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There’s a catch, though. Here’s what you need to know.

By Mandy Oaklander, Prevention

There’s no need to speed up every time you drive by a fast-food joint with a rumbly stomach. We all succumb to the siren song of fries every once in a while, and according to a recent survey on Prevention.com, 80 percent of you eat fast food at least occasionally. The drive-through mantra to remember? In moderation, friend. In moderation.

But moderation wasn’t on the minds of these brave souls. In fierce (and sometimes foolish) exhibitions of brand loyalty, some people will go to extremes in their efforts to lose weight. We can appreciate the urge to simplify your diet — it sure makes deciding what to have for dinner a breeze — but go too simple and you might not be getting the nutrients you need. Take the five devoted diners in our "Five Fast-Food Diets For Big Weight Loss." Sure, their meal plans might have helped them shed pounds in the short term, but we hate to think about what havoc those McNuggets can wreak over time.

Make Any Meal Healthier

1. Starbucks Diet
Think you’re a Starbucks regular? Meet Christine Hall, a 66-year-old law librarian who ate all of her meals from Starbucks for two years. Every. Single. One.

That doesn’t mean she drank three Frappuccinos a day, of course. Hall noshed on the bistro boxes for lunch and paninis for dinner, reported Shine. Hall’s expensive diet allowed her to drop nearly 80 pounds and qualify to be an organ donor, which are both great things. But depending on one fast-food shop to deliver all your nutrients? Not our tall, pumpkin-spiced cup of tea.

2. Convenience-Store Diet
If you’re a sucker for Snickers, do yourself a favor and stop reading now. This diet is a meal plan you do not need to know exists.

We’re talking about the convenience-store diet, a two-month experiment performed in 2010 by Mark Haub, PhD, professor of human nutrition at Kansas State University. A nutrition professor seems like an unlikely candidate for eating straight-up junk for 60 days, but his mission was to demonstrate that no matter how you get your calories, as long as you cut them back, you can drop pounds.

He did so by mostly consuming Twinkies, Doritos, and snack cakes. But he also supplemented with vitamins, exercise, protein shakes, and some fresh veggies. Here’s the scary part: Professor Haub lost 27 pounds, and his good HDL cholesterol went up. But you might want wait for a more long-term guinea pig before you toss the kale for Kit Kats.

See which other fast-food diets are good for weight loss after the break!

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If it isn't good for you, it's no good for your kids, either. Here's the right way to snack — deliciously and healthily.

By Mandy Oaklander and Diana Kelly, Prevention

It’s back-to-school time, and if you’ve got kids at home, that probably means your pantry is jammed with family packs of snacks that aren't good for you and aren't good for your children — but man, are they convenient. With all of the new foods on the market, the snack aisle can be a daunting place for a health-conscious mom who’s trying to feed her kids nutritious foods and avoid unnecessary temptations for herself.

“When it comes to snacking, what’s good for the child is good for the parent,” says Elizabeth Ward, RD, author of MyPlate For Moms, How to Feed Yourself and Your Family Better. "I don’t make a distinction between what kids are eating for snacks vs. what parents should be eating. You can feed kids of all ages the same foods; you change the portion sizes."

Ward says snacks should consist of whole foods whenever possible and should contain protein and carbs and fiber if you can squeeze it in, too.

We know you’re going to want to munch on your kids’ snacks, too. That’s why we found the healthiest options out there. Here, six healthy kids’ snacks moms and dads will want to steal.

Why Feeling Hungry Isn’t a Bad Thing

See which kid snacks to add to your healthy diet after the break!

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How to respond to stressful situations without heading to the fridge!

By Melissa Roberson, Prevention

If we could all try to learn healthier habits in a stress-free bubble (real life, in other words), the going would be a lot easier. Who hasn’t received an irritating email and had a sudden urge for a bag of chips, not baked?

When it comes to weight loss, stress reduction is extremely important, according to Pam Peeke, MD, MPH, and author of the just-published The Hunger Fix. "When life’s stresses hit, you must learn to adapt and adjust without resorting to self-destructive habits — your False Fixes," she writes.

"Studies have shown," writes Peeke, "that forming what is referred to as an implementation intention (‘If I encounter situation X, then I will perform behavior Y') increases your probability of carrying out your goals.

"These problem-solving skills require creativity, and by flexing those cognitive and creative muscles . . . you’ll also exercise and thus strengthen your PFC [prefrontal cortex], giving you a Healthy Fix that will make you more creative! Definition of a virtuous cycle."

Thirteen Foods That Fight Stress

Learn how to fight stress eating after the break!

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Enjoy these easy food fixes for your most beautiful complexion ever

By Sally Wadyka, Prevention

The path to beautiful skin just might be through your stomach. "When the body is out of balance, one of the first places it reveals itself is the skin," says Ruthie Harper, MD, a board-certified internist in Austin, TX, who specializes in nutritional medicine. "If you're not getting the right nutrients, skin gets cheated out of what it needs for optimal health and beauty." Learn to make the most of your body's skin-stomach connection with these seven food fixes that give you a healthy, glowing complexion while warding off a host of skin conditions.

1. Power Up With Probiotics
When the stomach's natural flora gets out of whack because of stress, infection, or a course of antibiotics, you may experience digestive ills and skin problems such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema, as well as dullness and wrinkles. "If your gut's bacteria balance is unfavorable, the toxic bacteria can leak through microscopic holes in the wall of your gastrointestinal tract and travel throughout your body, including to your skin, causing inflammation that prevents the skin from functioning properly," says Frank Lipman, MD, an integrative physician and director of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City. The best way is to take a probiotic supplement (available at most health-food stores) or consume fermented foods such as kefir, yogurt, buttermilk, miso, kimchi, and sauerkraut.

Probiotics: Europe’s Best-Kept Health Secret

2. Explore Prebiotics
Prebiotics are undigestible nutrients that stimulate the growth of good bacteria in your gut. To prevent problems, keep your digestive tract populated with good bacteria, which "coat the lining of your gut and help seal it so unwanted substances can no longer leak out and cause irritation," says Whitney Bowe, MD, assistant medical director of cosmetic and laser services at Advanced Dermatology in Ossining, NY. Sources include whole grains, bananas, onions, and garlic.

See more foods that help skin after the break!

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Your diet isn't working. Here are the sneaky reasons why
By Jenna Birch, Prevention

You cleaned out your fridge. You shelled out for new workout clothes. You took the pizza delivery guy off speed dial and (finally) remembered where your pots and pans were hiding. So where the heck are the weight loss results?

The problem is, many of our most dearly held healthy eating rules are far too open to interpretation. Done wrong, that low-carb diet could backfire — or worse, set you up for a heart attack. And your new slimmed-down, veggie-based meal plan? It might mean you're eating more calories than you were before.

To bust the diet myths that are putting results out of your reach, here, our expert-backed tips.

Foods That Speed Up Your Metabolism

1. You went gluten-free "just because"

If you go gluten-free and you don't have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you may be missing out on the host of vital nutrients found in whole grains, such as folate and fiber. "Why skimp on healthy foods if you don't have to?" says Samantha Heller, RD. "Gluten free does not necessarily mean low calorie, either." So trade your lunchtime sandwich on wheat for a protein-packed salad a few times a week, but don't cut gluten products altogether unless you have a medical need.

2. You swore off sweets

You're eating a heaping plate of rice and veggies. Your friend's chowing down on chocolate cake . . . and yet you're the one struggling to lose weight? "I tell my patients, 'You can lose weight eating candy and soda and gain weight eating brown rice and broccoli,'" says Heller. Obviously, we aren't recommending a candy-bar diet. New research, while hotly debated, indicates that not all calories are created equal.

"Studies suggest that what we eat matters," Heller says. Bottom line, don't give up the rice and veggies, but make sure you eat a varied diet. Swearing off certain foods only leads you to binge when you do indulge, according to research.

See four more reasons you're not losing weight after the break!

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Fast fixes for when you're feeling less than fab

By Stephanie Castillo, Prevention

You know how it goes. You wake up in the morning, glance at yourself in the mirror, and decide you're "too fat" to go anywhere. Instead of interacting with the outside world — mirrors! people! — you’d rather sit at home watching too many hours of Keeping Up With the Kardashians and eating cheese fries . . . with your hands. Hey, we've all been there. But would you believe us if we said it's all in your head?

It’s true, say researchers at the University College London.

Feeling thin or fat is an illusion constructed in our posterior parietal cortex — an area of the brain that integrates sensory information from different parts of the body. Unlike your sense of touch, there are no specialized receptors in your body that send information to the brain about the size and shape of your body parts, says lead study author Henrik Ehrsson, MD, PhD. "Instead, the brain appears to create a map of the body by integrating signals from the relevant body parts such as skin, joints, and muscles, along with visual cues," he says.

Which means that if you spend the day sending your brain the wrong cues about your body, it's going to give you the wrong image.

See more tricks on turning that fat feeling around after the break!

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Why you need a diet drink detox — stat!

By Mandy Oaklander, Prevention

Pop quiz! What’s the single biggest source of calories for Americans? White bread? Big Macs? Actually, try soda. The average American drinks about two cans of the stuff every day. "But I drink diet soda," you say. "With no calories or sugar, it’s the perfect alternative for weight watchers . . . Right?"

Not so fast. Before you pop the top off the caramel-colored bubbly, know this: guzzling diet soda comes with its own set of side effects that may harm your health — from kick-starting kidney problems to adding inches to your waistline.

Unfortunately, diet soda is more in vogue than ever. Kids consume the stuff at more than double the rate of last decade, according to research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Among adults, consumption has grown almost 25 percent.

But knowing these seven side effects of drinking diet soda may help you kick the can for good.

Can Diet Soda Make You Fat?

Kidney Problems

Here’s something you didn’t know about your diet soda: it might be bad for your kidneys. In an 11-year-long Harvard Medical School study of more than 3,000 women, researchers found that diet cola is associated with a twofold increased risk for kidney decline. Kidney function started declining when women drank more than two sodas a day. Even more interesting: since kidney decline was not associated with sugar-sweetened sodas, researchers suspect that the diet sweeteners are responsible.

See how diet soda can actually cause weight gain after the break!

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Peer inside the daily diary of a woman on a liquid cleanse. Plus: top nutritionists weigh in on whether these explosively popular diets help — or harm — your health

By Holly C. Corbett, Prevention

Nothing riles up health writers like the debate over the relative merits and perils of detox diets. In one camp, you have women convinced that cleanses are needed to flush harmful toxins from your body; in the other are people persuaded they're dangerous fad diets that deprive you of essential nutrients (and then trigger binges). I was in neither, so I decided to give one a whirl myself.

Now, I'd like to say my motivation was pure professional curiosity: a desire to use my body as a research tool so that I could better report on a trend that celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow to Beyoncé have sworn by, inspiring legions of women in their wake. But that wouldn't be completely true. When I volunteered to test a liquid cleanse, it just so happened I had a trip planned to a tropical island just one week later. If, in the name of journalism, I could also feel better in my two-piece, well, wouldn't that be nice?

There are countless trendy detox diets out there, but I opted for the Master Cleanse. Sure, subsisting on spicy lemonade for 10 days sounded like cruel and unusual punishment. But unlike other cleanses that cost hundreds of dollars, this one was super easy to follow, and it was cheap. In fact, the only ingredients required were laxative tea, organic lemons, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup.

Ten days sounded like a bit much, so I tasked myself with trying it for five. Here is my daily diary of what happened. Warning: you'd best stop here if toilet humor isn't your cup of (laxative) tea.

Debloat Your Belly!

See if the cleanse worked after the break!

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It's one of the most popular label claims around, but there are some surprising ingredients lurking in your "all natural" health foods

By Tracy Miller, Prevention

Natural Foods That Aren't

Unless you have a green thumb with lots of outdoor space and the time to grow your own grub, sticking to a diet free of processed ingredients can be challenging. (If you are that person, can we come over for dinner?) Otherwise, you do your best, eating whole foods whenever possible and opting for the most unadulterated, natural options you can find when you buy from the box or the bag. Or so you think.

The problem is, labels can be misleading. You’d need several pairs of hands to count the number of “100 Percent Natural” claims you see in just one aisle of the supermarket. That’s because neither the US Food and Drug Administration nor the Federal Trade Commission have a strict definition for the term: the FDA says it "has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances." But hold up: without getting so much as a wrist slap, so-called “natural” foods can still contain a wide range of processed sweeteners, lab-produced “natural” flavors and colors, additives, and preservatives.

"Natural Foods" That Aren’t!

Lately, though, some brands’ health halos have been showing some tarnish. General Mills currently faces a lawsuit over claims its "100 Percent Natural" Nature Valley granola bars contain two processed ingredients — maltodextrin and high maltose corn syrup — that don't exist in nature. And Snapple recently beat a suit that took issue over the high-fructose corn syrup in its "natural" drinks (the company has since introduced recipes with real sugar).

But those are just two examples — unfortunately, there are many others. Here, we take a look at the ingredients in some of your favorite “natural” foods, so you can decide for yourself what's real and what's not.

See what natural foods may not be as healthy as you think after the break!

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Having a low-energy day? Sometimes the problem is lack of sleep . . .

But even if you're well rested, certain diet or exercise habits or other lifestyle choices can bring on a slump. And surprisingly little things — like the size of your Starbucks order or how you decorate your office — can hurt or help your energy levels. Make some of these tweaks, like eating for energy, to recharge your batteries and power through your day.

1. Have bran for breakfast

Eating a morning meal rich in fiber may make you more alert during the day. A Cardiff University study found that subjects who ate a high-fiber cereal in the morning showed a 10 percent reduction in fatigue, lower incidence of depression, and better cognitive skills. One theory: fiber helps slow down the absorption of food in the stomach, which keeps your blood sugar levels steady to sustain energy levels for a longer period of time.

Signs You’ve Had Too Much Caffeine

2. Order a small latte — and sip it slowly

Experts say it's best not to rely too heavily on caffeine, but if you're an unapologetic java junkie, try spreading your intake out more evenly over the day. Mini servings of caffeine (eight ounces of coffee or less) every few hours keep you awake, alert, and focused for longer than a single jumbo one would, according to sleep experts. "When you quickly drink a large coffee, the caffeine peaks in your bloodstream much sooner than if you spread it out over time," says Harris R. Lieberman, PhD, a research psychologist with the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine.

3. Eat more often

Following a strict three-square-meals-a-day plan may be sapping your vigor. "Eating small meals frequently throughout the day — every three to four hours — helps keep your blood sugar up, so you don't experience energy crashes or get so ravenous that you overeat," explains Kathy McManus, RD, director of the Department of Nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Each meal should have some carbohydrates, protein, and healthy monounsaturated fat, like a salad topped with four ounces of chicken and drizzled with olive oil.

See three more tips for fighting fatigue after the break!

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If you've ever politely laughed at a terrible joke or told your brother-in-law that his botched haircut really "brings out his eyes," then you won't be surprised to learn that a new study from Florida State University confirms our aversion to offering up negative feedback. The problem? It can lead people to have undeserved overconfidence in their skill set — which is dangerous when it comes to your workouts.

"People who set overly optimistic fitness goals or exercise plans might invite injury," says Joyce Ehrlinger, PhD, the study's lead author and assistant professor of psychology at FSU. So you'd hope that if your goals are too ambitious — or not ambitious enough — that your workout buddy or your trainer would tell you, right? Not so, says Ehrlinger. "My research suggests that people aren't comfortable giving negative feedback and, instead, remain polite. As a result, we might not receive the negative feedback that we sometimes really need."

Why You Need a Workout Buddy

Having an inflated opinion of your fitness ability isn't only bound to be hazardous, but it's also likely to prevent you from seeing results you want. In order to make those gains in the gym, it might take a little tough love instead of meaningless cheers.

Jeff Halevy, behavioral health and fitness expert and CEO of Halevy Life in New York, shares three things your trainer isn't telling you but should:

Find out the secrets trainers keep from clients after the break!

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[Courtesy of Men's Health] To a die-hard follower of one of these diets, what they put on their plate is as personal as their political party — and just as controversial. These four food philosophies have small, dedicated, and sometimes fanatical followings. So which are legit? We asked the experts to separate the facts from the fads.

1. Veganism: Vegans nix all animal products, including meat, dairy, gelatin, and eggs.

Is it legit? Research in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that vegans are usually thinner and enjoy a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Why? They generally eat a more wholesome diet, including more fiber, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and avoid processed meats. But still, meat can be part of a healthy diet. Case in point: in another study in AJCN in 2012, researchers put people on a healthy diet that included up to 5.4 ounces of lean beef a day in lieu of chicken or fish. The results: their cholesterol scores dropped about 10 percent.

The Grossest Things in Your Food

2. Gluten-free: Maybe you suffer from celiac disease, an autoimmune condition where the lining of the intestine is damaged and doesn’t properly absorb nutrients. Or maybe you have nonceliac gluten sensitivity. Not surprisingly, if that’s you, you should avoid gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley). But thanks to celebs like Miley Cyrus, a gluten-free diet is touted as a surefire way to slim down.

Is it legit? Yes, if you have a real problem digesting gluten diagnosed by your doc. (Symptoms can range from gastrointestinal discomfort and bloating to headaches and fatigue.) However, according to a 2012 study in Archives of Internal Medicine, many people with food sensitivities restrict gluten (and other foods) without a proper diagnosis. Then they attribute any improvement in symptoms to going gluten-free, when really it could be a number of different factors. The bottom line: sure, going gluten-free can help you lose weight if you cut back on processed carbs and eat more whole foods. But “merely switching to gluten-free processed products or desserts, which many people do, won’t help you trim down because these contain just as many calories as the regular versions,” says Chicago-area registered dietitian Breea Johnson.

Keep reading for two more fad diets after the break!

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Eating too much sugar certainly isn’t wise for your waistline, but did you know that overindulging in dessert can add years to your face? And even if you do strenuous cardio workouts each week, you’ll be missing out on potential antiaging body benefits if your schedule doesn’t include yoga, weight training, and rest.

"Good nutrition is a fundamental building block of healthy skin," explains Leslie Baumann, MD, a Miami Beach dermatologist. The natural ingredients in whole foods such as romaine lettuce and strawberries help increase cell turnover and boost production of collagen fibers to help keep skin smooth and firm. Conversely, foods with little-to-no nutritional benefits, like sugar-packed doughnuts, can actually damage the collagen and elastin that keep skin firm and youthful. These aging effects start at about age 35 and increase rapidly after that, according to a study published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Even if your diet is wholesome, you could be making exercise mistakes that age you as well. For example, if you only do cardio at the expense of other types of exercise, like yoga and strength training, you could be missing out on skin-protective benefits.

Find out if you're making one of these five common aging diet and exercise mistakes and get smart prevention strategies that can keep you slim and youthful for years to come.

1. You Overdo Dessert

The breakdown of sugars, called glycation, damages the collagen that keeps skin smooth and firm. To prevent this natural process from careening out of control, Naila Malik, MD, a derm in Southlake, TX, sticks to low-glycemic carbs like whole grains: they're naturally low in sugar, and the body processes them slowly to limit the loss of collagen. If you want to sweeten up your tea or oatmeal without making your skin look older, try all-natural stevia. It's an easily digested herbal sweetener that doesn't trigger glycation, according to board-certified dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, MD, an adjunct professor of medicine at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine.

More Surprising Reasons Sweets Cause Wrinkles

See what other antiaging mistakes you're making after the break!

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By Diana Kelly, Prevention

The Flat Belly Diet Four-Day Jump-Start is a great way to reduce belly bloat and start flattening your stomach instantly. It was created to reduce water retention, eliminate heavy solids, and relieve gas so you will quickly look and feel lighter. You can lose up to seven pounds in four days! Make these food swaps and look slimmer fast!

Season Food Differently

Make This Smart Swap Add zing to your meals with salt-free seasoning blends such as the Original and Italian medley Mrs. Dash®.

Avoid These Salt, salt-based seasonings, and highly processed foods.

Why? You may be attracted to your saltshaker, but water is, too. When you take in higher than usual amounts of the salty stuff, you’ll temporarily retain more fluid, contributing to that sluggish feeling, a puffy appearance, and extra water weight.

Ten Flat Belly Breakfast Ideas

Steer Clear of Acidic Drinks

Make This Smart Swap Drink plain tap water or our belly-soothing Sassy Water instead of coffee, tea, juice, and alcohol. Think of it as tough love for your tummy.
Avoid These Alcohol, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and acidic fruit juices
Why? We realize that giving up your morning cup of joe may be tough to swallow (pun intended!), but it's only for four days. Coffee and the other bad guys of bloat on the "avoid" list are all high-acid beverages that can irritate your GI tract, causing swelling.

Learn what other swaps you can make for a flatter belly after the break!

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Exercise shouldn't feel like a chore. These 4 new classes bring back the fun

By Bari Lieberman, Prevention

It's easy to become distracted and, dare I say, consumed with the stats and numbers of your workout: How many calories did I burn? How long was I in my target heart rate zone? Did I beat my best minute-mile speed? Which is fine, of course, but you risk losing the point of exercise, which is that it's fun.

Oh wait, you didn't know that staying fit and healthy can be fun? Sure, it takes hard work (and a few buckets of sweat) to see results, but it is possible to enjoy yourself, too. Check out these 4 unique summer-ready workouts that feel less like homework—and more like summer camp for adults:

5 Fun Outdoor Workouts That Torch Calories

If you have Olympic fever . . .

Group fitness classes are going for the gold this summer. Crunch is offering a Decathlon workout, which includes 10 cardio and strength drills inspired by the 10-event sport. Or, with the Nike Training Club app, which features exclusive bonus workouts, you can train alongside Olympic athletes like soccer star Hope Solo, gymnastics' golden girl Shawn Johnson, and track's speedy sprinter Allyson Felix. Meanwhile, Equinox's Shockwave brings the Olympic sport of rowing indoors with the Indo-Row machine. And for the first time, women's boxing is included in the Olympic program. Celebrate the kick-butt female athletes with this at-home uppercut workout that sculpts lean arms.

See more weird workouts after the break!

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The surprising foods that power the pros

By Stephanie Castillo, Prevention

If you're anything like us, you've spent the better part of these last few weeks watching the Olympic Trials and, possibly, drooling over Ryan Lochte's abs. (We jest, but when you consider how sexist the Olympics can be, we figure we might as well get in a look, too.) In any case, you've probably also noticed that the trials — and some of its athletes — are sponsored by fast food chains, which got us wondering: what do these men and women actually eat to fuel their race for the finish line? Some strange things, as it turns out.

Here are 12 athletes, most of whom are competing in London's Summer games, with eating habits you never would have guessed.

Usain Bolt
Curious what sustains the fastest man alive? We've got two words for you: fast food — pun not intended. At the 2008 Beijing games, Bolt was unimpressed by the local cuisine — so he kept his strength and speed up with chicken nuggets, as well as yams. In fact, after Bolt broke the world 100-meter record in Beijing, his father revealed the secret for his superhuman speed to The Daily Telegraph: "It is definitely the Trelawny yam."

See what Venus Williams, Michael Phelps, and Lochte eat after the break!

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That ice-cold lemonade may hit the spot on a 90-degree day, but it’s not doing your waistline any favors. A 20-ounce Minute Maid Lemonade contains 250 calories and 68 grams of sugar. Fortunately, there are plenty of refreshing Summer drinks that you can drink without guilt — and they may actually help you lose weight. Here are five ways to quench your thirst without packing on pounds.

Flat Belly Drink: Flavored Water
Staying hydrated is important when you’re trying to lose weight. Drinking plenty of water helps your body maintain proper fluid balance, stops water retention (a big cause of bloated bellies), and even increases the feeling of fullness so you eat less overall. But if plain water bores you, spruce it up with fresh herbs, citrus fruits, and other low-cal flavor enhancers (sliced cucumbers work well too) to encourage you to drink up. Try our Sassy Water recipe from the Flat Belly Diet!

Flat Belly Drink: Watermelon Smoothie
As long as they’re made without sugary mixers like sherbet, smoothies are a guilt-free way to hydrate — and watermelon is a terrific, low-cal smoothie base. Not only is it a natural hydrator because of its water content, watermelon is also loaded with nutrients, including cancer-fighting lycopene, as well as an amino acid known as arginine. A study in The Journal of Nutrition found that arginine can decrease body fat and increase lean muscle mass, so whip up this 56-calorie metabolism booster and sip away!

See more belly-shrinking drinks after the break!

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You might have to put down the frozen cocktail for this. Now raise your hand if this sounds like a personal mantra of yours: Vacation is a weeklong excuse to be decadently lazy and indulgent.

I'll admit it: That's typically my perspective when I'm beach-bound for a break. But the recent research showing how sitting too much is a health hazard—something I do too much of in my non-vacation life to begin with—made me decide to make my latest vacation a more active one (with plenty of time for relaxing and piña colada drinking, of course). So instead of spending seven days planted in a lounge chair while at the Radisson Blu Resort, Marina & Spa, in St. Martin, I signed up for hikes, went snorkeling and kayaking, and did laps in the infinity pool. To stay motivated, I promised myself an indulgent massage at the end of the week if I stayed active. I'm happy to report that I came home feeling relaxed, guilt-free, and that my pants fit just as well—if not better—than when I left. Oh, and the massage was amazing.

Your Summer Safety Guide

If you've got a vacation coming up and don't want to undo all your hard fitness work, check out these tips from Pete McCall, exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise.

See the expert tips after the break!

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Learn which summertime treats are the biggest calorie culprits and enjoy every outing with treats that won't go to your gut.

By Diana Kelly, Prevention

It's hard to enjoy a Summer excursion without being bombarded by high-cal, fatty foods and humongous portions at every turn. Making matters worse, if you find yourself catching a whiff of funnel cakes on an empty stomach, the temptation to get a plateful might be more than your weight-loss resolve can handle.

We asked nutrition experts to share their know-how and take the guesswork out of the calorie counts of common foods you'll find at popular Summer events. Find out what they suggested you steer clear of — and better-for-you options — to maximize fun without hurting your waistline.

1. The Ballpark

Bathing Suit Bomber: Jumbo Dogs and Large Beers

You don't have to get the supersized, foot-long jumbo dog or the largest cup of beer, says David Grotto, RD, a former spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and founder of Nutrition Housecall, a nutrition-consulting firm.

"A jumbo beef hot dog (larger than a foot-long) can contain about a half pound of meat per dog!" says Grotto. That clocks in at around 750 calories and 68 grams of fat depending on the brand — and that doesn't even include the roll! Washing that dog down with a tall 16-ounce regular beer will set you back about 200 more calories.

Worst Foods to Eat During Summer Fun

Better Pick: Regular Hot Dogs and Light Beer

Grotto says enjoying a regular-sized hot dog (five to six inches) and a small beer are fine. A regular dog on the bun with ketchup, relish, and mustard comes in at around 280 calories. Pair it with a 12-ounce light brew for another 100 to 120 calories.

Just make sure you don't overload the dog with high-cal toppings. "It's the chili and cheese layered on top," says David Kessler, MD, author of The End of Overeating (Rodale, 2009). "That's when 300 or 400 calories turns into 1,500. The best trick is to have a plan. Know what you're going to eat and when you're going to eat."

Keep reading for more tips on avoiding calorie bombs.

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Ride a roller coaster, win a prize, and . . . ruin your diet? Here, three unhealthy foods to avoid — and what to eat instead.

By Nina Elias, Prevention

At some point this summer, you're bound to find yourself weaving your way through a maze of bright, blinking food carts. The smell of roasting hot dogs and deep-fried funnel cake is enough to eat away at anyone's willpower — and who cares, right? What's one little treat when you're feting? Well, we'll tell you: that one snack could pack a day's worth of calories, sugar, and fat, and leave you starving. To help you navigate the rows (and rows and rows) of trashy, tempting treats, we uncovered the three worst diet disasters — and found some healthier options, too.

Diet Disaster: Funnel Cake

With 700 calories and 40 grams of fat in just one funnel cake, be grateful that these light-as-air webs only rear their deep-fried heads once a year. If you need a fix, split one with a friend (or two!).

Smarter Choice: Candy Apple

Despite being covered in a sweet sheen, a 330-calorie candy apple is surprisingly high in fiber (four grams) and low in fat (five grams) and can be tricky to eat, so you'll feel satisfied longer — or ditch it before you're done. If you prefer the caramel-coated variety, add 150 calories.

Six Worst Diet Mistakes That Make You Fat

See more theme-park diet mistakes after the break!