That's Fit

The Makeover Momma crew gives the P90X workout system a C-. It's just too time consuming, they report. I mean, gosh, you've got to commit to an hour a day for 90 days, there are 12 workouts, designed to transform your body from regular to ripped, a three-phase nutrition plan, a fitness guide, a calendar to track your progress, and more. That's a lot to keep up with. But not for our readers, who think it deserves a better grade.

Everyone agrees that a good chunk of time is necessary to complete this workout, but apparently, it's worth it. Heather, a busy mom of two who works full time, finds time for the program by getting up early and working out. It gives her the energy she needs to get through the day. "P90X is a killer program, love every part of it, and love the fact that it's not just the same old easy to do monotomous stuff," she says. Her grade: A+++++++++. By the way, says Heather: "I still have time to cook and clean. If you want to be in shape bad enough, you'll find the time."

Another mom reader says she definitely loves the P90X. As a mom of two who works full time, she makes time for an hour workout at least four times a week. She's done the program from start to finish with awesome results. Just like any program, she says, unless you're willing to take the time to do it, it's not going to work.

I told you the other day why I exercise. It went like this.

• It makes up for the extra calories I eat.
• It fuels my day with energy -- I'm an AM exerciser.
• It motivates me.
• It makes me feel accomplished.
• It makes me feel healthy.
• It makes me feel strong.
• It helps me maintain my weight.
• It's give me time alone.
• It allows me to role model a behavior I hope my kids will embrace.
• It keeps cancer away -- research says five hours of weekly strenuous exercise helps prevent breast cancer recurrence.
  
  

Then I asked: Why do you exercise? Here's what a few of you said.

Gallery: Why do you exercise?

When it comes down to it, we all share a common craving: to feel good. University of Oxford neuroscientist Morton Kringelbach knows this. It's why he's writing his new book The Pleasure Center and why he shared with Reader's Digest (August, 2008) some of his revolutionary research. Check this out.

Asked RD: What do people find most pleasurable in their lives? Sex, says Kringelbach. Second is being with friends. Most everything we find pleasurable -- like eating and drinking -- is so much better when shared with someone else.

Another question: Can you help us cure addictions such as overeating? It hasn't been tested yet, reports the scientist, but deep-brain electrodes may help restore the balance of selective satiety mechanisms in the brain -- these are the signals that tell us enough is enough. Obese people may not have the selective satiation that thin people do.

Reader's Digest calls it the "American Paradox," the curious way the proportion of fat in the American diet is going down while the numbers on our American scales are going up. The explanation: While the percentage of fat in our diets may be dropping, the amount of fat we consume as a nation is going up because we're eating larger portions of everything.

All is not lost, though. Here are six steps for slashing some calories from your diet. Calories, after all, are the golden ticket for weight loss.

Keep food off the table. Serve your food onto plates right from the stove or kitchen counter. No serving platters, no extra calories.

Don't eat from packages. It's too easy to lose track of how much you've consumed when you keep grabbing from a bag. Try portioning out crackers, pretzels, and other snacks on a plate and you'll have a clear sense of what you're eating.

Downsize your dishes. Smaller plates and bowls make portions seem larger.

Take it slow. Put your fork down after each bite, sip slowly from your drink, and when you're done with your food, wait 20 minutes -- this is how long it takes for the brain's appetite-control center to register that there's food in the stomach.

Work for your food. Eat foods that require some effort. Peel an orange or crack open crabs and your eating pattern will slow down.

Socialize outside the kitchen. You won't be so tempted to nibble if you congregate in the living room.

I have no idea right now how healthy my heart is. I eat right and exercise well but I've got three factors stacked up against me in the heart department. One: Three years ago, I received the chemotherapy drug Adriamycin for the treatment of breast cancer, a drug known for it's heart toxicity. Two: Then I received radiation to my left breast and chest wall, right near my heart. While I used a special tube for breathing in order to move my heart out of the way at the exact moment beams of radiation zapped this critical area, there's a chance my heart was compromised in some way. And third: I then received 17 treatments over the course of one year of the breast cancer drug Herceptin, also know for it's potential to weaken the heart. Bummer that I had to endure these treatments. But as cancer logic has it, I should be so lucky to have a heart problem 20 years from now because it would mean I'd survived my disease for that long.

Really, all I can do to keep my heart strong now is to continue on a wise eating and exercise path. Which is what I plan to do. I can also take a few measurements to chart my heart health.

The folks at Reader's Digest say if I measure around my waist, above my belly button, and divide it by the circumference of my hips, I'll end up with a telling number. If it's 0.8 or less, I'm all good. Men: You want 0.9 or less.

Yooooooohooooooo...That's Fit readers! I want you! I need your help inspiring the millions of other folks visiting this site each month in efforts to become educated and inspired. We all love success stories. We all love to hear from others in the same boat we're in. You have a story to tell.....and I want it!

All I need you to do is answer the questions below and email them along with a photo to me. Try to keep the photo of yourself around 200 pixels. It's easy, fun, and a great opportunity to change the life of someone else.

Name:

Age:

Occupation:

How often do you exercise?

What type of exercise do you do?

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy?

What's on your MP3 player?

Favorite healthy food?

Favorite not-so-healthy food?

Greatest fitness accomplishment?

Best fitness advice?

Click here to view other Fitzness Fiend features.

WOW. My post about Whoopi's quit smoking venture has generated a bunch of discussion among readers. Right now, there are 91 comments -- and what powerful and inspiring comments they are.

Reader Janet says: I kicked a 14-year smoking habit by picking up a new habit -- a boyfriend who eventually became my husband. He didn't care if I smoked but I did. I quit for good one month before our wedding and we have been married 11 years next week! If I had a cigarette now I am sure I would vomit -- and that is enough of a deterrent for me! I highly recommend slowly phasing out an old habit with a healthful, positive new one.

Reader Mary says: I smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day. I thought about quitting for years. Until one evening while I was driving home, I decided to try not to light up until I got home, then I decided to wait until I got ready for bed, then I decided to wait until morning.....etc etc etc....I lived like that for a couple of days and haven't had a cigarette since. All you have to do is put them down and the rest will take care of itself....