Fitness Review: Abdominal Sweatbands
Contributor: Samantha I’m a big fitness fanatic, and I’m always on board for trying something new when it comes to working out. From workout DVDs…
My Workout Routine: December 2013
I’ve been doing the same fitness routine for about 2 years now, and I’ve decided to switch it up. No, I’m not doing the same…
A New Favorite: Cuties
Recently, my husband and I have become addicted to cuties. When he first mentioned buying them, I asked, “What in the hay is a cutie?” I was hoping for chocolate or a new type of ice cream. Turns out, it’s an orange. Or a Clementine. Well, it’s a round fruit that’s orange in color and is citrusy. Got it? Yeah, I didn’t either. As someone who doesn’t like oranges, I turned my nose up at the thought of eating one. Because that’s what a cutie is, right? My husband persuaded me to give it shot, saying it’s not an orange, really, but something similar, and people who don’t like oranges are said to like cuties. So I agreed to give it a shot, and I’m happy to report I honestly like them. Love them actually. Sometimes I eat four a day, and I don’t feel guilty about it. It’s a fruit, it’s packed with Vitamin C, and it’s free of cholesterol, sodium, and trans fat. And that makes me one happy girl. The cuties are easy to peel, they’re small and a perfect snack size, and good for you – really, winners all around. My husband and I always look for the bags that have smaller cuties in them, because we think the smaller ones are easier to peel and simply taste better. These last for a long time in our fridge, and we always have them in stock. So if you’re looking good for a good-for-you snack, check out the cuties. You’ll love this mini-orange….this Clementine…this is fruit. Whatever it is, I’m just happy to eat it!
Workout Review: Zumba Fitness 2
I’m a big fan of working out, and I prefer to do my workouts in my home instead of going to a gym. I have a pretty large collection of workout DVD’s and plenty of small equipment to help me save money on a gym membership – resistance bands, dumbbells, a kettlebell. A few months back I bought Zumba Fitness 2 for the Wii. I have some friends who took Zumba classes and raved over how fun it was and how they love to dance and move and how it doesn’t even feel like a workout. I also love to dance, so I thought this would be a great fit for me.
Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out. My first problem was with the belt it came along with. You have to put the belt around your wait then put the Wii controller in the little pouch, and that is what tracks your movement. Well, the belt didn’t even come close to fitting me. I was constantly having to stop and make it tighter or adjust it, so I kept getting behind. After a few tries I thought, why not just hold the controller? Doing it that way didn’t help my score but I wasn’t doing this for a game, I was trying to work out. If I didn’t hold the controller at all the game would pause and freeze, so I had to at least be holding it to keep the music going. The next problem I had is that I don’t think it was advanced enough for me. I never broke a sweat or felt challenged while completing the dances, and most of them I found pretty boring. As I write this review, I have actually already given about the DVD. It was worth a shot, but I think I might be better off buying more advanced DVD’s that don’t require me to hold onto a controller! If you are looking for a fun game to play and not really a good workout this could be possibility, but if you are looking for a decent workout, I wouldn’t go for this one.
2 stars
Foodie Review: Special K Cereal
I’m a big fan of cereal – like, I start my day with a bowl of cereal and typically have another for my before-bedtime snack. Yes, I am 26. Don’t judge. But the cereal I prefer – Frosted Flakes, Fruit Loops, etc – are all the very sugary types, and I know I’m not helping myself any by eating two bowls a day. So I decided to go out on a limb a few months back and try something… healthy. I grabbed a box of Special K cereal. I have tried (and reviewed) both the cereal bars and the chips from Special K’s line and thought both were great – and better for me. So I decided to try the cereal, to see if I could cut back on the sugary brands I loved so much.
I decided on the fruit and yogurt cereal, and am happy to report that I actually love it. I was a tad intimated at first because I’m not a big fan of oats (that why I prefer frosted flakes!) but with the yogurt clusters and bits of fruit in every bite I didn’t find any issues with taste. Now I always keep a box of this cereal stocked in my cabinet, and I love having a healthier option to turn to!
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
There was an article on my local news website today that sparked my interest. Carbonated beverages have been seeing a decline since 2005, and last year it fell to the lowest it’s been since 1996. The article states without energy drinks such as Monster and Red Bull, the decline would have been even steeper. I think this is great! My last soda was in mid-January, and I challenged myself not to drink one while doing Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred Challenge in February. Then came Lent, and my fiancé and I decided to give up soda together, so I just continued on not drinking it. I know Lent ends this weekend, but I’m happy to report that I really am no longer craving the caffeine, nor have I experienced any crazy headaches like I have in the past when I’ve tried cutting out soda. Will I continue to not drink it? I know that I will definitely be cutting way back, but I’m not sure I will totally cut it out. I believe everything is okay in moderation, but I was not applying that rule to soda before January. I know now that I can stay away from pop for months at a time and be just fine, and I want to try to continue on with that healthy choice. Has anyone else recently gave up soda, or done another healthy lifestyle change? I would love to hear about it!
Foodie Review: The Skinny Cow
As someone who freely admits I have an addiction to ice cream, I understand eating it 3+ times a week does not bode well for fitting into my wedding dress. I have tried to quit cold turkey…and that was a terrible idea. So instead of trying to ban myself from my favorite treat, I decided to try to give “healthy” ice cream a try. I’m not a huge fan of frozen yogurt, but one company was catching my eye – Skinny Cow. First – hilarious name, fabulous packaging. Best part – the yum factor! I picked up a box of Cookies N Cream truffle bars, and I find these delicious. Sometimes with healthy foods I feel like I am being cheated in quantity, but I was satisfied after I ate these. It wasn’t short on taste either – I loved the chocolate ribbons especially. I plan on buying the chocolate ice cream sandwiches next, and definitely recommend Skinny Cow for a “healthier choice” option!
Benefits of a Morning Workout
A few months back, I started to switch up my workout schedule. Instead of hitting the gym after work, around 6:00 or so, I started waking up a bit earlier so I could get it out of the way first thing in the morning. I was doing this for a few different reasons. One was to simply get it out of the way. Sometimes my afternoons and nights can get a bit hectic, and even though I would have full intentions of making it to the gym, it just wouldn’t happen. It’s nice to have that done first thing in the morning so I don’t have to be thinking about when I can squeeze time in throughout the day. Another reason was because I was told by our health specialist at work that working on in the morning can boost your metabolism so you burn more calories throughout the day. I’ve also found that AM workouts leave me feeling more energized right off the bat. And the last reason – vanity. I don’t mean losing weight or being toned, I’m talking about my skin. My face was beginning to break out regularly, and my usual facial products weren’t seeming to help the problem. I started asking around, and my friend who works esthetics mentioned working out and washing my face after being at the gym. I did some research of my own, and found that working out with makeup on is bad for your skin, and that you should wash your face after you sweat it up. Both of those things now seem pretty obvious to me, but I still wanted to share! Now, I work out in the mornings with a bare face (sometimes I might scare other gym-goers but they just have to deal with it) and be sure to wash my face right away once I get home. It’s pretty amazing how fast my skin cleared up with that small change!
30 Day Shred Challenge – COMPLETE!
After 30 days of listening to Jillian Michael’s tell me not to quit, I have successfully completed the 30 Day Shred Challenge! Whew – that was a hard month! I’m proud of myself that I didn’t miss a day – even with 4 days out of town over Thanksgiving break. My fiancé’s family might think I’m loony because I lugged home hand weights and a DVD, but that’s okay! So, how did I fare? Pretty good I think. I did Level 1 for 10 days and the Level 2 the rest of the way. On day 30 I just had to see what Level 3 was about – and it was HARD! My plan is to complete this workout again in February (in time for my wedding dress fitting) June (hello summer/bachelorette party) and August (prepping for my wedding). I didn’t change my diet or do anything like that this time around, and in February I am going to try to cut out soda for the 30 days. I will say that doing the workout helped me eat better. Who wants to eat a big greasy burger and fries after all that hard work? My final measurements: I lost 2 1/2 inches off both my waist and hips, and 1 inch on each thigh. I did gain 3 pounds, but I believe that is muscle, and I was more concerned about the inches than weight! I really recommend this DVD for those looking for a challenge and a great workout. I am so happy with my results and – dare I say – actually looking forward to this again!
[Rating: 5]
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