In his book I'm With Fatty, Edward Ugel sets out to answer questions like "Can a foodie get thin again?" and "Can you continue to love food while changing your relationship with it?" His mission is the subtitle of the book – Losing Fifty Pounds in Fifty Miserable Weeks.

I was drawn to Ed's story because of the simple fact that the author is a man. Just as there aren't enough male inspirations in the weight loss blogger community there aren't enough in the world of weight loss publishing either. So when I was offered the opportunity to review this book by the publisher (disclaimer: all opinions are my own), I snapped up the chance. Once I started reading the book I realized we had more in common than just our biology – we also both love to cook (and to eat!). So I knew then this would be a great book for me.

What caused Ed to go on this mission? A diagnosis of sleep apnea. His wife secretly recorded his snoring and used that as the impetus to get him to have a sleep study which ultimately led to Ed having to wear a CPAP mask. It was this indignity that was his driving force. Being a CPAP user myself I can understand this being a wake-up call, I only wish my own diagnosis had inspired a similar response.

Inspired to begin it nonetheless takes Ed a little bit to get going. "The diet will start whenever it does" seemed to be his response in the early days of what he called "The Fatty Project." Those of us struggling with our weight have certainly been there before. And this is one of the things I really liked about the book, the personal stories that I could relate to.

One such story sparked a totally embarrassing memory of my own behavior. In describing the shame he has felt about weight Ed mentions that he once asked for two place settings from room service so the person on the other end didn't think all of the food was for him. I can take that to a higher level – not only have I done that to mask my shame to the person taking my order, but I also tried to deceive the person delivering my order by closing the bathroom door as if to indicate the presence of another person that would explain all of the food on my tray. All readers will share similar stories.

I thought the book would be a sequential history of the 50 weeks, perhaps even a small chapter for each week, but that was not the style chosen and I think the book is better for it. The only time the reader gets a glimpse into the details of how a week went was when Ed described his experience cleansing. Other than that he focused on telling a story that only loosely corresponded to the 50 weeks project. Certainly it would have been easier to follow along with his weight loss if he had laid out the narration a week at a time but I think that probably would have read too much like a blog even, and wouldn't have allowed the author to narrate the kind of interesting story that he did. Still, I would have like to have seen in the addendum some sort of brief synopsis of his ups and downs over the weeks, perhaps by offering even a simple week by week weight loss chart.

Despite this minor quibble, I enjoyed the book and devoured it relatively quickly, over a short airplane ride and then in a hotel room where I am happy to say I did not order room service.

Did Ed achieve his mission of losing fifty pounds in fifty weeks? You'll have to read the book to find out! Perhaps his recent showing on the Today Show will offer a hint.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Book Review – I'm with Fatty by Edward Ugel

Disclaimer: Sony sent me this product sample to review, however I am under no obligation to do so nor to make the review positive. This review reflects my personal opinion about this product.

I don't listen to music like I used to when I was younger but I have found that doing so when I'm on the treadmill or running outdoors (as little as that happens lately) really helps me forget about the time – something I find really helps when I am doing something as boring to me as running. The problem is that I've never been comfortable with the devices I have had. I've been really happy with the Sansa Clip I've been using for over a year, and I use that both when I travel (I plug it into my Bose headphones) or when I am on the treadmill. But I don't use it when running outside.

Why?

Because I'm not an ear bud guy. I can never get those little things to fit properly in my ear and they always fall out. So when I run on the treadmill I have these really ugly headphones that I think came from the late eighties, but they are light and don't get in my way. But they aren't to be seen out in the public. I did use the Music Infused Headband by i360 for a little while, but while it worked great in the winter when it got warm out there was just no way it was going to work.

So when a representative from Sony contacted me about the Sony W250 Series Walkman MP3 Player and told me it integrated the MP3 player directly into the ear buds, with a small flexible wire to keep everything in place, I knew I had to try it out for myself.

And I am glad that I did, because now I've got an MP3 player I will be happy to be seen in public with.

Sony designed this unit with the runner in mind. Key features include:

• Design – its lightweight, water-resistant frame ensures proper functionality during extended periods of activity inside or outside – even in the rain.
• 2GB of maximum capacity – holds approximately 470 songs.
• Quick Charge Option – for on-the-go or those who have forgotten to charge, charge 3 minutes for up to 90 minutes of play time. Full battery life is approximately 11 hours.
• Easy Music Transfer – Content Transfer software allows users to move music files and playlists straight from a PC/iTunes library.

I installed the software as well and can attest to how easy it is to transfer files. Simple drag and drop. They unit also has this feature called Zappin Playback which enables sequential playback of song clips at a preset duration, and it grabs a short recognizable clip of each song such as the most melodic or rhythmical section. I can't see a good use for this but I'm sure someone must like it!

Suggested retail price is $60, available at www.sonystyle.com, Sony Style retail stores & other authorized retailers nationwide.

One thing I miss having in this unit is a radio. My Clip has a radio and that's really great for a change of pace. If I could offer one improvement that would be it – give it a radio.

Overall, a great little device that hopefully will help encourage me to get out and run more this year.

CONTEST: But don't just take my word on it, if you have read down this far you deserve a little something yourself. I'll be randomly selecting one of the commenters on this post between today and May 13th (US only, sorry) to receive your very own Sony W250 Series Walkman MP3 Player, courtesy of Sony!

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Sony W250 Series Walkman MP3 Player

Disclaimer: Bai sent me a box of their product samples to review, however I am under no obligation to do so nor to make the review positive. This review reflects my personal opinion about these products.

A little over a year ago (already? wow!) I reviewed a drink called POM Wonderful that promised to be the next wonder-drink; backed by studies showing that patients who participated in published clinical studies experienced significant improvement in heart, prostrate & erectile health after drinking eight ounces of their pomegranate juice daily.

As I wrote at the time I'm no doctor nor scientist, so all I can really do is publish what they say about the science but my opinion about the taste of the drink is my own, and frankly if it doesn't taste good I really don't care what the science says. You'll have to read that review to see what I thought of it but let's just say that when I was contacted recently by Bai to sample some of their Bai Antioxidant Infusions I was actually a little hesitant to try them.

But I'm glad I did.

The Science
Antioxidants are nutrients found in foods and beverages that have health enhancing effects on your body. They neutralize free radicals that cause damage to your cells. Antioxidants work by donating an electron to free radicals to convert them to harmless molecules. A diet rich in antioxidants helps neutralize free radicals in your body, keeping your immune system strong while combating everything from wrinkles to heart disease and cancer.

Bai Antioxidant Infusions are "infused" with 400mg of the outer berry of the coffee bean, one of nature's most powerful antioxidants. According to the USDA using a scoring method called Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) the cofee fruit extract has 3,000 ORAC units per gram as compared to 24 for blueberries, 65 for pomegranates and 100 for acai berries.

I think that means science says that they are good for you. But how do they taste?

The Drink
My sample box contained 8 (or maybe 10 I lost count!) bottles with a mix of the following flavors: Tanzania Strawberry, Mango Kauai, Jamaica Blue Berry, Kenya Peach and Sumatra Dragonfruit (low calorie). They also have a low calorie Panama Peach but they were out of them. The first one I tried was Mango Kauai and let me tell you it was delicious! After that I was kind of anxious about trying the low calorie Sumatra Dragonfruit because I figured I may be let down with the low calorie option but in fact I actually liked it even better!

My 12 year old son concurred – he drank one of my Sumatra Dragonfruits and he also drank the only Tanzania Strawberry I had so I wasn't able to try that one. But he gave them two thumbs up too. Which is funny because his original review after a couple of sips was "not great but not terrible" but for that picky eater let me tell you that is a ringing endorsement. The fact he drank that bottle and another tells me all I need to know.

Here is a sample of nutritional info for a regular calorie and a low calorie bottle:

I'm working on another post on what I think about nutritional labels that word things with "about 2 servings" but I'll leave that alone for now and just point out that a regular bottle is about 140 calories and a low calorie bottle is about 10 calories. I can't afford to drink one of the regular drinks as that is too many of my daily calories to drink no matter how good they taste but since the low calorie Sumatra Dragonfruit drink is only about 10 calories and tastes as good or better, I may have just found my next non-water treat!

But don't just take my word on it, if you have read down this far you deserve a little something yourself. I'll be randomly selecting one of the first 10 commenters on this post (or until Monday, whichever comes first – US only, sorry) to receive your very own supply of Bai Antioxidant Infusions to try for yourself, courtesy of Bai!

Bottom line, I like these drinks and I hope I can find them at my local grocery store or coffee shop soon. Unfortunately right now they are only available in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Wisconsin, California and Seattle. They are shooting for national distribution in 2011.

Have you had Bai drinks before? Tell us what you thought about them. Know anything about those sugar alcohols in the low calorie drink? Educate us. Want to give them a try for free? Leave a comment and you might be able to!

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Bai Antioxidant Infusions

Disclaimer: Equmen sent me these product samples to review, however I am under no obligation to do so nor to make the review positive. This review reflects my personal opinion about these products.

When I was in Vegas last year I had a $200 haircut. For those of you who know me, that's pretty funny. It's not like I have any hair. So what does a guy who normally cuts his own hair with an electric clipper set to the lowest setting get for $200? Well it did include a shave, new-age music, oil, hot stones, heck I forget everything it included. But suffice it to say a $200 haircut is overkill for a guy like me.

I sort of feel the same way about the Equmen undergarments I am writing about here. These things are bad ass. And by that I mean they are meant for athletes who need to wear compression tights to gain an edge, not a fat old couch potato like me.

Or are they? Read on!

Equmen Precision Underwear

As I've written about before I sometimes let product reviews pile up before I get around to them, but when I got the package from Equmen I pretty much set out to try them out right away. So one day this week when I was getting ready for work I started by putting on a new pair of Equmen Precision Underwear Trunks. The picture here is pretty accurate for how it looked on me, I think.

I was given size XXL, which is the largest size they make – meant for waist sizes 39-42 – so I was thinking they might be way too tight for me, but they really weren't. As you might expect from clothing made of polyester, nylon and spandex these had a lot of give. Which was a good thing. I'm used to baggy boxers and it's been many years since I wore tight briefs, but these were a unique experience for me.

And they felt really good. Slipping my dress pants on I just had a different feeling than I normally would with the cotton boxers. I really did feel trimmer, and my pants just slid on.

Here is a bit of the marketing speak for the product description:

High-performance trunks designed with HELIX-MAPPING athletic support technology. Seamless body enhancing fit supports gluteal muscles for improved body mechanics. Ventilated, precision-fit pouch and moisture-wicking fabric for ultimate comfort.

All in all, I was very pleased with the underwear and they are for sure going in the underwear drawer. At $52 a pair, these might not be for everyone but if you have the cash I would take a look.

Equmen Core Precision Undershirt

The other item I got to try was the Equmen Core Precision Undershirt. This thing scared me when I took it out of the box. Despite being the largest size they make, XL, it was tiny. I mean really, really small. Like about the size of an infant onesie. Yes it had a lot of stretch just like the underwear but whoa nelly it took some work to put on. Once I had it in position I felt like a stuffed sausage ready to burst out of it's skin. I knew it would be about 12 hours before I would be able to take it off so for a moment I thought I had better take it off but I ended up deciding to jump in with both feet and give it a go.

I found a couple of real benefits to wearing this super-girdle like undershirt. First, no t-shirt riding up. This things gets into place and it stays in place. Second, I definitely felt trimmer. Considering that it was pressing all my fat into my insides that isn't surprising. I didn't do much activity throughout the day but I would say it stayed feeling pretty comfortable once I got used to it.

Here someone does a better job than I extolling it's benefits:

Engineered with HELIX-MAPPING™technology, the CORE PRECISION™UNDERSHIRT builds-in physiotherapy taping techniques to sculpt, tone and improve body mechanics. With seamless stitching and targeted ventilation, they fit like a second skin, delivering the ultimate fusion of fashion and function. Ideal for tailoring your body under clothes to providing everyday ergonomic support to improving form during sport.

In addition to the v-neck which I tried it also comes in long sleeve and tank top varieties – all of which retail for $99 each. Again, these are not made for those of us who like to buy a 10-pack of tidy whities at Sam's Club every once in a while. This is serious stuff. For $10 more you can get Extra-High compression. Extra-high?? Wow, I can't even imagine.

All in all I was very impressed with the quality of the Equmen Precision Underwear and Undershirt that I was able to try out. If you have the money to pay for good quality and you could benefit from the support you get from these then I say "go for it!"

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Equmen Precision Underwear and Undershirt

Where did January go?! Can't believe that this Monday is already February. That's another month gone that I won't be getting back. I'm in a weight loss contest at work that started on the 11th (why not start on January 1st??) and goes for six months. It hasn't motivated me like I thought it would, yet, but I'm going to try to focus today and see how it goes. Read an inspiring post by Tony this morning. Got a DM Tweet from Andrew reminding me to stick with it. Thanks guys. Shedding weight is hard work. Everyone once in a while it pays to focus on shedding weight in a variety of forms and here today I'm going to do some shedding of weight that has been building up by my own accord.

People send me stuff. This is one of the benefits of having a blog where I occasionally write about products. People send me stuff, and they hope I will write about their stuff. Of course I am sure they hope I write positively about their stuff. Sometimes that works out (I still use my Sansa Clip, love it) and sometimes it doesn't (thank you for your samples POM Wonderful people, but that stuff is just nasty).

Alas, my posting schedule has been slower than the pace at which products to review have piled up. I'm under no obligation to write about any of these products, yet I really should. I appreciate the opportunities I have had to eat, play or test these products and I should have done a full-blown review of each and every one of them. And I hope I can do more of that in the future. But for now I have to shed the weight of responsibilty I am currently feeling by having a chestfull of products that I haven't written about that I should mention in some way.

So, please indulge me as I lighten the load.

Bill from EatSmart sent me a simple but really cool Digital Kitchen Scale. I have a really lame old mechanical postage scale at home that gets occasional use (think pinewood derby car weighing rather than food), and this morning that's going in the garbage. Digital is the way to go, baby! EatSmart offers a variety of different scales including a higher end food scale that would probably be of interest to some of you. I've never been able to get into weighing my food. Here is how simple this scale is to use. Click the on button. Boom, shows 0g. Not wanting to risk scratching the gorgeous chrome plate I put a piece of paper on it to protect it. Whoops, now it says 2g. Hit the on button again to zero it out to 0g. Now I can put a quarter on there safely and see that it weighs 6g. Well what do you know! Simple example. but it really is that simple. I like this scale and it goes into the workshop for a proper duty weighing things instead of sitting in it's box on a shelf.

Dennis from Aurorae Yoga Mats sent me a yoga mat. Now, when he first offered to send me one I made it pretty clear I wasn't a yoga guy, but he sent it anyway. And I'm glad he did because it's pretty handy. But I pretty much just use it for stretching, when I do such a thing, and not for yoga but who knows maybe I will turn into a yoga guy. Aurorae offers a variety of different colored mats that "define your inner self" – I have an infinity mat which means "Strength, Sophistication, Professionalism, Potential of Endless Possibilities". The Aurorae yoga mat is an extra long yoga mat at 72"x24"x1/4" (although I'll have to take them at their word that is extra large compared to other yoga mats as this is my only one) and it looks good and doesn't smell funny, two things I suspect are important in a mat you may be schlepping around to yoga class. It unrolled and stayed unrolled very quickly and easily and it only took about 2 minutes for one of our cats to decide it was a great place for her yoga – and I couldn't keep her off of it for awhile. If yoga is your thing, check out Aurorae Yoga Mats.

The kind folks at Kraft sent me a huge box stuffed with a variety of Crystal Light Frozen Pops and Lemon Ices. The kids were excited about the shipment not just because they got to sample the treats but because it came shipped with a big block of dry ice. Who doesn't like dry ice? Good thing it came that way too because our freezer was full. Oh wait, we live in Minnesota. OK, just throw the box on the deck outside, that will work. The box actually helped insulate the frozen pops from the cold. That's life in Minnesota where you need to worry about your frozen pops getting too cold. My car thermometer read -12F yesterday morning as an example. Yeah, it's cold here. But let me tell you those Crystal Light frozen pops are low calorie but very delicious. Go to the website to request a coupon – I just did even though I still have some samples left. Good stuff.

Anna from Authors On The Web sent me a copy of Power Up: Unleash Your Natural Energy, Revitalize Your Health, and Feel 10 Years Younger, although interestingly enough when she sent it to me it was actually called "The Source" instead of "Power Up" although it is the same book. I suspect some marketing person decided that was a better name. According to the inner sleeve "The Source is the most comprehenisive., authoritative , and cutting-edge health guide avaiable on how to power up your energy, your health and your life." As I started to write this paragraph I skimmed through the book for the first time and I have to say it was compelling reading. I don't make time to read much these days like I should, hence one reason for this book having sat on the shelf, yet now that I have taken a peek at it I think I may be doing some more things with this book so stay tuned for that. The ideas presented look promising and I could see how it could help me.

Last but not least is the Mio Stride Heart Rate Monitor Watch. The selling point of this heartrate monitor watch is that it doesn't recquire a chest strap, which I know will appeal to some people. I actually like putting on the strap and my current monitor works well, so I really don't want to crack open the box on this thing. Rather, I'm going to give it away. So, if you are still with me at this point, you live in the US (sorry Andrew!) and you would like a brand spanking new heart rate watch that has never been opened, be the first commenter to say "I'll take that watch!" and I'll contact you privately to arrange shipment.

There, a little weight shed and I feel better. Now on to the real stuff.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

It's a New Year – Time to Shed Some Weight

Disclaimer: An Isagenix consultant paid for my 9 day cleanse program, however the results and opinions shared are purely my own and I am under no obligation to report on the results one way or another.

Shortly after returning from my Nutrilite trip I was contacted by an Isagenix consultant who believed that I could benefit from the health benefits of Isagenix nutritional cleansing. I initially ignored the request but eventually after numerous emails I decided it was worth giving it a try. Skeptical but intrigued not only in the possibility for actually losing weight but also for trying to use this as a means to shake lose the dicipline I have been lacking lately I decided to give it a shot and document here the results.

Here is how they describe the program:

The Isagenix Cleansing and Fat Burning System is a comprehensive system packed with life-enriching nutrients to strengthen your body's ability to cleanse and replenish naturally. Each product plays an essential role in the cleaning and replenishing process to help you discover your body's true health potential.

The schedule for the 9 Day System is actually an 11 day process because it includes a couple of "pre-cleanse" days to prepare you. So overall the program is 2 pre-cleanse days, 2 cleanse days, 5 shake days and finally 2 more cleanse days.

I'm tracking my progress through the program which I will publish in a couple of parts. Here's Part 1:

Pre-Cleanse Day #1
A pre-cleanse day is basically the same as a shake day so I started the day off replacing breakfast with an IsaLean Chocolate shake. The instructions called for 8 ounces of purified water and ice and two scoops of the shake mix to be blended together. I don't know what purified water is but I figured the filtered water from my refrigerator would be good enough so I used that. And 8 ounces of water didn't seem like it would make a big enough shake so I used more like 12, which I was later regretting when I couldn't drink the whole shake! The IsaShake tastes pretty similar to other whey protein shakes I have had although since I make those with skim milk this one had a little different consistency and taste. It was actually pretty good, very rich and filling and like I said, I couldn't even drink it all. 8 ounces for me next time! I also had a Natural Accelerator capsule.

There are a number of snack options available but I was so busy this day that I got right to lunch without worrying about hunger. For lunch I had a turkey sub at Subway, had mustard instead of mayo, with no olive oil. I did have cheese, which is something I should cut out. Much better than my normal Subway Tuna Sandwich. I did try a snack later in the day and one of the snack options are something included in the program which is called IsaDelight, which are small chocolate pills (they call them wafers, but wafers imply something thin and light, and these are no wafers). They were simply nasty. My IsaGenix consultant has suggested that I have to eat them no matter how nasty they are, but I am going to take a pass. Just not going to work for me.

I had a long drive home so I did have a protein bar for a snack during the drive, then when I got home I had some celery and some fruit, but I did not have another IsaLean shake like the program called for. Still, I felt overall like it was a good day.

Pre-Cleanse Day #2
On this day I really didn't follow the program at all, however I did eat sensibly throughout the day, which after all is my ultimate goal. For breakfast I had a banana and some yogurt, for lunch I had a turkey wrap with a small side salad and for a snack I had a protein bar. Luckily for me when I got home my wife had made dinner but my son had some friends over so there really wasn't too much left for me – but it was enough to satisfy me. I also ate a reasonable amount of pineapple, celery and orange peppers. I also had a Natural Accelerator capsule in the morning.

Cleanse Day #1
Cleansing days are tough. The plan calls for having 4 eight ounce glasses of water each mixed with four ounces of Cleanse for Life liquid (a powder is also available but my plan came with the liquid), another 8 or more glasses of water throughout the day, and up to 6 snacks which as you already know I will not be using the IsaDelights. What is a snack on a cleanse day? A raw organic almond. A single almond. Oh man!

I was up pretty early in the morning and had a couple of glasses of water, then later I had a Natural Accelerator capsule and then had my first glass of water mixed with the Cleanse for Life. It was actually really tasty! I was sure it was going to be nasty but it wasn't – this is something I wouldn't mind drinking, which is good because I'm supposed to have 4 glasses of the stuff today.

My wife and I ran a number of errands and at one point when I was getting a little hungry we were at Sam's Club and one of the food samples was almonds, so I took the 5-6 they were offering and ate them for a snack. OK – so they were dusted with cocoa powder, but still – I thought I was still being good.

We got home about 2:00 and I had another Cleanse for Life which still tasted as good as it did in the morning. Then I start to feel pretty tired. The afternoon was tough. At about 6:00 I succumbed to my hunger and ate some leftover chicken we had in the fridge, then I had some crackers, then I had some cookies my daughter made. On a normal day not a bad dinner at all. On a cleanse day, not so good. So I almost made it.

Cleanse Day #2
I weighed 294 this morning, down 5 pounds from when I started the program and lower than I have been for some time. It's good to see progress, although I know this is just water weight. But down is good and I'll take it. I can't fully credit Isagenix since I have not been great at following the plan, but on the other hand I have to fully credit Isagenix because it has forced me to think carefully about what I am putting in my mouth and that is something I know I have to get better at.

My results for the second day of the cleanse were about equal to the first. Followed the plan well until late in the day when I succumbed to my hunger and possibility even my boredom – how much do we eat simply because we are bored? – and so once again I fell off plan around dinner time. It surely didn't help that this was NFL Sunday and my Vikings were playing the night game. Although in hindsight it turned out to be nothing good to watch.

Shake Day #1
I knew today was going to be a challenge for me because I had a team outing planned for dinner. I started the day well with a shake and a supplement, had a good Subway sandwich for lunch and then ended the day at a pizza buffet. Yep, I admit it. I tried to fill my plate with salad when I could, and fortunetly the pizza slices were small so I think all in all I handled that pretty well. No question that my calories for the day were way down from normal and more in line for where they needed to be.

At this point in the program I don't know that I would make a place for Isagenix beyond this test, however it has been a good wakeup call for me to think about my eating and ultimately I have seen more weight loss than I have seen in a long while so I am happy about that.

I'll report on the final 6 days in Part 2.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

My Experience with the Isagenix Cleansing and Fat Burning 9 Day System – Part 1

Disclaimer: The PR firm for FullBar sent me some FullBars and AquaFull samples to review, however I am under no obligation to do so nor to make the review positive. This review reflects my personal opinion about these products.

See below for how you can easily get your own sample pack to try this product for yourself!

The convenience of an individually packaged food bar cannot be overstated. When I was doing really well on my diet one of the things that worked for me was to have a protein bar in my car for the ride home – this made it such that I was less tempted to stop at a fast food place before I got home. I've probably tried about every kind of energy or protein bar there is and frankly there are only a few that I like enough to continue to buy.

Prior to being sent a couple of FullBars I had never tried them before. The concept of the FullBar is as it's name would imply – it is specially formulated to make you feel full before you eat a meal, so that you don't overeat. Here is how it is described on FullBar.com:

Here's how it works. Simply eat FullBar with an 8-ounce glass of water 30 minutes before your 2 biggest meals of the day. The upper part of your stomach is stretched out and tells your brain: "Stop! I'm full!" That's because FullBar uses the same principles as weight-loss surgery. By meal time, you'll eat less and your hunger will be completely satisfied.

FullBars come in five different flavors, Fresh Berry Bliss, Peanut Butter Crunch, Cranberry Almond, Cocoa Chip and Caramel Apple Crisp. I tried the last two flavors myself. Overall I thought the bars were OK – an interesting texture which basicially consists of puffed wheat bound together by whatever ingredients are in the flavoring. They were a little chewy, but all in all not bad.

FullBar makes a companion product called Aquafull that I was also able to try. Instead of just drinking a plain bottle of water with your FullBar you can give it a little pop by adding a packet of Aquafull to it. I'm not a big fan of adding things to my water but my kids do it constantly with Crystal Light so I know it is something some people like to do. Here is how the makers describe it:

Drink Aquafull with your Fullbar 30 minutes before meals for added fullness or alone anytime. With antioxidants and metabolizers, Aquafull is a powerful tool for hunger management. On the go, easy hydration that helps you feel full so you can get back to enjoying your full life!

Aquafull comes in three flavors, Zesty Lemon Tea, Berry Bliss, and Pomegranate Orange. I tried the first two. Of the two, I preferred Berry Bliss.

I think most everyone who has been on a diet understands this general concept. But how does eating a Fullbar and drinking water with Aquaful differ from eating or drinking anything else prior to a meal? Wouldn't you get the same benefits if you just drank a bunch more water before your meal? I know that is a strategy some people employ. Maybe some granola or bran? Here is what they say about that:

Research regarding satiety shows that it is not simply achieved by eating a fiber source such as bran; tthere needs to be a combination of ingredients to provoke the response (this would be one reason why after drinking a fiber supplement, one does not feel satisfied). The combination of ingredients is: a fiber source, a protein source, shear bulk with low calories as well as water. This combination has the best effect in specific ratios which we have perfected here at FullBar™. So, yes it is much different than eating some bran and water before a meal, plus it tastes much better.

I used this strategy twice and I can honestly say that I think I did feel less hungry at meal time and that because of that I did eat less. So that's good! However, I can't honestly say I wouldn't have felt just as full if I had just had more water. I think if I were to invest some time in doing some scientific research into it I could probably determine whether that was true or not.

SOLD OUT! Here's the thing – I don't have time to do that! However, maybe you do! Interested in trying FullBar and Aquafull for yourself? The first 10 people who comment on this post and also leave me their shipping info on my contact form (don't put your address in your public comment, US addresses only) will be sent a sample pack to try out for yourself. Your address will only be used for shipping out the sample pack, not for any other marketing purpose. SOLD OUT!

So what do you think – does it logically follow that eating a puffed wheat bar with water would make you feel fuller or are you skeptical? Leave a comment and you can try it out for yourself.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

FullBar and Aquafull Product Review

While weight loss should truly be as simple as eating less and exercising more that doesn't mean we don't need help from technology. I have a number of different gadgets that I use in my weight loss journey such as a digital bathroom scale, a heart rate monitor and a Sansa Clip MP3 player.

I thought it would be interesting to hear from other weight loss bloggers what fitness gadgets they use in their journey, so I asked a handful of bloggers from my blogroll "What is your favorite fitness gadget and why?"

You will notice that my definition of "gadget" is very liberal and that there was a wide variety of responses. In fact, no two respondents reported the same favorite gadget!

Here is what they had to say:

Tony from The Anti-Jared: "Hmmm, for me, I would say that it is my Southwing bluetooth headphones. Great sound, I am able to use my phone in case someone calls, and the battery life is like two weeks."

Roni from Roni's Weigh: "This is SO EASY! It has to be this… Nike + iPod Sport Kit – A Review. The Nike plus has totally motivated me to run. But not just to run, to run longer and faster! It tracks my mileage, allows me to join challenges and let me know when I beat my own time. Plus how can you beat those little handy dandy charts to visually represent your run. Oh and the best part… it's around 30 bucks!"

JoLynn from The Fit Shack: "My favorite gadget is my treadmill. I love it because I can do my paced walking in my target heart rate zone non-stop for at least 30 minutes, as opposed to walking outside when I need to be aware of stop signs and such."

JC from JCD Fitness: "My favorite fitness gadget is the BodyBugg. It is one of the first gadgets to accurately monitor energy expenditure and is relatively simple to use. The software provided is very easy to navigate and also provides a log to track your kcals. I personally really enjoyed checking out how many kcals I burned during regular activities such as grocery shopping, walking to class, riding my bike to work etc. Wearing the arm band can become a nuisance at times as it is a bit bulky, but for the time spent wearing it, you can really get a firm grasp on your maintenance level calories. I wore mine for a little longer than necessary because I tested many different schedules/workout plans and their effect on energy expenditure. For anyone who is unsure about their expenditure I think using the BodyBugg for a week or so would help you tremendously."

Israel from Fat Man Unleashed: "My computer, because it connects me to the web and has allowed me to chronicle my weight loss journey which has had led to a major breakthrough in my weight loss. The support and motivation from the community doesn't hurt either."

Andrew from Andrew is Getting Fit: "My favourite fitness gadget has to be my Garmin 305. It tracks my runs – time, distance & heart rate. I use it in conjunction with Sporttracks software and it gives me my pretty maps. I love being able to log all the details about my runs. It really helps keep me motivated."

Steve from Weight Loss Weapons: "My favorite fitness gadget right now is the strapless heartrate monitor sports watch by Mio. They sent me one to review back in November and I have been "testing" it for the past few months, I think it's a pretty good product. It has a lot of features like multiple timers, tracks how many calories you are burning etc. When I am doing my outdoor running (on the days it has been nice anyway) I get my heartrate instantly (5 seconds or less) and I can stay in my optimal fat burning zone more or less. It's a good check to make sure that I'm working hard enough and not wasting my time. I use it on the treadmill too. I've been using it during my P90X cardio workouts as well as a heartrate monitor is "required" for some of them, same thing just to make sure you are working hard enough. I've found it to be quite accurate too 7 beats is the most it has been off compared to checking my heartrate the old fashion fingers to the neck way. There are 5 different timer modes which is pretty cool and it doubles as a sports watch. You can get the one I am using for less than $100 some of the lower models are like $30-$50 so the prices aren't too bad."

Stephanie from Back in Skinny Jeans: "I think this is uber cool and am making one myself as we speak. One of my girl friends showed me this. At Snapfish they have these "skins" you can put on your digital devices like cell, laptop, and mP3 players. For my iPod, I'm making a motivational skin either a "before" me picture like back in the skinny jeans or an inspiring quote to help keep me motivated while I'm working out because I ALWAYS workout with my iPod. The skin becomes a visual reminder to keep going and focused on my workouts. They have skins for practically all the mp3 players out there not just iPod so that is really cool!"

and last but certainly not least:

Shauna from The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl: "My favourite gadget is the Enell Sports Bra – When I discovered it in 2003 I almost wept for joy – for the first time I could run and jump without The Girls bouncing around. It's an exercise essential for the busty lady." (ed. note – I'm weeping for joy right now myself.)

What a unique list, thanks to everyone for sharing.

Want to participate? Tell us in the comments – What is your favorite fitness gadget and why?

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

9 Weight Loss Bloggers' Favorite Fitness Gadget

Disclaimer: i360 sent me this music infused headband to review, however I am under no obligation to do so nor to make the review positive. This review reflects my personal opinion about this product.

As much as I love my Sansa Clip MP3 player I don't use it as much as I should because I absolutely hate ear buds. When I am on the treadmill I use these big ugly headphones but nobody can see me so that is OK, but I haven't used the music player outside this winter because ear buds just don't work for me. They are always popping out and just causing trouble.

That's why when I was contacted by i360 to check out their new music infused headband line I jumped at the chance to take a look. I explained however that I did not have the iPod Nano that the headband is designed for, but they said they would send it out anyway so I could see if I could get it to work with my Sansa Clip.

And worked it did! What i360 is selling with their music infused headband is a soft fabric headband with a slot to hold an iPod Nano or other MP3 player and built-in speakers integrated smoothly into the headband. With the music player hooked in you get great sound because these large over the ear speakers are pressed snug against your ears by the comfortable head band and the sound is really great.

And best for me, no ear buds to fall out!

I was a little worried that the headband would be too bulky and/or it would feel uncomfortable, but it feels great. And in this Minnesota winter it warms the ears while delivering great music. The speakers can be removed so that you can wash the headband if needed.

In addition to music infused headbands, i360 will also soon sell music infused beanies and music infused hat beanies – so not matter your personal style preference you should be able to find something that will let you rock out in style while you are getting your exercise groove on.

Want to check out this product for yourself? Well i360 was kind enough to send me two headbands, and of course I am giving one away to a lucky reader! All you need to do for a chance to win this prize with a retail value of $39.95 is to comment on this post and tell me something about running and/or music. Or both at the same time! Contest will end on Wednesday so you don't have much time. Good luck!

Contest for US readers only.

Congrats MizFit, your number came up and you won! I'll contact you in email for shipping arrangements. Thanks for playing everyone.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Music Infused Headband by i360

Disclaimer: Sansa sent me these two workout music players to review, however I am under no obligation to do so nor to make the reviews positive. These reviews reflect my personal opinions about these music players.

As I wrote recently in Motivated by Music it sometimes takes a bit of a kick in the pants for me to hit the treadmill. I've been meaning to put together this review for a couple of weeks now but I had not yet opened the Sansa Clip player until today, when I threw some music on it and rocked out a couple of miles on the treadmill.

Here are my thoughts on the two players sent to me by Sansa.

Sansa slotMusic Bundle with the Don't Quit Fitness Card

In September a new physical music format was introduced by leaders in music, retail and flash memory technology called slotMusic. These microSD cards work in any microSD-enabled device like mobile phones, MP3 players or computers, allowing you to enjoy DRM-free MP3 music with the convenience of a microSD card.

In October Sansa released a new MP3 player called the Sansa slotMusic Player, which is their entry into the slotMusic market. In addition to releasing the player they also announced a variety of personalized, branded slotMusic players called bundles, one of which is the Don't Quit Fitness Bundle that I am reviewing here. You can also purchase a growing list of popular albums in microSD format.

The player itself is about the size of a cigarette lighter and comes with earbud headphones and a AAA battery. The device is very simple – there is a slot for the microSD card, a port for the headphones, a volume control, a play/pause button, a rewind button and a fast-forward button. That's it. While it is heavier than most players its size I think that is actually a design feature because it really feels solid like there is actually some metal in there and not all cheap plastic. Sound quality was great.

The Don't Quit Fitness Card that is included in the bundle includes a USB-microSD adapter for the computer and contains two tracks, a Workout Mix that I guess I would describe as having a techno beat, and a Rock Mix that seems a little techno too. No vocals on either track, except for some sound effects. This is not music that I would normally listen to but I must admit the base beats did get me pumped up. Using the USB-microSD adapter you could also add additional music because there is about 80% of the 1GB storage still available.

The concept of the slotMusic format and the Sansa Bundles is an interesting one that I think will appeal to certain segments of consumers. Certainly this is not designed for music and computer geeks who want the sleekest MP3 player with room to store thousands of songs. These players are designed for those who need to get up and going quickly with little fuss and with little technology knowledge needed.

The branding concept of the bundle is something I could see a lot of companies jumping on. For example, how about a "Best of NPR" bundle – distribute the player and everything to a large group of people who may otherwise have no way of listening to offline audio. I could also see pre-packaged motivational recordings working well these this.

I think this is a good entry level MP3 player for anyone needing to get up to speed quickly and easily, with little fuss.

The player retails for $19.99, the bundles for $34.99. Individual slotMusic albums are $14.99.

Sansa Clip

The Sansa Clip is a tiny MP3 player with big sound and unique features. The storage ranges from 1GB to a soon to be released 8GB. The model I am reviewing is the Sansa Clip 2GB MP3 Player.

I thought my current MP3 player (Creative Zen V 1GB) was small. The Clip is tiny and light. I wore a t-shirt with a front pocket on my run today and I was able to clip it to the pocket with no problem, it's so light it didn't bounce around at all and I couldn't feel it. It comes in 5 different colors – black, silver, blue, pink or red, however that depends on what model you get. For example, if you want silver you'll need the 4GB model.

The Clip is charged using the USB connection to a computer and the manual suggests a battery life of up to 15 hours, which would be awesome, at least compared to my current MP3 player. The software that is included is Rhapsody, but of course you can manipulate the music from your computer just like you can any other MP3 player.

While the clip is neat and the built-in microphone useful, there is one feature that really sold me:

The Clip includes an FM radio. And it must have a pretty good antenna because it worked very well in my basement workout room where I was able to get a clear connection to my primary radio station which I normally can't get on other radios.

Because of the handy clip, the small size and mostly because of the convenience of a built-in FM radio, the Sansa Clip is my new workout music player.

The 2GB Sansa Clip retails for $59.99 but is currently selling for $29.95 on Amazon.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Workout Music Players by Sansa

This is my first book review for a fiction book on this weight loss blog and it fits in well because weight and more specifically the vanity issues surrounding wanting to be a lower weight is the key theme in Two Weeks Under by Rivka Tadjer.

First, I will remind you that while I was sent this book by Tadjer's publicist, that in no means clouds what I say in any review. My reviews are worthless if they are not 100% honest, and that is what I strive to be in any of my product reviews.

The Story
Professional women in Manhattan have suddenly taken to committing suicide. At the same time a new diet fad has emerged – vanity comas. A company called Monarch has a method called Metamorphosis that promises a new body in just "two weeks under" via an in-home coma.

The protagonist in the story, 35 year old Senior VP Elana Diamond, is a professional woman herself, competing with her ex-boyfriend to become president of her Fashion agency firm. Reminders of the power of weight and looks are never far from Elana whether it is dealing with supermodels or the expectations of the president she wants to replace. Ruminating on what happened to the fun times she used to have with her girlfriends on the weekends when they drank wine and ate "cheese and crackers by the pound" she thinks they are now "overbooked, overextended and overweight."

The two story lines become intermixed when someone tied to Elana commits suicide, and Elana gets embroiled into the investigation surrounding the mystery of the suicide and the relationship to the latest diet fad of vanity comas, all while trying to impress her boss enough for him to annoint her president of her firm.

My Take
I enjoyed Two Weeks Under, reading it in just a couple of sittings. The writing is good and the pace never lets up. Certainly the premise was a little wacky and there were a number of times where events happened that were just too perfect (and unrealistic), such as the business presentations gone wrong, but ultimately I liked this book in the same way I like fun movies that the critics like to pan – you simply embrace the things that aren't realistic and accept them without being critical, staying focused on the enjoyment you are getting from the book.

It's been awhile since I have devoured a book as quickly as I did Two Weeks Under and I think that speaks volumes to whether it is a book worth reading.

I think it is.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Two Weeks Under – Book Review

I was recently sent a case of POM Wonderful Pomegranate juice by Andrea, the POM Blogger. As I always do I made clear that I would be happy to receive the juice as long as she understood my review would be an honest one. If I didn't like it, I would say so. And of course she insisted that I do no less, which I always like to hear from my sponsors (other than providing the juice POM Wonderful has not paid for this post in any way.)

Before I get to my thoughts on the juice I would like to share some general information about POM Wonderful and pomegranate juice in general.

A Little History
Here are some tidbits about pomegranates you may not have known:

• Pomegranates are one of mankinds earliest cultivated fruits.
• Man first began planting pomegranate trees sometime between 4000 B.C. and 3000 B.C.
• Throughout history, the pomegranate has been revered as a symbol of health, fertility and rebirth.
• Some cultures also believed it held profound and mystical healing powers.
• The appeal and medicinal properties have also made it the subject of myths, epics and works of art, from Raphael and Cezanne to Homer and Shakespeare.

The Science
POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice is the only juice whose health benefits are backed by $25 Million in Medical research. Patients who participated in published clinical studies experienced significant improvement in heart, prostrate & erectile health after drinking eight ounces of POM Wonderful 100 Pomegranate Juice daily.

The Juice
It's clear to me that POM Wonderful is differentiating themselves from other pomegranate juices on the market by showing how their juice is 100% authentic pomegranate juice made from only the "Wonderful" variety of pomegranate, which is the only variety that has the proven health benefits stated above. They state that they are the only brand guaranteed to contain 100% authentic pomegranate juice and their juice is all-natural and contains no added sugars, preservatives, colors or cheap filler juices. In addition they claim that other juices that state they are 100% pomegranate juice may not actually be so, because their juice comes from Iran or Turkey, where independent test labs have shown their juice contains fillers. Pom Wonderful juice is grown in the good old U S of A, in California's San Joaquin Valley.

My Product Review
Trust me when I say I really wanted to like POM Wonderful. By engaging with me as they did they are practicing exactly what Gary Vaynerchuk told us the other day in the video of his that I shared – work the room with brand marketing Web style. POM Wonderful can engage directly with hundreds or even thousands of bloggers, and tens or hundreds of thousands of readers, for a pittance of what they would pay for a page advertisement in a magazine. And those online articles LAST FOREVER!

But here's the thing: I didn't like the juice. I'm not saying you still shouldn't drink it for it's heath benefits and that you shouldn't try it for yourself, because you should, but I'm just telling you, I didn't like it.

I loved the cute little bottles. My 10 year old daughter packed one in her lunch one day (she didn't like it either). I love the idea of a healthy pomegranate juice. I love the company, from what little I have interacted with it so far.

Why didn't I like the juice? Two reasons. First, it's way too tart for me. I saw on the web that some people cut it with Concord Grape juice to sweeten it up a little bit and while I did not try that I can see how that would have helped. Second, it has 150 calories for an 8 ounce bottle. For me, on my journey from fat to fit, I need to savor every calorie I consume and I can't be drinking 150 calories in 8 ounces of juice.

So, I won't be drinking any more pomegranate juice but I encourage you to read up on the benefits and go buy a bottle for yourself – perhaps it will be just the thing you are looking for.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice Product Review

One of the "tools of the trade" in my fitness and weight loss journey is a Sportline 240 Stopwatch. I use it to time my outdoor runs or swimming sessions and it also came in very handy when I was coaching soccer. It's a very economical, low cost timer – I think I bought it on Amazon but now you have to buy them there in Quantities of 6!

So why am I writing about this simple little device? Because the alarm keeps going off and before this morning I wasn't able to figure out how to turn off the alarm! The Sportline website no longer seems to work and of course I tossed the manual away the day I opened the package. I found a couple of other people through Google searches with the same problem but no definitive answer (someone had previously answered that the manual was available on the Sportline site but that doesn't appear to be available any more).

So as a public gesture of goodwill towards all those Sportline Stopwatch sufferers out there who have been at their wits end trying to turn off the alarm, here is how you do that:

Hold down the right button labeled "Start/Stop" and simultaneously hold down the left button labeled "Split/Reset". Repeat those steps to set the alarm.

I hope it works for you and glad I could help!

One of my readers pointed out another irritating beep that can occur that is different from the alarm – and that is a beep that goes off every hour on the hour. Here is how you make that stop:
While at the Alarm set time hold down Mode until all the bars under the days of the week disappear. That will stop the hourly beeping.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Sportline 240 Stopwatch – How To Stop The Alarm

Last month I was sent a copy of Gillian McKeith's Food Bible: The Complete A-Z Guide to a Healthy Life as part of a publicity campaign for the book. As I always do, I accepted the book with the understanding that should I write a review, it would be my honest opinion, whether I liked the book or not. I am pleased to say that I have not yet had a company balk when I made this clear.

It was not until I received the book that I remembered where I had heard of Gillian McKeith before. She is the author of the popular You Are What You Eat and the host of the BBC show of the same name.

Overall, I liked the book. While there are a few unique aspects of her diet recommendations (such as eating "pulses" or seaweed) in general she advocates a lot of the things I know I should be doing. Drinking more water. Slowing down when I eat. Eating more earlier in the day and less and night. Avoiding processed foods. For about the first third of the book, McKeith offers an introduction to her health philosophies and presents a "master class" on healthy eating.

The rest of the book is the A-Z aspect and unlike what you might think by the title "Food Bible" this is not an A-Z of foods, neccessarily, but of conditions and the like as well. Everything you need to know about getting and staying healthy.

As an example, under V we have just one entry for "Varicose Veins" with a couple of pages describing what they are and how to avoid them, focusing primarily on the eating regimen aspect.

I think the book offers a unique perspective and would be an interesting read for anyone looking to learn more about their health.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Gillian McKeith's Food Bible

Back in the beginning of the year I wrote that I was using SlimFast as a part of my diet plan, mostly for snacks or meal replacements. At the time I knew it probably wasn't the best approach since I have heard SlimFast has a lot of sugar, but I was familiar with the product and knew I liked the taste so I went with what I knew.

A few months ago I was contacted by Matthew Perry of Third Chance Fitness who suggested that rather than SlimFast that I should try whey protein shakes; in particular a brand his company offers called Muscle Memory. I'll admit I was skeptical at first. I didn't know anything about whey protein powder other than it seemed to come in these giant containers, which I think I had seen at GNC.

But after trading emails with Matthew I began to think I should give this stuff a try. For one thing a serving of Muscle Memory provided 21g of protein whereas the SlimFast was only providing 2g of protein. I tried to get a sample size bottle from Matthew but he explained they didn't do samples – that in his experience it takes a week or two of trying the shakes before determining if your body could process it correctly. If he had given me a sample he was concerned I would like the taste but that it wasn't a proper test. So I agreed to buy a bottle and give it a shot.

Since that time I have been slowly adding the whey protein shakes into my diet as a meal replacement. My recipe is a very simple one with just the addition of a banana, but Matthew has a number of interesting shake recipes on his website should you want to try a little variety. Because of the amount of ice I use my recipe actually ends up making two glasses full, and since it is thick it ends up being pretty filling.

The primary difference I have noticed between the SlimFast and the whey powder shake (they are both chocolate flavor, by the way) is that the whey powder shake is filling and keeps me feeling full for a much longer time, no doubt because of the protein.

I know some of my readers (well at least Mizfit) already incorporate whey protein shakes into their diet and I think if you haven't already done so that you should give it a try.

If you would like to try the brand I use, Muscle Memory, buy it here for $29.50, which is on sale from the normal price of $41.39.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Meal Replacements with Whey Protein Shakes

Congratulations to the winners of my Soap & Water contest, I'll be contacting you for details on how you can receive your prizes.

There were 3 winners of a bottle of GymSoap and 1 Grand Prize winner of a water filter combo pack from Aquasana.

Congratulations again!

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Winners Announced for Soap & Water Contest!

[CONTEST CLOSED - Winners Announced!]

As a reminder, my Soap & Water Giveaway Contest ends tomorrow night – I'm not exactly sure when I'll have the time to close it off so get your entries in early if you can. So far I think I have about 20 contestants each with a varying amount of entries.

In this contest I am giving away 3 bottles of GymSoap each valued at $11.99 retail and a grand prize of a combo pack from Aquasana, valued at $199.99 retail! While the grand prize is limited to U.S. contestants only, I will ship the GymSoap anywhere in the world.

As a reminder, here is how you can earn entries:

1. Comment on the contest post for 1 entry.
2. Stumble the contest post for 2 entries.
3. Link to the contest post for 3 entries.
4. Write a blog post about this contest for 5 entries.

As an added bonus, enter a comment on my GymSoap post to enter a drawing to win a 25% off certificate.

Good luck to everyone!

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Soap & Water Giveaway Contest Ends Thursday

[CONTEST CLOSED - Winners Announced!]

I'm always looking for ways to give back to my readers, which is why I occasionally hold free giveaway contests. Being able to send a free bike valued at $400 to Mama Bear June was one of the high points on my blog this year.

This time, I've take a little different approach. I've combined a couple of logical products to form a Soap & Water giveaway contest, with the soap coming from GymSoap and the water from Aquasana. If you haven't already, click on those links to read a little more about each product.

In this contest I am giving away 3 bottles of GymSoap each valued at $11.99 retail and a grand prize of a combo pack from Aquasana, valued at $199.99 retail!

How can you win, you ask? Very simple. The contest is open through the end of July at which time I will pick the 4 winners through a random drawing. You earn entries into the drawing in the following ways:

1. Comment on this post for 1 entry.
2. Stumble this post for 2 entries.
3. Link to this post for 3 entries.
4. Write a blog post about this contest for 5 entries.

The Grand Prize from Aquasana will only be shipped to U.S. residents, however the GymSoap will be shipped anywhere in the world, so this contest is open to anyone with the understanding that if the Grand Prize winner lives outside the U.S. that a second drawing will be held until a U.S. resident is selected.

What do you have to lose? You are all sweaty from working out, now win yourself some free soap and water!

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Announcing the Soap & Water Giveaway Contest

Disclaimer: While this is not a paid review Aquasana has offered to provide a prize to be used in a contest giveaway. Nonetheless, my opinions are my own.

A key part of my journey from fat to fit is drinking a lot of water. At least a gallon a day if I can. I've noticed that when I can drink a lot of water that it keeps me fuller so I eat less, and things seem to "flow through my system" better than if I don't drink. While I do indulge in a diet soda or a bottle of Lipton White Tea Ice Tea occasionally, for the most part I like to stick to basic water.

I'll be honest, I don't think much about the purity of the water I drink. I've seen the articles talking about how bottled water is often nothing more than tap water, and I know I have a filter in the water dispenser of our refrigerator, that's about all I know. Or did know, until I start learning a little bit from Aquasana.

I was interested to learn that there are three primary water treatment alternatives. Reverse osmosis, which is primarily useful in desalinating seawater, although people have tried using it for tap water. Distillation, which is the process of applying heat to water to remove canaminaents, but which does not remove chlorine because of its lower boiling point. Filtration, which has emerged in the last two decades as the forerunner of water treatment technology due to its use of both chemical and physical processes to block contaminant passage.

Aquasana is a leading provider of water filters for the home. Their most popular product is a combo pack which includes a drinking water filter for your sink and a shower filter system for your shower. Interested in water filtration but are hesitant to spend your hard-earned cash for a combo pack? Good news! I'm holding my Soap & Water giveaway contest through the end of July, 2008. The grand prize is a free combo pack from Aquasana, valued at $199.99!

Home water filters are a good, economical and convenient way of getting truly healthy water. Visit Aquasana to learn more.

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

Aquasana Water Filters

Disclaimer: While this is not a paid review I did get sent a sample bottle and 3 additional bottles to use in a contest giveaway. Nonetheless, my opinions are my own.

If you are on the path to a healthy lifestyle like me you probably spend a fair amount of time in the gym. While I haven't had a gym membership in years, I do remember them as a haven for germs, bacteria and fungus. How about those sweaty guys who wouldn't wipe off the equipment when it was their turn? Next! Yuck.

GymSoap™ is an antifungal, antibacterial body wash for athletes formulated to help prevent anything you might pickup while working out or competing in sports. According to the makers GymSoap is 99.9% effective at elimiating germs, bacteria and fungus.

I've been using a bottle of GymSoap at home to try out the product, and while I can't speak to the efficacy of GymSoap as an antifungal, antibacterial soap I can say that I love the smell, and that I will continue using it. I'm not exactly sure what the fragrance they use is, but to me it smells like a lovely mix of pine and ginger.

I have three suggestions for GymSoap:

1. Offer a travel sized bottle that meets TSA requirements for carrying liquids on board airplanes. While I don't belong to a gym I do frequent hotel gyms when I travel, and a convenient travel size would be very useful.
2. The text on the bottle is very hard to read, this needs to be improved somehow.
3. In addition to soap I would like to see a hand sanitizer.

Want to win a bottle (retail value $11.99) for yourself? I'm holding my Soap & Water giveaway contest through the end of July, 2008. Check out the easy ways to win a free bottle of GymSoap and more!

In addition, I'll be randomly selecting one person who makes a comment on this post with a 25% discount code to be used on GymSoap.com.

As it says on the bottle, "Embrace good hygiene!"

I highly recommend you check out the definitive guide to guest posting, Chris Garrett's Guest Posting Workbook.

Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog

GymSoap – Antifungal, Antibacterial Body Wash