FitSugar -- Healthy, happy you.

Fittingly Mad: Skinny Dressing Room Mirrors

FitSugar — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 06:04:00 -0700

I don't know too many people who enjoy trying on clothes in dressing rooms. Not only is it annoying that sizing varies so much from store to store, but the ginormous mirror and bright lights are utterly unforgiving. You can end up spending more time criticizing your imperfections than checking out the clothes! Store designers must know the emotional pain we endure in those tiny rooms, and that's why they designed skinny mirrors.

You know the ones I'm talking about, where you try on that skintight pair of jeans and your booty never looked so good. You think, "Wow, those squats are really working." Then when you get home and try them on again, they just don't look the same. Somehow your tiny bum has expanded in the 20 minutes it took to drive home.

I'm sure stores think we owe them a huge thank you for making our dressing room experiences more pleasant, but ultimately it's a huge disappointment. I don't need some stupid mirror making me look thinner than I really am. What do you think about them? Are you psyched with what you see, or do you think this deception is just a marketing ploy to get you to spend more money?

Source

Fittingly Mad: Dog Poo and Hiking Don't Mix

FitSugar — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 04:00:00 -0700

I planned a two hour family hike last weekend and everything was going well, until my little daughter stepped in dog poo. I was so thoroughly disgusted. Not by the smell, but by the irresponsible hikers that walked the trail before us. Not to be gross, but the doggy deposit was definitely fresh. As we were hiking up the mountain, I tried not to glare at every hiker we passed with a pooch.

I have no problem with dogs on the trail. We take Bonnie the dog with us all the time. I also carry a couple of bags in case she goes on the trail. I do, however, have a problem with a dog owner not picking up his or her dog's business especially when it is in the middle of the path. It's rude and disrespectful to the mountain and to the fellow hikers to not clean up a mess your pet leaves behind. I think it is a lot like littering (although it does eventually decompose, but like trash it doesn't belong on the trail). Do you have issues with this too? If you do, share them in the comments section below.

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Fittingly Mad: Unlimited Indoor Tanning Free With Gym Membership?

FitSugar — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 03:00:00 -0700

There's a gym near me that has tootsie rolls by the front door, and that's not all the goodies they offer. In the lobby they have a bunch of stand-up tanning beds, and one of the memberships perks is unlimited use. WTF? To me, this is the equivalent of going on a 2-hour hike, getting to the top of the mountain and lighting up a cigarette. Doesn't it strike you as an oxymoron? You join our gym to help you stay fit and live a long, healthy life, but step into this tanning booth to dramatically increase your chances for developing skin cancer. It's idiotic and it aggravates me. I guess people are responsible enough to make their own decisions, but I'm just so surprised that tanning beds are still in existence, and just mortified that they're in a place like a gym. What do you think about this?

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Fittingly Mad: Snotty Tissues on Gym Equipment

FitSugar — Sat, 10 May 2008 02:30:00 -0700

Spring is the time for allergies and I've seen so many people suffering. I'm feeling crappy too so I definitely feel for people, but I have to say I'm losing a little bit of my sympathy. While at the gym the past few weeks, I've been noticing men and women sneezing, blowing their noses, and then stuffing their snotty tissues into the cup holder on the machines. I even saw a guy blow his nose into his own towel and drape it over the handle of the treadmill. It's so thoroughly disgusting and inconsiderate. I don't understand why it doesn't occur to people that even though they're not sick, they can still pass germs and bacteria on to fellow gym goers through their snotty business. Is it so hard to stuff their used tissue into their pocket or in their shirt or waistband? Or how about this idea — they could get up and throw it away. What a concept?

Am I the only one out there witnessing this phenomenon? Let me know in the comments section below.

Fittingly Mad: Pedestrians Get No Respect

FitSugar — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 02:30:00 -0800

I live in a state where pedestrians legally have the right-of-way, meaning cars are supposed to yield to people getting around on foot. Let me tell you though, this does not always happen.

Today, while crossing the street on a green light I was almost run over by a man driving a Jaguar. I am not sure why he couldn't wait for all the pedestrians to cross the street and then make his right turn. I guess waiting 20 seconds for the foot traffic to safely pass might make him too late. Chances are high though, as he motors about, he is going to reach his destination before all us pedestrians.

Walking is a great form of exercise. Walking is a great way to decrease our carbon footprint. Walking is a double win here: good for the health of people and the planet. And come on, walking is a necessity, especially in an urban environment, and that is why it should feel safe. Safe walking paths, and biking trails while we are at it, need to factored into community development plans and urban planning. Drivers need to pay attention to foot traffic too. Just like it is nice to give a stranger a compliment, if you're driving let the pedestrian go first. Give 'em a little wave-on-through motion and smile. If you are on foot or bike walk and ride defensively. You have to assume that cars don't see you, but if they happen to give you the right-of-way acknowledge it! Give that driver a nod, a wave, or a smile. Maybe with a little positive encouragement that driver will keep on sharing the road.

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Fittingly Mad: Don’t Drip on Me

FitSugar — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 02:30:00 -0800

The other day, I was waiting my turn for counter help at a fabric store (getting some detailing for Halloween costumes). I was behind an older gentleman, and I had to stand there and watch his nose drip directly onto the counter. And not just once, mind you. I was a little stunned he just let it drip out and onto a public surface. He made no attempt to wipe his nose. He pulled out no tissues. I am teaching my little girls these hygiene habits, and I thought a man 20 years my senior would have these healthy habits down.

The woman behind the counter did not offer him a tissue either; but when he walked away, she did produce a spray bottle and wiped the counter down. We were both annoyed by the drips, but why did it get to this place anyway. If you have a cold accompanied by a drippy nose you should carry some tissues so you can wipe your nose on a regular basis. Of course, after wiping or blowing your nose you should wash your hands, but most importantly don’t drip on me!

I would love to see tissues on every counter. Until then I will be keeping them in my own pocket! Along with some hand sanitizer, since I know I am a serious germaphobe, but I find it pays to stay vigilant to stay healthy!

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Fittingly Mad: The Myth of Work/Life Balance

FitSugar — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 02:30:00 -0700

I have a full time job. I have two young daughters. I have a husband who I actually enjoy hanging out with, not that I see him much one-on-one. I have hobbies — well, "hobbies" might be a slight exaggeration. There are many activities I enjoy: running, pushing my girls on the swing at the park, baking cakes and pies, studying Spanish, learning how to dance salsa, learning how to sew...but I am finding it increasingly difficult to find the time to fulfill all my obligations and do the things I want to do. I just can't seem to find the elusive balance between life and work.

Magazine covers are filled with the promise that I can have it all: career, family and "me" time. I can be sexy, successful and maternal all with the blink of an eye, or the flip of a glossy page. For me though, there is no equilibrium, and I feel like I am falling short on all fronts. I always think the problem, the chronic feelings of dissatisfaction and failure, is me. The reason I feel unbalanced is that I haven't tried hard enough to figure it all out.

After trying to find balance for years, I have decided to give up the chase. First off, this idea of perfect balance is a myth. There really is no "balance," although there may be tipping points — but I digress. There really are too many things to do than there are hours in the day. I can make lists and strategize and then beat myself up for not meeting my expectations, but that really seems the opposite of balance.

In all honesty, I have been wasting time searching for the mythical pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. There is no gold and there is no perfect balance between life and work. All the details of my life ebb and flow, I am going to try and ride the waves of activity that run through my life. I am going to give up the eternal search for balance. Yep, I am going to take stock in what I have and what is going on. It is a 360 degree perspective, not a this-or-that.

Am I the only one out here that feels this? I'd love to hear about your battle with the life / work balance. Tell me all about it in the comments section below.

Source

Fittingly Mad: Sore Losers

FitSugar — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 02:30:00 -0700

She has been railed on by the sports media. They have called her "classless" and "graceless," "sullen" and "sulking." Yep, I am talking about one of my fave tennis stars, Serena Williams and her sorry press conference after losing her quarterfinal match at the US Open.

If you have played competitive sports, or even a wicked game of backgammon, and lost (which inevitably happens if you play games), then you know it is hard to lose. You give it your all, you play the best you can and some days it just isn't enough. Losing with grace, though, is still part of the game. Serena even told reporters:

I really don't feel like talking about it [the match]. It's like I don't want to get fined. That's the only reason I came [to the press conference]. I can't afford to pay the fines because I keep losing.

Not really a stellar postmortem on the match, would you say? Serena lost the match to Justine Henin who just so happens to be ranked #1 in women's tennis right now. So when you lose, and lose to the best, you just need to admit you played your best and your opponent unfortunately played even better. Fans forgive losses quickly, but bad attitudes linger. We love players that show their emotions and get fired up on the court or field, but bad sportsmanship just has a bad aftertaste.

It doesn't matter if you win or lose. It is how you played the game...and how you act afterward!

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Fittingly Mad: Leg Magic???

FitSugar — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Right before I go to bed, I like to check out the news. When I was flipping channels last night, I saw yet another (of the many) stupid fitness infomercials. This one was called Leg Magic.

If you sit through this absurd commercial, at the end you'll hear someone say, "I have no time for exercise. I have time for the leg magic." Did I hear right? How can working your butt for 5 short minutes replace heart-pumping real exercise that keeps you healthy and strong?

This reminds me of the Ab Lounge and the Thigh Master - all of these pieces of fitness equipment just work to isolate certain muscle groups. I'm sure if you use them daily, you will strengthen those muscles, but these commercials claim to reshape your body completely, and help you lose tons of weight, in just minutes a day.

It's a total scam! These companies prey on people who don't realize that you need to do cardio in order to burn calories and lose weight. If you are 30 pounds overweight, and you tone your ab muscles, guess what? You'll have a toned middle under a huge tire of fat.

Check out this funny spoof video. This teenage girl is totally making fun of the Leg Magic. It made me laugh out loud. To see it

Fittingly Mad: BodyLift Weight Reducing Cream

FitSugar — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 02:30:00 -0700

There really is no magic pill or no miracle cream for weight loss. Yet, products in this fairy tale genre continue to be produced and marketed, and women (maybe men too?) who are desperate to meet the crazy cellulite-fat-free-ideal buy them.

For instance, BodyLift Weight Reducing Cream made by University Medical (love how that name of the manufacturer sounds so official as if the product has been tested and researched at a university, then tested at medical facilities). This cream supposedly "Controls your appetite and increases your metabolism, while firming and flattening your flesh." All that for only $10.99 - quite a deal.

Hopefully, that sounds as preposterous to you as it does to me. If you are tempted, I am here to say products like this DO NOT work. To lose weight you need to burn more calories than you are consuming. To firm up you need to exercise using a nice mix of cardio and strength training. Needless to say there are two consumer reviews of this cream (meaning at least two anonymous shoppers bought this cream) telling the truth - that this weight reducing cream did nothing for them. Interestingly enough, these two negative reviews are followed by a review that sounds bogus, as if it was written by the honest (can you hear the sarcasm?) folks at University Medical themselves!

Don't be fooled ladies! There is no magic pill. There is no magic cream! If you have tried a product like this, you're not alone. Even Bella tried some cellulite cream, that didn't work.

Looking to lose weight? Check out these diet tips. Need motivation to exercise? Maybe these words will move you.

Fittingly Mad: Cool Whip Free

FitSugar — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 02:30:00 -0700

It was a hot day and I found myself grocery shopping. When I am with my girls, even when they are behaving themselves, I employ the "get in, get out" strategy: Take a grocery list, shop the perimeter, placate with a bagel when necessary, pay for the food and get out of the store. It was a hot day, so the three of us lingered, a little too long, in the frozen food section. We needed waffles, and I noticed some Cool Whip Free. Imagining I could use it to concoct some kind of healthy, low fat frozen dessert, I tossed some into my shopping cart.

When I got home and read the ingredients, I had to ask the question "Cool Whip Free? Free of what?" Cool Whip Free may be low in carbs and low in calories, but it is not free of a few things I try to avoid. The top four ingredients are: water, corn syrup, hydrogenated vegetable (coconut and palm kernel oils), and high fructose corn syrup.

The first ingredient is water. Fine. I have no problem with water. It only makes sense that a "lite" dessert topping would be made from something with no calories, but let us not forget that water really has no flavor. It is the next three ingredients added to the water that make me shudder. I love the fact that regular corn syrup is not enough to sweeten this dessert topping, that high fructose corn syrup was needed as well.

My favorite touch, however, is the asterisks Kraft added to the right of the ingredient "partially hydrogenated oil." The asterisk leads me to a little informational gem of a footnote that reads, "Adds a negligible amount of fat." Thanks, Kraft I feel so much better about the fact that you can use partially hydrogenated oil, keep the amount per serving to below 0.5 gram, and still claim your product is trans fat free.

Needless to say, once I read the ingredients of Cool Whip Free, I made myself free of it. I tossed it without even opening it. That night, for dessert we had fresh berries for dessert. Just berries, free of any high fructose corn syrup and trans fats. They were delicious!!!!

Fittingly Mad: Towels at the Gym

FitSugar — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Let me ask you a question: Do the complimentary towels at your gym feel more like a joke than a luxury? When signing up for a membership they always say, "Oh and we offer complimentary towel service for all our members," as if this club was the first to offer such a valuable commodity.

Why then, are they so dang hard? I understand that gyms need to practice good hygiene and use bleach, which can severely damage the fibers in the towels, but can't they figure out a system to make them just a little tiny bit softer? I am paying a pretty penny for this gym membership and all its amenities (i.e. free towels) and it would be nice if I could actually use them for once.

Why also, I ask you, must they only be large enough to cover about one square inch of my body? Unfortunately I am not one of those ladies who can walk around the locker room totally butt-naked. If you're one of those ladies, more power to you -- But me, I like to cover myself up. Problem is that covering myself up means taking three or four of those little towels and strategically placing them all over my body so it looks like I am gearing up for a toga party.

All I am asking for is a complimentary towel that I actually can use, because for once I would love to stop bringing my own towels, ones that don't feel like sandpaper and look like something my one year old niece would use, from home. If that is not going to happen can I get that $10 a month (that I am assuming is tacked on to the monthly charge) credited back to my account if I promise not to use a towel?

Thanks.

Fittingly Mad: We ALL Need to Share the Road

FitSugar — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 02:30:00 -0700

I lived without a car for years. I biked to work. I biked to parties. I biked to the grocery store. I biked everywhere. After almost getting door-ed (when the person in the driver’s seat of a parked car opens his/her door just as a biker is coming to pass) repeatedly I became a very defensive biker.

The best way to protect myself was to be super aware of my surrounding as I rode the busy city streets. I used my voice a lot, even screamed so drivers would notice me. I took bike routes whenever possible and avoided traffic heavy streets whenever possible, which I found relatively easy to do. I thought the public service announcements that read “Start Seeing Bicycles” were great and I still love them. Drivers need to deal with the fact that cyclist are around and share the road, use their turn signals, hang up their phones, pay attention to the road and look for bikers before opening their car doors. I definitely got a little hot under the helmet when cars didn’t give me the right of way at four way stops…hello driver you will get to wherever you are going faster than I will reach my destination since I am just pedaling and you are merely pressing the gas pedal.

Now, I own a car but live in a bike friendly town, with lot of “Bicycle Boulevards.” Streets full of pretty purple signs guide cyclists through the town on different routes. These signs are cheerful reminders for drivers to share the road. The streets are painted with an image of a biker (wearing a helmet of course) just to remind those in cars to share the road. These dedicated streets are plentiful. Yet, I still see cyclists on streets with heavy traffic, biking at night, in dark clothes with no light, on a street without a bike lane, when a street with a bike lane, a more quiet street is one block away. I want to yell at them SAFETY is one block away!!! Wear a helmet? Where’s your light?

My driver self knows I need to share the road, and stay calm and keep my crazy mother voice to myself. But the cyclist in me wants these bikers to share the road too, to bike defensively, to use the roads dedicated for biking. I think cars and bikes can get along. We all just need to stay aware of one another. We all need to share the road.

Fittingly Mad: Trash on the Trail

FitSugar — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 02:30:00 -0700

The other day I went for a hike with my girls on a gorgeous sunny day. Everything was green, the birds were singing, and we even got to see a woodpecker. That's not all we saw though. One of my girls said, "Mommy, what's that?" Eww, there was trash on the trail. What is up with that?

On our 2 hour hike we saw energy bar wrappers, empty water bottles, dirty tissues, cigarette butts, a Diet Coke can, and we even saw a sock. This made me so angry, to see people just trashing the trail like it was a garbage dump.

I happened to have a plastic bag in my lumbar pack that held our snacks. So we spent our entire hike picking up after people who were too lazy and inconsiderate to hold onto their litter and dispose of it properly!

Come on people. It's bad enough that we trash our streets and highways, but just because there's no trash can on the trail, (and nobody around to remind you) doesn't give you the right to ditch your junk wherever you please.

I'm sure you've all seen this before too. It just gives me this awful feeling inside to go to a beautiful place and see garbage. It's disrespectful, knowing these preserved places are slowly dwindling away. We really need to work hard at preserving what little natural areas we have left, and cleaning up after ourselves really isn't asking too much.

When it comes to litter bugs, what do you think?

Source

Fittingly Mad: MultiGrain vs. Restaurant Style Tostitos

FitSugar — Sat, 02 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0700

I made an interesting discovery at the grocery store the other day. Chips and salsa are something I like to have on occasion and I typically buy some au natural chips. My husband, however, prefers Tostitos, and is relentless about voicing his preference.

This time I gave into him, but then I noticed Tostitos is now making a Multigrain variety made with whole oat, whole wheat and buckwheat flours - this was written in a nice font on the front of the bag. So, my hubby got his Restaurant Style, I got my Multigrain - both of us satisfied that we got our way.

The problem happened when I got home and actually read the label -- Not only is the main ingredient of these chips still corn, but the Multigrain chips actually have more calories, fat, sodium and sugar (10 more calories, 1 g fat, 15 mg sodium and 1 g sugar per ounce) than the Restaurant Style chips. I realized that while the Restaurant Style chips are probably more healthy, better tasting and cheaper, Tostitos is marketing toward people who, like me, are easily drawn (like a moth to a flame really) to labels like 'Multigrain' even if it is not in fact healthier. Sure, there is a bit more fiber (1 gram) in the Multigrain chips, but let's be honest; I am NOT eating tortilla chips for their fiber content. What's even worse? Now my husband thinks he is the authority on eating light. Twist the knife even more....

I have decided to take this incident, as I did my tequila to wash down all those chips, with a grain of salt. I should have known better, but I have learned once again to always read the label. And that when I want tortilla chips, I will just stick to the regular tortilla chips from here on out and eat them in moderation.

Fittingly Mad: Crap in the Snack Machine

FitSugar — Sat, 19 May 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Doritos, Fritos, Oreos, gummy bears, Lays potato chips, Snickers, M&Ms, Butterfingers, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey Bars, Lifesavers, Twizzlers! I know this sounds like a PMS wish list, but this is the "food" in the snack vending machine where I work. You call that crap a snack?!

I'm usually one to bring my lunch and snacks from home, and this is a major reason why - It's hard to find healthy food in a pinch. It's really becoming annoying! I mean, what kind of message is this sending to kids (and adults) when everywhere they turn is sugar, partially hydrogenated oil and trans fat!

I wish we could replace all those crappy snacks with healthy, energy-giving munchies that are made of actual food. Here's what I'd put in my healthy vending machine:

granola bars like ones made by Kashi and
Whole grain crackers like TLC crackers
Tiny tubs of real peanut butter (just peanuts - no sugar or corn syrup)
LARABARS
Packages of mixed nuts
Packages of dried fruit
Bear Naked Trail Mix
Nature's choice cereal bars
Newman's Own Organic pretzels
Gardin of Eatin' Tortilla chips (I love Pico de Gallo)
Endangered Species Chocolate bars

Fit's Tips: Until YoNaturals, the San Diego based company with the healthy vending machine idea gets its machines into the world, be your own vending machine. I always keep granola bars and ziploc baggies of trail mix in my purse and gym bag just in case.

Source

Fittingly Mad: Wear a Helmet Already

FitSugar — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 02:00:00 -0700

As the weather improves I see more and more folks out riding their bicycles. Enjoying the sunshine and feeling the wind blow their hair about...Wait...HOLD ON...If their hair is blowing all about it means they are not wearing a helmet. Not wearing a helmet???!!!??? You need to protect your noggins people.

Now I will readily admit bike helmets are not very attractive. Bike helmets might even feel dorkier than they look. But I spent a lot of money and time filling my brain with knowledge, both important and trivial. I love knowing that there are 26 bones in a foot, and that relámpago means "lightning" in Spanish. I would hate to lose that valuable information because while cruising on my bike my head accidentally came into contact with the car of an errant driver, or the pavement, or a light pole. You don't wear helmets because you are a crazy cyclist, you wear them because sometime cars don't stop when there's a red light, and because occasionally off leash dogs wander into the street, or because some pot holes are practically invisible.

So enjoy your bike and protect your brain. And why you are at it - get a bike light. Biking on a warm night is such a pleasure, but make sure you can be seen.

Please, please - pretty please.

Fittingly Mad: Express Yourself with Botox?

FitSugar — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 12:00:00 -0800

There’s been a lot of talk this week, in light of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, about being comfortable in your skin. My buddy Dear even did a great poll on the topic. I’ve been taking stock in how I unconsciously view my body and my face – essentially ME.

So when I read the text in a Botox ad while flipping though a healthy life style magazine (how ironic), I got a little fumed. “It’s all about freedom of expression” read the text of the ad for Botox Cosmetic Botulinum Toxin Type A. I had to type the whole name out because I find it crazy that folks willingly shoot a toxin into their face.

“Freedoms of expression"…yeah, right. I can have my face paralyzed so it doesn’t move and doesn’t express any emotion. Got to stay wrinkle free to be beautiful. I had a facial recently (such a wonderful luxury I wish I could indulge in more often) and the esthetician an older woman with glowing skin, kept telling me that wrinkles were a normal part of aging, but exfoliation is to help the cell regenerate (your ability to exfoliate naturally slows down as you age – who knew??). It was so wonderful to hear from a “beauty expert” how wrinkles are normal, because they are. Look at Academy Award winning actress Helen Mirren. She is 62 and totally gorgeous and she looks her age. I doubt she would trade her ability to express herself (after all that is her craft) to delay, cover up, or numb a few wrinkles away.

So yes, Botox Cosmetic Botulinum Toxic Type A, I will express myself. I will keep my face mobile and my emotions visible. Helen is my role model for aging gracefully. We all age and we shouldn’t work so hard to cover it up.

Source

Fittingly Mad: Grams to Teaspoons

FitSugar — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 03:00:00 -0800

I am a label reader, there is no doubt about that. I want to know what I am eating and how much of it too. So I look on the back of food packages, let's use yogurt as an example, to see how much of some ingredient it contains, for instance - sugar.

A serving size of this new vanilla yogurt I bought was a cup. I looked to see how much sugar there was in one cup and the answer is listed in grams. 33 Grams, to be exact. But I have no idea what that really means. We never went metric here in the U.S. so why are ingredients listed in grams? If the serving size is listed in cups, shouldn't the amounts be listed in ounces, tablespoons and teaspoons. I know roughly how these units of measurement break down. There are: 8 ounces in a cup, 2 tablespoons in 1/8 of a cup, and 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon. These measurements I am familiar with. But grams - I do not know grams.

So after consulting the web, my favorite research tool, I found gourmet sleuth a really great cooking measurement conversion site . Here's the deal: 33 grams of sugar = 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon. I don't know about you, but that seems like a lot a lot of sugar.

From now it is plain, non-fat yogurt for me with a smidgen of maple syrup as sweetener. I have to tell you though, I really want to be able to eat without my computer.

Fittingly Mad: Diet Pill Commercials

FitSugar — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 09:30:00 -0800

Lately I have noticed that I cannot catch up on my TV shows without having to fast forward through a massive amount of diet pill and nutritional supplement commercials. I would not mind so much if they were not so obviously misleading, disturbingly false and oddly creepy.

Just the other day I saw something for Zetcap ($67/bottle) which not only calls itself the "first gastric bypass in a bottle" but also promotes its four minute workout video. I'm not kidding, four minutes. The claim was this: You take one to two Zetacap capsules before any meal, along with an eight ounce glass of water and within minutes (four minutes maybe) all the water you just drank will be absorbed to form a filling gel inside your stomach. I don't know about you but (minus the gel part) that sounds like one expensive bottle of fiber to me. I'll stick with my oatmeal and Kashi, thanks.

Am I the only one that sees the small print at the bottom while the ecstatic woman talks about her 200 pound weight loss in four months? Results not common or likely. Am I the only one seeing this? Who buys this stuff? Obviously, people are buying into it because more, and more commercials are popping up for new pills (NV, Anatrim, Xenical...). Not to mention that most of these pills and supplements, contrary to popular belief, have NOT been approved by the FDA -- Leaving us with no real assurance as to what they will do to our bodies long term. When are we going to realize that there is NO magic pill?

Just because I am on topic, you would think that these diet pill companies would have gotten the idea when ephedra was actually making people sick (and sometimes killing people). Or what about this commercial for the Ayds diet pill in the early 80s. The name turned out to be a rather unfortunate choice when the AIDS epidemic broke out later in the 80s, but it just proves how bad this industry really is.

Apparently I am not the only one upset with these pills, the FDA is not too pleased with them either.

Fittingly Mad: Don't Share?

FitSugar — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 04:30:00 -0800

I have decided that little kids are germ factories disguised as our utterly cute progeny. Our love for them shadows the truth of that fact. Recently, at yet another doctor's appointment, I was told to not share food with my kids as a means of protection, of self preservation through these viral times. Saliva is a major transmitter of germs.

It sounded so logical, so plausible, until I got to the dinner table that night. Do you know how impossible it is to NOT share food with your kids? We are in the "learning how to share" phase of toddler life. Let me tell you it is a long learning process. Since I have to model behavior I really feel like I can't say "No." Especially when I hear the words "bite please mama" come out of my toddler's mouth.

Plus, even though she starts her meal on her own, she eventually climbs onto my lap. She eats from my plate and asks for bites from my fork and she is fast. Sometime she steals a bite off my fork that was actually headed for my mouth.

That was the craziest advice I have ever heard. Urrrggghhh- don't share food with your kids. Urrrggghhh.

Fittingly Mad: Can't a Girl Go For a Run? Geez

FitSugar — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 08:30:00 -0800

Here's the deal. This actually happened. No joke. I was out running the other day and some guy yelled from his porch, "Hey baby. Why are you running away? Why don't you run over here?" I wanted to run a mac truck over him.

It was as if my baggy sweatshirt, said "Rude comments welcome?" Why do guys feel like they can hoot and holler at anyone with boobs? Do they think they are being funny? Sexy? Motivating? My response was run even faster to get away from the idiot.

Now I'm not saying all guys are to blame. But it's that one sleazy guy who can ruin a run and running alone in general. Don't let him ruin it for you though.

Fit's Tip: If you run alone keep the volume low on your iPod so you can still hear what's going on around you. If you run in the dark, use well lit streets. Or call up your best friend and run together in a girl pack.

Fittingly Mad: Tivo has ruined my abs

FitSugar — Sun, 12 Nov 2006 07:30:00 -0800

I am a busy woman, but who isn't these days? After I've kissed the little ones goodnight, I like to settle in front of the TV and snuggle with my honey. Until a commercial break comes on, then I am up and exercising.

But not anymore. We have Tivo.

Now we just fast forward through the commercials. See, the commercials felt like free time. They were down time. They were a little piece of me time. Commercials were a chance to lie down without the kids crawling all over me and work my abs.

I know technically there are still commercials even with Tivo, but who has the willpower at the end of the day to take advantage of this down time (literally I was on the floor doing sit ups) and not just press the fast forward. Fast forwarding of course should have enabled me to have even more free time to exercise. Not so much the case--With the back log of shows to watch, all that fast forwarding really does is enable me to watch more TV.

So now I am looking for the willpower to do my sit-ups before I even turn on the TV. I am hoping to find it soon. Wish me luck.

Fittingly Mad: Liquid Cocaine

FitSugar — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 10:00:00 -0800

Energy drinks have gained enormous popularity in the past few years despite the extremely high levels of sugar and caffeine found in almost any energy drink on the market.

The name energy leads you, the consumer, to believe you are drinking a good thing (maybe something that will help you excel in your work out) when you're not, and it could not be further from it. One can of energy drink tends to have 4 times the caffeine than a can of coke and about 7 teaspoons of sugar. The worst part is that since energy drinks are so hot right now, makers are just random companies (clothing manufacturers, motorcycle makers, etc) jumping on the bandwagon. One Las Vegas based producer even named their drink Cocaine: The Legal Alternative. Could it sound any more unhealthy? What's more? Energy drinks are not currently regulated in the United States so anyone and everyone can make and drink them.

To find out how you can get more energy without one drop of Liquid Cocaine,