Diet & Fitness 

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Can you be fit and fat?

Yes, you can be fit and also fat, but you can be even fitter and place less strain on your heart if you lose the excess load you're carrying. The exercise you are doing - three times a week for 20-30 minutes - is great. Try to push yourself to the point of breaking a sweat so you hit your target heart rate. This will ensure you're making the most of your workout.

However, for health reasons and not vanity, it is better not to be overweight. If you don't want to diet, there are lots of ways you can cut back and eat healthily:

• Try not to eat between meals

• Drink lots of water throughout the day

• When you serve main meals, eat your food off a small plate so your portions are smaller

• If you usually eat bread or rolls with butter, cut out the butter

• When having a filled baked potato, try low fat cottage cheese as a substitute for toppings like butter or full fat cheese

• Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables

• If you have two slices of toast for breakfast, cut back to just one

If you follow the above tips and continue exercising, your calorie intake will be less than your calorie expenditure and you will start to lose weight. This will ultimately improve your overall fitness. Good luck.

Why not chat to other iVillagers about fitness on the Love Your Body message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions happening now on the board:

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