That's Fit

This week I've been sampling Dannon's Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt, and I absolutely love it. Before I go any further though, let me tell you how I feel about yogurt. I like it, but only if I feel like I'm getting a high in calcium, low in sugar, legitimately fruit-filled snack. Now, there is always yogurt stacked up in my fridge, because I have two little children. But, rarely do I even open up a cup for myself. Not that I would ever buy my babies anything "bad"... cause I don't. But I regularly expect perfection of the things I put in my mouth. I'm simply not willing to waste 100 calories on a teeny cup of yogurt. I'd rather have two big pieces of fruit.

So! I was thrilled instantly by the calorie count on Dannon's new Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt. Each cup boasts only 50 or 60 calories, depending on the flavor. That I can do! The fruity varieties are also full of real fruit chunks. Fresh and healthy fruit chunks, not the icky stuff dumped in from a can. On top of all that, each flavor has proven to be delicious to both my children and me, and then a few of my personal training clients as well.

Before you go give Dannon's Light & Fit 0% Plus Yogurt a try, I encourage you to do a side-by-side comparison of it's nutritional content versus that of other yogurts. I did this a few days ago and couldn't find anything as good. This is the type of thing you want to put in your fridge if you're trying to lose weight. It's a great fix for your sweet tooth, while providing a decent amount of protein, calcium, vitamin D and other important nutrients.

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!

This has been a Gwyneth Paltrow-heavy week. First of all, the mother of two spoke up about her battle with post-partum depression after the birth of her second child, son Moses. She said, "I felt really out of my body ... really down ... really pessimistic." She thinks part of the problem was that she stopped taking time for herself and neglected her usual wellness treatments, such as acupuncture and massage.

And, as long as we're talking about Gwynnie and gawking, there's no WAY I'm going to leave out the wardrobe she's been sporting while stumping for her new flick, Iron Man. First of all, there have been shoes -- shoes with heels of half a foot or so. And then the dresses! Gwyneth has been rocking the shortest minidresses imaginable, mostly with great success. She certainly has the body to pull it off, although I'm firmly of the opinion that nobody should wear a skirt so short that there's serious risk of a panty-flash, no matter how fab the legs are.

In other Gwyneth news, her trainer (who she says Madonna stole) gave USWeekly a diet and exercise program designed to allow participants to lose three to five pounds a week. It doesn't look too healthy to me, so I think I'll stick with a more moderate plan and be happy to drop just a pound or two weekly.

Do you have those friends who never gain a pound, despite the fact that they don't actually exercise and aren't careful about what they eat? Or are you one of those people? It certainly has a bit to do with genetics, but there could be another factor: NEAT.

NEAT is "non-exercise activity thermogenesis," which, according to diet-blog.com, is "the energy expended in everything we do that doesn't involve eating, sleeping, and sport-related activity." We've actually mentioned this before, but you might not be aware of just how big a difference NEAT can make in your weight.

In a study, sedentary subjects (some obese, some thin) were fitted with "magical underwear" that recorded every move they made. Everyone was fed 1000 calories more than their weight required for maintenance, and those who activated their NEAT didn't gain fat, but those who didn't gained 10 times more fat. Learn about activating your NEAT by clicking through the gallery.

Who says you have to be a size zero to be beautiful? Not singer Natasha Bedingfield.

The British Bedingfield, age 26 and size six, says she'll never be stick thin. Still, she's committed to staying fit and like many celebs, credits her small waist and flat stomach to good genes. To keep it all is shape, though, she follows the Zone Diet and a strenuous exercise schedule.

Bedingfield reports that she exercises every day, using a Swiss Ball and pumping out lots of lunges and sit-ups. She has a trainer too. And she plans to begin working out with singer Pink one of these days.

Maggie told us on April 11 that France lawmakers were considering a ban on the promotion of ultra skinniness. Well, they considered it. They pursued it. And yesterday, they passed a groundbreaking bill that would make it illegal for anyone, including advertisers, fashion magazines, and web sites, to publicly incite extreme thinness. The bill goes to the Senate in the next few weeks.

If passed, this law would be the strongest of its kind anywhere. It's getting some strong support. Some say encouraging severe weight loss, which can lead to eating disorders -- and contributed to the 2006 death of one Brazilian model -- should be punishable by law. It's also being met with strong opposition. Those involved with French couture don't like that boundaries may be placed on beauty standards.

Regardless of the outcome of this bill, French lawmakers and fashion industry leaders did sign last week a non-binding charter to promote healthier body images. A step in the right direction. But is it enough?

You can probably guess some of the jobs considered "healthiest" -- nutritionists, running coaches, and personal trainers rank among the top 10. And, you likely realize that a sedentary office job can make it tough to keep the pounds from piling on. But, have you considered what non-fitness related jobs might help you stay in shape?

CareerBuilder.com recently came up with a list of 10 jobs that have nothing to do with fitness but will help you keep your weight down. Do any surprise you?

1. 1. Painters
2. 2. Landscapers
3. 3. Childcare Workers
4. 4. Construction Laborers
5. 5. Messengers
6. 6. Freight and Stock Material Movers
7. 7. Farm Workers
8. 8. Assemblers and Fabriators
9. 9. Bindery Workers
10. 10. Camera Operators

The fitness equipment, apparel and boxing giant Everlast was so impressed with our That's Fit Fitzness Fiends that they're ready to start rewarding people. Not only am I, your loving online fitness trainer, proud of you all, but Everlast is proud of you too!

Everlast is rewarding an Everlast Fitzness Fiend of the Week with one of their hot new tank tops from their Spring collection. They're absolutely gorgeous, totally comfy, and of ridiculously high quality.

I'm thrilled with the grand response from those of you who've already participated as a Fiend, and even more excited to meet the rest of you!Presents aside, the Fitzness Fiend feature is a great way to share much that you've learned on your way to becoming more fit. We've all ventured down so many paths to better health, it'd be a sin not to share our secrets and successes with others!

When the Today Show asked women on the street whether they'd rather be forty pounds overweight or "skinny and dumb," women -- at least those who made it past the edit room -- answered nearly unanimously. They'd rather be overweight and smart. (Many made the conclusion that if you're overweight, you can always lose it, but IQ points are forever.)

One woman was brave enough to stand alone with the...interesting...insight that if you "look good," people will give you the benefit of the doubt anyway, even if you have nothing intelligent to say. (Sure, maybe for the first five minutes!)

There's so much that's offensive about this game that I can't even start, but the purpose of it was to promote a new book called The Locker Room Diaries which focuses on women and body image. View the clip in its entirety here.

How many times have you heard a startlet credit her fabulous body with good genetics or a busy lifestyle. You know, "I swear, I eat junk food all the time! I just don't put on any weight!" Well, I don't know about you, but I generally want to punch those girls. You know, good for them and all, but most of us just aren't that lucky.

Well, it turns out most of them aren't, either. We're always hearing about celebrity diets and fitness routines, and this article in the Daily Mail gives us nine reasons why most of us don't look like most of them. And trust me, these are not things you want to do in order to get bodies like theirs.

Yesterday, I shared a few tips to help you reach and keep a state of thinness. Of course, the five ideas I revealed won't work all on their own. So here are five more to add to your list. Combine all ten tips and you'll be on your way to a slimmer and trimmer body.

• Start with soup: Order a clear soup instead of a salad soaked with a creamy dressing and you'll save twice the calories. You'll feel fuller too.

• Ditch the cheese: Order your next pizza without cheese or ask for half of this tasty topping. Supplement with a few tablespoons of Parmesan instead.

• Pick your popcorn wisely: Keep your movie popcorn to a minimum -- most people eat 45% more popcorn from large-size containers -- by ordering a small bag. And skip the butter, which adds more calories than the popcorn itself.

• Go pudding: Instead of a candy bar, try a sugar-free, low calorie Jell-O chocolate pudding snack. Top it with a squirt of nonfat whipped cream topping. Eat it with a baby spoon and savor it even longer.

• Refresh: When waiting in a line, stand evenly on both feet, clasp hands behind your back and squeeze shoulder blades together to open your chest. This is an energizing yoga move that stimulates the nervous system. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds while slowly breathing in and out.

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. My high school offers very few sports, but I'd like to play something. I'd like to try out for football, but my old-fashioned mother thinks that will make me a "tomboy". What do you think? Katie

A. You've come to the right place Katie! I happen to have embedded myself in the traditionally male sport of full-contact kickboxing, and you know what? It made me a better woman! Sports are sports. Whether you play with a ball, racket, gloves or sneakers...sports are just a more fun way to exercise and flex your competitive muscles. Period.

I loved getting in the ring to try and knock an opponent out. I loved the strategy, speed, and power of the event. Fighting, in fact, is one of my favorite things to do. Some of the girls I've competed against thought they had to take on some sort of macho persona. Short hair, yucky jeans, and mean snarls. I, on the other hand, preferred to act like a monster in the ring and show up to the after-party like a lady in a pretty dress and heels. Embracing my athleticism, strength and courage has allowed me to appreciate how wonderful it is to be a woman. A strong, athletic, educated woman who loves to have the doors held for her.

If you think you have to be skinny and perfect to pull off the latest fashion trends, you are so wrong. All you need to pull off are these few tricks for dressing thin. If you like them, thank E! for calling them to my attention so I can share them with you.

• Get tops that fit. Don't squeeze yourself into anything.
  
  

• Avoid light colors. They show every bump and bulge.
  
  

• Choose black. It really is slimming.
  
  

• Dress one size bigger.
  
  

• Go with long cardigans to create vertical, taller, skinnier lines.
  
  

• Try little jackets too. Cinch around the waist.
  
  

• Ditch the chunky jewelry. It adds volume to your body.
  
  

• Nix the short skirts unless you have very thin legs.
  
  

• Invest in pencil skirts to elongate the body.
  
  

• Add high heels to gain length.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Justin

Age: 23

Occupation: IT Specialist

How often do you exercise? Usually 5 times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Walking outside, elliptical, weight lifting, and the treadmill when it's too cold to walk outside.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? Picturing the foods I ate sitting in my stomach.

Congratulations to our Everlast Fitzness Fiend of the Week, Laurie! Laurie has lost an amazing 104 pounds! Because of her efforts, Everlast is dying to reward her with one of their beautiful ribbed tank tops from their Spring Collection to keep her looking gorgeous while she takes her fitness training even further. Can you imagine how amazing it would feel to have lost a whopping 100 pounds (and more)? It must have taken lots of sweat, lots of focus at meal time, and lots of perseverance when she hit plateaus. I'm so proud, Laurie! Hooray for you!

Maybe you'd like to win a smokin' tank from the Big E too? Wouldn't it be nice to be rewarded for your efforts every now and then? I think you should be. I think you should be my next Everlast Fitzness Fiend of the Week! ....