Several years ago I was in the process of losing some extra pounds. I was working out every evening and had gradually progressed to a relatively intense routine. And then I hit that dreaded point most people who are trying to lose weight hit at one time or another... a plateau.

I increased my exercise, I reduced my calorie intake a bit further, I did everything I could think of to shake myself out of that darn plateau. Then, at the suggestion of my boss at the time, I added a second workout session in the morning. That did the trick! Better yet, I found that I enjoyed the morning exercise and stuck with it for a long time.

I think we all have fitness frustrations from time to time. Whether you're trying to lose weight or training for a specific event or just trying to reach a personal fitness milestone -- as rewarding as fitness is, some amount of frustration is to be expected. But, like anything worth doing, if you stick with it, you'll get through the frustrating points and reap the rewards. Self Magazine asked readers for their fitness frustrations and then experts offered possible solutions.

What are some of your fitness frustrations?

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There's no doubt -- life as an actress can be stressful. And Raven-Symone is the first to admit that. In fact, the actress even goes so far as to say, "I do have anger issues," but she doesn't like to yell at anybody, so she's found another way to get out her frustrations -- boxing.

When she's angry at someone, Raven-Symone said, "I picture that person's face that I want to yell at and I hit it repeatedly [with my] mitt."

I've actually done the same thing on a number of occasions -- beating the hell out of a heavy bag somehow makes me feel better. However, running is a great stress reliever as well. What form of exercise helps you clear your head, or puts you in a good mood?

Here's an interesting question: is watching TV while you exercise, specifically something tempting like a cooking show or the Food Network, motivating or distracting? Are you more likely to push yourself harder and faster, or get frustrated and quit early to head to a fattening dinner at your favorite restaurant?

Fitsugar posed this question and according to their survey the results are pretty close, with only 4% separating the "it's motivating" group from the "it's distracting" group. Personally I can relate to both sides -- I think it's all about my mood at the time and, of course, how hungry I am. One more reason to keep a tasty power bar in my gym bag!

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In the world of health research there's always bad news, and although it's mixed in with plenty of good news it's all too easy to get caught focusing on the negative and letting yourself get worked up and upset. It's no fun to hear that one of your die-hard habits is bad for you, and then right when you're getting a grip on quitting then it's good for you again, and now wait....yep it's still okay...sorta (think coffee). Geez! Give us a break already!

If you're feeling frustrated and are having trouble dealing with all the ups and downs of everyday health news then try one (or a few!) of these 7 ways of dealing with alarming new research. Or share some of your own methods -- what do you do to stay sane but current on the latest and greatest in health knowledge?

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In a recent set of face-to-face interviews with eight St Louis area pediatricians it came to light that doctors feel pretty useless when it comes to helping obese children and their families lose weight and get healthier. Those that are successful come to the doctor's office already motivated to make changes and the doctor simply needs to answer questions and get them on the right track, but families that do not walk in raring to go are frustrating for doctors because often there's nothing they can say to get them instantly fired up and motivated towards lasting change.

The results of this study seem to point out that finding ways to get families to take an interest in getting healthy on their own, before they go in to see the doctor, is key. Then they can use their time with the doctor for questions and guidance, and they'll have the necessary motivation to keep the momentum going in the months after they've left the pediatrician's office.

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Whether it's that frustrating driver in front of you who turns without signaling, or that the snow plow blocked your car in yet again with a mini-mountain range of ice chunks, we all get angry sometimes. And it's a perfectly healthy emotion designed to help us know when something is wrong and let others know how we feel. But unfortunately, many of the ways we deal with anger are not so healthy.

The most common negative ways most of us deal with anger are: withdrawing or moping, denial and suffering in silence, lashing out, using sarcasm, or even feeling guilty.

It may not seem like the most pressing issue in your quest for healthier living, but unmanaged and suppressed emotions can wreak havoc on both your physical and mental well-being. Depression, insomnia, and even physical aches and pains can result from misdirected and/or unmanaged anger.

So how should you deal then? Learn to recognize the physical and behavioral cues that signal you are angry, identify exactly what it is that is making you upset, and validate/accept your own feelings. Try listing all the possible solutions, and think out what you're going to say ahead of time -- remembering to avoid laying blame and focus instead on getting your feelings across and finding a resolution.

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