Carnie Wilson’s Weight Struggles Continue Even After Gastric Bypass

This may be dating me a little, but Wilson Philips was one of my favorite groups back in the ’90s. One of the members, Carnie Wilson , publicly struggled with her weight, and in 1999, she weighed over 300 pounds before deciding to have gastric bypass surgery . The singer lost an amazing 150 pounds in 16 months, but keeping the weight off continued to be a struggle. Dr. Oz says that at least 15 percent of gastric bypass patients will gain all their weight back. That’s because although the surgery decreases the size of a person’s stomach, it doesn’t deal with the emotional reasons and lifestyle choices that cause people to become overweight in the first place. Carnie became pregnant with her first daughter, now 4 years old, and packed on 70 pounds during her pregnancy. She lost it over three years, but after her second pregnancy, Wilson has been unable to lose the extra 61 pounds she gained. After appearing on The Dr. Oz Show in the beginning of February, the mom of two was shocked to learn that being 5′3″ and 218 pounds put her in the morbidly obese and prediabetic category. That was the supportive nudge Carnie needed to realize she has to stop making excuses about why she’s gaining weight, and has to get serious about her health so she can be a positive role model for her daughters. To find out what Carnie is doing now to drop the extra pounds read more. Dr. Oz and his team prescribed a 90-day program that involves daily exercise and food journaling, and it’s helping Carnie get back on track. When asked if she felt like a failure, Wilson replied, “No, this is life, and life is up and down. I’m at a down, but I’m coming back up.” This week’s Get Fit For 2010 Challenge is to blog about your weight loss and fitness progress, and I’m sure many of you can relate to having your own ups and downs on the road to getting healthy and fit. It isn’t always easy and we’re not always successful right away, but hopefully Carnie’s story will inspire you to continue on your path.

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Carnie Wilson’s Weight Struggles Continue Even After Gastric Bypass

Jessica Biel Makes It to the Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro

When Jessica Biel sets her mind to a goal , nothing gets in her way. Here’s another reason she’s the fittest celeb of 2009 - today the 27-year-old actress reached the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak on the African continent at 19,341 feet. She began the climb on Jan. 7 , in the hopes of raising money and bringing awareness to the growing need for clean drinking water worldwide. The expedition was known as Summit on the Summit , and Jessica was joined by other notables such as actor Emile Hirsch, actress Isabel Lucas, and musician Lupe Fiasco. The grueling hike was expected to last a week, but it looks like they made it a couple days ahead of schedule. Congrats to Jessica and the entire crew!

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Jessica Biel Makes It to the Top of Mt. Kilimanjaro

Jenny Craig Update: Val Is on the Run and George Is Moving In

As the previous spokeswoman for Jenny Craig, Valerie Bertinelli lost an astounding 50 pounds for her bikini cover shot on People magazine. The actress has managed to keep the weight off, created her own fitness DVD , wrote a new book called Finding It , and completed the Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half-Marathon in just over two hours. What’s next for this amazing almost-50-year-old? Val is training to run the 2010 Boston Marathon on April 19 to support cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Valerie says, “Losing 40 pounds was a huge accomplishment and as I continue to increase my fitness level, I am looking for more challenges.” That’s quite the goal, isn’t it? Looks like she’s learned all she needs from Jenny Craig, and it’s time for someone new to take her place. That someone is Jason Alexander - aka George from Seinfeld . To learn how much weight he plans on losing as the new spokesman keep reading.

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Jenny Craig Update: Val Is on the Run and George Is Moving In

Get the Bod: Carrie Underwood

When we first met the lovely Carrie Underwood on American Idol , as you can see from the photo on the left, she was already slim and beautiful. But five years later, this 5-foot-3 star has really toned up, going from a size six to a teeny size two. Proud of her body, this amazing singer isn’t afraid to bare all in a bikini . Her bod didn’t come easy, though, but rather took a lot of sweat at the gym and watching her calorie intake. In a recent issue of Us Weekly , Carrie shares that she continues to hit the gym for at least 30 minutes, four to six times a week. She pumps up her heart with cardio on the treadmill or stationary bike , and then does basic, yet effective, strength training moves like push-ups , crunches, and squats. Her new personal trainer, Tony Greco, is kicking her butt, which Carrie says she needs, “especially with a tour coming up and a wedding to look good for.” To hear about this newly engaged singer’s eating habits, read more. Carrie is a vegetarian , but that’s not how she stays slim. Keeping a food journal helps her track her calorie consumption. Some foods you’d see in her journal are soy-based sausages and Kashi bars, but you won’t see soda or many sugary foods. She doesn’t eat catering, and instead chows on food from the stocked fridge she has on her bus. Carrie even brings her own groceries when she goes home to Cheotah, OK, because she says, “I have to . . . or I’ll starve. Fitness is not a lifestyle [there].” I love that this 26-year-old celeb isn’t hung up about losing weight for her appearance, but rather she says, “I need to be fit and healthy to keep up with all I have to do.”

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Get the Bod: Carrie Underwood

Jillian Michaels Kicking Butt on Own Her Show

If you love watching Jillian Michaels’ antics on The Biggest Loser , then you will be psyched to know she’s getting her own TV show - Losing It With Jillian . The eight-episode series will air in 2010 on NBC. This fitness-obsessed health nut is traveling the country and moving in with desperate families for an entire week, picking out their bad habits, and showing them how to live healthier and happier. Jillian says, “When your health is out of balance everything else suffers - finances, relationships, work, and family dynamics.” This tough-love trainer isn’t doing it alone. Celebrity chef Curtis Stone will also be offering tips on nutrition, portion sizes, and how to cook with healthy ingredients. Jillian explained the inspiration for the show like this: “In a way, it [the show] is a response to the comments we always get on Loser . We always hear, ‘It’s so easy to lose weight when you move into the camp and you’re living with trainers.’ and ‘Would they really be able to lose the weight if there wasn’t money on the line?’” Well, I guess we’ll find out.

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Jillian Michaels Kicking Butt on Own Her Show

Alanis Morissette Marathoning For Eating Disorders

Many celebs have laced up their sneaks and finished marathons, including Will Ferrell , Mario Lopez, Oprah, David Lee Roth, and Katie Holmes . Now you can add Alanis Morissette to that list. She’s planning on running this Sunday, Oct. 11, in the Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon , in Lassen National Forest in northern California. Alanis is running to raise money for the National Eating Disorders Association , since she knows firsthand what it feels like to struggle with anorexia and bulimia . Alanis began running about a year ago after seeing her assistant Leah running “like a gazelle” while on tour. This singer-songwriter feels that running this marathon is allowing her to use her body as an instrument and raise awareness about an important and personal issue. She knew she couldn’t get through the many hours of grueling training unless there was a higher purpose and explains, “I wanted to offer this run to anyone who has had a fraught relationship with their food, their body and their heart and soul.” To find out if training triggered unhealthy eating disorder behaviors, read more. Alanis said that marathon training did trigger some eating disorder type behaviors, but she knew there was no way she could undereat and maintain the high level of energy needed in order to run. So training for this marathon actually helped her find balance in how she fueled herself. This amazing singer was also aware of not exercising obsessively. She has an order of priorities now: Sleep first. Food second. Run third. Alanis said, “I don’t have the first two nailed, I can’t run. So it incentivized me to nurture the first two. When I run healthfully I feel empowered and kind. When I run obsessively I feel nervous, stressed out and disassociated.” Have any of you ever walked, biked, or run for a cause? Tell me about it in the comment section below.

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Alanis Morissette Marathoning For Eating Disorders

Gabrielle Reece Dishes About Food and Abs

I have been a fan of Gabrielle Reece for a while, and after talking to her recently I would love to work out with her. Why? She doesn’t believe in crunches. Gabby is all about functional exercises since the hardest thing to move is your own body. She explained how she tones her midsection: “Over the years, I learned to incorporate doing abs within an all-body exercise. Then you’re working in all the planes of motions and the abs have to coordinate with the rest of the body.” One of her favorites is plank with row . Yeah, your arms are moving in this exercise, but the abs are working the most to hold you steady in plank position. Food is an essential part of healthy living, and to learn what Gabby eats for breakfast just read more. When it comes to her diet, she has recognized that her needs vary from day to day, but she most always begins with a smoothie. Gabby starts with almond milk and frozen fruit, then adds peanut butter for fat and powdered greens. It is full of protein, but easy to digest before training. She explains her general food philosophy like this: “I do better when I eat smaller meals throughout the day, especially a smaller dinner. I try not to freak out about food too much and be neurotic. But I do avoid processed food . . . I avoid flour and sugary drinks. I have learned to eat colorful foods. If it doesn’t have a shelf life of 50 years . . . it is real food and that’s what I am all about these days.” Gabby also believes in an afternoon pick-me-up. She savors dark chocolate and sips on jasmine tea. Since those are two of my favorite treats, maybe I would rather take afternoon tea with her instead of having her push me through a functional fitness workout.

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Gabrielle Reece Dishes About Food and Abs

Sports Energy Products Explained: Gels and Chews

When you need energy for long workouts, there are many choices. Sport drinks, powders, and tablets offer fuel with hydration, but many just provide electrolytes to prevent dehydration. If you’re working out for over an hour, you need to provide your muscles with some fuel, aka glycogen , and that’s where gels and chew come into the mix. Conveniently packaged in single-serving packets, full of carbs and sometimes electrolytes, you can easily carry one in your pocket or pack. Gels like GU , Clif Shot, and Hammer Head contain sugars that provide super concentrated, fast-acting fuel. Just squirt a pack in your mouth every 30 to 40 minutes of intense exercise, down some water, and you’re good to go. You can easily consume the entire serving while on the move, provided you have water to help wash it down. Bite-sized energy chews such as GU Chomps, Clif Shot Blocks, and Luna Sport Moons offer the same quick energy, but they’re less sticky and messy than gels. Since they are more like gummy candies, some folks find them more pleasing to eat, making them great for hikes and longer, slower runs or rides. They can also be easier to digest for some people (although that has not been my experience), but remember that you need to take them with water just like gels. Consume six chews per hour of running, and what’s nice is you don’t have to take them all at once. Both gels and chews are fairly inexpensive, about $1.30 per packet. Tell me which do you prefer - gels or chews?

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Sports Energy Products Explained: Gels and Chews

Gabrielle Reece on Fitting Fitness Into a Busy Life

Gabrielle Reece is a fitness idol of mine, and I was lucky enough to speak to her about fitness and motherhood recently. I thought she was cool before, but now I wish she could be my new BFF. Needless to say, Gabby is a busy lady, and many of you were curious about how she fits fitness into her daily routine. Simply put, she’s aggressive about it. Comparing her commitment to working out to her obligations as a mother, she says that you wouldn’t skip out on picking your kids up from school, so you shouldn’t skip taking care of yourself. One way to ensure she doesn’t blow off her workout is by running a circuit-training group of 10 women on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Since she’s responsible for the class, she’s there. Gabby saves the other two weekdays for cardio - biking or swimming. She explained her reasoning: “It comes down to this . . . I am going to be a better wife, a better professional, a better mom, and definitely a nicer human being if I train. So I schedule it. And I think it’s critical to schedule with other people because then you’re accountable. You just can’t blow it off.” To see how becoming a mom has changed her workouts, read more. A mother of two young girls, Gabby knows that once you become a mom, you have a lot less time, and time constraints force you to be a lot more flexible. She explained that she has become more focused, too, when she has a scheduled workout. “I have become a lot more serious about that time. If I have allotted an hour, I don’t mess around with that time. I don’t chitchat. This hour is golden and I am here to bust it. There have been days where I only have 20 . . . Instead of freaking out I say, ‘Today is 20 minutes and 20 minutes is better than nothing.’ With being a mom, you have a mix. I have become softer and harsher about it all.” As a working mother with two girls of my own, I fully relate. That 6 a.m. workout is the time I have to work out, so I make it work. Says Gabby: “When I am training, it’s an opportunity to just be me, not do the mom thing. It’s a chance to plug into my inner athlete.” Here’s to a victorious inner athlete! Stay tuned for more on Gabby’s food, abs, and working out with Laird, her surfer-pro husband.

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Gabrielle Reece on Fitting Fitness Into a Busy Life

Pink and Her Shoulder Go Separate Ways

After seeing her crazy aerial show on the VMAs last Sunday, it’s easy to understand how Pink could injure her shoulder. After initially thinking she had broken her collarbone, Pink learned she had separated her shoulder . A painful injury indeed. In fact she tweeted that “it kinda feels like 50 angry invisible demon fairies are stabbing me.” To learn what body part actually separated from what and how she did it, read more. A shoulder separation is not technically an injury to the actual shoulder joint (the ball and socket) but a weakening or tear of the ligaments that attach the top of the shoulder blade to the collarbone. These ligaments help stabilize the shoulder through the wide range of motion this joint has. Although it is assumed that Pink injured herself on the trapeze, she twittered to her pal and sometimes punching bag Jason Ellis this message when he asked what happened: Proving she is a super toughie, Pink will continue her tour in spite of her injury - minus the trapeze tricks.

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Pink and Her Shoulder Go Separate Ways

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