That's Fit

If you've got a little cush in your tush and are thinking about dropping a few pounds, you might not want to go too lean, because U.S. researchers announced yesterday that a type of fat that accumulates around the hips and bottom may offer some protection against diabetes.

Subcutaneous fat -- the type that collects just under the skin -- seems to help improve sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar. We're not talking visceral fat -- the kind that collects in the abdomen and can raise the risk of diabetes and heart disease. It's the fat that deposits down lower that appears to shelter some people from metabolic disease.

So, not all fat is bad fat. Celebrate that pear-shape if you have one, then. And consider yourself lucky.

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!

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. I'm heading out for a week's vacation on a cruise ship next month, and worried that once again I'll gain almost ten pounds while gone. That's what I've done the last few times I've gone on a cruise. How can I get around it? There is awesome food everywhere! Susan.

A. Susan, Susan, Susan. I'm shaking my head. The deal with vacations, cruises especially, is that they're a time for you to relax, get away from the daily grind and have some fun. Pigging out and gorging are simply not what you should be focusing on...wherever you are! Yes, there is a lot of tasty food on cruise ships. There is also a lot of yummy things available at your local grocery store every single day! That doesn't' mean you should run through the aisles like a lunatic shoving everything you can get your hands on into your mouth. Just because food is THERE, just because food is FREE, doesn't mean you have to eat it.

Are you a squatter? No, not someone who illegally takes up residence on someones property and then refuses to leave. What I'm asking is if you are a fan of the exercise, the squat. If so, I have a great fit tip for you.

Come to think of it, it's a great fit tip for anyone who performs this exercise, not just those who enjoy doing it. At any rate, this little variation to the movement can help recruit more of the muscle fibers in your glutes, which are actually among your strongest muscles. Enough talking, here's the tip.

When you are completing the concentric phase of the lift (this is the part when you're standing back up), imagine that you are squeezing a piece of paper in between your glutes. Strange, I know, but effective. Well, more like butt effective. Anyway, before I completely revert back to being a 12-year-old, pretend that you must hold the paper in place with your butt cheeks. Don't worry, nobody will know that you're thinking this, so you don't have to feel weird about it. Getting this extra squeeze in will help firm and tone your derriere (see, now I'm purposely using the most adult terms possible).

We'll get plastic surgery to shape our face, our breasts, our stomach, our ... um .... ladyparts, so why not our butts too? The Brazilian Butt Lift is a plastic surgery procedure designed to give you a designer derriere. How does it work? By grafting fat from your thighs, stomach and lower back and strategically inject it into parts of your tush to give you the desired shape. And while I supposed this is the desired effect for some people, the last thing I need on my butt is more fat.

Interested in having a designer tush? It'll set you back about $15,000. And maybe it's just me, but with results like this, I can't really see it being worth it. Would you ever get it done?