Weight can be a touchy subject among friends. Honestly telling a friend whether those jeans do make her look heavy is a hard thing to do. While the number on the scale shouldn't mean a thing when it comes to close pals, the reality is some of us do change our habits, bite our tongues or plan different activities when dealing with friends who have more curves.

Click on the gallery below to take our survey and tell us how you really feel about friends and weight.

Watch who you hang out with -- your friends might determine your weight.

In today's economy, people are holding on to their money a little tighter. Which might be why wagering on weight loss -- or betting money that you can reach your weight loss goal -- is becoming more popular than ever. After all, if you can't afford to lose your money, then (after placing a bet) you darn well better lose the weight.

Recent studies suggest that people really are motivated by money to lose weight. Websites are popping up all over the web to support this trend. At StickK.com, you can bet a certain amount of money against yourself. If you fail, the money goes to the charity of your choice ... and you can even pick one that you hate.

Other sites like FatBet.com don't actually handle the money, but they offer a place for dieters to keep track of each other's progress. The trend seems to be especially popular among co-workers, and even more so among men.

Source

Thought peer pressure was just for junior high kids? Dieters face it, too.

Source

Weight loss isn't easy. So when you're trying to lose those stubborn pounds, it helps to have someone you can confide in and someone you can count on to bolster your resolve when it weakens. In turn, you can do the same for your pal.

But ZoneDiet.com conducted a survey that shows there's a little distrust among diet buddies. Here are just a few of the things they uncovered:

• Two-thirds of those surveyed believe their diet buddy is lying about what they're eating.
• Over 60 percent would be unhappy if their diet buddy lost more weight than they did, but 70 percent say it would also make them unhappy if their buddy didn't lose any weight. (So we're OK if they lose some weight, but not if they beat us at our own game. Nice.)

Source

You've fortified your weight loss goals this holiday season with a solid plan, extra workouts, and a dash of willpower.

But one thing you don't want to underestimate this month are the holiday diet saboteurs, well-meaning loved ones who can wreck your weight loss in a ho-ho-ho-hurry.

Luckily, Laura knows how to stop them, so pop on over to Holidash and see what she has to say.

Source

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 one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, My friends are trying to get me to try a Zumba class, but I'm more in to intense training like sprints, running and boxing. I'm not sure if this dancing class is for me. You look pretty hard core. What do you think? Leah

A. Great question, Leah. You know, I am very much like you in the training department. I love intense exercise; the feeling of "Oh my God, I need to puke" elates me. Having said that, there is also a place in this world and my month for a little booty shaking.

Source

When I moved into my first apartment during college, all of my friends from the dorms didn't spread too far and wide. In fact, most of us were in the same apartment complex -- others were just a few miles away. We started having what we called "Sunday family dinners." Each Sunday, one apartment would host dinner for all of our other friends. It was a fun way to get together and have at least one, good, home-cooked meal a week.

Shape Magazine has a fun idea for a grown up version of the Sunday family dinners. Gather a group of friends and create a rotation -- once a week, once a month ... whatever works for you. Then rotate whose home you go to, and the host will provide a delicious dinner with nutrition and health in mind.

The host should also prepare recipe cards and shopping lists for each guest. It's a great way to get together, have some fun, enjoy some great food, and expand your recipe collection of nutritious meals.

Source

You practice healthy habits. Your partner/family member/close friend does not. It's only natural for you to want to inspire someone you care about to live a healthier life. But how?

Source

When my body isn't moving so much, my mind goes to a bit of a blue place. I'm not quite there, but I feel myself getting close. Ironically, this week my body has traveled thousands of miles and I've seen my favorite blue place in the world -- the Pacific Ocean.

As most of us know, traveling usually means our health suffers a bit due to lack of exercise, increased stress and the subsequent effect on our mental state of both. I travel from my home in the mid-Atlantic to my native California at least twice a year. I am writing from my mother's home in the Los Angeles area right now. Before heading home a week from tomorrow, we will have traveled by air and navigated airports for more than 12 hours and spent almost 20 hours in cars in order to visit family and friends on opposite ends of the state. So much movement, so little exercise.

Thankfully, visiting the loved ones we live so far away from keeps my mind a bit happier during these sedentary vacation days. And I do try to adhere to some of the common tips for maintaining good health and fitness while traveling, such as making good food choices and drinking lots of water. I also follow certain prevention guidelines.

When I get home, I'll run through the neighborhood, hop on my bike or swim laps at the rec center in an effort to kick those endorphins back into high gear and then some. I'll certainly have to in order to heal the little bit of homesickness and heartsickness that's sure to crop up after leaving so many loved ones behind.

So what are your plans for Labor Day? Frankly, the holiday sneaked up on me this year. What with back-to-school and work deadlines and other things I have on my mind, I completely forgot about it. My son and I will find something fun to do, though. We'll probably visit with family and maybe go to the BMX track (my son's favorite activity).

When making your Labor Day plans, keep health in mind. Some ideas:

• When grilling for your Labor Day BBQ, choose leaner cuts of meat and grill plenty of vegetables. You can also grill some fruits (peaches, plums, pineapple) for dessert. Remember to keep grilling safety in mind, too.
  
• Skip the chips and mayo-laden salads. Instead offer more healthful choices like veggie trays, yummy mixed green salads, and fruit salad.
• Plan some active time with family and friends. You can set up a volleyball net in the backyard, hold a basketball competition, or swim. Kids would also enjoy relay races and active games like red light, green light.
  
• Go on a Labor Day outing. Hike along a nature trail, bike on a rail trail, or visit a nearby beach (and don't just lay around -- swim and be active).

This morning was a special day for the mommies in my playgroup and I. Today we donated over 150 stuffed monkeys to the children being cared for at North Florida Regional Medical Center (NFRMC) in honor of our Angel Odessa. Odessa Virginia Webster was born at NFRMC on February 24, 2003, and landed back at the same hospital on March 25, 2004 for care after a fatal head injury. At thirteen months old, Odessa was stolen from her parents Matt and Anita, her loving family, and our already tight playgroup family. It was devastating for all of us, and out of our grief came an intense drive to honor our "Angel O".

To back up a bit, our playgroup began when our infants met at a "new mommy" luncheon hosted at NFRMC when they were two weeks old. Well, the infants didn't exactly meet each other, but us moms did ... and we decided then and there that we wanted to stick together. That made ten families dealing with the insanity of newborns and leaning on each other for friendship, advice, stress relief, and fun. We literally have been getting together for "playgroup" every Tuesday since, and our children are all addicted to each other; the best of friends. At the start, we would have never imagined what would come for us, for her, the following year. I just remember checking my email one day and opening one from Anita with "Odessa Virginia Webster" as the title. I expected to see a new photo from a portrait studio. A portrait was included, but it went along with a letter written by Anita informing us that her daughter was gone. "Please don't call now. I'm not ready to talk" she wrote. I simply can't describe the agony that followed for all of us.

Source

When it comes down to it, we all share a common craving: to feel good. University of Oxford neuroscientist Morton Kringelbach knows this. It's why he's writing his new book The Pleasure Center and why he shared with Reader's Digest (August, 2008) some of his revolutionary research. Check this out.

Asked RD: What do people find most pleasurable in their lives? Sex, says Kringelbach. Second is being with friends. Most everything we find pleasurable -- like eating and drinking -- is so much better when shared with someone else.

Another question: Can you help us cure addictions such as overeating? It hasn't been tested yet, reports the scientist, but deep-brain electrodes may help restore the balance of selective satiety mechanisms in the brain -- these are the signals that tell us enough is enough. Obese people may not have the selective satiation that thin people do.

Source

In the market for some new best friends? Women's Health suggests you hand over your loyalty to these 10 friendly foods. They're trustworthy, good for you, and they'll always be there when you need them. These non-toxic friends will never do you wrong.

• Baby Carrots -- Buy them washed and bagged and use them for their vision-improving beta-carotene.

• Black beans -- Buy them canned, low in sodium, and dark and you'll enjoy the benefits of antioxidants, fiber, folate, and magnesium.

Source

Being overweight seems to be socially contagious, obesity expert and eating specialist Louis J. Aronne, M.D., tells the folks at Healthy Living magazine. We've heard it before: Friends can make us fat. Aronne says it happens like this.

If you have a friend who becomes obese, your chances of doing the same shoot up by more than 50 percent. If a sibling gains weight, your chances increase by about 40 percent. Aronne says having overweight friends and family can cause behavior patterns that encourage weight gain. Also, ideas about what is normal and acceptable may change. The heavier the people in your social network then, the more likely you are to battle your own bulge.

You have the power to prevent the pounds from stacking up. Just be aware that your friends' behavior and appearance might affect your own. Watch portion sizes. Stay active. And remember this: Being thin might be contagious too. If you lose a few pounds or maintain your already-healthy weight, you might just inspire those around you.

For more on what Aronne has to say about food, check out this CBS article.

Source