Alison Sweeney

Actress Alison Sweeney may be known for her longtime role as the oft-scheming Sami Brady on Days of Our Lives, as well as for her hosting gig on The Biggest Loser. But she also has one of the clearest, smoothest complexions on TV — and with good reason. "My mom was an advocate of healthy skin and sunscreen before it was fashionable," says Alison, who recently helped select the finalists for a modern-day Coppertone girl contest.

And while Alison reveals she doesn't have any special skin care rituals in particular, she does follow the same regimen each day: sunscreen (Coppertone's Oil Free Faces SPF 30) in the morning and a liberal application of moisturizer in the evening. If she could travel back and tell her 20-year-old self what to change, though, it would involve being more diligent with cleansing. "I wish I had known how important it is to wash your face every night before going to bed and remove all traces of makeup," she says. Sound advice for saving face.

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

She has two kids, two jobs, one lofty fitness goal and a crazy holiday schedule ahead . . . how does Alison Sweeney do it? The host of The Biggest Loser and star of Days of Our Lives, who is currently training for the L.A. Marathon in March, has a few tricks to keep her life organized, manageable and healthy all at the same time. We recently spoke with Sweeney to snag some secrets and learn more about her relationship with Bob, Jillian, and this season's two new trainers, Dolvett Quince and Anna Kournikova.

How do you stay fit during the holidays?

It's really important to find a workout that you can do with no excuses (Get Sweeney's routine here!) And I keep track of my nutrition. With so many treats around, it's really easy to just pop brownies without thinking about it! You may not even be hungry. I also eat before going to parties so I'm less tempted when I get there and am satisfied with a smaller amount of the treats.

Do you and your family have any seasonal traditions?

We shop for gifts and pick out a tree together. When I was young, my parents always took me skiing in the Winter, which was really festive since I grew up in LA. It was so fun and exhausting — you're basically burning calories all day long! Now, when I'm skiing with my family, I take a picture at the top of the mountain and email it to my dad. I thank him daily for instilling this love of activity at an early age.

So you mentioned that you shop and travel — as a busy working mom of two, how do you stay connected and keep track of your to-buy lists and events this month?

There are so many distractions during the holidays, so I try to use technology to keep my family together. I use my Windows phone, which syncs with my computer, to keep track of my calendar and get photos texted to me. It's really family-oriented and you don't need a manual to understand it!

To learn about Sweeney's 2012 resolutions and get the scoop about the future of The Biggest Loser, keep reading.

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Between the encouragement among the contestants and the life-changing before-and-after shots that flash on the screen, there's a reason why The Biggest Loser gets your emotions going. The show is a positive, supportive look at the struggles people face with diet and exercise.

The new book by the show's host Alison Sweeney, The Mommy Diet ($14), is no different — it's chock-full of support and encouragement. The easy read is divided into stages of motherhood, from prepregnancy (such as foods to eat when you are trying to get pregnant) to the life of a busy mom. The actress weighs in on different aspects of pregnancy and postpregnancy body and mind, including fitness, diet, fashion, and romance tips.

Of course, exercise is a big part of her month-by-month plans, and Alison offers useful tips even if you aren't a new mom. If you're looking for advice on how to ramp up or kick-start a workout routine, you may find this book helpful. The actress recommends the old standards — making sure you are active every day, switching out high-fat diets for natural, whole foods, and elimination diets — to help start any regimen, and also offers exercises (fully explained and with some illustrations) and sample meal plans for people at every level of fitness.

But even if you are an old pro, the working mom and fitness fanatic has a few maintenance tips for you as well. Check out a few of her tips after the break!

Vanessa Hudgens, Kristen Bell, and Mandy Moore walked the red carpet on Friday before heading in to take their seats at the Stand Up 2 Cancer phone banks in LA. The hour-long telethon was broadcast on multiple major networks and streamed across the web, and the effort raised more than $100 million dollars for research in the fight against the disease. Modern Family's Sofia Vergara and mom-to-be Christina Applegate, both of whom battled cancer in the past, proudly modeled t-shirts that read "Survivor."

Gwyneth Paltrow arrived on the West Coast on Thursday, ready to add her support to the event after attending Fashion's Night Out in London last week. She caught up with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while Rob Lowe joined Diane Lane. Cindy Crawford, and Chuck's Zachary Levi helped in collecting donations, and fresh-from-Mexico Ryan Seacrest also lent his star power to the cause. Contributions to the charity are still being accepted, and they're even open to making good use of Facebook credits!

To see more photos from inside the event, just read more

I think having two TV gigs definitely qualifies actress Alison Sweeney as a working mother. Besides her longstanding gig on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, she's also the host of The Biggest Loser. Alison recently sat down with Working Mother magazine to discuss balancing home and a demanding career, her lifelong struggle with weight, and the controversy surrounding The Biggest Loser. Here are the highlights:

• On going from struggling with her weight to getting fit and healthy: "From the time I was 12 I was overweight, and as a teen I definitely struggled with my weight. I tried very extreme diets, like the papaya diet. It was about me feeling insecure and lacking confidence. Overcoming that was a long process. It involved changing my mindset from wanting to be skinny to wanting to be healthy — and that allowed me to reach my goal."
• On staying in shape: I eat healthy meals — my husband is a great griller. I schedule going to the gym into my days. I do a lot of cardio, especially spin classes. I also run, hike and do circuit training and yoga. I typically work out four or five days a week. Of course, sometimes it’s three days, sometimes it's seven days. In my new book, The Mommy Diet [available in October], I encourage moms to take care of themselves."

To find out what Alison has to say about the rapid weight loss of Biggest Loser contestants, and what's in store for the finale, read more

Actress Alison Sweeney is one busy lady. Between her multiple TV gigs and having two little ones on her hands, life can be pretty hectic. In the latest issue of Shape, the Days of Our Lives star and host of The Biggest Loser says that she manages the craziness by "taking it one day at a time." Along the way, Alison has picked up a few tricks for staying healthy even when life is always on the go.

• Keep veggies within reach. Alison makes sure she always has healthy food within an arm's reach. "If you clean them, cut them up, and put them in a bowl, they'll get eaten."
• Opt for complex carbs. Alison reaches for complex carbs like whole grains because they keep the body satisfied. "They hold you over far longer than refined carbs, like bagels. That's why I start the day with a bowl of oatmeal."

To see more of Alison's tips, read more

If you've ever wondered what it might be like to train with The Biggest Loser trainer Bob Harper, check out this clip of Alison Sweeney's appearance on the Bonnie Hunt Show. Sweeney, host of The Biggest Loser and soap opera actress, says Harper pushed her farther than she's ever gone before — almost to the point of tears!

Do you push yourself when working out? When's the last time you've done sprints in your cardio routine?