That's Fit

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. Dear Fitz, My husband makes a big stink when I give our kids any type of 'sugar candy' like gummy bears or bubblegum. The kids are totally skinny and I don't see what the big deal is. They are kids! What do you think? Christy

A. Hey Christy. Your husband is a freaking genius. That's what I think! He has the insight and thoughtfulness to know that as parents, you should be teaching your children the best habits possible. He knows that your children are less likely to eat nutritious things when they've had a dose of candy. They're more likely to deal with the pain and terror that comes along with having their cavities filled if you give them candy. They're more likely to struggle with their weight and other less than lovely issues later on in life if you don't instill high standards in them today.

Your top two priorities as a parent Christy, are to keep them safe from harm and promote their health. How does your children benefit from the candy? Is it fun? No...it's candy. Running around the playground is FUN. Is it tasty? Sure! But taste shouldn't be the only priority when choosing food, and there are a billion other tasty things that are beneficial. Is the candy damaging? You bet! Damaging to their teeth and their bodies. The candy you're referring to is literally the equivalent of dumping spoon fulls of sugar into their mouths. Gross!

You can do better Christy. Your husband is on the right track, and you should jump on board his healthy train. Ask him more about his thoughts and create a game plan for you two to work together. My three and five year old children are comfortable with the term 'high standards'. They know that when it comes to things we put into our body, we have 'high standards". Don't drop yours when it comes to your childrens' health.

Children raised with healthy habits are less likely to deal with: obesity, eating disorders, depression, bullying, and disease. Thanks for writing about this important topic. I'm hoping you and your bright husband will be able to come together on this one and give your children the best gift of all. The gift of a long healthy life. Let me know how things are going! Fitz

Q. Miss Fitzness, I have tried the breakfast thing. But it seems that eating breakfast sets me up for eating all through the day and my weight increases. This has been the case through out my entire life. Any suggestions? Dolores

A. Hello Dolores. Thanks for the question. I hear this same thing all the time, and I've experienced it myself. Breakfast is very important though. If you're willing to train yourself into new eating habits by using both strategy and restraint...breakfast will soon be supporting your efforts towards weight loss.

The first thing you'll need to do is change your view of food itself. Food is fuel. Food is not for fun or stress relief. Food is the equivalent of gasoline in your car. It's purpose is to help you move, and that is that. Food can be enjoyable, no doubt! But, you have to start viewing it as fuel first. As soon as you do this, you'll understand the concept of needing food in the morning to allow your energy to be at your best all day.

In fact, I forbid my personal training clients to show up without eating SOMETHING before they come in for morning sessions. Why? My job is to yank their absolute best out of them. They need to give me 100%. If they haven't consumed fuel, they're more likely to only give me 60%. (They're also more likely to become dizzy and worse too!) The same issue goes for job performance and your ability to deal with stress. You need to be gassed up to go!

I think the reason you end up eating all day, if you've had breakfast...is because you're probably choosing the wrong foods. Snack bars and/or pancakes never seem to cut it. I'd like you to consume fruits and/or vegetables to nourish your body, lean protein, and a small amount of fat to fill you up. Breakfast should be your largest meal of the day. Most people go in reverse. I say, fill up early and then spend the rest of your day burning off your full tank.

If you consume a filling and appropriately nutritious breakfast, you'll be less likely to snack for the rest of the morning. This is where your restraint comes in. Snacking may just be habitual for you. You're going to either have to break yourself of that habit, or choose a small snack like an apple to get you through lunch.

Once again, make your lunch count. Fuel up! Lean protein, a small amount of healthy fat and then some fibrous carbs. If you eat an appropriate amount at lunch, you should be able to get through to dinner with only one or two healthy snacks in between. Dinner should be your lightest meal of the day. Eat it off of a dessert plate instead of a large one.

Dolores, I encourage you to have very high standards when it comes to the food you put in your mouth. Steer away from boxed crackers and/or canned meals. Go fresh. After dinner, you may want to have another small (less than 100 calorie) snack. Have it and then go to bed. It's not the end of the world to go to bed a little bit hungry. In fact, waking up hungry will probably steer you towards healthy options for breakfast that are most likely to fill you up and start your day right. I stop eating when I put my kids to bed around 8:30 PM. That really works for me.

You are in charge of your eating habits! You may have to work on them, and possibly change everything you do when it comes to food. That's OK, because the ones you have are causing you to gain weight! Right? Seek structure and persevere through afternoon cravings. Food is fuel Dolores. Treat it as such, and you'll get where you want to go! Vroom, Vroom!

Punches & Kicks,