The Skinny

Skinny Poll: The weekend cannot come fast enough

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:00:00 -0500

You call it a muffin, Jim Gaffigan calls it cake

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:00:00 -0500

Comedian Jim Gaffigan makes me laugh at the dumbest stuff -- Hot Pockets, whale blubber and in this clip, cake and the denial that a mini muffin is a healthy breakfast:

Stumped for dinner ideas? Check here

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:25:00 -0500

I've got stuff in the fridge, but when 6 o'clock rolls around I'm often stumped as to what do quickly do with all of it. So I often turn to my computer for ideas. Cooking Light has a great feature called Dinner Tonight, which is a searchable list of quick and healthy meal ideas. My goal today is to make the chicken breasts that I bought over the weekend, so I found a recipe for Lemon and Oregano-Rubbed Chicken Paillards, and all I need to pick up after work is a lemon and some parsley. Check out the site right now and you might not have to resort to waffles for dinner. Cooking Light photo

Biggest Loser tryouts this Saturday at the Hard Rock in Hollywood

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:20:00 -0500

Meet Florida's Biggest Loser finalist Kelly Fields Saturday at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood. She'll be the success story du jour at the season 7 auditions. Biggest Loser is casting season 7 and is once again looking for teams of two. Show up at the Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bring your partner in weight loss with you to audition. If you want a real shot at this, start lining up at 7 a.m., because producers are only guaranteeing that they'll see the first 500 people in line. And by the way, season 6 of Biggest Loser begins in September. NBC photo

Food find: Aquafina Alive Satisfy

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:15:00 -0500

If you like your water laced with inexplicable additives (protein, fiber, essential cat nutrients), then you'll be interested in a recent offering from Aquafina. I bring you Aquafina Alive Satisfy, with as much fiber as a serving of Metamucil (reeee-freshing!). Maltodextrin is what pumps up the fiber content of a 16.9-ounce bottle to 5 grams. It's not cloudy or gritty and the water has a nice peach-mango flavor. It also has 25 calories per bottle and is sweetened with sucralose and ace-K. But be warned -- maltodextrin, made from grain starch -- can make some people, ummm, tootie.

Sarah Haskins is my new favorite person

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0500

Current, that 20s-skewing satellite news channel that 14 people watch, actually has some good stuff on it -- who knew? Sarah Haskins has a segment on the show InfoMania called "Target: Women" and they're wheeze-inducingly funny. Here's one on yogurt and dieting women: I'm a mom, a working mom (at least so far...) and I often struggle to find healthy, quick ways to get dinner on the table. Often that's a turkey sandwich. Or Papa John's VEGGIE pizza on a WHOLE WHEAT crust (so caring I am). So when I saw this video on the awesome Jezebel.com, I had to share as well:

Skinny Poll!: (Of course, we don't condone this sort of activity, but...)

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:45:00 -0500

Opinion Polls & Market Research

How do Olympians eat?

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0500

As you may have guessed, leftover bags of Cheetos from their son's birthday party aren't a part of these athletes' diets. MSN Health & Fitness has a link to Eating Well magazine's story that talks to swimmers Erik Vendt, Dara Torres (at left), diminutive gymnastic great Mary Lou Retton and dashing speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno. Found on nearly everyone's plates: fruit, fish, oatmeal -- lots of "clean foods." Check out the story HERE. AP photo

Talk with Biggest Loser trainer Kim Lyons tonight

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:20:00 -0500

Do you miss former Biggest Loser trainer Kim Lyons? Tell her you do at a free Web seminar tonight at 9 p.m. Sign up ahead of time by going to her Web site, kimlyons.com, and registering.

On the agenda:

Kicking unhealthy habits
Achieving fitness goals
Permanent weight loss without dieting
Mentally and emotionally conquer diet disasters

Your inner Dark Knight: Could you train to be Batman?

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:16:11 -0500

Here at The Skinny, we believe in getting those muscles moving. But what kind of training would it take for your run-of-the-mill human to possess the fighting-machine precision of a Batman bod? It can be done, says professor E. Paul Zehr. And he tells you how in his book, due out in October, called Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero ($26.95, 304 pp., Johns Hopkins University Press). Read what Zehr had to say about his book -- and his theories about someone being able to train themselves into a Bruce Wayne perfection -- in this ScientificAmerican.com interview. They have some great queries for Zehr, who is an associate professor of kinesiology and neuroscience at the University of Victoria in British Columbia and a 26-year practitioner of Chito-Ryu karate-doh (oooh, that's more impressive than the professorship). It's something to consider this weekend as you munch on popcorn while Christian Bale and Heath Ledger battle each other on the big screen in The Dark Knight. (Yeah, we know you're going. And here's a little baby step on your way to that Batman physique: Nix the extra butter on the 'corn.)

From Sup: Starbucks mixes up smoothies

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:05:00 -0500

Our foodie friends over at Sup report on new smoothies from Starbucks. There are two flavors: orange mango banana and banana chocolate, both beverages include a whole banana, whey protein and fiber powder, choice of milk and ice. The smoothies clock in around 270-ish calories. You can read more HERE.

Abby Lentz gives tips on HeavyWeight yoga

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 04:59:29 -0500

After The Skinny blogged about Abby Lentz's HeavyWeight Yoga DVD collection, Lentz herself responded. Here's what the Austin, Texas, instructor has to say about modifications, props and substitutions for full-bodied folks: Lentz: Thanks for the mention of my DVD in your blog — and for bringing up the topic of beginner's videos vs. DVDs designed especially for people who are overweight/obese. While the pacing may be about the same in any beginner’s DVD, more than likely they will not mention the use of modifications, props or substitutions needed for a full body to really receive the benefits of a yoga pose. MODIFICATIONS: [Blog commenter] Jenna mentioned how difficult it is to move around her body to reach her toes. One of the modifications I use is called the “Belly Well,” which separates the legs, creating a space for your body so you can deeply lengthen your spine or more fully stretch your hamstrings. It can also be combined with what I call an “Energetic Swipe,” which moves the flesh out of the way to lower a forward bend or to deepen a twist. Photo courtesy of Lentz, showing one of her classes in session More from Lentz on props, substitutions -- and our namaste thanks, 'natch -- in the extended entry ....

Lean Pockets product recall

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:30:00 -0500

This just in to Skinny HQ: Nestle is recalling 200,000 packages of Lean Pockets Spinach Artichoke Chicken sandwiches. The pockets may contain pieces of plastic and two people have reported injuries from the product. On the side of each 9-ounce box is a Best Before date of Nov 2009 followed by a package code beginning "8144 544616." Also printed on the side of the package is the establishment number "P7721A." Call Nestle Consumer Services Center at 800-350-5016 with any questions.

A little midnight music for working out

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:56:34 -0500

You don't have to work out at midnight, but Beck's Midnight Vultures does it for me. I have at least five favorite songs on that collection of kicky super-funk from 1999. Take it for a test run here. My perfect workout songs include Sexx Laws, Broken Train, Milk & Honey, Beautiful Way and Pressure Zone. MV even ends on the perfect cooldown song, Debra, which will have you smiling that the scrawny Beck -- who looks like a perpetually seasick German dude, not a sex god -- takes the whole Prince sexed-up storytelling and does it way better, with a heaping dose of delicious irony. And if your workout really tanks -- or you don't even get to it -- you can always taunt yourself with a little Loser. (Maybe I'll be playing that one this morning.)

Corpulent canine? There's a pill for that

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:40:00 -0500

The Sun-Sentinel's pet blog Sit, Stay, Speak! has a post HERE on a new diet pill for dogs (yes, you read that right) called Slentrol. Y'know, for when you're too lazy to actually exercise your dog or keep him away from the table scraps.
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