That's Fit

Shooting for perfection can undo what we try so hard to achieve, says Alice Domar, PhD. and author of Happy Without Being Perfect. I know this. I have a perfectionist personality. And while two little boys have taught me that I can't always have a perfectly-ordered house or a well-oiled schedule, while I know I won't ever have that unattainable Hollywood body, and while cancer has taught me that simply being alive really is enough, I still stumble on my perfectionist tendencies sometimes. Most of us do, says Domar for The Oprah Magazine (September 2008).

Think of the angst people feel when they cut a workout short. Does a few minutes really matter? Nope. What if we derail our diet because that chocolate brownie is just too hard to pass up? Need we give up on the whole day and eat like crap? No. Just eat the brownie, be OK with it, and get back on track.

The thing is, none of is perfect. And none of us ever will be. We are human. We have flaws, struggles, obstacles, backslides. Which is why Domar says we should cheer ourselves on for the mere fact that we are even thinking about positive change. Yes, it's the thought that counts. Not being perfect.

Here's how it works: I am thinking I will work out tomorrow. What if I don't get to it? Hard as it is to convince myself of this, I know it is OK. I can always catch a workout the next day. And that is good enough.

What to know just how perfect your butt is? I don't. But for those who are curious, there's an actual formula for grading the female derriere.

Developed by Dr. David Holmes, a psychology lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, and his team of British academics, this mathematical -- but also pretty subjective -- formula will tell you exactly how flawless your bum really is. It goes like this: (S+C) x (B+F) / (T-V). It's not as hard as it looks.

Translation: First, a woman must assess her assets on a scale of 1 to 20 (1 is worst; 20 is best) in the following categories.

S = overall shape (a ripe peach being just about right)
C = circularity (rounder is better)
B = bounciness (less wobble is preferred)
F = firmness (too much push to that cushion loses points)
T = skin texture (no cellulite, please)

Then she must calculate V, which is the ratio of her hips to waist. Then she simply does the math and determines how close she is to 80 -- a perfect score.

I'm not sure this little math problem does much for the scientific community. But it could be useful for comparison purposes if you're in the market for fine-tuning your physique. So if you need a little motivation -- perhaps you're a 60 and want to upgrade to a 70 -- this might do it for you.

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, I want to take one of the BOSU classes at my gym, but I've never done it before and I'll feel like a total dork if I bust my butt on one of those things. Plus I'm a guy. Mostly girls take those classes. Should I bother? Eric.

A. Ahhh! Eric, you are too cute. First of all. The BOSU is a balance tool and is designed to make people wobbly. Until that is, they earn the strength and control to not only stand on top of it, but do some tricks too. Second. You can stand in the back of the classroom if you don't want to be a spectacle. Third. Most people in a BOSU class are too concerned with their own balance to have the time and ability to look at what anyone else is doing.

FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

Don't strive for perfect. It' a virtual guarantee for failure -- none of us is perfect, you may well know. Doing good, plain old good, is really all we need to feel spunky and nourished. Here are three tips for getting started on your path toward mere goodness.

Don't cut out, just cut back. Slash just 200 calories per day and you'll lose nearly two pounds a month. That's about 20 pounds a year. You can still eat cake -- just limit it, and other treats as well.

Limit sugar and salt. Don't ditch them entirely. Just enjoy a little less. Ketchup, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, juices, and cereals are all loaded with hidden sugar. And canned chicken noodle soup: 1,780 milligrams of salt per cup. Go with low-sodium minestrone or vegetable and all you'll consume is 290.

Add water. Add water to your beverage line-up and say goodbye to a few regular indulgences, like cans of soda, frothy Frappuccinos, and yes, sinful Margaritas and their accompanying 740 calories. Still OK on occasion, these drinks can severely sideline a healthy lifestyle.

For more where this came from, check out this Oprah magazine article.

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.

This week I'm featuring one of the sexiest men alive (to heck People magazines list! If they haven't figured out to put this guy on their list....they've no credibility with me.) Colin Egglesfield is both a successful actor with a sweet job as Josh Madden on ABC's soap All My Children, and one of the most popular male models around. If you don't recognize the name, go check out his website, ColinEgglesfield.com and you'll whack yourself on the head in one of those "I could have had a V-8 type moments". The guy has been the face and body of the biggest print campaigns around. Calvin Klein, Versace, Nautica, Clinique....the list goes on.

Before interviewing Colin, I literally had to shake my giggles out for about three hours. He's that insanely handsome. It was very stressful to me, until he said "hello". Besides being ridiculously delightful to look at, the boy is sweet! Pleasant, funny, down to earth, smart and thoughtful. The kind of guy anyone would adore, even if he were not so pretty. Colin is the all-American man, with a cautious Irish mother who happens to be a big star. He only happened across show business while pausing before medical school.

On the fitness side, Colin's body speaks for itself. He's not genetically gifted; he works damn hard. He runs, lifts and cycles. He's mastered nutritious eating in a way that allows him to continue looking quite perfect all the time, without having to starve or suffer. He's not strangely large or small.......he's just right. Fit. Fit. Fit. So enjoy learning about the guy who you may have drooled over in the men's section of department stores, or just wanted to be like(if you're a guy). I did. And when you're done, check out Colin's custom T-shirt company ShoutOutClothing.com. The ever-changing T's are the perfect holiday gift for everyone on your list.

Fitz: How did you get into modeling and acting?

Colin:I decided to take a one year break after graduating from the University of Iowa and before attending medical school. I kind of fell into a modeling contract and then pretty immediately landed on runways around the world.

My kids aren't into sports yet. They show some interest in at-home athletics -- like tossing around footballs, batting at the balls their daddy pitches at them, and running in an occasional fun run. But at the moment, they don't show much interest in organized sports. That's fine by us. We're not pushing. When they're ready, they're ready. And if they're not ever ready, well then, they just aren't.

In the event my boys do take a turn into the world of sports, it'll be important that we continue to not push -- when it comes to practice anyway.

While practice may make perfect, practicing every day can increase a child's risk of injury. In fact, up to 50 percent of all injuries seen in pediatric sports medicine are related to overuse, according to a recent report of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). To protect your mini-athlete from overdoing it, consider these AAP recommendations:

FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

You know that sinking feeling you get in your gut when something happens the way you don't want it to happen? Ever felt completely deflated because things just don't go according to plan? I have. It may be a not-so-pleasant interaction with someone, a job disappointment, or a family insecurity that dashes our spirits and leaves us feeling a little lifeless. Sometimes it's our very own body image that puts us in a spirit-less mood.

My spirit has been dashed on many occasions. And I admit, sometimes it's body issues that send me spiraling downward. I know it's not just me. People everywhere, and especially women, have long battled with shame related to their appearance. In fact, body image is one of 12 areas author Brené Brown has identified as the most vulnerable for women. She calls it a "universal trigger," so powerful and so deeply rooted in our psyches it affects the shame we feel in other areas, like sexuality, parenting, and health. The sad thing is that body image is just that -- an image. Our pictures, thoughts, and feelings about our bodies have little to do with our actual appearance, says Brown, who has interviewed nearly 400 women about the topic.

Looking for the perfect diet? Well it doesn't exist. And not just in terms of one perfect diet for everybody, but experts are now saying there's no perfect diet for each individual either. Recent research shows that regardless of what kinds of diets people use, they generally lose the same amount of weight (about 10-15 pounds) and then gain it back over generally the same amount of time (3 to 5 years).

Does this make sense to you? I still believe that some diets are easier for some people to stick with based on their individual personalities, but maybe nobody is sticking with anything for more than 10 or 15 pounds?

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 have a question. How come Hollywood celebrities lose weight with such ease? There has to be some secret. I can't figure out why Renee Zellweger can gain and lose 20 pounds with ease, yet I can't get eight pounds off once! What's the deal? Elaine.

A. Good question Elaine. It does seem easy for the celebs to shed pounds quickly doesn't it? I can tell you for the most part, that besides the few that are blessed with oddly high metabolisms......the other popular hot bodies stay hot due to discipline and hard work..

Celebs do have certain benefits that make their efforts easier. First, they have budgets that can afford them personal trainers and chefs. Having a team of fitness professionals to guide and harass you would make one more likely to stick with a healthy eating and workout plan. Second. They have extra motivation to stay in great shape knowing their next job relies heavily upon their appearance. Imagine if you had to maintain a certain weight to keep your job! It may be half great and half crappie, but if you wanted to work ... you'd probably maintain your ideal weight.

Besides the benefits of celebrity and wealth, the bodies don't stay 'hot' without the same old fashioned exercise and conscious eating habits that I recommend to you non-celebs. The "Rich and Famous" may have trainers standing over their shoulders, but they still have to put in hours on the treadmill and do endless amounts of squats, push-ups crunches. Chefs may provide perfect meals, but the celebs still need to avoid the ice cream shops, candy, and fast food.

It's easy to feel inadequate and frustrated in a society where most of the folks we see on screens and in magazines are physically fabulous.Since you seem interested in celebrities, I encourage you to accept your different roles in life and try to find someone you can be inspired by. Pick a person with a similar body type and find an article on their fitness habits. Maybe you can learn from the advice given to them by their celebrity fitness staff! Fitz

Q. What's up Fitz? I see Matthew McConaughey splashed all over the magazines and that guy is definitely ripped. I think he's on steroids though. What do you think? Jason

Being perfect, or more accurately trying to be perfect, is a very stressful endeavor. It's a proven fact.

A study looked at 50 middle-aged men, and those who rated highest on tests for perfectionism also rated highest on stress level tests and secreted the highest amount of the stress-related hormone, cortisol. The sad part, or the good part, about this (depending on how you look at it) is that perfectionism is largely self-inflicted. So we're bringing unnecessary stress on ourselves!

For you perfectionists out there: knowing this, can you stop? My guess is probably not (I know I can't!).

No matter who you pack a lunch for, plan for it to be healthy, tasty and interesting. I just read a neat little article in my local newspaper,written by Antonia Robinson, which had tons of great tips Thought you'd enjoy some of hers and some of mine. Bon apetit!

• Include items from each food group.
• Don't pack the same flavors each day.
• Pick colorful, crunchy and tasty foods.
• Include food the child likes.
• Pack most of the lunch the night before.
• Dinner leftovers also make a good lunch.
• Use a thermos for hot foods and cold packs for cold foods.
• Avoid sodas and juices.
• Make sure you include fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Think outside the box! Pack sushi, veggie lasagna, or rotisserie chicken.
• Some soups taste great at room temp. if a microwave is not available. Give em a shot!
• Cold or wet items will cause a paper bag to rip. Go for plastic or use an official insulated lunch box/bag.
• Freeze a water bottle the night before and put it in your lunch box. It will keep other things cool and melt just enough so it's perfectly chilled and drinkable by lunch time.
• Include a sweet note or some stickers to add some fun to the meal.