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. Hey Fitz. I'm heading out for a week's vacation on a cruise ship next month, and worried that once again I'll gain almost ten pounds while gone. That's what I've done the last few times I've gone on a cruise. How can I get around it? There is awesome food everywhere! Susan.

A. Susan, Susan, Susan. I'm shaking my head. The deal with vacations, cruises especially, is that they're a time for you to relax, get away from the daily grind and have some fun. Pigging out and gorging are simply not what you should be focusing on...wherever you are! Yes, there is a lot of tasty food on cruise ships. There is also a lot of yummy things available at your local grocery store every single day! That doesn't' mean you should run through the aisles like a lunatic shoving everything you can get your hands on into your mouth. Just because food is THERE, just because food is FREE, doesn't mean you have to eat it.

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. Hey Fitz, I recently lost over 60 pounds and have kept it off for about two months so far. I have done a great job of making great food choices and exercising, but now that the holidays are here I'm terrified I'll gain much of the weight back. Junk food and parties are everywhere. Help! Alan

A. Thanks so much for the terrific question, Alan. You're not the only one facing the holidays as though you are looking down the barrel of a gun. It's certainly the most challenging time of the year when it comes to temptation. Isn't it weird that folks gift us with things such as cookies and pie, that will harm us in the long run? Why do friends do that to each other? It's like saying "Happy Holidays! Let me edge you closer to your heart attack!", or "Merry Christmas! Don't you ever look so good in those jeans again!" I don't get it. In fact, I make a policy of never giving unhealthy food as a gift to people that I care about.

Nonetheless. This is what you can do to stay on track. First of all, remind yourself consistently that the holidays are for celebrating friends, family, and religious values. Christmas for example, truly has nothing to do with mozzarella sticks or chocolate cake. Second, resolve to stick 100% to your exercise routine or even to amp it up a bit. Third, it's OK to say "no thank you." If you politely accepted every piece of pie, chocolate or glass of egg nog, you'd be in big trouble weight-wise for sure. It's OK to say "no thank you". In your case a thoughtful and honest reply of "I've been working really hard to take care of my health" would probably make most people stop pushing. Some will still push, and you can still just say "no thank you". Either that or take the junk food and dump it when no one is looking. At your big holiday feasts I suggest to follow this little rule of thumb. Enjoy a little bit of the things you like, but not too much of anything.

Alan, you've shown incredible discipline to lose 60 pounds this year. Just continue to do the same thing you've been doing. I wish you happy and healthy holidays. Fitz

Q. Miss Fitz. I've been assigned the job of bringing dessert to my son's fourth grade holiday party at school. Have any healthy suggestions? A. Trina

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. Fitz, I've been so busy and so tired lately. I'm eating well, but haven't broken a sweat in over a month! As a result I've gained six pounds. Help! Josh.

A. Hey Josh. As I write this....I've just completed the most excruciating workout of my life. Not that it was the most physically tough. I jogged three miles; which is not usually a tough run for me. I promise I have never done anything more miserable though. I didn't want to get off of my lazy butt, and do anything. Especially work out! I had planned to work out though, and all I could think about was all of the wonderful people I've come across which I have told, "Suck it up, and do it anyway". So...I did.

First obstacle was getting dressed. Hated that. Next obstacle was getting out the door. Somehow that happened too. Then! I get on the treadmill. Ugh! I wanted to break it instead of use it. My feet felt like bricks in my shoes for the first half mile, and the thought of quitting crossed my mind at least a million times. But I didn't!

I was listening to radio financial guru Dave Ramsey today, and for a brief moment thought I was listening to myself. No, I'm not a man ... nor do I have so much facial hair. But I could just hear myself in his words. His callers call in and make up all of these excuses on why they've charged a bunch of things on their credit cards, and are now in insane amounts of debt and he goes "duh" and "so what." Then he proceeds to give them an exact solution to get them out of the hole they're in.

I do the same thing. Trillions of people come to me with caloric debt. Meaning ... they give me a tons of excuses why they've consumed more calories than they could burn off and now they're stuck trying to get out of the hole they're in. I go "duh" and "so what." And then I give them the exact solution to get them out of the hole they're in.

There are two things you need to be both successful in fitness and in finance. First you need knowledge. If you don't know what healthy eating legitimately is, and how to exercise to your best advantage you can't succeed. Same goes for money. You need to understand how to avoid debt, deal with purchases, investments, and savings to avoid financial distress.