Bulu box Review

Have you heard of Bulu box? Bulu Box is the first health, nutrition and weight loss discovery box designed to help you feel your best. Each month, you’ll get a custom box filled with a new mix of 4 to 5 premium samples from top brands to try. Every sample is sufficient enough to decide if the product is right for you.  I received one to review and wasn’t disappointed!  You can try it too!

What was inside!

I tried almost everything (I haven’t had a need *ahem* for the Yerba Prima yet!) and loved trying them.  The best part about subscription boxes like these are that I wouldn’t necessarily buy any of these separately to try.  But getting them together to try was a great way to check out some new things!

I’ll tell you in order that I tried them (I think!).  My first was the Mediterra Sundried Tomato and Basil bar.  You heard that!  It’s a savory granola-like bar (really more like a Kind bar – lots of texture!)

See all that good stuff?

I wasn’t sure what to expect here.  I’m not sure if I’d buy these regularly, but I would definitely get one for on the go.  It tasted like it sound, with the great crunch and flavor that I expected from seeing it and knowing the flavor name.  The only reason I wouldn’t get them regularly is that I go for the sweet stuff!

Next up was probably what I was most looking forward to!  The Quest Peanut Butter protein powder had to be delicious since I already trust Quest to be crazy good!  And it was.  I still have the second packet too, so having two was pretty nifty. I knew that if I didn’t like it with just water and ice (I did!), I could try it another way.  I may mix it with some chocolate protein powder to see how that is (how could it go wrong??)

Next, I tried these Movit Energy gummies.

I brought these for a preworkout boost while away for the weekend so I didn’t have a baggie of my usual preworkout, Energize, in my carry on.  I ended up not actually getting in my workout, but it wasn’t lack of energy!  These were delicious and definitely gave me a boost!  Loved them, though gummies at 4am don’t sound like a great way to start the day.  So I may get these to have for late workouts or when I’m on the go.

Okay, the last of what I tried was kind of a surprise.  I really didn’t expect much from the Earth’s Care Anti-Itch Cream.  But then, I had a need for just that.  I was recently stung by some fire ants…a totally new thing for me.  I had no clue what to really do for them, and it would be fine for a bit, and then itch like crazy for a while.  This went on for about a week, until I realized I had this cream to try.

Well, that’s the last time they itched!  This is now in my purse for easy access.  I’ll be buying more soon, though I used so little with such great results that I may not need more for a bit!

So, do you want to check out this box and get some samples to heck out??  Use code SWEATPINK for 50% off a 3-month subscription and let me know how you like it!

Trouble with Overeating? MealEnders Review (and Giveaway!)

As part of my Sweat Pink Ambassadorship I received four packs of MealEnders for free in exchange for a review. I volunteered for this opportunity, and all opinions are my own.

When I heard about the MealEnders lozenges, I was super intrigued!  One of the reasons I like to have fruit at the end of my meals is to give me a little sweet finish so my brain gets the hint that I’m done.  The point of these is to do that in the 20 minutes it takes for your brain to get the signal that you’re full.  How do they do all this??

MealEnders consist of two components: a sweet, outer reward layer and a cooling/tingling inner core. The outer layer provides a measured dose of “dessert,” usually associated with the end of a meal. The inner core engages the trigeminal nerve (the nerve that senses “taste” sensations in the mouth) with long-lasting cooling/tingling sensations to cue the end of eating and clear the palate. By keeping your mouth and mind occupied for up to 20 minutes (the Overeating Zone—when you are full, but often continue to eat because your brain has not yet received the “fullness” signal), MealEnders naturally transition you away from the desire to overindulge, giving your body’s natural satiety process time to catch up and let you know your full.

You can check out Why We Overeat on their website for a nifty graphic that explains it too!

So, I’m guessing the things you want to know are 1) are they good and 2) do they work…they are so good that I could overeat them if I didn’t remind myself to let the full lozenge dissolve!  The outer layer is so dessert-like.  Almost dipped in chocolate (which makes no sense for the citrus and cinnamon flavors, but it’s the consistency and sweetness I’m going for).  The inner core is where the scientific goodness is, it’s a tingling sensation that kind of reminds me of the feeling of having just brushed your teeth but without the mintiness.

There are four flavors – Chocolate Mint, Mocha, Cinnamon and Citrus.  It was no surprise to me that Chocolate Mint was my favorite!  But I liked them all.  I was surprised to like the Citrus flavor because it just sounds weird. I didn’t have them after every meal, or even every day, but if I felt the urge to keep eating or snack, I’d grab one, cycling through the flavors.  I couldn’t even play favorites because I liked them all.   But I love sweets!  I think everyone could have a flavor they enjoy with these.  The cinnamon is like pie and the citrus is hard to explain, but good…I kind of want to go have one now to try to describe it better!

Now the other thing you want to know…how you can get them yourself!  I’m giving away 4 packs of MealEnders (one of each flavor) to one US reader!  Just comment below by Thursday, March 26th at 11:59pm ET and I’ll pick a name out of a hat on Friday.

Giveaway is closed!

Time to Play the Games!

The Fitness Games that is!

Disclosure statement: This post was sponsored by The Fitness Games through their partnership with Fit Approach. I was not compensated monetarily, but was provided the Platinum Version of the application for review. As always, all opinions are my own.

I recently had the opportunity to check out The Fitness Games app for myself.  Have you heard of this?  You can challenge your friends (or anyone on the app!) to complete a workout and see who “wins”.  For example, I was challenged to a 20 minute run and since I ran it slower, I lost (whomp whomp).  But the fun is in trying!  They have workouts pre-entered to challenge others with or you can create your own…a great feature for a personal trainer or other fitness pro who wants to add their own workout and challenge clients!

I think that this app is an amazing idea.  But to be honest, I barely used it.

First, why it isn’t for me.  I usually have a workout schedule set well in advance.  I know that I will be in my living room, pushing play most mornings and exactly what workout that will be.  I don’t have a lot of child-free time on top of that to spend doing a challenge.  The ones that are outdoor, I would either be doing with my daughter or trying to fit it into the small amount of evening time we have.  That 20 minute run I “lost”?  I was going at an almost 2 year old’s walking pace because she wanted to walk, not sit in the stroller.  I also haven’t been running since my 10K, so the running challenges (probably the best for my schedule) didn’t really call to me.

But that doesn’t mean that I can’t see the value in it!  If you are a competitive person, who wants something in addition to other workouts or as a regular workout with friends, I think this would be a lot of fun.  I definitely would have gotten use out of it a few years ago!  It also has a social aspect, encouraging you to post pictures/videos and comment on other people’s posts…because if you don’t post about it, it doesn’t count, right?

Want to check it out for yourself?  You can get the app at http://tfgapp.com or their iOS Apple Site: http://bit.ly/1qGElHs. And then Tweet: Challenge your fitness with #TheFitnessGames! Check out @TFGapp and let the games begin! http://ctt.ec/gd5dj+ @fitapproach #sweatpink

Milkmakers Cookie Review

I tried the Milkmakers lactation cookies a few weeks ago.  I had been meaning to try them and they were on zulily.com at a discount, so I jumped on it.

 

 

I tried to get a picture below to show size with my grande Starbucks cup.  But the cookie still looks smaller than actual size.  It’s one big cookie!  Not that it’s bad, but I would rather a few smaller cookies.  I have been eating half at a time sometimes, but it’s hard to put half a cookie back!

 

They taste good as well.  I usually make oatmeal chocolate chip ones, and these are raisin instead.  I like mine better, and I think it is more than just the chocolate.  Mine are a bit sweeter.  These are on the spiced side.  But I do like them.

I have bought another batch since my first, so I obviously give them a thumbs up!  It is hard to judge them for milk production as I do so much to boost that and keep it up.  I continue to break even though.  In theory, I’ll continue making my own and have these for back up, but each day I say I’ll make cookies, I have something pop up.  I bought raisins for the next batch, so I’ll post about that once I test them out!

My Fitness Pal

I mentioned my streak on My Fitness Pal (MFP) the other day. I thought I should talk a little more about the website/app, especially as their latest app update has fixed my major issue with using the app instead of the website.

I started tracking my food on MFP in April of 2011. At that point, I had been writing my food on paper, eating clean about 90% of the time. But I knew deep down that I needed more structure. Eating clean can be easy, and many people do well with it alone. But I like food in volume. I needed better portion control! So when I got home from a cruise, I started tracking online.

Like anything new, it takes a while to get used to. But MFP has such a huge database that it was fairly easy. And I love being able to scan my food with the app. You can also copy meals from that meal time for any previous day that week, which is super helpful if you eat the same thing most days. They show a list of your most added foods and your recently added foods on the website to make it easy to find these. On the app, you used to only be able to see recent foods from that meal time but the new update lets you also look at all recent foods.

I was able to add and rename meal times also. They start you with four (I think) but I have six (titled meals 1-6, but this can be changed also). I like that better than looking at everything I ate from 4 or 5am to noon in one “meal”! Making a recipe is easy to do, as is seeing the breakdown of your day by different categories. There are the usual calories, fat, protein, carbs and sodium but it will also show others and you can adjust the breakdown you want to aim for if you’d like.

There is also an exercise feature, which logs your workouts and adjusts your calories for the day accordingly. One issue I have is that adding any workouts in their “strength training” section does not change your calorie goal. I know not everyone is like this, but if I’m going to lift heavy, I need to adjust. I enter all workouts under the “cardiovascular” section.

Each day, when you complete your food diary, they tell you that if every day were like that day, you would weigh X lbs in Y weeks. Pretty nifty!

I’ve continued logging my food during pregnancy because I know myself and I would go overboard without some accountability. I don’t always stay within their calorie goal (I changed it from wanting to lose weight to maintenance), but I know that the act of writing it down…even virtually…is better than not. Most days I’m under slightly.

And to finish it out, a picture to mark 32 weeks (yesterday). This was on our way to Breastfeeding class.

Workout yesterday – 20 minutes ellitical, lifting
Workout today – 20 minute prenatal yoga (free at YogaDownload)

Mid-weekend Sunday and a Review

I love three day weekends, having a middle weekend day. It is fantastic! This one came at a great time with my lack of sleep lately and allergy/sleep headaches. It has been nice to have the time to both be productive and relax.

This morning, I was sore from yesterday’s yoga and decided to do Yoga Booty Ballet – Baby on the Way. Looking back to see if I had reviewed it yet, I noticed both that I hadn’t and that I had planned to change my workout schedule to include more yoga and never did! Silly me. This week, my workout schedule is going to be a bit different than most weeks. Tomorrow, my gym has an Aqua Zumba class for the holiday, so I’m going to that and not lifting weights as I do most Mondays. But the week after, I think I’ll go back to the schedule I planned for weeks ago but never switched to.

While exercising, one of my dogs came over and sat on my yoga mat while I did standing poses. It was adorable and I wish I had a way to get a picture of it. This is the second day in a row that I have wanted to take a picture and couldn’t. I need to start doing these things while someone else is home to act as photographer.

The dogs

Review of Yoga Booty Ballet – I have been enjoying this workout much more than I expected to! I find that it is suitable for many levels. It has a cardio section, then weights and ends with yoga. The cardio is low impact and not complicated. During it the instructor calls you a sexy hot mama which always makes me smile. The weights portion is what you make of it, which is one of the reasons I find it so easy to customize to your level. I use 5 lbs, the heaviest they mention and the lightest I own. You could use lighter or even no weights. The lifting is quick and mixed with movement, which raises my heart rate more than the cardio section, but it isn’t complicated. Last is the yoga section which is also not complicated. I find it relaxing! There is a modifier who does a few exercises differently than the two others. The whole workout is about 35 minutes and requires a mat, weights (if using them) and possibly a blanket or pillow (more comfort than necessity). I put it on thinking how easy it will be, but the weights section always surprises me with how effective it is at getting me to feel my muscles.

Workout today – Yoga Booty Ballet – Baby on the Way

Moms Into Fitness workout reviews

I have now done the first, second and third trimester workouts on the Pregnancy Fitness video (I purchased at Target). Each has cardio and weight segments and it is a nice balance. I definitely would consider this on the beginner side, although if you are a true beginner and did not exercise before pregnancy it isn’t for you. The cardio portions have you moving, but don’t really get the heart rate going (which I’m sure is on purpose!). The weight segments are good and you can use heavier or lighter weights to customize each workout to your level.

Each video has three people showing different ways to adjust. One is a lower intensity – you could follow her on an “off” day, or if you are having a complication that isn’t a contraindication to exercise. In the third trimester video, the lower intensity modifier has diastasis recti and gives even more modifications than in the first and second trimester workouts. All three use weights for the level they are showing, and it is announced at the beginning what they are using. I love this. I like knowing what specific weights are used, especially my first time through!

The workouts are given by Lindsay Brin, not pregnant in these videos. She is peppy and seems knowledgable, but says buncakes. You’ve been warned. There is also a postnatal boot camp disc that I haven’t tried. There is a lot of talk of yoga being on the discs. I only see yoga on the postnatal disc, so I did not try it.

My favorite experience with Lindsay Brin was separate from this DVD set. I found her second trimester Youtube video which was a terrific workout. I found that the cardio sections were getting my heart rate a bit too high, so I usually did 20 minutes of cardio on my own before doing the weight exercises from the video. Though I found this more challenging than the DVD, using lighter weights would make it less so. I wish there were more workouts of hers like this online!

I’ve been happy with all of these workouts and I’m glad I found them early on.

Yoga reviews!

I have done three different prenatal yoga workouts from the prenatal section at yogadownload.com.  Before I was pregnant, I did hot (Bikram style) yoga 4-6 times a week.  I miss it!  I miss the yoga and the people.  I look forward to returning to the studio, though I’m sure it wont be as regular or often as before.

But this is a review of what I’ve been doing during pregnancy.  So, in order of length of time (and coincidentally, difficulty), these are the specific workouts I’ve tried so far.

– Prenatal Yoga #1 (20 minutes – FREE) – Love this!  It is a short and easy workout that I just actually tried this weekend.  I hope to work it in a few times a week from now on.  It moves slowly, is good for all levels and has you hold a few poses for a minute to mimic a contraction.  And the fact that it is free, means everyone should go get it!  So go, and then come back and read the rest of this post.

-Prenatal Vinyasa Flow(45 minutes – $5.99 for download) – A little more difficult but doable for most with a yoga history.  It is flowing with the beginning feeling faster to me than the rest, which is how I find most vinyasa classes.  This is purposeful though, to get you warmed up.  But by the end it is relaxing too.

-Power Prenatal (70 minutes – $6.99 for download) – Whoa.  This one I had a difficult time with, not getting through the whole 70 minutes the first time.  But it was a very good workout!  I would not recommend this for someone who wasn’t doing yoga often before pregnancy.  And the pose guide is very important.  I needed to refer to it during the workout, having not looked at it prior.  This one also had some more difficult holds to mimic contractions.  I definitely appreciated this not being a “prenatal yoga should mostly be breathing” workout. I like being challenged!

All of these workouts have different options in the site, with different prices for different lengths.  I have several of their other classes also and like that they have many 20 minute workouts available for free…great if you want a quick workout.

Pancakes!

I mentioned a bunch about food aversions the other day.  But pancakes are obviously too good to hate!  I’ve been making them most days of my pregnancy, and they have treated me well.

I bought this set from OpenSky to start me off. Four mixes, all delicious!  The brownies and cookies were loved by all and both pancake mixes made easy, tasty pancakes.  But I eat pancakes more frequently than brownies and cookies, so now I’ve bought a 6 pack of one of the pancake mixes off of Amazon.  I do have a box each of the baked goods mixes in the kitchen and I know where to buy more if I need them.

One of the great things about the mixes are how easy it is to make.  The pancake mixes require only the mix and water!  That’s doable most mornings.  I usually add a mashed up banana, 1/2 scoop of protein powder and a shake of cinnamon.  Blueberries are good too.  They come out excellent almost every time…usually as long as I give the pan time to heat up.  I can be impatient with my pancakes!

Easy, delicious…what else could you want in a pancake?  Likely, you want a picture.  I’ll add one tomorrow!

4 week Derm Exclusive results

Four weeks and I love it!  The lines I have are less noticeable and my skin tone is even.  So happy I tried this out!

Derm Exclusive is a breakthrough skin treatment system that helps you look younger immediately, with long-term benefits that target all four signs of aging:
-Fine lines and wrinkles
-Sagging skin and loss of elasticity
-Dark spots and uneven skin tone
-Dullness and lack of radiance

It comes in a 4 piece or 7 piece set.  I got the 7 piece and I really like the extra products, but if you have a favorite cleanser and moisturizer the 4 piece has the workhorse products of the line.  Want to try it?  Go to www.allisongettingfit.com and click on the Shop link!