Product Review: Yum Yum Dishes

We're well into 2012. So how are those resolutions going? If you're anything like me (or the rest of the world, for that matter), you have some type of diet and exercise goal for the year.

From losing weight to running your best 5K, I'm right there with you. Well, I think I may have discovered a product to help you with your diet and control your portions -- Yum Yum Dishes!

What are Yum Yum Dishes?
They are well-crafted ceramic dishes enabling you to stick to perfect portions. The products include 9-inch plates and small, half-cup sized bowls (with matching plastic lids).


These dishes are great for doling out human-sized portions of ice cream, nuts or other snacks that tend to lead to overeating. Best of all, they're adorable, dishwasher-safe and microwavable.

Another great use is helping your little ones control their portions. A handful of jelly beans or other sweet treat look larger than life in my little Yum Yum bowl. As Yum Yum's site declares: It's about moderation, not deprivation. Best of all, when your done with your snack, your dish tells you -- Yum Yum time is over! I guess it's better than "Hey lard-butt, don't refill this!" LOL!

You can order your Yum Yum dishes at www.yumyumdish.com.

Have you heard of these dishes or used them already? I'd love to hear your experience.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free sample of this product to review. I have no affiliation or relationship with this supplier and I do not receive affiliate commissions if you make a purchase.

Product Review: Beverly International Ultimate Muscle Protein - Chocolate

I'm trying to build muscle while losing fat. What better way to do that than adding some protein shakes? They make a great snack...especially when those late-night cravings kick in.

A friend recently  recommended Beverly International's Ultimate Muscle Protein in chocolate. Normally, I don't particularly care for chocolate-flavored protein powder...plus I'm already up to my eyeballs in vanilla. LOL! So I figured I'd give it a try. Boy, am I glad that I did!

First, it doesn't have that nasty after-taste that many protein powders do. It mixes very easily and it tastes fabulous! Here's the best part of all, if you take some skim milk (1 cup), mix it with 2 scoops of powder and put it in the fridge, you'll be in for a yummy treat. The mixture takes on a mousse consistency and can be eaten with a spoon. It's delicious, filling and helps you get your daily dose of protein. What's better than that?

Do you currently use protein powders? Are there any in particular that you like or dislike? I'd love to hear your recommendations.

Product Review: Omron Fat Loss Monitor

Raise your hand if you're trying to lose weight. Who isn't trying to lose weight these days? I've recently become obsessed with my bodyfat. If I'm going to lose pounds, I want those pounds to be FAT! I don't want to lose muscle or water weight.

In order to figure out how many pounds of fat you want to lose, you first need to know your bodyfat percentage. I have an electronic scale that claims to measure bodyfat through an electrical pulse (how fast the pulse goes through fat vs. muscle and bone is how the fat percentage is determined). However, I just don't think that I'm 33% bodyfat. I have some fat, but not that much!

Since I just rejoined the gym at my office, I decided to have the gym manager test my bodyfat with calipers. He tells me that I have 16.4% bodyfat. While I should be happy, I know that this percentage is way off, too. If I was 16% bodyfat, I should be way more defined than I am.

That's how I finally arrived at the Omron Fat Loss Monitor. It uses a method similar to my scale. But for some reason, it seems much more accurate. It tells me that I'm 22.3% bodyfat. That's more like it!

If you're wondering how to determine how much bodyfat you have in pounds so you can determine what you'd like to lose, here's an example:

• If you weigh 140 pounds and you're 20% bodyfat, that means you have 28 pounds of fat (140 x 20%).
• Let's say your goal is to have 15% bodyfat and weigh 130 pounds (130 x 15%).
• That would leave you with 19.5 pounds of bodyfat.
• Effectively, you would need to lose 10 pounds of fat to reach that goal.

Now with my handy Omron Fat Loss Monitor, I can track whether the pounds I shed are bodyfat or not. Stay tuned!

How do you track your bodyfat?

Product Review: The Bar Method DVDs

As you may remember, a few weeks ago I ordered two DVDs for The Bar Method -- Accelerated Workout and Change Your Body. I tried them out over the past week and they're pretty good.

Essentially, the workouts are a combination of yoga, pilates and ballet. There are lots of small movements using your own body weight, as well as isometrics. Some exercises also use free weights.

Here's a quick pro and con list:

Pro
- Felt like a good workout, some parts were quite challenging and I even broke a sweat (sometimes hard to come by with DVDs)

- Good instructions and ways to modify certain exercises

Con
- Both DVDs are nearly a full hour (54 and 56 minutes), which I didn't realize (was hoping for 40-45 minutes)

- Could get boring if you use the DVDs every day (but I think that could happen with any exercise video)

Overall, I'm happy with my purchase. I plan on including them in my exercise rotation. Although I have been slacking lately. With the holidays approaching, I find that my morning exercise routine has been replaced with wrapping and organizing gifts.

During Black Friday I picked up another workout DVD (I think it's an illness - LOL!) It's a 10-Minute Solutions DVD with a variety of cardio workouts. Stay tuned for a review once I've gotten through it.

Have any of your own workout DVD recommendations? I'm always looking for new ones to add to my collection.

Note: Visit www.barmethod.com to purchase both DVDs for $30.

Product Review: Whey Crisps

When it comes to diets, many people choose to go with low fat/low carb and high protein. That's where protein supplements come in. A friend of mine introduced me to Whey Crisps and I can't say enough about them.

Imagine Cocoa Crispies that are low cal, low fat and pack 20 grams of protein. Best of all, Whey Crisps come in vanilla or chocolate and you can bake with them. That's right, now you can make high protein "Rice Crispies" or mix Whey Crisps in plain yogurt or cottage cheese. Pour them in a bowl with milk and eat them just like cereal. The possibilities are endless!

As with most protein supplements, Whey Crisps come in a ginormous container (2.23 lbs to be exact) and are a bit pricey.

Here is the nutrional breakdown:

Calories:     105
Fat:              1
Carbs:          3
Protein:       20

You can purchase Whey Crisps at Amazon.com (as shown here), GNC or Bodybuilder.com (great prices and a HUGE selection of items).

Also, check out http://www.wheycrisps.com/ for recipes.

Have you tried Whey Crisps? What do you think?