That's Fit

Ahhh. Just wanted to point you all in the right direction. This week I had the luxury of being a guest on Laura Lewis' That's Fit weekly podcast. Laura had the guts to ask me about my strategies for getting fitter and not fatter for the holidays. Not known for keeping my big mouth shut.......I let her have it.

Laura is the perfect radio host, and although I hate the sound of my own voice.........I encourage you to have a listen. It may just be the kick in the butt you need to survive this insane month of December.

No! No! No! They're not! What the hell is the weird obsession and constant speculation about these women and others in Hollywood? In a waiting room yesterday, I thumbed through about 15 magazines who all claimed endless knowledge from "insiders" who knew all sorts of special nonsense about each celebrity. Argh!

I know this B.S. sells magazines, but isn't it annoying? I like magazines, cause I enjoy looking at all the pretty dresses my job as a fitness trainer will never allow me to wear. Wouldn't I look strange sauntering in for a kickboxing session with a slinky Versace number on and sky high stilettos? Yes. I would. But I hate the fact that those pretty pictures have to be intermixed with the mean stuff.

For example. I do celeb interviews and report on the information exchanged between my guest and I. It's not that hard. I never have to resort to making things up. Never! And then the poor starlets who eat a sandwich, and then have to face photos of themselves with a teeny tiny belly bulge claiming they're knocked up for months? Who on this earth is not familiar with a pizza baby? You know. You eat too much pizza, and all of a sudden you look and feel just a little preggers. Guys get it all the time!

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. Help Fitz! I'm mortified, because when I asked my husband what he wanted for Christmas today...he answered, "something sexy"! I could die! Fitz, I'm about 40 pounds overweight and could not squeeze into anything sexy at all. Christmas is about four weeks away. How do I lose weight fast? Marcy

A. Oh my Marcy! I think you're confused here. It sounds to me like you don't have to do a darn thing for that man of yours to think you're sexy. Since he specifically asked you for a sexy gift, he already wants you bad! Nice going. In fact, if I were you.....I'd be feeling really great about myself right now. Start thinking in terms of an actual gift.

Lingerie doesn't always have to be super slinky. How about a cutesy little elf outfit? A little velvet and fur are always racy this time of year. Maybe you can sign the two of you up for Latin dancing lessons? Hace Calor! A weekend away, a couples massage, body lotions, and adult toys obviously fill the sexy requirement as well.

If you want to lose weight Marcy, do it the right way. Change the habits that led you to gain 40 extra pounds in the first place. Start eating highly nutritious and lower calorie foods. Exercise daily as well. But, you don't need to do a thing for that man to think your sexy. He wants to have fun with you. Hooray! Let him! Just keep this in mind. Leary, uncomfortable, and miserable are not sexy qualities.....even on a supermodel. Confidence, energy and passion are always hot. I normally don't say this, but I wish you a very Sexy Christmas! Fitz

Q. What's up, Fitz? I'm hosting a small holiday party for a few close friends next week. I'm totally in to fitness and always eat really healthfully, but some of my friends do not. Am I going to seem like a total loser party pooper if I don't serve them crap food? I just don't want to bring that greasy, sugary junk into my home. Nonetheless serve it to my friends. Have any suggestions? Rey

I know. Isn't this a disgusting topic? Blech. How do I know this information you wonder? Well, a few days ago I had the luxury of speaking with one of the coolest men on television, Discovery Channel's Man vs. Wild star, Bear Grylls. Bear travels to the wildest locations around the world and teaches survival skills. So, just in case you get stranded in Antarctica some day......you'll know what to do.

Bear's complete interview will be featured in an upcoming Celebrity Fitzness Report here on ThatsFit.com, but in the interim I thought I'd share this fun information with you. A huge part of surviving in the wild is knowing what to eat and what not to eat. Bear discriminates against poisonous things, not disgusting things. Apparently neither should we.

This season he feasted on goat testicles. He was presented with them by some nomadic tribesman and contrary to Bear's initial projections, they did not taste like hard boiled eggs..................

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. Hi there. I'm a 32 year old male and recently my girlfriend has (repeatedly) suggested that I start moisturizing my skin. I've always considered the whole moisturizing market to be a bit of a scam, right up there with "anti-wrinkle" creams. So come on, level with me, is there really any (proven or otherwise) benefit to moisturizing? Thanks and Regards,Dan

A. Hey Dan. Your letter made me giggle, cause my husband gives me the same response when I encourage him to address skin care. I frankly don't even think the man even washes his face every night. Weird to me, but fine for him he says. In fact, when I first began dating him...he had these tremendous calluses on his palms from weight-lifting. I'd beg him to wear weightlifting gloves and moisturize, but he refused because the calluses "reminded him of his Dad. "

Rob adores his father who's been a builder all of his life and has apparently always had rough 'man hands'. That was enough for Rob to think scratchy skin was cool. UNTIL! Last year Poppi (Rob's dad) came for a visit and started bragging about this lotion he was using to make his hands amazingly soft. He was ecstatic! He even suggested that the other girls in the family and I should use it on our faces. I wasn't sure whether I should take that as an insult, or a thoughtful suggestion. Either way...he loved the dramatic results of his , and my honey's hands are now smooth enough to for touching me.

Look Dan. There are a lot of things very different about men and women. One of the things we do have in common though, is the fact that we all have skin. Many products on the market legitimately do what they advertise. Even the anti-wrinkle creams. Check out this article on skin care, and decide what your skin care needs are. At minimum, it would be nice for you to apply a lotion with sun protection each day.

Sounds like your girlfriend cares a lot about you, and is just trying to share some of the knowledge she's come to appreciate. You're going to wear that skin of yours for a very long time, so you might as well take care of it! Fitz

Q. Hi Fitz. The school my daughter attends will be hosting a parent education seminar, and one of the topics is about providing healthy foods. My concern is that this presentation is being made by another mother who has absolutely no official health or fitness education. I think she's an accountant or something. Should I even bother going? How can I trust her? Rebbecca

Dr. Oz was once again on Oprah this week. As usual, he had a ton of new and interesting, traditionally gross-ish research to share. Floating poop ranks right up there in all three categories.

Recently a study was conducted where the subjects were placed on a highly controlled yet moderate diet, which was low in calcium for one week. At the end of the week, each subject 'contributed' some doo in a jar as their sample to be analyzed. (Imagine doing that!) The next week, subjects were placed on the exact diet except this time tweaked it to provide the subjects with 1200 mg of calcium each day, which is ideal for adults. At the end of the week, once again they had the pleasure of providing a sample.

The poo samples were frozen, dried, turned into a pill, and then crushed (hate to be that scientist). The samples were then analyzed. The study showed that by the end of week two, the high calcium week...the subjects samples contained 100% more fat than the previous week. Which means, calcium is an excellent transporter of fat. Ideally, we'd prefer to expel the fat we consume rather than absorb it. This in the long run, will help lead to weight loss.

Tailgating is usually a very unhealthy event. Burgers, dogs, chips and beer. Folks sit around and just consume, consume, consume! I'm a huge fan of football, and love to tailgate before Gator games. I also am a huge fan of my lean waist and am not willing to sacrifice it for the Orange and Blue. Why should I? I wear my colors, cheer till my lungs practically bleed, and dance all the crazy touchdown dances we do when the Gators score. I don't need to grow because I love my Alma mater. Right? Neither do you.

If you tailgate or just host a home cookout the day that your favorite team plays, good for you. Just make your day.....good for you! Here are ten things you can do to keep your weight from sky-rocketing in the fall and have more fun while you party.

#1. Opt for lean meat. Burgers and dogs are traditionally full of fat. Choose lean cuts, and you'll be fine!

#2. Choose low calorie or no calorie beverages. Everyone seems to have a constant beverage in the hand on game day. Ditch regular colas all together. Each can packs almost 200 calories. Water, un-sweet tea, and diet soda is preferable. If you're a beer drinker, choose light beer and don't consume more than four throughout the day. Less is obviously better.

#3 Enjoy the catsup, mustard, and barbecue sauces. They're naturally fat-free and fairly low in calories.

#4 Bring a veggie and fruit platter.

#5. Choose baked chips and low fat dips or salsa. They taste great and allow you to enjoy the crispy salty snack you love. You'll save hundred of calories this way!

School days seem long, and kids often need a little snack here and there. Fending off hunger and maintaining focus and energy is a must. If you provide snacks for your child or an entire class, set your standards high. Just because kids seem to have high metabolisms, doesn't mean you should settle for a box of Cheez-its or cookies. Kids do gain weight, earn high cholesterol levels, and suffer from other health related issues. Don't contribute to that. Give some thought and seek out foods high on nutrition and low on fat and calories. You can do this!

Ideas for healthy school snacks:

• Fresh fruit with yogurt dipping sauce
• Fruit and cheese kabobs
• Vegetable tray with low fat dip
• Celery sticks with peanut butter
• Low-fat pretzels or popcorn
• Yogurt smoothies - low fat

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

Wahoo! I just returned from my Wiggly adventure and I couldn't be more pleased. My friend Jamie (who came along to help) and I arrived at the Allstate Arena here in Chicago at about 10:15 am this morning ready to interview the the Australian children's group The Wiggles. I wasn't actually scheduled to meet with my first Wiggle until 11:00 am though, so we had a while to wait. The tour manager Trey met us at security and guided us back to the room we were to be meeting the Wiggles in. This room backstage was eerily quiet and the clock ticked slowly as I waited for the guys to arrive. We were right next to the entrance the tour bus was to use, and our door was wide open. Waiting was making me half antsy and half nervous. Lots of goosebumps on my arms which I had no explanation for.

After what seemed like forever, the bizarrely quiet halls filled with chatter and I got my first live glance. Jeff, the purple Wiggle passed by and I felt as though I'd just got a peek at Santa Claus sneaking down the chimney. One by one; Sam, Murray and Anthony passed our open door surrounded by the rest of their cast. They looked like a big team, all dressed in black warm-ups or t-shirts and shorts. My nervousness turned to eagerness and I couldn't wait for them to get dressed and return.

Now of course The Wiggles are just people. But if you have kids you'll understand the connection one could grow to these guys. My children and I sing their songs, dance their dances, and read their books. We have tons of their toys , and quite simply enjoy the heck out of them. The Wiggles are fun for us. Beyond having my professional mission with the fitness segments, I'm just super excited to make friends with The Wiggles. Make friends is exactly what I do.

Written: August 18th. 9:15 AM

Hooray! Hooray! Today is my Wiggle day. After a long wait full of anticipation, today is the day I will go to work with the Wiggles. I'm in Chicago for interviews and video shoots with Sam, Jeff, Murray, Anthony and Captain Feathersword. I'm feeling the kind of excited kids get on their way in to Disney World. A bit giddy in fact.

Traditionally, I've thought that the only person that would ever leave me star-struck would be an American President. I'm not so sure if what I'm feeling is the star-struck thing yet.....but I'm giddy which is fun. Sorta nervous too. On my way to the taxi now. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Flying to See the Wiggles

Written August. 17th. 3:00 PM

I'm writing this from a plane on my way to Chicago, IL to interview and train with The Wiggles. If you've not kept up with the progress of this whole adventure, I'll fill you in. A while back I contacted the Wiggles American Public Relations Rep, Ryan to set up some interviews with the fantastic foursome from Australia. I have two small children, ages four and two who love the Wiggles. (My profession is fitness, by the way). Over the years, while partying in the living room to the Wiggles and seeing what other children's programs had to offer.......the Wiggles have become more and more impressive to me.

We watch Dora, Little Bear, JoJo's Circus and more. The TV is on no more than 30 minutes a day, but my children do see a variety of shows. Along the way, my frustration has grown with almost all of the other kiddie shows except the Wiggles. I'm a fitness expert, so I have extremely high standards for what my children put in their mouth. It's become a tad annoying that Dora finds it a thrill to sing about cupcakes, cookies and candy all the time. JoJo can't get enough of cotton candy. Now of course, I think the shows are very cute and offer lots of cute life lessons......Fitness Mom wishes they wouldn't harp on junk food so much.

While making clear decisions about what my babies should see, I've realized that the Wiggles are all good. They constantly take the high road, and do everything they can to promote exercise and healthy eating habits. It's easy to sing about chocolate. But, the Wiggles actually sing about zucchini, vegetable soup, fruit, pasta, and drinking water. Surprising the word zucchini would have it's place in a great song? Apparently it does. They also pair these groovy tunes to energetic dance routines that children can do as well. So, while Dora isn't a bad kid, I've just become more appreciative of the reinforcement the Wiggles provide.

Starting today I want you to begin focusing on the big picture in life. The main stream media is so full of nonsense in order to sell sensational stories that normal non-psychotic people don't know what to do with themselves. Fitness is simple. Sweat often and avoid putting too much crap in your mouth. That's it! If you make daily vigorous movement a consistency in your life and seek out healthful foods 90% of the time, you'll be great!

The daily NEWSFLASH findings like "Eat dark chocolate", "Drink wine daily", "Diet soda makes you fat" is nonsense and cruel! Most of my clients end up on my doorstep, because they've become confused. They don't know who to trust and the constant newsflash reports have sent them in circles. Avoid it if you can.

Do what you learned in kindergarten. Eat lots of fruits and veggies, lean dairy, lean meat. Avoid sugary and fat laden sweets. Go play. Sweat, grunt, breath heavy, move your body. It's truly not that confusing......so when a "breakthrough fitness flash" turns up on your TV.....turn it off.

Sadly, this suggestion may not be viable for many of you in various locations. But! For the lucky ones who live in a predominantly sunny state like I do, and have a water-park nearby......get ready for a whole new training adventure. I spent the day today at one of the several local water-parks near my home here in Florida and I had one of those little fitness trainer epiphanies.

After I finished running up and down a thousand stairs for hours on my way to some swirly water slides, I dove into the wave pool and struggled to keep my head above water due to exhaustion! Now....I don't mean dangerous exhaustion, but I was certainly whooped. Amongst all the fun, I was exercising really hard.

If you live near one of these watery wonderlands, get an annual or seasonal pass. I kid you not. What a fun way to get in shape. You could literally spend an hour running up stairs or ramps and sliding into a bubbly pool for cardio and lower body strength training. Head on over to the wave pool and either jump the waves or doggy paddle for 30 minutes or so. It is tough!

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. Hi Fitz, I'd like to do some muscle building exercises for my lower body, but am having a hard time adding resistance/weight. I can't use the bands that I've found, because I'm allergic to latex (and all the products I've seen so far warn of the natural rubber/latex found in them). Do you have any suggestions for products and/or exercises that'll help me build up and tone those muscles? I already run, but that doesn't get all the areas that I'd like to work...and I don't want to go to a gym just for this. Thanks!

A. You are going to be so happy with my answer, because there are so many options available to you. A latex allergy must be frustrating, so first of all......I'm sorry you have to deal with that. No fun. But! With our without latex, there are infinite options for your lower body training.

When training people, my first priority is to get them to understand how each muscle group works. Once they understand this, they can work out in the fanciest gym in the world with tons of equipment or in the desert with none. Equipment is nice, but rarely necessary. For the most part, most of us will never lift anything heavier than our own body weight .So for starters, think about that. Squats, lunges, leg lifts, butt-blasters, calf raises. The list goes on. You can do those things anywhere at any time, and if you have some extra weight to add resistance such as dumbbells or the Body Bar you get bonus points.

Next thing that comes to mind are Gliding Disks. These little purple plastic Frisbee look-a-likes are inexpensive, easy to use, highly effective and fun. Visit GlidingDisks.com to check them out and definitely grab a video too. You'll need some guidance on how to use them.

Also use things around your house. Have steps? Climb them by twos. Have a trunk? Do step-ups on it. Strap a paper-weight or can of soup on to your foot and do those leg-lifts. Be creative. Latex is a popular product in many fitness tools, but it is certainly not a make-or-break your workout' type material. If you're in need of some training ideas grab a book, magazine, or video with lower body strength training How-tos. Or stay tuned to That's Fit for our soon to launch Move of the Week video podcast. Let me know how things go! Fitz

Q. Hey Fitz. Quick question: I am not a "morning workout" person like a lot of people. As you know, physiology teaches us that we should have more energy in the mornings for workouts and such; I am the exact opposite. I could not feel much more rotten when I wake up early for a run.

I want to try to change this problem if I can. Aside from powering through a couple of weeks of morning workouts so my body is acclimated to it, are there any power bars or something I can munch on just before my workouts to energize me? I usually don't eat or drink anything except maybe a glass of OJ or water before I dive into a morning workout. Thanks for any tips! Dean....