively rises out of it while extending his arm and lifting the Kettleball high into the air.
Monty Brinton/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
While on location shooting "Survivor," the art department hangs Jeff's pull-up bar for his daily workouts. A pull-up bar would hang quite nicely from a sturdy tree branch. Have a big tree in your back yard? This might be the perfect way for you to utilize it!
Monty Brinton/CBS ©2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Barack Obama Loves Chili - How to Make it Healthy
Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements

Chili is the perfect comfort food, especially in these frigid winter temperatures. But as much as he loves food, Barack Obama is also committed to diet and fitness. I mean, who couldn't notice that when those shirtless pics from Hawaii popped up?
Our future Mr. President will probably be too busy in the next 100 days to cook up a pot of chili, but if you're in the mood for a bowl of Barack Obama's favorite food, here are some tips for making this spicy dish a little healthier.
Donny Osmond, Barack Obama, and Natural Beauty - Week in Review - December 22 to December 28
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.You know that a healthy diet and regular exercise can help you reach your fitness goals. But what about your thoughts? Do they play a role? Laura thinks so and has three tools to help you get started.
Carnie Wilson shares one of her favorite "side effects" of weight loss -- more sex.
You thought you learned how to do it when you were six, but are you tying your shoes correctly? Let Kristen teach you how.
Don't have a whole hour? Don't worry. Bev tells us that 30 minutes in the gym is golden.
Fitz interviews Donny Osmond and finds him pleasant, warm, funny and fit.
Just in time for a little post-holiday down time -- Kristen has natural beauty treatments you can do right at home.
President-elect Barack Obama appears even more fit than ever in Hawaii. Presidential fitness, indeed.
Economy hitting you where it hurts? Bev tells you how to get fit for zip.
Finally, start gearing up for January 1, when That's Fit teams up with AOL Health for America Takes it Off: Shrink a Size!
Happy New Year, everyone!
Fit vs. Fat - The Color of Pride
The Good, The Fat and The Hungry, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements

The first time I was called the "N" word, I thought it meant fat. I was five years old and until that day, all the names I'd been called by mean kids had to do with being fat. It happened as I was making my exit from the kindergarten bathroom. I can remember bumping into a little white girl about the same age. I said "excuse me" as I'd been taught to do -- even though it was her fault -- and her response was absolutely stunning. She said, "Move, N word." For reasons I did not yet understand, it hurt deeply. Surely such an ugly word like that had to mean fat, too.I went home and recounted the exchange with my then 29-year old-mother of five. I knew right away that it was serious because she explained the meaning of it through eyes moist with tears. She tried to counter the ugliness by speaking in such terms of endearment over Civil Rights marches and great leaders who fought for change. But it did not ease the pain of that little girl's words. My 5-year-old mind could not understand how my color could incite such ugliness more than being the fat kid in school did? Great, one more reason to be ashamed. Shame over being black helped make me fat.
The Big O, Belly Bloat, and the Obama Diet - Week in Review December 1 to December 7
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.Recently discovered: The best weight loss drink in the world! What is it? Jonny will tell you. (Hint: It's free and you can get it from your kitchen faucet.)
use spend in the bedroom. Laura has six tips for better sex. Hey, it can't hurt ... might help, right?
Trying to squeeze into a slinky black dress for that holiday party? Fitz tells you how to banish the bloat from your belly for the big night.
Get fit on a treadmill without using your feet? Yes, really. Let Fitz andWiggle Anthony Field teach you some innovative new moves.
A lifetime of crash dieting may (may) leave you thin, but happy? Not so much. Valerie Frankel speaks out about the 150 diet plans she's tried over the years.
When a character in a Stephen King story gets on a treadmill, weird things are sure to happen. Find out how the king of scary feels about exercise machines.
Don't wait until 2009 to make your New Year's resolutions. Bev has 13 things you can do right now for a fitter 2009.
He's not only President-elect, he's also a great role model for good nutrition. Find out how Barack Obama eats.
Have a great week everyone!
The Obama Diet - How to Eat Like a President
Celebrities and Entertainment, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements
Now that he's been elected the leader of the free world, Barack Obama is the subject of intense scrutiny. But it's not just his foreign policy that's attracting attention -- his eating habits are being examined and copied throughout America. It could be worse -- the Obamas are pretty healthy folks, after all. They make fitness a priority and they eat well to boot. According to Steady Health, Barack's favourite foods include chili, Mexican food, almonds, pistachios and vegetables. His dislikes include mayonnaise, beets, soft drinks and ice cream. And he never skips breakfast.
His one unhealthy weakness? Cookies. At Baby Boomers Cafe in Des Moines, next door to Obama's campaign headquarters, they can't make enough of his favourite chocolate chunk cookies to keep up with demand.
Barack Obama Is a Fitness Fanatic - Richard Simmons Weighs In
Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Jenna Vaught, Victoria's Secret, and Thanksgiving - Week in Review November 17-23
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.Looking for inspiration? Meet Jenna Vaught, Miss America Plus Elite 2007. Maggie recently interviewed her and Jenna shared her story with us.
Victoria's Secret models are known for their perfect bodies. But they don't sacrifice good nutrition to get them.
Thanksgiving is just a few short days away. Jacki tells us how to avoid that post-dinner food coma.
Speaking of Thanksgiving food comas, Bev dares you to lighten up by replacing one of your Thanksgiving Day casseroles with something healthier. She double dog dares you. Will you do it?
Want to feel like a kid again? Try Punk Rope. It'll make you feel like you never left the playground.
Do you have a sugar habit? Find out what happened when I tried to nip mine in the bud.
Kids love sour candy, but sour candy doesn't love their teeth. Find out why.
Think you don't have time to work out? If the Obamas can make time, so can you.
It'll give you six-pack abs, but your neighbors might stare ... behold, the Rowbike.
Who's Talking About Kate Winslet's Body and How Hugh Jackman Got Sexy - November 15 to November 21
We Love To Gawk At Fit Celebs Weekly Roundup, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Barack and Michelle Obama - Fitness Comes First
Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment

Lots of change going on for the Obamas as they gear up for a new life in the White House. One thing Barack and Michelle won't alter as they adjust to their new roles and routines, though, is the way they approach fitness.
We told you recently that President-elect Obama works out six days a week for about 45 minutes. We also told you he'd love to go longer -- 90-minute workouts would be ideal. But here's some new skinny on how the 47-year-old Pres-to-be keeps his shape: He pumps iron and prefers lateral pull-downs, one-arm dumbbell curls, shoulder presses, and leg presses. For cardio, he takes to the treadmill or the basketball court. Since kicking his smoking habit (well, almost -- he did admit to bumming a few smokes during the campaign), Barack has become even more committed to being fit.
Michelle, also fierce about her fitness, starts her workouts as early as 4:30 AM. She likes to sweat and opts for a mix of cardio and weight training. It's three times a week for the almost-First Lady, who gives 90 minutes to her exercise window. Her favorite fitness gadgets: Free weights, treadmill, stair-stepper, and spin bike. Often exercising with a buddy or a personal trainer, Michelle says exercise is more than just physical for her -- it's therapy too. More on Michelle here, in this AOL Health gallery.
Seems the Obama girls are following in their parents' fitness footsteps. Malia apparently favors soccer, and Sasha picks gymnastics and tap. Both girls play tennis.
Obama - after election, he hit the gym
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According to reports, Obama hit the gym "wearing a dark baseball cap and sunglasses, [then] sped away in his motorcade for a few blocks to the gym near his house ... The new president-elect, who played his traditional election-day game of basketball on Tuesday with some friends and staff members before the polls closed, stayed inside the gym for about an hour."
Well, I can't think of any better way to start the first day of a new job than with a good workout. What about you?
Here's what our candidates eat - and how they can make it better

Still stuck on who will get your vote on November 4? Maybe you need a new criteria on which to base your decision. Like food. Check out what your front-running candidates use for fuel.
Barack Obama goes for comfort food. A steaming bowl of chili is one favorite, and the folks at Eating Well magazine who dug up this news say they recommend for health reasons that this Democrat make his dish low in calorie and high in fiber -- check out this recipe. Running mate Joe Biden is a fan of Italian food. When he eats at home or dines out, he usually picks pasta -- a little penne with tomato sauce and basil gets his vote. How would Eating Well spice this one up? By using whole-wheat penne pasta and raw tomato sauce.John McCain is a meat lover. Baby back ribs are tops for this Republican, who'd be wise to opt for a heart-healthy, oven cooked pulled-pork sandwich. And for his running mate? Does it surprise you that Sarah Palin likes a good moose stew? A hearty Flemish beef stew, made in a slow-cooker with beer for extra flavor, comes recommended by the Eating Well team
Obama works on fitness, quitting smoking
Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
So, Bethany, and all others who are dying to know what this man has to say, here's a sneak peak.
Obama reports that he works out for 45 minutes, six days a week. Sometimes it's a squeeze to get his workout in, and he admits there are times when sleep trumps time at the gym. When he does make it to the gym, he goes before he starts his work day. And while there, the 47-year-old lifts one day and does cardio the next. Obama's wish -- besides scoring that job as President of the United States -- is that his exercise sessions were longer. A 90-minute workout would be ideal.
Barack Obama on the cover of Men's Health
Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment

It's got to be difficult to exercise and eat right when you're busy campaigning across the country, there's no doubt about that. But maintaining a healthy diet and workout routine is a great way to relieve stress. And with only a little more than a month left until Election Day, I'm guessing stress is a pretty big part of Obama's daily life.
I'm curious to see what direction Men's Health steers their interview. Will they ask him about his personal fitness routine? How he'd maintain that routine if he's elected President? Or will the focus on the broader issue of health care for all Americans? We'll just have to wait and see until the issue comes out.
If you could ask Barack Obama or John McCain a diet or fitness related question, what would it be?
7 tips for selecting your running mate
The excitement of the race for the Presidency reached a fever pitch after each candidate selected his respective running mate. Unlike past elections, there seems to be a great deal of attention being paid to these individuals, more so than to the candidates themselves in some cases. But there is a lesson to be learned from all of this, one that actually has nothing to do with the body politic and more to do with just the body. Just like Barack Obama and John McCain were careful in making their decisions in selecting a running mate, it will benefit the future of your workouts if you do the same.
Here are a few things to look for during the vetting process of your own potential running mates:
- Do they only run certain types of surfaces? If so, this may not work if you like to mix things up
- Are they motivated? If not, you may actually be better off going at it alone -- or continuing with your running mate search
- Are you at the same fitness level? If they are too fit for you, you will have trouble keeping up (which means you will hold them back). If you are much fitter, you may not push yourself as hard and may instead lower your effort level to allow them to keep up
































