Slimming down takes time and dedication, but a few quick tricks can help you feel a little bit lighter in just one day. Read on to get our tips for feeling less bloated and puffy - and having a flatter belly - by the end of today!
While there's no miracle move to diminish back bulge - it's a matter of doing calorie-burning cardio to decrease your overall percentage of body fat - it's still important to strengthen and tone the muscles in that area of the body. As you begin to lose weight from all the running and Zumba classes you're doing, you'll reveal slim, chiseled muscles waiting underneath. Here are nine yoga poses that will target all the areas of your back.
Chances are that you have a bottle of olive oil reserved for cooking, but drinking this kitchen staple can provide you with the same healthy benefits of this antioxidant-rich wonder - if not more. From a happier digestive system to banishing belly fat, here's why you should start and end every day with a tablespoon of olive oil.
If you enjoyed toning your legs with our Squat Challenge, your core loved the Crunch Challenge, and your upper body felt pumped doing the Push-Up Challenge, get ready for a total-body fitness challenge that combines exercises from all three of these challenges to strengthen and firm your entire body. This is a short workout anyone can fit into their busy day because it only takes a few intense minutes.
This challenge only involves three exercises: sumo squats, T push-ups, and V crunches. Below are descriptions of how to do each move, and below that is the two-week plan. Instead of completing a certain amount of reps, by the end of the two weeks, you'll be able to do a minute of each exercise twice through. The beauty of this challenge is to get you in the habit of strength training four to five times a week. And once you reach the 14th day, keep going, with the mind-set that a little bit of time spent toning your muscles goes a long way.
Demi Lovato is celebrating the release of her new album Confident with, well, straight-up confidence. The album is set to be released Oct. 16, and the 23-year-old covers the latest issue of Complex Magazine - topless and looking amazing, we might add - and she discussed all things professional and personal life in the interview. The one quote that really stands out is one about Demi's body image and self-confidence. Demi is vocal about self-esteem among young women, and she was asked if there's anyone in particular who inspires her to embrace her curves. Here's what she said:
Q: You've really been celebrating your curves on Instagram. Do you have a curve inspiration figure?
A: I've always said the Kardashians. When they came into the spotlight, they kind of revolutionized what beauty was when it came to body shapes. For so long, it was the heroin-chic '90s supermodel thing, and I feel like, when the Kardashians came into the picture, people started to look at it because it was different. They were like, "You know what? That's actually really beautiful." From then, I noticed that Beyoncé was thicker, and Nicki Minaj is thicker. When I say thick - like when I call my thighs thick - I love it. I think it's a good thing. Watching them really helped me learn to accept my body image, too. I'm not naturally super thin. I have an athletic body. I just have to embrace that. There are days when it's hard to, but more and more, there are days where I'm actually proud of my body.
Preach it, girl. Even if (shock!) you're not a fan of the Kardashians, you cannot deny what Demi's saying - that they, along with celebrities like Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj, have undoubtedly been instrumental in helping women love their bodies. If you're a fan of Demi's, you already know that she's a huge proponent of self-love. She's the queen of embracing the no-makeup selfie, and she recently shared a motivational mantra with the world by accident when she was recorded repeating, "I am enough," before a performance. In the words of Demi's title track, "Confident," what's wrong with being confident?! Love your thick thighs; love your skinny thighs; take the compliment. Love yourself, no matter what.
If Snickers are your favorite fun-sized Halloween treat, but you could do without the hydrogenated oils and refined sugar, whip up this version that's made with a handful of ingredients and is vegan, too.
Soft, chewy, with the perfect peanut crunch, these really do satisfy. A real Snickers fun-size bar is about 80 calories, and these vegans bars are 129 and also a bit larger.
What makes this recipe so darn delicious is the fresh almond butter you make minutes before. Don't worry - it's supereasy as long as you have a decent food processor.
Blend the almond butter with maple syrup and whole wheat flour to make a thicker consistency that you can form into a nougat bar.
Make the "caramel" sauce, and smear it over the nougat. And don't forget the signature peanuts on top! It looks good enough already, but of course you've got to coat each bar in deliciously rich, decadent dark chocolate.
If you want to impress your friends with your candy-making skills, keep reading to learn how to make these better-than-the-real-thing vegan Snickers.
from POPSUGAR Fitness http://ift.tt/1Pb3bis
I love working out in the morning (when I can actually get up). It starts my day out on strong, energized notes, and it cuts most excuses out of the equation. However, waking up, heading to a group fitness class, then heading straight to the office can prove to be a little bit of a juggling act.
Between touring, an upcoming new album, and promoting her Calia by Carrie fitness clothing line, you can say that Carrie Underwood doesn't have a lot of free time. But the country singer and mom to 7-month-old Isaiah still knows how to fit in a workout - she even fit in a few pull-ups while recently at the playground with her son, proving that when it comes to multitasking, she's a pro. At her recent Calia by Carrie fashion show during New York Fashion Week, we asked Carrie for her best advice for busy moms like herself. Her answer? Make an outdoor workout a family affair. "It's easy to incorporate them into what you're already doing. Your kids really need to work around your schedule," she said. "I've gone for runs outside pushing the stroller around and done workout stuff and [Isaiah] was just looking around and was completely content with being outside."
If your kids are older, Carrie still has advice: go somewhere where they can play and you can "do stuff around them." The biggest takeaway, she said, is to remember that when you're exercising with your kids, you're being a positive role model. "[You're] saying, 'OK, this is what I do to take care of myself. You have to take care of yourself [too],'" she explained. Fall temperatures make exercising outside an ideal way to work out - try Carrie's leg workout the next time you're at the park!
If you've ever doubted yourself or given up on your fitness goals, you need the wake-up call that is this video. Arthur Boorman is a veteran who became disabled after war, and he gained so much weight that doctors told him he would never walk unassisted again. But he set out to prove them wrong, and what started as a rocky weight-loss journey turned into unimaginable success - he lost 140 pounds in 10 months. Not only did he lose the weight, but he also became so much stronger and able to walk, run, and hold yoga poses that would be tough for anyone.
Arthur's weight-loss video went viral back in 2012, but it's making rounds on the Internet again - inspirational stories are timeless, after all. If you haven't yet, do yourself a favor and watch the video; you'll definitely be inspired to keep moving. In Arthur's words, "Never underestimate what you can accomplish when you believe in yourself."
If you or a loved one has ever been affected by breast cancer, P.ink founder Noel Franus's words will ring true. "The entire cancer journey is one of giving up control," he said. "You give up control when you're diagnosed. You give up control to your doctor and other healthcare practitioners. There's a whole lot of people who you have to essentially surrender to." Noel, who's sister-in-law is a breast cancer survivor, sought to help other breast cancer patients regain some of that control in a very meaningful way. His organization P.ink (short for Personal Ink) helps connect mastectomy patients with highly skilled tattoo artists around the world to help them turn scars into art and painful memories into badges of survival. P.ink works only with "exceptionally talented" tattoo artists who have worked with radiation-exposed skin who also "have really good bedside manner," Noel said, in order to "give survivors an opportunity to take back control for the first time since diagnosis, often."
On Oct. 10, the organization is staging its annual P.ink Day, where 45 artists in 13 locations will provide complimentary mastectomy tattoos to lucky survivors. The day, which includes other surprises, is all about being "the most beautiful, inspiring, disruptively creative way we can think of making a great day for [survivors] that goes beyond just a tattoo," Noel said. So far, the organization has had a direct hand in 100 tattoos and helped connect thousands more to tattoo artists, and Noel hopes to continue to be able to provide services to interested breast cancer survivors. See a little bit of P.ink's inspiring work here, then check P.ink's website to learn more or to donate.
Related: 15 Mastectomy Tattoos That Celebrate Scars in a Beautiful Way
When you're hungry, busy, and surrounded by fast-food options, choosing a wrap over a burger can seem like the healthier option. But according to a UK government group, some wraps may have far more calories, sodium, and fat than that Big Mac.
The group, called Safefood, surveyed sandwich shops, cafes, and delis around the UK and Ireland and found that, of the 240 sandwiches they analyzed, the average calorie counts of the wraps ranged between 465 for chicken and salad wraps and 564 for chicken and caesar salad wraps, along with a substantial amount of the daily recommended limit for fat. Many wraps, they found, were much larger than a regular serving size, and some clocked in at almost 1,000 calories and had over 100 percent of the recommended daily amount of sodium. By contrast, a Big Mac contains 540 calories and 1110 milligrams of sodium (about 43 percent of RDI).
This survey is a good reminder that not all healthy-seeming foods are as good for you as you may think. While making a conscious decision to opt for healthy options during lunch is a good step toward weight loss, being extra vigilant about what that means is the key to seeing actual results on the scale. When choosing ready-made wraps, be aware of the size (if it looks large, save half for the next day and supplement your lunch with a salad), choose grilled meat over fried chicken or sodium-filled lunchmeat options, and choose whole wheat bread over a whole wheat wrap, which typically has more calories. Even better: make one of these healthy wrap recipes so you know exactly how many calories you're eating for lunch.
Jennifer Aniston may be Hollywood royalty, but her breakfast routine is surprisingly stripped down. Every morning after taking her dogs for a walk, she throws together a surprisingly simple meal: a piece of toast with coconut oil spread on top, plus fresh eggs from the chickens in her backyard. Everything about this breakfast is spot-on for a filling, satisfying, and healthy start to her day. She's getting good healthy fats from the coconut oil, plenty of protein from the eggs, and carbs to fuel her brain and keep her full throughout the morning. Celebrity trainer Bob Harper would be a big proponent of Jen's breakfast. He always suggests that his clients front-load their carbohydrates, so they have plenty of time to burn them off later in the day. We're sure Jen has a team that helps her stay healthy and keeps her looking svelte and gorgeous, but anyone can incorporate this easy recipe into their breakfast routine!
Julianne Hough is a total beast. One look at her incredibly toned legs, athletic physique, and glowing skin, and you know she lives a healthy lifestyle. The recently engaged 27-year-old took to her blog to share her experience of finishing the Spartan Beast, an extremely intense 13-mile obstacle course, and let's just say we're super impressed.
Julianne shared this clip on her Instagram of one of the 30-plus obstacles - climbing over a muddy wall.
Julianne and her team also endured upper-body challenges, crawled under barbed wire, and dropped to give 30 every time they couldn't complete an obstacle - 30 burpees, that is. Despite the difficulties, Julianne pushed through to the end and shared the above photo with the caption, "I love physical challenges, but the Spartan Beast was SO MUCH more than just a really intense (and very messy) workout." Rest assured, she got a well-deserved reward. She wrote, "After six sweaty hours, the team found our way to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants for the last challenge: crushing burritos and chips with salsa and extra guac." A girl after our own hearts!
Read Julianne's full blog post to get the whole story, and if you're inspired to sign up for your own Spartan race, start training with Julianne's own thigh-blaster workout.
If you love Zumba - hell, if you just love to dance - stop what you are doing to watch this dance video immediately. Set to a song by Chris Porter, featuring Zumba favorite Pitbull, the choreographed routine from Tricia Miranda shows off the incredible dance skills and acrobatics of a host of individuals, including wunderkind Aidan Prince. Chances are you'll be reserving a spot in the nearest dance studio minutes after the video ends.
The following post was originally featured on Real Mom Nutrition and written by Sally Kuzemchak, who is part of POPSUGAR Select Fitness.
My name is Sally. I'm a dietitian. And I hand out candy to trick-or-treaters.
In the past, I've doled out bags of pretzels, small tubs of Play-Doh, and sheets of stickers too (and see nothing wrong with going that route). But mostly, we hand out candy. Usually chocolate.
If you're a regular on this blog, you know I can get riled up about junk food. Especially when it's on the sidelines of kids' sports every weekend (read: Soccer Mom Soapbox). I'm that mom calling the summer camp director to ask about switching from Powerade to water. I'm the lady stopping at the front desk of the rec center to chat about the junk in the vending machine. I even advocate for healthier school Halloween parties.
Yet when it comes to trick-or-treating, I'm cool with candy. Why? Because I think it's okay to celebrate some occasions with food. (If goodies aren't handed out every day for made-up special occasions like t-ball practice, it's easier to do this.)
But I also know that trick-or-treating can spiral into candy craziness, so here's how I make it work in our house:
1. I wait until the very last minute to buy candy. Ideally, I'm at the store at 3pm on the day of trick-or-treating. Once upon a time, I made the tragic error of buying Halloween candy in advance, which of course meant we ate it, bought more, ate that, and bought more.
2. I give my kids free reign. We eat dinner before trick-or-treating, then all bets are off. They can eat as much as they want, which often comes with its own handy life lesson: If you eat too many sweets, sometimes your belly hurts and you feel gross.
3. I play the Switch Witch. After my kids return home to dump and sort their stash, they reserve a pile of their favorites. The rest (the stuff they don't like or don't like very much) goes into a bowl on the dining room table. While they're sleeping, the Switch Witch arrives to take the candy and replace it with a toy or game. This is optional at my house. My kids aren't forced to turn over their candy, and last year they kept a pretty sizeable amount. I know not everyone is a fan of the Switch Witch (read Red, Round or Green's take in this post, "Switching Off"). But I like that this fun tradition teaches them to value what they like best - but not waste time on the stuff they don't, simply because it's there. In our culture of omni-present junk, that's a useful skill.
4. I put them in charge of their stash. In our house, we have a one-treat-a-day policy which works most of the time. You can have your treat whenever you want: in your lunchbox, after school, after dinner, even WITH dinner. My two boys' Halloween candy is kept in separate bags in a cupboard they can access. We decide together what a reasonable portion is (usually a fun-size bar or two small pieces of candy) and they serve themselves. They don't obsess. There's no sneaking of candy. (Well, sometimes I sneak a piece and get caught when one of them finds the wrapper in my office garbage can.)
So that's how it's done in our house because this seems to work well (for now at least!). You may do things differently, and that's okay. You may toss out everything with artificial colors, only buy GMO-free goodies, or hand out temporary tattoos. Or maybe you're that fabled house with the full size candy bars. By all means, do your own thing.
But if you sneak your kids' candy, do a better job than me of hiding the evidence.
If you're a night owl who can't seem to get to bed at a reasonable time, this may convince you to hit the hay earlier: a new study shows that later bedtimes are linked to weight gain.
The study, published in Sleep, analyzed data from 3,300 teens and adults and found that for every hour of sleep the participants lost, they gained 2.1 points on the body mass index (BMI) over five years. The surprising finding? The amount of sleep didn't affect the results - that is, someone who went to sleep late but still got an adequate amount of sleep still gained more weight than those who went to sleep earlier and slept the same amount. The researchers also found that amount of exercise and screen time also didn't mitigate the effects of late bedtimes on weight gain, although the study authors did note that late-night fast-food habits could be a factor. Previous studies have shown that not enough sleep is a contributing factor in weight gain, but this study highlighted the fact that your bedtime matters, no matter what. Bottom line? When you go to sleep, not just how much you sleep, might be an important factor in the number you see on the scale.
Related: 25 Hacks For Better Sleep Tonight
