Want to cut fat from your meals without noticing it's gone? AOL Health has eight dietary tricks to skim the fat. One smart move? Order steak fries when you're craving taters. Here's why.

We at That's Fit love us our veggies -- and have plenty of advice on going veg (full-time or part time), but we found another interesting take on the benefits of a vegetarian diet. AOL Health reports that one cowboy who gave up meat for four weeks at Dr. Oz's urging and under his guidance lost 30 pounds, reduced his waist by six inches and was able to stop taking medication for cholesterol and diabetes.

As we head into the holiday season parties and guilty-pleasures lie ahead, as do food pushers -- the ones who just aren't satisfied till you've had that last piece of cake. Your safeguard? Head to AOL Health to learn how to successfully combat the best of the pushiest food pushers.

We at That's Fit and AOL Health know you've got a lot going on in your lives besides staying in great shape, and we realize that more than just diet and exercise goes into feeling your best every day. That's why we're sharing some of the exciting reporting going on at AOL Health.

Victoria Pearson

Alicia Silverstone's got a thing for animals. She tried going vegetarian for the first time at age 8, subsisting on a month-long diet of ice cream and eggs. It was touch and go, however, she "stopped and started a lot or 'forgot,'" she explains in her new book "The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight and Saving the Planet" which is part weight-loss advice, part holistic living wisdom. Not being able to rescue all of the world's abandoned or endangered animals (once she adopted 11 dogs who were slated to be euthanized the next day) and learning more about the meat industry helped her become a committed vegetarian as an adult. Even so, she "doesn't expect that to move everyone. What would move me now as a 33-year-old woman," Silverstone says, "is if someone said, 'Hey, do you want to look your best, or feel your best?' Your skin is going to be amazing when you eat well. There's a grayness when people eat a lot of unhealthy foods, specifically meat."

Since going veg 11 years ago, Silverstone says she's experienced "amazing, amazing" results, while still indulging in her favorites like dairy-free chocolate peanut butter cups and a waffle, sausage and cheese panini, which she "loves." She also never feels deprived, unlike her past diet attempts, including Weight Watchers. "What those diets offer you is weight-loss period," she says. "And yeah, weight loss is good. But you're not learning how to eat, you're learning how to eat less. I haven't had to think about calories in 11 years. That's what I want to offer people -- a plan that is going to nourish your soul and make you healthy on all levels."

Silverstone's plan includes three levels of commitment: "Flirting" (going meatless and dairy-free when you can), veganism and becoming a "superhero" (based on the macrobiotic diet, it focuses on eating locally grown, seasonal foods, which she's been doing for six years). Making these changes in eating, Silverstone says, has anecdotally helped people with everything from diabetes and losing weight, to acne and even her friend's "poo" problem.

That's Fit: What do you do when you crave non-vegan foods?

Alicia Silverstone.: Well, I never crave non-vegan foods, because vegan foods are so delicious. When I'm out and there are no vegetarian foods available, then I just make the best choices I can. Sometimes, it's to eat nothing at all, or I'll have the least offensive thing. Maybe there's a salad with goat cheese, or potato salad with a little mayo. That's what it's about -- making the best choices under all circumstances.

Photo: jupiterimages

Welcome to Twitter Fit Tips. Keep track of the latest diet and fitness Twitter trends and opinions with this weekly post. Each week AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's_Fit will post fitness-related questions and the best tweet responses will get posted here. Start following Healthpop and That's_Fit today.

This week we asked, "Would you go/why have you gone vegetarian/vegan?" And these fit Twitters had these tweet replies:

dmtweets@Thats_Fit Started because I was allergic to meat and milk. Cut everything else because I believe it's right.

ColletteAM@Thats_Fit became vegetarian @ 11yo for animals, vegan @ 20yo when I had my 1st child so we could have a long healthy life together.

jend420@Thats_Fit Wouldn't go Vegetarian. Love vegs. Love animals. But no issues eating said animals. The body needs animal proteins, iron, etc.

thenewswineflu@Thats_Fit I could never, ever give up sushi. And I am aware of the Califauxrnia roll. Still, no way in hell :)

priorfatgirl@HealthPop I think I'm pretty close to being a Flexitarian

Get_Lean_Fast@HealthPop Would be hard...Chicken and fish have so much nutritional value

Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life.

For years I've argued that the Atkins Diet is nowhere near as "dangerous" as critics claim, and dozens of studies have since backed me up. Yet many people continue to worry about the effect of the strict Atkins diet on cholesterol. And many who have noticed how effective an Atkins-like diet can be for weight loss have been reluctant to try it because they associate the diet with a high meat intake (incorrectly, but that's another column).

Worry no more, because a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine received a flurry of media attention, and the subject? A variation of low-carbohydrate dieting which the researchers dubbed "Eco-Atkins."

The researchers start by stating that the Atkins plan has been shown to be effective not only for weight loss, but for reducing insulin resistance, lowering triglyceride concentrations and raising HDL (so-called "good" cholesterol). (They cite numerous published studies which have demonstrated every one of those effects.) That's a pretty impressive resume, and one might be forgiven for asking, "and the problem is?"

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Photo: Pink Sherbet Photography, Flickr

Ever thought about going vegetarian, or maybe just cutting some of the meat out of your diet? There's no time like the present, especially now that the American Dietetic Association has changed its stance on going veg from tentative (good for adults, maybe not for kids) to full-fledged!

According to a recent article in the ADA Journal, the ADA's current position is that, as long as appropriate planning is involved, vegetarian and vegan diets "are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." It goes on to endorse a plant-based diet for those in all stages of life, including infants, children, pregnant and lactating women and athletes.

That doesn't mean that vegetarianism doesn't present some challenges. While you certainly can get the appropriate nutrients from a vegetarian or vegan diet, it can be difficult to get as much Vitamin D and B12 as necessary. Whether you get it through food, like leafy greens and tofu, or supplements is up to you.

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The world went a bit crazy when the Atkin's diet was introduced a few years back, but as people realized that there's just no way a diet that allows you to eat as much butter, bacon and steak as you want could be good for you, the search for an alternative was on. Enter the Eco-Atkins Diet, a low-carb vegetarian way of eating that has been proven to be both effective and healthy for weight loss while reducing your cholesterol at the same time.

Going vegetarian without carbs? Getting lots of protein without meat? That sounds like crazy talk to most of us, but in reality, there are plenty of delicious ways to get your nutrients without resorting to meat or simple carbs.

Like what? Here are some quick Eco-Atkin's-friendly snack ideas:

• A handful of nuts, like almonds or walnuts. Be careful though -- nuts are high in fat, so don't overdo it.
• Celery and peanut butter -- seriously, seriously delicious.
• Plain yogurt with some fresh fruit -- or soy yogurt if you're vegan. Between you and me, I usually add a touch of honey.
• Hummus and fresh veggies give you lots of fiber and nutrients all in one go.
• An apple with a bit of cinnamon sprinkled on top will hit the spot, or with some low-fat cheese if you're OK with dairy.

Need more inspiration? Click here for some great resources.

Skinny bitches Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin are back. Well they never really went away since their first book "Skinny Bitch" hit the New York Times Best Seller list in 2005, earning lots of fans, and plenty of detractors.

Although the original book is ultimately a tough-love, vegan manifesto -- their most recent workout DVD "Skinny Bitch Booty Bounce" is surprisingly soft around the edges. More on that later.

That's Fit recently spoke with the skinny bitches about the jump from telling us what to put in our mouths to showing us how to get moving.

That's Fit: First of all, what did you both have for breakfast?

Kim: Oatmeal with banana and strawberry.
Rory: I had a grapefruit and orange and a banana and raw cereal with rice milk.

Kelley Coffman-Lee is a vegan, and she wants to world to know it. She's so proud of her healthy lifestyle, in fact, she recently ordered a vanity license plate professing her love for tofu.

The Colorado Department of Revenue turned it down. Why? Coffman-Lee requested the plate read, "ILVTOFU," a simple statement about her adoration of her favorite soy-based snack. Colorado authorities worried that other drivers might not get the vegetarian message. "We don't allow 'FU' because some people could read that as street language for sex," says Department of Revenue spokesman Mark Couch.

For her part, Coffman-Lee seems a little confused about why her local DMV would have something against tofu. "Tofu is a word, I haven't said anything bad. I think it's crazy they denied it," she tells KMGH-TV, Denver. "It's not a dirty, evil food. It's very wholesome."

We agree, Kelley, tofu is very wholesome. But then again, tofu really isn't the problem here.

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You might have heard of a little site called "This Is Why You're Fat," a site that features the fattiest of the fatty foods you could ever imagine. Well, it's fun and all, but I've got something better for you today. Let me introduce you to its much healthier counterpart -- "This Is Why You're Thin!" I chatted with the creator, Jennifer McCann, who I learned about when I started following her older blog, "Vegan Lunch Box."

Jennifer is incredibly excited about "This Is Why You're Thin!" saying it's "all about celebrating the things that make and keep us fit, lean, and healthy; people send in their photographs of beautiful fruit and vegetable dishes, healthy smoothies, trips to the farmer's market, all kinds of exercise, etc., and I post some of the submissions every day."

She's already received more than 100 submissions, and is especially inspired by a photo of a 46-year-old man finishing his fifth half-marathon. He didn't even start running until he was 43, and it inspires her to avoid using her age as an excuse to not try something new.

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Want to melt off the muffin top? Can those cankles? Well, you know you can't do it all by working out. Even though fitness is definitely important, you're not going to lose a bunch of weight unless you modify your diet. And, if you ask the authors of Skinny Bitch, there's no better diet to follow than a vegan one.

In case you didn't know, veganism is really the driving force behind the Skinny Bitch books. The girls have now come out with workout videos, but the diet was the first step. And, in my interview with them, they dished on how they went vegan and gave tips for helping you make your diet a bit healthier. Check it all out in the gallery below!

Also, be sure to check out the first part of my interview with Rory and Kim.

You know, even though celebrities can afford the best trainers and chefs, top equipment, and fabulously fresh food, staying fit isn't all fun and games. Keeping track of what your favorite stars do to stay in shape isn't easy, either -- and that's why we do a round-up each week of what the healthiest, fittest stars are doing.

Just click on the picture of your favorite stars above to see what he or she has been up to lately!

When Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi went on their first date, DeGeneres was wearing leather and De Rossi was wearing fur. As per her style, Ellen poked a little fun at the fur. Their discussion led to how wearing leather is no better than wearing fur. Their first date obviously led to a successful relationship, and the discussion also opened both of their eyes to an important issue.

Since then, the couple has been slowly gravitating toward a cruelty-free lifestyle. They recently announced that they're going vegan. De Rossi said "We just made that shift in our lives. The benefit of it is weight loss. For her more than me. Her body responded to it very well. It is amazing. We are just both very happy. It feels like such a compassionate choice. We are such animal lovers, why stop short of cows and chickens? It didn't make any sense."

[via Green Daily]

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Can you laugh your way thin? You'll need to change your diet and exercise habits too, but Laura shares why laughter isn't just the best medicine, it's also good for weight loss.

Sure, we usually call them New Year resolutions, but Jacki has a very good argument for not tying your diet and fitness goals to the calendar.

Even when you're avoiding the inside aisles at the grocery store, sometimes processed foods are a necessity. Here are the 20 worst packaged foods, so you can make a mental note that reads: AVOID.

Alanis Morrisette went vegan to lose 20 pounds and claims that giving up animal products changed her life. Could you make such an extreme lifestyle choice?

Tragic Exercise Face -- Do you suffer from it? And what the heck is it? Kristen has the scoop.

Don't want to spend all day at the grocery store reading food labels? Bev has some quick tips for picking out the most nutritious foods.

Oh, Oprah, Oprah, Oprah. There's nothing more frustrating than having to face weight loss again. Do you think she can slim down one more time and keep it off this time?

So you're sniffling and sneezing ... should you work out? Bev tells you when to hit the gym, and when to stay home under the covers.

Are you having trouble teaching your parents healthy habits? Fitz has advice for adult children whose parents struggling with their weight.

You're eating right and exercising, but still can't seem to squeeze into those skinny jeans? Try cutting back on salt to see if you can shed some water weight.

Speaking of skinny jeans, That's Fit readers lost a whopping 102 pounds this week in our America Takes it Off: Shrink a Size challenge! You rock!! Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for next week's challenge.

Have a great week, everyone!

After drawing a fair bit of negative attention over the few extra pounds she gained while out of the spotlight, Alanis Morisette recently appeared in OK magazine looking incredible. She's lost an amazing 20 pounds in a few months, thanks to Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live plan, but following this diet meant she had to give up a few things -- namely all animal products. Yes, she went vegan.

While changing your life so drastically seems extreme (not to mention really, really hard), she insists it was worth it. "I used to get out of bed in the morning and things were aching, and I just thought, this is what happens when you get into your 30s," she says. "But now I jump out of bed and have so much energy. I feel very alive. I have no more aches and pains, and my allergies are gone, too."

Sounds pretty amazing, but could you go vegan?

(via Fit Celeb)

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