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Fitz's Cool Tools: The Lucy Power Pant

Fashion and Beauty, Fitness, Reviews & Products

lucy power pantI'm in love with Lucy. No, I haven't ditched my husband for a chic. Lucy is the maker of the pants I've adopted as my uniform. Do I need a uniform? No! Do I wish I had an excuse to wear Power Pants every day? Heck yeah!

If you're not familiar with Lucy, let me introduce you. Lucy is a fashionable line of women's workout wear that puts equal emphasis on performance, versatility and style. The line offers clothing and accessories designed for running, yoga, gym workouts and training in the great outdoors. I've done all of the above in my latest addiction: the Power Pant.

The Power Pant fits my smallish bum in the most amazing way. It enhances my curves, never shows a panty line and falls beautifully to the floor in the boot cut style. The moisture wick material allows me to run without discomfort, and the cute little zippered pockets hold my mp3 player firmly against my hip. One of my girlfriends has a pair, and they disguise her lumps and bumps. Most other fitness pants just accentuate them.

Fitz's Cool Tools: Lucy.com(click thumbnails to view gallery)

Lucy Power PantEssential SocksRPM Tank in Geisha RedVital JacketL'amour Tee

Weight Loss Products - Beware the Hidden Dangers

Diet & Weight Loss

pillsThe old weight-loss-in-a-pill wish. I think most of us who have a few pounds to lose have wished it could be that easy from time to time. And when you watch the commercials on TV, they certainly make it seem like magic. Think about it -- one second an overweight person is pictured and the next second -- BAM! -- that very same person is thin and somehow tanner and more smiley. What a miracle, right? Not only do the pills help you lose weight, they must also make you tanner, happier and give you better hair. Who wouldn't want some of that magic?

Unfortunately, it's not that easy. Weight loss requires work and a commitment to a healthier lifestyle. And, while some weight loss pills undoubtedly do help, there are associated risks. Jacki recently told us about the risks with some of the more popular weight-loss medications, most of which are available by prescription only. But a lot of the lesser known medications can be risky, too.

The FDA listed 28 weight loss products that contain hidden -- and potentially harmful -- ingredients. No, thank you. Check out the gallery for more tried and true ways to shed pounds.

Ways to lose weight(click thumbnails to view gallery)

Ditch the See a proBuild on successUse a symbolBuy fresh

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Fitz's Cool Tools: The heavenly Sleep Number bed

Healthy Products and Reviews, Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products, Motivation

I have been sleeping in ecstasy for the past few weeks. Yes. I have a Sleep Number Bed. Not only do I have a Sleep Number Bed, but I have the new kind with Memory Foam on top. Mmmmmm. It's amazing. In fact, I didn't realize how poorly I was sleeping until I got this bed.

I value sleep. I'm a fitness trainer, fitness enthusiast, mother of two and writer of far too many things. I need to sleep, and I need to sleep well in order to accomplish the ridiculous amount of tasks that fill my days. Are you familiar with this insane style of living? I bet many of you are.

Sleep is such a powerful tool. In fact, it's a requirement for professionals and parents and growing children too. Think of it this way. Exhausted people don't work out. Those running on fumes struggle to achieve the bare minimums of each day and then toss and turn at night, unable to get to sleep quickly. Sleepless people tend to eat poorly and gain weight as a result as well. The bottom line? Quality sleep is a crucial component for vitality, fitness and success.

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Athletes pitching food products

Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements

Bruce Jenner, Mary Lou Retton, Muhammad Ali... lots of sporting greats have landed on the front of a Wheaties box. As Bev told us, Michael Phelps opted to promote a less healthy cereal instead. He's not the first athlete to lend his name to a less-than-healthy product:

  • Former football greats Tony "Goose" Siragusa and Boomer Esiason both came out with the "perfect" ribs. Siragusa also sells prepackaged meats such as pulled pork, sausage, and meatballs; while Esiason sells Boomer's Barbeque Sauce.
  • Bo Jackson knows pre-packaged foods, too. He teamed up with N'Genuity Brands to create Bo Jackson Signature Foods -- a line of products including burgers and country fried steaks.
  • Fred Smoot from the Washington Redskins promotes the SMACK energy bar. According to the website, SMACK's main ingredients are sugar and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. The bar has 250 calories, 10 grams of fat (6 of which are saturated), and 22 grams of sugar.

Check out Mental Floss for the complete list of 7 famous athletes who now sell food.

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Fitz's Cool Tools: Dannon Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt

Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Vegetarian, Vitamins and Supplements, Womens Health, Healthy Recipes, Healthy Kids, Cellulite, Obesity, Healthy Events, Fashion and Beauty, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Motivation, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

This week I've been sampling Dannon's Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt, and I absolutely love it. Before I go any further though, let me tell you how I feel about yogurt. I like it, but only if I feel like I'm getting a high in calcium, low in sugar, legitimately fruit-filled snack. Now, there is always yogurt stacked up in my fridge, because I have two little children. But, rarely do I even open up a cup for myself. Not that I would ever buy my babies anything "bad"... cause I don't. But I regularly expect perfection of the things I put in my mouth. I'm simply not willing to waste 100 calories on a teeny cup of yogurt. I'd rather have two big pieces of fruit.

So! I was thrilled instantly by the calorie count on Dannon's new Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt. Each cup boasts only 50 or 60 calories, depending on the flavor. That I can do! The fruity varieties are also full of real fruit chunks. Fresh and healthy fruit chunks, not the icky stuff dumped in from a can. On top of all that, each flavor has proven to be delicious to both my children and me, and then a few of my personal training clients as well.

Before you go give Dannon's Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt a try, I encourage you to do a side-by-side comparison of it's nutritional content versus that of other yogurts. I did this a few days ago and couldn't find anything as good. This is the type of thing you want to put in your fridge if you're trying to lose weight. It's a great fix for your sweet tooth, while providing a decent amount of protein, calcium, vitamin D and other important nutrients.

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Fitz's Cool Tools: Thomas Kemper Low Calorie Root Beer

Healthy Habits, Womens Health, Healthy Kids, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Reviews & Products, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

As your loving online fitness trainer, I'm constantly searching for fun new products to help you achieve ultimate fitness with the most ease and enjoyment. Thomas Kemper Low Calorie Root Beer, with only 20 calories per 12 ounce bottle, is one of those products. Look. We all know that plain old water is the best beverage in the world health wise. But...I'm a big fan of the no and low calorie drinks as well. I find that a diet soda satisfies my sweet tooth and keeps me from hunting down muffins throughout my day. It keeps me in the teeny jeans I like to wear as well.

Thomas Kemper did a great job creating the perfect low calorie version of their Original Root Beer. It tastes delicious and my die hard root beer loving neighbor guzzled it down to rave reviews, without even knowing it was a low calorie drink! He almost fell off of his chair when I told him it was a 'diet' drink. Having said that, I think his new addiction to Thomas Kemper Low Cal Root Beer is going to help him get rid of his 'regular beer belly'. Such an easy way to lose weight!

Not only is the Low Calorie Root Beer a yummy treat, the bottle will make you feel fancy. It's brown and beige with a cutie logo, and will make you feel like you're sitting on a farm with Wilford Brimley and Huck Finn. Not that those two characters were known to hang out together, but Thomas Kemper will make you feel like they did. It will make you feel like you're all three together on the farm throwing rocks....or something else sweet and old fashioned like that!

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Fit Beauty - Beauty gifts for him

In last week's post I talked about ways to pamper yourself or someone you love on Valentine's Day. In one of the paragraphs I discussed gifts for men, including a short bit on grooming gifts. This week I thought I would elaborate on it because, to me, Valentine's Day often seems to be more about gifts for women. I know this may come too late for today -- or not, depending on how organized you are -- but here are a few of my favorite companies that do great grooming products for men.

Aveda is easily my favorite place to buy any kind of beauty product. I don't get to shop there often as I find it a bit pricey, but it is still great for a treat. They have a good range of items for men including hair care, skin care, body and shaving products. If your guy is mane-obsessed, you can try the pomade, grooming clay or cream, or if he's looking for face care, Aveda offers the All-Sensitive Cleanser, All-Sensitive Toner and All-Sensitive Moisturizer.

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Ask Fitz! Your Fitness Questions Answered - Gravity boots & Tipping trainers

Healthy Products and Reviews, Ask Fitz!, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Men's Health

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hello Fitz. I am currently working on getting six-pack abs. I was surfing the web and found this new device called EZ-ups gravity shoes. They basically make you hang upside-down and let you do sit-ups. Is it worth buying or not? Jonathan

A. Hey Jonathan, I know what you're talking about and I really feel neither here nor there on the product. The Teeter Hang-ups EZ-Ups Inversion System Gravity Boots, selling for $149. I have never used them, but being in this field for almost two decades has allowed me to try similar types of exercises and equipment.

Honestly. I wouldn't have any desire to purchase something so expensive and one dimensional like this. I'd prefer to have a regular pull-up bar for pull-ups and then train my abs by lifting my legs while hanging upright. Hanging upside down doesn't hold any appeal to me, since I've previously fallen from and inversion table and conked my head pretty hard. Ouch! In my opinion, there are a lot better ways to skin that cat of six pack abs. Ways that are less dangerous and expensive as well. Fitz

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Post-workout peppermint

Healthy Habits, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Reviews & Products, Motivation


My ideal workout scenario is as follows: Get out of bed, exercise, shower, fix myself up, and be done for the day. There's something about accomplishing my fitness feats first thing that helps power me through the day. Sometimes things work out this way although on most days, my morning routine has me coaxing little ones out of bed, into clothes, to the breakfast table, to the toothbrushes, and into the car for the ritual school drop-off. By the time I get to my treadmill or to the streets outside, I've been up for hours. Not ideal. But that's the way my life goes.

Regardless of when I work out, there's one thing standard about my routine -- the feel-good sense I get when all is said and done. And the scents that surround me when I'm clean and ready to take on the day.

Yesterday, I picked up this yummy peppermint body stuff at Bath & Body Works. I got one bottle of a body wash -- which just so happens to double as a shampoo which doubles as a bubble bath -- and I got one bottle of body lotion. Twisted Peppermint, this product line is called. And I'll tell you: It's sure to put a bounce in your step.

According to holisticonline.com, aromatherapy means "treatment using scents." It's a holistic way of caring for the body with pleasant smelling botanical oils such as rose, lemon, lavender, and yes, peppermint. Aromatherapy is used to relieve pain, care for the skin, alleviate tension and fatigue, and invigorate the entire body. Aromas can affect the mood, knock out fatigue, reduce anxiety, and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.

My new aroma is certainly working on my brain. It's simply invigorating. Stop by a Bath & Body Works near you and ask for a sample. You'll see what I mean.

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Lighten your holiday luggage load

Healthy Habits, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness

Don't overpack for your holiday trips this year or you could be one of the 53,000 people who land in the emergency room each year with luggage-related injuries. That's right -- heavy luggage can do the body wrong, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

How do you avoid a luggage injury? You can pack lighter, for one. And choose wheeled luggage appropriate for your height -- you should never need to bend down to pull your bag. You can use a backpack instead of a traditional carry-on. And be sure to lift luggage with both hands. Bend at the knees too, not at the waist.

Now don't give up entirely on heaving lifting -- just make it the right kind of lifting, do it correctly, and see how well our body responds. I'm talking weight training here. Click here to learn more.

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Get fit with fungi! Mushrooms can help control weight

Vegetarian, Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements

I love mushrooms but always figured they were kind of a throwaway food. I know they're low in calories, but I also thought that they don't contain much in the way of nutrients. Plus, many varieties only offer a moderate amount of flavor. So while I enjoy them, I didn't think they had much to offer.

But then I read this article that explains how mushrooms (along with many other fruits and vegetables) are considered low-energy-dense foods. These products contain high amounts of water and/or fiber, and also have a low fat content. OK, so what does THAT mean? Basically it means you can eat loads and loads of these foods and get really full without consuming a huge amount of calories (one of the reasons salads are so darn good for you!).

If you're interested in learning a bit more about low-energy-dense food choices, as well as some ways to substitute mushrooms for other, higher-energy-dense foods (like cheese) into various recipes, take a look here.

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All-natural beauty secret: Camel milk?

Natural Products, Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health

If you thought water was the only liquid camels were famous for, then you may be interested to know that their milk is something of a Saharan beauty secret. Apparently camel milk is packed with vitamins which clean out the body, externally and internally. Nancy Abeiderrahmane of Mauritania operates this type of dairy facility and swears by its wellness and beauty properties.

As the story goes, Queen Cleopatra was a big fan and used to bathe in the stuff. Just drinking the milk is said to yield a healthy complexion though. But it doesn't end there: Nancy says she would love to turn the dairy product into a cosmetic line! Being in such a dry, remote region, she reveals that there is no manufacturer of such beauty goods within 600 miles. Sounds like a perfect opportunity for a business.

Camel milk is beneficial enough to merit regular usage just by itself, so turning it into a cosmetic cream seems like a perfect spin-off. Read on for the full story about this wonder milk and why it can be so good for you (and your skin).

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