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When the weather outside is wonderful, who wants to spend any time in a stuffy gym? Instead, gather the family and invite your friends to join you out-of-doors for a calorie-blasting good time. These activities make it easy to enjoy the season — and still lose weight, stay motivated, and build sexy, show-off muscles.

See how many calories you'll burn during each of these warm-weather exercises.

Your Summer Flat-Belly Workout Plan

Spike Your Fat Burn
Play beach volleyball with the family.
Calories Blasted Per Hour: 544
Bonus Benefit: Every serve and spike helps tone your arms, abs, legs, and chest.

Sneak in Freestyle Fitness
Swim laps while at the beach.
Calories Blasted Per Hour: 476
Bonus Benefit: Talk about a total-body workout! Swimming strengthens your chest, back, arms, abs, legs, and shoulders.

Blast Even More Fat With This Water Workout

Batter Up!
Join the office softball game.
Calories Blasted Per Hour: 340
Bonus Benefit: You don't have to be on the winning team to still work your chest, arms, legs, abs, shoulders, and back.

Keep reading for more calorie-blasting workout ideas!

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By Diana Kelly, Prevention

You might blame your weight gain on your lack of motivation, wavering willpower, and a few too many bad food decisions. Don't get us wrong — those things matter. But there's another culprit you should also consider: your neighborhood. Whether you make your home in the suburbs, a city, or a rural area, where you live can make it easier — or much harder — to put your weight-loss goals into action.

Maybe a lack of sidewalks and bike paths leaves you scratching your head over where to work out. Perhaps your area is short on grocery stores but packed with fast-food chains, or your neighbor’s car alarm keeps you up all night, derailing your early-morning jog. Tally up a few of these instances, and you could have a hometown problem that’s interfering with even the best weight-loss intentions.

"In my experience, it makes a huge difference where you live. Everyone can find a way to overcome their circumstances, but people who live in the suburbs where there aren’t sidewalks and are dependent on their cars have a very difficult time getting exercise in. And in my practice, I find that they are more likely to be overweight," Katherine Tallmadge, RD, author of Diet Simple: 195 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspirations.

Here are the biggest neighborhood pitfalls that contribute to belly bulge — and how, short of moving homes, you can make fixes to start dropping pounds again. (See our list of the Eight Best US Cities for Weight Loss to see how your hometown can help you get fit!)

Find out why your neighborhood is the reason for your weight gain after the break!

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Why your cheese isn't vegetarian — and 6 other shockers

By Mandy Oaklander, Prevention

When pink slime oozed into public consciousness, we all scrunched our noses. What was this mystery substance — a food additive made of beef trimmings that are heated, compressed into blocks, and then exposed to bacteria-killing ammonia — hiding in processed meat? It also got us thinking about what other shocking ingredients go undercover in our grub. Our research revealed some surprising secrets that rival — and possibly even beat — pink slime. Steel yourself for our list. And just a suggestion: Don't read this during your lunch break.

Try Instead: Free List of 25 Healthiest Packaged Foods

1. Shellac In Your Candy
Lovers of movie-theater concessions, beware. Nearly everything behind that glass case is steeped in, well, beetlejuice. The hard, shiny shells on candies are often made from shellac, a resin secreted by the lac bug. You may know shellac from its more famous work in varnishes and sealants, but it's also a mainstay in pill coatings, candy, coffee beans, and even the waxy sheen on apples and other fruits and vegetables.

How to avoid it: Leave that candy in the case and grab a veggie brush for your produce — even if it's organic. (That's right: shellac can even be used on organic foods.) These waxes can be difficult to remove, so you'll need to scrub.

Find out what other gross things are lurking in your food after the break!

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Overcome your eating obstacles once and for all

By Stephanie Castillo, Prevention

If making healthy eating choices was easy, then our fridges would be covered with gold stars. But even the best eating intentions get derailed on a daily basis. Why? According to a new poll of more than 1,000 women by ShopSmart magazine, four obstacles in particular make eating well harder than it needs to be. Lucky for you, ladies, we've rounded up the best ways to combat each diet-busting excuse:

6 Diet Mistakes That Are Making You Fat

1. Excuse: "Healthy foods are too expensive." More than half the women polled said cost was the reason they don't eat healthy foods.

Busted! Popular to contrary belief, eating fresh produce and other healthy foods actually costs less than foods high in fat, sugar, and salt, finds a new study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Comparing the cost of foods by weight or portion size shows that grains, vegetables, fruit, and dairy foods are less expensive than junk foods. Add in the countless benefits of eating healthy foods, and you've got a price than can't be beat.

See more diet myths after the break!

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Yup! You can demolish these diseases with your diet.

By Molly Raisch, Prevention

Here's one thing to add to your grocery list: disease-fighting foods. A growing body of research shows that you can squash certain symptoms with what you eat. In fact, eating the right foods may be just what the doctor ordered for these ailments:

Dry Eye

If you suffer from dry eye (you know, that annoying gritty feeling when you blink), then relief may be found in a simple cup of joe, according to researchers from the University of Tokyo's School of Medicine. Study participants were given either a caffeine supplement or a placebo, and they then had their eyes tested 45 minutes later. The results? Not a dry eye in the house for those who'd had caffeine: they produced more tears than their noncaffeinated counterparts. This could be especially good news for women, as dry eye tends to affect postmenopausal women more than any other group. 


7 Diseases That Strike Younger Than You Think

Learn more food cures after the break!

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By Sarah Robertson, Prevention

Here are successful strategies to cut calories and burn fat that take 60 seconds or less. With about 1,000 waking minutes in every day, you'll find plenty of opportunities to slip these tips into your routine and watch the scale go down. If you've already begun your weight loss, these tricks can maximize your efforts and speed results.

Sip green tea before a walk
The caffeine frees fatty acids so that you burn fat more easily. And the polyphenols (antioxidant compounds) in green tea appear to work with caffeine to increase calorie burn. (If you have high blood pressure, skip this tip.)

Dip your bread
Use olive oil in place of butter. It's healthier and may also help you eat less. In a recent study, dippers ate a total of 52 fewer calories on average than those who used butter.

Seven Reasons Your Diet Isn’t Working

Learn more one-minute diet secrets after the break!

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By Mandy Oaklander, Prevention

Leave it to scientists to burst our bubble. For years, studies have told us that chewing gum can boost memory recall, and as such, we’d pop Chiclets during noggin-twisting times: exams, high school reunions, Jeopardy. Did it ever work for us? Honestly, we can’t remember — and there might be reason for that.

A study out of Cardiff University in the UK found that not only does chewing gum not help your short-term memory, but it also impairs it. Though there are certain activities that surprisingly boost brain health, gum chewing isn’t one of them.

In a series of three experiments, 97 university students were asked to recall either a short sequence of letters or identify the missing item in a list. They performed significantly worse when chewing gum, no matter how vigorously or how lazily they chomped. Researchers speculate that the tongue, mouth, and jaw movements of gum chewing disrupt short-term memory (For a fun way to refresh your mind, try these seven brain games).

Nine Surprising Reasons You Can’t Concentrate

You can still fight short-term memory loss, hand to mouth, with these five tricks!

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By the Editors of Prevention

A toned, flat tummy is a goal many of us strive to achieve in time for bathing suit season, but endless crunches and ditching all your favorite foods until July 4th isn’t the right—or fun—way to do it. A sculpted core and trim tummy can be attained by incorporating small changes into your day, like holding in your abs while you walk and adding the right healthy fats to your diet. In our lean belly guide, you’ll get diet and exercise tips that will help you eliminate hard-to-reach ab flab and reveal a sculpted, sexy midsection. Here, learn 6 ways to flatten your belly by summer.

Make Time For Cardio
If you want to burn the most belly fat, a Duke University study confirms that aerobic exercise is the most effective in burning that deep, visceral belly fat. In fact, aerobic training burns 67% more calories than resistance training or a combination of the two, according to the study.

Top 10 Reasons Your Abs Exercises Aren’t Working

Fight Fat With Fiber
For every 10 grams of fiber you eat daily, your belly will carry almost 4% less fat. Thankfully, there are more enjoyable ways to increase your fiber than scarfing down a box of bran flakes: Two apples, ½ cup of pinto beans, one artichoke, or two cups of broccoli will all give you 10 grams of belly-flattening fiber.

More flat-belly tips after the break.

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By Jenna Bergen, Prevention

With so many people offering advice on weight loss, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. All too often I’ve overheard a hardworking gym-goer sharing a well-meaning but ill-informed tip with another exerciser. And I’m not the only one who’s heard fitness folklore being swapped on the training room floor. I spoke to top experts in the field to find out the common fitness myths they hear from clients. From the pseudo miracles of the "fat-burning" zone to the misguided magic of working out on an empty stomach, these fitness falsehoods should never be followed.

Nine Exercise Moves You're Doing Wrong

Myth No. One: Keep your heart rate in the fat-burning zone

If you've been exercising at 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate in order to shed flab faster, you could be slowing your slim down. "The fat-burning zone is a complete myth," says Wayne Westcott, PhD, Prevention advisory board member and fitness research director at Quincy College. "While it's true that you burn a higher percentage of fat calories when exercising at a moderate pace, you burn fewer calories overall." For instance, if you get on a treadmill and walk at a 3.5 mph pace for 30 minutes, you might burn 250 calories. If you raise the speed to seven miles per hour, you’d burn 500. Bottom line? "It’s much better to go at the faster speed." Prefer the elliptical trainer? Make sure you're not making one of the top 10 elliptical trainer mistakes.

Myth No. Two: Boosting cardio is the best way to bypass a plateau

"The most effective way to lose weight is to include both cardio and weights in your routine," says Jari Love, star of the Get Extremely Ripped: 1000 Hardcore DVD. "One study found that when individuals cycled for 30 minutes a day, they lost three pounds of fat and gained a half pound of muscle in eight weeks. But individuals who cycled for 15 minutes and weight trained for 15 minutes a day lost 10 pounds of fat and gained two pounds of calorie-burning muscle."

Try This Workout to Drop Two Sizes by Summer!

Keep reading! We bust three more myths after the break.

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By Jenna Bergen, Prevention

Your home could be your biggest enemy when it comes to weight loss.

For the past few weeks, I promised myself I would squeeze in a few extra minutes of yoga when I got home from work to boost my flexibility and deepen my practice.

The number of times I’ve actually done this: zero. Every time I step across the threshold of my lovely little home, the comforts (couch, pajamas, warm dinner) and distractions (bills, laundry, a new episode of The Bachelor) win out. If you’ve found yourself in the same cycle of procrastination, take heart that you’re not alone. While working out at home is cheap, convenient, and private, your home is a harder place to exercise than you might think. Your home, according to experts, can actually be your biggest enemy in the battle of the bulge.

Here are four sneaky things that get in the way of at-home workouts — and what you can do about them.

1. Your Less-Than-Stellar Fitness Setup
"If your home gym is in the bowels of a dank, dark basement, chances are you won’t be inspired to spend a lot of time there," says Liz Neporent, fitness expert and coauthor of The Winner’s Brain. Same goes for a cluttered living room or a poorly lit bedroom. "A home gym that's bright, clean, and uncluttered will be much more inviting," says Neporent. You don’t have to break the bank, but investing in a can or two of cheery-colored paint and a new floor lamp can make a big difference in your desire to spend time in your at-home sweat space.

Try These No-Sweat Home Workouts

More reasons the home is a distracting place to exercise after the break!

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By Jenna Bergen, Prevention

There are 101 wimpy excuses for not working out — and I know because I’ve used all of them. I’m tired. My favorite show is on TV. I’m hungry. I really should reorganize my kitchen cabinets. The list goes on. But when the weather is really nasty or you’re superbusy, you have a valid reason for forgoing exercise, right? Wrong. Here are seven simple at-home workouts, many of which can be done in no more than 20 minutes.

Seven Big Home Workout Excuses to Bury

Kettlebells
If you’re looking to trim and tone quickly, consider adding a kettlebell, a round weight that sort of resembles a small bowling ball with a handle attached to it, to your home gym arsenal. "A kettlebell workout can be done in less than half the time of typical workouts and burns twice as many calories," says Sarah Lurie, author of Kettlebells For Dummies. How many calories are we talking? Up to 20 per minute, according to a 2010 study, or up to 400 calories in a 20-minute session. Here’s why it works so well: "Most kettlebell exercises give you a cardiovascular workout and a full-body strength workout at the same time," says Lurie. "The basic kettlebell swing works every major muscle group and taxes your cardiovascular system at the same time. Even adding just two kettlebell workouts a week into your routine will transform your body." Check out Prevention’s 20-minute kettlebell workout that delivers more fat-fighting and body-toning benefits than doing 30 minutes on the treadmill and 30 minutes of traditional weight lifting.

See more at-home workouts after the break!

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If you're struggling to see your six-pack, you could be making one of these mistakes.

By Jenna Bergen, Prevention

As the weather warms and Spring break approaches, we're all forced to do that same rather scary thing: unearth the bathing suit and take a good, hard look in the mirror. I did it just last week and was relieved to see that my job as the fitness editor at Prevention had kept my abs from going too far south. Still, given all the hours I clock at the gym, I wouldn't mind seeing a little more definition. That's when I realized I needed to fine-tune my game. If you've been putting in the effort and still don't have the abs you're after, take heart — you're not alone. Here are four top slipups that mess with your six-pack — plus expert fixes to get you back on track.

Your Form Is Sloppy
"The wrong form can turn an effective move into one that won't do anything for you," says personal trainer Jessica Smith Gomez, costar of the 10 Minute Solution: Best Belly Blasters. A few of the most common mistakes: pulling on your neck (which allows your abs to slack off), using momentum rather than muscle strength (again, a freebie pass for the abs), sagging your hips in plank, and not keeping them pulled in during every move. "You must control your abdominal wall to get any real benefit," says Erin O'Brien, creator of Kristi Yamaguchi: Power Workout and Strong Body Ageless Body. Not sure how you're doing? Check your form in a mirror.

Keep reading for two more reasons your ab exercises aren't working!

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Even the most nutrition-savvy women can get lost in the headlines. Here's what you really need to know.

By Sharon Liao, Prevention

You heard that eggs can be high in cholesterol, so you dutifully switched to whole grains for breakfast. Next, you swapped out red meat for fish — only to later learn that fish can contain dangerous levels of mercury . . . and eggs may not harm your heart after all. "With all of the different reports and headlines, it’s no wonder that many people get confused," says Angela Ginn, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and owner of Real Talk Real Food in Baltimore, MD. To help you make sense of these and other health head-scratchers, we consulted our experts and sifted through the research. Here, the new bottom line on a few "health" foods.

1. Potatoes
This starchy veggie has a bad rap among dieters, but that’s because people tend to consume it in the form of greasy french fries, chips, and buttery mashed potatoes, says Melissa Joy Dobbins, RD, of NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, IL. "When prepared the right way, potatoes are a nutritious food," she says. One medium potato, for instance, delivers five grams of fiber and nearly 20 percent of your daily quota for heart-healthy potassium.

Bottom line: Skip the fried versions and opt for baked or boiled potatoes. For an even healthier option, choose vitamin A-rich sweet potatoes or purple potatoes, which can help lower blood pressure.

Ten Healthy Ways to Splurge

2. Cheese
Hold the cheese? There’s no need if you eat it in moderation. A one-ounce serving delivers 20 percent of all the bone-building calcium that you need in a day, as well as plenty of protein and phosphorus. "The problem is that many people eat much more than one serving in one sitting," explains Sharon Richter, RD, a dietitian in New York City. And at 100 to 125 calories per ounce, that can add up.

Learn how to keep cheese, eggs, and beer in your diet after the break.

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By Tula Karras, Prevention
Can't drop those extra pounds? These surprising explanations can help you reach your goals.

You've spent the last seven days putting in your best effort to lose a pound or two. But your weekly check-in with the scale reveals (again) that you can't get your weight loss mojo in motion. The good news is that the problem probably isn't your willpower. You may be making common mistakes that even inveterate dieters fall prey to. These are seven surprising reasons your weight-loss plan isn't working. Get the facts and get back on track.

1. You aren't eating enough.
You may need to bump up your calories to stoke your metabolism. When you dip below about 1,200 calories per day, not only are you not eating enough to get all your nutrients, but your body slows its metabolism in order to hold onto precious calories, says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, and author of The Doctor's Detox Diet. Also, if you skip meals to lose weight, your body could lose its ability to feel full. Blame evolution, which has designed our bodies to resist famine and not the buffet table. For example, if you skip breakfast, the body assumes food is scarce. You need a morning meal to let your body know it's OK to burn calories. "Within one hour of waking, you should consume a 350- to 500-calorie breakfast, with 10 to 15 grams of protein and fiber to stoke the metabolic fire," says Dr. Gerbstadt.

How to Kick Your Sugar Cravings

More reason the scale isn't budging after the break.

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By Amy Ahlberg, Prevention

You already know that a too-strict eating plan can backfire, resulting in a blowout binge or, worse, throwing you off the wagon altogether. But when it comes to allowing yourself a little leeway, moderation is key. But what does "moderation" even mean? For gourmands, a cheeseburger a week might seem reasonable; for health nuts, maybe it's one every three months — minus the cheese and bun. To find out who's right, we turned to Sarah Krieger, RD, and Joan Salge Blake, RD, spokespeople for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For starters, they say you should only indulge in what you love — and skip the rest. If you don't have a weakness for fries, don't eat them just because they're there, and if you don't have a sweet tooth, don't have dessert simply because your dinner buddy does. "For me, I skip pizza and burgers, but I eat a great-tasting sweet treat every day," says Krieger. "I balance it with exercise and eating a variety of nutritious foods." For more tips, read our list. But first, some ground rules:

Free! Lose Weight Like a Biggest Loser With This One-Week Plan

Step one: If you're overweight or have health concerns — especially heart disease or diabetes — talk to your doctor. This advice is based on an average 2,000-calorie diet, consumed by American adults at a healthy weight.

Step two: "Take a look at how active you really are. With most of our lifestyles, we don't need a lot of calories in order to maintain a stable weight," says Salge Blake. Go overboard too often, and your waistline — not to mention your heart and your pancreas — may pay the price.

Step three: Keep a food diary and ask yourself, from a caloric standpoint, If I have this indulgence, what foods will I need to avoid this week to balance it out? Now read on for our tips on how to budget your binge allowance this week — and every week.

Keep reading to learn how satisfy your sweet tooth and stay on track.

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These noshing habits could be the reason your scale is stalled
By Karen Ansel, RD, Prevention

We do it in the car, on the train, in front of the TV, on the phone, and even in bed. For too many of us, snacking has become so automatic that our brains barely register the hand-to-mouth motion. And it's not as if we're all reaching for diet-friendly apples: A 2010 study from the University of North Carolina found that most of us eat nearly 600 calories a day—roughly a third of our food—in snacks rather than meals.

"The business plan of the modern food company has been to put their foods on every street corner, making it socially acceptable to eat 24-7," says David Kessler, MD, former commissioner of the FDA and the author of The End of Overeating (Rodale, 2009).

6 Ways to Stop Overeating

The result has been a nutritional disaster. In their natural state, whole foods may be high in fat or sugar, but they're rarely high in both. Today we have man-made snack foods with a tantalizing combination of fat and sugar rolled into one. "Foods have become so 'hyperpalatable' that they're now capable of hijacking our brains the same way that nicotine and alcohol do," says Ashley Gearhardt, the lead author of a Yale University study on food addiction.

Keep reading to learn how to fix your snacking habits.

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Yes, you can have your cake (or pizza, or cheeseburger) and eat it too. But you need to learn what "moderation" really means. Here's how.
By Amy Ahlberg, Prevention

You already know that a too-strict eating plan can backfire, resulting in a blowout binge or, worse, throwing you off the wagon altogether. But when it comes to allowing yourself a little leeway, moderation is key. But what does "moderation" even mean? For gourmands, a cheeseburger a week might seem reasonable; for health nuts, maybe it's one every 3 months — minus the cheese and bun. To find out who's right, we turned to Sarah Krieger, RD, and Joan Salge Blake, RD, spokespeople for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. For starters, they say you should only indulge in what you love — and skip the rest. If you don't have a weakness for fries, don't eat them just because they're there; and if you don't have a sweet tooth, don't have dessert simply because your dinner buddy does. "For me, I skip pizza and burgers, but I eat a great-tasting sweet treat every day," says Krieger. "I balance it with exercise and eating a variety of nutritious foods." For more tips, read on. But first, some ground rules:

7 Reasons Your Diet Isn’t Working

Step one: If you're overweight or have health concerns — especially heart disease or diabetes—talk to your doctor. This advice is based on an average 2,000-calorie diet, consumed by American adults at a healthy weight.

Keep reading for more ground rules and salty splurges.

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By Diana Kelly, Prevention

Need another reason to hate Mondays? Tight postweekend waistbands. Unless you spent the past two days living like a monk, the cocktails, movie snacks, and dinners out can all add up to one thing: belly bloat.

“If you wake up bloated on Monday morning, your weekend food choices are likely to blame,” explains Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. “In fact, overindulging for two days straight can easily cause a gain of three pounds. Fortunately, this weight gain is usually temporary and easy to get rid of in less than a week.”

Last week, we shared with you five easy tips to get a flat belly by Friday. Here are four more tips to help you debloat.

1. Hold the Hot Sauce

If you love four-alarm food, lay off the Tabasco, barbecue sauce, and garlic for a few days while debloating. Spicy foods stimulate the release of stomach acid, causing irritation. Give dishes a flavor boost with in-season fresh or dried herbs such as dill, basil, mint, sage, tarragon, and rosemary. You can also use curry powder or lemon or lime juice — all perfect with fish or chicken. Also, steer clear of black pepper, nutmeg, cloves, chili powder, onions, mustard, horseradish, and acidic foods such as ketchup, tomato sauce, and vinegar.

Try These Foods Instead to Give Your Metabolism a Boost

Use Prevention’s recipe finder tool to find tasty recipes seasoned with fresh herbs.

More ways to beat the bloat after the break.

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

by Diana Kelly, Prevention

Need another reason to hate Mondays? Tight postweekend waistbands. Unless you spent the past two days living like a monk, the cocktails, movie snacks, and dinners out can all add up to one thing: belly bloat.

"If you wake up bloated on Monday morning, your weekend food choices are likely to blame," explains Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. "In fact, overindulging for two days straight can easily cause a gain of three pounds. Fortunately, this weight gain is usually temporary and easy to get rid of in less than a week."

Try These 5 Tasty Low-Sodium Dinner Ideas

Feel flat again by Friday with these five easy tips.

1. Season Food Differently

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. Avoid salt, overprocessed foods, and salt-based seasonings. Gans suggests you also ditch the frozen microwaveable meals while you’re de-bloating — they’re packed with sodium. Instead, she recommends a simple turkey sandwich or a salad with chicken for lunch this week. And eat plenty of fruits and vegetables that are packed with water.

Add zest to your dinner recipes with fresh herbs and salt-free seasoning blends such as the Original and Italian Medley Mrs. Dash.

Four more tips after the break.

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This sweet treat may also boost brainpower, help you relax, and more!
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

Show your heart some love this Valentine’s Day by nibbling a few chocolates — and making them a regular treat throughout the year. A recent study found that those consuming the highest levels of chocolate had a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared to those with lower chocolate intakes.

Though experts are quick to clarify that we should stick to moderate consumption of high-calorie chocolates, it’s hard to deny the cold, hard facts that chocolate can be a healthy addition to our diets.

Seven Surprising Ways to Sharpen Your Mind

Hundreds of studies have shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants that promote heart health and may prevent many cardiovascular-related conditions, but we’ve dug up five more surprising health benefits. Read on for five new ways to justify your chocolate craving.

1. Chocolate May Help You With Math
Flavonols, compounds in chocolate with antioxidantlike properties, are thought to improve circulation, including blood flow to the brain. A 2009 study asked participants to count backward in groups of three from a number between 800 and 999. After drinking hot cocoa filled with flavonols, the participants were able to do calculations more quickly and accurately and were less likely to feel tired or mentally drained.

Learn a four more things chocolate can do for you after the break.