That's Fit

There is definitely a difference between good stress and bad stress, and the way that you handle the bad stress will often determine if you're happy, healthy and generally well-balanced or worried, depressed and edgy. Obviously we all handle the various stresses related to work and family life differently, but have you ever wondered just how well you deal with stress?

This quick quiz aims to give everyone an idea of their stress style, or how well they handle stressful situations. I scored an 18, which puts me at the bottom of the 'Control Freak' category. Apparently, my fellow control freaks and I find that the best way to deal with stress is to do whatever we can to control the situation. Those with the lowest scores are labeled "Cool Cats", and are possible the best at dealing with stress as they take things in stride and make plans to deal with demands.

Finally, there's the "Nervous Nelly" who manages stressful situations by finding distractions. When something comes up, nervous nelly's will often deal by going for a run, eating, upping their caffeine consumption and getting tense. If you'd like more information on each of the stress styles, as well as ideas on how to better deal with stress based on your type, take the quiz here.

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. Hey Fitz. I know I'm a little young, I'm 13 years old. I'm not a weight obsessed person, but I just hate the weight that I'm gaining. I was always the thinnest person in my grade and I didn't have to work to stay trim. I'm 5 foot 6. I love to play basketball, but that's only one season and I don't really practice outside of it. I push myself to run, but it's just not really my thing. How can I get back in shape and lose the extra fat on my tummy? Can you help me out? I would love to be fit again! Thanks, Jessica

A. Hi Jessica. Just received your question yesterday along with about 40 others. Apparently my last column appeared on the AIM Today Welcome Screen and it generated about 95,000 hits. Nice to be able to teach so many people in one day! I chose your question, but if anyone would like to link back, you'll see dozens of other questions from teen readers in your same situation. It left me feeling both concerned and inspired. Concerned because so many teens like yourself are stressed, and unhappy with themselves physically. Inspired, because so many of you are seeking out sound advice on how to properly become more fit.

I was 35 pounds heavier in high school than I have been for the past 14 years. I grew up playing sports and began teaching aerobics at age 15, but I still had issues with my weight. In fact, I ended up dealing with Bulimia (which never lost me a pound by the way -- a foolish answer for anyone!) for several years as a result of my insecurities. It stunk! It was so bad that today I spend oodles of time volunteering with kids your age and younger trying to teach the importance of caring for their health. I never want another child to face: eating disorders, poor self-image, depression and more. We are NOT our bodies! Our bodies are vital to getting us around in this world for the next 80 years, but it does not and should not define who we are!

Fitness is crucial to a long healthy life Jessica, and I want you to focus on that. Focus on being strong, capable, flexible, energetic and vibrant. If you visit any doctors office and read the little pamphlets available, you'll see that almost every ailment out there can be prevented, controlled or cured by a healthy diet and regular exercise. That's what counts! G.E.R.D., Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Disease, Osteoporosis, premature death, etc... can be avoided by simply taking care of yourself! Let's start there, with the BIG picture. Look yourself in the mirror each day and convince yourself to pursue a fit lifestyle in order to live well and live long. If you do that, and make good on your pledge...belly fat will never be an issue again.