Photo: Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images

Odds are, if you've had to lose weight in the past, some of those lost pounds have crept back on at one time or another. That yo-yo cycle of dieting is never fun. Can you imagine if your job actually required you to gain and lose pounds? Many of the Hollywood set have had to adjust their weight for a role, but Renee Zellweger just might be the queen of the doughnut. With the third installment of the Bridget Jones's Diary series in the works, Renee Zellweger is gaining once again.

Zellweger gained roughly 28 pounds for each of the first two movies. Certainly not enough to make her tiny frame overweight by any standards -- in fact, she looks downright cute as Bridget Jones. But gaining 28 pounds probably isn't as fun as it seems. "I had a panic attack with all the specialists talking about how bad this is for you long-term, putting on that much weight in short periods of time," Zellweger told the Daily Mail. In fact, Zellweger has described her body as "whacked" after putting it through the Bridget Jones weight gain. "It doesn't know what has happened because it thinks there's supposed to be a baby and there's no christening," joked Zellweger.

For the first Bridget Jones movie, Zellweger gained the weight by eating as many doughnuts and cheese pizzas as her body could take. Not surprisingly, the junk food and lack of exercise made her feel sluggish. For the second movie, she hired a nutritionist and gained the weight with a controlled, but high-calorie, diet.

Losing the weight again was no bed of roses, either. Zellweger said that she felt like she had a toddler strapped to her back while running around the track. Obviously, Zellweger has the funds for trainers and the expensive Ashram Spa in Calabasas, Calif., but the hard work required to lose the pounds was all hers.

If you could earn a Zellweger-like salary, would you be willing to gain and lose weight repeatedly for work?

Diet drinks can pack on the pounds, say recent reports, and Oprah's Dr. Katz weighs in on the topic over at Oprah.com.

Dr. Katz believes diet drinks can cause weight gain. But science is not decisive on the matter. Suggestive, yes. For sure, no. It's the sugar substitutes (saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, neotame and acesulfame-K) that can do the damage, but evidence of this is based only on animal studies. Now, it's logical to assume that humans who consume these sweeteners end up overeating like animals do (sugar substitues cause the brain to expect more energy than it gets, which causes the desire to keep eating), but we won't know conclusively until humans are put under the microscope. Well, you know what I mean.

Dr. Katz isn't a big fan of the diet drink. "My particular concern is that artificial sweeteners are 200 to 13,000 times as sweet as sugar, and that is a potent stimulus for turning a sweet tooth into a fang," he says. He does make one exception for the drinks though: "They can be a great substitute for people who drink a lot of regular soda and are trying to cut down. Just be sure to take the next step -- toward the water cooler."

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Valentine's Day is right around the corner. You know that the over-sized, heart-shaped box of chocolates doesn't do your hips any favors, but did you know that simply being in a relationship might make you fat?

Several studies have indicated that people tend to gain weight after getting married. Joy Bauer, the nutritionist and diet editor for The Today Show, reasons that married people no longer feel the pressure of the dating scene. Plus, you might pick up on your spouse's unhealthy habits. Joy's husband, for example, has an affinity for Mallomar cookies, buffalo wings and Cap'n Crunch. Obviously, she steers clear of these treats.

Check out the gallery for some of Joy Bauer's tips on staying fit once you're hitched.

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Weight is the exact opposite of a grade point average. GPAs drop lightning fast, but they're really difficult to bring back up. Weight, on the other hand, is quite easy to gain and not-so-easy to lose. Divine Caroline counts down four reasons why weight is so finicky:

• Simple math. To maintain your weight, you need to burn as many calories as you take in. Consuming extra calories will result in weight gain. It's easy enough to exceed your calorie needs on a day-to-day basis, it's especially easy to do so when your routine is altered (like during a vacation).
• A pound is a pound is a pound. To gain a pound you need to consume 3,500 extra calories. Over the course of a special dinner out, an extra serving of dessert, and some extra large portion sizes you can reach that 3,500 calorie mark quite easily. To lose a pound, you need a deficit of 3,500 calories. Reducing the calories you eat and burning extra calories through exercise can give you the deficit you need -- but it takes commitment and effort on your part.

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Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

Two-time Dancing with the Stars Champion Cheryl Burke has had quite a year. Five tiny pounds on her little dancer's body caused tabloid hysteria, and now she's starring in her own series of workout DVDs called Disco Abs. She came clean with me on the inspiration behind this belly blasting workout, her infamous weight gain, and who she'd love to partner up with on DWTS. She even shares expert advice on dancing in stilettos; definitely read it before you try it.

Fitz: Tell me about Disco Abs.

Cheryl: It's a series of three workout DVD's set to disco music. The workouts are based on a bunch of fun dance moves, and that's what I love most about them. They're so much fun that you forget you're working really hard.

Fitz: Fun is vital to people sticking with it. And what component is directly geared towards abdominal training?

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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. Hi Fitz! I've come across a couple articles recently that are dead-set against prolonged cardio multiple times a week. They suggest that High Intensity Interval Training or low intensity activity only a few times a week at most, alongside regular weight training, is the only way to lose fat and stay fit. I don't think I could live without long runs or my favorite aerobics class. What do you think? Thanks, Samantha

A. Hi Samantha! Thanks for the great question. I'm sure it's on the minds of many. Bottom line, the folks who said that are over-opinionated. Think about Lance Armstrong, the guy does massive amounts of cardio each week and is the picture of health. So do I ... and so do most runners, cyclists, boxers, kickboxers, soccer players and more.

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The beauty of a "before" picture is that it allows you to really appreciate how far you've come. Not there yet? Are you walking around in the body you'll one day refer to as your "before"? Watch this video and get a move on. Life is too short to spend one extra second in your "before" body. Pay close attention, take action and zoom on into your "after" body.

For fabulous cooking tips, creative workouts and more fun quick information from degreed experts in health and fitness, visit SportsHealthExercise.org.

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We all know that people tend to use time as a so-called "legitimate" reason to eat poorly. Those people never like me much. Why? Because the excuse is lame and doesn't hold water, and I'm fairly upfront about it. The truth: Bananas are quicker to peel than any package can be opened. Apples don't even need peeling!

Cooked food can also be insanely quick. In fact, I always keep giant bags of various frozen vegetables in my freezer so I can toss them in a bowl and heat them in the microwave in under five minutes. Is it gourmet? Not really. Do I care? Hell no!

What matters most is that we choose fruits, veggies, lean meats and whole grains. Those are a few of the things that are vital not only to weight maintenance, but they support a nourished, energetic and disease-free body. If you are hell-bent on eating poorly than just get on with it. But if you truly want to make fitness happen and change your life, you're going to have to kick excuses to the curb.

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Ever wonder how much exercise you should really be doing and why? This Fit Kick has your answers.

For more quick and fun fit tips by degreed experts in the field of health and fitness ...

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

Eric Stoltz has one of those careers any actor would kill for. Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Mask, Pulp Fiction ... the list goes on and on. He's currently on a tear, directing all sorts of hit primetime shows too, but this week we sat down to chat about his guest role on ABC's Grey's Anatomy. My opinion: Eric is really smart, relaxed and funny. He also happens to know the secret to losing weight -- you might be surprised by how simple it actually is!

Fitz: You're playing a serial killer on Death Row for a couple of weeks on ABC's Grey's Anatomy. Any similarities between you and your character?

Eric: Fortunately, no. But it did get me interested in reading and learning more about serial killers. Although repellent, they're often very brilliant, bold and fearless people. Evil characters like that offer me a great opportunity to be creative.

Fitz: Does that mean you're really a super nice guy?

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That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader! We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind. And to reward you for your efforts, Everlast and Everlast Woman have provided gorgeous T-shirts to bestow on our featured members.

Name: Candice Miser

Age: 22

Occupation: Student/ PCA

How often do you exercise? Not enough!

What type of exercise do you do? Yoga and ab training.

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There are many ways to train each muscle. I'm a girl who likes challenging and efficient exercises. This three-part routine, shown here and featuring me and Anthony Field of The Wiggles, not only made my arms shake ... it exhausted my chest and abs and left me breathless in a very short period of time. Looking for something new, challenging and fun? This is your answer.

If you're interested in getting the rings like the one's shown here in this video, visit RingTraining.com and look for Elite Rings. And for more star-studded training videos, fitness tips and recipes, visit Fitzness.com.

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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. Hey Fitz, Long time reader here. We've got a problem in our family, and it's that my dad is incredibly obese. He has a fairly athletic build, but in recent years became "potbellied." He's the only obese person in his family, and his health is REALLY starting to suffer.

He's having problems with his knees, joints, back, and worst of all -- his attitude. He cannot exercise because he's already so inactive, and every diet he's been on (reluctantly) he's just put the weight back on afterward. Sometimes he does it intentionally, for fun (a la Dunkin Donuts trips ... how awful!)

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That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader! We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind.

Name: Chuck Marshall

Age: 44

Occupation: Programmer

How often do you exercise? Five to six days a week .

What type of exercise do you do? Body weight strength training and cardio. I like to do intervals, elliptical, rowing, and running (when I'm not injured).

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Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

As a three-time Sports Illustrated cover model and world famous supermodel, Cheryl Tiegs knows quite a bit about being beautiful. I suppose this makes her a perfect fit for her role as judge on ABC's new reality show True Beauty, which debuts this Monday, January 5 at 10 PM. Instead of really judging the unsuspecting contestants on their physical beauty, though, Cheryl and her cohorts will be removing folks who act really ugly. That should be fun to watch.

In the gallery below, you'll find more about the show and Cheryl's beauty tricks. You just might learn something new about Cheryl Tiegs -- for example, did you know she once gained a good deal of weight? Click below for more!

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