In a world where time is limited and arms are flabby, came a little bit of exercise heaven. AKA the Shake Weight.
The poor Shake Weight has been the butt of many jokes. Mostly because it kind of looks like you're masturbating when you use it. Now stifle your giggles girls, yes I said masturbation, now we can actually get to the nitty gritty of my love for the Shake Weight.
For those that don't know what the Shake Weight is - it's effectively a large dumbbell with a weight inside it - when shaken the weight uses momentum to keep...umm bouncing. Here's what the website says:
"Shake Weight® Utilizes New Workout Technology Called Dynamic Inertia, which can increase Muscle Activity to nearly 300% compared to a Standard Dumbbell"
For only six minutes a day - you probably can get the super toned arms that the infomercial models sport quite wonderfully - but honestly - six minutes a day is QUITE a workout with this thing. I recommend closer to two minutes to start and then build it up to six (I also say a slow build...)
But even with my two minutes a day (or every other day) I have noticed a difference and feel the burn and enjoy the work out. My arms are still a little flabby but they're getting there, definitely slimmer, and definitely more toned. Perhaps I'll extend my workout to six minutes and get super buff for y'all?
SO there you have it. I love my Shake Weight, it works (it's cheap) and if I get less lazy/busy I'm going to have super toned infomercial model arms (but I'm quite happy with what I'm getting)
My Shake Weight was courtesy of Shake Weight. Available for purchase here at $19.99.
Ah it's a Gym Bunny...and it's been forever. I have a stack of these saved up for y'all and have been getting fit all summer and whilst I'm steady at 172lbs (yep exactly 172lbs - no change, isn't that weird?!) my clothes fit better and I feel healthy (of course that could be something to do with also giving up smoking...)
Anyhoo, one of my new favourite workout tools is the Yoga Force yoga mat. I was fairly skeptical when it arrived, I mean really - how much difference can using a fancy yoga mat with lines on make? Well, quite a lot.
The most exciting feature of the mat is it's lines and shape. Ergonomically designed and featuring "orientation lines" it completely revolutionizes my yoga experience. Being able to align my feet, legs and arms up with the "grid" printed on the map really improves my overall alignment and most importantly, my balance. For those reasons alone, this mat is worth it.
In addition, this mat does not bunch or move, something I have experienced with cheaper mats that totally ruins my workout flow - adjusting my body constantly is one thing, having to adjust my mat is a whole other. Another feature I completely adore is it's built in carrying system, the mat rolls up easily and the attached straps clip together to make a handle. So easy and so convenient.
Overall I don't have a bad thing to say about the Yoga Force mat - the price is a little steep, but, if you're a devoted yogi - or even hit up a class a few times a month - it's totally worth it and will improve your yoga experience immensely.
Yoga Force Mat courtesy of Yoga Force - available here at $79
Ok, so perhaps this doesn't quite constitute exercise, but it certainly falls under the category of health and well being. So that counts as a Gym Bunny review candidate non?
Well I don't care...haha! My Vila Now mat is my new favourite thing, especially post exercise. My enjoyment of it and my enthusiasm to even be able to own one, might seem a tad masochistic, but it's not I swear. In total laymans terms, the Vila Now mat is a short and soft mat covered in plastic spikes. Plastic spikes that you're supposed to lay down on, you know, for your health. Not convinced?
Here's the more technical spiel:
You're more convinced now right? It's hard to describe exactly how it feels. It doesn't hurt, or it does, but in a somewhat pleasurable way. Generally I lie on the mat, mostly after exercise, and when I'm feeling brave (and all the curtains are drawn...) in the nude. I lie there for about 15 minutes. After a few minutes my body starts to warm up and back feels really hot. It's a comfortable, pleasurable sensation and my whole body begins to melt (metaphorically...ha!)
When my 15 minutes is up (as lets face it, that's pretty much all I have time for nowadays) I feel utterly relaxed and contented - which I think is 95% the healing properties of the mat and 5% the fact I've spent time lying down doing nothing! My back is always bright red and very hot - almost like a sunburn - but that dies down within half an hour (and isn't painful) - so I just wouldn't recommend leaving the house in anything strapless or backless immediately!
It's one of those things that despite the "science" and my own experience, I can't even tell you why I love it so much or how or why it works - but I do. It's amazing.
Since I'm unable to explain why I love it succinctly - I'm going to pass the buck and offer one lucky reader the chance to try it for themselves (and then maybe you can explain why it's so amazing)
Entering is easy: All I need from you is comment below telling me why you need your 15 minutes peace! (mandatory entry, one entry per person)
For extra entries:
1) Tweet: "I wanna get my health on with @VilaNow courtesy of @Stylesmith http://ow.ly/5luPz" - Be sure to leave a comment letting me know you tweeted. (One entry per day per person)
2) Become a fan of Vila Now on Facebook! - Be sure to leave a comment letting me know you did! (One entry per person)
Yesterday evening at around 6.30pm I hopped into a very fancy car to be whisked away to a tres exclusive event. The driver was a wee bit bemused as he looked around to see me wearing jersey shorts, an over sized t-shirt, sports bra and sneakers but was still polite enough to ask if I was headed to a premiere. Haha.
Nope. I was headed to Pop Physique in Silverlake, courtesy of Degree deodorant, to check out their new program and try my hand at the latest fitness craze 'Zumba' with one of the country's top Zumba instructors.
The Zumba was intense, I felt utterly uncoordinated, totally lacking in rhythm and terribly unfit BUT I had a total blast. I've never laughed or wiggled my butt more. Zumba is a workout - a mix of salsa and pretty high impact cardio (lots of core work!) let's be honest, you're going to sweat, but it's the FUNNEST workout ever. I'm going to be checking out my local class and utilising the DVD in my giftbag! (for the record..the giftbag was Marc Jacobs...nice!)
The main reason Degree got us all together was to share their fantastic new workout tool - Motion Miles in conjunction with their new Motion Sense deodorant (haven't tried it yet - so will let you know!) With Motion Miles you can log your workouts, answer trivia questions and check in places all to gain miles. You can redeem miles to be entered to win prizes, from instant win prizes like major giftcards to Sephora, Piperlime, Amazon, Gap and Zumba classes, dvd's and other workout gear. to weekly sweepstakes including shopping trips, nights on the town, Manolo Blahniks (!) to their grand prizes - a trip to Hawaii, a trip to the Alps and a trip to Costa Rica!
All pretty major. All free to enter - you just have to get moving! To give you a jump start - if you sign up and use this VIP code: GetMoving053 you get a bonus 5 miles! Score. With 5 miles you can enter the weekly sweepstakes or enter the instant win (spin the wheel...it's kind of addictive) twice!
In terms of full disclosure - the more of you that enter and use my special code - the bigger chance I have of winning a weekend in Sedona...and I really need a weekend in Sedona. Bad.
Anyway - so in the spirit of Gym Bunny, getting fit, earning prizes and sending me to Sedona. SIGN UP! (and if anyone wants to go Zumba with me..let me know!
Remember when, back in January, I made all of those new years resolutions regarding my health, fitness and weight loss and introduced a new series called 'Gym Bunny' - well, the good news is - I haven't actually been slacking (well not entirely) and at the beginning of May I started testing a variety of products from diets to dvd's to tools (hello Shake Weight!) to treatments.
All the reviews will be coming over the next few weeks and likely months - I like to really try something before I endorse it (or on occasion don't endorse it) and that means not just starting a yoga workout and giving up halfway through - it means sticking to it for at least a few weeks to give you, the reader, a full review.
The Fresh Diet Overview:
The first review on the agenda is The Fresh Diet. The Fresh Diet is a gourmet food delivery service - that is they literally deliver, daily, chef prepared meals, straight to your door. Each days meals consist of: breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks.
Upon signing up to the service I first had to select my choice of calorie intake and select dislikes. About a week before I was due to start the diet I received my menus online. For each daily meal and snack I had a choice of four items. The video above documents the first five days of meals as I discovered them (the last two days are unfortunately missing as I was too sick - yep this was that week)
Meal Examples in Pictures:
Clockwise: Strawberry Stuffed French Whole Wheat French Toast with Honeydew Melon and Cinnamon Apple Yogurt, Honey Roasted Granola with Fresh Diced Pineapple and Passion Fruit Yogurt, Roasted Poblano Pico de Gallo Omelet with Queso Blanco and Whole Wheat Toast and Whole Wheat Blueberry Waffles with Strawberries and Blueberry Vanilla Ricotta Cheese.
Lunches pictured: Blue cheese salad with baby corn, artichoke hearts, alfalfa sprouts, enoki mushrooms, romaine lettuce and balsamic vinaigrette and roasted beet and orange salad with baby lettuce and crumbled goats cheese and raspberry vinaigrette. (Other lunches not pictured included artichoke and mozzarella panini's)
Snacks and Desserts pictured: White chocolate chip cappuccino cheese cake and Roasted garlic and herbs with parmesan whole wheat crostini. Other snacks and desserts not pictured: Lemon Zest cookies, baked sweet potato stuffed with spinach and gouda cheese.
The Fresh Diet Review:
The biggest issue for me with the food came from the fact I'm vegetarian. Despite being able to select dislikes (and unfortunately you had to select any meat products as "dislikes" as there was not an overall "I'm Vegetarian" option) I still ended up with meat products in my food choices. Out of every four options for meals there as, more often than not, only one veggie option. Meaning I had absolutely no choice.
Additionally, this became even more of an issue when the only "choice" I had was one that contained one of my dislikes. Most of the things I dislike are a mild issue but some are serious dislikes, goats cheese for example, which found itself in my meal choices far more than I could bear. So some days I found myself eating things I just didn't like - before I'd even tried them - and I did try and eat them. The worst day for me was the beets and goats cheese salad. Detest beets, despise goats cheese. But the lettuce (that wasn't contaminated) was good....ha.
Another issue which barely has anything to do with my vegetarianism or my dislikes but everything to do with skill - is the fact that they cannot cook tofu. "Searing" the outside of a 4x2 lump of tofu and pouring sauce on it is not how you cook tofu. Tofu takes on flavor - without taking on flavor (in the cooking process) it's effectively flavorless goo. Really gross. Something that could 100% be improved upon.
The last criticism comes down to portion size itself. Now I went into this to loose the optimum amount of weight possible so, knowing nothing about nutrition, I opted for the lowest calorie option, 1000-1200 calories a day. I was hungry, almost every day, to the point of distraction. Albeit I'd never been on a diet before and I expected to find it a little tough but I did not expect starvation. I discovered later, after speaking with a nutritionist, that at 5ft 10 and 170lbs I need 1596 calories just to cover what the calories I would burn laying still all day. So by consuming under 1200 calories a day I was effectively starving myself. I would, therefore, strongly suggest The Fresh Diet have a BMR calculator be a mandatory part of the process to keep people healthy.
Now for the good stuff. Some of the meals were truly delicious. I enjoyed every breakfast (aside from one omelet featuring sour cream...on my dislike list...) one of the breakfasts was a sensational granola - I'd never had anything quite like it and it was amazing. For lunch, the panini's were good - it'd be great if there could be other instructions that didn't involve microwaving - it made the bread soggy. Something I really enjoyed was some of the more unusual ingredients - enoki mushrooms were new to me, and very yummy. Artichoke hearts, baby squash and hearts of palm I love and rarely eat - so it was a treat to have them as part of my daily meals. The side dishes were always good - I didn't have a bad one - the orzo was especially good and the best overall dinner was the veggie "meatballs" (the quotes are due to the fact that these were effectively falafel..similarly my veggie "burger" also appeared later in the week as a veggie "cutlet")
The snacks and desserts were always delicious, I didn't have a bad one - and the cheesecakes were phenomenal. The more savory snacks were really great but the portion sizes were just depressing.
In terms of service, it was all very straight forward with absolutely no hiccups. My freezer bag seemed to arrive around Midnight (they can deliver anytime between 7pm-5am) as it was always on my doorstep just as I went to bed - so it worked with my late night working schedule very well.
Obviously this was press trial and I didn't have to pay. I do think the prices are quite reasonable (it starts at $35 a day) - perhaps not for the long haul but definitely for a perhaps a month or so to correct bad eating habits and encourage healthy habits. For me this was the most rewarding part of the whole experience. It absolutely taught me about balance (veggies and protein) portion size, and meal timing - all of which is key to a good diet plan and effective weight loss.
Despite my experience I would recommend The Fresh Diet - but only if you are not a vegetarian - not having a choice for your meals was pretty awful and I can't even imagine how difficult that would be for someone who had allergies. But if you eat meat I can only imagine that the meals were delicious (when I was going through my "choices" I was tempted more than once to cheat on my veggies...) I lost 3 lbs in a week - with only a little exercise. My only caveat to that is, I was really sick at the weekend (actual vomitting) and didn't eat anything (I couldn't actually keep it down) for a whole day. But I had already lost 2lbs by that point. I actually think I would have lost more weight had I been on a higher calorie plan as I would have had more energy to exercise!
