My new diet! Shakeology!

Ok, I have decided to try a new diet. I have seen some other people be really successful with it and I figure I should give it a try. Instead of going with the normal meal replacement drink like Slim-Fast I will be using Shakeology. Shakeology is a Beachbody product. It comes from the people that make P90X (Get ripped in 90 days) and Hip Hop Abs. Basically this drink is better than any meal replacement shake that's on the market right now. It has a ton of vitamins, antioxidants, super fruits, healthy oils. All in this 140 calorie drink. I've tried a the chocolate and the greenberry. I like them both, but I like the chocolate better. I've been mixing the chocolate with soy milk and the greenberry with juice, but you can use water.

I find that the shakes keep me full. I sometimes forget to eat lunch. Beachbody says if you replace a meal everyday with Shakeology you will lose weight, gain energy, mental clarity and also improve your skin and hair. Some people have even gotten off medications after starting Shakeology. I figure it's a good investment because instead of getting something unhealthy for breakfast or lunch. Or buying a latte for the same price or less I can have this healthy shake and feel good about what I'm putting into my body. You can also use as it as a post workout drink too!
Check out the website: http://myshakeology.com/Chigirl68 to learn more!

For a FREE SAMPLE of Shakeology send an e-mail to chidiva68@gmail.com. There is no obligation. Just give it a try;-)

Update 2/4/11: Just got my 2 free workout DVDs that I receive with the Home Direct Shakeology program. I will be reviewing these DVDs this weekend. Stay tuned for my review! So far I'm loving the program. Lost 8 pounds last month. I like that I can make the shake how I want it by adding soy milk, coconut water, fruit whatever. What are you waiting for?! Give it a try!

Coco-Zen Chocolate Sugar Body Polish

My skin in the winter get really dry. Sometimes moisturizing is not enough. You have to remove the dead skin cells by exfoliation. Now some people think that's just for your face, but you need to exfoliate the skin over the entire body. I received a sample of Coco-Zen Chocolate Sugar Body Polish. Coco-Zen is a company that makes chocolate goodies with organic and Fair Trade Certified chocolate. They also make the body polish that contains, sugar, chocolate and oils including coconut oil. It smells good enough to eat. You rub it gently on wet skin. After you rinse it off you have soft,smooth skin that smells like chocolate. Immediately after rinsing it off I noticed I didn't need to apply moisturizer. My skin was soft and smelling good for hours. http://stores.homestead.com/CocoZen/StoreFront.bok

Florida's Natural

Received a coupon to try Florida's Natural for free. I'm not really a juice drinker. My kids love to drink it. But with cold and flu season I think it couldn't hurt to have some more vitamin C. I have been having a glass of Florida's Natural everyday. It tastes great. I've added it to smoothies for the kids. It's a nice way to get a little fruit and vitamin C in my diet. http://www.floridasnatural.com/

Physique 57 Workout Kit 3 Disc Set With Ball and Pump (2009)

This is a 3 disc DVD set and it comes with a ball and a pump. The first DVD I did was the Express 30 Minute Full Body Workout. It's a full body workout you can do in 30 minutes. You need very little equipment. Just the ball, a chair and exercise mat. It's lead by Tanya Becker a creator of Physique 57. This workout to me was like the Bar Method on steroids. There wasn't any jumping around, but my heart rate was elevated and I was sweating like crazy. During the lower body portion of the workout she said "Squeeze the cellulite out!" That's just what it felt like I was doing. By the end of the segment my legs felt like Jello. I loved it!

Next was the Arm & Abs Booster 30 Minute Workout. This is an express workout just for the arms and abs, but you also get an inner thigh workout as well. It's lead by Master Instructor Shelly Knight. This workout uses the playground ball a lot more than the previous workout during the floor exercises. While doing the ab exercises to cinch your waist you easily get an inner thigh and leg workout. Shelly's teaching style is described as upbeat on the back of the DVD. That it is! Sometimes it seems like she doesn't take a breath while talking. We go from one exercise to the other without taking a break. The 30 minutes go by quickly. Even during the mat work while laying down I was sweating up a storm.

Finally the last disc is the Full 57 Minute Workout. Which is just the exercises from the other DVDs in one. It's lead by Tanya Becker. I think every muscle in the body is worked on during this workout. At the end I felt sore all over. The program promises that you will see results within 8 workouts. I plan to do these DVDs at least 3 times a week. It's a highly effective, challenging workout. One line that Tanya Becker says from the DVD is "How you workout is how you want to design your body."

Update 2/3/11: I've been using the workout kit at least 3 times a week. I'm really happy with the results. I've lost inches off my waist and hips. My arms and inner thighs are tighter. Working out 3 days a week has been good. I might boost it up to 4.

Update: 4/22/12-Doing this workout for the 1st time in a long time for my 30 Day No Repeat Part Deux Challenge and wondering why I ever stopped doing it.  Amazed at how my heart rate stayed high for most of the workout which means not only was I toning but also burning fat.  I did the Classic Full Body Workout this morning and burned 314 calories;-)



And they have released since I bought the first set a new set that I will definitely get soon!

Gerber Graduates

I received samples of Gerber Graduates for Preschoolers Cereal Twists, Fruit Twists and Juice Treats. The Fruit Twists and Juice Treats are both great sources of vitamin C. The Fruit Twists have a 1/2 fruit serving per twist. The Fruit and Cereal Twists have no artificial flavors or sweeteners. The Cereal Twists are a great source of iron, zinc, vitamin E and five B vitamins for growth and development.

These snacks are excellent for preschoolers. Both my school age child and my preschooler liked everything. I tried them myself and I have to say I really liked the Juice Treats. The Fruit Twists are available in Apple/Strawberry and Grape/Cherry Berry. The Cereal Twists are available in Strawberry/Blueberry, Raspberry/Vanilla and Banana/Peach. The Juice Treats are available in Fruit Medley and Tropical.

Review of the Day: Bob Harper's Body Rev Cardio Conditioning

This workout is from his Inside Out Method Series. The first one I tried was the Pure Burn Super Strength. That workout blew me away. It was so intense and it bought me to my knees. This one was a good cardio workout with squat jumps, jump rope, jumping jacks, walk-outs etc. There was a move called the Scorpion Push-up that I could barely get through. You could see the people behind him struggle as well through out the workout. He uses the isometric holds like in Pure Burn. My heart rate was elevated much of the workout.

The only thing I didn't like about the workout were the arm swings with the weights. I don't mind using weights in a cardio workout, but there were too many swings. I found myself getting bored and frustrated. The music I did like. Lots of guitar to get you pumped and motivated.

There is an sdditional 25 minute Butt and Balance workout. It's a good lower body workout. Good if you need something that's quick and effective. I find Bob is fun to work out with. He challenges you to work harder, go lower, do better. That's why I will continue to try his workouts.

Syntrax Fyre Weight Loss Supplement

Losing weight has always been an issue for me. I usually just work out and try to eat right to lose weight. I was sent samples of Syntrax Fyre. This supplement is all natural and it's supposed to help you lose weight. The suggested dosage is 1-2 capsules 30-60 minutes before a meal one to three times daily. I was sent enough for 5 days.

The ingredients are all natural including Coffee Bean and Green Tea Leaf Extract to increase metabolism. Velvet Bean Extract increases testosterone
and reduces inflammation. Ginger Root Extract contains thermogenic compounds and reduces body fat. I started off by taking 2 before dinner. I immediately felt the thermogenic effect. I felt really warm, but I found 2 capsules to be too much because I felt a bit jittery and anxious. Also, I had difficulty falling asleep. So, the next night I tried one capsule before dinner. That worked a lot better. I didn't get the jittery feeling, but I still had difficulty falling asleep.

I decided to take one capsule before lunch. That was the best. I had energy in the afternoon. I wasn't thinking about eating. And I was able to fall asleep easily at night. I don't know if I took enough to make a difference. I did lose weight this week, but I did change my eating habits and worked out more. As a woman I wouldn't take this supplement for a long period of time because of the Velvet Bean Extract that increases testosterone. This is just my opinion on the samples sent to me. Please check with your Dr. before deciding to take any weight loss supplement.
http://www.bestpricenutrition.com/Syntrax-Fyre-120-Caps.html - Syntrax Fyre

http://www.bestpricenutrition.com/Syntrax.html - Syntrax

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller

I have been waking up extremely early for my part-time job the past couple of years. I've noticed that I have developed under-eye circles. I was in Walgreen's yesterday and saw that the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark Circle Roller was on sale for 10.99. They only had one left and it was the sheer tint. It says it is good for most skin tones so I decided to buy it. The Anti-Dark Circle Roller contains Caffeine Gel, lemon essence and mineral pigments. Garnier states that dark circles and shadows will be corrected and diminished. And that in one week your eyes will look brighter.

I tried it immediately when I got home. The pigment was really light. Similar to what was on the box. I rolled it under my eyes and rubbed it in a bit. I was amazed. The dark circles were gone, my eyes looked brighter and I looked younger. So, I was extremely happy with my purchase. I don't wear foundation everyday, but it still looked great under my eyes without foundation over it.

Tae Bo-Celebrity Fit Cardio (2007)

Tae Bo has been a part of my life since 1999. This is one of my favorite Tae Bo workouts. As usual Billy is encouraging and his enthusiasm makes you want to work hard for him. This workout has a lot of the signature Tae Bo moves. Some of the combinations are different than in previous workouts. The music is good and I find myself dancing in between the exercises. But there's not a lot of time between each move. One of the things I like about Billy's workouts is that the workout goes by very quickly. This is one workout where he is actually aware of the count and the sets are pretty even on both sides of the body. It's a full body workout that's not tough, but you will work up a sweat.