Q: I am a 50-year-old woman. I work out in the gym whenever my schedule allows me to. I want to know which machine burns more calories ? the stair-master or the elliptical trainer?

AS, Jamshedpur

The elliptical trainer (the machine in which country skiing meets a stairclimber) just beats the stair-master hands down when it comes to burning calories. It expends about 130 calories in 15 minutes compared to about 120 calories on a stair-master in the same period of time. While 10 calories might not seem like a lot, consider this: The elliptical trainer burns those extra calories because it works more muscle groups. While both machines strain your butt, thighs and hamstrings, the poles of the elliptical trainer works your arms, chest, shoulders, abs and back muscles ? giving you a toned upper body to boot. Also, the elliptical trainer does not stress your ankle, knee and hip joints, something the stair-master can do.

Q: I am a 31-year-old woman and I have a tendency of putting on extra kilos fast, especially in this festive season. Does fasting help fight flab?

LLS, Nadia

Skipping meals for a day or two can actually thwart your ability to trim down in the long run.As soon as you stop eating, your body reacts by lowering your metabolic rate in an attempt to conserve calories. Although you may lose a pound or two immediately, due to water loss, you will shoot back to your pre-fast weight as soon as you begin eating properly again.

There are other drawbacks too of going without food. Besides side-effects like light-headedness and lethargy, hunger pangs may eventually drive you towards a kilo-packing binge. Whenever you feel the killer pangs, you might start snacking, and add kilos without even realising it. Finally, extensive fasting prompts your body to utilise your muscle-mass as fuel. The less muscle you have, the less efficient your body is at burning calories. This yo-yo dieting can lead to severe stomach disorder that can plague you all your life. The bottomline is: there are no short-cuts to a slim figure. The best way to have a healthy body is to introduce a certain amount of discipline in your diet, both in terms of quantity and quality. Regular exercise is also a must for a good-looking and healthy body.