Fitbit Zip Activity Tracker Review

For over a year I have been using a Fitbit Activity Tracker to record my steps, stairs and sleep patterns. It is a little like a pedometer only better. I have one of the original Fitbits. I love how it works but the originals were not very sturdy. They cracked under the stress of being clipped onto your pocked or bra.

Mine cracked in 3 months to the point of not holding onto anything. Fitbit replaced it and within 3 months, the new one was doing the same thing. I kept taping it up because it worked like a champ. Eventually, it wouldn't charge anymore because of the crack. I really miss it!

Over Christmas, I bought the new Fitbit Zip for my 13 year old grandson. This little baby is worlds of improvement over my original. It is very compact and comes with a silicone clip. NO cracking! Also, the Zip is water resistant so you don't have to worry about sweating too much. It also has a battery life of around 6 months so charging it isn't a problem either.

The Fitbit Zip also comes in 6 fun colors, white, black, lime green, sky blue and hot pink.

The Fitbit Zip will sync with your smart phone or computer via blue tooth. It records your steps, calories burned and distance traveled and resets itself each day. You can sync your data with your smart phone with the Fitbit free mobile app or computer to the Fitbit free online dashboard.  You be able to chart your daily and accumulated progress with image graphs, charts and tools on the customizable dashboard.

I found it a challenge to make my 10,000 steps every day. My grandson wears it to school every day and says it works great. He wanted to record the distance he runs in PE and after school soccer. 

I paid $100 for my original Fitbit. The Zip is only $59.95! I am getting ready to order mine now. I think a white one...or maybe blue.

What color would you get?

Keep Stepping!

Beachbody Ultimate Reset Review

Over the holidays, I always have an issue with this little thing called a sugar cookie. I have amazing willpower when it comes to almost anything else, except a good sugar cookie. I have no control. If there are 5 sugar cookies, I will eat 5 sugar cookies. If there are 30, I will eat them until there aren't any left. Hence, we do not buy or bake sugar cookies any other time of year.

My favorite jeans informed me that perhaps I had overindulged over the holidays. I refused to check the scale because that would mean owning up to my weakness. I finally had to admit to myself that I needed to take action when I was forced to remove my belly button ring because it was getting caught on my pants.

You can laugh all you want but even a Team Beachbody Coach can have a set back. That is one of the reasons we need the Ultimate Reset.

I started the Ultimate Reset on December 29th, 2012. I have to admit that even as a coach, I was a little skeptical. I was also more than a little afraid of losing coffee, tea and wine. I wasn't that concerned with meat and dairy since I am mostly Vegan anyway. This is my experience on the Beachbody Ultimate Reset.

Beginning Stats:
Weight: 143.6   Waist: 29.5  Chest:  36  Hips:  40.5  Rt Thigh: 23  Lft Thigh: 22.5
Cholesterol:  200
Triglycerides:  105
HDL:    59
LDL:    120
I will post photos at the end of this post so you can view them next to each other.

Week One Reclaim:
Each day I was required to drink at least a gallon of distilled water.The water is mineralized with Himalayan Pink Salt. At scheduled intervals I had to take my supplements with at least 12 oz of water. I used a 20 oz. cup for this. Supplementation is 4 times a day so that was 80 oz of water. Then I drank water in between so getting in my gallon wasn't that hard. A gallon of water a day goes the entire 21 days, so you get used to it quickly. Supplements were Optimize caplets & Oxygenize three times a day and Alkalanize once a day. I downed the Alkalanize like a shot. Much easier to take that way.
The meal plan is really good. The first week, those that eat meat and dairy get some fish, chicken and yogurt. I used the Vegan menu. The only thing in the whole weeks meals that I didn't care for was the seasoning with seaweed in it. Not a fan.
On the second day, I got a headache in the afternoon. The mentors said drink more water. I did but I still had a headache. They want you to try not to put any chemicals in your system, so I didn't take anything for it. Eventually, the headache subsided and the body aches started. Apparently, when you go through a Holistic type cleanse, your body can have what is called a 'Healing Crisis'. I looked it up. It's real. My legs ached so bad I had trouble going to sleep. Epsom salts baths, foam roller massage and dry brushing helped some. By day 5, I felt much better. By day six all those symptoms subsided.
After week one, I had lost 5 lbs. and 2.75 inches. Honestly, I was shocked.

Week Two Release:
The second week was a cinch. This is the Detox week. The Detox granules are mixed with water and you drink it 3 times a day, along with taking your Optimize and Oxygenize. I am not going to lie, it wasn't my favorite part. I just drank it really fast. Then there was the Alkalanize shot. This cleansing is very gentle so you aren't saddled to the house like you are for a Colonoscopy. It was really no problem. I felt pretty good during the whole week with the exception of being cold. When I got really cold, I would do a chore or take a short walk. No hard exercise during the Reset.
The food in week two was great! I loved the Zucchini Cashew Soup, Lentil Salad, Moroccan Carrot Salad and the baked Tempeh. I am still making some of the recipes. The downside to the food if you do the Ultimate Reset in winter is many of the meals are served cold. You are allowed to drink a cup of hot HERBAL tea. No Earl Grey! Darn!
After week two, I was down another 2.8 lbs. and 3 inches. My pants were feeling a little better too.

Week Three Revitalize:
This week the supplements were all the regular players but the Detox granules are replaced with Revitalize caplets. Yay for caplets! This week you are eating completely Vegan. I felt really good. My skin started feeling soft instead of dry and flaky. I wasn't near as tired as I was when I started. I was really missing coffee. Also, in weeks one and two, my husband had been out of town. He came home and it was hard to watch him eating Maple Pecan cereal and drinking coffee. It was a lot easier when I didn't have that temptation.
I made it through till the end though and I am pretty proud of that.

My final results on the Beachbody Ultimate Reset are:
Weight:  134.4  Waist:  28  Chest:  34.5  Hips:  38.75  Rt Thigh:  21.5  Lft Thigh:  21.25
Cholesterol:  171  (Down 29 pts!)
Triglycerides:  106
HDL:   55
LDL:   95   (Down 25 pts!)

The photos do most of the talking:

I am very happy with the results I got from Beachbody Ultimate Reset. It is not a cheap cleanse. It is a high quality, healthy program to reset your system for optimum health.  I feel it is a product worth the money and the effort for the great benefits it generates. It was a jump start for me to get back to living a healthy lifestyle.
If you are willing to make the commitment of 21 days, I recommend it. The first few days are the toughest, if you can get through the first week, you will be so  pleased with your results at the end, it will be worth it.

If you would like to know more about the Beachbody Ultimate Reset, please email me at the link on the right column and I can send you more information and a video explaining what you need to do.

Blessings,

The Seventh Inning STRETCH!

In Baseball, there is a tradition known as the 7^th Inning Stretch. In the middle of the seventh inning, there is a break. Fans in the stands can stand up, stretch their legs, answer the call of nature or head to the snack bar, without missing any of the action. Most ballparks have their own ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’ sing-a-long to celebrate the stretch.

The actual beginnings of the Seventh Inning Stretch are unknown but there are stories out there to explain it. One is that President Taft was too big for his small seat and had to get up in the middle of the seventh inning to stretch his legs. If you want to read more about the history of the 7^th Inning Stretch and its Urban legends there is a great article about it HERE.

Just like the stretch in baseball, a health and fitness program should include a rest period. It doesn’t mean you have to sit on your tush and watch Army Wives re-runs (or Speed channel if you are a guy). However, you should change up your routine from time to time. Give yourself permission to have some fun. It is good for your body and for your mind.

A Seventh Inning Stretch could be cross-training with weights for a runner, taking a yoga class, riding bikes or playing Frisbee with your kids on Saturdays. If your trying to lose weight, it might mean that you plan ahead and bank some calories for a night out and that juicy steak you have been missing. It might mean taking a class to learn something new, doing challenging puzzles to work your mind or trying Geo-Caching. You might even want to take a real rest day and hit the spa or pamper yourself at home. There are endless possibilities.

Don’t forget that we are human. We need our rest and we crave variety. Think about what you might like to do to change up your routine BEFORE you get bored. Try some new recipes BEFORE you get sick of grilled chicken and salad. Reward yourself for sticking to your program. Plan your 7^th Inning Stretch. It will give you something to look forward to.

And we’ll root, root, root for our home Team!

At the old ballgame,

Sixth Inning: Find a Coach Who Knows the Game

Coaches matter.

A so-so team can be taken to unimaginable levels based solely on the Coach. Coaches serve many roles for a baseball club.

1. They see the big picture. A catcher or first baseman may see the game only from their limited perspective; the coach sees everything on the field and how all the pieces fit together.
2. They have the wisdom of experience. The average coach has lived through more games than the average player, and they have seen things that some players have never seen.
3. They are invested in the outcome, but they are in it for the long haul. Just as kids can’t see past the end of the school year, players sometimes can’t see beyond the end of the season. The coach can put things into perspective.
4. They inspire. Because they care deeply about the players and the game, they are able to connect with the team in a way outsiders cannot. (If you have any doubt of this, just check out some of the famous ‘locker room’ speeches from great sports movies such as "A League of Their Own.”)
5. They get you in shape. No one WANTS to do stadium steps or run wind sprints, but the coach knows that these unsavory exercises are what are needed to whip the team into shape.

Just as you’ve never seen a winning ball club without a coach, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who is fit, trim and healthy without a Coach or mentor as well.

A Health and Fitness Coach can perform many of the same roles as a baseball coach does. They can help keep things inperspective, guide you from their experience and wisdom, help you think past the next week of workouts and motivate and inspire you to continue to move forward. They know what needs to be done, and in what order, to keep you from wasting time and energy on activities that don’t produce results.

The best coaches get personal satisfaction in helping you succeed, so choose wisely. Find a mentor with a history of successes not just in the health and fitness arena but in leadership and encouragement as well. You wouldn’t want a baseball coach who was still reliving his glory days as a Major League fielder and felt competitiveness with the players on his team; you also don’t want a fitness coach who feels threatened by your success.

As an Independent Team Beachbody Coach, I would love to help you achieve success in improving your overall health and fitness level. With Beachbody behind me, I have access to some of the best, state of the art, fitness programs and products on the market today. Leave a comment or click on the email me tab if you would like help or have questions.

No matter who you choose, the best candidates will come from people you know and trust for referrals.

Next up, The Seventh Inning Stretch!

May your bases be loaded,

Fifth Inning: Ignore the Hecklers

Have you ever watched seen a ball player go off on a fan because the fan went a little too far in his taunting? It’s not pretty. No matter how abusive the heckler was, the player is the one who ends up looking bad. Right or wrong, the assumption is that athletes are expected to rise above the crowd, not letting the taunts, jeers, and comments get to him. The athlete’s job is to play ball, the fan is there to have fun and root for their team. The ball player has to take the high road and focus on his game.

Surprisingly, similar situations can occur when a person makes a big change in life. People around us, sometimes closest to us, will make fun of us, scoff at our efforts, tell us we can’t do it or even resort to sabotage. Humans don’t like change and we also like people to be like us. So when a person decides to make a change for their health, the people around them may feel threatened and lash out. Don’t give in! Here are 5 reasons to take the high road:

1. You gain good will (or Karma). Putting positive energy into your life will bring positive experiences back to you.
2. You never know what could be happening behind the scenes. The person trying to force the jelly donut down your throat could be insecure in your relationship. Perhaps the person telling you that you won’t succeed has tried to do the same thing and failed. If you are successful, it makes their failure even worse. Or maybe they are just having a bad day.  Biting your tongue and showing others grace might help them when they need it most.
3. You can’t really ‘win.’ With family and friends you never win, even if you ‘win.’ Don’t get into a spitting contest when squashing them like a bug will just make you look and feel bad.
4. You won’t waste time or energy on someone who isn’t worthy. Some people are just grumpy, negative and adversarial. Fighting back only fuels the fire. Direct your energy where it can be put to the best use.
5. Your mom was right. Remember when she told you that people talking behind your back were just jealous? A lot of the time, that’s true. The fact that people are aiming their guns your way is a sign that you’re succeeding, and the more you succeed, the more often people will attack your progress.

Yes, it is hard to ignore hecklers. But here are a few suggestions to block out the jeers and taunts:

• Imagine them as little children. If a two-year-old was throwing a tantrum, you’d treat them with more compassion and less anger. Imagine them that way.
• Breathe. When you think you’re being attacked, it’s easy to fall into that ‘fight or flight’ response. Breathing deeply helps clear the adrenaline from your body.
• Thank them. I know it sounds crazy but try it at least once. For example, your mother-in-law tells you that your diet plan won’t work. Tell her, ‘Thank you. It is so comforting that you are concerned.” Then smile and say nothing more. Most people don't know what to say after that.  I have found that ‘thank you’ often works miracles.

Your time and energy is precious; invest it where you will get the best things in return.

Keep Swinging!

Fourth Inning: Have Fun!

A lot of people say that professional athletes have the best job in the world. The get paid to play a game that millions of people only dream about doing! They spend the day in the sun, with thousands of fans screaming their names and wearing their jersey number. How cool is that?

I’d say it’s pretty cool – as long as you’re winning. If you’re in a hitting slump or your team is in the middle of a losing streak, suddenly, the sport you love isn’t all that much fun. And of course, the converse is true. The better you are doing, the more fun it is!

Translate that into your health and fitness journey. When you’re in that golden space where every workout gets better, you’re mileage on your run is improving, your cholesterol is down 10%, everything is grand and it’s all great fun. But if you’re dreading every workout, or you have shin splints or you gained 3 pounds, everything seems like a chore, including the things you once enjoyed.

It is possible to make a mental shift – in fact, it’s imperative that you do. You can’t afford the luxury of a negative attitude, so here are some ideas to make things more fun when it all seems to be going wrong.

Focus on small successes. Did you do an extra 5 minutes on the treadmill? Did you order the meatless tacos at your favorite restaurant? Did you take the stairs instead of the elevator? Recognize and celebrate what you did right, even when it’s a small thing.

Downplay the bad parts. Remind yourself that everything seems worse when you have a bad attitude. Give yourself a reality check. How can I turn this around? Can’t run? Walk the dog, play Frisbee with the kids, ride your bike, go golfing. Dreading your workout? Do something completely different than usual. Use lighter weights and do more reps. Play a Wii Fit marathon with your spouse. Go hiking or take a walk after dinner. Have a calisthenics contest with the family.

Choose to believe you are a positive person. Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl wrote, “Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” You have the right and the obligation to choose your attitude, so why not choose to be positive?

Do what you love! In health and fitness, that’s sometimes a tall order, especially if you love cookies. However, you can try different activities until you find one that you love. There are hundreds of workouts out there. Try a few before you settle on one. There are many ways to accomplish most tasks. Including healthy tasks.

Professional Baseball players won’t last long unless they have the mental toughness that allows them to keep playing, even when times get bad. We have a better Game-On-Fitness if we cultivate that toughness ourselves.

May your bases be loaded and your peanut bag full!

Third Inning: SWING!

It was 10 year old Devon’s, first season of Little League Majors. Being the youngest, he was facing pitchers and players two years older and 20 pounds heavier. Being a smart, if not big, kid, he decided to play it safe. He knew that even with more experience than he had, many of the pitchers couldn’t throw consistent strikes. If he didn’t swing at any pitch, maybe he would get lucky and get walked.

His first time at bat, it worked. After three balls and two strikes, the pitcher threw a fourth ball for a walk. He was on base! Devon even managed to score a run when the batter after him his a home run.

His strategy was such a success the first at bat, he decided to try it again the next time he was up. This time, he made it to a full count again, but the sixth pitch was called a strike. He was out. Still, he was one for two for getting on base.

The next inning went the same – he stood there as three straight strikes flew right by him. He was out again. Still, scoring a run in his first Little League Majors game wasn’t too bad, was it?

After the game, the coach went over each player’s batting average. Devon was a little surprised when the Coach read his name out loud and said, “Zero.” Zero? How could it be zero? Hadn’t he scored a run? The Coach noticed his confusion and the hurt in his eyes so he pulled the boy aside. “Coach,” said Devon, “I don’t understand. How do I have zero?’

“Son,” the Coach said softly, “you have to swing to get a hit.”

You have to SWING to get a hit. You have to take risks to get to where you want to be. To really make things happen, you have to get a hit. To get a hit, you have to swing
.
What does this say to those of us trying to get in shape, lower our cholesterol, eat healthier or lose weight? It tells us that it isn’t going to be easy. We can’t skate through without some effort.

Get up 30 minutes earlier so there is time to go for a walk. Eat a good breakfast. Take time to learn new ways of cooking and eating. Go to bed at a reasonable hour. Research ways to improve your health online and in books. Get regular check-ups. These are just a few of the things we can swing in order to meet our goals.

Not a single Major League Ball Player got there without pushing themselves to be a better player. It’s important that you keep putting in the effort to keep your edge. Try a new workout, take a cooking class, start a healthy reading book club in order to challenge yourself. Just continue to SWING!

Swing it out of the park!