Got Toxic Friends?

Life is not like the TV show "Friends." We are not always lucky enough to find a group of healthy people to spend our lives with. At some point, we are all going to make friends with a rotten apple. The important part is that we recognize this is a toxic friend before it is too late.

Here are six toxic friends who could be damaging your personal happiness:

All about me
I know you have seen a friend like this, whose world revolves around him or her and we are lucky to be in it. "All about me" friends really enjoy our friendships when it is about them. When it comes to our turn in life, they always seem to disappear or make it about themselves again.

You can notice these habits in little ways or big ways. For one, this friend is always able to get hold of you. He will call and call until you pick up, email or text and sometimes just show up when he needs or wants you to do something. When you call him, you always get voicemail and there is never a return call.

Am I A Bitch?

You have seen the looks and heard the whispers. Finally, a true friend tells you that you "act like a bitch." You laugh and wear your bitch crown with pride, but soon your jeweled headpiece starts to tarnish. You can blame your behavior on being picky, blunt or opinionated. But sometimes those are just nice words for saying you're just a bitch!

Here are four warning signs to help you see why you might be perceived as a bitch and great solutions on how to combat these behaviors so you receive better results.

Got Muscles?

Have you worked hard to get a trim physique, big pecs and a firm butt? Why hide it when you can flaunt it? Send us your sexiest bod shot! (No nudity, please.)

Send an email to dating@planetoutinc.com with:
Photos of your sexiest bod shot
First name
Your gay.com member name
City, State, Country

Below are a few of the great photos we received so far.

Skip Commercials, Skip Extra Calories

A new study warns that ads for unhealthy foods cause a rise in consumption of fattening snacks.
Food advertising on television increases automatic snacking on available foods in children and adults, according to a series of experimental studies conducted by researchers from Yale University. The research appears in the July issue of the journal Health Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association.


In one experiment, seven- to 11-year-old children who watched a cartoon that included food commercials ate 45% more snack food while watching the show than children who watched the same cartoon with non-food commercials.

Top 10 Work Out Killers

Not getting results from your exercise program? Chances are you’re making a classic blunder, say fitness experts. Fortunately, most are easily corrected. Here are 10 key areas to reexamine if you’re not getting the results you expect, and a batch of warning signs that should never be ignored.

Socializing. Too much chatting may require you to slow down a cardio workout or spend too much time between sets, minimizing the impact of your exercise.

Misusing equipment. Complicated gym equipment often leads many to avoid its use or poor -- even potentially injurious -- form when exercising.

Watching the mirror. While occasionally checking your reflection to make sure you’re in proper form is encouraged, focusing on the mirror to the exclusion of all else can be dangerous in a crowded gym.

The myth of “burning” junk food. Eating before exercise can cause sluggishness, nausea, and cramps. And chances are you aren’t burning as many calories as you think you are, so that snack you scarfed before your workout may put more calories in than you burn off.

Stop Summer Sunburns

No one likes getting a sunburn. In addition to the pain and eventual skin peeling (really gross!), sunburns are extremely harmful to your skin and significantly boost your risks for skin cancer later in your life.

But in our efforts to protect ourselves from the sun, we too often purchase the wrong sunscreen or fail to use them correctly, leaving us at risk. To help make sure your late summer days are free from sunburns and skin damage, fitness specialist Bob Bonham, founder of the Strong and Shapely Gym in East Rutherford, N.J., offers the following tips for sunscreen use:

> To avoid sunburn and the potential risk of skin cancer, apply sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher about 30 minutes before exposure to the sun to allow time for your skin to absorb the sun-protective compounds.

> Budget or generic brands of sunscreen are just as effective as brand-name products with the same SPF.

> Reapply sunscreen after exercise or swimming, even if the product claims to be "waterproof." Towel drying and perspiration will remove even waterproof products.

> Don't forget to apply sunscreen on overcast days; 80% of the sun's damaging rays are still present even when it's cloudy.

> The recommended amount of sunscreen to apply to one's body is about 40 milliliters, or about a handful.

Want To Get A Surfer's Bod?

Newcastle is a coming-of-age tale combining the gorgeous Australian surfing beaches with the raw energy, music and rebellion of teen culture.

17-year-old Jesse and his brothers live in the small town of Newcastle. Rising surf star Jesse spends time chasing waves and girls and battling with his resentful older brother, Victor. His twin brother Fergus, meantime, has a major crush on Jesse's pal Andy.

Jesse's got the raw talent to surf his way into the international circuit, but can he overcome his equally natural tendency to sabotage himself? On a getaway weekend with Fergus and his mates, Jesse learns what is really important in life.

Check out all the hot photos from the film now! Be sure to click on the photos to view them full size. 

If I Could Change...

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Going Under The ... Spatula?

Have you ever done something that you swore you never would? You know, one of those things that you made fun of other people for doing. And maybe even felt superior, because you weren't one of those people. Yeah? Well, me too. And it goes something like this.

This past Easter I was hanging at my friends' Rob, Rodney and Yancy's home along with a few other friends. In a post-dinner, way-too-much-food-and-wine coma the conversation turned to body hair maintenance (don't say "manscaping" to me). I was surprised to find a few of the guys actually get their balls waxed, but that's not all. Rob goes in for what he calls a "balls, shaft and crack wax."

I was already glowing, thanks to the wine, but I warmed a few shades with the aforementioned sense of superiority that sprang to mind on learning of my friends' masochistic madness. What the hell were they thinking? Obviously, they didn't understand the simplicity and safety of a modern tri-blade razor that allows you to trim up whenever you want, no appointment necessary.