Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss
Keep track of the latest in diet and fitness Twitter trends and opinions with this weekly post. Not only will AOL Health’s Twitter alias Healthpop and That’s_Fit ask fitness-related questions and share the best responses with you, we’ll scour the Twittersphere for the latest buzz on everything from good eats to exercise routines gone bad.
There’s candy wrappers all over the office, and when we get home, the first thing we reach for is the Halloween dish. Turns out all the cool Twits out there are craving seasonal treats now, too. Here’s how they try to strike a balance between indulging and eating mindfully:
MobiMom
MobiMom Finally broke into the “hidden” bag of Halloween candy – oh, no – this is NOT good….
JaredCastle
leslie_dennis
leslie_dennis Halloween candy should be counted as a food group unto itself. I’ve already had 3 Smarties and a Now & Later. I’m wired!
pbsparents
pbsparents Plan for a healthy Halloween. Instead of candy, give stickers, pencils or small change w/ a note saying “Treat yourself!”
khat0511
khat0511 Just bought enough halloween candy to choke a whale.. it’s all staring at us now.. if i don’t look, the calories don’t count, right?
ColletteAM
ColletteAM @
Thats_Fit I couldn’t care less about Halloween candy. 1) I’m vegan & 2) Its junk. If I want chocolate it’s gotta be the best.
Read any good Tweets? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!
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Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss, Motivation
Kimberly Anne Evans was overweight her entire life. Teased in grade school, never asked to a dance in high school, she used her weight as body armor, shielding herself from a cruel world. As an adult, she reached 347 pounds.
“Food was my friend, my blanket, my comfort, my lover — my drug,” she told NBC’s “TODAY” show as the newest member of the Joy Fit Club.
Unlike many obese people, Kimberly never dieted. Instead, she constantly subsisted on fast food in huge portions for three decades. She would eat multiple McDonald’s breakfast burritos in the morning, two cheeseburgers with fries for lunch and pizza followed by ice cream at dinnertime. It came to approximately 9,000 calories a day, nearly five times the recommended daily allowance.
One day, however, she saw a movie that would change her life.
Continue reading Woman Loses 211 Lbs., Gets First Kiss
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Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness
Photo: Mike Derer, AP
Is it wise to point a mocking finger at an opponent’s weight? New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine seems to think so. A recent campaign ad from Corzine features a shot of rival Christopher Christie stepping out of a vehicle, exposing his hefty midriff while a narrator comments that Christie is “throwing his weight around” to avoid traffic tickets.
Other unflattering shots of Christie have appeared throughout Corzine’s campaign ads. “Mr. Corzine’s television commercials and Web videos feature unattractive images of Mr. Christie, sometimes shot from the side or backside, highlighting his heft, jowls and double chin,” writes David Halbfinger from The New York Times. While Christie reportedly would not comment on his actual weight, it is evident that he is sorely overweight. But does this make a difference to voters?
It appears Governor Corzine wants it to. He tries to portray himself as a model of fitness, running in local 5K and 10K races, sometimes two in one weekend. “I always see the governor at my gym; he is definitely a fitness fanatic. I like knowing that he is health conscious.,” says one local New Jersey resident who frequents the same New York Sports Club as Corzine. “It’s actually motivating.”
Is poking fun at a rival’s weight a smart move in a nation where more than 60 percent of our folks are overweight? Or, is it better to have officials who are healthy and weight conscious so they can lead by example?
As hard as we may try not to judge, some research shows weight-based discrimination happens throughout the workplace — it may just not be as public as this campaign.
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Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
Photo: jupiterimages
By now it’s almost a farce. Contestants on “The Biggest Loser” are pushed to run mind-numbing sprints on the treadmill. The contestants hesitate, saying, “I can’t do it!” The trainer gets in their faces, calls them on their fears, and screams until they get back on the treadmill. Pushed to completion, the nearly-collapsed contestants develop looks of awe on their faces and praise the trainer and the show for helping them face and conquer their fears. You have just experienced treadmill sprinting, “Biggest Loser” style. And this season, it appears to be happening every episode.
So how do we mere mortals pull off this exercise without a TV crew? Is it even worth it to do treadmill sprints?
Sure, and here’s an easy way to start:
- Practice jumping onto the metal runners on either side of the treadmill. Use your arms to support your weight as you open your legs to each side of the moving belt. Be sure you can do this quickly and easily, in case you need to perform this movement during the sprint.
- Increase your speed by 25 percent of your normal pace, so if you usually walk at 4 mph, jump it up to 5. If you normally run a 10-minute mile (6 mph), try running at an eight-minute mile pace (7.5 mph). Try to stay on the treadmill for 20 seconds. If you feel like you’re going to fall, or if you feel dizzy, stop immediately.
- If you’re successful at the increased speed, try to keep it up for 30 seconds the next time. Do two or three of these sprints during your first 30-minute treadmill workout. Over the course of the next month, attempt to increase the amount of time you continuously sprint to two minutes.
- Once you are regularly sprinting for two minutes at a time, do three or four sprints per workout.
Sprint training can be done once or twice per week. It increases your cardiovascular endurance, your anaerobic threshold and will give a little goose to your calorie burn during the workout. The sprints allow you to burn about 20 to 30 more calories a session, about the same as a Hershey’s kiss!
If you’re just getting started, try this beginner running plan.
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Filed under: Fitness
I like how Donna Deegan says she wants to take the words “fight” and “battle” out of the cancer conversation. News anchor, three-time cancer survivor and creator of the National Breast Cancer Marathon, Deegan doesn’t want to just fight breast cancer, she wants to end it all together.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and what better time to help put an end to this disease. Deegan’s new book, “Through Rose Colored Glasses,” teaches us how to get past the fear of breast cancer and move towards healing in a positive way. As much as we know the devastating effects this disease can have, there are a number of positive actions we can take to support those living with breast cancer now and prevent others from living with it in the future.
The Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure is the largest 5K run/walk series in the world, and events are happening right now. Find a race near you. Walk it, run it or get a group to volunteer at it. There is also a 60-mile walk held in various cities throughout the year. Funds from these events are used for breast cancer research, breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment projects.
Continue reading Breast Cancer: Race to End It
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Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss
A cup of coffee usually has fewer than 10 calories, so why is recent research finding that our afternoon coffee breaks might be making us fat? OK, it doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out — while black coffee or tea on their own are practically calorie-free, not many people actually drink them this way, and all the add-ons can send the calorie count soaring.
Researchers from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene set out to find out just how we like our coffee and followed the habits of afternoon coffee drinkers at Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts for 11 weeks. They found that while 78 percent of patrons at Dunkin’ Donuts stuck to regular coffee with milk or sugar (averaging around 69 calories a cup), two-thirds of Starbucks addicts opted for fancier coffees, which upped the calorie count drastically.
Continue reading Coffee Calories Can Stretch Your Waistline
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