Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. Our That's Fit 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 one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Fitz, My wife and I have tried diet after diet. We often achieve minor to moderate success with each plan, but have always failed in the long run. We're frustrated to the point of just giving up. Why is it we just can't get fit? Tim

A. Hi, Tim. Thanks for writing. Failing at weight loss is very frustrating, but I'm pleased to say that I have an answer for you. It won't sound as exciting as all of those promises advertised by various "diet" programs, though. I'm not offering a "10 pound in two days" drop or anything like that. I am, however, offering up an answer that will help you lose weight in a healthy way and keep it off for good. No magic pills here, just my magical advice! My fellow fitness pro, Bob Greene chimes in with some advice too.

For starters, the reason you've been failing is because you've been going on diets. Diets are only temporary solutions which truly only lead to temporary results. Why? Because once you're off of the diet, where do you go? You go back to your old crappy eating habits. Diets are rigid, restrictive and simply cause more stress than satisfaction. That's why you end up giving up on them at some point and regaining the weight you'd lost. Your failures were not a result of you personally, Tim. You were destined to fail, because diets are flawed.

What do you do then? I say, put an equal amount of energy and thought into becoming healthy and fit as you put into becoming thinner. Only with a truly healthy lifestyle, which includes nutritious and thoughtful eating and regular exercise, will you ever lose the weight and keep it off for good. Get educated on legitimately healthy food, how much is appropriate for the man you want to become, and then adopt a new lifestyle. There are no short-cuts, there are only consistently great choices. Once you understand the difference between what does and doesn't qualify as quality calories, you'll be able to make better choices. Grilled chicken versus fried chicken? Egg white omelet versus quiche? Whole wheat bread versus French bread?

Exercise needs to have a place in your life. You didn't mention what you are or are not doing, but I'm going to tell you for certain -- you absolutely cannot become fit without exercise. Start with small yet frequent efforts. Walking, dancing and cycling are simple activities we all know how to do. Block out 15 to 20 minutes five days a week for exercise. When this feels easy for you, increase your intensity level and the time you spend working out as well. Cardiovascular, strength, flexibility and balance exercises should be a part of your regular routine. You take care of your teeth everyday by brushing; you owe it to the rest of your body to provide equal diligence. Check out Fit Kicks for instructional exercise video podcasts.

Bob Greene and I spoke the other day, and he's really passionate about folks fixing whatever is broken in their personal lives in order to do have success with weight management. He's right! A stressful job, an abusive relationship or other emotional obstacles might need to be addressed before you're truly prepared to accomplish your goals.

Tim, you and your lovely wife are definitely not destined for failure; you've just been traveling down lots of broken roads. Wake up each day with a decision to use knowledge and a tad bit of restraint when it comes to what you put in your mouth. Move your body often and focus on making the rest of your life healthy as well. With knowledge, courage and continuous efforts, you can certainly succeed. Support each other well and get to work!

Punches & Kicks,

Fitz

Fitzness.com

Note: The content presented in this Q. & A section is for informational purposes only and should not be viewed as medical advice or substitute for professional medical care.