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.

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.

Like many women, I love lipgloss. I love the way it goes on so easily, making it feel a lot more casual than lipstick, and I love the way I look so much more polished after applying it. But, I don't love all lipglosses -- I don't like them if they're too sticky, too smelly, too glittery, not shiny enough, or if they bore me in any way. And, the biggest problem: Many of them dry out my lips to the point of being painful.

I recently had the opportunity to try out a couple of lipgloss colors from Cosmoholic Cosmetics, a company started by a woman who had worked as a makeup artist and was frustrated by the lack of vibrant lipgloss colors. She created a collection of seven colors, each with a nourishing "repair kit" for your lips to keep them moisturized and protected from irritants. No fragrances are included, but vanilla and macademia nut oil are used for moisturizing in addition to vitamin E, vitamin C, and antioxidants.

So how did Cosmoholic hold up to my picky pout?

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Two good diet foods: Fruits and veggies. They're low in calories and high in fiber, which makes them great ammunition in the battle of the bulge. They have a pretty super side effect too -- they're loaded with antioxidants to boost your health.

Next time you're shopping for your diet goods, pick up these five colors, each featuring unique antioxidants to keep you healthy while you whittle away at your weight.

• Red: Pink grapefruit, red bell peppers, tomatoes, and watermelon all contain lycopene, a lung and prostate cancer fighter.
• Purple: Concord grapes, blueberries, and prunes have anthocyanins to ward off heart disease and lower the risk of cancer.
• Green: Spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and bok choy come with lutein, great for reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and macular degeneration.
• Orange: Carrots, mangos, pumpkin, and oranges are the keepers of beta carotenes, the stuff that prevents cancers of the lung, esophagus, and stomach and keeps heart disease risk to a minimum and immune function to a maximum.
• White: Cauliflower, mushrooms, banana, and onions are stocked with anthoxanthins and allicin to help lower blood pressure and protect against stomach cancer.
  
  

Next time you're hungry, pass on those red Skittles, the green M&Ms, that orange Halloween candy. Grab yourself some colorful fruit instead. Watch your extra pounds melt away while your health soars.

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Blanching refers to the technique of plunging a food into boiling water until its color has set or the food has softened. Ten seconds is usually all it takes to brighten color and bring out flavor. To stop the cooking process, the food is transferred to a bowl of ice water.

Why use blanching? Besides perfecting color and flavor, it makes it easier to peel the skin of fruits like tomatoes and peaches. Blanching is also recommended for vegetables you wish to freeze -- blanching inactivates the enzymes that promote spoilage.

For more on blanching -- and a similar process, called parboiling, click here.

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It's a widely accepted belief that color affects mood. According to a recent German study, color can also affect the decisions referees make. The study found that tae kwon do competitors who wore red had the favor of the referees. Competitors who wore red were consistently awarded more points than competitors who wore blue, even when their performances were virtually identical. The lead author of the study, a psychologist at the University of Munster, suggests that color "triggers a psychological response in referees."

Other experts say that the study wasn't complete because it didn't take hue and brightness into consideration. In addition, some experts state that wearing red isn't always a positive for athletes. For example, soccer players who wear red may have more fouls called on them.

I don't know about this seeing-red thing. While red is certainly an eye-catching color, I'm not sure if I buy the fact that it makes that much difference in sports. Particularly in team sports, where an entire group is wearing red. To me, it has the distinct ring of the old cops-ticket-more-red-cars urban myth. What do you think?

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How often have you seen an ad or read about a new makeup trend in a magazine, only to think, "That looks great on her, but I'd never pull that off with my skin tone?" While it's true that some trends look best on women of particular ages or with certain skin tones, if there's a trend that intrigues you, there's probably a way to make it work for you.

Click through the gallery to see how Fitnessmagazine.com tailored five current makeup trends for specific skin tones -- you might find your new favorite look!

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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.

My guest this week is one of those people who really puts me in awe. Desmond Howard has scooped up two of the most impressive and revered awards in the entire sport of football, a Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl MVP. As I sat with Desmond on a sunny and breezy day in the University of Florida football stadium, The Swamp, I wondered what if felt like to achieve such greatness. Most boys feel lucky to make their high school JV football team. To play in college is an honor. To do what Desmond's done ... indescribable.

I love talking to professional athletes because they have had access to the best of the best opportunities in fitness. They have been trained for perfection and have proven to have mastered the art of discipline. Surely, they have something to share!

ince retiring from playing football, Desmond now works as a color analyst for ESPN's College GameDay. He doesn't have the luxury of an aggressive coach barking at him each day to maximize his potential. He trains because he loves being fit, and just like you and me, he has had to find creative ways to work it into his schedule.

On a personal note ... for someone with so much success in one of the most testosterone-driven sports in the world, Desmond was one of the most down-to-earth non-egotistical men I've ever met. He maintained a gigantic smile (with ridiculously perfect white teeth) throughout our entire conversation and was just a pleasure to spend time with. He's smart, funny, and everything I would want my son to become if he followed in a similar athletic path. Plus he praised his Mom, and of course, I want my baby to do that too. If you haven't been able to keep up with Desmond's success in sports, but would like to achieve great fitness as an adult ... read on.

Fitz: You've retired as one of the most successful football players in both the NFL and NCAA. What do you do now to stay fit?

Desmond: I usually try to work out four-five times a week, but it's kind of difficult when I travel a lot. When we do a lot of college football games, I'll ask the Sports Information Director of the university where we'll be if we can use their weight room. Sometimes the hotels we stay in have pretty nice weight rooms too. We really don't need a lot. I try to do cardio. I like the elliptical machine a lot, because it's low impact on my knees. If they don't have that I'll do the stationary bike. I always get in at least 35-40 minutes of hard cardio, work my core, and then work some other muscle group.

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The fitness equipment, apparel and boxing giant Everlast was so impressed with our That's Fit Fitzness Fiends that they're ready to start rewarding people. Not only am I, your loving online fitness trainer, proud of you all, but Everlast is proud of you too!

Everlast is rewarding an Everlast Fitzness Fiend of the Week with one of their hot new tank tops from their Spring collection. They're absolutely gorgeous, totally comfy, and of ridiculously high quality.

I'm thrilled with the grand response from those of you who've already participated as a Fiend, and even more excited to meet the rest of you!Presents aside, the Fitzness Fiend feature is a great way to share much that you've learned on your way to becoming more fit. We've all ventured down so many paths to better health, it'd be a sin not to share our secrets and successes with others!

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About 20 years ago, Nike introduced the Air Max Light shoe, which was fairly popular for a while until it was overshadowed by a newer version, the Air Max 90.

Well there are now more than 25 versions of the Air Max, all of them available in various colors for men and women. But, Nike is going back to its Air Max roots with the Nike Air Max Light Retro Running Classic shoes.

A couple of versions, like the ones pictured, are available exclusively through JD Sports. However, there are plenty of other versions from which to choose. Check out the gallery and see which ones you want to collect next!

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The University of Copenhagen out of Denmark has managed to trace the genetic lineage of blue-eyed individuals all the way back to a single ancestor. By studying various people from distinctly unique countries like Jordan and Turkey, they discovered that everyone had brown eyes in the beginning.

However, at some point in our history, a switch was triggered which caused brown eyes to transition to blue. The way this happened was that the amount of melanin in the iris became "diluted" as they put it. This switch appears in the same genetic spot for each person, linking back to a common ancestor. The scientists referred to this as a mutation of the "OCA2 gene" which toned down the amount of melanin produced.

It just goes to show you that mutations such as these can produce beautiful results!

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I am a hair dye enthusiast -- I love to color my hair. While some do it to cover gray or because they've always dreamed of being a blond, brunette or red head, I do it because I love that it's a non-permanent way to considerably alter the way I look. Well that, and also due to the fact that my normal hair color is an extremely unappealing shade of mousy, ash-brown.

While I'm happy to shell out a fair-sized amount of cash to have my hair done professionally for special occasions, I can't afford to pay expensive salon prices every time I decide I need a change. I imagine this is the case for most of you fellow dye fans out there. I know that many hairdressers will try to persuade all of us that home hair-coloring kits will forever destroy our hair, but I also know of a few who will admit that many of the products currently on the market do a pretty decent job at a much lower price.

Having said that, if you do decide to try the DIY method, it is important to do a little research beforehand as the onus is on you to get it right. A botched at-home job will end up costing even more when you have to go to a professional to fix the splotchy, orange mess you've made of your former crowning glory. With this in mind, it's important to think about the four things listed here before you start the process.

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If you're looking for ways to improve your mood, concentration, and even give your creativity a boost then consider taking a hint from the ancient Chinese philosophy of feng shui. Part of feng shui is using colors to improve life by recognizing what effects certain colors have on how you feel. By strategically incorporating colors into your environment and decor you can help boost areas that may have been lacking. Purple, for example, can help foster creativity, blue can calm stress, and red stirs passion. What do you need more of in your life? Experiment with different shades and different combinations in your home, your office, and other places -- even just a well-placed accent, like a bold photo frame or arrangement of flowers, can make a difference.

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Most of us know to take care of our hands and faces in order to keep a youthful look but do you ever think about how your hair may make you look older? It's not something that I had really considered until I saw this piece that gives advice on how to keep your hair looking as young as the rest of you.

After age 30, women's hair begins to get thinner so help keep your mane strong and think by eating plenty of protein and limiting the amount of time it's braided or in a ponytail, as these styles can cause breakage and damage hair roots. Always use conditioner when you wet your hair in order to prevent dryness and only use dryers, curling irons and straighteners a few times a week, as the high heat can cook your hair.

Finally, be willing to take the time to find a cut that looks good on you (just because a style is current and looks hot on a model in a magazine doesn't mean it will suit your face), and make sure to cover gray with an appropriate color. If you're not sure what will work for you, pay a professional to help you pick a color and style -- it'll be worth the cash.

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Here's an interesting thought -- maybe the colour of your tablecloth can affect your eating habits. According to this post on Fitsugar, tablecloths in bright shades of red, orange and yellow are conducive to overeating, while tablecloths that are navy, coffee-brown or forest-green help curb your appetite, supposedly because they are unappetizing colours (I don't know if I agree with that, however. Brown reminds me of chocolate.)

I've hear that colours can affect your mood and behaviour but honestly, I think this is going a bit far. What do you think?

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I don't know many people who don't eat more salads during the summer -- you have to pretty much hate them to completely avoid them this time of year. So as long as you're having salads, and especially if you love them like I do, you might as well make them colorful!

Of course bright fruits and vegetables generally have more antioxidants and necessary nutrients, not to mention throwing some extra fresh items on your salad will both help you feel fuller (so you're less likely to indulge on unhealthy snacks later) and get your daily servings in of fruits and vegetables. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

Looking for a great recipe? There are literally millions out there, but this Spinach and Strawberry Salad from Whole Foods looks awesome!

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