Category Archives: product review

NROLW and POM iced coffee!

Thank you all so much for the nice comments on my running story.   I didn’t think it would be so much of an inspiration.  Now – go get those sneaks on!  😀 Woke up to maybe a little less humid today?  Hope the humidity breaks soon.

Preworkout snack of Ezekiel bread with apricot jam and PB.

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1 piece of Ezekiel left.  Doubt I will buy it again.  It rained last night, but the morning was clear so I biked to my gym (love being able to bike there!).  I am getting more used to the gym, although still disliking the music.  Guess there are more people that want it than don’t 🙁

Anyhoo, did Stage 4a of NROLW today.

  • Barbell squat/push press:  3 x 8 45#  (can’t seem to progress more than this)
  • Step ups:  3 x 8  30# dumbbells.
  • Dumbbell 1-point row:  3 x 8  25# dumbbells
  • Push ups:  3 x 8
  • Stationary lunge:  3 x 8  35# plate
  • Planks – 3 x 2 minute holds
  • Horizontal wood chop:  3 x 8  40#

I was able to hold the plank all 3 times for 2 minutes without having to touch my knees down!  First plank easy.  2nd plank a bit harder. I thought I was going to die on the 3rd one. Serious breath hissing going on.  I probably got some looks, but I don’t care LOL!  Let them try it!  I am not sure why I can’t increase the weight on the push press – I have been at the empty bar for 2 stages now.  That one is very difficult for me, and I think it is the transition in grip between the squat and the press that is the problem. It’s just awkward.

Got on the treadmill for 20 minutes before biking home, and all I could think of was pancakes while I was walking!  So that is what I had for breakfast:

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When we went shopping the other day, it was at a different store so I was able to get my Cedars Lemon Hummus!  Yum!  It was part of lunch today mixed with tuna and FSTG sweet potato chips.

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A package from POM Wonderful came for me today to sample.  POM iced coffee! This has my name written all over it!  Yay!  There were 2 flavors in the box, Cafe au Lait and Chocolate.  Thank you POM Wonderful!

pom

I had the Cafe au lait for my afternoon snack.  It was very good and tasted a lot like one of those Starbucks frappucinos you can buy in the grocery store, only better.  Nutritionally a little shaky with a lot of sugar, but the Cafe au lait has 7 grams of protein, plus some pomegranate antixodant extract (patent pending 😀  ). I like that they use Rainforest Alliance certified coffee.  Nice touch.  This was a fun treat, but I don’t like to drink my calories, and don’t drink my coffee sweetened hardly ever.    It is nice to know that if I am out and that is in the cooler at a convenience store, I can get a bit of energy with protein without resorting to soda.  Hmmmmm….. I bet this would be good running fuel.  John said the chocolate one was really chocolately, so he was quite happy.

You know how I love those quick dinners!  We like to keep jars of different sauces in the house for things like this.  Kitchens of India has some nice jar sauces.  I have a mild curry one (for John…. wimp), which I used tonight.  This dinner took about 15 minutes to whip up.

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And yes – strawberries are back!  How I missed them during my blueberry (purple?) haze.

John bought a plantain the other day, and he decided to cook it with dinner.

It smelled very much like a banana here:

plantain

He sliced it up and pan fried it in coconut oil:

plantain2

I snagged one to try.

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mmmm….. GBD.  The verdict?  Interesting.  It did not taste like banana at all.  It was very starchy tasting and similar to a sweet potato in consistency.  It almost had a tiny hint of sweetness.  Not at all what I was expecting.  I don’t know if this is considered a fruit or veggie.

Question:  Have you ever tried plantain?  If so, how do you eat it?

Full Bites Giveaway!

Hi everyone!  I don’t have to serve on the jury, but it was close – only by luck of the draw (literally) did I not get picked to sit on the jury.  It took all day to seat a jury, so I was there from 8:45 to a little after 5 pm!

Anyway, on to the good stuff!

The FullBar people have added a new product that is just out on the market and sent me a couple samples:

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Fullbites work with the same principles as FullBars:  Eat the snacks 30 minutes before your two largest meals with a glass of water.  The idea is that they will fill you up so that you eat less at your meals.  They come in  Savory BBQ, Bold Cheddar and Sour Cream & Onion.

Stats:

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Ingredients are actually pretty good – and gluten free.

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I have to say that I much preferred the Fullbites over the bars.  They are crisp and crunchy.  Almost the texture of Cheetos, but lighter.  The portion size is a good snack size (bulk eaters will probably enjoy these).

fullbites

Overall – I do really like these.  They were crunchy and fun.  I definitely felt full after about 15 minutes of eating with a glass of water!

The people at FullBar are generously giving a winner a week’s supply of of Fullbites to a randomly chosen winner.

Da Rules:  To enter to win, please reply to this post with how you think Fullbites could help you with your eating plan, and which of the 3 flavors interests you the most.

For a bonus entry, mention this contest on your blog and post another comment with the link to that post.

The winner will be chosen at 12pm on Thursday, Aug 20 (EST) by a random number generator.  Open to all!

Barlean’s Omega Swirl

The wonderful people at Barlean’s sent me a bottle of their Omega Swirl to try:

barlean

This is an organic vegan Omega 3 oil supplement.  I normally take flax oil capsules, as I can’t find a fish oil that doesn’t make me burp (even if I take enzymes), and not sure I want to spend the $$$ on krill oil.

The Omega Swirl is organic, which is nice and here are the ingredients:

Ingredients:
Total Omega Oil Blend (organic flaxseed oil, borage oil, DHA algal oil), water, xylitol, glycerine, gum arabic, natural flavors, vegetable juice (for color), citric acid, xanthan gum, guar gum, ascorbyl palmitate.

It does have xylitol, but that is a sugar alternative I am pretty okay with (taste wise and nutrition wise), although I don’t eat it willy-nilly.

My bottle is Blueberry Pomegranate, and when I read this:

Suggested Use:
SHAKE WELL prior to dispensing. One Tbsp daily. Can be taken straight or mixed with yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal or blended beverages and protein drinks.

You know I had to put in on my oatmeal – purple!!

omega

This is a half serving, by the way.  1 serving is a tablespoon and has 70 calories.  I was surprised at how thick it is, I was expecting it to be watery (don’t ask me why, it is oil after all…..).  It is quite sweet, and would be a nice addition to smoothies and such.   Very intense fruity flavor – almost like a concentrate.I don’t think I could take it straight, but I bet kids would really love it.  It was also nice not to have to swallow one of those big gel caps!

It is a little pricey at $29.95 a pop, which is about $1 per serving if you take the whole tablespoon, but it really tastes good!

Barlean’s sells a lot of other straight flax products, and a greens supplement (which sounds interesting).  They also have some articles on flax oils if you are inclined to read more.

If you head over to their website, you can get a free trial of an omega swirl!

Product Review: Mary Lou's Weigh.

I get asked to review stuff from time to time. Most times I don’t want to because the products are some sort of herbal (or non) supplements, which I don’t want to take. Anyway, this is a product that I found very interesting.
It’s called Mary Lou’s Weigh, and it is a combination scale and cheerleader, designed by Mary Lou Retton (so you know it’s perky).

The difference between this and a scale is that Mary Lou’s Weigh doesn’t tell you your exact weight. It works in 10 pound increments, where you try to achieve a loss of 10 pounds at a time. So, for those of you who like concrete numbers (like myself), this product is probably not for you. If you are a person who wants small goals, or doesn’t like to know the exact number on the scale, Mary Lou’s Weigh would be something you would be interested in.

Overall, I have to say that Mary Lou’s Weigh is kind of fun. The platform itself reminds me of the Simon game (yes, I know I am dating myself, but it’s true). There is a lighted pad on the top that will flash blue and green at you. It’s designed for 2 users, one for each side (green or blue). When you lose your first amount of weight, Mary Lou tells you how many pounds you lost, along with flashing lights, then a motivational pep talk. After that, the weight loss is not done by pounds lost that day, but how many in total. So if you gain a pound, the scale says “You have lost a total of x pounds”, with that number being less than the previous total, rather than telling you that you gained. And then Mary Lou gives you another pep talk. You are encouraged to step on the platform daily. After you lose your 10 pounds, you can reset the platform for another 10, or maintain.

As far as accuracy goes, I stepped on the platform and got my message, then drank a glass of water. I stepped back on the scale, and the total amount lost was 1/2 a pound less than before, so it seems accurate to about 1/2 pound – which is good. It also will prevent scale hopping, you know when you jump on and off the scale to see if the number is right. Since it records your weight right then, if you get on the platform again, it will register it as a new day, so to speak.

Another nice feature is that if anyone steps on the platform, that weight will not be recorded if it is off by more than your 10 pound starting point. So if your kids, dog, roommate, or whomever steps on it, your progress won’t be ruined.

There is a little compartment on the bottom for cartridges to be installed to change the pep talks. I believe that these currently are not available, but are supposed to be in the future.

This product seems to really be a positive thing, presenting positive views to you at all times, with a healthy approach to weight loss. So, I think this could really be beneficial to someone who might really be frustrated with a regular scale (duh, I guess who isn’t that way at times). I find myself smiling at the platform when I get on it, so you know that’s a good thing!

The current cost is about $80, so it’s not cheap. You could get a normal scale that will give you more concrete information such as body fat analysis for the same amount. But, I don’t know if I would necessarily put Mary Lou’s Weigh in the same category as a scale, but more like a motivational tool.

There is also a website available where you can read recipes, success stories, relaxation techniques, state your goals, and get motivation. You don’t have to buy the product to view the website tools.

If you have any other questions about it, you can email me at javaqueen01 at yahoo dot com