Valentine's Day is tomorrow -- does your sweetie usually give you chocolate? If you love it, there's no need to cut it out of your life. Heck, even Jillian Michaels believes in allowing yourself a small number of treat calories each day.

Huffington Post shares the following tips for enjoying chocolate without guilt:

• Get the best chocolate you can. If you're going to have a treat, it might as well be one that you love, love, love.
• Use environmental control. The Huffington Post writer has an affinity for See's chocolate -- and a shop is within walking distance of her house. Instead of buying a large amount, she walks there once in a while and buys just a few. While we may not all be blessed (or cursed, depending on how you look at it) with a See's in the neighborhood, any store within walking distance can be a great way to get some exercise before getting your chocolate fix.
• Eat the best part first. Okay, I have to admit that this "tip" made me laugh out loud. But, if it works for the Huffington Post writer, it might work for you, too. She nibbles the chocolate off the outside -- still getting the flavor of the center, but avoiding the calories.(I'm sorry. It still makes me laugh. Just eat the whole piece for goodness sake!)
• Know the calories. If you know the calories in your piece(s) of chocolate, you can easily fit them into your daily calorie allowance.
  

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I just got done looking at Fatty Food Hall of Shame This Is Why You're Fat, and I don't know whether to laugh or cry. What is it about humans that make us take our favorite bad-for-you foods -- fatty enough on their own -- and then mix them up with equally awful foods and then deep fry the whole thing? I just don't get it. (Though I'll admit that deep fried brownie looks interesting).

I don't know about you, but when I indulge, I usually have a good idea of what I'm getting into. Either I've read the label, checked the nutritional information, or at least have a good sense of how I'm going to make up for it tomorrow.

But what about indulgences that are nearly impossible for a layman to calculate, like a hamdog or a corn dog pizza? The calories and fat have to be astronomical, yet no information exists. Most of these dishes are made at mom-and-pop type restaurants, by street vendors or at home. Is ignorance an excuse? If you don't know you're downing 3,000 calories and 40 grams of fat, does it still count? The short answer is, yes. Of course.

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My son likes many healthful snacks. Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, almost any variety of fruit, cheese sticks and sunflower seeds are his favorites. But if given the choice between any of his favorite healthful snacks and his least favorite type of junk food, he'll pick the junk food every time.

I adopted my son when he was 10 years old, so many of his eating habits were already formed. With time and determination, he's learned to enjoy home-cooked meals (he only liked frozen foods when he first moved in) and understands a lot more about nutrition. But the junk food addiction has remained a problem.

I've tried instituting other rules, such as having healthful "anytime foods" that he can snack on whenever he likes and in any quantity he desires. The treat foods were left for desserts and small treats each day. It's a good idea in theory, but it led to my son trying to sneak those foods up to his room. When they became hands-off foods, they were more desirable than ever.

Baking up goodies for parties, gifts and Santa is a terrific part of this festive holiday season -- even for me, your loving fitness trainer. Baking doesn't have to be bad for your body though, nor does it have to contribute to that traditional December weight gain.

If I weren't a fitness professional, I'd be a baker. It's fun and allows me the ability to be creative while making people happy. I love making people happy. I don't, however, enjoy putting fat on my hips or the hips of others. This has lead me to be really creative.

I've got a few suggestions for you to follow and a link here to my favorite baked treats in my online recipe book at Fitzness.com.

• Substitute eggs for an egg substitute like Egg Beaters.
• Substitute butter/oil for a sugar free syrup like the ones sold a DaVinci Gourmet. (Use equal amounts as the ones given for the oil/butter.)

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Brrrr ... it's cold outside. And it's so very tempting to take a detour into your nearest Starbucks to warm up with one of those delicious holiday drinks.

It's also tempting to believe that coffee drinks don't "count" toward your daily calorie total. But, ohhhh, how they do. To see how bad it gets, check out this post over at Holidash.

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Day 1: The leftover Halloween candy is the first thing to go, followed by the homemade chocolate chip cookies. I suspiciously eye the few other treats left in the cupboard that belong to my husband and kids. They don't tempt me now, but if they start to ... they're out of here.

What I notice almost immediately is that telling myself I can't have sugar makes me want it more. I'm not used to telling myself no. Whether sugar is physically addictive remains up for debate, but it certainly feels like a psychological addiction to me.

Fortunately, I'm pretty sure I have enough willpower to see me through my cravings.

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I recently wrote about healthy food options for school Halloween or harvest parties. My son's school harvest party was yesterday, and I opted to bring a healthy treat. I made ham, cheese, and granny smith apple sandwiches on whole wheat with a little honey mustard. I cut them into cute pumpkin shapes and arranged them on a festive tray.

As I brought the tray into my son's classroom, I was immediately dismayed. The food table was filled with bowls of candy, individual bags of chips, cupcakes adorned with gummy worms, brownies, and more cans of soda than you can imagine. The only remotely healthy item (besides my sandwiches) were some bags of pretzels mixed in with the chips. I walked into that classroom with a tray filled with 45 lovingly-made sandwiches and was quite certain my son was going to come home with those same 45 sandwiches. After all, I remembered the report that Martha told us about -- when given a choice, most kids simply don't like to eat healthy food.

When my son got home from school, he had an empty tray in hand. And -- wonder of wonders -- he told me that the sandwiches were a huge hit. He said the kids liked them so well they were almost rude and pushy about trying to get seconds. I was so thrilled to hear that even amidst a sea of sweets and junk food, kids will still opt for a healthier snack.

If you have to make a treat for a classroom party, dare to be different and make something healthful. Like me, you may be pleasantly surprised at the kids' response. Family Fun has some clever ideas for healthy, fun snacks that you can try.

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Here at That's Fit, we're constantly telling you what we think about things, but sometimes it's nice to know what you think. So from time to time, we'll ask you a question. Don't be afraid to speak up -- we love feedback.

It's that time of year again -- when tempting little tasty bits of candy dance around in front of you like a red flag in front of a bull. Yes, it's Halloween, and I'm willing to guess that it won't just be your kids who are suffering from sugar hangovers on November 1. You say you're rationing the treats so they don't eat them all at once, but who's keeping you from bingeing on all that chocolatey goodness? Maybe you are your own diet police, or maybe you let your stomach guide you. That's the question this week ...

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Instead of dressing up in costumes and bringing candy to school on Halloween, my son's teachers have opted for a harvest party instead. At first, I was wondering if he was going to be disappointed -- he's so thrilled about his "army guy" costume. But he's really excited about the party. So am I. I see it as an opportunity to send him to school with a healthier treat to pass instead of miniature candies. Some ideas:

• Fall Harvest Sandwiches. This recipe is from Kate Gosselin of Jon and Kate Plus 8. Cut the sandwiches into bite-sized treats with fall-shaped cookie cutters.
• Make a homemade harvest trail mix with almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, dried apples, and candy corn.
• Modify the standard Rice Krispie treat and use whole-grain cereal (like Cheerios) instead. (This still isn't very healthy ... but at least it's an improvement.)
• Ants on a log or apple ladybugs are a fun and healthy snack.
• Make these healthy pumpkin muffins in a mini-muffin tray so they're bite-sized.

I think most people would agree that kids need to eat more healthfully. School lunches need to improve, and parents need to make better choices about the items they put in their kids lunch bags.

I wrote a post a while ago about how my son's teacher has banned candy from her classroom, except for special occasions. I thought that was a great rule -- she still allows treats on birthdays and holidays, but on a day-to-day basis, she only wants the kids to bring healthful snacks. A Wisconsin school district, however, has taken the ban even further.

The Neenah School District is requiring that kids bring in fruit, vegetables, or other healthy snacks when they bring in treats for the class. It seems a bit strict to me, and I'd imagine that the kids would be disappointed at first. But, with a little creativity, healthful snacks can be fun, too.

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When I was a kid, one of the most enjoyable parts of Halloween was coming back home and sorting through my loot with my dad. As an adult, I now know he was inspecting them for safety. But, as a kid, it was all about sorting them into categories and counting them. One of the categories we created was called "Dad's" -- because my dad always claimed his fair share of my Halloween candy. I never minded ... in fact, I was usually the first to start the Dad pile.

It turns out my dad isn't alone; 90% of parents admit to helping themselves to their kids' Halloween treats. While a few small treats isn't bad -- it's a holiday, after all -- you (and your kids) shouldn't overindulge. Here are some tricks to keep the treats to a minimum:

• Set a one-day rule. If you and your kids have enough willpower not to go too crazy, leave the treats in the open and set no limits for one whole day. After that day, put the treats away and limit it to one or two pieces a day.
• The baggie system. Ration the treats out to a small number in a baggie for each day.
• Favorites only. Have your kids (and you, if they're willing to share) pick their favorites. Get the rest of the candy out of the house.
  
• Buy back. If your child is a bit more possessive of their Halloween stash, offer to buy back some of the candy. That way, you're reducing the overall sugar intake and giving them some holiday spending money.

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Here's the good news: Americans are waking up to a healthier lifestyle. That's bad news for companies like Krispy Kreme, however, who are suddenly finding themselves struggling with poor sales. So what do you do when you're a company that sells treats and people aren't buying them because they want healthier options?

You start selling ice cream. That's Krispy Kreme's plan, anyway. They're trying to expand their business by offering a new line of soft-serve ice cream. But is the decision a wise one?

A Krispy Kreme donut has 300 calories and 16 grams of fat. A soft-serve ice cream has about 222 calories in 1/2 cup and 13 grams of fat. Which, in my expert opinion (expert only because of my raging sweet tooth), makes the donut still the better option. A donut or a half cup of ice cream for roughly the same number of calories? I'll take the donut every time. But customers who don't have that nutritional information might view the soft-serve as a lighter option, making them believe they're making a healthy choice when really, it's all the same.

A treat is a treat is a treat, which means that no one goes into Krispy Kreme looking for health food. But if it's healthy living that's hurting their sales, maybe Krispy Kreme would be better off looking into recipes for lighter donuts. What do you think?

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Our family has a bad summertime ice cream habit. We're known by name and by flavor at our local ice cream shop. This year, I vowed to be better about our frequent visits, and we went all of August without stopping in once. Just last week, we popped in during a bike ride. Let me tell you, when it comes to chocolate, absence really does make the taste buds grow fonder. That cone was delicious.

Did you know that after the first bite of something yummy, every other bite is less enjoyable? It's something I learned reading this article about cravings over at CNN. It's something to keep in mind when cravings get the best of you. Rather than deny yourself your favorite goody, one simple technique to beat the craving is to let yourself have it -- a small portion that is. Other tips include:

• Eat regularly. If you're hungry, your cravings are going to get the best of you.
• Never say never. Say "later" instead. Tell yourself you can have the treat, just not now, may do the trick.
• Watch your portions. A small piece of chocolate will probably satisfy you, so why eat the whole bar?
• Try substitutes. If ice cream is calling your name, try eating a frozen banana with a touch of chocolate sauce instead.
• Write it down. A food diary will help you keep track, and keep you honest.
  
  

How do you battle your worst cravings?

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Today I had more than bills in my mailbox. When I opened it up, there was a little treat waiting for me. A free cookie, courtesy of Kashi. I love Kashi cereals, so when I saw a commercial for free samples of their cookies, I thought I would give it a try. The sample was an Oatmeal Dark Chocolate cookie, and it was totally yummy.

More importantly, it's packed with nutrition. The main ingredient is a blend of seven whole grains (hard red winter wheat, oats, rye, triticale, barley, long grain brown rice, and buckwheat). It also has sesame seeds and, of course, tasty dark chocolate. Even though it's all natural and contains lots of good ingredients, it is still a cookie -- it has 130 calories and five grams of fat (1.5 is saturated). It also has eight grams of sugar, but thankfully none of it is from high-fructose corn syrup. Honey and and brown rice syrup are used for sweeteners.

The cookies are also available in Happy Trail Mix (cranberry, raisin, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and shredded coconut) and Oatmeal Raisin Flax flavors. Go ahead. Steal a cookie from the cookie jar and see what you think.

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