That's Fit

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. I would like to start teaching my family good eating habits. I'm overweight and my children are too. Where should I start? Thanks. Charlene

A. Hello Miss Charlene. Thanks for the great question. Raising fit and healthy children is my soap box, and actually one of my favorite lecture topics. Why? It's so important! Parents literally have the capability to set their children up with terrific habits which will greatly increase their chances of living a long healthy life. What a wonderful gift! The opposite is true as well. Moms and Dads who do not insist upon healthy foods and exercise can doom their children with awful diseases, ailments and even worse ... premature death. Junk food is no fun in the long run, and we as parents, owe it to our beautiful babies to provide a healthy start.

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. Hey Fitz. I am 12 years old and am a little chunky. I have love handles and wish to get rid of them, but I don't know what I should do! I was trying sit ups and crunches, but they don't work. Now I want to know what really works and how I can keep my body in shape without body fat . Everyone says that I'm not fat nor skinny, I'm just chunky. I want to get rid of all the chunky parts, but I don't know what I should do. Please help! Jellybean

A. First of all Jellybean, I want you to change your focus. I know it's hard to be young and uncomfortable in your skin. I too, had that issue before I was a teenager and ended up with a traumatic eating disorder. Trust me ... it brought me only bad things, never good. Don't go there. Instead of focusing on your so-called "flaws", find something about your body you like. I bet your body is loaded with treasures.

In addition to coaxing our kids to eat their vegetables, it seems my husband and I are forever correcting our kids at the dinner table. "Sit up straight." "Don't play with your food." "Chew with your mouth closed." The coaching never ends. We keep at it because we want our boys to be polished when eating in public or dining at friends' houses. It's a tough job, though, as it should be.

For us, table manners are automatic -- as simple as chewing and swallowing, say the editors at Scholastic Parent & Child magazine. For a child, learning to behave at mealtime is big stuff. It takes a whole new set of skills to master manners. And it's our job to teach those skills, no matter how hard the job. Here are a few tactics we all might employ during our respective mealtime madness moments.

• Role play table manners during a tea party or while playing "restaurant." You'll have fun, while practicing and teaching lessons all at the same time.
  
  

• Keep rules simple and positive so your kids can remember them. "We sit." "We eat with our forks."
  
  
• Reinforce rules during mealtime. Hand your child a fork and napkin, and remind him to use them.
  
  
• Set a good example. Role model the manners you want to see your child display. Eventually, he will follow in your footsteps.
  
  
• Get silly. Practice bad manners and ask your child to identify what you're doing wrong.

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. Dear Fitz, My husband makes a big stink when I give our kids any type of 'sugar candy' like gummy bears or bubblegum. The kids are totally skinny and I don't see what the big deal is. They are kids! What do you think? Christy

A. Hey Christy. Your husband is a freaking genius. That's what I think! He has the insight and thoughtfulness to know that as parents, you should be teaching your children the best habits possible. He knows that your children are less likely to eat nutritious things when they've had a dose of candy. They're more likely to deal with the pain and terror that comes along with having their cavities filled if you give them candy. They're more likely to struggle with their weight and other less than lovely issues later on in life if you don't instill high standards in them today.

If your dad was obese when he was young, are you at a higher risk of liver disease? A recent study indicates you are.

The U.S. study, including over 1700 participants with an average age of 42, found that "people whose fathers were clinically obese at an early age were more likely to have increased liver enzyme levels, an indicator of liver disease." These findings held ground regardless of the subject's BMI, indicating that the father's weight truly is a factor.

Parents are the first line of defense in protecting their children from poor diets, says Dr. Gerard J. Musante, founder of the residential weight loss program Structure House.

Think of obesity the way you think about the diseases for which you get your child vaccinated, Musante tells Scholastic's Parent & Child Magazine. The "shot" your kids need in the diet arena is your behavior and good example.

Musante has a few tips for getting your kids in tip-top shape.

The first two years of life are critical for teaching kids how to eat right and move right, he says. So make sure you have the right foods in your house. If you don't, forgo the complaints later down the line about school vending machines. If the same junk fills your cupboards, you have no room to grumble.

Be a good role model too. And take your children to gymnastics, swimming, or dance classes. This will teach your kids to crave activity, not food. Combine with limited TV watching and computer time and you've got the makings for positively healthy kiddos.

I just returned from what was supposed to be a short two hour trip to the mall to grab some Black Friday deals, and boy did I have my butt kicked! Instead of a short visit, I spent two hours shopping and waiting in the Disney Store line alone, followed by three more tedious hours in only two more shops. I'm DONE!

Normally, I'm capable of full-blown kickboxing for at least two hours, but apparently that's way easier than standing around at the mall. What is that all about? Maybe what added to my exhaustion was the mental strain involved in spending a bazillion dollars in one morning. I only felt a little bit bad about it though, because I saved a few million. Isn't it strange that we rationalize these sales? I did 'save' a bunch, but I think I definitely bought more things because of the sales. I don't know.

Nonetheless. I'm pooped! Tired! Whipped! Drained! My feet hurt and I'm taking the rest of the day off. I've raised my white flag! This fitness trainer has been beaten. Mall 1 - Fitz 0.

According to a study done by Marcus Westin of Uppsala University, single parents have poorer health than married couples or couples living together. The results applied to both single moms and single dads, although single mothers were less likely to seek medical help when needed than single fathers (and both were less likely than their married counterparts). The studied seemed to show a strong link between the generally poorer health of single parents and the decreased social outlets they inevitably face as a result of being solely responsible for children. Marcus Westin believes that the solution lies in making it easier for single parents to get out and involved in civic and social activities.

That kind of makes sense, although I'm thinking stress probably has something to do with it too?

Surprisingly, even though new parents may feel that they're always on the go and never have a moment to themselves, it seems becoming a parent actually means becoming less active overall. Even when compared to newlywed couples, new parents still lost more time spent doing physical activities each week, on average.

Obviously the biggest obstacle for parents is dealing with the sudden new demands on their time, which doesn't leave room for exercise or anything else for themselves. Suggestions? Try working out at midday (when you probably have more control), in several shorter 10 minutes sessions, or simply take your kid(s) with you. And of course check out our "Working in the Workouts" feature for many more 'real life' help and ideas on fitting in fitness as a busy parent. But whatever you do one thing is pretty clear: it's going to have to be very much on purpose!

Being a mom is an exhausting, time consuming, all-inclusive 24/7 job, so finding time to take care of yourself and make room for fitness is a daunting challenge. But one thing about women and challenges: when they come together amazing solutions are created!

"Power Strolling" is one of those creations. Available under different names across the country, the principle is the same: parents getting together to be healthy and get physical, with strollers and infants in tow. Walking, jogging, stretching, ab work...you name it they do it. And all with the support and understanding of each other: nobody understands the challenges of being a mom more than other moms!

For more information, or to find a Power Strolling group near you, check out strollerstrides.com. And another great resource is SeeMommyRun.com, where women can find a walking or jogging partner in their area!

My kids are on a mission to try to out-do Mommy in the neat recipe contest, and I think they're winning. Almost every time I put a meal down on the table, they ask to change it up in some way or add something else to it. Often, my first thought is Eww!, but I never say that. As long as their requests are healthy I say "sure, let's give it a try!" Then...after they've done the taste test first and have given their approval I give a try myself. I've loved it all.

I think it's cool that they're not slaves to social pressure or traditional meal planning. They like what they like and they have oodles of new ideas. Maybe they'll spawn their own recipe book with this stuff, but for now....here are a few of their innovative and healthful treats. Enjoy!

Nutty Nana: Peel one entire banana and smear reduced fat peanut butter on it. Sometimes we put cherries on top of the peanut butter.

Yodelaheehoo Yogurt: Open a cup of your favorite yogurt and add any of the following ingredients: grapes, yogurt raisins, raisins, broken pretzels.

If you're a parent at home trying to entertain your kids while giving them the opportunity to get fit and burn off some steam, here are some simple, fun and inexpensive ideas to help.

Paper plate hop scotch: Take five to ten paper plates and print large numbers on them. Place them on carpeted floor or grass in a straight line, or scatter them out in random order. Have kids jump from plate to plate in numeric order. If your child can not count yet, forget the numbers and simply have them jump from plate to plate

Plastic cup relay races: Place five cups at the edge of your largest room several inches apart from each other. Start your child at the opposite side of the room. Have her race to get each cup individually and place them on her starting side of the room. For a greater workout, use more cups!

As fabulous as we here at That's Fit think this blog is, the truth is there are hundreds of wonderful blogs on healthy living to be seen all over the blogosphere. So in this feature, Fit Links, we'll introduce you to some that have caught our eye.

This week in Fit Links, I'm recommending some blogs to keep you in-the-know for the latest news in healthy parenting and kids. Granted, I myself am not a parent yet. But it seems like my friends have been having babies left and right for the past two years, and babysitters need to stay informed too!

The WebMDBlog Healthy Children is written by Doctor Steven Parker. He answers pediatric health questions plus reacts to news and current events in the field of children's medicine.

The Parenting Weblog covers medical news, healthy new toys and games for kids, and parenting tips for children from newborns to teenagers.

Healthy Parenting's slogan is "Raising Happy Healthy Children... Naturally!" The blog itself is a sort of random collection of news, opinions, parenting advice and family entertainment, but worth a look.