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've come across a couple articles recently that are dead-set against prolonged cardio multiple times a week. They suggest that High Intensity Interval Training or low intensity activity only a few times a week at most, alongside regular weight training, is the only way to lose fat and stay fit. I don't think I could live without long runs or my favorite aerobics class. What do you think? Thanks, Samantha

A. Hi Samantha! Thanks for the great question. I'm sure it's on the minds of many. Bottom line, the folks who said that are over-opinionated. Think about Lance Armstrong, the guy does massive amounts of cardio each week and is the picture of health. So do I ... and so do most runners, cyclists, boxers, kickboxers, soccer players and more.

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Today I chatted with Donny Osmond. That almost feels silly to say. Not that he's silly, but because he's been a part of my life for about as long as Santa Claus has. Fortunately, I like him even more now than I did a few hours ago. Donny has spent his entire career in the spotlight, and at 51 years of age, he looks just about as great as he ever has.

He's performing in Vegas right now and hosting a new show on ABC called Rediscovered, airing December 22 at 9 PM ET, which sounds pretty fun. Rediscovered gives adults who unsuccessfully auditioned to be a Mouseketeer 20 years ago a second chance at stardom and a $50,000 prize. Donny and Marie were sold on the concept and are enjoying the opportunity to see these "regular people" shine on stage. Read on to learn more about the show, how Donny stays fit, and whether or not he's going to take his shot at Dancing With the Stars!

Fitz: So you're back on prime-time television. What drew you to Rediscovered?

Donny: Marie and I just loved the concept. It's been amazing to see these regular people dragged out of their normal lives and put back on the stage. The show is fun, the audiences have been really receptive and the contestants have proven to be terrific.

Fitz: Since the contestants haven't been performing for a living, are any of them disastrously horrible?

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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, We're half way through December and I've already gained four pounds. How do I stop this? Colin

A. Happy Holidays, Colin! Thanks for writing. I've got some pretty clear advice for you, which is the same advice I'd give if you showed up for a personal training session with me. Get a grip! Put a moratorium on the indulgences and focus on fighting that new fat.

One recent story that's been populating my google reader several times over is the recent comparison of diets. In short, low-carb diets were found to be the most successful, followed by the Mediterranean diet, with low-fat diets in last place.

But don't be so quick to trash all your bread and pasta. Low-carb diets aren't all their cracked up to be. I'm Not Obsessed recently revealed one very big problem with low-carb plans: Not enough fiber, leading to digestive issues, particularly constipation. As someone with IBS (read: regular digestive issues) I would stay away from this kind of diet, and I'm not expert but maybe you should too.

The key, if you ask me, is balance. Low-carb diets can help you slim down, but don't take it to an extreme. Make sure you're still getting a bit of healthy, whole grain fiber in your diet. You know, to keep things moving.

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Everyone of course! I recently returned from a fabulous vacation with my family at Walt Disney World in Florida. Our six-day adventure was non-stop fun, and a major highlight of this trip were our days at the Disney water parks. We enjoyed both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon to the max and would love to go back every sunny day of the year.

I had a little sad moment though as I chatted with a father of two little ones in the kiddie section of Blizzard Beach. We were commenting on what a challenge it was to keep perfect track of our children in such a busy, water-filled place. The poor guy told me he was alone with his children, because his wife didn't feel like she could go out in public in her swimsuit. He didn't want the kids to miss out on the water fun, so he took them himself. She stayed back at their resort.

It made me amazingly sad to think that this woman felt so uncomfortable in her skin that she couldn't even enjoy a beautiful day with her family at a ridiculously perfect place. I know we all feel self conscious at times (including me). And even as my profession is to educate and inspire others to be more fit ... I wouldn't want anyone to place their life on hold because of their body shape or size. That woman is a really special part of her family, and I imagine they missed her very much.

The debate rages on with friends of mine on whether moderate exercise or rigorous exercise is better for the body. While the circumstances of health change for every person, we're all trying to find that magic formula that weaves time availability with regular exercise these days.

A recent study shows that a majority of men (56%) and women (71%) believe moderate exercise to be better than rigorous exercise, although that perception can be argued vigorously itself. Due to time crunches, many folks I know do intense exercise for only 15 minutes per day -- and they believe that it's just as effective as an hour of walking on the treadmill.

How about you? Do you feel better taking your time to exercise moderately (walking, etc.) instead of high-energy exercise like jogging or racquetball?

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Summer is rapidly coming to a close (at least where I live) and I'll bet there are a few of you out there who, like me, have taken a break from your regular workout routine. Pre-summer is a time of motivation and determination as far as exercise goes because everyone wants to look great on the beach, but once the holidays start the workouts tend to stop.

I think it's natural to take a break from time to time but until I read this, I had no idea what kind of affects time off from exercise have on the body. The article says that if you take 2 weeks off from your normal routine you can lose up to 12% of your muscle strength and 7% of aerobic endurance. Anyone who has taken the entire months of July and August off can expect to forfeit as much as 35% of muscle strength and 17% of aerobic endurance, while people who have really fallen off the workout wagon and taken 2 years off will have lost up to 50% of both muscle strength and aerobic endurance.

I am actually pretty shocked by just how fast sitting around on a lounge chair can reverse all of the hard work a person has done to get fit. If you've recently taken some time off of your regular workouts and need to get back into the game, check out the article in its entirety for tips on getting back into shape, as well as information on how long you can expect it to take.

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