Most of the time, these bars are meal replacements, calorie supplements for intense exercisers who need those extra calories, or have the nutritional profile of a Snickers bar. Just because there is a picture of someone flexing on the front, doesn’t mean that it’s entirely healthy–or for everyone who exercises.

Imagine my relief when I received a box of Promax’s 70 calorie snack bars in the mail (one of many perks of writing about fitness for a living.) These are the types of bars most people should be eating. They give you a little blast of energy, 70 calories worth, which means you can actually eat a meal for dinner, to give you five grams of protein 10 grams of carbs and one gram of fiber.

For me, at least, they are perfect. I train from about 5:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and then come home to workout. I don’t want to eat a huge meal right before, but I don’t want to consume a 250 calorie snack either. Instead I just need a little somethin’ somethin’ to give me some extra energy after not having eaten since before work. Then, when I’m done, I make a proper meal. By sticking to this schedule, the quick snack serves its purpose, holds me over, and gives me some nutrients to fuel my workout, without containing the calories of half a meal.

The box I received was advertised as “Cookies and Cream” flavor, but the box lied. Instead, they tasted exactly like cookie dough–I mean exactly–same texture, same everything. Which didn’t bother me as they tasted great. That’s the one thing you have to be careful of, though, they are small, and so good that it’s easy to justify eating two or three. You must resist.

That said, these little guys are exactly what they claim: a high energy snack. An important designation as your daily source of calories and nutrients should be from real, whole foods and meals, whereas these bars are good for a quick one-time pick me up. Which is great as you now have a bar that will do the same as all those other (300 calorie) bars on the market, but without piling on the extra calories. Use them in case of an emergency: toss ‘em in your purse, your gym bag, your car–hell, you can put ‘em in your pocket–and you will never be left looking for a drive thru before you can get home to eat a nutritious and healthy meal.

Sure these things contain healthy ingredients, but the outstanding amount of unhealthy ingredients negate any benefits you would get from them.

Which brings me to this little nugget: scientists are now on a mission to create “healthy ice cream.” No, they aren’t making delicious and creamy, fat-free and sugar-free ice cream, rather researchers are going to simply add dietary fiber, antioxidants and probiotics (bacteria that aids in healthy digestion) to the already calorie and fat rich dessert. If successful, the healthy ice cream will be considered a “functional food,” one that contains ingredients proven to benefit health above and beyond normal nutrition.

We don’t need nutrients above and beyond normal nutrition, we need help with eating normal healthy nutrients, like vitamins and minerals and lean proteins and NON FAT dairy — not ice cream with a sprinkling of digestion helper.

I don’t need help with healthy digestion. My body digests just fine, because I eat a healthy diet including full yogurt complete with probiotics. Antioxidants are thought to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are linked to causing diseases, which is fine, but you know what really helps preventing disease? Not eating a diet high in saturated fat!

“The intent is that instead of feeling guilty because you are eating this ice cream, which has received a bad rap because it is so high-fat, to really say that ‘Yeah I treated myself to a full-fat ice cream, but I did contribute to my nutritional needs in regard to my gut health, my antioxidant needs and my dietary fiber,’” said ice cream researcher Ingolf Gruen, a professor of food chemistry at the University of Missouri-Columbia, as reported by MSNBC.com.

So basically, it’s a way to justify eating fattening ice cream. Great. That’s exactly what America needs. Really though, why do people talk about food guilt like it is a necessary evil? I’m not knocking ice cream. I love ice cream, the real stuff, and I love a good little bowl every now and again for a snack before bed — after having eaten a good, healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Because of that, I can have this nice indulgence, guilt-free, because I know I am doing what I need to do to take care of my body, not fooling myself into thinking it’s just okay to eat junk food because there is some fiber in it. Somewhere.

What we really need to work on is helping Americans develop a healthy relationship with food. Food is not something to be feared or to cause you guilt. Moreover, the last thing we need is to further confuse and delude people into buying an unhealthy product by shouting from the rooftops about its health benefits, and mumbling under our breaths the fact that it is still full of fat, sugar and calories, and will still cause you to gain weight if you eat too much of it.

If it tasted the same, and didn’t cost anymore money, I would buy this “healthy” ice cream, sure. Extra nutrients added to something I eat occasionally anyway is never a bad thing. It’s those people who can’t (or won’t) control how much ice cream they eat, and will now think that it’s okay — instead of trying to get a handle on it — that I’m worried about. Which, to be frank, is about 90% of my personal training clients. The product is supposed to be launched in the next two years, so I guess I have that much time to try to pound into their heads the importance of the quantity AND the quality of the food they eat.

Coupons.com Household Savings Expert Jeanette Pavini is here to give you helpful tips on how to navigate the holiday season with your budget, and sanity, intact.

• Before pulling out your wallet, set a holiday budget by writing a list of every person and every occasion (don’t forget holiday parties you’re attending and hosting) you’ll need to buy for this season, and then allocate a dollar amount for each name and event. Remember to factor in sales tax and possibly shipping costs.

• Stick to your budget by finding ways to save on each and every purchase:

• There’s never been a better time to take advantage of coupons, promotional codes, club cards and rewards points from credit cards.

• Always comparison shop, as prices vary from store to store, and be sure to save receipts to get refunded for any later price adjustments.

• Consider opening a store credit card for additional discounts on high-ticket items, but first be sure you will be able to pay it off as soon as the bill comes to avoid interest charges. Also, know that every time there is an inquiry to your credit history it can lower your credit score a few points, so don’t apply if you are in the process of refinancing or buying a home or car!

• Get creative with thoughtful, personal DIY gifts:

• Cook your trademark dish and include a “Top Secret” envelope with a copy of your family recipe.

• Decorate a small clay pot to match a friend or family member’s kitchen and plant a one-of-a-kind herb garden.

• Create a custom coupon book with redeemable offers for organizing photos, a car wash, a home-cooked meal, a massage, etc.

• A great, inexpensive way to punch up a floral arrangement is grabbing branches, swags of evergreen or winterberries. Arrange in a large vase to bring the outdoors inside this holiday season as a housewarming gift.

• Donate your time. As a priceless gift to a friend or family member involved with a non-profit or devoted to a particular cause, volunteer with the charity. Whether it’s a clean-up day at the beach or park, assisting at a soup kitchen, or delivering means, get a group of friends to join in for an experience no one will forget.

• If you unexpectedly get a gift from somebody that’s not on your list, resist the urge to buy them a present in return – you didn’t budget for it and you’ll end up having to gift them next year too. Simply say, “What a pleasant surprise, thank you so much for thinking of me.”

• Lottery tickets are always a fun and unexpected “little something” for co-workers – and they make great stocking stuffers too.

Check out Coupons.com for tons of great manufacturer’s coupons to save even more on your holiday gifts, meals and supplies.

Week four of P90X is the last week of phase one (of three), and it was a recovery week. Don’t get too excited, though–you still have to work out everyday. The recovery workout schedule for week four is as follows:

Yoga X
Core Synergistics
Kenpo X
X Stretch
Core Synergistics
Yoga X
Rest

Yeah, that’s a lot of yoga.

So basically, rest means less strength training and more cardio and flexibility. It was a nice week, all the same–even though weights are my fave–switching up the routines and getting a change of pace.

The only new DVD was Core Synergistics which, if you aren’t familiar with fitness vocabulary, can be misleading. It’s not a core or ab DVD (core does not mean abs!! Sorry, a pet peeve of mine…), but it’s a full body workout that uses multi-joint exercises synergistically (all together).  Core comes in because your core is responsible for transferring momentum from your lower to upper body and vice versa. Thus, it is trained when doing upper and lower body exercises simultaneously. Overall, this DVD is probably one of my favorites–which a lot of people who do the program claim–because it has a little bit of everything.

Injuries, sigh. I’m actually surprised nothing has been bugging up to this point. I’m pretty prone to injury, well, past injuries flaring up, and with the intensity of this I’m shocked it’s taken this long. I honestly think it has a lot to do with the way the whole program is planned out (a huge compliment) as it’s setup in a way that each muscle group receives adequate rest.

I have been having a lot of knee pain lately which I attribute to the impact of the cardio routines, and my upper back and neck have been killing me as well. The knee I can handle, because there are always modifications. Plyo bugs it the most, so when the DVD is doing certain moves I know will kill it, I just jump around like an idiot to keep my heart rate up. Viola! Results, but no pain.

The neck thing, however, is a different deal altogether. It’s killing me, day in and day out. I have back issues to begin with, but this one is creeping up into my shoulders and neck and giving me migraines. I haven’t had this until I started the program, but I think it’s just exacerbating a preexisting condition. I changed my pillows, and went and got a massage, which helped tremendously, but I feel a lot of it has to do with the overload of shoulder and back work in the program. Again, isolated situation. I’m not saying this is going to happen to everyone, but working out so intensely is a shock to the body, so expect some unexpected issues.

Q & A Time! If you have any questions about the program or my progress, leave it in the comments section and I will answer it in the following recap. Now for last week’s questions:

Are you using any supplemental equipment?(e.g. floor mat, exercise ball, etc)
or
just using the free weights/resistance bands and pull up bar?  -mj

No supplemental equipment. There are a few things you can use for individual exercises, but they aren’t necessary. You need a stool to do the leg swings over, but you just need something hip height, so I actually use a free standing space heater, of all things. Yoga blocks can help, but aren’t necessary. A yoga mat, though, can be quite helpful, at least for me, as I tend to slip around on the carpet a bit. You can also use pushup bars, but they tend to be for more advanced pushups, or people with wrist issues, to keep them neutral.

But, again, it’s all just extra. I don’t even have a pull-up bar–I use a resistance band and dumb bells instead.

How often are you supposed to do the cardio dvd’s? Do you recommend doing additional cardio along with the program? -Julie

The DVDs are programmed out for you, that is it tells you which one to do and on which day. STRICTLY cardio DVDs are about twice a week, but if you are pushing yourself as hard as you should be, even during the strength training DVDs your heart rate should be high enough to be considered cardio as well.

There is one extra cardio DVD you are supposed to do one time a week at your discretion, so basically three days of intentional cardio. If it doesn’t sound like enough, there is a different option that I lay out in the program overview post that is called P90X Lean, where you do more cardio and less strength training.

You can do more cardio on your own if you want too. For example, I take my dog for long walks because if I don’t, he pees in my shoes. I also hit the treadmill for a bit at work when I have cancellations (I’m a personal trainer), but I would be impressed if someone could find the time (the workouts are about one hour to one and half hours a day) or the energy (and they are rough!).

Miss anything?

P90X Challenge: Program Overview

P90X Challenge: Week One

P90X Challenge: Week Two

P90X Challenge: Week Three

Well, it’s that time of year again, folks. That special time of the year where your credit cards get maxed out, your house is filled with family you hardly ever see, and when holiday treats are lurking around every corner to comfort you in your time of need. Bowls of candy at the office, tins of cookies from your neighbors, left over Halloween candy, and pies, pies, and more pies.

So, who cares? It’s the season to celebrate! Bring it on! Champagne soaked parties, peanut brittle at midnight, and peppermint white chocolate mochas are some of the best parts of the holidays! The big deal is that most Americans gain about 1-5 pounds from Halloween to New Year’s, and according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health, most Americans never lose that holiday weight.

Wouldn’t it be nice, just this once, not to have a New Year’s resolution devoted to weight loss? That doesn’t mean you have to lock yourself in your house and not partake in any of the fun. In fact, it’s actually possible to enjoy those seasonal treats without fear of packing on the pounds–if you do it right.

Outsmart the Serve Yourself Setup

Buffets, pot lucks, and free-for-alls are a mindless eating trap. When dinner is served buffet-style, use the smallest plate you can find, and first fill it up with fruits and veggies (and watch the dip!) then go back for the good stuff. Don’t stack your foods, as you can lose sight of your portions. And if you really must have something ooey-gooey, take only one bite’s worth. If you finish and still want more, go ahead, but chances are you will be full off the healthy stuff and won’t want to go back.

Limit Your Alcohol

It’s not just about the added calories alcohol heaps on, but about control, or more specifically, lack of it. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, making you less likely to think twice about grabbing a little of this and a little of that, and can leave you dehydrated, which is often mistaken for hunger. Alternate drinks with water, or diet soda instead, so you don’t feel left out. Or, because those parties get a little nuts, save your friends and your waistline by offering to be the designated driver.

Bring Your Own Treats

It’s the season of giving, so mask your ulterior motive with a bright red bow. Whether you’re going to a friend’s party or an office potluck, bringing a healthy, low-calorie treat that you know you’ll enjoy will leave everyone happy. Plus, you’ll be more likely to stick to it, and not feel deprived. Furthermore, you’ll know exactly what’s in it, which you can’t say for anything else offered.

Make Every Choice Conscious

Before you put anything in your mouth, ask, “Is it worth it?” If yes, go ahead–even if it’s a brownie–but if not, put it back. Most of our holiday eating is mindless; a taste of the dough from you batch of cookies, a piece of cheese that fell off the platter, the left over dip from the container. Make every decision a conscious one–don’t just pop things in your mouth.

Check Your Schedule

There are A LOT of days between Halloween and New Year’s, but not every one is a special occasion. Save your splurges for when they are worth it–Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, special parties, and so on, but not the days in between.

Exercise!

Get off the couch and move! It may not seem worth it with a belly full of turkey dinner, but every little bit counts. Winter is a great time to get active: go ice skating, snowboarding, snow shoeing, build a snowman, or just go for a crisp walk. Not only will exercise help burn off those indulgences, you’ll be so busy having fun you won’t think about eating.

Remember What You’re Celebrating

The holidays are a time to be with loved ones, to share, love, and give. We often make the holidays about food, and dread it because of that, but simply change your mind set. Remember what the holidays are really about–and that it has nothing to with chocolate, calories, and/or pounds.

Social smokers are those who do not smoke daily, but rather only in social situations, bumming cigarettes from friends at gatherings, and rarely buying any themselves. Social smokers tend to be younger, female, and better educated than daily or heavy smokers, and usually partake in the cancer sticks while drinking, particularly while binge drinking at college parties.

I am in this age group, and within my group of friends I too have seen the amount of social smoking increase. A study in the journal of Tobacco and Nicotine has attributed an increase in occasional smoking to the smoking bans in restaurants and workplaces, as it just isn’t convenient or realistic to smoke daily.

I know from experience with my friends that no-smoking laws that have been passed in our area, which prohibit smoking indoors and within 25 feet of business doorways, has banded my smoking friends together, and have them making frequent trips outside whenever we get together.

Whenever the group of heavy smokers gets up to leave and have a smoke, the rare non-smoking few are left to sit and wait until the majority of our group returns. This then leads to some “non-smokers” heading outside with the smokers so as to not miss out on the conversation, which then usually leads to a bummed drag or even a full cig. Whether these people would smoke regularly if there was no ban, or wouldn’t smoke at all is unknown, so it’s hard to tell if the ban is helping or hurting. With the number of regular smokers decreasing one would have to assume, overall, it’s a success.

But ask any of those social smokers if they consider themselves a cigarette smoker, and they will say no. I don’t quite know what the official criteria is (buying your own pack? Smoking at least once everyday?), but I think for most it just eases their mind to fool themselves into believing they aren’t doing anything detrimental to their health.

The danger is that occasional smoking does has serious negative health consequences. Those who smoke occasionally often aren’t concerned with quitting smoking because they feel they aren’t truly addicted, or it isn’t an issue. However, even occasional smoking has been linked to osteoporosis, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Each cigarette you smoke harms your health. The best way to avoid the consequences of cigarette smoke is not to smoke, period. No matter how infrequent it may be.

Here are the top 5 Fitness apps for your iPhone, to keep you moving, accountable, and eating right.

1. Loseit!

This app helps you calculate calories consumed and calories burned. It also helps you set goals and gives you feedback with graphs and charts. Its exercise and food library is impressively large, with both generic and brand named foods, but of course there are going to be some missing entries.

Cost: FREE

2. iFitness

This app has everything — fitness tips and tricks, the ability to log your workouts, advice on proper form, and an exercise library to get ideas or see how to do something properly. It can be used both at the gym, or for at home exercises that require minimal equipment.

Price: $1.99

3. iTreadmill

It’s like having a treadmill in your pocket. When you hold your phone in your hand, strap it to your arm or keep it in your pocket, the iTreadmill will keep track of your steps, distance, and pace of your walk, or your activity through out the course of the day.

Price: $2.99

4. RunKeeper

This app is a runner’s best friend. It offers plenty of options for logging run duration, distance, pace and speed, and even has built in GPS to map and record running paths.

Price: FREE

5. iPump

iPump is a personal trainer in your pocket. With videos, images, and audio coaching, you can have a personal exercise program in the palm of your hand. The total body workouts target all the major muscles in the body, and there are even an iPump series that include Yoga, Pilates, and Stability Ball.

Price: $2.99

Now, new research says that the calorie count laws have, in fact, resulted in positive changes. Oh, research, it seems we can barely trust even you anymore.

The New York Times reports that city health officials have said New Yorkers ordered fewer calories at four chains — Au Bon Pain, KFC, McDonald’s and Starbucks — after the law went into effect last year.

The changes were modest and the research also showed a significant increase in the amount of calories ordered at Subway which “researchers attributed to a continuing $5 promotional special on foot-long sandwiches that has tripled demand for them.”

The findings of the two reports appear to be contradictory, but researchers say the differences in the size and focus of the areas studies could be to blame. At least they didn’t find an increase in the number of calories ordered, right? I have a feeling I may be writing a third article on this subject in the next few days….

So now we have two different sets of findings — one good, and one indifferent. Even with the modest, if at all, reports of changes, I still feel that more information can never be a bad thing. Of those who do not live in an area affected by the calorie count posting law, do you wish they would pass it in your area? Would you like to know, or couldn’t care less?

The winner will receive a gift package of the EAS Myoplex Strength Formula shakes in both chocolate cream and vanilla cream flavors, as well as EAS’s new nutrition bar.
And the winner is:

Cmcg2009

These shakes would be awesome to try. The powder formulas in the store taste so gross, I can only get halfway down the glass before giving up. I need something that’s both tasty and full of the stuff I need.

Congrats! Check your email for further instructions!

Everyone else, check out the Free Stuff page for another great giveaway that starts today!

I missed three workouts this week, Yoga X, Legs, Back and Abs, and Kenpo X. I was sick in bed, so there was no way I was getting those bad boys in.

The funny thing is, I felt really guilty. My daily workout habit has officially been set, because normally I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, as I used to work out four days a week only, anyway.

I looked through my P90X Fitness Manual, but couldn’t find anything anywhere about missing workouts. I didn’t know if I should just skip over the workouts to stay on track, or hold off and pick up where I left off when I felt better, but eventually, I decided to just skip the days and keep on track. Honestly, part of me just didn’t want to tack on three days to the end of 90.

But it brings up a good point:THIS IS LIFE. Missing a workout or two is going to happen, and I’m not entirely sure what the program recommends when that happens. All my friends tell me I’m nuts for committing so much time to doing this even though I’m in fine shape, because they can’t imagine committing that much time themselves. These are obviously friends who do not work out.

Everyone’s main qualm with working out is, “I don’t have enough time” but that’s just not true. If I can find an hour and a half every day while working about four different jobs, so can anyone else.

Where the problem comes in, is who is willing to do that? P90X is a huge commitment, so it’s one of those things where someone who is willing to put in that much time to a fitness program is going to workout anyway, and someone who doesn’t work out is going to think it’s insane, or that they can’t find the time.

Can a very beginner finish the program? I think so, if they are finally ready to make a change. The hardest part is just doing it everyday. If they vow to put in the time, they can.

The thing about P90X is, all you have to do is give the time. If you carve out that one hour, or one and a half hours a day, and just do what the DVD says, you are going to get results. You can’t not get results. You can half-ass the entire thing, but the fact that you are working out six days a week is still going to get you results (not that I am recommending that.) The only real work you have to put in is doing it — no wasted time wondering what to do, how to do it, how many reps to do, etc.

One more thing I have to say: wear shoes. It was tempting to me to go barefoot because I am in the comfort of my home, but it’s catching up with me. The pads of me feet and my ankles are sore, so definitely wear shoes.

Next week is the recovery week — the routine changes to lower intensity workouts to give your body an extra chance to heal. I’m excited to get a little bit of a change going (and a rest!)

Only one question this time:

I look forward to reading your next couple of updates, especially hearing what you have to say about YOGA X, my Favorite. How are you finding the P90X nutrition guide?   -Get Moving

I talked about yoga already in the post you commented on — I don’t like it — but it’s just because it’s yoga, and I don’t like yoga.  Now that I am farther into the program, I kind of look forward to the Yoga X days, because even though it’s a freakin’ hour and a half long, its a nice change of pace from sky high heart rates and weights. Since I don’t do yoga often, I can honestly say that the video is a good intro for people who have never done it — so don’t be scared off! There are a lot of variations for people that can’t do certain poses, and even the people in the DVD stumble and fall occasionally. Plus, it does wonders for the flexibility — something I am really glad the program focuses so much on, mainly because many often over look it, but also because I really need help with it. LOL.

In the Program Overview I explained that I am not doing the nutrition program because I have certain medical restrictions on my diet. I eat very healthily, however, so it’s not an issue with my results. I’m a personal trainer, so I know how to eat to fuel my workouts, while getting all my nutrients.

I did read it over, of course, and am impressed. Instead of being filled with foods to lose weight, or meals with calorie counts, the program is designed to fuel you for your workouts, as opposed to just being diet recipes, which is usually how nutrition programs go. It’s annoying when companies focus on losing weight and cutting calories, because not everyone wants to lose weight, and if you eat healthily, for nutrition requirements, like the P90X nutritional guide does, you will naturally lose weight anyway.

Miss anything?

P90X Challenge: Program Overview

P90X Challenge: Week One

P90X Challenge: Week Two

In Indianapolis, Indiana, a court ruled that a pizza shop must pay for a 340-pound employee’s weight-loss surgery to ensure the success of a back surgery for an injury he suffered on the job.

Adam Childers, who was 25 at the time, and weighed in at 340 pounds in March 2007 when he sustained a back injury after accidentally being struck by a freezer door. Doctors said he needed surgery to eliminate his severe back pain, but in order for the surgery to be effective, he must first have lap band surgery to lose weight.

His employers, Boston’s The Gourmet Pizza, agreed to pay for the back surgery, but argued they were not responsible for the weight-loss operation, which can cost up to $25,000, because Childers was already obese before the accident.

The court, however, said the surgery and disability payments were covered because his weight and the accident had combined to create a single injury.

This isn’t the first case like this. Recently, in Oregon, the state’s Supreme Court ruled on Aug. 27 that the state workers’ compensation insurance must pay for gastric bypass surgery to help a man lose weight in order for his knee replacement surgery to be effective.

These types of rulings have business’s getting squeamish, and many believe this will lead to companies being more careful about hiring employees with certain health conditions, which may set them up to pay big bucks down the road.

It’s a tough one: every employee deserves to be protected, regardless of their weight, but should a company be responsible to rectify a pre-existing condition they have no control over? Would we even be having this discussion if obesity weren’t socially considered “a choice”? Obesity is something that can be controlled through lifestyle, but it takes time, and no one is disputing the fact Childers has a legitimate back injury. What do you guys think? Did the court make the right choice?

I live in Seattle, so I am used to to going into my Starbucks and seeing the calorie count for everything next to each item. For those of you that have never seen these changes, it’s confusing. Half the time you think the cost is the calorie content and vice versa (which, with Starbucks, they are pretty interchangeable).

I feel that its a start to curbing the obesity crisis, but there are definitely some flaws: new items take forever to be listed, so in order to find the information, you have to check the same websites you normally would to find calorie content, and they usually list everything’s count in its plainest form. (minus condiments, or other additions that you would have to specially ask to have removed, leading people to believe they are consuming less calories than they actually are) Personally, it completely ruins going out to dinner for me because even though I eat healthy 80% of the time, and deserve a little splurge on meals out, that quadruple digit calorie count staring me in the face puts a damper on the fun. I realize I’m probably in the minority on that one though.

I know, basically, the calorie count of most foods, and I am nutritionally minded, so I actually pay attention. When they announced the change, I have a feeling that it would play out like this: those who care about calories, already know the content, or at least what is good and bad, and those who that info is meant to help, don’t really care enough to look. Is someone that eats a Big Mac for lunch every day really going to change their ways because they see the actual number of calories in it? They have to already know it’s bad for them.

But, I like to think if it helps even one person, it’s worth it. So has it? According to MSNBC, not a single state who passed the legislation has yet seen obesity rates fall. Does that mean we should can it? I don’t think so. Like anything, the more knowledge that is out there, the more aware people will become.

There is some good news, too. Many restaurants are receiving a lot of flack for their ridiculous menu items containing days worth of calories and grams of fat, and have actually pulled them from the menu as a consequence. Small steps.

The hardest part, honestly, is the time commitment. It’s at least an hour everyday, and I’m proud to say I haven’t missed a single workout yet. I do them when I get home from work so there are no excuses.

So here’s the shocker now — I’m seeing results already. The definition in my arms has increased, and my lovely butt cellulite has noticeably smoothed. My abs are also more defined, which my boyfriend noticed, too (unprovoked, mind you).

The workouts are hard, but fun. They change so often you don’t get sick of them, and they are interesting enough that they keep your attention the whole time. Tony, the creator and instructor, is impressive strength wise, and entertaining, although a little chatty at times, but motivating. There are three to four people that workout along with him in each DVD that show different strength levels and different equipment modifications. I personally look forward to the DVDs with Daniel Hoss in them because I have a little crush, just a little, but all of them are in such fantastic shape you start to pick out your competition and try and beat them.

The DVDs are different than regular fitness DVDs because you don’t really follow along, you are told what to do and then you do it in the time span given. The Chest and Back DVD is a perfect example. It’s all push ups and pull ups, so you are told what kind of push up to do, pick your goal number, and then have about one minute to do them, while everyone on the DVD does theirs, which will probably be about twice the amount you can do. When you are done, you can try and squeak out a few more, or shake yourself out and wait. It’s not like you are following a routine along with the screen every second, which is precisely the reason I don’t like fitness DVDs — so P90X is perfect for me.

I still don’t like the yoga, but I’m sticking it out. It’s just because it’s yoga, it has nothing to do with the DVD.

The cardio DVDs are killer though. My average heart rate is usually around 150 with my peak typically around 170. That’s for an hour, mind you. I always joke because I never sweat at the gym — I’m just not a sweater — but these have me dripping and using a towel, which I LOVE. Kempo Karate is probably my favorite because you get to kick ass, but the plyometric DVD is definitely the ultimate cardio workout.

In terms of strength, I could barely do some of the exercises on Ab Ripper X when I first started, but now I can make it the whole way through with only a few breaks. Many of my push up variations have increased from 15 reps to 20, I’ve upped weights in my arm exercises, and my flexibility has improved as well. It’s only week two though, I’m excited to see the changes that are coming.

You guys had some more questions, so here goes:

You mention using 15 lb. weights…do I need to buy weights for this program? I usually use weights at the gym and don’t have any at home. Thanks!  -Lindsay

Its best to use dumbbells because you can track your progress better, but you can use a resistance band instead, which are way cheaper. You definitely need one or the other, though.

Exciting! I’m whipping up an “entry test” of my own, can you tell me how you did and measured these:

Sit and Reach
Wall sit
In and Outs

thx a lot!
Linda
You can look these up online for more detailed instructions.

Sit and Reach tests flexibilty. You need a yard stick. Sit with your hips up against a wall with your legs straight out in front of you, toes up toward the ceiling. Place the yardstick with the 15 inch mark right at your heels. Put one hand on top of the other, and lean forward, reaching as far as you can down the yardstick, keeping your hips against the wall and knees straight. Mark the number. Do it three times and take the best score.

Wall Sit, you need a stop watch. Place you back against a wall, slide down the wall so your knees are at 90 degrees — like you are sitting in an invisible chair. Hold it as long as you can. Start timing as soon as you are in position, and stop timing when your butt hits the floor.

In and Outs are for your abs. It’s easier to just show you a video of the move, so click here for a demo. Do as many as you can and mark the number.

Miss anything?

P90X Challenge: Program Overview

P90X Challenge: Week One

34-year-old Meb Keflezighi crossed the finish line of the 26.2 mile race with a personal best of 2:09:15.

Keflezighi emigrated in 1987 to San Diego, California, after fleeing war torn Eritrea during the conflict with Ethiopia, and officially became a United States citizen in 1998.

Keflezighi isn’t new to the racing game, or the American athletics stage: he won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics and was the runner-up in the same New York marathon, also in 2004.

The female champion on Sunday was 37-year-old Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia with a time of 2:28:52. Tulu is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 10,000 meter race (winning in both 1992 and 2000), and has also previously won the London marathon, in 2001.

There were also a few famous faces in this year’s New York Marathon. Actor Edward Norton and singer Alanis Morissette both ran to raise money for Kenyan conservation efforts. Biker Lance Armstrong finished the race, along with magician David Blaine, and Bachelorette winner and super-athlete Ryan Sutter (who has also completed an Iron Man).

Were any of you there?

The winners of this week’s giveaway are:

Aimee

Lily

Wanda

Mimi

Congrats girls! Check your emails for further instructions.

Now if you are weeping in your Wheaties that you didn’t win, don’t worry, you can purchase your very own copy at Gaiam.com right here or check out our new giveaway going on right now on our Free Stuff page.

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED***

Protein is an important part of muscle recovery, however, if you’ve ever tried protein powder, you know it’s like eating chalk. Fortunately, there is an alternative.

Developed by sports nutrition scientists, EAS Myoplex Strength Formula shakes are the perfect post-workout snack–they are delicious and creamy and offer 25 grams of high quality protein designed to help in post-workout replenishment.

The shakes come in vanilla cream and chocolate cream flavors, and both are awesome–without the chalky protein flavor we are so used to. The shakes are specially formulated to help meet the needs of fitness enthusiasts and active individuals alike, helping them to increase strength and gain lean muscle (via protein), when used in conjunction with diet and resistance training.

These are definitely post-workout snacks–each bottle comes in at about 180 calories per bottle, or you can just drink them as you like to get in a little extra protein through out the day. Personally, I used the chocolate flavor to make great smoothies, and even poured the vanilla on my cereal and in my coffee for some extra protein-rich sweetness.

Now for the real good news: Abbott Nutrition and Twirlit are giving away a gift package of the EAS Myoplex Strength Formula shakes in both chocolate cream and vanilla cream flavors, as well as EAS’s new nutrition bar.

Here’s a few ways to enter:

The more times you enter, the more chances you have to win!

Note: Please use a valid e-mail address.

One lucky winner will be chosen randomly. Giveaway ends Wednesday, November 11, 2009. Winners will be reached by email, and announced on the blog on 11/11/09.

Good luck!!

Coincidentally, *cough cough* three days after federal regulators revealed their plan to crack down on potentially misleading food labels, the Smart Choices program, which has received a lot of scrutiny for their choices in healthy food items, voluntarily “postpone[d] active operations.”

You’ll still see Smart Choices at the grocery store, as those products who were already given the label will probably continue to use them, but no new products will be given the green check, at least for the time being.

The FDA didn’t single out the Smart Choices program, but FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg stated that some products bearing the Smart Choice logo “are almost 50 percent sugar.”

The Smart Choices program was meant to help consumers make healthy choices at a glance, and to educate those not familiar with FDA regulated nutrition labels which can be confusing.  The Smart Choice logo is a green check mark that appears on the front of prepackaged food products to indicate a healthy choice.

Where those check marks are popping up, however, leaves the health conscious consumer with a bad taste in their mouth. Kellogg’s Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes and Keebler Cookie Crunch, among others, have been given the check, even though they contain more than 25% calories from sugar per serving. How does the program justify this? They claim the sugary cereals were given an exception because they are better nutritionally than other common breakfast foods, like donuts, waffles and Pop Tarts.

So, under that logic, everything can get a check as long as there is something else out there that is more unhealthy.

Smart Choices probably isn’t going to go away anytime soon, so its important for you to realize labels like this are just another form of marketing. The only way you can tell for sure if something is healthy, is to read the real nutrition label. For more info on how to properly read a nutrition label, see www.fda.org.

But to be honest, I can’t help but feel a little vindicated at Miss Danziger’s helmet hair, as my repeated attempts at pitching Self articles have, so far, gone unanswered. OK, that’s a lie. (You can still call me!) Back to the story.

The car service is a perk of her position, but Danziger recently felt it was unnecessary. It is unclear through the New York Times article though, if Miss Danziger was pressured to make the decision because of budget cuts or not, but there is no question she chose a healthier mode of transportation to replace her car service, rather than opting for a cab or to drive herself.

Getting back to basics — the surest way to cut costs and to boost your fitness. We pay for convenience, and we pay a lot. Convenience to us usually means doing as little as possible, so we pay a lot of money to have things done for us. Cutting back on those luxuries, like having someone make our coffee (which we add delicious syrups to just because), eating out to avoid cooking (which adds, on average, 700 calories to your meal), and driving everywhere (when years ago it was perfectly acceptable to walk a few miles to go to the grocery store). To name a few.

Whether your 401(k) is sitting at $0, or you are just looking to cut back here and there, think of the conveniences that are adversely effecting your health first. Cut those bad boys out, save some money, save your health, and you’ll finally hit both your financial and fitness goals. Then, every once in a while, you can go buy yourself a nice little gift — because we all know a new pair of shoes can also be good for you.

(Pic courtesy of www.nrgenterprises.com)

I’ve got one week of my P90X challenge under my belt (only 11 more to go) and I am loving it so far. P90X is intense, that’s for sure. This week, I am going to talk about the specifics of the workouts and the DVDs.

Day 1
Chest, Back, Abs
Duration: Approx. 1 hour 16 minutes
Heart Rate: 117 average, 152 peak

I have never done so many push ups and pull ups in my life. The sets alternate one push up variation, one pull up variation, about 8 different times using different hand positions and angles. The routine then repeats. I could barely lift my arms afterward, got a little bit of rug burn on my chin from the Dive Bombers (but that means I got low, right?), but still had a blast. The routines changed so much, the hour flew right by.

Ab Ripper X is the ab workout, and it’s exactly the same through out the entire 12-week program–done basically every other day. It’s about 16-minutes long, and ridiculously hard–I couldn’t even do some of the exercises to begin with, and my abs are probably my strongest suit. Every ab and core exercise is done for 25-reps, unless otherwise noted, for a total of 339 exercises. Yeah, it hurts, but it works.

Day 2
Plyometrics
Duration: about 1 hour
Heart Rate: 140 average, 171 peak

This is totally my favorite workout. It’s all explosive jumping moves, which not only jacks up your heart rate to burn serious calories, it strengthens your muscles for better performance too–particularly in sports. The exercises themselves aren’t too difficult–it was usually a heart rate issue that slowed me down (that’s a cop out way of saying I could barely breathe) as opposed to not being able to perform the moves. It’s high impact, and if you are de-conditioned, it is recommended that you skip this one for a while and do the Cardio X DVD until you feel ready.

Day 3
Shoulders, Arms, Abs
Duration: about an hour and 16 minutes
Heart Rate: 104 average, 144 peak

This was by far the easiest workout. The set up is a shoulder exercise, then biceps, then triceps, then repeat. From there you move onto different exercises with the same muscle focus. Since it’s all isolated exercises, the heart rate stays low, but the muscle burn is big.

Day 4
Yoga X
Duration: about an hour and a half
Heart Rate: 95 average, 139 peak

Oh, yoga. I’m not a big fan–and this DVD is an hour and a half long. Yes, yoga is fantastic for flexibility and muscle strength, but I don’t have the attention span for it. Truth be told, I’m no yoga guru. That said, I was surprised that I could keep up with all the moves, so I’m thinking it’s probably fairly easy for the average person to do.

Cardio X–this is the DVD you are supposed to supplement in, and since I wasn’t quite feeling the yoga, I decided to do it on day 4 (I am going to do it once a week.) It’s a combo of kenpo karate and a little bit of plyo and regular cardio moves. Definitely easier that plyometrics, but still a calorie scorcher. Heart Rate: 133 average, 14 peak.

Day 5
Legs, back, abs
Duration: about an hour and 16 minutes
Heart Rate: 133 average, 172 peak

The pull ups are back in this DVD, along with more lunges than you ever thought possible–plus squats and calves. It may seem weird to only do legs one day a week, but the plyo kills the legs, along with the yoga, so they definitely get toasted all the same.

Day 6
Kenpo Karate
Duration: about 1 hour
Heart Rate: 129 average, 169 peak

This DVD is straight up fun. It’s actual karate moves–kicking, punching, the whole deal–but it really gets the heart rate up, and changes so quickly you never get bored. The calorie burn is intense, but you barely notice as you’re having too much fun, kicking ass.

Day 7
REST! Thank god.
You can do the stretching DVD on this day, but I opted out the first week. I will complete it next week, however, and review it then.

Since the workouts repeat for the next two-weeks, next week, I’ll tell you guys how I did with the workouts from week one to week two, and then week three I’ll review the programming itself, along with the actual setup of the DVDs, the level of instruction, and how they are programmed (they aren’t the typical “follow the leader” type workout DVDs–in a good way.)

You guys had a few questions last post which I will now, but feel free to ask more! I’ll answer them in next week’s post.

How tall are you? -Melly

I’m 5′6″

Question about the pull-up bars: Are you saying that a resistance band can be used in lieu of the bars? I’m worried about damaging the door frames in the new place (there’s complex finished wood molding around all of the door frames) with a pull up bar, even one of those “no-drill” ones. -Camevil

Yeah, you can use the band instead of the pull up bar, or instead of dumbbells. I have dumbbells so I use those, but I can’t screw holes in my door frame either, and the molding on my door frame goes the whole up to the ceiling so I can’t use the non screw ones, either. So instead of pull ups I do pull downs with the resistance band hooked over the top of my door. It works just as well, and one of the people on the DVDs only uses bands so you know how to do it exactly right.

Missed anything? Check out:
P90X Challenge: Product Overview

Transporting extremely overweight patients costs about 2½ times as much as “normal” weight people. It takes more time, specialty equipment and three to four times more crew members–which adds up to a lot more dollars.

In the past, ambulance companies often absorbed the extra expense of serving the obese, but in these tough times, along with the ever increasing obesity population, they just can’t do it anymore.

Ambulance companies are now adding extra costs to ambulance rides and transportation, similar to those charged to intensive care patients, and others with special needs. These costs will help pay for the specialty equipment and extra workers if they are necessary. Some, of course, say this is discrimination, and that the obese have a right to the same public service everyone else does, for the same price.

To me, it’s more sad that this is an issue in the first place. The problem isn’t the ambulance companies–because they have been absorbing the costs in the past. The problem is that obesity is so prevalent, and to such a degree that special equipment is often needed, that it is impossible to absorb those costs anymore.

What do you guys think? Discrimination of the severely obese, or an unfortunate consequence due to a growing epidemic?

(Pic courtesy of www.topnews.in)

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED***

Jenny Craig celebrity spokeswoman Valerie Bertinelli released a fitness DVD on October 27, Valerie Bertinelli: Losing it and Keeping Fit. Valerie has lost over 40 pounds, and kept it off, and now she, along with her personal trainer Christopher Ross Lane, want to show you the workout that helped get her those results.

Read my review of the Valerie Bertinelli’s Exercise DVD.

Gaiam and Twirlit are going to give Valerie’s new workout DVD, Valerie Bertinelli: Losing it and Keeping Fit, to four lucky winners to help jump start their own weight loss journey, or to help them stay in great shape.

Here’s a few ways to enter:

The more times you enter, the more chances you have to win!

Note: Please use a valid e-mail address.

One lucky winner will be chosen randomly. Giveaway ends Wednesday, November 4, 2009. Winners will be reached by email, and announced on the blog on 11/04/09.

Good luck!!

Amen.

We are a weight obsessed world, and most women feel they can’t be comfortable in their skin, or look great unless they lose weight. Furthermore, most women don’t know how to dress for their shape and, instead, try to shove themselves into smaller sizes. Meanwhile, if they wore what fits, or a different style, they would actually look much better.

Spencer is constantly surrounded by models in her business and knows first hand what it’s like to feel the pressure to be thin. She, like so many women out there, has tried every diet in the book. Her job, however, also gives her insider knowledge on how to dress for your size, shape, and how to enhance what you already have to make you feel like a star, which she is now passing to the rest of us.

Spencer created a new list of rules to live by (I know, more rules, but these are more like tips and tricks to pick from, promise) that any woman can follow to feel confident and look great without every using the word ‘diet’.

101 Things to do Before You Diet is an informative, easy read that covers all areas of confidence and style. With tips on how to fix your fattening habits, perfecting your posture to streamline your silhouette, finding the perfect pair of black pants, how to see through vanity sizing, how to find a hairstyle that fits your face, and how to keep your hormones happy, every woman can find new ways to boost their confidence, and their assets (finding the perfect bra is also a biggie) without starving, guilt or those deprivation mood swings.

Celebrate your body, don’t punish it.

We need fat on our bodies- it’s necessary so we can store fat soluble vitamins, like vitamin A, D, E and K and forms of fat, like fatty acids, are one of the building blocks of the cell membranes which surround every cell in the body. The way the cell responds to hormones, participates in the supply of nutrients and disposal of waste is dependent upon the health and integrity of these cell membranes.  Fat also helps to keep your skin watertight and moist, and assists your nerves in transmission of signals. Fat is also critical for various functions regulating inflammation, blood pressure, and clotting.

Remember what happens when men try to tell us we should all look like runway models.

There are some advantages to having a surplus of body fat, or in other words, being overweight. Not obese, mind you, but being above the chart norms used to classify healthy weights. Most women are above these numbers, and are still quite healthy.

A Healthier Heart

According to the British Medical Journal, women with larger thighs have a lower risk of heart disease and early death. Women with pin-thin legs faced the greatest chance of developing heart disease. Phew- I thought they were just to fill out a great pair of jeans.

Glowing Skin

Recent studies have found that between two sisters, the one with the higher BMI was judged to have a more youthful look. A sunken face can add years, so carrying an extra few pounds will help create a more youthful appearance- plus a fuller face wrinkles less.

Live Longer than Anyone Else

A Kaiser Permanente report found that gaining a few extra pounds can add years to life, while a federal study shows that overweight people actually outlive the obese, the underweight, and people at normal weight. Extra pounds protect against conditions that lead to premature death. It’s thought that fat stores can be used to help the body stay strong during illness and aid in recovery.
Increased Fertility

A London study found underweight women were 72 percent more likely to miscarry, while those women who carried a few extra pounds proved to have the opposite effect on their pregnancy.

Stronger Bones

Extra weight on your frame can ward off osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises are the best way to ward off the disease, and carrying a few extra pounds puts constant stress on your skeleton. Osteoporosis is less common in overweight women than thin women.

Valerie Bertinelli: Losing it and Keeping Fit contains two workouts designed to introduce you to the basics of exercise, and then how to ramp it up to really get results.

I was a little skeptical at first — I mean, sure, Valerie has had amazing weight loss success and is cute as a button, but what does she know about fitness?  Turns out, her real life trainer, Christopher Ross Lane, actually leads the workouts, while Valerie follows along and offers tips  she uses when she works out, plus a little entertainment value.

The DVD is funny to me as a personal trainer because you can totally tell that Ross Lane is her trainer in real life — he counts while he makes her do most of the exercises, and she light-heartedly complains about every exercise he makes her do — which is the perfect client to have: Always game for everything, but always gives a little bit of sass too.

Losing It:  Beginner Basics (level 1)
Duration: Approx 20 minutes
Intensity: 5-6 (on a scale of 1-10)
Equipment needed: none

This is the first workout on the DVD and is designed to introduce you to the basics of exercise. While there are no weights, and it’s comprised of relatively easy to perform exercises (squats, lunges, pushups, etc.) I was surprised that I was sweating a bit, and my butt was sore the next day. The routine was very fluid with very little instruction. It’s the perfect routine to use to fit in a quick workout when you are short on time, and, of course, to learn basic form for basic exercises.

Keeping Fit: Bikini Ready (level 2)
Duration: Approx 40 minutes
Intensity: 6-8 (on a scale of 1-10)
Equipment: Chair, light hand weights

The intensity on this one really depends on how hard you push it, which is, of course, true of all exercise. This routine delves a little deeper, exploring more intense and more complicated exercises including multi-joint movements. It also introduces a little bit of stability training and cardiovascular components. This routine will get your heart rate up, strength train your whole body and work your core at the same time.

In the end, after spending some time, and working out, I was pleasantly surprised with this DVD — it was more intense than I thought it would be, and had more credibility by the addition of Christopher, Valerie’s trainer.

Valerie Bertinelli: Losing it and Keeping Fit is available for purchase October 27, 2009. We are going to be giving away a few copies of this DVD on October 28th, so mark your calendars!

A four-month-old baby in Colorado was denied health insurance for a pre-existing medical condition. That condition? Obesity.

Because, you know, amniotic fluid and breast milk are so fattening.

Little Alex Lange weighs a whopping 17 pounds, but is considered a happy, healthy four-month-old baby by his pediatrician’s standards who, according to his parents, Bernie and Kelli Lange, has never mentioned any concerns over Alex’s weight.

Rocky Mountain Health Plans, the insurer who refused to cover Alex, claims the issue is that Alex’s weight and height (25 inches) put him in the 99th percentile for weight; they refuse to insure anyone above the 95% percentile, no matter how healthy.

Bernie Lange, a part-time news anchor at KKCO-TV in Grand Junction, says that’s crap. “I could understand if we could control what he’s eating. But he’s four months old. He’s breast-feeding. We can’t put him on the Atkins diet or on a treadmill.”

Pre-existing medical condition, huh? While he’s always been a big baby, weighing in at eight and quarter pounds at birth, this kid is just four-months-old. He’s not old enough to have a pre-existing anything. I’ve had paper cuts that have hung around longer than four months.

A fat, happy baby is enough to bring a smile to even the most cold hearted person’s face, unless of course that face belongs to Big Insurance. It’s a numbers game, and no matter what your situation, if your numbers lie above or below their rigid range on a flow chart, you can be left in the dust; even if you are an adorable, innocent tow-headed baby. Since breaking, this story has become a nationwide symbol for the health care reform debate. Especially to highlight that insurance companies can turn people down that have pre-existing conditions who aren’t covered in a group health care plan.

Fortunately the decision, probably due to the media exposure and public outrage, has since been overturned, and little Alex now has coverage.