I understand both sides of the to-weigh or not-to-weigh debate. On one hand, weighing yourself regularly keeps you honest and it can be motivating. On the other hand, for some, scales can become an obsession and, if you weigh yourself daily, you may get a bit down on yourself when the numbers don't move as fast as you wish they would.

I'm of the mindset that people just need to figure out what works best for them. I'm a weigher. Each morning, like it or not, I climb on the scale and see what's what. I've had to get used to the fact that sometimes -- even if I've done everything right -- I might go up a half pound or so. That's just the nature of weight loss; I accept that and don't let it ruin my day. Also, I'm a data-loving girl. For some reason, I just need to know that number on the scale when I'm trying to lose weight.

Glamour has an idea for weighing yourself without revealing the full truth. They suggest covering the first two numbers on the scale and just watching the final number. If you fall squarely in the not-to-weigh camp, this might be a handy trick for you.

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Have you ever been in a house of mirrors with all those wacky, warped things that make you look twisted, short and squat, or long and skinny? It turns out those distorting mirrors aren't reserved for festivals and amusement parks ... many clothing stores use subtle mirror tricks to make you look longer and leaner.

It can be a disappointment when, while shopping, you find clothes that look good on you -- only to find that they don't look so great when you get home. According to one Seattle boutique owner, creating a "skinny mirror" is as easy as tilting it slightly back. Your best bet is to know your own body type and dress accordingly. And maybe bring a friend shopping with you to be a reliable judge of how you look.

For many people, it's hard enough to look in the mirror and have a positive body image. Harder still when the mirrors in stores are playing tricks on you. Learning to love the reflection in the mirror starts with a healthy lifestyle. When you make a habit of exercising and eating healthfully, you know you're doing right by your body -- and that's a positive stepping stone toward confidence in your appearance.

[via FitSugar]

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Are you practicing these five weight loss tricks?

• Do you use a covered, opaque dish to house your candy? Do you keep your candy bowl off your desk top?
  
• Do you refrain from eating while multitasking to cut down on mindless consumption?
  
• Are you in touch with your own hunger, able to stop eating when you're no longer hungry?
• Have you downsized your dinnerware so you can downsize your portions?
• Are you talking more so you eat less?

If you answered in the affirmative for all five questions, pat yourself on the back. If not, that's OK. But if you want some simple techniques for tricking your body into dropping a few pounds, you ought to give a few of these a try.

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Of course going jogging on a trail is a super form of exercise. I specifically like what trails have to offer hips and ankles over a flatter surface. The inconsistency of the trails' surface causes the joints in our lower body to constantly adjust which makes them uniquely beneficial for strengthening hips, knees, and ankles.

Trails are also great for other types of training as well. I think Women's' Health magazine did a super job of taking a few simple items we'd all eventually stumble across while trail running, and turning them into fitness equipment. As your fancy online Fitzness Trainer, these are the types of skills I want you to learn.

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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 two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz. I am a 37 year old female with a back problem. I found out last year that I have a thyroid problem as well. I am at the point where I need to lose weight really bad. My son graduates in June and I would like to be at least 40 pounds lighter. After that, I still would like to lose about another 100 pounds. I have been thinking about the Lap Band surgery. What do you think? Rachel

A. Hello Rachel. Sounds like you do have a bunch of weight to lose, but I'm not the person you should be consulting with on surgery. That's absolutely a talk you should be having with your doctor. I am a great person to talk to about weight loss in general though. You failed to mention in your letter what lengths you've been taking to lose weight the old fashioned way.

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Halloween is upon us. And I'm scared. Not because of ghosts, goblins, witches, and warlocks, though. It's the candy that does it for me -- the sheer excess of sugar that will fill my kids' treat buckets on the night of trick-or-treat. My boys, who will quickly become beggars, will know no limits and will haunt me for weeks with their sweet requests. I haven't yet decided how I'll manage to trash a good portion of the goo my guys will score on this spooky night. But I do know I'd love it if nutritious treats could somehow find a place in the Halloween tradition. Maybe I need to nix the whole door-to-door thing and host my own little healthy hang-out -- complete with these Halloween treats.

• Organic apples, pears, and other fruits could be provided for easy munching. A little caramel dipping sauce could spice things up a bit.

• A handful of salt-free pretzels, sesame seeds, whole grain cereal, dried cranberries, and other dried fruits would make a perfect crunchy mix.
  

• Seedless grapes added to flavored sugar-free Jello could be the start of one favorite fruity indulgence.

There are many horribly healthy options out there. But will they -- can they -- ever replace what what kids have come to love so much about Halloween? It's the candy that keeps them coming back for more.

It's the candy that keeps me afraid of those knocks on the door.

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I love summer salads, but I don't eat as many of them as I'd like to because it's so hard for me to keep lettuce and salad greens fresh in the refrigerator for more than 1 day at a time. But it seems FitSugar has the answer, and who knew it would be so easy? Just put your greens in a plastic bag, breathe a puff of air into it (for the carbon dioxide) and tie it at the top. Of course it will take up more space in your fridge this way and I'd make sure your family isn't sensitive about people breathing on each other's food, but if this works (I'm totally trying it) what an awesome trick!

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This is not a diet, nor a scam.....just an old trick of the trade. If you're someone who tends to over-eat, you may want to consider eating a big juicy apple right before meals. Apples are low in calories, free from fat, high in nutrition, high in fiber and unusually filling! Have an apple before each meal, and I promise you will have far less room to overdo it on the higher calorie, higher fat options. As a result you'll consume fewer calories each day. Consuming fewer calories than you burn leads to weight loss.

Of course, you should continue to exercise most days of the week. Consistent cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training is vital to living fit. The apple trick is a terrific tool in the struggle for weight loss. Grab a bag and give it a go.

If you're one of those people who plan to go to the gym, yet somehow talk yourself out of it before the end of the day ... you need to stop. Truth be told, we all get busy, we all get tired, and we all have a bazillion things to do. I'm positive the reason you planned to go the the gym, or wherever else it is you exercise, is because you know it's wonderful for you and you want the results. You probably even have a bag packed with exercise clothes in the trunk of your car. Use them!

The secret to getting past this self-defeating instinct is to trick yourself with really small goals. Instead of just bailing out, tell yourself you'll only walk for five minutes on the treadmill. Or plan to only do bicep curls. Odds are, once you get on the treadmill you're going to want to go a little further. You probably won't want to ditch the gym after doing just bicep curls either. Being in the gym just feels good, and the atmosphere will more than likely inspire you to do what you originally set out to do.

Have you ever finished a workout and thought, "Gosh, I wish I hadn't done that?" No! Nobody does that, because exercise feels great and the sense of accomplishment feels even better. And, even if you do just walk for five minutes, it's certainly better than nothing. I guess a little lying isn't always a bad thing.

It's the season of spooking, and nothing says "Trick or treat!" better than kids going from house to house in search of all the candy they can get their hands on. Whether they are Batman, a Power Ranger or Disney princesses, they all have the same thing in mind. But before you let them eat their way into a sugar-induced coma, you're probably going to take a swat at their stash for yourself.

That's what the National Confectioners Association thinks anyway. According to them, ninety percent of parents admit to sneaking some candy out of their little superhero's Halloween stash. Those ever-popular snack-sized chocolate bars were a parental favorite (kids, now you know the target).

Halloween or not though, moderation is still the key. Some excellent tips to keeping the party under control include storing your children's massive candy stash somewhere other than his or her bedroom. Even grown-ups would have a hard time resisting a bag full of chocolate if it were kept in the same place they slept. Another good idea to moderate Halloween overdose would be to essentially buy your kid out! If you think having that much candy is detrimental, offer to buy all of it from your child. Spending money is a good alternative to eating until you can't walk straight.

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