It's the weekend and we're all looking for a way to relax.  Most of us also use the weekends to catch up with the significant other in our life, which is not always as relaxing as one would hope.  This weekend, get physical (and relaxed) by giving each other massages.  Worried that your massage skills are a little rusty?

Then you need to get The Massage Deck ($14.95) which features 50 easy to follow, beautifully illustrated methods for giving and receiving the perfect massage.  Color coded by body region this portable deck includes detailed instructions for each technique, a reflexology card and suggested sequences for 20 and 60 minute massages.  Learn how to soothe away stress and tension, relieve headaches and muscle pain as well as enjoy complete relaxation.

Also, you'll burn calories giving a massage as an 150 lb person who gives a 15 minute massage (while standing) will burn around 68 calories.  Buy The Massage Deck online from Vickerey.

One of the easiest foods to snack on (in my opinion) is nuts — a great Super Bowl munchable.  Dieters tend to shy away from them because of their high fat content — but they have the the unsaturated heart-healthy fat that may help to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.  Just want to remind you that even though they are loaded with "good" fat, you still should limit yourself to a handful.

Check out how these crows eat their nuts ...

Okay, here's the Nut Break Down for a 1 oz serving of each nut (dry-roasted, no salt added), including calories, total fat, saturated fat (bad fat), and protein.

Almond (20-24 nuts):  161 cals, 14g fat, 1g sat fat, 6g protein
Brazil Nut (6-8 nuts):  183 cals, 19g fat, 4g sat fat, 4g protein
Cashew (16-18 nuts):  160 cals, 13g fat, 3g sat fat, 4g protein
Grape Nuts:  (just kidding)

Want to see the rest?  Then

Hazelnut (18-20 nuts):  180 cals, 17g fat, 1g sat fat, 4g protein
Macadamia (10-12 nuts):  201 cals, 21g fat, 3g sat fat, 2g protein
Peanut (28 nuts):  166 cals, 14g fat, 2g sat fat, 7g protein
Pecan (18-20 halves):  198 cals, 21g fat, 2g sat fat, 3g protein
Pine nut (150-157 nuts):  188 cals, 19g fat, 1g sat fat, 4g protein
Pistachio (45-47 nuts):  159 cals, 13g fat, 2g sat fat, 6g protein
Walnut (14 halves):  183 cals, 18g fat, 2g sat fat, 4g protein

So go ahead and enjoy a handful of nuts.  It's a great source of protein and healthy fats.

It's amazing how a fast food joint can take a moniker of a man obsessed with spinach and make it stand for greasy, fried chicken.  Despite my lack of love for Popeyes, people do fancy it so before you make a chicken and biscuits run, let me breakdown some of the most beloved menu items.

You should probably go for the:  Spicy Chicken Breast (skinless and breading removed) which has only 120 calories, less than 1 gram of carbs, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat and 380 mg of sodium.

You should steer clear of the:  Mild Chicken Thighs at 280 calories, 7 grams of carbs, 20 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat and 710 mg of sodium.  Most people will eat two thighs, doubling your numbers and bringing your calories to a whooping 560 calories.  If you can't resist a thigh, then go skinless with the breading removed to cut the calories down to 120.

Whatever you do, do not get the:  Deluxe Sandwich (mild or spicy) because it has 630 calories, 53 grams of carbs, 31 grams of fat, 1 gram of trans fat and 1480 mg of sodium.

Just because you're at Popeyes does not mean you should go for:  a Biscuit as one has 240 calories.  The infamous Red Beans & Rice has 320 calories per serving, so stay away from that too.

Fit's Tip:  When getting chicken, make it skinless and remove the breading to lose a lot of calories.  When getting a side, opt for the green beans, which only have 70 calories per serving.

I am often inspired by success stories (this is why I love the Biggest Loser so much), but every so often there are success stories from an average Joe that are equally inspiring.

At 34 years old, Matt McKenna saw his life spiraling out of control.  He ate as if it were a hobby and he was unable to do the simplest physical activity.  Making excuses to avoid having to go out in public, and trying to hide himself was no real way to live.

On CNN he re-lives his feelings:

"I couldn't walk to my car from my apartment or office without being out of breath, and my knees ached from even that small journey.  Lying in bed, I could feel my heart pounding.  I awoke several times each night struggling to breathe.  Still, I was in denial.  I knew I was obese, but I never considered what I was doing to myself.  Loved ones offered concern and suggestions, but I saw them as just 'getting on my case'.

"In late July 2005, my mother and father decided it was time to step in.  My dad called me and said they were concerned about how difficult my life was.  They feared they would soon face every parent's nightmare:  the death of their son.  They told me that they could no longer watch me destroy myself, and they wanted to help me back to a normal life.  But it couldn't be a halfhearted effort on my part.  It would take serious commitment from me."

Matt did take it seriously and pulled through with an amazing transformation by doing some serious diet and exercise.  If you've ever felt like Matt, read his full story on CNN and be inspired to pick yourself up.

To see his transformation,

There is a constant discussion going on in the medical and fitness community over what is better (in terms of shedding pounds):  Diet or exercise?

Turns out, that a calorie is just a calorie, and researchers have found that dieting is just as effective for losing weight as exercise.  They also found there is no way to selectively lose fat in certain spots (spot reducing) and that adding muscle mass does not somehow boost metabolism and help dieters take off even more weight.

Here's a novel idea:  If diet and exercise are equally effective in losing weight, imagine how effective they can be when done in conjunction with each other.  I'm just saying ...