Working Out Has Become a Family Affair

Summer has been crazy around here.  Much of it has been geared around sports and working out.  I am on my weight-loss journey, trying to lose as much weight as possible and training for a triathlon in September.  My oldest daughter is a college track athlete training for the upcoming year after a particularly devastating freshman year which involved heart surgery and a tumor on the pituitary gland.  My oldest son is an upcoming Sophomore in high school and is training for basketball and track.  And my husband has decided to jump on the bandwagon and get more active as well.

All of this training and working out has enabled us opportunities to try a bevy of new products to report back to you.


Wrist Wraps: We purchased wrist wraps which were primarily designed to help with weight lifting.  However, we quickly discovered (after talking to my oldest daughter) that these are particularly helpful if you are a shot putter.  She informed me that when she used the wraps, it automatically added distance to her throw.  Nathan, quickly grabbed one of the two pairs for himself, and we gave the second set to KC (the husband) to use for weight.  What we truly did NOT expect to discover, was that our youngest son with Down syndrome became obsessed with these wraps as well.

Jacob has always had certain sensory issues where he likes to take objects like string, yarn, or rope and tie them around his arms and neck.  I have no idea what sort of sensory feedback he gets from doing that, but it's an issue in our house, and after a particularly scary incident involving yarn, it means I don't do any knitting around our house.

Anyway, we quickly discovered, that Jake LOVES to have the wristwraps put around his wrists.  Nathan wraps them (they go nearly up to his little elbows) and velcros them, and Jake is happy as a clam!  He has even ransacked Nathan's room to find them and bring them to his big brother to request that they be wrapped around his arms.


Chalk Block:  Normally chalk is found in powder form in buckets.  However, we were able to test blocks of chalk with are particularly helpful when you are travelling.  For us, that meant that we could bring a block of chalk with us to the school when practicing shot put, rather than a zip lock bag, or forgoing the chalk all together due to how messy it is. Nathan said it was really soft, and went on pretty easy, but unlike the powdered stuff, you need to remember to put on lots of it, or crumble it in order to get enough chalk on your hands. Grade: A-

Testosterone Boost Supplement:  We have several supplements each family member is in the process of trying for various reasons.  One of the first supplements my husband tried was a Testosterone Boost Supplement.  He told me that the supplement was pretty good, and gave him energy, but it reacted with some of his gout prescriptions and gave him an upset stomach.  He would liked to have tried it Grade:  B (be careful if you're taking meds for gout - otherwise it's worth a try)
longer to see if he experienced more than just "more energy".

Pulse Massager:  When all the hard work is done, the husband and kids, run for the ElectroTherapy Massager.  It's become a staple in our post-workout activities.  Usually one, or all of them sit down at various times during the evening and place the pads on various muscles that have been hit hard by their trainer and let the massager work it's magic.  Though I would STRONGLY suggest turning the remote down to the lowest possible setting before turning it on.  It huts like a bugger if you turn it on at full blast!  They choose one of eight settings (Nate likes #2.  It reminds him of the massage chair at the chiropractor), then sets the timer, the level of intensity, and let it do it's magic.  We've already had to order new pads because I know the set we have now won't last this high usage much longer.
Grade: A

Scale: Finally, the latest addition to our happy health-conscious home has been a brand new scale! (I used the manufacturer's picture because A - my feet don't look that cute, and B-you can't see the numbers when I take a pic).  I'm very excited about this scale for several reasons.  First off, it connects to my smart phone, so the App will track my progress.  Secondly, it is smaller, thinner, and lighter than my old scale, which is important because space in our bathroom is at a premium.  Third, there are settings for each of our family members - so I can input my info including goal weight, age, gender, activity, etc and the scale will keep it and use it to create an accurate account of weight, fat, etc.  Plus, everyone else can do the same.  And fourth, it tells me I weigh less than my old scale!  Hahahaha!  I noticed the old scale was off when I went into my OBGYN several times over the last couple weeks and their scale kept telling me I weighed as much fully clothed as MY scale says I weigh buck naked.  Talk about an ego boost. Buy a new scale. Automatically weigh less! Yes!!!  Grade:  A+

*I received each of these products for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of each item

Book Review: The Secret to Successful Dieting

I've been working on weight loss for years now.  Twenty, to be exact.  That's how many years I've been a mom.  I began my first real weight loss attempt right after my oldest was born and I'd gained 60 lbs from Pre-Eclampsia and a month of bed rest.

In those 20 years I've tried lots of diets, exercise regimes, and read more books on the subject than I'd care to admit.  In many regards, I'd consider myself an expert, or at the very least well read on the subject.  But I'm not so full of myself to think that I know it all.  So, when I have a chance, I try to read an occasional diet and/or fitness book to see if there is anything new they can contribute to my knowledge base.


I was offered the chance to preview The Secret to Successful Dieting: Lose Weight and Live Well By Nancy N. Wilson  for free in exchange for an honest opinion.

It's a relatively short read that can be completed in a couple of hours or less if you aren't distracted.  Which means it took me a week (darn kids! lol).  This book was created specifically for yo-yo dieters like myself.  It was filled with several suggestions and ideas on what to do differently in order to make our next attempt at getting healthy (not dieting) a success.

I especially liked the 80/20 rule which said you don't have to adhere to your diet perfectly in order to experience success.  And I liked that no single weight-loss program was endorsed.  In fact, the author emphasized that many programs will work, depending on your special circumstances or health needs.
She wasn't extreme in her thinking, and she used common sense, which is often lost somewhere along the line during the desperation of trying to lose weight.

Links to resources and products she's used to find success were available in the e-book, as well websites, and explanations as to why her suggestions would work.

After all this time, I was still able to glean a few gems of information from this book that I will be able to use in my endeavors to live a healthier life.

I would give this book a B+

3 Supplements that help get the Boulder of Weight Loss Moving

Crazy to think how long I've been working on my weight loss already.d  The process is slow.  I've likened it to trying to push a boulder down a hill.  You push and you shove as hard as you can and see only a few inches of progress.  Sometimes you need to let the boulder rock backward so that you can create enough momentum to shove the rock further forward.  Soon, the inch turns to a few inches, slowly increasing speed until the mass of stone is rolling out of control and there is nothing you can do to stop it, so you might as well step out of the way and let the boulder run its course.

Sadly, I'm still rocking back and forth at the top, trying to gain enough momentum to get the perpetual forward motion I need to be an absolute success.

Lately, I've tried three different supplements: another Garcina Cabrogia (95%), Tumerex, and D3 Caplets. All of them excellent quality.

Let's start with the Garcinia Cambrogia.  How  this different from the other version I tried earlier?  This one is a higher concentration of Garcinia. The other was 70% and this one is 15% higher.  And since I'm taking supplements by the handfuls, I'm always open to ways to minimize the amount of pulls I need to take in a day.  By taking these, I was able to get them same results with less pills and that makes it a supplement worth using.  Plus, I quit taking the Garcinia Cambogia cold turkey when i went camping this weekend and my husband can attest to the fact that I was GRUMPY the whole week.  I'm just sayin'...  Grade:  A

The Tumerex was new for me.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this supplement because I'd never used it before.  But I read research that said it was tied to a variety of different health benefits. Though most of those elements are hard to quantify  - ie jaundice, gallbladder, heartburn, fibromyalgia, leprosy, etc.  What I did find was less swelling in my joints, less constipation, and VERY yellow stool.  This is something I am interested in using to completion to see if I experiencing any other positive side effects.  Grade: A-

D3 Caplets:  I took these because my doctor told me that the D3 helped me to absorb my calcium better.  Again, this is not quantifiable, aside from all the medical research available.  What I can tell you is how small the pill was.  Here is a picture of my Calcium supplement (left), The Garcinia Cambogia supplement (middle) and the Vitamin D3 caplet on the right.  Soooooo small!  I want to paint it yellow and call it a minion! Grade: A+  I've got nothing negative to say about these itty bitties. :)



OH And before you leave...I'm having another give away!!!!

Island's Miracle (the maker of the Garcinia Cambrogia) is so confident you'll like their product (and I'm so impressed I'm happy to personally endorse it) they're giving a free bottle of Garcinia Cambrogia away!!

Like My Facebook Page  and you'll  be entered to win a free bottle.  I'll announce the winner on Friday 07/24/15.  It's just one click!!



*Each of these products was received for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion

Tri Tri Again..On To The Next Phase of Triathlon Training

Phase two of the triathlon training, and the phase that I fear most, is swimming. I'm going to have to get my big ol' butt into a swimsuit and into the water to swim 400-500 yards. I am pretty sure that at this moment in time, I would be hard pressed to crawl stroke 20 yards without keeling over with a stomach cramp. I imagine myself going under and them having to retrieve me with some big hook, or swimming to safety with floaties, a life jacket, and a life ring attached to me. Don't laugh. This is a real concern of mine! Seriously. Sniff, sniff.


 If you're running and get a cramp, you walk. If you're biking and your legs tire, you stop. If you swim and you become pooped, you sink like a rock to become fish food. Maybe I can have my four-year-old be my swimming partner. I'm pretty sure he could tow me if necessary, right?

 In all seriousness, I am going to face this nonsensical fear of mine head on. I have my rubber cap, I have a swimsuit I can wear...with a tank top and shorts to cover it so that no small children are scarred in the process of the experience, goggles, and I'm testing a waterproof Ipad cover for music while I'm swimming. I read somewhere that a person increases their endurance by at least 20% if they're listening to music while working out. I can attest to that statistic because I work out much longer and harder/faster when I have a good beat to to concentrate on. When I first began training for a triathlon, 7 years ago, I purchased waterproof headphones and case off Bay. I used them a total of once before I got pregnant and fought morning sickness for the next couple months. I never did return to the pool. Now that I'm ready to get back onto the proverbial horse again, I have upgraded my phone a few times and the old case no longer works for me. The new one, however, fits like a charm. It seems to be made of sturdy construction, and has enough 'breathing room' that I won't have to invest a bunch of money in yet another waterproof cover in December when my 2 year cellphone contract is up in December and I upgrade. Overall Grade: A-


But that doesn't mean I'm not taking my running and biking seriously.  I'm still cranking out the miles on the trails (in spite of the gnarly blisters), and I've installed LED bike lights on my bike so that I can ride when it's darker (and cooler).  Now, I'm not saying I've invested a ton of money in a thin-tired road bike with the itty bitty bike seat that is hard as a rock and rides up your butt like the wedgie from Hades.  No.  I am a purely recreational biker at this point who ownes a thick-wheeled trail bike with a wide "granny" seat with foam padding, a wire basket in the front, and is heavy as sin.  I prefer to think of my bike as more along the lines of  "resistance training". But I digress...I had my son add some LED lights to my bike so I can ride when it's cooler.  He said they were easy to install and 'TOTALLY' bright.  He was pretty impressed.  And with the red, it will cut through the dusk light and enable me to be much easier to see as I'm cutting through the darkness back to my home.  Overall Grade:  A



*I received both these products for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion

Mac X Video Converter Pro Winners

Mac X Video Converter Pro

In case you didn't know, I spend a LOT of time on the computer.  Either it's blogging, or (attempting) to work on my YouTube page, writing books, downloading pics and videos on my Non-profit page, mystery games page, whatever.  I spend a LOT of time on the computer. 

One of the things I've been starting to transition into is more YouTube reviews and move videos.  In comes the Mac X Video Converter Program.  

Mac X is available for both Mac or Windows-based computers and provides the ability to convert pictures or videos into files that can be downloaded onto YouTube or onto a DVD. 

It's a simple interface that lets you download video from the internet from places like Vevo, YouTube, Facebook (my favorite because I can NEVER seem to capture Facebook videos to save my life!), etc. You can edit videos, make slide shows, etc. with this program too.  

As a way of saying 'thank you' to everyone who has religiously followed all my posts, tweets, snapshots, videos, etc.  we are spreading the joy and giving away several copies of this program so that you can get a taste of how cool these products are that I've been testing.  

Here's to hoping you continue to follow us, tell your friends, and sign up for MORE contests!

Thanks!

Susan

Run, Baby! Run!! - My Quest to prepare for a Triathlon...while nearly 300 lbs

It's been a little bit more than a month, and I'm fully enmeshed in my endeavor to prepare for a Sprint Traithlon at the end of September.  Some things I've tried have been met with success, and others...well....not so much.

For those who don't know, a Sprint Triathlon consists of the following distances:

3.1 mile run
400-500 yards of swimming
12-15 miles of cycling.


I'm still walking.  I am now up to walking as much as 7 miles per day when I hit the trails and I've spent the last month working purely on endurance. When I started, I couldn't even walk for more than 12 minutes before I was a sweaty mess.

Now I'm somewhere around 2 - 2 1/2 hours. It's not been without it's difficulties though.  I'm still struggling with blisters galore, as well as foot pain because I am so heavy.

One of the things I did to deal with the foot pain, was to begin using gel insoles.  These have been heaven sent.  Before the insoles, I could walk about an hour, and then the balls and outsides of my feet hurt too much, and my calf muscles began to hurt because I was compensating for the foot pain.  I received some gel insoles as testers, and have found myself transferring them from one set of shoes to the next because they're so comfortable.
 I was dubious at first, but when I trimmed them down and put them in my shoes, there was no question these were awesome.  Plus, they help (but not completely fix) how much I walk on the outside of my feet because of the arch support. Grade: A

Another thing I tried were infared knee Support sleeves.  These were extra long sleeves that go over the legs and reached from mid-thigh to mid shin.  The premace of these was to create a weak electrical current that aids in the regeneration and repair of your joints, etc but doesn't add extra heat to the knees.

Maybe I shouldn't have tempted fate and used these in the middle of summer, but I did.  And I can tell you they are heavy duty, and not very breathable, which equated into hot sweaty legs.  They had great compression though and I think I will give them a try again in the fall to give them another chance.  Grade: B (though I reserve the right to change the grade at a later date)

Two hours is a long time to be stuck with your thoughts, even when you're in the process of writing your book. Plus, I am using the MyFitnessPal Ap to track my diet, exercise, water intake, steps, etc.  So I can't just leave my phone behind when I go for a walk ( I accrued 17,419 steps on the 9th after 7 miles!!! - that's 1,276 calories, baby!).  So, I tried an Iphone Sports Band.  The one I tested was made entirely of neoprene, which was nice. Other bands I've tried in the past had a thick piece of elastic, which wound up bunching and pinching the skin on my arm.  This one I tried was neoprene, was big enough for my XLG arms (MAJOR BONUS!), had a slot for my keys and ID, a hole to stick the earphone chord into the bottom of the Iphone, and the phone slid easily in and out of the case (another huge bonus because I kept getting freaking phone calls on my walk.  Hey! I'm walkin' here! Quit bothering me ;)  Plus, I also discovered that I was able to use the touchscreen through the plastic covering the phone.  The only problem I had with the band was that I couldn't figure out how to access my stupid itunes! (I have officially become my parents).  So, I had a phone, it was perfectly placed on my arm, and I couldn't get the music to play.  Gah.  My 15-year-old son came to my rescue and graciously offered to take the sports band off my hands and use it for himself when he mowed our lawn.  Note:  He didn't offer to show me how to access the music.  He wanted the friggin' band.  I agreed, thinking there was no way it would fit his arm if it fit mine.  Well, it did.  And now he's a proud owner of an arm band that he uses all the time. Meh.   Grade: A

That's alright.  I'm not one to stay down when I'm beat.  I quickly transitioned to the Runbaby running belt. The one I got was neon orange with a two-inch elastic waistband and a large plastic clip.  When I requested it for testing, I was sure it would be too small.  But I was pleasantly surprised.  It fit!!.  I knew because of my size and my stomach's lumpiness, it would look awkward on the outside of my shirt, so I put it under my T-shirt, but over a tank top and that baby didn't move.  The orange material is about the same consistency as a high-quality spandex, so when I put my phone, key and ID inside, they were held snuggly and didn't move or jingle around and there was room for a bunch more stuff if I needed it.  Plus, it's pretty low-profile, so you couldn't even tell I had the belt on. (Another bonus!).  This one is a keeper.  I haven't even told anyone I have this one.  I'm totally hiding it.  I'm tired of having all the good stuff taken from me.  But when you're the smallest person in the house (and in my opinion, the nicest), you're a bit lower on the pecking order.

That being said, the other product I've staked my claim, rather adamantly, is my water bottle.  I'd seen the infuser bottles around the internet for several months, and broke down and bought one while at my son's basketball camp in Montana several weeks ago, but it was sorely disappointing.  The one I purchased had the infuser attached to the top of the mug, so only 2/3 of the water was infused, plus the mug was large, but double walled, so it actually only held about 16 oz of liquid,which meant I was constantly refilling the mug.  I gave it another try, though and tested the Fruit Infuser Water Bottle by Live Infinitely.  I can honestly say I'm completely enamored with this water bottle.  

1) It's the size of a normal water bottle, so I only need to refill it 2-3 times per day instead of 2-3 times per hour.
2) The infuser is attached to the bottom so I get the flavor for the entire life of my water.
3) Both the top and the bottom untwist which makes the bottle sooooo easy to clean.  Plus it fits nicely in the top of my dishwasher.

I'd totally rate this bottle an A+.

Now that I'm up to 7 miles of walking, I've decided it's time to begin preparing for the other phases of the triathlon.  Stay tuned for my next blog to see what else I've been doing!

*Each of the products reviewed/mentioned (aside from MyFitness Pal) were received for free or a discount in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.