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Ask Fitz! Your Fitness Questions Answered -- When weight loss causes loss of curves & Exercise induced insanity
Healthy Habits, Stress Reduction, Womens Health, Ask Fitz!, Cellulite, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
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. Yesterday I did two classes in a row - Cardio sculpt and Extreme training, which are both really tough. Two days before that I ran three miles to the gym, did a class and ran three miles home. For the first time in a long time I did not enjoy the exercise one bit. I have been exercising regularly for a long time now - usually I love it. I have been practicing good nutrition habits with the occasional sweet tooth fix, drinking lots of water and STILL the number on the scale is staying the same. I feel like I am on the verge of burning out. I can't seem to lose the flab around my tummy - particularly under my belly button and backs of my thighs, no matter what I do. Plus, short of starving myself and getting very cranky, I don't know how to actually lose the weight. Funny how a number on a machine, the scale, can be so vital to my state of mind. It's ridiculous, really. PLEASE - do you have any advice? Cindy
A. Whoa there Cindy! You need a break! Sounds odd for me to say this, but put your sneakers away and sit the heck down! Fitness is not supposed to make us insane, fitness is supposed to help us maintain our sanity. You are burnt out to the max, and need to just let it go for a while. I'm not suggesting forever, but take at least a week off. I know what you're going through. You already have an elite fitness level, but particular parts of your body are just not responding the way you want them to. You have incredibly high standards for your body. That often leads to frustration. Especially when you're 'starving' and running a million miles a week!
Smaller plates = smaller jeans
Womens Health, Healthy Recipes, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Reviews & Products, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
A quick trick to get past party season without packing on pounds is to place your meals on smaller plates. Duh? Sounds simple, but it really will help you cut back on calories. Psychologically, folks tend to want to fill up their plates. A full dessert plate probably only holds half of the calories as a dinner plate. Even if you're choosing the unhealthy options, a smaller plate simply holds less.
The only restraint you'll have to use with this method is not going back for seconds. There are very few perfect answers that work for everyone across the board. But, if you're dedicated to maintaining or improving your fitness level throughout the holidays........a few good rule of thumb type tricks will certainly help you along! Remember. You are in charge of you! You can do this!
Got heartburn? Try these tips
Heartburn, sometimes a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), can be minimized, even cured, with the right kind of exercise. Try walking, biking, swimming, yoga, and gentle weight training. Steer clear of high-impact aerobic activity -- this can make reflux more intense. And try to wait two hours after eating before exercising.
Gaining weight can also make GERD worse. A rise in your body mass index can bring on or worsen symptoms, especially if the pounds land in the abdominal region. Eating smaller portions works too by decreasing acid. Make sure to eat meals three hours prior to bedtime since symptoms are often worse at night.
Lose your loose pants
Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Womens Health, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
The first thing you should do if you've lost a significant amount of weight is toss your old clothes. Sure, it's fun to flaunt your new bod around the office with obviously saggy slacks, but you need to get rid of them and fast!
Why the urgency? You need to remove the ability to grow back into them. Shrinking out of your clothes is an awesome accomplishment and the best way to celebrate is to say adios to all of the things you never want to be able to wear again. I hound my personal training clients about this all the time. Keeping your too-big sizes around is literally a way of giving yourself permission to regain the weight you've lost.
Clothes are costly and you're far better off spending that cash on smaller clothes you are proud to wear. And, they'll keep you in check. If you should slide and start putting a a few pounds back on........pain in the waistband is certain to prove as a sturdy reality check. So run, don't walk to your closet and make a grand donation to your favorite cause. In fact. Run to lots of different closets and burn a bunch more calories. Maybe your new pants will be your old pants soon!






















