Photo: takingthemoney, Flickr

You never received a grade before the end of the school quarter, so don't take credit for a workout until those pits are sweaty. You've got to burn those calories, first.

FitSugar suggests placing a foil star on your calendar after the workout, not before.

Makes sense -- just like an accountability food diary, you generally log what you scarfed after the meal.

Then look back over the previous month's hard work for insights into your fitness pattern, and maybe a fitness snapshot to celebrate. But the best fitness log has to be your skinnier self in the mirror.

How do you log your workouts?

It's time to decide -- is this a healthy habit that can be realistically worked into day-to-day life?

• Piece of cake! I can definitely work this into my daily routine.
• Not my cup of tea. This is harder than I imagined. Still, I plan to stick with it and do my best.
• Nuts! This seems nearly impossible to keep up. But I'll definitely do it whenever possible.

Like I said on Day 7, this is an easy step anyone can take to help cut back on calories. I keep a food journal (most weeks) and definitely saw a decrease in the number of calories I was eating this week. The effect was especially noticeable at mealtime, but the apples helped me cut back on my between-meal snacking too. If I found myself getting hungry an hour before a meal, I'd just eat my apple then. I still saw the effects at mealtime, but it warded off a bigger calorie binge.

I don't think there's any magic to this. Apples are crunchy and sweet, so they go a long way towards curbing a sweet tooth and desire to snack. They're bulky enough to fill a belly up, so it's reasonable to suggest that eating one before a meal can control hunger. The trick is, I think, getting yourself to reach for one instead of a higher density snack -- like cookies, for instance. But that's a whole other post entirely.

What's your fat age? A new Fat Age Calculator by Lloyds Pharmacy in the UK claims to figure it out for you through a series of questions about your diet, but it's questionable whether it measures up.

An article in The Mirror reported that, according to this calculator, "[t]he average British woman has tucked into 92 years' worth of chips, chocolate and cakes by 50 without knowing it." The part of that statement that terrifies me isn't that people are consuming so many fatty foods (although, of course, that's pretty tragic on its own), but rather, that they don't realize it. Come on, people. Even Cookie Monster knows what a "sometimes food" is!

I mean, give the calculator a try if you want -- it's a semi-interesting way to spend five minutes. But keep in mind that the calculator doesn't take into account lower-fat options of the mentioned foods, like dairy, eggs and cheese. And, there are better ways to get a grip on whether you have too much fat in your diet -- talk to a nutritionist, or try keeping a food diary and writing down everything you eat for a week. AOL Health has an informative (and free!) online food journal. Trust me, if you look at your whole diet, you're still probably going to be surprised!

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You might not be able to change your desk job, but you can change the way you sit. Find out why slouching is bad for your back and butt and how to fix this common problem.

A club sandwich just happens to be one of my favorite menu items, and here's why I rarely order it: Martha says a club contains a whopping 1,030 calories. Next time I want to indulge, I'm sharing it with someone else!

Put that two-piece bathing suit in your shopping cart. Fitz has two exercises to help you create some awesome abs.

Jonny reminds us that in the battle between high fructose corn syrup and sugar, there are no winners. Both should be avoided when possible and enjoyed only in moderation.

See a salad on a fast food menu? It might actually cause you to eat fries instead. Don't let the notion of healthy food make you let your guard down. Order it, eat it and be healthy instead.

So you want to make some healthy changes but aren't sure where to start? Try stocking up with one of these seven fridge superstars.

Ever sat in front of the TV munching on chips, only to realize you've polished off half the bag? Laura's got tips for being a more mindful eater.

A study links vegetarians to eating disorders, but could it really be the other way around? Maybe people with eating disorders are "hiding" behind vegetarianism.

Good on you, That's Fit readers! Forty six percent of you keep a diet diary. That's a great way to keep track of calories and not let mindless eating get away from you.

Do you have a fitness buddy? I tried it for a week, and it really is a great motivational tool. Try calling up one of your friends this weekend and commit to a shared workout.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

You know that keeping a diet diary has been shown to double weight loss results. So what are you waiting for? Perhaps a sign? How about a free journal? Then AOL Health has just the incentive you need -- a personalized weight loss record -- to start tracking your meals and calorie-burning activities so you can find that right balance of energy in and energy out. AOL Health's diet diary is fast, free and stores everything you need to track your diet's progress.

Check it out and tell us what you think: Are food diaries for you? Why, or why not?

It's not just the cold weather that causes some of us to be a bit more sedentary during the winter months -- for some folks, it's the lack of goals. I have to admit -- I run a lot harder when I have a race coming up, but in most areas, there aren't many races going on this time of year.

Of course, not training as hard means I should eat less ... but that doesn't always happen. And that, my dears, is one reason why so many of us pack on pounds during the winter. However, Active.com has a list of 10 ways to manage your weight in the off-season.

For example, talking to a nutritionist can help you determine your energy needs during this slower time of year, and keeping a food diary will help you keep track of exactly how much you're eating. And, one of my favorite suggestions is to mix up your workout -- try a new class at the gym, take up your friend's offer of playing flag football or hit the (indoor) pool. You just might find a brand new love!

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