Hot Mama- Part Deux (Zaggora CapriFlares reivew} #hotinhotpants

Here we are at the end of March. I don’t know about you, but the year is already racing along! Spring is just around the corner, at least here in my area, but my mind is already looking months ahead for summer. I always kind of consider Spring the “get ready” season. Get ready for summer and swimsuits and shorts and less clothing! This summer I am going to be doing baby swim classes with my little munchkin, so I plan to be spending quite a bit of time at the pool. And you know what that means… wanting to look good in that swimsuit! Now, if you are like me, you are always happy to have ANY advantage against the battle of the (mommy) belly bulge. If you remember a few months ago, I talked about a “secret weapon” I was using to get ready for holiday parties and my trip to Mexico. You can read about that here. I am excited to share that Zaggora, the same great company that introduced me to Hot Pants…aka, my secret weapon, has come out with some new additions to their line of sweat inducing, cellulite burning, thigh, tummy and hip sculpting pants. They are Flares and Capri Flares. I was generously given my choice of the two to try and I went with the Capri Flares. Zaggora is based in England and hit the market this past July. Their products are designed to help you loose inches and also to decrease the appearance of cellulite. There is a 2 week challenge that the company issues to all who get these. Lose 2 jean sizes in 2 weeks, doing the same routine, eating the same diet but wearing the product while you work out. Here’s the scoop on how these Hot babies work!

Now for the disclaimer: This next part will be brutally honest! (Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!)

Knowing how Hot Pants work, I was super excited to get these babies on and get moving. I had some surgery in January, which put me out for about 6 weeks. As a result, I lost a little bit of the results I worked so hard for before a trip to Mexico in January. A little softer in the tummy, a couple pounds, a little more top on the muffin… ya know what I mean? I have been aching to get rid of all that, so this was just the ticket to get me really movin’ again! I love the fit of the Capri Flares. They come up high on the tummy, so that gets included too, and hit just above mid-calf. The first time I worked out in them, boy…. If I was sweatin’ before, it was nothing to this. It was literally running down my legs into my shoes! (I warned you!) Now, for some of you, sweat may be about the grossest thing in the world. But I have just come to accept it as the price for a great workout and even better results! Just be prepared to sweat!… A LOT…. Nuff said!! I didn’t change my eating habits at all, and I worked out 4 days the first week and 5 days the second week. I wore them from morning to before bed, through the workout, then put on my other Hot Pants while I washed the Capri Flares. These pants are special, kind of like wetsuit material, so they must be washed on the hand wash cycle and dried without heat. After two weeks of wearing them, here are the results: I’m down 1.25″ in my hips and 1″ in my waist. I didn’t loose anything on my thighs, but I didn’t gain anything back from before. (I kept my measurements from the previous time!) And if that isn’t enough, I have a pair of jeans that were fitting great before the surgery but were getting tight again. I tried them on the day I started the challenge, yes they were t-i-g-h-t, and then tried them on again this morning… HOORAY! They are have some room in them again! (And NO! I hadn’t washed them right before I tried them on the first time!):-) I am so excited! Now, results do vary, but I am so happy and I know they will work for you! These are my honest opinions. I didn’t receive any compensation from the company, other than the Capri Flares. I’ve already been telling people about these. My Sis got two pairs LOVES them!! These Capri Flares are Real Mom Recommended and I cannot wait to continue wearing them! These are just the ticket for any summer vaca’s coming up, weddings… hhmm, maybe your own perhaps, ( sure wish I’d had me some Zaggora clothing before my wedding!), or if you just want to look good at the pool or in your summer clothes! THANK YOU Zaggora!

Currently Zaggora only sells online, but I’ve seen on their Facebook page they are planning on coming to the US soon! There are also tons of other testimonials to check out on their FB page! And for even more fun, follow them on twitter.

Now, you too can get a head start with Zaggora clothing. Enter REALMOMS at checkout

for 10% off your order.

Audrey March 30, 2012 DISCOUNTS, PRODUCT REVIEWS discount code, exercise, fitness, mom, weight loss

At It Again! {Tom & Jerry: In The Dog House DVD Review}

I remember getting up bright and early on Saturday mornings, sneaking down to the family room, turning on the TV and watching cartoons. We would sit on the heater vents with our nightgowns pulled up over our knees to keep the heat in. Our cereal bowl would be balanced on top of our tent of a night gown and we would sit and watch…for hours. We had a few favorites…Smurfs, Jabber Jaw, My Little Pony and of course Tom and Jerry. We were always cheering for Jerry as he would run from and cause trouble for poor Tom. I love sharing those fun memories with my kids, so I was thrilled to sit down with them and watch Tom & Jerry: Out of the Dog House.

Join the favorite cat and mouse duo along with their co-star Spike the Dog in Tom & Jerry: In the Dog House, a collection of shorts comprised of some of the funniest episodes from Tom and Jerry Tales, Tom and Jerry Greatest Chases and classic, theatrical Tom and Jerry shorts. Each cartoon is filled with fur-flying, action-packed chases, schemes and pranks that will delight kids and their parents time and again.

Included is the award winning short Quiet Please! in which Spike warns Tom not to make a sound while he naps. Other classic shorts included are Tom’s Photo Finish, in which Tom frames the family dog in order to avoid getting into trouble. In another featured classic, Cat Napping, Tom tries to fish at a private lake guarded by Spike. Also featured is Solid Serenade, in which Tom tries to serenade Toodles, a beautiful lady feline but not before he finds an ingenious way to get past Spike the dog. These and several other rollicking favorites are featured in this set.

My kids loved that it had 22 short little episodes on it. They thought Spike the Dog as so funny! I love that there isn’t any questionable language or content in. It is so sad that I have to occasionally switch the channel due to the fact that the CARTOON my kids are watching isn’t a “kid show” at all! Just one more reason why we love the funny feline and mischievous mouse! It is super fun to watch, even though you know that poor Tom will never catch Jerry! Fun for kids and adults! Real Mom Approved!!

Erin March 14, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS cartoon, children, dvd, entertainment, kids, movies, television, Tom and Jerry, weight loss

Exhale your excess weight {Breathslim review & giveaway}

We’ve made it past the holidays. New Year’s has come and gone and I can’t believe we are already more than half way through January! New Year resolutions are in full swing. One of mine every year seems to be to lose a couple more pounds, the ever elusive goal! I made it through the holidays and Mexico I’m happy to report with only a 3 pound increase. More than I would like, but I’ve yet to make it back to the gym in the two days I’ve been home so I’m attributing some of that to bloating from being on the plane and sitting in the car. Tomorrow I’m going for sure! Well, I had the very interesting opportunity to try something back in December that helped me get ready for Mexico. It’s called Breathslim. It’s a device that is based on a breathing principle that helps you lose weight by training your lungs to be more effective, thereby increasing oxygen in the bloodstream, thereby increasing metabolism.

In the early 90’s, a group of international scientists and enthusiasts decided to turn their research to an ancient healing art that has been practiced for tens of thousands of years.

For 20 years, these dedicated scientists studied virtually every method of breathing exercise from the ancient Oriental systems to such modern spin-offs as Buteyko and Holotropic breathing.

Their research proved that while different breathing methods produce different results, all of them had a therapeutic effect. They concluded that practicing any breathing technique is better than practicing none at all.

Hippocrates, the father of the modern medicine, believed that “air is a pasture of life and a greatest ruler of all”. Early Oriental teachers called air “an ocean of energy” and advised everyone to use breathing exercises to increase their bodies’ vital power.

What these scientists discovered was that calmer and slower breathing allows the body to retain more of its vital resources. The average person takes 17 breaths per minute. By adapting your body to take no more than 10 breaths per minute, you get a 40% increase in your vital energy, even increasing your lifespan.

From the beginning, the focus of their research was to find out which breathing technique would best lead an untrained person to success. They wanted to know the best way to teach people to improve their breathing and optimize their breathing cycles.

In 1996, their research led to the development of the world’s first respiratory training device (FRTD). The FRTD, a state-of-the-art breathing device that remedies diseases of the respiratory, cardiovascular and nervous systems, is patented and registered in many countries including the United States. The Food and Drug Administration of U. S. (FDA) approved it in 1998. More than 3 million FRTD devices have been sold all over the world.

At the same time the FRTD was developed, an international association of scientists, doctors and other breathing enthusiasts was created. From the start, IntellectBreathing, had the mission of helping people overcome problems like bronchial asthma, shortness of breath, hypertension, smoking, insomnia, and diseases associated with cardiac activity.

Lab studies showed, during 12 years of monitoring, that there are absolutely NO negative side effects. The only known side effects are: increased energy and a dramatic decrease of sleep problems, stress and tiredness.

In 2006, at the annual meeting of IntellectBreathing in Prague, experts discussing lung and cardiac disease treatments noted one other, rather remarkable “side effect” of using the FRTD.

They discovered that not only was the FRTD effective at treating asthma and hypertension, but in the first month of treatment, more than 82% of patients using the FRTD also noticed a drop in excess weight.

Some of them lost as much as 44 pounds in just two months.

Certainly, these findings deserved further study.

A second team of scientists from the U. S., Europe and the Russian Federation began to conduct even more research, discovering that the delivery of extra oxygen burned through fat through a process called oxidation. They discovered that it takes about 16 pounds of oxygen to burn two pounds of excess weight. So with the FRTD, people’s blood streams were filled with about 24 percent oxygen which couldn’t help but increase the oxidation (or burning) of fat. They also discovered that with the delivery of extra oxygen also reduced food cravings.

Their research led to a modification of the original FRTD which resulted in the invention of Breathslim®, a safe, effective, healthy way to lose weight.

I’m not going to lie. When I first read about Breathslim, I was very skeptical. I decided to try it though. I followed the instructions carefully, which are very easy to do as there are only three steps required.

I noticed right away some differences after only about a week. I have been a mouth breather as long as I can remember. I’ve tried several times to make an effort to breath continually out of my nose, knowing it is healthier, but have never been able to get it to stick. Also, when I have tried only breathing out of my nose, I feel like I can’t get enough air in my lungs and get short of breath, which makes me go back to mouth breathing. After only a couple days of using the Breathslim, I realized I was automatically breathing through my nose without feeling short of breath! Amazing!!!! I also noticed I had an easier time falling asleep at night as well. I only was able to use it consistently for about 2.5 weeks because then I left for vacation and it was hard to remember to do it every night, but before I left I had already lost 2 pounds. The scale had settled and not moved for about a month, and when I started using the Breathslim it starting moving again! This device is REAL Mom Recommended and I am exciting to get back to using it again! Here’s to a new year and to healthy breathing! Thanks Breathslim!

Breathslim can be ordered online!

Today Breathslim is generously giving away a breathslim!

Want to win? Here’s how:

Mandatory 1st Entry- Visit Breathslim then come back and tell us your favorite item or something you learned from their website.

Once the mandatory entries are completed you can gain additional entries from the following:

4 entries-“Like” Breathslim on facebook.

2 entries- “Like” RMRV on facebook.

3 entries-Subscribe to RMRV emails.

3 entries-Follow Breathslim on Twitter.

2 entries- Follow RMRV on Twitter

1 entry per day-Tweet the following and leave us your tweet link:

#Enter to win a breathslim at @agiveawaydaily

5 entries- Blog about this entry and leave us the link

3 entries- Add RMRV on Google +

You have until February 2nd @ 11:59 PM EDT to enter the giveaway. All giveaways are open toUSAonly.

Audrey January 17, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS WITH GIVEAWAYS dad, giveaway link up, health, mom, weight loss

Here’s to starting the New Year on the right foot! {Weight Watchers ice cream bars review}

New Year’s resolutions! That is what is right around the corner. Sure, we are all still in full Christmas mode, the Christmas goodies are still pouring in, and although I’ve definitely had my fill of yummy treats, it’s hard to say no to something sweet after dinner.. you know that hankering that comes knocking around 8pm? Well, I have a solution! I recently was generously sent 4 new varieties of ice cream treats to try from Weight Watchers. I love WW. I did the program a number of years ago and saw great results! While I’m not currently on the program, the things I learned back then still help me day to day with my eating… mainly portion control! Like most… shall we say 95% of women (for you 5%, the rest of us respectfully hate you! ) have a sweet tooth monster that seems to attack after dinner. The kiddos are down, there’s finally a minute to sit down and take a breath… and then!….something sweet sounds good!!!! I recommend you try the new varieties of WW ice cream bars to help tame the beast! You won’t be disappointed! I was lucky enough to get to try the following:

Weight Watchers Snack Size Chocolate Fudge Bar: This delightful, chocolate-y snack-sized treat offers real ice cream smoothness with only 45 calories per bar and less than 1g of fat. For a PointsPlus value of 1 per bar, it is the perfect size to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Raspberry Bars: Offering an indulgent combination of fruitful raspberry and dark chocolate, these bars are made with low fat raspberry ice cream with raspberries covered with a dark chocolate flavored coating. Each bar has a PointsPlus value of 2 per bar and just 80 calories- the perfect way to add flavor to your afternoon.
Dark Chocolate Dulce de Leche Ice Cream BarsPointsPlus® value 3 . Chocolate-y, caramel-y goodness that’s rich and completely indulgent. The low-fat, creamy dulce de leche ice cream is swirled with caramel and dipped in rich, dark chocolate coating. What could be more delightful? You can’t go wrong at only 120 calories, 4.5 grams of fat and 0 grams trans fat. Offered in a package of 6.
Weight Watchers Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Dessert Bars: Featuring low fat strawberry ice cream with a strawberry swirl dipped in a milk chocolate. Each bar has a PointsPlus value of 3 per bar and only 100 calories!

I loved them all! The Dulce De Leche was so amazing with ribbons of real caramel running through it! The ice cream was fantastically rich and creamy too! The chocolate dipped strawberry bar was very similar in creamy goodness, except it had ribbons of strawberry filling instead! My hubby and I had a hard time deciding which one we liked more! The dark chocolate raspberry bars were really good too! It is hard to believe there is only 80 calories per bar! The snack size fudge bars are perfect if you just need a quick little treat and don’t want to hardly dent your nutrition at all! They are super creamy and I wasn’t disappointed at all!

You can rest assured that just because these bars come from Weight Watchers, they definitely don’t taste like diet food. If someone had taken the wrappers off and just handed them to me, I would have thought I was eating a gourmet ice cream bar! These would be perfect to keep in the freezer for those times when you just need something sweet and don’t want to ruin your whole day! I also think they would make a perfect addition to the rest of the holidays! You can “indulge” in these instead of all the other stuff that you know you’ll regret eating anyway!… and then you’ll have less to worry about when January 1st comes around and it’s time to get down to business! I know I will!! Happy Snacking! Thanks Weight Watchers!

Weight Watchers ice cream bars are available nationwide at grocery stores in the ice cream aisle.

{I received free product as part of a promotional program with Weight Watchers and MomSelect}

Audrey December 22, 2011 Holiday 2011, PRODUCT REVIEWS food, mom, weight loss

Zero in on your fitness goals {Zero scale review}

Christmas is right around the corner. The holiday goodies have started piling up. At my parents house, we have what we fondly refer to as “the table of sin!” It is where all the yummies from neighbors and my parents clients get piled for everyone to enjoy. Add to that the fact that my family has an absolute killer fudge recipe that we make every year which gets added to the holiday goodness. Along with the goodies also come the wonderful festive meals and parties too! It’s enough to make a girl want to just throw up her hands and say “To heck with it all! I’ll live in stretchy pants until new years!” Unfortunately, I don’t have that luxury this year. We are planning a trip to Mexico in January, so I need to be able to get into my swimsuit and not feel like a whale at the beach. I have a game plan for how I’m going to navigate all the “food landmines” this year. One includes making sure I keep exercising regularly while I’m on vacation. Oh… We’ll be spending the 2 weeks before Mexico at my parents house, out of town, which adds to the challenge of exercising away from home. I’m either going to just cave and spend too much $$ on a pass to the local gym or I’m going to tote all my stuff with me and do it at the parents house. I’m quite determined! The other thing I’m going to be packing is my ZERO SCALE!! It is a revolutionary new way to track your fitness goals! I was generously sent one to try out and I am happy to say I love the concept! Who out there gets discouraged every time they step on the scale. All you see is that big number!! Even if you have lost a few ounces each day, which really is the best way to go about it anyway, it can still be hard to see little progress when you weigh yourself! Well, the ZERO scale takes care of that! It is a scale that takes your weight the first time you get on. From there on out, when you weigh yourself, you only see how much you have either lost….or gained! Brilliant right?? It allows you to focus on small steps rather than getting caught up, or hung up on the big picture!

The original and unique scale designed to help you achieve your fitness goals whether it’s to lose, gain, or maintain your weight. The advantage is that you NEVER have to see your weight again! Our scale shows small increments of gain or loss, plus the number of days since your last check and your very first check so it does all the tracking for you!

All you need to see is your “Results without the weight”! As you may have experienced, seeing your weight can derail the best of intentions to get in shape. In the past you might have worked hard on your diet or exercise programs but you still had a big number facing you. Our clients have discovered that when you ONLY see small manageable numbers of gain or loss, it’s easier to stay motivated and on-track!

With the easy-to-use ZERO Scale, you can forget what you weigh (who wants to know anyways?) and start focusing on looking and feeling great.

4 User settings, plus a Guest Mode (if you must peek at your actual weight) make this the perfect scale to replace your old or overly complicated scales.

I love the fact that I can focus on small numbers, which eventually add up to big results! I was also lucky enough to receive the ZERO pedometer, which is a fantastic, sturdy pedometer which helps you track your daily steps.

The perfect companion to help you track your progress! Our digital pedometer simply clips on to your belt, or slips into your pocket, to give you a readout of how many steps you’re actually taking during your day. It can also tell you how many calories you’ve burned based on your number of steps throughout the day.

I know that this is the time of year most people just give up on their diets, but won’t you feel better come January 1st of you have a head start on your fitness goals! Trip or no trip, I know I would. Every year I always vow to not overdo it over the holidays. The ZERO scale helps you see just how you are doing! It would make a great gift for the fitness enthusiast or anyone who is being conscientious of their weight…. yes…I’m advocating giving a scale as a gift! NO… it doesn’t mean you are sending someone “a message!” (Although maybe do a little asking before you just get them one!!) I received a scale a number of years ago from my Hubby for… Valentines Day! And I loved it because he knew I was trying to get back in shape! So there ya go! Happy holidays and here’s to everyone surviving the holidays with a little less jelly in their belly!

The ZERO scale is available exclusively online! For more information and cool stuff, follow them on Facebook!

Take advantage of 15% off by entering “zero” at the time of checkout when purchasing The Zero Scale!

Audrey December 15, 2011 Holiday 2011, PRODUCT REVIEWS dad, discount code, exercise, fitness, health, mom, weight loss

Hot Mama!! {Hotpants review} #hotinhotpants

WARNING!!! This review is not for ~~the faint of heart~~ those easily grossed out! This is review is going to be down and dirty and honest, so if you have issues reading about sweat, then you may want to skip this one!! (But you’ll be sorry you did! )

Ok, that being said, I have to say this review is perhaps one of my favorites!! I cannot REAL Mom Recommend these enough!! Had to get that out at the beginning because I love them so much! Holiday season is fast approaching us… and with that comes family gatherings, pictures, holiday parties, and seeing people we don’t often see… aka… wanting to look as good as possible! I have recently been on a great workout kick and have finally lost all the weight I gained with my baby. HOORAY!!!…. only took a year to do it! I haven’t been counting calories, but I have been trying to eat in moderation. I have been working out at the gym and at home between 3-6 days per week. I am finally getting back to all of my pre-pregnancy jeans and pants. The problem is, I have a whole other collection of jeans/pants that I wasn’t able to wear before I got preggers. A little story about me. Before I got PG, I was finishing school, during which I gained 20!!! pounds over the course of 2.5 years. So, all the cute things I had before school I could no longer wear. My goal has definitely been to get back to pre-baby weight/size, but also to really get back to pre-school size too! Right during all of this, I was generously given the opportunity to try a pair of revolutionary, brand new pants called HOTPANTS from Zaggora. (They are really shorts!) These shorts were designed by a company in England and hit the market this past July. They are designed to help you loose inches and also to decrease the appearance of cellulite. There is a 2 week challenge that the company issues to all who get these. Lose 2 jean sizes in 2 weeks, doing the same routine, eating the same diet but wearing the product while you work out. For real??? I was super skeptical, but of course agreed to try the Hot Pants. It took quite a little bit for them to arrive… They were coming from overseas after all!! When I got them, there was actually a clever little tag that said something about: “sorry for the wait, we think it was worth it and hope you will too!” The pants are made out of what looks similar to a wet suit material. I was instructed to wear them for two weeks during all my normal activities and also during exercise. I couldn’t wait to get started! (This is me below in my hotpants!)

I have been doing resistance training along with the stair mill recently at the gym, which by itself always gets me really hot and sweaty. Well, the next day I wore these babies on the stairs. I wore them under my usual gym pants because my legs are super white and I don’t show fluorescent legs off! Back to the stairs. When I was done, I was completely soaked, including two big spots on my upper thighs where the shorts end, the lower part of my tank and also a rather embarrassing one on the bum! (see disclaimer above!) I kept my chin up and hoped no one noticed the latter one! When I got home, I immediately threw everything I was wearing in the washer on the hand wash cycle. These shorts are not to be washed regularly and are to be dried without heat as well, so I air dried them for 1.5 hours in the dryer on air fluff only. Once they were dried I put them back on and went about my business for the rest of the day.

The rest of the two weeks went very similarly. I worked out 3 days the first week and 5 days the second week. I put them on when I got up in the morning and took them off before bed. There was a 2 hour block where they were in the wash on workout days. They fit just great under my jeans too, so I could wear them out and about as well. I measured myself before I started wearing them and then again at the end of two weeks, which was today! I have to say I was completely shocked!! I have lost 1 inch on my hips, 1 inch on my stomach and 3/4 inch on each thigh, and 1 pound. There may be a little error on where the tape was placed, but not only that, I can totally tell in my pants too! I had just bought some skinny jeans for the first time right before I started this, and when I bought them it took a few minutes to actually get into them… ya know what I’m talking about!! Well, now they slide right up! I’m thinking I could actually go down a size! And, on top of that, I just tried on a pair of pants I wore before I got married, (which is the smallest I’ve ever been) and they actually fit, although they are a little tight still. But this is incredible!!! I never would have thought this would be possible in two weeks!! I haven’t changed my eating at all either! I promise what I’m telling you is my honest opinion. I wasn’t paid for this review, although I did get the Hot Pants in exchange for it. The company says that results vary from person to person, but I am insanely happy! I am taking a trip to Mexico in January and will definitely be wearing these through the holiday season and beyond! They are like my own secret weapon against the battle of the bulge! If you are daring enough to try them, you won’t be sorry you did! Be prepared to sweat though! Not all day every day like I did on the stairs, but just running around each day I got pretty sweaty in the pants…. but to me it was well worth it!! Once again… Hot Pants come REAL Mom Recommended! Every woman who cares about her appearance should have a pair! Happy Sweating!! Thanks Zaggora!!

Hot Pants can be purchased online. For more infomation and to check out testimonials from other real women who’ve been wearing hotpants, follow them on facebook and twitter!

This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure here.

Audrey November 22, 2011 PRODUCT REVIEWS exercise, fitness, mom, weight loss

A salad a day keeps the Dr. away { Super Immunity book review}

Well…. here we are in full force with fall winding down and winter just around the corner. Everyone is bundled up, scarves and gloves are the essentials, and so is my wet wipe pack and anti-bacterial hand gel. (I always use these but come Fall/Winter I get especially vigilant about wiping down surfaces while I’m out, especially with a baby!) One of the not so great things about this time of year is that it is getting to be cold/flu season. I have been fortunate to not have gotten sick really at all this past year (knock on wood! As I speak, my hubby is coming down with something and I’m praying I don’t get it too!) Perhaps it’s just all the germ-a-phob tactics I use or maybe I’ve just been lucky.

There is something else though that you can add to your arsenal of not getting sick besides luck and turning into a germ freak! I recently had the opportunity to read Super Immunity, The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body’s Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger and Disease Free, by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD. It is a great book that gives you tools to become almost totally resistant to colds, flus, and other infections. I have actually read other books by Dr. Fuhrman and so when I got the chance to read this one, I jumped at it! Dr. Fuhrman is a leading expert and board certified medical specialist in prevention and reversing disease. He first starts off about talking about the quality of food, or really lack there of in the mainstream American diet and how that equates to how most people suffer from chronic infections and other lifestyle diseases like heart disease, cancer and obesity. He then goes on to challenge the medical community and why just simply taking a medication for something is really useless or even more, has negative health consequences.

Dr. Fuhrman then gets into to the great part about whole, plant based foods and how they are vital in increasing our health and our immunity. He includes recipes as well as a two week meal plan to get you started. There is a whole chapter dedicated to just talking about the cold and flu. He debunks some common myths about it and sorts out common remedies and whether or not they really work. This is a perfect read for right now heading into cold/flu season. It completely inspired me to “clean up” my eating and to rededicate myself to eating a more whole, plant based diet. This book would make a great gift for someone who is struggling with their health, or just for anyone you care about, including yourself!

You can find more information about Dr. Fuhrman and this and his other works on his website. This book is REAL Mom Recommended and is available where books are sold, including e-books. It is also available through Dr. Fuhrman’s website. Thanks Dr. Fuhrman!

This site receives free products and other forms of compensation for posting. See the Real Moms Real Views disclosure here.

Audrey November 17, 2011 Holiday 2011, PRODUCT REVIEWS food, learning tools, recipes, weight loss

Life After… #NSNation

Last week was my last week on Nutrisystem. I ended with a bang! I hit my 25 lb. mark! Yeah!!! I was so excited. I saw a big difference in my hips, thighs, waist, and arms since day one. I am thrilled with my results.

I saved some of my favorite foods for my last day. Here is my last day in meals:

Breakfast:

Blueberry Pancakes…made from mix

Lunch:

Margherita Pizza

Dinner:

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Shells

Snack:

BBQ Soy Chips

Ooooo! It was as delicious day! I am proud of where I am now and I am so lucky that Nutrisystem let me be apart of their Blogging Program.

Now what? Have you ever stopped doing a diet and not know how to stay at that weight? Or have you ever been so glad to be off a diet that you pig out for weeks and gain back everything you worked so hard to do? Nurtisystem sent me a great tool kit to help me maintain my weight loss.

Meal Measure

Fixing my own meals has always been a disaster because I end up over eating…partially due to lack of portion control knowledge and partially due to being a pig. But with this nifty little tool I won’t be able to screw up….and I don’t have to measure!

You just put it on your plate and dish up your food into the appropriate sections. Each section is one cup at the top and has a 1/2 cup line inside. With the protein section there is a line to note 3 oz. Easy!!!

The Low GI Cookbook

Nutrisystem is based on foods that are low on the glycemic index. This keeps your “blood sugar and metabolism stable, so your body burns calories more effectively.” Low GI foods also “help satisfy your hunger and reduce your desire to eat more than you should.”

This cook book is chockful of recipes that will help me to never go back to where I was before Nutrisystem. Some that look really good are the Pumpkin and Chickpea Salad (Fall=Pumpkin time!!), Pork with Honey Glazed Apples, and Apple and Strawberry Crumble.

I tried the Honey Banana Cups. They are delish! Here! Try them for yourself…it is easy:

1 cup honey flavored yogurt
1 large banana, just ripe, peeled, and sliced
2 passionfruit

-Spoon the yogurt into two small cups, dividing evenly betweem them. Divide the banana between the two cups and spoon the passionfruit over the top.

**The less ripe the banana the lower its GI. As the banana ripens the starch turns to sugars and the GI increases.

Serving Set

Love these little beauties!! These are pre-portioned so you can’t screw it up. The slotted spoon is for veggies…you get 2 scoops (total 1 cup)! The solid spoon is for starches….like rice or potatoes (1/2 cup). The spatula is for protein (3 oz). The reason I love these so much is I can NEVER find my measuring cups. They are either in the dishwasher or I can’t find the right size. Problem solved!

I love this tool kit! I have used it so many times already. It is going to help me stay on track and looking great!

Thank Nutrisytem….for the great tasting food, the support, and the newly found healthy bod!!

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Crissa August 30, 2011 CHIT CHAT weight loss

Use Your Tools #NSNATION

I am almost done with Nurtisystem. This weekend concludes my weightloss! I am so happy with my results. It has been really easy and really delicious! I am very lucky that I have been able to be a part of the Nutrisystem Blogger Program.

One of my favorite things that Nutrisystem offers with their program is the support tools. Here are a few:

Mindset Makeover FREE Interactive Online Guide

“Available exclusively to plan participants! This week-by-week online guide will help you learn the skills essential for long-term weight control. Create winning attitudes and habits through this gradual, realistic approach.

Discover what to change, how to change it, and make it last.”

Mindset Makeover includes ”expert advice, video testimonials, tutorials, quizzes, polls, tips & insightful weight management information.” It is so helpful in getting your mind in the right groove to actually lose weight. For me, it is usually the mind games that sabotage my diets.

Weight & Measurement Log

OOO! This one is one of my very favorites…..RESULTS! I love to see and track my results. It helps keep me motivated. With the Weight and Measurement Log you just enter your numbers online. You can enter them as often as you’d like. For me, too often is damaging so once a week was great. You can “get a running record of all your weight and measurement entries.”

Progress Tracker

I really like this one too. This ones quickly and easily shows you how much you are shrinking! You can make the graph show over a short amount of time or a long time period. You can even customize it to show “just weight, or include arms, waist, and hips measurements, too-plus more!” Pretty fancy huh!?

Seriously it is all about seeing the results of your hard labor. This is the motivation any dieter needs to keep going.

Food Diary

The Food Diary tool helps you keep track of which entree and snack you ate. Plus you can add in an added grocerey item(s)! It is simple. Just click on the food item you want added to the diary and the system adds it all up and shows you your calories. However, you don’t have to calorie count to see results. For me, this tool just helped me to not cheat. If I cheated I was going to have to put it in my food diary. I had this in an app form on my smartphone and used it daily. The best part is, it transfers right over to the computer tool!

Exercise Log

Everyone needs a little motivation when it comes to exercise. Even marathoners need some motivation some days. With the Exercise Log, “you can see how even basic, everyday activities can make a big impact! Vacuuming? Dancing? Walking? It adds ‘em up for you. From intense workouts to daily chores,” just add in what you do and watch this log track your calories burned. Easy as pie…um…I mean easy as fruit pie

Could Nurtisystem make losing weight any easier!? How can you not be motivated to do well and see results!?

Crissa August 24, 2011 CHIT CHAT weight loss

Proof is in the Pudding #NSNATION

I am a total skeptic. I have a hard time believing a lot of things unless I try it out and have my own proof. If someone tells me a new store is the hottest thing, I won’t believe it until I see it. If someone tells me what the weather will be I will probably go and check it out for myself. I think I have become this way because so many companies give false information about what their products do, taste, like, or the results you will see from it. I have been tricked so many times that I guess it has made me a skeptic.

Dieting is no exception….and that is why I have tried EVERYTHING. I have tried HGC, many weight loss programs, shakes, workouts, pills, etc. Some have worked and some haven’t but none have actually given the results they promise….until Nutrisystem!

Nurtisystem has showed me the actual results they say I will see. There isn’t any false advertising folks! Here is why Nutrisystem works:

“9 out of 10 customers say that no other program they have tried is easier to follow, easier to stay on and more convenient than Nutrisystem.”

It’s easy! Seriously! Portion controlled meals. Some don’t even require heating! Couldn’t be any easier. Plus, there is a lot of variety so you never get sick of the food. In fact, I look forward to it. Who says that on a diet!? “9 out of 10 customers are more satisfied and would recommend Nutrisystem over all other diet programs that they have tried.” Nutrisystem even allows you to pick what foods you want. Then if you have a favorite…for me I LOVE the Nutriflakes Cereal- 40% Bran Flakes…you can order however many you want.

It’s proven. “Nutrisystem entrees and desserts feature:

Low-glycemic “good carbs”
Protein
Fiber
Low sodium”
Low fat
No trans fats

…You also get to add fresh grocery items (fruit, dairy, salads and vegetables) into your plan so you’re guaranteed nutrition every single day.” No one likes to be hungry while they are dieting. When I feel hungry is when I end up sabotaging myself. That is why I like Nutrisystem. They stuff their “foods with good carbs and fiber that help you feel fuller longer so you can stick with your program and lose the weight.” Finally!!

It’s effective. I told you earlier that I am a skeptic. Now, I am a believer! Nutrisystem really gives the results it professes. I, along with many others, are living proof of it!! Here is one great example:

“Ever since I had children, my weight has been a constant struggle. But when my daughter was diagnosed with cancer, my weight really began to spiral out of control. It only got worse when my daughter passed away, and I turned to food to help numb the unbearable pain I felt. Before I knew it, I was 250 lbs. After years spent perpetuating this vicious cycle, I was miserable and in constant physical and emotional pain. Then, in 2006, my back went out so badly that I couldn’t walk. I ended up in the hospital with my dignity crumpled in a ball on the floor. It was then that I decided I needed to take control of my life. While recovering during those first few days at home, I kept seeing Nutrisystem commercials and was amazed at how much weight these people had lost. I decided that I had to try it. I knew it was my last chance to make the change I so desperately needed. And with that, I began my new life.

Today, I am 115 lbs. lighter and went from a size 22 to a size 4! I am happy to report that thanks to Nutrisystem along with low impact exercise, my knee pain is completely gone, my back hardly ever gives me trouble anymore, and I have more energy now than I did when I was 20! Nutrisystem made all of this possible by providing me with the tools I needed to make the right choices and to feel confident about what I put into my body.”

CAN YOU SAY WOW! Great job Lisa M!

Well, it is true….the proof is in the pudding! Did you want butterscotch or chocolate chocolate chip?

Two of my very favorite desserts!!

Crissa August 13, 2011 CHIT CHAT weight loss

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