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. Fitz. I'm dying to get in shape, but I'm just too tired to do anything about it. I work a ton, sleep a little, and can't even find time to make a salad. What do I do? Erica

A. Hi Erica. Your question is kinda like the "chicken and the egg" dilemma. I know you think you're too tired to be fit, but this problem is probably in reverse. You are simply unable to keep up with your busy life because you are unfit. Time to make some changes.

Source

I came across an interesting post on Diet Blog about exercise. According to experts working with the US government on formulating new guidelines for fitness, what's important isn't how intense your activity is, but how much general activity you get. As cardiologist William Kraus puts it: "Basically, don't sit around all day, and when you do move, you don't have to go at breakneck speed....'Whether you walk a mile, jog a mile or sprint a mile, it burns about 100 kilocalories,' with the same health benefits"

What do you think about this statement? Myself, I'm on the fence.

Source

Five things. I've got five things for you to consider as you begin to overhaul your diet -- you do want to renovate your eating habits a bit, right?

Quality:

Eat the best quality foods most of the time, like fruits and vegetables, grains, lean cuts of meats, beans, nuts, and items low in fat, dairy, sodium, and sugar.

Variety:

Branch out. Don't eat the same four vegetables all the time. And move beyond your usual wheat and rice and go for grains like quinoa, barley, and millet. Throw in a few new fruits too, like papaya, mango, kiwi, or starfruit.

Frequency:

Eat lighter meals every three to four hours instead of three large meals. Add in snacks to help maintain steady energy levels throughout the day and help control your weight too.

Joy:

Love the foods you eat. Every nutrition plan has room for favorites, even if they do fall into the junk food category. Just keep your consumption minimal and you'll be OK.

Adventure:

Try different flavors and textures, cook new recipes, eat unfamiliar foods, go to new restaurants, and pat yourself on the back for moving outside your comfort zone.

Source

I'm a regular at weather.com. Since I never know what temperatures will greet me each morning -- here in Florida, it can be 60 degrees one day and 80 the next -- I make a nightly check of my city's forecast so I know how to properly dress my little ones for school.

I've been looking strictly at the temps when I make my weather stop, but I just learned that I can check out the air quality in my area too. In fact, I just did it. After arriving at my friendly weather website, I clicked on healthy living and then air quality and pollution. Good news: In every Florida city listed, the air quality is good. To compare and contrast, I also took a peek at Ohio, my home state. Different news here: Some cities have good air quality; some have moderate. There are other possible air qualities -- unhealthy for sensitive groups, unhealthy, and very unhealthy -- and it seems by my quick tour through a few other states that none fit these three categories. I suspect the conditions can change day by day, though. So for those of you concerned with the state of the air, regular visits to this site might be wise.

Why should you be concerned with the air, you ask? Because polluted air is bad for your health. Check out these articles in the journal Circulation for more on this topic. And before heading for outdoor activities -- and especially before exercising outside -- check your air. If it's not optimal, then head to the gym.

Source

H.J. Heinz Company has plenty to celebrate this holiday season. The company just scored higher than any other on the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Heinz has been the index's top-rated food company for eight consecutive years and this year scored 90 out of 100, three points higher than their 2006 score.

The ASCI is a national economic indicator of the quality of products and services available to household consumers in the United States. The index figures in scores from 200 companies in 43 industries. With such big competition, the crew at Heinz is clearly elated.

"Heinz is pouring it on when it comes to customer satisfaction," says William R. Johnson, Heinz Chairman, President, and CEO.

Heinz, a self-proclaimed leader in the marketing and production of healthy and convenient foods, specializes in ketchup, sauces, meals, soups, snacks, and infant nutrition. Its presence is seen on five continents and in the homes of many.

Are you a fan of Heinz?

Source

I don't buy into the whole no pain, no gain mentality. The way I see it, the less pain I experience, the more I have to gain. For a while, running gave me pain up and down my shins. The pain stopped me in my tracks and forced me to rest and recuperate. Had I not taken a break, had I kept on running in spite of the pain, I would have surely gained very little. Well, I may have gained a severe injury and maybe a trip to a medical clinic but physically and mentally, my gains would have been nonexistent.

I'm not alone in my thoughts about pain and gain. Author and celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak is right with me on this one.

According to Pasternak, many people think if their muscles don't hurt, they're not having a quality workout. This is simply not true, he says. While some training can be intense and can produce some level of discomfort, pain is never a requirement for a successful workout. Don't forget, he says, that pain can be a warning sign of an exhausted muscle or a torn ligament.

If you're a no pain, no gain advocate, you'd do best to toss that myth right out the window -- before you get hurt.

Source

Here's a good case for splurging on your exercise ball: 40-year-old Adam Dunayer was severely injured when the stability ball he was lying on suddenly burst. Adam had a 60-lb weight in each had and was preparing to do a bench press when the ball broke; he hit the ground elbows-first and ended up breaking both of his arms. Now he's got long scars on each arm and has to undergo painful physical therapy to re-learn how to do simple, everyday tasks like opening a bottle.

According to fitness equipment experts, it's natural for exercise balls to wear out over time. But that doesn't mean you should let this happen to you. When you buy a ball for your home, make sure you buy a quality anti-burst one, and replace it after a few years. Watch this video for more tips.

Source

In 2003, Medicare laws changed the way oncologists are reimbursed for treating cancer patients, and any perception by patients that the quality of care they received for cancer going down were out to rest by a new survey this week.

All in all, the survey found very little to no changes in the way cancer patients perceived the quality o care they received, nor the amount of time cancer patients waited to see their doctors or the time it took to start chemotherapy treatments.

This is a nod in the direction of Medicare changes not really changing treatment options for the better or worse, which was contrary to the overriding feeling years ago that changes in the Medicare system regarding oncology would cause some cancer patients to be denied access to medical resources. According to this survey, that is simply not the case.

Source

Is that precious restaurant food you frequent freshly made or does it come from frozen sources? In many cases, the food you are served at a typical restaurant is partially cooked before you even order it, then completely cooked as orders come in. Ever wonder why that plate is so hot? That's why.

Do you prefer made to order and cooked to order meals? Be prepared to pay about $20 to $30 (and up) for them. Those $11.99 dinners at the neighborhood diner most likely are from frozen sources, or some of the meal is why other food items on the plate may be made fresh.

The bargain basement hound in many of us wants to believe all restaurant foods we eat are cooked especially for us, but due to the laws of economics, they just can't be. If you're a food service employee, what do you think? Are too many nicer restaurant meals frozen and pre-packaged when they should not be?

Source

Experts are weighing in on the best approach for preventing and controlling diabetes as they consider whether exercise or weight loss is better. Any ideas?

It all depends on a three-pronged approach. And the three prongs are: Diet, exercise, and quality of food consumed. But one is more important than the others for prevention, and one is more important for control of the disease. Place your guesses now.

For prevention, weight loss is better. The Diabetes Prevention Program established that losing seven percent of one's body weight can cut the risk of developing diabetes by 58 percent. Exercise doesn't hurt either, and exerting yourself physically for 150 minutes per week will help you achieved this decreased risk.

Source

Do you need an attitude adjustment? Not to say that you have a particularly bad attitude, but maybe you're missing some particular habits and qualities that are keeping you from being as successful as you could be. Are you letting negative feelings or fear of change hold you back? Read through this list of the qualities that turn losers into winners and see if you can't find some inspiration:

Source

I was having a hard time sleeping and turned on the TV at 4:00a.m. to watch some morning news. The news anchor announced a new diet pill for dogs with a picture of an extremely over weight beagle behind him and said that the pill should be approved by the FDA, Food and Drug Administration, by next year.

HELLO.......Get your lazy butt up off the couch and take the dog for a long walk every day. You know you might shed some pounds yourself. It is time we build some healthy relationships with our pets and give them the care and nutrition and exercise that they require to live a healthy life. With obesity rates rising in the U.S. in children, teens, adults and in pets, we should get a clue on our daily diet and exercise programs. For heaven sakes your dog can't open the fridge to feed itself unless it is the dog in the beer commercial who fetches his owner a beer. Fat-filled dog foods and treats can create exceptionally unhealthy pets that are subject to the same health complications as people with obesity and related complications. Supermarket shelves are filled with dog foods that claim to be natural dog food or healthy dog food. Read the ingredients in the fine print. So feed the dog a good quality food low in saturated fats and low in corn meals and other fillers and by products. Reduce the quantity of food every day if your dog is over weight. And a must is to give the dog some exercise. All dogs like to take walks. I think it is the owners that don't like to walk. Go out in the back yard and throw a ball or Frisbee. Give it healthy snacks and treats like a piece of carrot or a slice of apple or a piece of banana. Yes my dogs love these healthy treats.

In an extreme case if the dog has a major physical ailment that keeps it from walking and exercising, the pill might do some good. But you know the diet pills for humans can eventually create problems for our liver and heart so if that is the case for dogs also, we need to take a look at the quality of life here for that pet.