That's Fit

Blame your supermarket for leading you into temptation -- all those bakery goods, chips, dips, and beverages galore are bound to cause the best of us to cave on our best diet intentions. That's why we should order our groceries online, says a new multi-university study.

Researchers assigned 28 people to either a standard weight-loss program or a program with grocery delivery and found after eight weeks that online buyers had fewer fattening products and less total food in their cupboards.

The bottom line for your bottom line: Virtual shopping carts make it easier to stick to your list. They eliminate last-minute grocery store grabs too. So ditch the traditional cart and go online for for your food -- and for your body too.

It can be hard to be a female athlete, especially one who is really serious about her sport -- she's tough on the court, but that doesn't mean she can't be feminine in her everyday life. And as far as the WNBA is concerned, their girls should be more girly because it'll boost attendance.

Women's sports aren't as popular as men's, but the WNBA is hoping that by helping its athletes learn to apply makeup and look sexier, it will draw more fans. If, instead of only drawing crowds made of girls who dream of playing pro sports the league can bring in the male demographic that attends NBA games, they can increase their profit, and therefore expand the league, giving more girls the opportunity to play ball professionally.

I have no problem with looking girly while working out harder than the boys, but I don't like the idea of it being forced upon anyone. Rookies entering the NBA will receive makeup and shopping training along with financial coaching during their orientation, and while I'm sure some players will be excited about the opportunity, I know a lot of the girls I played ball with would resent anyone trying to make sexier. What do you think?

I'm totally guilty of buying yoga pants for the express purpose of having something comfy to wear for ... sitting on the couch, not necessarily for yoga (Hey, I work from home! I'm not going to wear a suit!). However, when you're ordering yoga apparel, don't you want to feel confident that the clothes you're buying are truly made for poses like downward facing dog, rather than super lazy couch potato?

Should you choose to check out J. Crew's online Yoga Shop, you can rest assured that it's truly made for yoga -- their model is actually a yogini and co-owner of the Shri Yoga Center in Tribeca, New York.

As many of you commented, yoga isn't about what you wear, but if you do happen to be in the market for some new yoga-wear, there's nothing wrong with finding something cute and comfy, right?

Finding shoes that are easy on the environment is getting easier -- whether you're looking for running shoes, dress shoes, or just some sandals for kicking around town, you've got options.

Well, if you're an adult, anyway. It's a little more difficult to find eco-friendly shoe options for kids, but it's not impossible (and it's getting easier). In fact, this article at Divine Caroline lists options for kids' shoes. Patagonian, Timberland, and other companies have joined the good fight and are offering kids' shoes made with environmentally friendly products and packaged in a responsible and sustainable way.

And what if you have an environmentally conscious little ballerina? You can even find a vegan alternative ballet slipper. It might take a little more hunting for you to find shoes for your little ones with all these qualities, but isn't it worth it to know that your child's footprint isn't leaving an environmental footprint, too?

There are lots of good reasons to eat organic--your health and the health of your family being the most important one. But there are also a few good reasons to not eat organic--it's expensive, it can be difficult to find, and when you do find organic products, the choices are sometimes limited compared to the non-organic brands.

Myself, I eat organic about 65% of the time. I live in a big city and it's not difficult to find organic choices, but cost is sometimes a factor, so I stick to buying organic for the important items--the fruits and veggies, the meats and some of the dairy products.

But I'm curious -- what about you?

Even with the best of intentions, as well as an admirable amount of effort, the weight sometimes doesn't come off!! Try as you might to get the needle on that scale to budge even the slightest bit, sometimes it's just not having it. This is especially true for people who have already lost quite a bit of weight and are now trying to take off those last ten pounds or so.

To help you shed those stubborn extra pounds, here is a quick tip from an article titled "Scale Stuck?", which appears in this month's edition of Self magazine. I'll post one of them a day for the next 10 days, starting today with Quick Tip #1.

Hopefully these tips will help you figure out what's causing those pounds to stick around.

Quick Tip #1

Diet Flub: You Grocery Shop on the Fly - You do your grocery shopping on an empty stomach. Doing so makes you more inclined to succumb to your body's hunger-induced yearning for high-sugar and high-fat foods.

Fix It: Shop online instead. I realize that the majority of people in the U.S. still don't have access to the internet, but my thinking is that if you're reading this now, you're not one of those people. So, skip the checkout line entirely, and instead visit any number of web-based grocery shopping sites (such as Peapod.com, Netgrocer.com, and Freshdirect.com). According to the article in Self, a University of Connecticut study actually found that people who shop for groceries online buy fewer high-fat foods.

I'm a chip in the old stereotype about women and shopping. I loathe shopping with an absolute passion. I hate the crowds, I hate the time it takes weeding through tons of stuff just to find one thing, I hate spending too much money. I will just never understand the draw that so many people have to shopping for hours at a time. But this past Christmas (my first with my adopted son) I had so much fun buying presents for under the tree. Admittedly, I went a bit overboard... but I had such a wonderful time. (I still avoided the crowds, though; I did most of my shopping online.)

A recent study shows that while hikes in income can moderately increase happiness, spending money on others really boosts your mood. Researchers approached the topic in a variety of ways. They surveyed more than 600 people and found that those who spend some money annually on gifts to others and/or donations to charity were generally happier. Additionally, employees who gave some bonus money away in a pro-social manner were also more satisfied.

While perusing Fitsugar today, I came across an interesting application -- FoodFlex from Safeway. Here's how it works: You register for free, using your Safeway club card number, and FoodFlex will keep track of what you buy and give you feedback on your purchases based on current USDA nutritional guidelines. You'll be alerted if your purchases are high in things like sodium or fat, and FoodFlex will also make suggestions of other healthier things to try. You don't need to enter anything or keep track of anything -- it does it all for you. Handy, huh?

Unfortunately, it's only available for US Safeway club card holders, so we Canadians will have to wait until they get a program going for us.

Some of you probably think you know it all when it comes to shoe shopping. Well, Forbes recently gave out some tips on the best ways to shop for sneakers, and I think you'll be surprised at some of their suggestions.

• Find a good retailer. If you're a runner, check out a running store -- they will likely be better able to diagnose your shoe needs than a college kid working at Champs.
  
  
• Know your foot (or find someone who does). If you're flatfooted, you'll be likely to overpronate, whereas if you have high arches, you'll probably underpronate. Again, this is where a knowledgeable salesperson will be most helpful.

Are you a shopaholic? This may not sound like something worth worrying about, and for many people it isn't. But there are others out there who engage in this "impulse control disorder" every day. They rack up bills and debt to a level that is unhealthy. Researchers have even ranked it as an addictive behavior like alcoholism.

That could appear a bit extreme. After all, just because you have some money burning a hole in your pocket doesn't make you a shopaholic. New studies suggest that the reason serious compulsive buyers engage in chronic spending sprees is because they are trying to escape bad feelings or mask other problems.

A behavior like this can start to wear down on people, especially those dependent on money being spent away. However, there are some elements which make this research kind of extreme. For example, what about materialism? Some people just like stuff. Also, we're not all one or the other: there is a broad spectrum in between compulsive shoppers and penny pinchers. But the fact still remains that shopping, for some people, is an escape. In moderation, this can be relaxing. When exercised habitually it could have consequences.

Wouldn't it be convenient to head to the grocery store to pick up weekly supplies, and while you're there get a doctor checkup during the same trip? A British supermarket chain called Sainsbury will be rolling out a pilot store with this exact program where shoppers can visit doctors right there in the grocery.

Now we're not talking about a physician located in frozen food aisle. A full-blown consultation room will be available, which is called "Doctors in Store." This seems like the perfect combination of practicality and convenience. So how is this different than a traditional doctor's office?

Well, it's not just a change in venue: shoppers will be given a pager so that when a doctor is ready to see them, they'll know when to go! While this a Manchester-exclusive project right now, I'm sure many people would like to see something similar in the United States before too long. After all, some Wal-Marts feature Vision Centers where customers can get eyeglasses. How long until we're able to get a general checkup too?

I haven't been eating chocolate or other sweets for a while now. So I didn't get any gooey delights on Valentine's Day. I did get a pretty decadent and mouth-watering gift, though. I got a gift certificate for a shopping spree. Why?

"For more reasons than I can fit on this coupon," wrote my husband on his fancy handmade treat. "For one, you deserve it," he continued. "Most of all, three guys' lives would not be so bright, wonderful, and loving. Happy Valentine's Day."

At the bottom of my gift are three very important words: "No questions asked." What a gift. I get to shop with all my heart and answer to no one. In my book, there's nothing better, not even chocolate.

Do you remember back (way back for some of us) around the time we were about 11- or 12-years-old when sexual education started to be a regular unit in health class? Our fearless teachers managed to sit through all of the giggling long enough to explain the many technical details about growing up into men and women. As I've gotten older, I've learned a few things (whether through the experiences of friends or on my own) that I really wish they'd covered back then.

One of those things is the basics behind buying a bra. OK, I suppose it isn't really the education system's responsibility to make sure that you know how to get the right fit but it's still something that I think we girls need to learn as early as possible in order to save years of struggling through life in ill-fitting, uncomfortable brassieres.

If keeping junk food out of your cupboards prevents you from eating poorly, it makes sense that keeping those cupboards stocked with healthy fare would almost force you to consume only what's good for you. Time to shop then, but only for the most nutritious foods you can get your hands on.

SELF magazine offers this S0-simple shopping list. Take it to the supermarket and load up your cart. You'll be surprised at how easy it is to stay slim and satisfied, say the SELF experts. These healthy and filling choices -- like 100 percent whole wheat bread, low-fat cottage cheese, and even a few sweet indulgences -- will satisfy your taste buds, balance your meals, and fuel your body.

Pop on over here for the mighty list. And happy shopping!

SHAPE magazine serves up a monthly shopping list for its readers -- you'll find February's list below -- and offers their valuable resource online and in printable format.

If you've ever felt stuck when it comes to stocking your pantry, cupboards, and fridge, you might find this listing quite useful. The ingredients you'll find will help you build loads of healthy snacks and meals and if you don't have your monthly menu in mind just yet, that's OK. Just get the goods and you'll be ready when the ideas arrive. And if something below strikes you as not-so-healthy, just delete it from the list.

4 skinless tilapia fillets (1 pound total)
1 1-pound Cornish game hen
¾ cup wild rice
½ pound green beans
¼ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup finely chopped carrot
¼ cup finely chopped celery
4 garlic cloves
2 shallots
1 lemon
1 orange
¼ cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup blackberry preserve
½ cup dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons orange juice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup lowfat milk
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
7 eggs
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
freshly ground black pepper
butter (for coating pan)