Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm happy about my transformation from 386 to 181 pounds. It's not that I have to remind myself because I'm completely unhappy. I remind myself in order to stay focused. It's easy to get complacent, but recalling how far I've come and where I used to be can be just the shot in the arm to lift my head when it's lowered, for whatever reason.

Even before I got here, every attempt I ever made to get fit or lose weight always brought a smile. I was always happiest when I at least tried. Of course I'd feel awful when I failed but it never took away from my euphoria from having made an honest effort. Now that I live every day in this body and my struggle has become somewhat easier, I miss that feeling.

What this tells me is that I'm not trying hard enough, at something. Time for me to up my game and once again experience the joy of doing something good for me. It's not that dieting or working out has become a bore but being happy at my current weight requires far less effort to maintain than it took to achieve. I say all of this to say, I need a new challenge in my life.

A little variety is always a good thing. When you add some variety to your workouts, you're more likely to stay motivated. After all, while you (of course) want your workout to be effective, it should also be fun! Fusion fitness keeps the fun alive by pairing two different activities and creating a whole new workout. Here are two fusion trends to try out:

Taking moves from extreme ends of the fitness spectrum, piloxing combines Pilates and boxing. Hilary Duff is a fan of this challenging workout. Duff said "It will definitely kick you into shape and it's so much fun!"



Yolett is another spin on two classic workouts. LB Kass, creator of the Yollet technique, combines moves from yoga and ballet. The class is fast-paced, and is great for both all-over toning and stress relief.



What do you think: What two workouts would you like to see combined?

Source

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

Scottish actor Kevin McKidd, known best as Dr. Owen Hunt on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, has had his health and fitness habits completely uprooted as a result of his career. Besides starring on a hit prime time TV show, Kevin starred in Rome and has an athletic role in the upcoming action movie Bunraku. He used to be a carb addict and now he's passionate about the fighting arts and fitness. Pay close attention to the lessons he's learned to stay hot in Hollywood and see if they can change your life as well.

Fitz: The characters you play are usually pretty fit. What type of training do you do?

Kevin: Fitness has always been a part of my life, but it's become a much bigger part because of my job. I just finished an action movie called Bunraku (with Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson), which I did a lot of martial arts training for.

Fitz: My sport is kickboxing; it's the best exercise ever! How did you like it?

Kevin: It was great fun. I had a boxing trainer, and I did a lot of rounds hitting the bag and his mitts. During the week, I trained with the stunt team.

Fitz: What's your favorite strike?

Source

Wondering what your favorite celeb has been doing to stay in shape? As always, those of us here at That's Fit have been keeping tabs on the hotties of Hollywood all week long, and we've got it all wrapped up for you. Click on your favorite celebs above to find out how they're keeping fit!

A couple that stays together ... watches fights together? Taking in violent matches with your spouse might not seem like the key to a long and happy marriage, but it works for Brooke Shields and hubby Chris Henchy. The lovely Shields recently revealed what the two do for fun -- they watch boxing matches.Better watching a fight together than participating in one.

What does Brooke do to stay fit? Shields reveals, "I spin and I do yoga and that's it... I can carry my kids and I can dance and my legs get me through Broadway shows. And to me, when they function for me and not just look a certain way, then I feel lucky."

Hmm ... she stays fit without letting it control her life. She sounds like my kind of fitness role model. Your thoughts?

Source

There's no doubt -- life as an actress can be stressful. And Raven-Symone is the first to admit that. In fact, the actress even goes so far as to say, "I do have anger issues," but she doesn't like to yell at anybody, so she's found another way to get out her frustrations -- boxing.

When she's angry at someone, Raven-Symone said, "I picture that person's face that I want to yell at and I hit it repeatedly [with my] mitt."

I've actually done the same thing on a number of occasions -- beating the hell out of a heavy bag somehow makes me feel better. However, running is a great stress reliever as well. What form of exercise helps you clear your head, or puts you in a good mood?

The idea of climbing into a ring with someone and having a pop-off might be a fate worse than death for some. For others it's an enjoyable thing to do on what would otherwise be an idle weeknight. In either case, the fact remains that boxing is among the best cardiovascular workouts you can do.

According to the Calorie Control Council, boxing burns more calories than any other sport. As for the dangers inherent to the activity (also known as getting your face bashed in), there's actually far less to worry about than you think, especially if you work with a trainer. First of all, as a beginner you probably won't be stepping into a ring for quite some time and, when you finally do, you'll likely be well-covered with head and body protection. So, you can put that worry aside.

One thing that will happen right away, however, is sweat. Boxing training is intense; it's usually broken up into three-minute exercise sessions split with one-minute breaks (to mimic a typical round in a boxing match). Expect to learn the basic punches (jab, hook, cross) and footwork, as well as how to spin a jump rope. You may wish to never punch anything more than a bag (which is perfectly OK), but you will have no choice but to bust your butt.

For a listing of boxing gyms in your area, click here for a comprehensive, state-by-state directory.

Source

"Pretty Boy Floyd" is not known for mincing words or sugar-coating anything. In fact this elite fighter who has won six world championship belts in five weight classes and has gone undefeated as a professional says it straight. He describes himself as the "greatest athlete ever," and honestly ... has done a lot to back that up.

He's featured in the book, Men's Health Celebrity Diet Secrets 2008, and I think one of his quotes is both poignant and hysterical. I encourage you not to read any further if you're easily offended though. He wasn't vulgar, but his thoughts on maintaining flat abs isn't for children either.

Before I go there, I just want you to know that Floyd not only walks the walk, but he has made it possible for his team (those who bust their butt to keep in at the top of his game) to get and stay fit as well. He's purchased memberships to 24-Hour Fitness for all of his employees. "I want to keep everyone around me healthy and in shape," he says.

Source

There's a workout, and then there's a Work Out. And THEN, there's a BOXING WORK OUT. Trust me, there's a reason why boxers are able to spend over a half an hour in a ring exchanging punches and not go into cardiac arrest. It's because these guys and gals have trained their butts off for months before ever stepping foot in that arena, let alone that ring. But, you don't have to be Rocky Balboa to get the benefit of a boxing workout, which is why I am this week highlighting some of the basic boxing moves that you too can add to your fitness routine.

First of all, be sure to always maintain a proper stance. This means keeping your feet a little more than shoulder- width apart, with your dominant foot in the back (in other words, if you're right handed/footed, than you want your right foot in the back and for your left foot to lead). Try your best to stay on the balls on your feet, which will allow you to do all your fancy stutter-stepping footwork (or for now, just keep you balanced). Your hands should be made into fists and kept close to your face. Your elbows need to be tucked closely to your body. From here, you're ready to start dotting some imaginary bad guy's eyes.

If you're looking reduce your cancer risk by delivering a solid one-two combination, a tasty and healthy fight plan is to eat fish and broccoli together.

Because many types of fish contain selenium, which has been shown to increase levels of cancer-fighting enzymes, you're already off to a good start. Then, by adding broccoli -- because the vegetable contains a great deal of sulforaphane, a compound that offers similar cancer-fighting effects as fish -- you're following your initial jab with a solid right cross.

What's more, researchers at the Institute of Food Research found that when combined, fish and broccoli were 13 times more effective at slowing the growth of cancer cells than each food was all by itself. It's clear, then, that making this healthy meal combo part of your regular diet may help send cancer to the mat.

Source

For those of you who just celebrated the Easter holiday, there's a good chance that you have a chocolate bunny or two still lying around. The question now becomes, how long can you go without eating it?

Just in case you had any intention of caving, here are some quick stats that will likely make you change your mind.

A 6oz Solid Chocolate Easter Bunny contains 920 calories. Remember that figure. 920 calories.

To burn that many calories, you would have to do one of the following exercises (based on a 175 pound person):

• 70 minutes of Step, high-impact aerobics
• 70 minutes of running at 6mph
• 70 minutes of jumping rope
• 70 minutes of water polo
• 70 minutes of competitive racquetball
• 70 minutes of boxing, sparring
• 140 minutes of softball
• 140 minutes of walking at 4.5mph
• 140 minutes of whitewater rafting
• 210 minutes of Frisbee
• 210 minutes of volleyball (non-competitive)
• 210 minutes of weight lifting (general)

How harmless is that little, 920-calorie chocolate bunny now?

Source

If you thought Russell Crowe in "Cinderella Man" was an underdog story, check out this bit of inspiration about Parkinson's disease patients fighting the battle of their lives -- literally. The story conveys what people are willing to do when diagnosed with an illness that could leave them debilitated.

For those unfamiliar, Parkinson's affects the central nervous system. Because it's a degenerative disease, it also takes away people's movement. This leaves patients immobile and helpless in a lot of ways. But one gym in Indianapolis is trying to provide an outlet for these people to train, and heal, using boxing!

Rock Steady Gym is non-profit, and the people there are using boxing as a therapy. A friend of the person who started it was diagnosed with Parkinson's, which helped conceive the original idea. Now, after months of training, he's regained movement and mitigated the tremors. Before that he couldn't even write his own name. Knowing there's a place like this fighting for those in need really puts volunteerism in perspective. Let's hope an idea like this gets contagious and spreads to other places!

Source

Looking for the perfect gift for the health nut in your family this holiday? And, would you like to help raise money for breast cancer awareness? Then I've got the just the gift idea for you.

Boxing mega company Everlast is still running their popular pink boxing glove promotion, where they donate 5% of each sale of these specialty gloves to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). These mitts are actual boxing gloves, not some kitchy, fun version. They look, smell, and definitely feel like the real thing -- save for the bright pink color, that is.

Most women probably won't have any issue wearing pink boxing gloves, while some men may put up a bit of a fight. If that happens, be sure to point out that heavyweight fighter Monte Barret went toe-to-toe with a 7-foot Russian opponent last year while donning these very same pink gloves, which he wore in honor of his deceased mother, who succumbed to breast cancer just prior.

Source