Everyone falls off the healthy-eating wagon from time to time. And that's OK. Life happens -- and so does chocolate cake. But when unhealthy eating becomes less of an occasional slip and more of a habit, it's time to take action. The good news is, even the worst eating patterns aren't hard habits to break:

• Late-night eating. Technically speaking, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie no matter when you eat it. But, more often than not, late-night snacking isn't really about hunger. Instead, it's just a habit to reach for the chips when your favorite show is on. If this sounds familiar, try eating dinner a half-hour later than usual. Also, go for a walk before or after dinner to help control your appetite. Then, during your down time, keep your hands busy working on a craft or doing a crossword. If you're feeling snacky, just wait out the craving for a while and see if you're still feeling hungry.
  
• Sweet tooth. Is your sweet tooth out of control? There's nothing wrong with having a small treat from time to time, but for many people, one small treat leads to a craving for a second treat (or third, or fourth). You can end up with a lot of calories and very few nutrients. When you've got a sugar craving, try soothing it with a sweet -- but healthful -- replacement such as dried fruit or some homemade trail mix. Check out Bethany's "Walking the Walk" to see how she nipped her sugar habit in the bud.

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Dieting can be hard work -- paying such close attention to every bite you take, counting calories, and saying, "No, thank you," to some of your favorite treats is made even more difficult when there's no real end in sight. But, according to DietBlog, a day off from your diet not only lets you recharge, it has other benefits too.

For one thing, letting yourself take a day off from your diet keeps your body guessing. If you're always keeping your daily caloric intake low, your body will eventually go into super-efficient mode and hold onto whatever calories it can in the form of fat.

Also, knowing that you've got a "cheat" day coming up can help you avoid a binge. I don't know about you, but if there's no dessert night in the near future, I'm more likely to succumb when I crave something.

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My son plays soccer and during last Saturday's game, he was shooting a goal and took a hard kick from the goalie right in the thigh. He was rolling on the ground in pain for a little while but managed to walk off the field. (And I managed to keep myself firmly planted in my chair. I'm sure other moms can understand how hard it is to do that!)

It wasn't long before my son was back on the field, though. He was visibly limping and just forcing himself through the pain, so I was a bit worried. While I was proud of the sportsmanship he was showing, pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong -- and he was clearly ignoring that. Later that day, my son developed a nasty bruise -- but that was the full extent of the injury. So, other than being a bit sore and using an ice pack for a while, he was fine.

Whether you play sports, run, bike, or even just walk around your neighborhood, injuries can happen when you least expect it. While mild muscle discomfort is expected with exercise, it's usually not a good idea to keep working out while experiencing pain. Swollen muscles, joint irritation, numbness ... these are all signs that your body has had a bit too much. So, what do you do if pain puts you on the sidelines?

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Compared to a job like deep-sea welding, working in an office behind a desk seems like a pretty safe career move. You might think that there's little chance for injury, but don't forget that there are still are a few dangers: Weight gain from inactivity, depleted eyesight, poor posture, and let's not forget probability of severe mid-afternoon fatigue.

Divine Caroline has some excellent rules for avoiding some of the dangers of the desk job:

• The 20/20 Rule - Save your eyesight by looking away from your computer every 20 minutes for 20 seconds at something three feet away.
• The Floating Mouse Rule - When moving your mouse, move your whole arm instead of just your wrist.
• The Mini-break Rule - take a 30 to 60 second break every 30 minutes -- use this time to take a short walk or do some stretches.

They have even more excellent tips to share ... click here for more info.

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As I've been leading you through the paces of enjoying the best Walt Disney World has to offer, without trashing your health and fitness habits, this is one of the easiest days to master. On our second day of vacation we headed to the holy land of wholesome family fun, The Magic Kingdom. Ahhh yes! This is the place where children squeal, Mommies well up with tears of joy on a regular basis, and Daddies shout like kids themselves on the roller coasters. It's also a place where every last visitor is likely to do a ton of physical work. In fact ... read on and you'll learn exactly how many calories we burned during this day. It's insane!

So! Our day consisted of pushing the kids in the double stroller, then watching the castle show. Did I mention each of my children weigh almost 40 pounds? Then we pushed the kids in the double stroller some more, and rode some rides in Fantasyland. In fact, before we even stopped for lunch, we pushed the double stroller again and rode rides in: Fantasyland, Tommorowland, back to Fantastyland, Mickey's Toontown Fair, Adventureland, back to Tommorowland and finally landed back in Adventureland for lunch. Then we ran circles in the water squirters at both Ariel's Grotto and Pooh's Corner to cool off for about an hour. The latter half of the day resembled the first half, except it seemed even busier.

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Just had my tummy tuck one week ago. All is going well -- better than I'd anticipated, actually -- and just yesterday I went with my mom while she picked my boys up from school. I even accompanied them to the park for an afternoon play date. It was great to get out of the house and away from the recliner that doubles as my daytime resting place and my bed. It's where I sit, sleep, write, watch TV, read bedtime stories -- and worry about how all I've gained through strenuous exercise over the past year is about to be lost.

According to my doctor, I can't really exercise for six full weeks. I can walk, and I can gradually add other movements to my routine, but I can't full-out run -- my favorite fitness activity -- for quite some time. This worries me. Will I gain weight? Will I lose my muscle tone? Will I be completely out of shape by the time I lace up my running shoes? It's possible.

What ever will I do?

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Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

This week I went back to talk with one of my favorite past guests, Mr. Colin Egglesfield. (To view Colin's in-depth interview click here.) Spring is here, summer is coming and this All My Children star has the most perfectly fit body one could wish for. We all want to know how celebrities earn their great bodies, and Colin was sweet enough to share his tips for preparing for swimsuit season. These tips are exactly as our favorite Calvin Klein underwear model gave them to me. So play close attention, follow his advice, and prepare to strut your stuff this summer!

• Run! You can do all the weight training in the world, but nothing burns off that winter weight better than a good 30-45 run at least three times a week. I like to start out doing about 30min and then gradually work up to an hour over the course of a few weeks as I start to get my stamina back. I love to run outside by myself with my headphones and some great music on my iPod and just go! It's my time to be alone with my thoughts, and anything that might be on my mind always seems to be a lot clearer after a good run.

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I know I need to keep my bones strong because my grandmother, when she was alive, had osteoporosis. The more she aged, the more rounded her frail little back became. And like many seniors do, she eventually broke a hip and struggled to recover from this bone-crushing experience.

Ideally, I would have built strong bones nearly a decade ago -- it's most important before the age of 30 and can be the best defense against developing osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become fragile and are more likely to fracture, or break. Typically occurring in the hip, spine, and wrist, osteoporosis can be prevented. Good thing, because there is currently no cure or treatment for the disease.

Straight from the National Osteoporosis Foundation, here's how you can baby your bones.

• Get your daily recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D.
  
• Engage in regular weight-bearing exercise.
• Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol.
• Talk to your healthcare provider about bone health.
• When appropriate, have a bone density test and take medication.

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We have become a nation of screen watchers. Television screens, movie screens, computer screens, and even cell phone and iPod display screens. Hell, even when we go to concerts, we usually pay less attention to the actual performers on the stage and focus our intentions instead on their image on the jumbo screens. While much, if not almost all, of this serves a purpose, eye doctors suggest that all this 'screen time' is doing a number on our eyes.

Dr. Jeffrey Anshel, founder of Corporate Vision Consulting, suggests performing what he calls the 3B approach to keeping your eyes from aging prematurely: Blink, Breathe, and Break.

Blink more often. Our blink rate goes down from about 12-15 times per minute to about times as few when we stare at a screen.

Breathe. When faced with stress, we tend to hold our breath. This tension affects our eyes over time.

Break. Take about 10 seconds every 10 minutes to take a break. Ideally, you should try to get up and move around. But, if this isn't an option, at least spend that time staring off to something in the distance and keep your eyes moving.

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Buy a bike with a price tag of $1,000 or less in Ontario and you won't pay any tax. No tax on accompanying safety equipment either.

"I trust this will encourage people to take the opportunity to become more active and to lead healthier lives," said Margarett Best, the province's minister of health promotion.

It seems biking incentives are nothing new in Canada. British Columbia has had a program in place since the early 1980s that cuts the tax from purchases of bikes, parts, and accessories. Alberta residents get $300 toward a bike when they retire an old car. And the federal government offers a fitness tax break to parents who enroll their kids in athletic programs.

While tax breaks don't even compare to parental and peer encouragement when it comes to healthy living and while fitness doesn't have to cost a cent -- consider the good old-fashioned walk -- this is certainly an option that may prove inspiring to some.

How about you?

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FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

I didn't exercise at all on Thursday. That was my plan, to purposely not work out, to give my body a breather and my mind a break. It wasn't easy. For people like me -- those who feel the urge, for some obsessive reason, to accomplish exercise every single day -- it's hard to let go. But I must tell you, it's a good thing, the letting go.

It took some mental toughness to not lace up my running shoes and head outside on my day off. It was a challenge to not jump on my treadmill and log a few miles. But I didn't do it. Even with a dinner out and an overload of bread dipped in that yummy olive oil and pepper mixture, I didn't do it. I think it was good for me. Here's why: Our bodies need rest, and my body was not resting. If I hope to maintain long-term fitness strides, I need a body that won't wear out on me. In a nutshell, I need down time.

Our minds also need vacations. Mine is always focused on the pursuit of exercise -- What will I do today?, When will I fit it in? What if I don't have time? My head was tired of running through the same old stressful questions. On Thursday, my brain took some comp time.

If you're one who rarely works out, get out there and get to work. But if you're one who rarely takes time off from working out, then stop -- even if for just one day. Free your body. Free your mind. And then get back to work.

When I exercise -- when I'm actually completing my fitness tasks -- I'm not obsessive. I simply do my thing, which typically includes running and/or walking, sometimes a few push-ups, and occasionally a few planks. I exercise for about 45 minutes at a time. Nothing overboard, I don't think. I admit, though: I'm a bit obsessed with exercising every day. And this is something I need to work on -- not because it's bad to work out every day, but because thoughts of exercise consume my mind until I can accomplish it. Every day. And this can't be very healthy.

Today, I am not exercising, for no other reason than this: I need to let go of my compulsion to work out each and every day. Maybe I won't burn a few calories, and maybe I'll hang on to a reserve or two of fat, but in the whole scheme of life, what's the big deal really?

I don't know exactly why I've made such a big deal of exercise, but I suspect I like the results I've seen from my hard work so much I don't want to let go of them in any small way. Losing a day feels like losing ground. I guess you could call it dedication. Today, I'm calling it obsession -- because I want to be OK with a day void of exercise and until today, I haven't been. So here I am, running with the idea of giving it a break. Will I make it through the day without giving in? I hope so.

Today on The Martha Stewart Show, Martha and her healthy initiatives consultant, Dr. Brent Ridge talked cravings. They discussed the reasons for cravings:

Genetics -- an ancestor's need to get their hands on calories.

Habits -- you traditionally eat sweet cereal in the morning, so when you wake up ......you crave sweet cereal.

Emotional correlation -- It's a birthday and birthdays are happy times, so you crave cake.

Pica -- A pregnant woman's odd and dangerous desire to consume non food items like soap, soil, or starch.

Physical need -- You are low on iron, so your body craves steak. This is the craving you should give in to!

If you are craving unhealthy food and truly don't want to give in to it, Dr. Ridge suggests you distract yourself for eight to fourteen minutes. He says that's the time our bodies take to kill a craving. Go for a walk, do some laundry or chat on the phone. Fourteen minutes is survivable!

After a brief hiatus from That's Fit, I'm back in action. The Thanksgiving holiday proved to be rather time consuming, leaving me almost no time to blog and even less to workout. On Thanksgiving morning, I took advantage of the amazing 60 -plus degree New England weather and went for a leisurely 2.5 mile walk with my father. The following day, because I was out of state for the holiday (and therefore away from the gym to which I belong) I took advantage of the nationwide, free visit campaign at Gold's Gym, banging out a more traditional weight lifting split routine.

But, I didn't manage to squeeze in a workout again until tonight. I felt good and refreshed. Granted, some of my weekend was spent making poor food choices (including, but not limited to, a stop at the Cheese Cake Factory on Saturday night), but I felt as though my body was due for a little reprieve.

Just as it can sometimes be quite difficult to get motivated to workout, it can also be just as difficult to slow yourself down once and a while. It becomes a routine. A healthy routine, but still one that is capable of becoming somewhat of an obsession. You fear that eating one slice of pie or skipping one day at the gym will turn your body to Jello, even though your common sense tells you otherwise.

This can quickly become a very slippery slope and, if never remedied by the occasional mental and/or physical break you allow yourself, may lead to overtraining. So, when Christmas rolls around, don't be afraid to indulge a little bit and enjoy yourself. It may be the healthy break your body needs.

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Ever considered placing yourself in a time-out? I have. When my kids are driving me crazy, or my responsibilities are mounting, or I just need a bit of silence, a time-out seems quite heavenly. And if I follow the proper time-out protocol of sitting quietly for one minute per each year of age, I'd get a whole 37 minutes all to myself. Not bad.

OK, so maybe a mommy time-out is not likely to happen. A food time-out might be in my future, though, especially now with holiday eating in full force.

Nutrition experts recommend we all take food time-outs during our meals. They suggest taking 20 minutes between courses -- the amount of time it takes for fullness signals to travel from your stomach to your brain. Stop, think, and listen to your body's natural hunger cues, and you'll take control of your appetite and avoid overeating too.

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