Short, frequent workouts blast fat… but is it a realistic—or doable—routine? Continue reading
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Could THIS be the Secret to Burning More Fat?
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More People Are Exercising—Here’s How You Can, Too
New research finds that more women are working out than ever. What are you waiting for? Continue reading
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How to Burn More Calories While You Sleep
If only you could work off the calories from that froyo you had earlier while passed out on the couch. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it may not be that far off: Turning down the thermostat while you sleep could help rev up your metabolism, according to a new study conducted by the National Institute of Health Clinical Center.
For the study, 31 healthy people slept in either a 75-degree room or a 66-degree room. Researchers found that the colder sleepers burned more than 7 percent more calories than the warm sleepers—likely because their bodies were working to raise their core body temperature to a stable 98.6 degrees, says study author Francesco Saverio Celi, MD, MHSc, of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease.
If you lowered the thermostat to 66 degrees at bedtime, you could burn an extra 100 calories over the course of 24 sleeping hours, according to study results. That might not sound like much, but it adds up—in theory at least.
See, researchers don’t yet know whether your body compensates for these calories in another way—like by making you hungrier or less amped to work out when you’re awake, says Celi. Still, if you’re trying to lose a few pounds, it can’t hurt to turn down the temperature before you crawl under the covers. Just make sure you don’t pile on the blankets or wear your warmest pajamas at the same time: You can’t expect to see results unless you tough it out in the cold, says Celi.
photo: Creatas/Thinkstock
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The Habit That Makes You Eat More
It might be hard to cut your nightly Dexter marathon short, but watch out—staying up late may do more than make you sluggish the next day. Cutting back on sleep increases the likelihood of indulging in fatty, high-cal fare at night, which leads to weight gain, finds new research.
For the study, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine followed a control group of 27 participants who went to bed at 10 p.m. and another group of 198 who went to bed at 4 a.m. They found that the sleep-restricted subjects consumed about 550 calories—a good portion of which came from fat—after their well-rested counterparts had gone to sleep. After five consecutive nights of limited rest, participants in the second group had gained an average of more than two pounds.
Night-time munching happens for a few reasons, says lead study author Andrea M. Spaeth, MA, a doctoral candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. For starters, the longer you stay awake, the more time you have to eat. But losing sleep also appears to increase the desire for high-fat and high-calorie foods. Although it’s unclear why you get these cravings, calorie-dense foods are almost always available these days—so it’s easy for people to overindulge, says Spaeth. It’s also possible that willpower diminishes in the wee hours of the night, making it difficult to say no to pleasurable, fatty food, she says.
Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CDN, owner of Manhattan-based practice Your New York Dietician, who was not involved with the study, agrees. “People often associate being home at night with feelings of comfort, causing them to care less about the consequences of their not-so-healthy food choices,” she says. While it’s best to get a good night’s sleep, that may not always be possible. When you can’t get to bed at a reasonable hour, Moskovitz suggests these four simple ways to ward off late-night cravings:
Eat breakfast
If you know you have a long night ahead of you, make sure to eat a healthy breakfast. Studies show that skipping meals during the day—especially breakfast—increases cravings for high-calorie, carb-rich foods at night. Moskovitz suggests pairing proteins with carbs—think eggs with whole-wheat toast or Greek yogurt with fruit—to keep cravings under control all day long.
Don’t mindlessly munch while watching the Kardashians
If you do get hungry, it’s OK to have a healthy midnight snack—just don’t eat it in front of the TV. Stuffing your face in front of the tube can lead to mindless snacking and decreases food satisfaction, which leads to overeating, says Moskovitz.
Keep treats out of the house
Skip the junk food and stock the kitchen with healthy fare like low-fat microwave popcorn, low-fat frozen yogurt, fresh fruit, and veggies. If your roommate, family, or S.O. keeps not-so-healthy snacks around, store them in hard-to-reach places. Research shows that we’re more likely to eat whatever food is easily accessible, so this will help keep junk food out of sight and out of mind.
Get busy
If sitting around makes your stomach grumble, recruit your man for a late-night workout. Sex stimulates feel-good chemicals in the brain, which can block urges to snack or overeat, says Moskovitz. Is your partner out of town? Any exercise that gets your heart pumping (in or out of the bedroom) will help ward off the temptation for unneeded calories, so even just doing some jumping jacks or jogging in place can help.
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The Time You’re Most Likely to Binge
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The Surprising Thing That Makes You Eat More
Most restaurant portions are getting laughably huge, so it’s always exciting when multiple sizes are offered. But watch out: You may eat more than you want to just because of how your portion is labeled. When an order of food is called “regular,” people consume more calories than when the same portion is called “double-sized,” according to a new study from Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab.
Researchers gave two groups of participants two different portion sizes of spaghetti: 1-cup and 2-cup servings. In one group, they labeled the sizes “half-size” (1 cup) and “regular” (2 cups), while the other group saw “regular” (1 cup) and “double-sized” (2 cups) labels. When participants thought they were eating a “double-sized” portion, they consumed an average of 140 fewer calories than the people who thought their 2-cup portion was the norm.
While it’s comforting to know that labels like “double” usually deter people from clearing their plates, the fact is that many restaurants’ “regular” sizes are actually pretty excessive. And if you assume that’s the norm, you may be taking in way more calories than you need. “Without some sort of cue about how big the portions you’re eating are, you just assume this is a normal size and you eat it,” says study coauthor David Just, PhD, associate professor at Cornell University. “And alternatively, if it’s labeled the mega-portion, you have some cue that you shouldn’t be eating all this.”
Unfortunately, not all restaurants list various sizes of the same item on a menu. So Just suggests thinking about portion control before the enormous plate of pasta hits the table. “You can request a half portion,” he says. “Often they don’t have it on the menu but are willing to do it if you ask.” And if they don’t offer that option, you can always ask them to put half of the entrée directly into a to-go box for you to take home. “The real trick is to have some forethought,” says Just. Because you know once that laptop-sized “personal” pizza is in front of you, you may not be able to resist eating the whole thing.
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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Which Impacts Your Weight More: Diet or Exercise?
You know you should exercise and eat healthfully to keep your weight in check. The thing is, research suggests that when people devote time to one healthy habit, they spend less time on the other. So which is more important if you’re worried about your waistline: your workout or your diet?
Turns out, people who think that diet is the most important factor in weight control tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who believe that exercise is the key, according to six new studies published in the journal Psychological Science.
In the studies, researchers asked a total of more than 1,200 people in the U.S., Canada, China, France, and South Korea about the main factor that makes people overweight. They also took participants’ height and weight measurements to calculate their BMIs. Interestingly, those who said it’s most important to stay active to prevent obesity had higher BMIs than the people who said eating right is the key to weight control.
As you might expect, people’s weight-control theories impacted their food choices. In two studies, when researchers offered participants unlimited chocolate, the people who said they think staying active is key to maintaining a healthy weight ate more.
“Our beliefs guide our actions,” says study co-author Brent McFerran, PhD, an assistant professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Think about it: If you think exercise is the key to weight control, you might move more and focus less on what you eat. While exercise can definitely support weight loss—and make you feel awesome, among other benefits—people tend to overestimate the amount of calories they burn while working out and compensate for the extra activity by eating more, says McFerran.
On the flip side, if you believe that eating a healthy diet is the best way to maintain your weight, you might worry less about exercise—but closely watch what you eat. And that’s smart, especially because most people grossly underestimate the amount of calories they consume, says McFerran.
The problem: Many people think they can work off extra pounds—but there’s a ton of scientific evidence to support the fact that changing your diet is a more effective way to drop weight, says McFerran. “If we eat a 3000-calorie lunch, nearly no one has enough free time in the rest of the day to exercise it off,” he says.
Luckily, McFerran’s best advice for weight control doesn’t take much time: Steer clear of foods that are high in calories, and trade large plates and bowls for smaller ones to ensure you fill them with more restrained portions.
That said, you should probably hold onto your gym membership, too. Although it’s tough to slim down with exercise alone, staying active does help with weight control—and it’s absolutely crucial for your health, says Keri Glassman, RD, a Women’s Health weight loss expert. Not only does exercise produce endorphins that increase your metabolic rate and motivate you to eat better—it also supports heart health, strengthens your bones, helps you sleep, decreases stress, and boosts mental health. All awesome reasons to hit the gym when you can!
photo: Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock
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Get This: The Flu Shot Is More Effective Than You Think
Check out the list of links that should be on your radar today:
The flu shot is totally worth getting—it can help protect you even if you’re exposed to a different strain than what was in your shot, according to a new study. [EurekAlert]
Bill Clinton actually thanked the SCOTUS for striking down the Defense of Marriage Act today, which he signed in 1996. [USA Today]
Just when you thought Channing Tatum couldn’t get any sexier, he reveals that he used to work with baby animals when he was a vet tech. [Vulture]
Texas Governor Rick Perry called a special legislative session to revisit the anti-abortion bill that state Senator Wendy Davis had blocked with her filibuster. [Office of the Governor Rick Perry]
Even chefs have a hard time spotting seafood fraud. [NPR]
The biggest single source of calories for adults in the U.S.: soda, closely followed by bread. [Prevention]
After getting a divorce, a billionaire released a sex tape to let ladies know he’s back on the market. *Facepalm* [The Cut]
Over the course of a lifetime, women spend close to a year stressing about their weight, according to a new survey. [Mail Online]
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
The Easiest Way to Feel More Satisfied with Your Job
Raise your hand if you’ve logged onto Twitter, watched a YouTube video, or stepped out to hit the gym during the workday today. You’re not alone. Ninety-three percent of people say they do a personal activity during work hours in the average week, according to a new Captivate Network survey.
The survey responses—from more than 800 workers in the U.S. and Canada—showed a 30 percent increase in the number of people who worked more than nine hours a day in the past two years (Captivate Network asked the same question in 2011). Yet there was also an 11 percent increase in the number of people who said they have a solid work/life balance. The researchers’ reasoning: A trend they’re calling “homing from work”—everything from making travel plans to using social media to running out of the office for a doctor’s appointment or to buy a gift.
“That’s reality, it’s how we have to manage things to get it all done,” says Cali Williams Yost, work flexibility expert and author of Tweak It: Make What Matters to You Happen Every Day. “The question is, how do you do it in a way that’s thoughtful and deliberate so that you are performing your job on the job and also being your best in the other parts of your life?”
That’s where these tips come in. Incorporate them into your workday to boost your balance—and happiness:
Remember this mantra: Your job comes first
Work should always be your priority, says Heather R. Huhman, career expert and president of Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy. Log a few hours at your desk before breaking to handle something personal, she says—don’t sit down at your computer and immediately start scrolling through tweets. Lunchtime is a good time for a breather or an errand. You might also have to flex your schedule muscles: If you know you’re going to have to handle some personal business in the afternoon but your workday is going to be crazy, go into the office a little earlier, says Yost, or wake up early and do the opposite of “homing from work”—working from home—for a little while.
Have a purpose and a time slot
Whatever you’re breaking for, know what it is and how long you have, says Yost. That could mean taking 15 minutes to catch up on the news or walk around the block a few times—it just has to be intentional, she says. “You have an activity you want to complete, and you complete it. Then when that’s over, it’s over.”
Keep it SFW
Whatever personal business you’re dealing with should help keep you balanced—without throwing your colleagues off-kilter. Don’t do anything that causes a disruption, says Yost. An argument on the phone with your partner? Not cool. Same with conducting a full-on job search or doing any work for your side gig, she says. (But Yost does give you the green light to maintain your network, such as by having coffee with a colleague or updating your LinkedIn profile.)
Know your office’s (and boss’s) policies
Of course, much of what’s deemed appropriate or inappropriate for you to do on the job will come down to your specific situation. “You really have to read the culture of your organization,” says Yost. It might be fine for your friend to Facebook message you from her cubicle, but that doesn’t mean it’s OK for you to log on. And while another pal might be permitted to slip out of the office every now and then without announcing it to her boss, you might always have to ask your supervisor for permission. What it comes down to: “Know what your unofficial and official workplace rules are, and respect them,” says Huhman.
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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Doing THIS With Your Partner Leads to More Sex
Want to have more sex with your guy? Just slip into something seductive…like your running shoes. Seriously: Couples that run together may have more sex, according to a recent survey conducted by Wakefield Research.
For the Brooks Run Happy Nation Report, 1000 runners across the country weighed in on how pounding the pavement affects peoples’ lives—and 66 percent of respondents said that couples that run together have more sex.
While it’s unclear whether the runners polled were talking about their own sex lives or guessing what goes on in other runners’ bedrooms, it makes sense that running together could boost both of your libidos, says Terri Orbuch, Ph.D., relationship expert and author of Finding Love Again: 6 Simple Steps to a New and Happy Relationship. After all, running releases adrenaline and endorphins, the same brain chemicals triggered by love and arousal. And when your partner is running alongside you as these feelings flow, something awesome happens: You associate the good vibes with your partner, which makes you want him or her even more—and vice-versa.
Better yet, the feel-good chemicals that flow post-run make you feel awesome about your body—and more willing to show it off between the sheets, says Orbuch.
That said, running isn’t the only thing you can do with your partner to amp up your arousal. Any strenuous exercise—think cycling, hiking, aerobics, kickboxing, intense weight lifting, and even salsa dancing—should stoke both of your libidos.
If your partner isn’t into fitness—and the prospect of more sex doesn’t change that—other activities like riding a roller coaster, seeing a scary movie, or trying an extreme but not-so-strenuous sport like paragliding together can produce similar effects, says Orbuch. The key is that all of these activities trigger the same intense adrenaline rush that makes runners want to take off their sneakers… along with everything else.
photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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Workout Routines For Couples
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More Couples Are Bringing Toys to Bed
If you think sex toys are just for single ladies or bondage-loving Fifty Shades fans, think again: The majority of women are up for bringing sex toys to bed, according to a recent poll of Women’s Health readers.
In fact, in the survey, 75 percent of respondents said they’ve used one with a partner, and 60 percent say they’ve used one with the person they’re seeing now (or were with most recently). Even more women are up for giving one a try: Eighty-four percent said they’re open to the idea of using a sex toy as a couple.
If your sex life is feeling a little routine lately, bringing a toy to bed can help add a little something-something to your sex life, says Ian Kerner, PhD, sex therapist and author of She Comes First (consequently, he says he’s been seeing more and more couples experimenting with sex toys lately). “Whenever you introduce novelty into the bedroom, it stimulates dopamine activity—that plays a big role in sexual arousal and sexual excitement.”
Sex toys can also come in handy if you have trouble crossing the finish line. “A large majority of women don’t orgasm consistently from intercourse alone,” says Kerner, “but when you add a sex toy or manual or oral stimulation—what I call ‘intercourse plus’— the statistics kind of flip on their heads.”
For a standard vibrator that couples can use together, Kerner recommends:
LELO Gigi, $ 109, LELO.com
The flattened tip is specially designed to focus in on the G-spot.
photo: LELO.com
Jimmyjane Form 6, $ 175, Jimmyjane.com
This one is double-sided —one end is perfect for surface vibrations, while the other is better for penetration.
photo: Jimmyjane.com
You can also use a smaller, clitoral vibrator. (A tip: “Incorporating a handheld, palm-sized vibrator into your hand while you’re manually or orally stimulating a man is really going to add to his pleasure,” says Kerner.) Two that Kerner suggests:
Jimmyjane Form 2, $ 145, Jimmyjane.com
The two “ears” are flexible, squeezable, and each powered by their own motor.
photo: Jimmyjane.com
Je Joue MiMi, $ 89, Amazon.com
This one is compact and smooth, so Je Joue suggests using it for an all-over body massage.
photo: Amazon.com
You might also consider springing for a toy that was designed specifically for partners to play with together. Some of the top-selling couple’s toys at Babeland:
We-Vibe 3, $ 139, Babeland.com
Fun fact: The We-Vibe has been Babeland’s best-selling vibrator ever since the first version launched five years ago. It’s designed for a woman to wear during sex (no hands required) so that both partners can feel the vibes.
photo: Courtesy of Babeland
Jimmyjane Hello Touch, $ 65, Babeland.com
One person wears the vibrating pods over his or her fingertips to really amp up hand-play.
photo: Courtesy of Babeland
Je Joue Mio, $ 99, Babeland.com
A vibrating penis ring adds extra pleasure for both parties during sex. (Use it to try for a “Wegasm”!)
photo: Courtesy of Babeland
top photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock
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The Best Sex Toys for Couples
How to Start Using Sex Toys in Your Relationship
18 Best Sex Toys