Tag Archives: 24 hour fitness

Cleaning up for spring

Whether you’ve done it or just heard about it, doing a cleanse is a hot and popular undertaking these days. Even though cleanses have been around for hundreds of years, a few like The Master Cleanse have enjoyed some time in the spotlight recently. The purpose of a cleanse varies. Some do it to clean out their system of toxins, others do it to lose weight and still others undergo this feat of discipline to improve their energy and sense of well being.

The kind of cleanse varies also. From all-juice fasts to eating just vegetables, most cleanses rely on just a few staple foods to get you through a predetermined amount of time. Typically, cleanses occur at the change of seasons like the shift that we are experiencing now of ushering in spring as we say farewell to winter.

Most Western medical professionals find cleanses unnecessary since they believe the human body has an innate system to rid itself of unwanted sludge. However, many health professionals, usually those with an alternative health focus, promote cleansing as a necessary part of maintaining and improving health. If you’re thinking about doing a cleanse, it’s safe to consult with a health practitioner who helps guide people through a cleanse. He or she can help you choose a cleanse that fits your energy needs and your ultimate goal.

I’ve done one cleanse in my life. It lasted for three days. The first day I ate nothing but fruit and vegetables and the remaining two days, I drank nothing but fruit or vegetable juices. At the end, I felt pretty darn good. So much so that I swore off of sugar and anything remotely processed for about a month afterwards. Not bad for a first time cleanser. I’m thinking about doing it again in the coming weeks to herald in spring. If you have a cleansing experience you would like to share, I’d love to hear from you.

My exercise plan- 2

My trainer came back. Part of my body didn’t want him to and the other part did. Please tell me this gets easier? I know it will be worth it. Today was so hard. Painful. The worst part… I threw up. Half way through I was light headed and nauseous. I drank water. I sat still. I took deep breaths. Nothing was fighting that back. I felt terrible, not to mention embarrassed. Obviously nothing he hadn’t seen before. We rested and got back to it. Toward the end I started to feel sick again and he pretty much told me to go home.

He’s not completely sure why I got sick today. Possibly that I did not have enough to eat today, and that my body is adjusting to this all-out beating it’s receiving. That snack I was supposed to eat before going to the gym? I missed that.

It was a beautiful day outside, so instead of warming up on the treadmill we hit the jogging path. It’s just short of a mile and for today, it was long enough. Today’s routine was a little different that Monday:

– Warm up with jog
– 2 sets lunges
– 2 sets of 30 arm-pull things on weights
– 2 sets of 30 bench squats (rest arms on bench, bottom hanging off side, use arms to pull up)
– Run three flights of stairs, twice
– 2 sets of 30 leg lifts on weight machine (lie on stomach, weights rest of calves, pull up)
– 2 sets of 30 crunches, 5 different ways (these are the most awful thing we do!)
– Lifting weights
– 2 sets of 20:
– Lifting legs, lying flat on back with legs extended, hands under bottom
– Flutter kicks- lying flat with hands under, alternate each leg up and down
– Scissor kicks- lying flat with hands under, legs criss-cross over one another

My post-gym snack today was a cheese stick and half an apple. He told me that especially on the days we work together, eat plenty of fruits (like bananas) and cheese makes a great post-snack because of the sodium and protein.

I’m going to continue posting this entire experience on my way to dropping some unneeded pounds. Keep up in between blog posts at the Diets In Review Twitter page.

Miss my first exercise post, see it here.

Sizing up with Celebs

Are you ever curious what size your favorite stars really are? You see them on TV and wonder if it is really that possible that they are that thin. OK Magazine this week revealed the sizes of six popular Hollywood ladies:

Eva Longoria Parker size 0

Jennifer Aniston size 2

Eva Mendes size 4

Katherine Heigl size 6

Mariska Hargitay size 8

America Ferrera size 10

Match your BMI to these ladies and other stars with the Diets In Review Celebrity BMI widget. You can even share it with friends on Facebook.

America’s Worst Foods

In the new book, “Eat This, Not That“, the best and worst of the American processed and prepared foods are ranked according to their calorie, fat, sugar and sodium content. Many of us might find ourselves reading over “The Worsts” lists through our hands in fear of coming across one of our beloved drinks, desserts or appetizers from one of this country’s most popular restaurant chains. Eat This Not That

If you’re a lover of Chili’s Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream, you might want to not read the book- or at the very least, share the dessert with 25 of your closest friends next time you order it. Yes, it’s that bad. It holds an entire day’s worth of calories, 1600, and that’s before the queso and chicken fried steak you had for dinner!

But the book is not an all-out bash on our food favorites. It also contains healthy or healthier substitutes. For instance, rather than opting for a seemingly healthy raisin bran muffin from Starbucks, noshing on one of the coffee chain’s breakfast sandwiches might be wiser morning fare. Men’s Health editor-in-chief, David Zinczenko, is the Eat This, Not That author. Rather than tell you everything that’s bad- he pairs the Eat This option along side the Not That option. You’ll be better prepared the next time you go out to eat, and your knowledge might even make for fun table-side banter.

A few other horrifying, unhealthy finds in the book, and their health-ier counterparts include:

McDonald’s
Eat This- Quarter Pounder w/o Cheese for 410 calories, 19 g Fat
Not That- Premium Grilled Chicken Club for 570 calories, 21g Fat

Pizza Hut
Eat This- 2 slices Thin N Crispy Ham and Pineapple pizza for 360 calories, 12g Fat
Not That- 2 slices Supreme Pan Pizza for 620 calories, 32g Fat

Subway
Eat This- 6″ Double Roast Beef Sub for 360 calories, 7g Fat
Not That- 6″ Tuna Sub for 530 calories, 31g Fat

The book contains dozens of more comparisons. It even reveals the worst food in America, compliments of Outback Steakhouse, the Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch for 2900 calories and 182g of fat. Bon Appetit!

7 New Diet Reviews including Flat Belly Diet, Hollywood Cookie Diet and Pink Patch

There’s always something new turning up in the diet world. That’s why we’re happy to introduce seven new reviews to our more than 330- always keeping you up to date with unbiased details about each and every one. If you’ve tried one of these diets or products- please share with the other site visitors either in the comments for this post, comments for the review or talk about it in the Live Chat.

Flat Belly DietThe Flat Belly Diet
A new release from Prevention magazine editors, claiming to have finally found the cure for belly fat- no exercise! The book suggests that by eating a diet rich in MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids), you can target the stomach to rid belly fat. While it has a 91% success rate- we’re not too sure of its lack of exercise.

The Pink Patch
Medicinal patches, makeway for the Pink Patch from Curb Your Cravings. The once-daily sticker contains yerba mate, a popular diet supplement that acts as an appetite suppressant. This weight loss method was made popular by its sister product, the Hoodia Patch.

Dancing with the Stars
No one anticipated the weight loss that this reality phenomenon would provide its stars- but that’s what happened and audiences have taken notice. While an actual DWTS “diet” has yet to be creative, those looking for a fun way to add in exercise should try the tango and cha-cha.

Sambazon AcaiSambazon Acai
Acai is that little berry from the Amazon that is supercharged with antioxidants and other healthy features like Omega 3, protein and fiber. No wonder its a Super Food! Sambazon is one of the leading producers of natural Acai products- like smoothies and capsules.


eDiets Deliciously Yours

Meal delivery programs have become an increasingly popular weight loss method. eDiets Deliciously Yours is their new meal delivery service promising chef-designed menus, fresh-delivered food and the freedom of choice. This new service has had a rough start due to customer service issues, but is not without its fans either.

Slim Shots
They look like the coffee creamer cups you’d find on a diner table, but instead they’re filled with a 20 calorie appetite suppressant. Taken twice a day, this hot new product is supposed to keep you from feeling hungry and ultimately shed pounds. The extra calories are no doubt attributed to the artificial vanilla flavor and sweetner.

Hollywood Cookie DietHollywood Cookie Diet
One diet that says go ahead- get your hand caught in the cookie jar. Hollywood celebs are chowing on cookies and losing weight. The cookies act as a meal replacement with 150 calories, 13 vitamins and minerals and 4 grams of fiber. They four flavors are delicious and filling- and keep you from grabbing a burger!

Biggest Loser: Episode 12

A dozen episodes in. Three entire months these formerly obese individuals have been shedding the pounds at the Biggest Loser ranch. That’s given me 12 weeks to become completely attached to Bernie and Brittany. I’m not ashamed, I’ll tell you right now, the Cry of the Week/Bawl Hysterically of the Week was Brittany’s elimination. Brittany during Biggest Loser challenge I knew it was coming. As soon as Jay fell under that yellow line I knew she was gone. The way she and Jillian hugged and cried goodbye I think they knew, too. Was she really competition? She pulls such low numbers! If it were really all about game-play, and not “PRIDE ON THREE!”, she’d probably still be there.

We probably shouldn’t overlook the fact that the episode open with Maggie’s elimination. That felt like the fastest, tear-it-like-a-band-aid elimination this season. Suddenly, Maggie was gone. And now it’s time for makeovers, yay!

At least Brittany was there long enough to be a part of those hot makeovers with Tim Gunn last night. There’s something about breaking out of your comfort zone with clothes- big, small or in between. Brittany was rockin’ the cleavage and said she hoped the NBC censors wouldn’t mind. I found it very touching the way Ali cried at the possibility of wearing a dress without sleeves. She felt like she “could own that dress and haven’t felt that way in a long time.” Her haircut was adorable, too! Kelly also looked stunning after her makeover. I knew there was a pretty face hiding under that curly-ponytail-bound hair. So glad Tim talked her out of the funeral home dress!

As for the guys- they’re guys, what can you say? They wore pants, better fitting pants. Jay was pretty cute in his leather jacket. I can’t say I was a fan of Dan’s channeling the Goo Goo Dolls look- but he feels like it was working for him. Was definitely glad to see all that hair go though.

I also dropped a few tears with the surprise reunions on the runway. What a fun and unexpected twist for the contestants. When you look that hot, you certainly don’t want to waste it in an empty warehouse with the camera men and best boys!

This week’s challenge was crazy, so intense. The treadmills were suspended over the pool, at an incline and they had to walk backwards. One by one they fell into the water. After just short of an hour, Mark and Ali cashed it in. Mark one another vacation for outlasting the rest of the team.

We’re closing in on the finale. Five more episodes until the live finale April 15 (don’t forget that’s tax day!). I’m anxious to see a woman take this, and I think Ali has the stuff to make it happen. I would love to see Kelly standing up there crowned the Biggest Loser, but she’s got to stop getting in her own way and second guessing every move she makes. Let’s hear it for the girls! It’s interesting to think that if Ali hadn’t come back last week- Kelly would be the last remaining girl. Never would have guessed that.

I don’t even want to start thinking about who amongst the guys could win. Too many personalities, too much weight to still lose.

My Quote of the Week goes to Ali for “I have a collar bone!”, to her sister during the surprise runway reunion in her sexy new dress.

A chat with Simon Lovell, creator of The Lunch Box Diet

He’s the hard-bodied fitness trainer from the UK who is telling the world to eat all day long and see noticeable weight loss. His pitch is proving successful as The Lunch Box Diet has been called the “slimming craze of 2024”, “revolutionary”, graced the cover of top-name magazines and has even found its way to Cameron Diaz. Simon Lovell battled being over weight himself, until one day a friend took him to the gym- and he pursued a degree in personal training. The rest is history, right? The Lunch Box Diet

Grab your favorite lunch box and a handful of fresh produce and hear what Simon has to say about his exciting new weight loss program, The Lunch Box Diet. His clients have used it for years, and some are losing a stone in 30 days (that’s 14 pounds for our friends on this side of the pond).

Would you call The Lunch Box Diet an overnight success? It rapidly spread from the UK to the U.S. and Australia with significant media coverage.

I’d say so, since the 5 Star Elle Magazine review in January 2024 where they called it ‘the best diet I’ve ever done’ and ‘a way of life’ it’s really been full steam ahead for the diet in the media. It got picked up quite quickly all over the world and has now been linked to some major celebrities so I’m thrilled. I think people find it hard to link healthy and sustainable with weight loss these days because of so many fad diets that leave people hungry and stressed. Now the diet has been featured on TV, on the cover of top magazines and continues to be THE eating plan in the spotlight at the moment. I’m just chuffed that so many people are getting on with it and losing weight, but of course, it’s nice to get the media attention.

Cameron Diaz in OK Magazine uses The Lunch Box DietWhen celebrities and Hollywood magazines start endorsing weight loss programs, it typically has that “fad diet” ring. What sets The Lunch Box Diet apart from fad diets, and places it in the crowd of real-life solutions?

Before the plan became ‘public’ it was road tested with myself and then my personal training clients. I knew it was different when they told me they never wanted to go back to eating how they normally did: a huge breakfast, lunch and evening meal, leaving them sluggish and irritable. Needless to say, my ‘guinea pigs’ are still loving the diet and continue to tell me their latest Lunch Box Diet combinations whenever they’ve found another exciting, tasty one. That’s enough for me to know that I’ve created something different, when someone has followed your plan for a year!

You say you’re supposed to eat whenever you feel hungry. Conflicting advice says that when you feel that hunger pang, you shouldn’t feed it because that’s a sign that your body is dipping into your fat stores. Tell us why we should feed the hunger.

When you feel that hunger pang, what’s the only thing you think about? Food! It will build and build, and as it builds you are more likely to grab anything that’s around so you don’t make informed choices. If we plan ahead and feed our bodies before its ‘asking’ then we again reduce stress levels and the chances of becoming irritable. Based on that alternative theory, it’s an epidemic waiting to happen because people will end up collapsing through dropping blood sugar levels and starvation. Plus when you do eat, your body will naturally take whatever food you give it and store it as fat because you’re body thinks ‘when will I get food next?’. Little and often is the way forward and it shows in the results I’ve gained through people on my plan who eat all day and lose weight.

The main idea of The Lunch Box Diet is to graze all day long to achieve weight loss. Explain how eating more creates weight loss.

It speeds up your body’s metabolic rate which means that you burn calories more efficiently. It also balances your blood sugar levels which reduces cravings for bad things. Because you’ve eaten little and often all day, you tend to naturally eat less for your evening meal which in tern also results in weight loss – it kind of just happens without thinking about it which is why I think it’s such a big success and a breakthrough in modern dieting techniques.

The Lunch Box Diet is a way in which to manage blood sugar. Is this a good plan for diabetics to follow? What have your diabetic customers said about The Lunch Box Diet?

There is obviously a big concern for diabetics when it comes to dieting and finding the right plan is essential to compliment treatment etc. The Lunch Box Diet is all about maintaining blood sugar levels in a healthy way, so I wasn’t surprised when I started getting emails from some diabetics who were happy that the plan fitted into their requirements and also assisted them with weight loss at the same time. Of course, if you’re overweight there is a chance you could develop diabetes so starting the plan helps prevent it as well as all of the other diseases associated with weight loss.

How does one determine the right portions to fit the the secret combination of vegetables, proteins and fats?

I’ve kept it very basic so that there’s little to think about. Once you’ve got your box, you take a bit of each and throw it all in together – as long as it’s colourful and you’ve roughly hit the right amount you’re on the right path. If you had to count every tomato and piece of meat and measure each bit of dressing that would cause stress and my whole idea was to make this something that was doable, quick and didn’t involve calorie counting. Strict and stringent diets cause stress and being overweight is stressful as it is!

What are 10 foods you consider “musts” in a person’s lunch box?

Here’s one of my super combos: Spinach, Avocado, Tomatoes, Baby Sweet-corn, Beans, Chicken, Hot Sauce, Herbs and Black Pepper but you’ll find how to make your own delicious boxes in the e-book with ease.

Are there foods that people consider healthy choices for their lunch box that they should probably avoid?

If you stick to the diet’s specifications you can’t go wrong. What’s more, you can have your normal breakfast and evening meal so those other choices can consumed there as well as on ‘reward days’ if you exercise.

What is your advice to individuals who can’t afford expensive organic fruits and vegetables or those who don’t have organic foods available in their area?

Organic is recommended but of course you can use your standard fruits and vegetables. Also, head to the discount isles and use those foods for your box the next day.

Alcohol is allowed on the Lunch Box Diet plan. How does this fit in when alcoholic drinks are generally carbohydrate power houses?

Again it’s about moderation. The diet works in a way so that it will develop your mind and body into a better way of thinking. We all know that if we consume 20 units we will put on more weight than if we consume 5. Results are optimised when consuming less, but I didn’t want to eradicate it completely because that’s not sustainable. The user will gradually learn how their body functions after a short time on the diet, so more informed choices when it comes to alcohol will be a natural development. I don’t want people to rebel against the system because that’s where most diets will fail you.

Is there a right and wrong way to handle your “reward day”?

Be sensible. The great thing is, when you’ve been on the diet for even 7 days, because your energy will be up and your skin will feel better etc, you’ll really notice a difference when you come to eating large meals or treating yourself. So, enjoy a take-away or something you know is a bit bad for you, but just eat it until it’s satisfies you, not so you’re bursting at the seams and feeling sick!

Simon Lovell, creator of The Lunch Box DietThe Lunch Box Diet does not provide any exercise guidance, other than to follow your usual regimen. As a fitness trainer, what do you advise as a healthy amount of exercise?

The more the better! I wanted to touch on exercise in other projects and purposely rationed the content in the e-book just to get people performing simple tasks and really concentrating on the nutrition side of things. Three times a week is a good place to start. Do things you enjoy, get out with friends and make it a social thing – set yourself small targets and build on them over time so you can notice improvements.

Any plans to include exercise in future editions of The Lunch Box Diet, or publish a fitness program?

There will be more on both fronts, and I aim to use www.thelunchboxdiet.com in the future to offer multimedia assistance too via a members area. As well as the diet, users are loving my free newsletter where I’m providing free weekly weight loss and exercise tips that people can implement straight away!

What’s next for The Lunch Box Diet? Will you publish a traditional book or expand on the current program?

Let’s just say six of the biggest book publishers have finished fighting over the rights to the book worldwide and I’ll be able to announce who’s grabbed it soon. But if people can’t wait for the book, the original e-book can be downloaded via the site.

Thank you, Simon, for taking the time to visit with us.

Ready to download the ebook right now- just click here to order The Lunch Box Diet.

Biggest Loser: Episode 11

Barely able to catch my breath from Biggest Loser’s Episode 10, in which Bernie was eliminated, and the show’s producers sucker-punch us again. Personally, I’m exhausted from all the twists- I can’t imagine what it’s like for the contestants on the ranch. I’ll grant you, tonight’s episode was one of the best yet. Except for that one part. What was it again? Oh yeah- where they didn’t show the elimination! What the heck was that?

The show began with a weigh in and elimination, but failed to end with one. How’s that you say? The biggest shocker for one of the biggest firsts in Biggest Loser history. They brought back all 14 of the eliminated players. This segment was apparently taped the night after Bernie was eliminated, so I can’t imagine they took him too far from the ranch. The stage doors split open and there they all were, staring down those who had sent them home. The catch this time was that the men would weigh in and the women would weigh in- the highest percentage of weight loss would keep one of each. For some, like Jenni and Lynn who were sent home the first night, they had to work off each pound for themselves. Dan was not too pleased with the return. His reaction was “I’ve already beat out all these people. I gotta do it all over again?”

It was exciting to see Ali and Bette-Sue back on campus. And we’ll continue to see the Ali half of that team as she had the highest weight loss of any other woman. For the guys, only gone one week and Mark is back. Believe it or not, he cried and shared an emotional reunion with Jay. Like I said in the episode 9 post, it’s bittersweet for me with Mark. Of everyone eliminated, he’s the one person who has said he felt wrongly portrayed. I hope in addition to having a second chance at the Biggest Loser title, he appreciates the second chance to prove that he’s possibly a nice guy.

The final six quickly became the final eight tonight. While the team-formerly-known-as-blue anxiously welcomed Mark back into their huddled mass, former-black was a little nervous. Not only did they just lose Bernie the night before, who Jillian called the team’s “glue”, but they were now trying to wrap their brains around beating the fierce competitor that Ali will prove to be. Ali made it clear that she’s playing a bi-partisan game, at least for now. She’s continuing to sport her original pink shirt, not going out of her way to form alliances with the all-woman team and even bypassing the breakfast table with the girls to sit with the boys. It will certainly be interesting to see how things unfold with Ali.

The challenge was pretty intense. The calories they burned on stationary bicycles would immediately convert to electrical energy to power light bulbs. The person to light up a full strip of 10 bulbs would move to the next of four rounds. While Mark cleared his 10 lights first in each round, Dan pulled through as the winner, earning him a second vote at the elimination.

How does Dan use that vote? Sighhhh- tune in next week! Seriously, of all the sneaky things the producers have pulled, this one irked me! You can’t leave us hanging like that. It took a week for the Bernie knot to untie in my stomach, now I’ve got to anticipate Brittany or Maggie leaving. Probably not the same knot Maggie had leaving a zero-pounds-lost weigh in. I felt terrible for her and while I’m a constant Brittany fan, I hope that doesn’t factor in to people possibly voting for her.

Quote of the Week- honestly, another toss-up. First place goes to Maggie for “If you’re not gonna vote for me, I’ll tattoo my ass,” in reference to the Blue team’s “Pride” tattoos and band of brothers attitude.

Second Quote goes to Trainer Jillian and that sharp tongue that could make a sailor’s mother cry. “Have a heart! Leave the *** girl alone,” followed by “*&*&%%!!!!! &*&^*&^!!!!!” a good 10 seconds of beeping the expletives being shouted at Allison. It was a rare Biggest Loser moment in which Jillian stood up for the apparent picking-on of Brittany by Allison.

Cry of the Week: Realizing Brittany might go home.

Obesity: The Real Terror Threat

We haven’t found Osama Bin Laden yet, but according to some people we should be more concerned about the threat of obesity than worldwide terror groups. As controversial as that may sound, an estimated 388 million people will die from chronic disease worldwide over the next 10 years, according to World Health Organization. Does this mean we’ll need to establish the Federal Obesity Department? All kidding aside, there are plenty of things our society can do collectively on a federal level. And we need to think sooner than later, since it’s estimated that our kids will be the first generation to live a shorter life than we will.

Diet Troubles at Work

The workplace is a diet disaster waiting to happen every day. Even the most well-intentioned person can fall prey to temptations that lurk just around the cubicle. The New York Times has a nice little piece about people who struggle with their workplace diet. Each gives their story and how they handle the difficult situations, including one who lost 50 pounds doing the South Beach Diet in secret.

Tricks for Passing Workout Plateaus

It’s tough enough to get the time and energy to stay committed to an exercise regimen. And, when you hit those inevitable plateaus, it can be downright frustrating. Usually the best thing you can do is change things up. An article on Health.com has some handy tricks of the trade that will shake things up and have you burning more fat, more efficiently.