We all need something to aim for -- find your ideal challenge and start training for it.

Welcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight, and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

I need a do-over. Ever heard of that? That's the second chance you get in certain kids' games. It applies to hopscotch and double dutch, so it seems only fair I get one for my seven-day, no-sugar challenge.

The plan was strong. I was all set. So I thought. Inspired by a fellow blogger, Bethany Sanders, I wanted to experience the benefits of seven days without sugar consumption. I was thrilled to have Bethany stop by and comment on my post! However, sista girl should have reminded me that it's HOLIDAY time, when sweets abound!

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In the wise words of Dolly Parton, "Working nine to five ... it's enough to drive you crazy if you let it." If you want to avoid the driving-you-crazy part and be more productive and less stressed, the answer is simple: Exercise.

University of Bristol researchers found that people who exercised on work days -- either before work or during lunch -- experienced less stress and were better able to handle the challenges of their workdays.

It's not surprising, really. Exercise can do wonders for your mood. And if you have a crabby co-worker, a demanding boss or unreasonable deadlines to deal with, you can certainly use a little boost in the mood department. And physical activity can increase your energy which, in turn, will make you a more productive employee. So get moving! You never know ... maybe your boss will notice your great performance and you'll get that raise you sorely deserve.

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Getting fit and staying fit is tough stuff. A top hurdle is most definitely finding the time to work out. Finding the motivation is an obstacle too.

Blogger "Intrigued"over at Trusera has a suggestion for those of you who whine about working out: Remember the results. Says this smart one: "Whenever I find myself starting to whine, complain or (ahem) curse during a workout, I catch myself, stop the negativity, and say out loud, 'I love the results.'"

Attitude, as well as practice, really does make a difference. "I love the results!" Why not make it your mantra too?

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Want to get more results out of your regular fitness class? It's as simple as standing at the front of the class.

Having a consistent workout routine is a good thing. Never budging from it though, can be a bad thing. Our bodies tend to adapt and become mighty efficient if we tell it to do the same thing over and over. We're a smart species! What can I say?

The October issue of Women's Health magazine has a great little section on various ways you can tweak traditional exercises to make them challenging once again. Give them a looksy and then give them a try. A little difference goes a long way.

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.

Pound for pound, Shawn Johnson would probably be the strongest member of the U.S. Army ... if she were in it. This petite 16 year old can do an insane amount of pull-ups on her first set alone, and has more drive than any NASCAR vehicle on the road. Wouldn't you love to have the strength, stamina and flexibility she's earned? Take some of the advice she gives here, and you may do just that. Just like the brilliant medals she won in Bejing this summer, Shawn's advice is golden!

Fitz: How many hours a week do you train before a competition?

Shawn: Before the Olympics I was training about 26 hours in the gym a week and up to five hours out of the gym running and swimming... doing anything extra I could.

Fitz: Your upper-body strength is amazing. How many pushups and pullups can you do?

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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.

Nastia Liukin was the darling of the U.S. gymnastics team this year as she conquered Olympic Gold in the All Around competition and proudly added to her collection four more medals. That would be three silver and one bronze; I personally would kill to have just one in any color. She's Russian born, American bred and now working with the Secret Sport Challenge to help make other athletic dreams come true. I scored this interview this week while she was promoting the Challenge and bringing attention to the twenty $5,000 scholarships being given away to help others achieve their sporty goals. Nastia is ridiculously fit and has some great advice to help you look better, feel stronger and live longer.

Fitz: How many hours a week do you train before a competition?

Nastia: Before the Olympics I trained for about seven hours a day. It included about two hours of warming up and conditioning, and the rest of the time was spent practicing routines and skills on the events.

Fitz: If you weren't a professional athlete/gymnast how do you think you'd pursue fitness?

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Having a regular workout routine is great, but can get to be just that: routine. Sometimes you need to switch it up, try something new. Over at Divine Caroline, they've revealed the top four signs you need to change your workout:

• You're bored. Simply put, if you don't enjoy something or find it challenging, you'll make excuses to avoid doing it.
• You've hit a plateau: Results are a big motivator, and if you stop seeing them, you're less willing to put in the effort.
• You feel sore or tired afterwards: Workouts should give you energy. If yours doesn't, take a rest from it any try something else. And make sure you're not over-training.
• You're not challenged: Meeting a certain goal is a huge motivator, but if you've already surpassed that goal, it's time to make new ones.
  

Remember this: Change is good. Trying new workouts could make all the difference in your personal fitness. And when in doubt? Consult a fitness professional.

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Join recent Olympic gold medal winning gymnasts, Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson, tonight (Monday, September 22, 2008) for an exciting webinar. Hosted by Secret, the two champs will be chatting LIVE about their recent experiences and will even offer a few of you the opportunity to ask them questions personally!

Both Nastia and Shawn have achieved their athletic goals, and are joining forces with the Secret Sport Challenge in efforts to give away twenty $5,000 athletic scholarships so others can follow their dreams as well. This event promotes sports, fitness and health, and that's why I thought it would be a perfect event to share with you!

To attend the Secret Sport Challenge Webinar with Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson tonight at 5pm EST click here!

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I've been running this great 3.5 mile loop in the mornings, just after I drop my little boys at school. I leave my car parked in the school parking lot, strap my MP3 player to my arm, and run. I also wonder. I wonder what all the drivers who pass me on the street think when they see me running by. It's a pretty traffic-y area (don't worry, I stay on the sidewalk and cross streets only when I see the flashing "walk" guy) so I know bunches of people spot me working on my fitness. Do they critique my form? Do they laugh at me trying to keep my balance while hunting for my favorite song? Do they see me tugging at my wedgie, adjusting my shorts, wiping sweat from my brow? Of course, they do. I see all these things when I zero in on a runner. But mostly, when I see someone exercising outdoors, I think one thing: I want that to be me.

When I see someone running, I want to run. When I see someone power walking, I want to power walk. And when I see someone riding a bike up and down the seven hills in the my neighborhood -- big hills, I might add -- I want to be conquer those very same hills.

My new neighbor inspired me. There she was the other night, powering up and down hills while I was walking them. My walk was good. But that bike ride -- it looked even better. Well, it looked really hard, to be honest. But it made me want to tackle something different, a new challenge. I've never done it, so why not. I may even coax my seven-year-old into joining me. Together we can accomplish something great. Together we can become eye candy for those around us. What will they think? Probably that I'm huffing and puffing way too hard as my kid leaves me in his dust. What I hope, though, is that they'll think they want to ride too.

What makes you want to run, walk, or ride?

I've completed the first two weeks of my hundred push-ups challenge, and I'm happy to say that I'm still going strong. It's a challenge, to be sure, but it's really broken down into manageable sets and I haven't had any problems yet.

As I mentioned before, my husband is joining me in the challenge, and together we have faced a few location-based challenges (as you can see in the picture). After our vast two weeks of experience, I'd have to recommend that, if you have dogs or children, you take turns with the push-ups and keep them out of the way. Unless, of course, you like the extra challenge of 60 extra pounds on your back ...

Before beginning Week Three, I had to complete another exhaustion test, and I'm pleased to report that I was able to complete over 50 push-ups in a row, so I'm (sort of) half-way there (which is a good thing, because this week looks haaaard). Those of you doing the challenge, speak up -- how are you coming along?

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In the last couple of weeks, several of the fitness and running blogs I frequent have talked about the same thing -- the hundred push-ups training program. As someone who incorporates push-ups into my workouts regularly, I was intrigued to say the least. Now, I'm more than intrigued -- I'm involved.

The program is designed to help anyone reach a goal of doing 100 consecutive push-ups. I mean, I can do 100, but it's broken down into five or six (or more) sets. It lasts six weeks, and you do a push-up workout three times a week. Shoot, I can do that. I can do that so well that I'm making my husband do it with me.

Anyway, we started yesterday, and at the beginning of this, I was able to do 40 in a row. I'll keep you up to date on my progress. If anyone else out there is joining in the fun (and I hope you'll consider doing so), I'd love to hear from you -- drop a comment and let me know!

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I just received this press release for a SLEEP promotion, and as I'm a huge fan of sleep, I thought I'd pass it along. I really do value sleep and thought that this constituted a good enough reason for me to take a nap. Work keeps me up to late, and the kids wake me up far too early. If you're like me and just need a great excuse to get some extra Zzzz, read on, grow inspired, and then conk out. Maybe you can even participate and win yourself a fancy bed!

--SUMMER IS FOR SLEEPING? EXHAUSTED AMERICANS CHALLENGED TO SLEEP-IN ON LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR!

Sleep Number by Select Comfort® Kicks-Off Sleep-in Challenge on First Day of Summer to Help Combat Mortality Causing Illnesses - (June 5, 2008) –Just one more hour of sleep each day can help extend your life by reducing mortality causing illnesses including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, respiratory disorders and high blood pressure, according to new researchSo, instead of packing more activities into your day, the sleep experts at Select Comfort (NASDAQ: SCSS), the nation's leading bed retailer and maker of the Sleep Number bed, challenge Americans to adopt better sleep habits by signing a pledge here to sleep one more hour each day beginning June 20, the first day of summer and the "longest" day of the year. All those who pledge are entered to win a free Sleep Number bed and sent valuable sleep and lifestyle tips to help them achieve deeper, restorative sleep to improve physical and mental health and performance, which might extend their life and increase their bedtime comfort.

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