On a chilly winter day, hot soup often hits the spot. My problem with soup is that it rarely fills me up. Mind you, I'm a little lady and I still don't find a bowl of soup satisfying. I can't imagine how hungry a big guy would be without adding a large sandwich on the side.

I have a solution, though! For a long time, I've been adding other ingredients like cooked vegetables to canned soups to keep the calories low, the meals hot and my tummy full. It's really easy and quick and actually allows soup to become a meal in itself.

I've added my Easy to Make - Soup Dinner recipe to the online recipe book at Fitzness.com on page 32. I hope you'll give it a try!

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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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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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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. Hi Fitz, I love to exercise, but may only have about 15 minutes to do anything on Christmas Day. Can you give me a quick circuit to do at home before we take off for the family party? Thanks and Merry Christmas, Johnny

A. Sure, Johhny! I'd love to. Before I do that, though, I want to tell you how impressive it is that fitness is such a priority for you. Lots of folks are going to use the holiday as an excuse to do nothing. You and I both know that a brief workout will probably make us feel more energetic and happy on the big day and give us a little more wiggle room to enjoy an extra indulgence without paying the price. High five to you!

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When it comes to strength training, I tend to make my moves relatively slow, controlled, and deliberate. But according to a post on Women's Health, there can be benefits to adding a little speed when you're doing crunches.

A recent study on the subject was published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The lead researcher of the study says that fast crunches -- where the up and down movement is completed in one second -- make your external obliques do some of the work.

If you want to try some fast crunches, think of it like interval training for your core. Do your regular ab workout -- at a regular speed -- and add a few fast crunches for good measure.

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Save time, money and body parts by learning the basics on how to use the right knives properly. Excellent technique ... without chopping your fingers off! Who could ask for more? Chef Laurie dishes on the dos and don'ts of cutting, chopping, dicing and slicing.

For more fun, quick health and fitness tips from degreed experts ...

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Don't have the motivation for daily workouts or the time and money to hire a personal trainer? "Minimalist workouts" could be the answer.

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Running short on time? Try your best not to let a full schedule interfere with your workout. You should schedule your exercise time and give it high priority on your to-do list. Don't look at your workout as something you can take or leave at your convenience. The fact is that staying fit and healthy will help you manage the rest of your chores more effectively -- you'll have more energy to be on the go, go, go.

But we all have those days where we just can't squeeze in a long workout routine. When there's just no way a real workout will work, try a quick 15-minute routine. AOL Health has a great 15-minute strength training routine. Or, if you'd rather, you can design your own workout.

• 10 minutes of cardio. Pick a convenient cardio activity that you can do almost anywhere and with minimal equipment. Walking, running, and jumping rope are all good options.
  

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When it comes to weight loss, slow and steady wins the race. But what do you do if you only have a week to squeeze into your thin jeans?

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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'm 38 years old, and have been trying to lose about 40 pounds for what seems like 40 years! I watch what I eat and exercise a bunch, but can't seem to lose a pound. What am I doing wrong? Bill

A. Hello Mr. Bill, I'm so happy you wrote. You're not the only one out there who truly feels stuck at a weight you're not happy with. That feeling is both frustrating and rampant. Having said that, I believe I know what's preventing you from losing that weight. In my book, 80% of weight loss comes as a result of our consumption habits. You're probably just underestimating the amount of calories you're consuming.

Generally speaking, if I go to the gym, I try not to plan anything immediately afterward. Ideally, I like to go home for a shower and get ready in my own bathroom, or at the very least, I'll take a full shower at the gym and get ready there. Either way, it takes some time for me to go from hot, sweaty mess to looking hot (or at least not scary).

But then again, there are those times when you get out of work at 5:00, have plans to meet a friend around 6:00 or 6:30 for a bite to eat, and while your house is on the other side of town, your gym is between work and the restaurant. It would be a shame to miss out on a quick workout just because you don't have time to wash your hair and get all dolled up, right?

In that case, check out the suggestions below for overcoming common post-workout beauty complaints (courtesy of FitnessMagazine.com, with a few of my own suggestions added in for good measure).

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Now that I'm fully adjusted to working from home, I'm getting tired of having to put together food for each meal of the day. When I worked in an office, I grabbed breakfast on the go, headed to the nearest salad bar for lunch and then really only had to worry about what to do for dinner. Yeah, my diet was less healthy than it is now, but it was convenient. Some days, I wish there was a pill I could take to make my hunger go away and save me having to leave train of thought to put together a meal. Do you have the same problem?

So I was interested when I read this article living on energy bars. Can one do it and still be healthy? More importantly, can energy bars keep one full and satisfied all day long? The answer? Probably not. The author, who ate only energy bars for a week, missed real food tremendously, was very hungry most of the time and started to smell funny. So I would avoid the energy bar diet if I were you.

Still, energy bars can be a good source of on-the-go nutrition if you need to. What do you think?

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Years ago, I used to make myself feel better about eating a gallon of ice cream by saying, 'Well, I worked out for two hours today ... ' Thing is, that two hour workout was not what you'd call difficult. In fact, I probably barely even broke a sweat. Still, for me, quantity was better than quality, hence me padding a few extra pounds over the years.

I think you know where I'm going with this one. Working out longer only does you any good if you work hard. Otherwise, you're just wasting your time. It's important to make sure your workout is effective, and no surprise here -- the more effective your workout, the less time you actually have to do it.

Still, with all these super-quick workouts popping up, either at the gym or in DVD format, I have to wonder -- can you really only commit 20 to 30 minutes a day and see major results?

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Exercise doesn't have to be expensive, you don't have to have a gym membership and all kinds of fancy equipment, gadgets, and outfits to get your heart pumping and get in shape. To prove it Women's Health has devised this prop-free workout that only requires you and about 10 sq feet of space to work with. It's all about using your own body weight to strengthen and tone muscles without getting bulky. It's just 6 moves that you should aim to do 2 or 3 days a week.

So now what's your excuse?

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