Ask Fitz! Your Fitness Questions Answered -- Ditching baby weight and foot numbness

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz. I need some advice on how to best use my treadmill. I have a seven month old baby, and have lost a bunch of weight....but I've hit a plateau. I'm nursing, and am constantly hungry. Please don't suggest a gym, because I can't afford one. I'd just like to make the best of my treadmill. I'm desperate. Help! Melanie.

A. Plateaus suck, Melanie. Very frustrating. Fortunately though, it sounds like we can get you moving in the right direction. I nursed both of my children as well, and remember the feeling of constant thirst and hunger. In fact, the second I sat down to nurse, my husband went running to get me a drink. The urges are wild, aren't they?

You don't need a gym. Gyms are fantastic tools if you choose them, but they are no means the end-all when it comes to fitness. You can work wonders in the comforts of your own home, while junior can comfortably sleep or play as well. You didn't tell me what you're doing on the treadmill now, but I can give you this advice. Do more! Go further, faster or walk at an incline. Cranking up the intensity of your workout is a sure way to burn extra calories and develop the muscles in your legs as well. If you don't have specific health issues that prevent you from jogging.......do it! Many of my personal training clients shied away from jogging pre-me, because it seemed too hard. Now they're all running several miles a day.

Increase the level of your training gradually. Don't expect to double your efforts right away. Jog for two minutes, walk for two minutes. Jog for three minutes, walk for two. Jog for four, walk for two. Increase that way. Soon a complete jog will be possible. If you can't jog for some reason, use the incline. Increase the level by one percent each day you train.......and soon you'll be climbing mountains. Not only does that burn mega calories, but you'll earn the firmest fanny for miles. And if you can't jog or walk at an incline....walk further. Increasing mileage decreases you!

Add strength training daily as well. The more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn throughout the day. Push-ups, squats, lunges, dips, crunches, leg lifts, planks. All of those things are free, and will provide you with a great total body workout. You can use your baby as resistance. Do all of your strength training exercises while holding him. You'll both have fun!

Lastly, eat wisely. Since you're hungry quite often, be particular about what you put in your mouth. Look for low calorie, highly nutritious options. Fruit, veggies, lean meat and lean dairy in small portions will keep you satisfied and on the way to your fitter figure. Let me know how it goes Mommy! Fitz

Q. Hello! I have recently started working out again and have gradually worked my way up to using the elliptical machine for an hour. I do 30 minutes of elliptical, then ten minutes of walking, followed by another 30 minutes of elliptical. Unfortunately 20 minutes into my workout, my feet begin to go numb. It's like the tingling sensation you get when you're feet go to sleep. At first I thought it was the shoes I was wearing, but I changed them and it made no difference. Have you ever heard of this before? Do you know what causes it or what I can do to alleviate it? Thanks. Anna

Hey Anna. I had some thoughts of my own on your issue, but I decided to call in my brilliant podiatrist buddy Dr. Jere Scola. When I severely broke some bones and tore a few things in my foot this winter, Dr. Jere helped me avoid surgery and recover 100%. In my book, his advice is golden. So......we'll go with his.

Without knowing your age and other facts about you, Dr. Scola thinks it's still possible you may be dealing with shoes that are either too loose or too tight. Either way could cause your symptoms, so make sure your shoes are neither. Next idea was poor circulation. He suggested getting compression stockings and wearing them while you train. Swelling would cause that sensation and compression stockings prevent swelling. You can get them inexpensively at Walmart or any drug store.

The other thing that struck both Dr. Scola and I is that the elliptical machine causes our feet to feel weird too. High resistance causes one to kind of jam your foot forward into the pedal. That pressure would make anyone's feet feel weird. First, try a higher pace and lower resistance to see if that rids the numbness. If that doesn't work, try an hour solely on the treadmill. If you don't experience the numbness and tingling, you'll know that the elliptical is the culprit and not you. Send me an update on your findings. Dr. Scola and I are eager to hear your mystery is solved!

Punches & Kicks,