The Bodybugg: The World's Most Intelligent Calorie Management System

"What's That On Your Arm?"

The Bodybugg Personal Calorie Management System

If you have a Bodybugg you've probably heard that question more times than you can count. If you're thinking about purchasing a Bodybugg get ready because this is the question you'll hear whenever your Bodybugg is visible. And if you're reading this and have no idea what I'm talking about then keep reading! So what exactly is a "Bodybugg"? In short, my answer when anyone asks, is that it's a device that you wear that counts the calories that you burn throughout the day and by logging in the food you eat online, it can help you lose, maintain or gain weight. While that answer is true and gives the person who asked a basic understanding of what the Bodybugg does, the Bodybugg Calorie Management System is so much more than what I've just stated! It's a simple but powerful and effective tool that I would recommend for anyone who wants to keep track of the calories they are burning and taking in day to day. It truly is, in my opinion, the key to managing your weight for the rest of your life.


How It Works
So if you're one of the people who began reading this and had never heard of the Bodybugg before, I'm sure you're thinking, "Okay... so how does it work?" Well, let's get down to the facts! Combined with a user-friendly web-based program, the Bodybugg makes it easy to manage the calories you consume and burn so that you can stay in control of your weight. The system uses specialized sensors to monitor calories burned with over 90% accuracy. Calorie consumption is monitored through a web-based program which comes with a free 6 month subscription (after the initial 6 months the online subscription renewal fees are: $9.95 for month to month, $49.95 for 6 months or $79.95 for 12 months). This subscription also includes a free phone coaching session with a certified Bodybugg coach to help you get started - so no worries about possibly "doing it wrong". The Bodybugg tracks your steps throughout the day with a built-in pedometer. It runs on a rechargeable battery and is both PC and Mac compatible.

The Bodybugg system uses a patented process to measure calorie burn. The process is based on:

• Motion: The armband contains an accelerometer that measures motion from multiple perspectives.
• Steps: The accelerometer counts steps by measuring the distinct patterns created by running or walking.
• Galvanic skin response: When you sweat, your skin becomes more electrically conductive. This measurement helps the device understand how active you are.
• Skin temperature: There’s an electronic thermometer inside your armband that monitors how hot you are.
• Heat flux: When you move, your muscles produce heat. Your armband measures the heat that’s flowing from your body into the environment.

Digital Display

After you upload data from the Bodybugg armband to your computer, you can use the web-based application to see how many calories you’ve burned throughout the day or during specific activities. The Bodybugg will actually calculate your calorie burn per minute! After you enter the foods you eat, you’ll be able to see how you’re doing towards your goals. You set your own goals and time frames. The software is completely flexible to your needs. If you want to know how many calories you've burned, or how many steps you have taken without plugging into a computer, the Digital Display will provide real-time results. The Digital Display device is sold separately but is the perfect companion to the armband and I definitely think it's worth the extra money to just go ahead and get both from the jump. To see more on exactly how this whole system works, check this video out now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EovR--qx-wI&feature=player_embedded


My Review...  
The Pros

Bodybugg Personal Online Food Journal

This product, in my opinion, is a winner. The pros far out weight any con you could think of! If you are even somewhat concerned about calorie consumption this is the product for you! Before buying my Bodybugg I tried keeping a food journal of my own but it never seemed to work, I either became unmotivated and annoyed with writing all my meals down throughout the day or became frustrated with trying to calculate the calories myself, but with the Bodybugg all this is done for you! You just log into the online management system with your account username & password, then start looking through the Bodybugg's database for the foods that you've eaten throughout the day. You now have your very own online food journal! The Bodybugg's database is huge so you're almost guaranteed to find the foods you are eating in there. So what if something you've eaten happens to not be in the database? No problem! The Bodybugg allows you to keep your own custom foods lists and add in new foods by putting in the nutrition facts from the nutrition label or if cooking from scratch, inputting the ingredients and building your own food meal/recipe. Another big plus about this is that the Bodybugg stores all the information you input for as long as you have a subscription so you can always go back to any particular week or day to see to see what you ate and your amount of activity and calories burned. So let's say you remembered that 2 weeks ago you lost 3 pounds in one week - that's pretty awesome, so you might want to try eating and doing the same things that you did that week to possibly get the same results this week.

Another pro is that now I can finally see exactly how many calories I'm burning in my workouts!!! This is a major plus for an exercise junkie like myself! And if you are trying to lose weight, calories in vs. calories out is an essential part of any program. Just by wearing this little device you can see not only how many calories are being burned while exercising by throughout the day and then can evaluate exactly how many calories you taken in and help you decide whether it's okay to eat more or less for the rest of the day.

The big pro is that through the Bodybugg's online food journal and calorie tracking, you can actually set goals and use this system to lose weight! When you first get the Bodybugg and log in for the first time, you are asked to create a program to either lose, gain or maintain your weight, giving the program a set date when you want to achieve your personal goal. The system will then calculate how many calories you need to eat and burn each day in order to lose or gain the necessary weight you need to meet your goal on time. This is the perfect weight management tool!

To read reviews on the Bodybugg click here.

The Cons
To be honest, there really aren't many cons that I can think of, in fact I only have 2. The first obvious con is the price. While I personally don't put a price limit on my fitness and nutrition wants (if I see it and I think it will be beneficial for my health, I'm getting it), there are products that I have to save up for and this would definitely be one of them. You can only buy the Bodybugg through either 24 Hour Fitness or the Apex Fitness website. The price of the system is regularly $249 but there is an online price of $175. The Digital Display is regularly $99 but the online sale price is $74. So all together, even using both sale prices, the complete Bodybugg System with Digital Device is $249. It's all definitely worth the money but it's not cheap, no getting around that. 

The other con is that the only way that the Bodybugg really works as a way of losing weight is counting every single calorie and being super exact on everything that you log in your online food journal. That means measuring all of your food (if not already prepackaged). So buying a food scale if you don't already have one is essential. I had never weighed my food before so I bought a food scale shortly after buying my Bodybugg and I now I actually enjoy weighing my food but it can be somewhat of a pain/annoyance. With the Bodybugg you are truly counting calories and if you're not up for that it will be hard for you to meet goals and get the results you're really after.


So in conclusion, I think the Bodybugg is a great addition to have in your weight management arsenal! Even if you don't plan on using it as a way of losing weight it's a fantastic way to keep track of the calories you're taking in vs. the calories you're burning and that's what successful weight management is all about! The Bodybugg lives up to its name and I definitely recommend it!

If you're already a Bodybugg user and would like to connect to other BB users for support and encouragement, check out these 2 Facebook pages: Body Bugg Users Unite and the official Bodybugg System page.

Drinks Count Too! / 20 Worst Drinks In America 2010

When it comes to calories and calorie counting, a lot of people make the mistake of only counting the "food" that they eat, meaning the solids, but in reality your drinks are food, too, and do count in your overall diet. If you're making an effort to eat healthier in order to lose weight and you're not seeing any results or maybe the results you're seeing aren't taking effect as fast as you think they should, you may want to look at the liquids you're consuming. Drinks have calories, too! Some of them more than others. For example, there are 150 calories in every 12 ounce can of Pepsi, that's an extra 150 calories you're adding to your calorie intake for the day, and that's only 1 can! Most people who are soda drinkers have 2 or more cans a day, do you know how many extra calories that can lead to? A LOT! That's just one example, but there are many more. The most important thing is to stay informed! Below is a list of the 20 Worst Drinks In America for 2010. Check it out!

20 Worst Drinks In America 2010

20. Worst Water

Snapple Agave Melon Antioxidant Water
(1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
150 calories / 0 g fat / 33 g sugars  
Sugar Equivalent: 2 Good Humor Chocolate Éclair Bars

While “Worst Water” may sound like an oxymoron, the devious minds in the bottled beverage industry have even found a way to besmirch the sterling reputation of the world’s most essential compound. Sure, you may get a few extra vitamins, but ultimately, you’re paying a premium price for gussied-up sugar water. Next time you buy a bottle of water, check the recipe: You want two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen, and very little else.

19. Worst Bottled Tea
SoBe Green Tea (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
240 calories / 0 g fat / 61 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 4 slices Sara Lee Cherry Pie

Leave it to SoBe to take an otherwise healthy bottle of tea and inject it with enough sugar to turn it into dessert. The Pepsi owned company’s flagship line, composed of 11 flavors with names like “Nirvana” and “Cranberry Grapefruit Elixir,” is marketed to give consumers the impression that it can cleanse the body, mind, and spirit. Don’t be fooled. Just like this bottle of green tea, all of these beverages are made with two primary ingredients: water and sugar.

18. Worst Energy Drink
Rockstar Energy Drink (1 can, 16 fl oz)
280 calories / 0 g fat / 62 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 6 Krispy Kreme Original
Glazed Doughnuts

None of the energy provided by these full-sugar drinks could ever justify the caloric load, but Rockstar’s take is especially frightening. One can provides nearly as much sugar as half a box of Nilla Wafers. In fact, it has 60 more calories than the same amount of Red Bull and 80 more than a can of Monster. If you’re going to guzzle, better choose one of the low-cal options.

17. Worst Bottled Coffee
Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino (1 bottle, 13.7 fl oz)
290 calories / 4.5 g fat (2.5 g saturated) / 45 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 32 Nilla Wafers

With an unreasonable number of calorie landmines
peppered across Starbucks’ in-store menu, you’d think the
company would want to use its grocery line to restore faith in
its ability to provide caffeine without testing the limits of your
belt buckle. Guess not. This drink has been on our radar for
years, and we still haven’t managed to find a bottled coffee
with more sugar. Consider this—along with Starbucks’
miniature Espresso and Cream Doubleshot—your worst
option for a morning pickup.

16. Worst Soda
Sunkist (1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
320 calories / 0 g fat / 84 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 6 Breyers Oreo Ice Cream Sandwiches

Wait... but aren’t all sodas equally terrible? It’s true they all
earn 100 percent of their calories from sugar, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still varying levels of atrocity. Despite the perception of healthfulness, fruity sodas tend to carry more sugar than their cola counterparts, and none make that more apparent than the tooth-achingly sweet Sunkist. But what seals the orange soda’s fate on our list of worsts is its reliance on the artificial colors yellow 6 and red 40—two chemicals that may be linked to behavioral and concentration problems in children.



15. Worst Beer
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (1 bottle, 12 fl oz)
330 calories / 0 g fat / 32.1 g carbohydrates / 9.6% alcohol
Carbohydrate Equivalent: 12-pack of Michelob Ultra

Most beers carry fewer than 175 calories, but even your average extra-heady brew rarely eclipses 250. That makes Sierra’s Bigfoot the undisputed beast of the beer jungle. Granted, the alcohol itself
provides most of the calories, but it’s the extra heft of carbohydrates that helps stuff nearly 2,000 calories into each six-pack. For comparison, Budweiser has 10.6 grams of carbs, Blue Moon has 13, and Guinness Draught has 10. Let’s hope the appearance of this gutinducing guzzler in your fridge is as rare as encounters with the fabled beast himself.





14. Worst Kids' Drink
Tropicana Tropical Fruit Fury Twister
(1 bottle, 20 fl oz)
340 calories / 0 g fat / 60 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: Two 7-ounce canisters Reddi-wip

Don’t let Tropicana’s reputation for unadulterated OJ lead you to believe that the company is capable of doing no wrong. As a Pepsi subsidiary, it’s inevitable that they’ll occasionally delve into soda-like territory. The Twister line is just that: a drink with 10 percent juice and 90 percent sugar laced with a glut of artificial flavors and coloring. You could actually save 200 calories by choosing a can of Pepsi instead.

13. Worst Functional Beverage
Arizona Rx Energy (1 can, 23 fl oz)
345 calories / 0 g fat / 83 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 6 Cinnamon Roll Pop-Tarts

Obviously Arizona took great pains in making sure this can came out looking like something you’d find in a pharmacy. But if your pharmacist ever tries to sell you this much sugar, he should have his license revoked. And if it’s energy you’re after, this isn’t your best vehicle. Caffeine is the only compound in the bottle that’s been proven to provide energy, and the amount found within is about what you'd get from a weak cup of coffee.

12. Worst Juice Imposter
Arizona Kiwi Strawberry (1 can, 23 fl oz)
345 calories / 0 g fat / 81 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 7 bowls of Froot Loops

The twisted minds at the Arizona factory outdid themselves with this nefarious concoction, a can the size of a bazooka loaded with enough of the sweet stuff to blast your belly with 42 sugar
cubes. The most disturbing part isn’t that it masks itself as some sort of healthy juice product (after all, hundreds of products are guilty of the same crime), but that this behemoth serving size costs just $.99, making its contents some of the cheapest calories we’ve ever stumbled across.

11. Worst Espresso Drink
Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha with Whipped Cream (venti, 20 fl oz)
660 calories / 22 g fat (15 g saturated) / 95 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 8½ scoops Edy’s Slow Churned Rich and Creamy Coffee Ice Cream

Hopefully this will dispel any lingering fragments of the
“health halo” that still exists in coffee shops—that misguided belief that espresso-based beverages can’t do much damage. In this 20-ounce cup, Starbucks manages to pack in more calories and saturated fat than two slices of deepdish sausage and pepperoni pizza from Domino’s. That makes it the equivalent of dinner and dessert disguised as a cup of coffee. If you want a treat, look to Starbucks’ supply of sugar-free syrups; if you want a caffeine buzz, stick to the regular joe, an Americano, or a cappuccino.

10. Worst Lemonade
Auntie Anne’s Wild Cherry Lemonade Mixer (32 fl oz)
470 calories / 0 g fat / 110 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 11 bowls of Cookie Crisp cereal

There is no such thing as healthy lemonade, but Auntie’s line of Lemonade Mixers takes the concept of hyper-sweetened juice and stretches it to dangerous new levels. See, sugar digests faster than good-for-you nutrients like protein and fiber, which means it’s in your blood almost immediately after you swallow it. Drinking the 3 or 4 days’ worth of added sugar found here jacks your blood sugar and results in strain to your kidneys, the creation of new fat molecules, and the desire to eat more. Ouch!

9. Worst Hot Chocolate
Starbucks White Hot Chocolate with
Whipped Cream (venti, 20 fl oz)
520 calories / 16 g fat (11 g saturated) / 75 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 9 Strawberry Rice Krispie Treats

See that stack of Rice Krispie Treats? It’s just three treats shy of two full boxes. Unless you were a contestant on Fear Factor—and there was a sizeable monetary prize on the line—you’d never even consider noshing down that much sugar at once. But here’s what’s interesting: While that stack is the sugar
counterpart to this atrocity from Starbucks, it still has 40 percent less saturated fat. Makes us wonder what’s going on in the hot chocolate. Stick to beverages with single-flavor profiles instead of pile-on recipes like this and you’ll fare better every time.

8. Worst Frozen Coffee Drink
Dairy Queen Caramel MooLatte (24 fl oz)
870 calories / 24 g fat (19 g saturated, 1 g trans /
112 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 12 Dunkin’ Donuts Bavarian Kreme Doughnuts

Coffee-dessert hybrids are among the worst breed of beverages. This one delivers 1 gram of fat and 4.6 grams of sugar in every ounce, making even Starbucks’ over-the-top line of Frappuccinos look like decent options. Maybe that’s why DQ decided to give it a name that alludes to the animal it promises to turn you into. If you can bring yourself to skip DQ and head to a coffee shop instead, order a large iced latte with a couple shots of flavored syrup and
save some 600 calories. But if you’re stuck where you are, you’re better off pairing a small treat with a regular cup of joe.

7. Worst Margarita
Traditional Red Lobster Lobsterita (24 fl oz)
890 calories / 0 g fat / 183 g carbohydrates
Carbohydrate Equivalent: 7 Almond Joy candy bars

Of all the egregious beverages we’ve analyzed, the Lobsterita surprised us the most. The nation’s biggest fish purveyor is one of the few big players in the restaurant biz to provide its customers with a wide selection of truly healthy food options. We would hope they’d do the same with the beverages, but obviously not. Drink one of these every Friday night and you’ll put on more than a pound of flab each month. Downgrade to a regular margarita on the rocks and pocket the remaining 640 calories.

6. Worst Float
Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Soda,
vanilla ice cream and cola (large, 28.6 fl oz)
960 calories / 40 g fat (25 g saturated, 1.5 g trans) / 136 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 9.7 Fudgsicle fudge bars

Done right, an ice cream float can be a decent route to indulgence. Go to A&W and you’ll land a medium for fewer than 400 calories. Order it with diet soda and you’ve dropped below 200 calories. So why can’t Baskin-Robbins make even a small float with fewer than 470 calories? Because apparently the chain approaches the art of beverage-crafting as a challenge to squeeze in as much fat and sugar as possible. Whatever you order, plan on splitting it with a friend.

5. Worst Frozen Fruit Drink
Krispy Kreme Lemon Sherbet Chiller (20 fl oz)
980 calories / 40 g fat (36 g saturated) /
115 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 16 medium-size
chocolate eclairs

Imagine taking a regular can of soda, pouring in 18 extra teaspoons of sugar, and then swirling in half a cup of heavy cream. Nutritionally speaking, that’s exactly what this is, which is how it manages to marry nearly 2 days’ worth of saturated fat
with enough sugar to leave you with a serious sucrose hangover. Do your heart a favor and avoid any of Krispy Kreme’s “Kremey” beverages. The basic Chillers aren’t the safest of sippables either, but they’ll save you up to 880 calories.

4. Worst Frozen Mocha
Così Double Oh! Arctic Mocha (gigante, 23 fl oz)
1,210 calories / 19 g fat (10 g saturated) /
240 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 41 Oreo Cookies

A frozen mocha will never be a stellar option, but we’ve still never come across anything that competes with this cookie-coffee milkshake hybrid from Così. Essentially it’s a mocha Blizzard made with Oreo cookies and topped with whipped cream and an oversize Oreo. The result is a beverage with more calories than two Big Macs and more sugar than any other drink in America.

3. Worst Drive-Thru Shake
McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake 
(large, 32 fl oz)
1,160 calories / 27 g fat (16 g saturated, 2 g trans) / 168 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 13 McDonald’s Baked Hot
Apple Pies

There are very few milk shakes in America worthy of your hard-earned calories, but few will punish you as thoroughly as this Mickey D’s drive-thru disaster. Not only does it have more than half your day’s caloric and saturated fat allotment and
more sugar than you’d find in Willy Wonka’s candy lab, but Ronald even finds a way to sneak in a full day of cholesterol spiking trans fat. The scariest part about this drink is that it’s most likely America’s most popular milk shake.

2. Worst Smoothie
Smoothie King Peanut Power Plus Grape (large, 40 fl oz)
1,498 calories / 44 g fat (8 g saturated) / 214 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 20 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

If Smoothie King wants someone to blame for landing this high on our worst beverages roundup (and truth be told, its entire menu is riddle with contenders), the chain should point the smoothie straw at whichever executive came up with the cup-sizing structure. Sending someone out the door with a 40-ounce cup should be a criminal offense. Who really needs a third of a gallon of sweetened peanut butter blended with grape juice, milk, and bananas? Sugar-and-fat-loaded smoothies
like this should be served from 12-ounce cups, not mini kegs.

 

1. Worst Beverage in America
Cold Stone PB&C (Gotta Have It size, 24 fl oz)
2,010 calories / 131 g fat (68 g saturated) /
153 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 30 Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies

In terms of saturated fat, drinking this Cold Stone catastrophe is like slurping up 68 strips of bacon. Health experts recommend capping your saturated fat intake at about 20 grams per day, yet this beverage packs more than three times that into a cup the size of a Chipotle burrito. But here’s what’s worse: No regular shake at Cold Stone, no matter what the size, has fewer than 1,000 calories! If you must drink your ice cream, make it one of the creamery’s “Sinless” options. Otherwise you’d better plan on buying some bigger pants on the way home.

So that's it, America's 20 worst drinks. Are you guilty of consuming one or more of these? Did some take you by surprise? If so, now ya' know, so choose wisely! This list was created by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, the creators of the "Eat This, Not That!" book series, from their recent book, "Drink This, Not That!" For more "Drink This, Not That!" info. and tips, check out this link from Men'sHealth.com. Happy drinking!
 
And have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!!

NOBODY'S PERFECT

 Hello lovely people! I've been thinking a lot about what my subject for this new blog post should be about and it's had me kinda' perplexed... should I focus on exercise? Nutrition? Should I do my first exercise dvd review? Usually I'll be talking to a friend, a subject will come up in conversation and I'll suddenly have an "Aha!" moment - I know that's what I should write about. But nothing like that happened this week. While exercise and nutrition posts are well and good (and don't worry, I'll definitely continue doing them), one thing that I always want this blog to be is a source of encouragement and motivation! I told you in my very first post that my mission is for us all to "Succeed in fitness together!" Total fitness is mind, body and spirit, and to really succeed you've got to work on yourself from the inside out. Who cares if you have a great body if you're a jerk? And are you really going to be happy at a size 4 if you're self esteem is low? I don't think so! Some of the most beautiful fit people in the world are the unhappiest so obviously looks aren't all it's about. Which brings me to the subject of this blog post, something that I had to tell myself some time ago as I began this weight loss journey and something that all people, whether struggling with their weight or not, need to hear: STOP BEATING YOURSELF UP! NOBODY'S PERFECT.

What's "Perfect"?

airbrushed before and after

Let's start with the word "perfect", what does perfect really mean anyway? Your idea and my idea of perfection can be drastically different. Perfection, just like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. For instance, while most of the world loves the look of ripped 6 pack abs, I'm not the biggest fan of them on women, and if taken too far, on men as well. While I admire the dedication it takes to get 'em, they've never been something that I longed to have, a nice flat stomach will do me fine, no 6 pack needed. However, a lot of people think having a 6 pack is the look of total perfection on a stomach. You see what I mean? So question: who's right and who's wrong? The answer would be: NO ONE! It's all a matter of personal preference. Never look to other people or the world as a guide to "perfection". TV, magazines, posters, music videos are all horrible examples to look at when searching for a good body image to aspire towards, for one reason if no other: IT'S ALL FAKE! Those actors/actresses and models don't really look like that! There are some people who are naturally "beautiful" and "perfect" but you can bet that most are being made over with tons of makeup (on face and BODY - some of those "rips" you see on their stomachs are dark body makeup), airbrushed, fake chest, fake butt, fake lips... the list goes on and on! While I don't knock their hustle because it's all entertainment, please don't look at those images as a goal to reach. If you really want some images of realistic, achievable bodies, try a fitness magazine like Fitness: Mind, Body & Spirit or Women's Health (2 of my personal favs), not music videos or Sports Illustrated. They're all catering to the world's opinion of what's "perfect" and you'll kill you're self mentally when you start to realize that might not be achievable for you. Which brings me to my second point...

People come in all shapes and sizes, learn to appreciate yours!

Be The Best You For YOU!
Everyone's body is different. Some women are naturally curvy and can easily achieve that Beyonce body with proper diet and exercise, but some women have a more boyish figure and will never have that hourglass shape. You've got to accept you for you and just be the best you that you can be.  Stop comparing yourself to other people! I did this for years and all it did was hold me back from my full potential. I never thought I was good enough simply because I didn't look like the other girl who was thin, or once I did lose weight, the other girl who was thinner than me. You can't change genetics and at the end of the day, I don't care how much you work out or what you do, some things will never change. Now don't get me wrong, if it's reasonably achievable and you want to go for it, give it your best shot! With a great diet and an awesome workout routine big things are possible! I'm living proof! But understand that your body is only going to be the best that it can individually be. Be proud of what you got and even what you don't got! LOL! Being comfortable in the skin you're in is the most attractive trait that a person can have, I don't care if you're a size 0 or a size 20, there's something about inner confidence that makes everyone sit up and take notice.


So in conclusion, I just want to urge everyone reading this to give up seeking "perfection" and just concentrate on accepting and loving themselves for who and what they are. Sounds corny and easy enough to do, but for some of us it can be the hardest thing. If you're trying to lose weight, working hard at it through diet and exercise, YOU WILL ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL! Whether it's tomorrow or a year from now, if you keep at and never give up, it's gonna' happen, that's a given! In the meanwhile, learn to love yourself no matter what the size, realizing that YOU'RE PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!

My "Gotta' Have It" Food Staples

Hello all! Since I've now filled you guys in on some of my favorite exercise programs, I thought the next logical thing to do would be to let you know what some of my favorite healthy foods are, my food staples, healthy foods that I eat on a regular basis and would never want to live without. Let me start out by saying that I AM NO NUTRITIONIST. I don't claim to know everything about healthy eating and I would never want you to start eating the foods I suggest based on some knowledge that I have portrayed myself as having. I only know what works for me. Also, another fact to consider is I am no longer trying to lose weight, as of now I am maintaining so even though I would classify the foods I will mention as "healthy", if you are still on your journey of weight loss, you'll want to stick to the healthy eating plan that hopefully you're already on and make your own judgments on whether you'd like to add these foods to your diet. Personally I don't think you can go wrong with any of these foods, but everyone's body is different (a diet plan that works for you, may not work for me and vice versa) so please, choose wisely.

I'm a big believer of food not only being a source of fuel for your body but for enjoyment as well. I don't think just because something is healthy it has to taste bad. As you start on your weight loss journey, you may start eating fruits, vegetables and other new healthy foods that you aren't used to eating and for awhile they may not taste as good to you as the unhealthy foods you're used to eating, but eventually your tastes buds change and you realize that it's not that those healthy foods taste bad, they just were so different from what you were used to eating before that you couldn't really appreciate them. All the foods I'm going to list are not only good for you but taste great as well! So I think that even if you are just beginning to switch over to a healthier diet, you'll have no problems. So let's get to it!


My "Gotta' Have It" Food Staples:

Quaker Oatmeal To Go Breakfast Bars
A favorite breakfast item that I eat almost every morning are Quaker Oatmeal To Go Breakfast Bars. At 220 calories, they are a great source of fiber and equal 20% of your daily vitamins A and B6, as well as calcium and iron. And on top of all of that, they taste great, too!  There are several different flavors available and I've tried almost all of them, but my favorite would have to be the Apples with Cinnamon. And here's a tip, while they don't require any cooking at all, try putting the package in the microwave for around 10 or 15 seconds, they'll be warm and gooey and make a wonderfully warm breakfast treat!

Special K Original Cereal
My favorite cereal is an oldie but a goodie and that's Special K Original Cereal. No sugar or artificial sweetener needed, it's good all by itself. This is the one cereal that I always make sure I have in my cabinet. It's healthy and tasty and that's always a plus! I will give you a word of advice though, eating a healthy cereal is only beneficial when you follow the recommended serving size which is one cup. That's a mistake that most people always make and I was guilty of this for years. You think since you're only eating cereal, and especially if it's a healthy cereal, that you're free to have a huge bowl full, but those calories add up when you exceed the recommended serving amount. More cereal equals more milk which means even more calories! You've officially defeated the whole purpose! So keep that in mind.

Better' N Eggs
I'm not a huge egg eater but when I do eat eggs, I eat an egg substitute, and after trying a few, my preference is the Better' N Eggs brand. Better' N Eggs can be used anytime - for omelets, scrambled eggs, quiches, protein smoothies or any recipe that calls for eggs. I know some people prefer natural eggs but Better' N Eggs actually are natural, they are made from real eggs but are fat-free and cholesterol-free. Why an egg substitute? Egg yolks are high in fat, calories and cholesterol. Better' N Eggs is 98% real liquid egg whites with added nutrients. In addition to being fat-free, cholesterol-free and low calorie, Better' N Eggs is also high in vitamins A, B-12, D and E plus essential nutrients such as folic acid and riboflavin. They truly are better than eggs! You should give 'em a try!

Bumble Bee Chicken Salad w/ Crackers
Lunch time!!! So what are you gonna' eat? My favorite lunch meal that I eat almost everyday is Bumble Bee Chicken Salad w/ Crackers. I truly eat this almost every single day! I'll admit, they can be a little hard to find, but you can always buy them online which I think I'm actually going to start doing because I love it so much. I was a little skeptical at first because a lot of pre-made chicken salads do not taste good, but this one is really tasty! If you read my very first blog post you know that I used to be on NutriSystem and that's the diet I used to lose a majority of my weight. Well this meal is actually a NutriSystem equivalent! How cool is that?!? There's a site that I go on from time to time called "Recipe Xchange" that lists NutriSystem comparison meals as a way of doing NutriSystem on your own and this Bumble Bee Chicken Salad meal kit is listed there as a substitute for NS' chicken salad lunch meal. So whenever I eat this I know if I go wrong with any other meal of the day, at least I've had one meal that was on target! Gotta' love that!

Healthy Ones Lunch Meat
When I don't have my Bumble Bee Chicken Salad for lunch, I usually just make a sandwich and the lunch meat I choose is Healthy Ones. There are a number of different meats to choose from: lean ham, lean turkey breast, lean chicken breast and roast beef. No matter which one you choose, they are all 97% fat free. No by-products, no artificial flavors and no artificial sweeteners. The slices are pretty thin, but 4 slices equal one serving which is still only 60 calories, so I always feel pretty full.

 
Healthy Life Bread
So what about bread? With all the concern about carbs, do you eat bread? If so, which one? And how do you know if it's healthy or not? Well I do definitely eat bread and I have been fortunate enough to find a bread that is only 40 calories per slice, 7 Net Carbs, 98% fat free, no trans fat, no saturated fat, no cholesterol, a good source of fiber, sugar free, no high fructose corn syrup, and 21 grams of whole grain per serving. So what is the name of his miracle bread? Healthy Life Bread. There are several different kinds to choose from, Whole Wheat, Whole Wheat Whole Grain, Rye Bread, White Bread, Italian Bread and more. No matter what flavor you choose, it's all healthy! They also have a line of hamburger and hot dog buns which I eat as well. Healthy Life Bread can be found at most grocery stores but primarily only in the MidWest (unfortunately for you West, East and South coasters) but I'm pretty sure if you're really interested you probably could buy somewhere online.

Kraft Oven Fry
One thing that is constant in my diet is chicken. I LOVE CHICKEN! I literally could eat chicken morning, noon, and night. There are so many ways to eat it! You can bake it, broil it, boil it, fry it, roast it, and even bar-b-que it! But since I turned over a new leaf and have joined the healthy way of living, I no longer have frying as an option. But I have found a way to get the taste of fried chicken without the grease and the need for a frying pan and that's with Kraft Oven Fry! I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!!! So much that it makes me want to stock up just in case they ever stop making it! It's basically like Shake and Bake but tastes a whole lot better! It truly is like eating fried chicken! One tip that I have for you  is to still season your meat with whatever seasonings you usually put on your chicken, then follow the steps on the back of the box, which are to coat with egg, and then coat with Kraft Oven Fry mix, put in pan and bake. It's that simple! If you like chicken, particularly fried chicken, you've got to give this a try! This makes not frying chicken ever again totally possible, giving you a new, healthier alternative! You can find it at any grocery store and lots of places online.

Morningstar Farms Veggie Burgers
I'm no vegetarian but there are lots of benefits to eating vegetarian food or just simply cutting out some of the meat in your diet. One way that I do that is by eating Morningstar Farms Veggie Burgers. Now I could lie and say that they taste like real burgers but I would be lying. They don't taste like the real thing, but they do taste really good and come pretty close. Especially once you top it with lettuce, tomato, and condiments of your choice. You can even add cheese for added protein! I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about veggie burgers but I've tried several different brands and these are the best. (A close second would be BOCA burgers, if Morningstar Farms doesn't work for you, you might want to check BOCA out - it's all a matter of personal taste.)

Hidden Valley Fat Free Ranch
As you can probably tell by now, I try to live in a low fat/fat free world. So it should come as no surprise that I choose to eat fat free salad dressing. My favorite salad dressing of all time is Ranch and the best fat free Ranch dressing that I've found (and I've tried many!) is Hidden Valley Fat Free Ranch. I use it for salads, as a dip, and even as a condiment for sandwiches! If you're looking for a great tasting fat free Ranch dressing, look no more, this is it! 

Splenda
"Sugar free" are also two words I always look for in a product. I try to eliminate as much sugar out of my diet as I can. (I haven't drank soda going on 4 years, I try not to drink a lot of juice, and I don't even own a bag of sugar.) The best sugar substitute/artificial sweetener hands down is Splenda! It's the only one I use and I use it religiously! It's good anytime you need something to be a little sweeter, whether that be sliced fruit, cereal, milk, shakes, or smoothies. And how can you go wrong with 0 calories? That's my kind of product!

Sugar Free Drink Mix
While we're on the subject of sugar free, I mentioned above that I don't drink soda and try not to drink a lot of juice, so what does that leave? WATER! Water, water and more water! Water is great all by itself but you can only drink so much plain water before it gets old, and believe me, it gets old quick! So my answer to that would be sugar free drink mixes! I live on these! There's Crystal Light, of course, but there are also cheaper, just as good, alternatives, such as Target's Market Pantry Sugar Free Drink Mix, Wyler's Light Sugar Free Mix and Hawaiian Punch Sugar Free Mix (both of which can be found at grocery stores, Walgreen's, CVS', and dollar stores). No matter which brand you choose (I use all 4) there are lots of different flavors and I'm sure you'll find some that you like!


 Cool Whip Free
Another sugar free, healthy alternative is Cool Whip Free. I actually use this a lot, for smoothies, fruit, healthy sweet treats,... etc. Basically anytime you would want to use Cool Whip you can use Cool Whip Free instead. The taste is virtually the same.




Vitalicious
A couple of healthy sweet treats that I put Cool Whip Free on are my Vitalicious VitaMuffins and VitaTops. If you've never heard of Vitalicious you have GOT to check them out! While I'm not a big fan of chocolate desserts or chocolate in general, I Iove Vitalicious' Deep Chocolate VitaTops! They're my favorite! The taste is so great, it's kind of shocking that they're healthy. Only 100 calories per serving, low-fat, contains 15 vitamins & minerals, soy and oat bran (hence the name "Vitalicious"), no artificial additives or preservatives, and high in fiber (5-6g per serving), leaving you feeling full because fiber-rich foods take longer to digest. They are plenty of flavors to choose from so go on over to vitalicious.com and check 'em out! They are mostly an online company but you can find them at some local grocery and specialty stores.

Yoplait Light Yogurt
One snack/dessert that I constantly keep in my fridge is Yoplait Light Yogurt. Lots of flavors, great tasting, 99% fat free, only 100 calories. Another added benefit to yogurt (not just the Yoplait brand but yogurt in general) that a lot of people don't realize is that yogurt actually helps with bad breath! It's a proven fact that eating yogurt keeps your breath fresher. So keeping this as a staple has more benefits than originally thought!

Protein/Fiber Bars
Two snacks bars that I always make sure to stay stocked up on are South Beach Protein Bars and Fiber One Bars. My favorites are the South Beach Cinnamon Raisin Protein Bar and the Fiber One Oats & Chocolate Bar. Both brands have plenty of flavors to choose from and are great as a low cal snack. The South Beach Protein Bars are great for eating on days you work out - especially on those days when you are doing weight/strength training because adding more protein on those days helps the building of muscle. The Fiber One bars are full of fiber and are just great as a snack because you will feel full much longer because of the fiber.

Fruits and Vegetables
Last but not least are FRUITS AND VEGETABLES! Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. That's one thing I like about fruits and vegetables, YOU CAN NEVER EAT TOO MUCH! Some would argue that point, but in my opinion, fruits and vegetables are good calories and the amount of calories are fairly low, so pile up your plate! You have to watch it when you're eating fruits higher in sugar, such as bananas for example, but in general, you can't go wrong! Apples, Carrots, Broccoli, Bananas, Strawberries, Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Salad, Tomatoes, Zucchini, Spinach... etc., there's so much to choose from! Try everything and find the fruits and vegetables that you like the most. There's always something new to try from season to season.


So that's it! The complete list of my "Gotta' Have It!" Food Staples. There are many more food suggestions that I will suggest in this blog but these are the ones that I wouldn't want to live without. Check 'em out and let me know what you think! See ya'!

Variety Is Key: A List Of Some Of My Favorite Exercise Programs

They say that variety is the spice of life and I would definitely have to agree, especially when it comes to your workouts! Being the self-professed exercise video queen that I am, I switch up my workouts often. And when I say often it's not unusual for me to do 3 or 4 different workout programs in a 5 or 6 day workout week. I truly believe that variety is the key to achieving the best results for your body.

So what are the benefits to varying your workout routine? People should consider varying their exercise routines for two fundamental reasons: (1) to prevent boredom associated with doing the same things, workout after workout and (2) to avoid or delay reaching a plateau.
I love exercising (once you really start exercising on a regular basis you realize that there are a number of benefits besides weight loss that can be achieved from it - energy, relaxation, and stress relief just to name a few), but if I didn't vary my exercise routines from time to time it would be kinda' hard for me to find the motivation for it. Let's face it, no matter how much you love a particular exercise after awhile it just can get boring. I think if anyone wants any chance of making exercise a part of their daily life you've gotta' switch it up from time to time, whether that be trying out a new workout dvd, a new piece of exercise equipment or a new group fitness class. Varying your exercise routine can also help you stay physically challenged. Most people's bodies adapt to an exercise program within approximately six to eight weeks. If you don't modify your exercise routine, you may reach a plateau because your body has adapted to the repetitive training and even though you are doing the same workout as when you first started, your body is now burning less calories. So for these two reasons alone I urge you, if you're not already, to put some variety in your exercise!

I try new workouts all the time. I love working my body in different ways which can equal new & different results! But I do have a few favs that I always try to incorporate in my routine and I get variety by mixing them up. So here are a list of some of my favorite exercise programs:

Leslie Sansone's Walk At Home

So let's start with the woman who started it all for me. It was with her help that I first began my love affair with exercise. She taught me that exercise doesn't have to be difficult to get great results and with her perky & bubbly personality exercise became a lot of fun, too! Something I actually looked forward to doing rather than dreading like I had with other exercise I tried. Leslie Sansone's Walk At Home program!

So What Is Walk At Home? 

Walk At Home is a system of walking based moves that allow you to choose a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more miles of walking, and you don’t have to leave the area in front of your TV or computer! It’s convenient, because you can walk anytime of the day! Leslie's DVDs have been available since the 1980's and she is always coming out with new ones so there are a variety of workouts to choose from: Beginner gentle pace 1-2 mile workouts, Intermediate "power walk" 3-4 mile workouts or Advance 5 mile workouts that move you as fast as 6 miles per hour! In some workouts you can "walk" to speeds that are equivalent to a 10 minute mile! Now those workouts are some REAL calorie burners! I personally believe it's the best way to walk for weight loss because this is multi-muscle walking, not the type of walking that what you would do in a typical stroll around the block. You're moving the muscles in motion in many directions, the arms work the upper body, the core muscles fire to get the tummy area slim, and the legs move in new directions for maximum muscle activation!

It was with this program that I lost the majority of my weight and I highly recommend it! Especially if you're new to exercise! The Intermediate and Advanced workouts really can be challenging, though, so even if you're a long time, avid exerciser I think you will still be able to feel challenged. Check it out: www.walkathome.com


The FIRM

Now I love Leslie but after awhile, like I mentioned before, you get bored with doing the same thing over and over again, so eventually it was time for me to move on to something else and achieve some new results. I don't specifically remember how I heard of The FIRM (I think from an exercise forum I was reading at the time) but I went to their website, checked it out and decided to order the "TransFIRMation Kit", and I've been a FIRM believer ever since!

History of The FIRM

It all began in 1979 when The FIRM Studio opened in South Carolina. By combining cardio and weight training, The FIRM recognized that people could burn fat, build muscle and get the bodies they wanted safely, effectively and quickly. This revolutionary cardio-plus-body-sculpting fitness hybrid, called "Synergy Training" formed the basis for The FIRM method then and is still central to The FIRM philosophy today. When The FIRM decided to share their successful method with people who were unable to travel to the Studio, the at-home workout series was born.

The FIRM method is so effective for three reasons:

• First, The FIRM workout varies in intensity level throughout. The peaks and valleys of effort are the basis of interval training.
  
• Second, The FIRM uses a unique method of sequencing the exercises so that you alternate between upper and lower body moves. This gives you adequate energy to sculpt both for maximum effect and revs your heart rate for a higher calorie burn.
  
• Third, The FIRM uses variable resistance so that you sculpt your muscles with just the right size weights. By incorporating weighted exercises you achieve greater body slimming and shaping benefits from just cardio alone. In fact, the combination of cardio and body sculpting burns 3 times the fat as cardio alone!

The FIRM guarantees visible results in 10 workouts and for me, The FIRM delivered! I lost 12 inches in the first 10 workouts!!! That's A LOT!!! Now I will admit, since you're using weights, you're building muscle which won't help with moving the scale in a negative direction, in fact you more than likely will see the scale go up 1 or 2 pounds, but don't worry, this is just temporary. After a couple of weeks on the program that scale will start moving in the right direction and you will not only have already seen inches lost but pounds as well! The FIRM actually started my love of pumping iron. Building muscle is essential to developing a well toned body and it should definitely be put into any workout routine! Contrary to popular belief, lifting weights does NOT make you big or bulky if you are a woman. Men have testosterone, a lot more than us women have, they're going to be the ones who build the bigger muscles, not us. For women, lifting weight is only going to make you smaller, tighter, and leaner and that's what The FIRM did for me! (Female body builders (as well as male body builders) only look the way they do because they are trying to achieve that look, it takes A LOT of hard work, A LOT of weight (pound wise) and A LOT of time! The average woman is never going to build muscle like that from lifting weights, so no worries there!)


As my love for The FIRM grew, I've bought more and more of their DVDs, old and new - and to be honest a lot of the older workouts from the '80s give you more of a challenge than the newer ones! I love it! Both old and new are available at their website. Check The FIRM out today! www.firmdirect.com


TURBO Jam / Kick / Fire

Last but certainly not least are my Turbo workouts! Turbo Jam, Turbo Kick and Turbo Fire! When you try as many different workouts as I do, you're bound to eventually find your "soul mate workout" the workout program that you LOVE! In fact, you love it so much that it's not even considered "exercise" to you anymore, it's a hobby, a habit, your drug of choice - this is what my Turbo workouts have become for me! First let's talk about the Turbo program that I first started with and the woman who created it all: Turbo Jam and Chalene Johnson.

Turbo Jam

Turbo Jam is the workout that doesn't feel like work! Creator, Chalene Johnson packs each workout with calorie-blasting cardio, kickboxing, body-sculpting, and dance moves set to the hottest music ever! Popular Hip-hop and Pop tracks, old school and new, that you know and love! Music plays a BIG part in Turbo Jam (and all the Turbo programs, period), so I would advise you that if you're not one who likes Hip-Hop or Pop music or a big fan of dancing, this probably isn't the workout for you. Don't get me wrong, you don't have to be the best dancer to start Turbo Jam, it's not a "dance" workout, but the music is dancy and Chalene is always encouraging you to shake it! LOL! It's one of the things that truly makes this workout fun! That combined with Chalene's upbeat attitude which makes you feel like you can achieve the body you've been hoping for easily, just by doing a few easy kick boxing moves and jamming to the music! You're scorching fat and sizzling calories at a rate of up to 1,000 AN HOUR!!! It's fast! It's fun! It works! I lost my last 15 lbs with Turbo Jam and I recommend it to anyone who has ears! Check it out! www.turbojam.com

 So Who Is Chalene Johnson?

Chalene Johnson is an entrepreneur, Fit Life Expert,TV fitness personality, clothing designer, author, motivational speaker and choreographer. Creator of Turbo Jam, Turbo Kick, ChaLEAN Extreme, Turbo Fire, Hip Hop Hustle and PiYo (all of which I've tried and also love but I'll have to do a review on ChaLEAN Extreme, Hip Hop Hustle and Piyo another time). A diet and exercise professional who believes your relationships are more important than any number on a scale. Married and a mother of two, her personal interests are pushing people to be their best and living their life in balance according to their OWN priorities. I recently got the opportunity to meet her in person and she is just as nice in person as she appears on camera. She truly wants to help people "Do More" from the inside out. It's not all about achieving the "best body", she wants to help people reach their best potentials and I love that about her!


Turbo Kick

I discovered Turbo Kick through an exercise forum that I regularly go on and after trying it I have been an official Turbo lover ever since! While Turbo Jam was the first program that Chalene released nationally to the public through the Beachbody company, Turbo Kick was the group fitness class that Chalene first created that caught on like wildfire from gyms in Orange County, CA to all around the world!

A student at Michigan State University, Chalene studied Tae Kwon Do, dance and aerobics. After moving to California in the early 90’s she married these formats in a group exercise class that combined the sexiness of dance, the hip feel of funk with the power and strength of kickboxing. A self proclaimed closet DJ, she taught herself to digitally re-master and edit music to match the moves of every pre-choreographed routine, adding sound effects, highs and lows in an elaborately produced musical arrangement. Word spread about this unique version of kickboxing class and before long the demand for videos and trainings spread across the country. In 1997 Chalene began teaching other instructors how to deliver her unique brand of fitness. In 1998 Turbo Kick was born! Incorporated since 1995, in 1999 she formed a team of creative and talented professionals to develop reasonably priced, unique group exercise programming that would appeal to people motivated by the combination of movement to inspired music. Powder Blue Productions trained nearly 500 instructors to teach Turbo Kick in the first year. Less then 10 years later, that number had grown to a staggering 35,000 instructors world wide! Now the number of TK instructors is even higher, myself being one of them! Yes, I took the certification test this year and I am now an official Turbo Kick instructor! I'm not teaching, YET, but it's definitely a plan for the future!

Turbo Kick is basically the advanced version of Turbo Jam. You work a little harder and burn more calories. The Turbo Kick DVDs are mainly for instructors to learn the routines to teach to their classes but you don't have to be an instructor to own it at home, you can start with the Fan Volume DVDs, as I did, which are made for fans of Turbo Kick to workout at home. Also, Turbo Kick classes are offered at gyms all around the world! Check in your area to see where you can take a Turbo Kick class today! All this info. and more can be found at: www.turbokick.com

Turbo Fire

Now on to the latest program Chalene just created in the Turbo series: Turbo Fire!!! I just recently started doing Turbo Fire and it is the most intense Turbo yet! Chalene helps you get leaner with exercises that burn up to 9x more fat than regular cardio does. And with more than 20 smoking-hot music remixes, TurboFire will pick you up and push you past your limits! And just in case you've never done another version of Turbo before, Chalene's "New to Class" option also gives you the breakdown on how to do each move with the right form.

Burn Up To 9X More Fat!
Turbo Fire classes include Fire Drills, also know as "High Intensity Interval Training" (HIIT). These drills push you to your max for up to 1-minute bursts, with quick recovery periods. Studies show that HIIT ignites your metabolism, enabling your body to burn more calories for up to 48 hours after your workout. Not only that, with TurboFire, you'll work out less than half the time you normally would doing regular cardio—and burn up to 9x more fat.

Check out www.turbofire.com to get your Turbo Fire package today! 


So that's it! That concludes my favorites. People ask me all the time, "what do you do?" so I'm using this blog post as a broader way of answering. It's all about finding out what works for you. If you don't like something it's kinda' hard to get up everyday and do it so put some variety in your routine, try and try and try again until you find your favorites. And if you're lucky, you just might find that "soul mate workout"!