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

Q. Hi Fitz, I just bought a fairly fitted dress for a party this weekend and am desperate to avoid a poochy tummy. I'm in pretty good shape but often get bloated. I can not wear this dress if I'm bloated. Help! Andrea

A. Hi Andrea, Bloating is a bummer, but I can definitely help you avoid it. You're just going to have to be smart about what you eat and drink for the few days prior to your event.

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Does it ever seem like no matter how consistent or good you are on your diet the scale seems to go up and down, by just a few pounds, on an unpredictable basis like it has a mind of its own? You're not alone -- women the world over experience this same frustrating phenomenon. It can be due to any number of reasons, from hormones to something you ate the day before. According to Women's Health here are a few of the most common causes:

• You just drank a big glass of water. You can gain up to a pound instantly just by drinking 16oz of any fluid.
• You're constipated. Believe it or not as much as 2 pounds can be caused by this alone.
• You had an extra salty dinner last night (Chinese anyone?). Your body can retain as much as 2 or 3 pounds overnight trying to dilute all the sodium.
• You're on a vacation overseas. Taking a flight of more than 4 hours can cause your body to retain water due to the changes in air pressure.
• You're expecting your period. Hormonal fluctuations in the days right before your period can cause weight gain and bloating (I think we all knew about that one already).

Any others that you've noticed?

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Believe it or not, summer is almost here. Well, spring is almost here, but summer is right after that! And now is the time to start "thinking thin," because clothes will start getting steadily smaller as the days get steadily warmer (yay for warmness!).

Besides starting (or sticking to) a good fitness and/or weight loss plan, something else to consider is making moves to reduce puffiness from water retention. Everybody hates it, but pretty much everybody deals with it at some point. Plus winter is a season of comfort foods, and unfortunately many of them contribute to that not-so-thin feeling, even if you haven't actually gained any inches or pounds.

So take a look at this article, which outlines 6 tips for both reducing bloat and burning extra calories -- just in time for those cute spring skirts.

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The general consensus is that water weight is bad, but that's not always the case. Actually, gaining some water weight can be a good thing if it's associated with working out and getting in better shape.

Many people quit when they notice the first signs of weight gain instead of loss, but in the beginning stages of a new fitness program your muscles get heavier as they become more hydrated. And as you keep going, your entire body will hold more water and be more hydrated.

So, some water weight can be good!

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