That's Fit

A few months back I went to a place I like to call "Man Heaven" and wrote a few articles about it. Man Heaven is also known as ESPN: The Weekend at the Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida. The event was jam packed with dozens and dozens of your sports lovers' heroes from today and yesteryear. Football, basketball, baseball, tennis, hockey and golf stars flooded the theme park with ample opportunity for each Disney guest to get up close and personal with the athletic love of their life.

Of course, there were also a ton of female fans decked out in their team jerseys, but truly....this event was for boys. Young boys, elderly boys, and every boy in between. I saw big groups of men in coordinating jerseys riding the tram to the park, and then I saw tons of father/son duos shooting baskets with their favorite hoops star.

The event isn't until early next March, so you'll have plenty of time to book your air, hotel, and ticket reservations. He'll have lots of time to squirm with anticipation for the big event. Trust me.....if your guy loves sports, he will love ESPN: The Weekend and love you even more for sending him to it.

While Jennifer Lopez was pregnant, there were rumors that she was unhappy with, even embarrassed by, the amount of weight she gained. However, she's now proudly announcing that she put on 50 pounds while carrying her twins, and though she acknowledges that it's a lot, she feels she had good reason.

She told OK! Magazine, "I gained a good amount of weight, which I was focused on because twins can sometimes have a low birth weight. I gained 45-50 pounds, a lot for my frame, but for twins it's right on." She also said she was proud of how she looks after giving birth, flaws and all. Lopez even admitted playing with her "little leftover belly."

I've got to say that it's refreshing to see a celebrity who is happy with her post-pregnancy body, even enjoying it a little (or pretending she is). So many stars feel such pressure to drop right back down to a size six (or zero, Nicole Richie), and that's just not realistic for anyone who can't spend all day with trainers and personal chefs.

I just returned from ESPN the Weekend, at Disney World's Hollywood Studios. One of the highlights for me was when I stumbled across an interesting conversation between football all-stars Donovan McNabb, Chris Carter, Tony Gonzalez and a few others. The men were on an open stage being interviewed my Mike Greenberg of the Mike and Mike Show. What caught my attention was the taunting of Tony Gonzalez with strange veggie jokes. Why were they poking fun at this "lettuce man"? Little Miss Fitzness had to stop and listen.

The taunting was followed by Kansas City Chief tight-end Tony defending his vegan lifestyle. I was both surprised and impressed. Tony was bragging about his ability to jump rope and hit the weight room while his teammates were stuck in the mud the day after a game. He's beaten lethargy, increased his energy, and found many more fascinating benefits since he changed his eating habits. The nearly 250 pound tight end is not someone anyone would guess to be a vegan, but I think that's why he's so neat.

I just returned from a place I've decided to be Man Heaven. Man Heaven is a place where loads and loads of men dressed in various colored athletic jerseys giddily board trams with feverish excitement to spend time with their favorite sports heroes. These men were squirming in their seats, beaming bright smiles and high-fiving their way all the way to the entrance gates of Disney World's Hollywood Studios. ESPN the Weekend is Man Heaven.

The weekend was filled with endless opportunities to meet, train with, question and listen to America's favorite ESPN stars: Donovan McNabb, Tony Gonzalez, Hershel Walker, John Stockton, Cal Ripken Jr., Chris Carter and more. Oodles of ESPN Sportscasters took stages across the park hosting their own scheduled and aired ESPN shows, and also hosted other fun question and answer sessions with the stars of Man Heaven.

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.

I just got done chatting with myself....I think. No, it probably wasn't me. The person on the other end of my conversation is world famous and has a couple of of Olympic medals. Nope...it couldn't have been me. But! The other person sounded like me. I asked her questions about health and fitness, and she spat out the same stuff I've spent my professional life teaching. This person raved about the benefits of produce, lean meats and frequent challenging exercise. Yes. It could've been a brilliant fitness expert I was conversing with, but it wasn't. It was champion ice skater and Olympic Sliver Medalist, Sasha Cohen.

I chose Sasha to interview, because of her elite success in athletics. She's also touring with Smucker's Stars on Ice and puts on one heck of a show. She's one of the strongest, most flexible and entertaining athletes on earth. Beyond that...she turned out to be one of the best people I've ever talked fitness with. The girl gets it. I mean, she really gets it! She's a chic who seeks out highly nutritious, low fat, high fiber foods whenever she picks up a fork. She also pursues a well-rounded workout routine outside of skating. I loved what she had to say. I want you to pay close attention as well. She's physically small, but not just because of good genes. She works at it, and I believe she'll always be fit. It's a lifestyle for her, and that's what it should be for you.

Fitz: You're a brilliant skater and make a tremendously difficult sport look effortless. Do you remember when skating was hard?

Sasha: Oh Gosh! Skating is always hard. Sometimes it's a challenge to simply put one foot in front of the other. Every day requires effort just to get through it.

All My Children soap star and Calvin Klein model Colin Egglesfield and I have been talking lots of fitness lately, so I thought I'd get his advice for stay completely gorgeous for the holidays, and making it to the new year without an ounce of regret. This is what Colin has to say:

"My tips for the holiday season revolve around the theme of "CALORIE CONTROL!" You can enjoy most of the same treats you traditionally desire if you simply use the lowest calorie ingredients available. And of course, I'm never too conscious of exact calorie amounts, that would drive anyone crazy, I just try to be sensible about what I order and try to eat small portions when possible. "

Here are a few tips that I try to heed:

1. Latte, cappuccino, and hot chocolate lovers be sure to use non-fat milk! I love cappuccinos, so when I do order one... I order it with skim milk. I try to limit my intake of coffee to only two or three a week. The rest of the time I drink herbal teas.

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.

This week I'm featuring one of the sexiest men alive (to heck People magazines list! If they haven't figured out to put this guy on their list....they've no credibility with me.) Colin Egglesfield is both a successful actor with a sweet job as Josh Madden on ABC's soap All My Children, and one of the most popular male models around. If you don't recognize the name, go check out his website, ColinEgglesfield.com and you'll whack yourself on the head in one of those "I could have had a V-8 type moments". The guy has been the face and body of the biggest print campaigns around. Calvin Klein, Versace, Nautica, Clinique....the list goes on.

Before interviewing Colin, I literally had to shake my giggles out for about three hours. He's that insanely handsome. It was very stressful to me, until he said "hello". Besides being ridiculously delightful to look at, the boy is sweet! Pleasant, funny, down to earth, smart and thoughtful. The kind of guy anyone would adore, even if he were not so pretty. Colin is the all-American man, with a cautious Irish mother who happens to be a big star. He only happened across show business while pausing before medical school.

On the fitness side, Colin's body speaks for itself. He's not genetically gifted; he works damn hard. He runs, lifts and cycles. He's mastered nutritious eating in a way that allows him to continue looking quite perfect all the time, without having to starve or suffer. He's not strangely large or small.......he's just right. Fit. Fit. Fit. So enjoy learning about the guy who you may have drooled over in the men's section of department stores, or just wanted to be like(if you're a guy). I did. And when you're done, check out Colin's custom T-shirt company ShoutOutClothing.com. The ever-changing T's are the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list.

Fitz: How did you get into modeling and acting?

Colin:I decided to take a one year break after graduating from the University of Iowa and before attending medical school. I kind of fell into a modeling contract and then pretty immediately landed on runways around the world.

Colin Egglesfield is the owner of the magnificent body we see on the Calvin Klein underwear box (at right). Colin has been generous enough to share a clear shot of his abs with us, and also some advice on how to get yours to look more like his!

We chatted a bit the other day for his feature in an upcoming Celebrity Fitzness Report here on ThatsFit.com. I found it refreshing to hear how hard he works to stay in great shape. He's not 'genetically gifted', he's a man who's willing to do the work it takes to earn a body worthy of massive billboards. Read the description of Colin's eating habits and training schedule for when he has a CK shoot on the horizon. Take note of the fact that he does not starve or suffer in any way. He just chooses lean nutritious food, and works out like a monster.Thank you Colin. Not only for making my eyes so happy, but for sharing your fantastic strategies for becoming a physical masterpiece.

It's easy to feel jealous when you see magazine spreads of beautiful and seemingly flawless female celebrities, but it's also easy to forget that most of these women spend hours in the hair and make-up chair before those photos are taken.

With a little time and effort, and some help from top celeb stylists, you can look as fantastic as your favorite star. This spread in Glamour Magazine gives you the lowdown on how to copy hairstyles like Natalie Portman's thick and wavy look, Anne Hathaway's stylish updo, Julia Styles' sleek and straight mane and Mary J. Blige's loose curls, as well as Jennifer Hudson's perfectly manicured nails and Reese Witherspoon's fresh and natural make-up.

For step-by-step instructions on how to get these styles, take a look here.

I've always thought how great it would be to have a job that naturally keeps you in shape, and of the jobs in the world that do that being a celebrity is at the top of the list. Starring in an action movie often means months of vigorous training and workouts before filming even begins, and a star like Matt Damon would know that better than anybody with his third Jason Bourne movie, The Bourne Ultimatum, out this summer.

Damon, who's 36 years old, has been in famously good shape to play the ex-hitman character over the years, but this time was different: he has a family now. Damon was quoted as saying of his life before "I really used to have no life outside movies. I'd work all day, go to the gym and go to sleep." But then he married his wife Luciana back in 2005 and they now have a 1 year old daughter together, Isabella, both which give him a reason to come home after work instead of always working out. And despite the film being shot in a total of 8 different locations the family was only separated once.

While a lot of stars have bodies that the rest of us can only dream about, they're not all cut from the same cloth. Female celebrities have different body shapes just like the rest of us -- I guess they just know how to work with what they've got.

This set of pictures divides some of today's most famous stars -- with the most-envied bodies -- into three shape categories: The pear, the hour glass and the ruler. According to the text, pear-shaped women are smaller on top (breasts and shoulders) and larger through the bum and thighs. Examples given include Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Lopez, both of whom are known for their "bootylicious" butts.

Considered by many to be an "ideal" female body shape, women with an hour glass figure tend to have larger breasts and hips with a small waist. Often recognized for their sexy curves, Scarlett Johansson and Salma Hayek fit into this category. Often envied by those of us who wish we could eat ice cream and chocolate without putting on weight, women boasting a ruler shape are long and lean. Gwyneth Paltrow and Keira Knightley both sport this body type.

So where do you fit in? Which celeb's body most closely resembles yours?

There is so much focus within popular culture these days on how much celebrities weigh, that it's natural -- although not necessarily healthy -- to start comparing your own body to that of your favorite star. Here at That's Fit we've got entire features devoted to celebrity fitness, including Fitz K.'s Celebrity Fitzness Report and Jessica Ashley's We Love to Gawk at Fit Celebs feature.

It's great if you can take a page from a healthy star's workout routine in order to boost your own fitness, but also keep in mind that celebrities' weight goes up and down too (often reaching extremes on either side of the scale). Want proof? Take a look at these before and after pictures of stars well-known for dropping pounds to get healthy (Kirstie Alley, Joey Fatone and Star Jones), as well as famous folks who got too thin but have now gained weight back and stabilized at a more normal size (Hilary Duff and Matthew Perry).

I like this set of photos because it serves as a reminder that famous people struggle with their weight just like the rest of us. Now if only I could afford the private chefs and work-out trainers too!

Ashley Tisdale of High School Musical is just one of the many stars to claim that she wants more curves, according to US Magazine. Oh please. As if anyone in Hollywood is going to gain 20 pounds just in the interest if getting some curves, if you ask me. Anyway, she's sounded off about her diet and exercise routine, saying things like:

• "I like to work out two times a week. I do cardio for 30 minutes then I do weights. I used to have a trainer but I just moved gyms. I'm really into eating healthy and working out."
• "I watch what I eat but then I will have days where I will eat whatever I want like a donut. I don't really limit what I eat but I just watch it. I don't like to eat carbs after 3 pm."
• ''I am always wearing skirts or shorts because I like my legs. They are very in shape."

It sounds like she has a fairly healthy routine, but she's also quick to point out that she's naturally thin to begin with. What do you think?

(Via Fitsugar)

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.

This week's featured celeb is Alicia Minshew of All My Children. She's been on the show since 2002, and plays Erica Kane's daughter (Erica Kane is played by the legendary soap star Susan Lucci). I want to tell you all what a true delight Alicia is. I've spent many days with a variety of celebrities, but Alicia sounds more like one of my silly girlfriends from college than a gorgeous star who graces daytime television five days a week. She's bubbly, sweet and totally down to earth. She's definitely someone fun to hang out with, I'm sure.

Alicia truly takes her health to heart. I believe her fabulous physique is merely a side effect of her dedication to healthy living. She's just launched her first instructional workout programs which you can check out at Pumpone.com/Alicia, and I'm expecting them to be just as captivating as she is.

Fitz: Tell me about your fitness routine.

Alicia: To stay fit, I work out with my trainer, Louis Corragio two to three times a week. We do light weights, Pilates, and yoga. I also run about four miles once or twice a week. If I can't train, I do some light weights and stretches in my dressing room! Gotta keep moving!

Fitz: What's on your mp3 player?

Alicia: I have a bit of everything! Green Day, Guns-N-Roses, Justin Timberlake, David Gray, Moby...quite a mix!

The mystery of Star Jones Reynolds and how she lost all that weight is soon to be common knowledge in the upcoming September issue of Glamour magazine (available Aug 7th). Star says she chose to do an article versus an interview because she wanted to go "as in depth as possible" about how she's changed over the years.

Star has a lot going for her right now as she also has a new talk show scheduled to premier on August 20th on Court TV. And when asked if she has trouble looking at past, heavier, photos of herself Star says it doesn't bother her -- instead it reminds her not to let herself get to that place again.