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. Fitz, I was wondering if you could give advice on how to train yourself for a move or pose that is too advanced for you. I understand how to work up to a particular weight or speed in weight-lifting or cardio, but I'm at a loss about things that seem 'all-or-nothing.' I'm thinking of things in fitness DVDs where they frequently have models for easy/moderate/advanced movements. Sometimes I can do the easier move without feeling challenged, but I can't do the harder one at all. I often don't see how continuing to do the easier one gets me closer to doing the more advanced one. I especially struggle with a variety of moves in yoga and pilates. Thanks! Your articles and videos are my favorite thing about That's Fit. Cecily

A. Hi, Cecily. Thanks so much for both the sweet feedback and the great question. I'm sure many people wonder the same thing. The first thing I want to tell you is that you should be struggling when you work out. Struggling means you are challenging your body and pushing it to be better. Wobbling, tightness and frustration are part of the deal when participating in yoga and pilates, for sure. This neverending journey to become more fit will hopefully always include great challenges, but I do have the secret to becoming more proficient in advanced skills.

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Every day, we are faced with healthy and unhealthy choices that can ultimately prolong our lives ... or shorten them. And though none of us are perfect enough to make the healthy choice every time, making just one healthy choice most of the time can make a difference: The choice between the elevator and the stairs.

According to the BBC, taking the stairs on a regular basis can reduce your risk of premature death by up to 15%. That might not seem like much, but imagine the impact it can have if everyone did it?

Here's the bottom line: The more you do for your health, the better, but if you can't, do this one thing. It's simple, it's effective and it more importantly, it's doable.

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Don't have the motivation for daily workouts or the time and money to hire a personal trainer? "Minimalist workouts" could be the answer.

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It doesn't have to be another ill-timed chore to put a healthy dinner on the table. Try these time-saving ideas for getting that whole food meal prepared -- fast.

• Cook grains, pastas and legumes ahead of time and freeze in appropriate serving sizes. You'll always have them recipe ready.

My little guy loves brown rice salads. He cannot wait to see what "chunks" I have included in my latest recipe. If your kids (or significant others!) are plain rice eaters, why not help them branch out a bit by adding some nutritious "chunks" to their rice.

You may be dealing with picky eaters, so start slowly, adding things you know they'll love. Some pretty safe bets:

• corn kernels
• sweet peas
• steamed carrots
• raisins
• slivered almonds

Now you've been successful, so push the envelope a bit and try:

• chick peas
• chopped spinach
• zucchini
• broccoli
• butternut squash

Broccoli is so nutritionally awesome, I dare say I am not going out on a limb by declaring broccoli the Supreme Ruler of the Veggieverse. Clearly you all are realizing right about now that I spend far too much time with my super-hero-obsessed son.

Pardon my digression, but I'm right, aren't I? If broccoli can be death-defying, cancer-fighting, calcium-rich and just plain yummy, then why shouldn't we put it on a well-deserved pedestal?

Try putting it on a plate instead -- with these three recipes: one easy, one cool, and one stealthy.

Have you jumped on board the "eat local" bandwagon yet? We sure have, and we are loving our CSA Farm for the second season this summer.

One thing I look forward to is getting a variety of salad greens throughout the season: Bibb, Boston, Romaine, and Red Leaf lettuces, and my bitter favorite: arugula.

This easy recipe, Garden Greens with Yellow Tomatoes and Peaches -- and I mean easy! -- combines your favorite greens with arugula, tomatoes and peaches, all in a balsamic shallot dressing.

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A delicious source of vegetarian protein? Quinoa, of course! It is not a true grain, so it is more protein than carbs, and it offers a plethora of vital minerals as well.

Zucchini, chock-full of vitamin C and minerals, is abundant this time of year and healthy.

Garbanzo beans: high in potassium, vitamins B and E, and fiber; another powerful legume.

How can you go wrong combining these amazingly healthy foods in one delectable dish?

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Not only is it easy to make healthy appetizers, but with little effort, you can impress your guests and enjoy taste and nutrition.

Dips

• Trade those chips for some whole wheat pita, or better yet, fresh veggies, and serve up some hummus. Traditional is universally appealing, or try some black bean hummus -- one of our favorites!
• If you've got to have that onion dip, try this healthy version, made with tofu and fresh garlic and onions and parsley.
• Substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream in the creamy pesto dip, and you've got a simple dip with some basil-y pizazz.

Yesterday, Danny told me exactly what he wanted for lunch: A tuna sandwich, nothing in it, nothing on it, just bread -- whole wheat bread. And cottage cheese (we only have the low-fat stuff). And milk (the two percent variety). So that's what I made him. He gobbled up every healthy bite, even wanted more than his two bowls of cottage cheese. I made him wait, though, just to see if his tummy decided it was full. It did.

Danny is my guy who will eat salmon -- even requested it for his birthday meal last week -- and he'll try anything at least once. Typically, he likes everything he tries. Well, not broccoli, even though he still eats it. What a guy.

Thanks goodness for my easy eater -- who also happens to like chocolate.

It's always such a bummer to get home from work or the gym and realize you don't have anything ready for dinner. You're already hungry, and you don't have the energy to put together a complicated meal, so what do you do? Call for a pizza? Eat a PB&J or two? Run out to a fast food restaurant?

No, no no! Not only are these choices detrimental to any weight-loss (or maintenance) goals you might have -- they're also not smart choices for heart health. Here are seven alternatives from MSN that are quick, easy, and best of all, heart-smart.

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Padma Lakshmi is an Indian-American supermodel, actress, chef, cookbook author, ambassador for the United Nations Development Fund for Women, and host of Bravo TVs Top Chef. She can also add "blogger" to her resume because this accomplished one has been recapping snippets from her reality show via her video blog.

Lakshmi, a culinary goddess who features in her cookbooks recipes for a delicious low fat diet, reveals more than critiques of Top Chef contestants on her blog. She also shares tidbits about her own approach to food and drink. Through my own tour of her blog, I learned that she's a big lover of breakfast -- it is the most important meal of the day, you know -- and while she doesn't consider herself a big drinker, she does enjoy white wine, red wine, and single malt Scotch. She also loves green markets and enjoys cooking with items grown by local farmers. Lakshmi likes to take classic recipes, like macaroni and cheese, and add one or two ingredients to add a twist. And she's all for basic cooking. The better the chef, the more simple the cooking gets, she says.

There's quite a lot to learn Lakshmi, whose cookbook Easy Exotic was awarded Best First Book at the 1999 World Cookbook Awards at Versailles. See for yourself what this top chef has to offer by visiting her blog.

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Do you find you just don't have the energy to work out? Chances are the fact that you're not working out is the reason you don't have energy in the first place. And if you're a serial gym-avoider, you probably have a long list of reasons why you shouldn't work out, but I challenge you to rip up that list and instead focus on the reasons why you should work out.

Here's help: Dr. Oz's Excuse-Busting Workout is an simple-to-follow workout that can be as difficult or easy as you want to make it. In addition to walking 30-minutes a day, you'll perform a set of exercises that can be done at a gym or in the comfort of your own home.

So, no more excuses -- do something for yourself and start exercising!

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Recently, I wrote a post about "What Not to Wear's" resident make-up artist, Carmindy, and her tips on how to get great, glowing skin. The Californian beauty always looks fantastic without being overly made-up, so I thought it would be cool to check out her advice on how to get that naturally beautiful look.

Those of you out there who are also Carmindy fans, especially New York City-area residents and fashionistas who'll be in town for NYC Fashion Week, are in for a treat as the artist will appear at Byrant Park on Monday September 10th, as a part of the Word for Word Author Series.

Carmindy, who has penned a book called The 5-Minute Face: The Quick and Easy Makeup Guide for Every Woman, will appear at 12:30 p.m. and 1:45 p.m., and give away some of her best secrets and tricks of the trade including tips on how to enhance your best features and how to look great without spending hours primping. The author will also be available to sign copies of the book. If you love to look great and have fun with makeup, mark the event in your calendar.

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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. Dear Fitz. I'm trying to lose about 100 pounds and am having no luck. Seems like all of my teeny friends lose weight whenever they want. Is my metabolism way slower? Angie

A. Just the opposite is true Angie. It is waaaaaay easy for a larger person with lots of extra fat to lose weight than a person with just a little. For the most part, we all burn about 10 calories per day for each pound of body weight we have. A 120 person can consume 1200 a day without gaining weight (if they are not exercising). A 220 pound woman burns about 2200 a day just to maintain her weight. If she wanted to lose one pound (3600 calories) in three days....she could drop her consumption down to 1000 calories a day and do it. The 120 pound girl has to work infinitely harder. By cutting calories, she'd have to eat about 600 calories, which is absolutely not healthy. And she would have to go burn off 600 calories through exercise.

Your extra weight is just that. Weight. You're body burns lots of calories while struggling to carry all of that extra meat around. Sounds rough, but it's true. Go pick up two 25 pound dumbbells. Those 50 pounds are really heavy. Double that and that's what you're body is working to maintain. The reason you're not losing weight is that you're probably continuing the same poor eating and exercise habits that lead you to gain an extra 100 pounds in the first place. Maintaining your weight takes effort. Stop seeking out lots of food or high calorie food. You're probably doing one or both of those things. And just and FYI.....Hypo-thyroidism is very rare. The problem is more than likely not medical, it's a problem with your lifestyle.

Get to work Angie. Huff, Puff, and be particular about what you put in your mouth. You can do this! Fitz

A, Miss Fitzness. My husband won't go to the gym with me. He says our workouts are too different. But, I really want to go with him! What do ya suggest? Melissa

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