<< Previous Round bodybugg vs fitbit: Round 2 – Food Logging According to the National Institutes of Health, 50 to 70 million Americans are affected by chronic sleep disorders, and I am very fortunate that I am not one of them. I didn’t realize this until just a few years back. I have no problems sleeping. Sure, occasionally I’ll have a night where I randomly wake up in the middle of the night, or have trouble falling asleep, but it typically doesn’t last more than one night & the visualization techniques I use will usually work to get me to sleep. The bodybugg armband has the ability to show sleep efficiency, but the web application doesn’t expose it. Sure, you can wear it to bed & you can see in the activity graph if you got up, but overall it doesn’t display anything different if you’re just lying there, awake Read More . . .
bodybugg vs fitbit: Round 1 – Getting Going
Hello, My name is Elizabeth & I'm a data geek. That's why I love my bodybugg. I've loved my bodybugg pretty much since the day I got it. The bodybugg is the first tool available that allows you to really see how many calories you're burning in a day. This is a fantastic insight for folks who are trying to lose weight, or maintain their weight loss because how do you know how many calories to eat if you don't know how many calories you burn? Since I'm a nutritionist, wellness coach and personal trainer, I instantly recognized how powerful of a tool this was & became a licensed reseller, which affords me the opportunity to distribute them to my clientele. Initially, the bodybugg didn't have any competition. The first competitor was the GoWear Fit, which is the same product distributed by the company that actually makes the bodybugg armband; Read More . . .
Do those new funny shoes work?
Subject: ? For your trainer Hey – I was wondering about those tennis shoes with the funky bottoms…skeechers and reebok make them (maybe also earth). Anyway, can you ask your trainer if she has an opinion about them. Wouldn’t want to miss a buying opportunity if it’s healthy! Thx! I think that’s funny. You know – I AM interested in them though. Let’s see – what are their claims? From Reebok: (OMG! is their advertising selling sex!) 78% of men are speechless. 81% of women jealous. EasyTone helps you get better legs and a better butt with every single step. From Sketchers: 1. Tone your muscles 2. Promote healthy weight loss 3. Make it easy to get in shape! Okay – so at least they’re not trying to claim that you’ll burn more calories in them. What I think they’re doing is providing an unstable surface, so that you have Read More . . .
Question of the Day: Protein Drinks
Today’s Question is from Sarah: "I would also like to get your opinion on protein drinks. What do you think of them? Do you recommend them or suggest staying away from them? I have heard lots of people talking about them, and one even came with my workout program (which I have been taking), but I’m not sure if it’s the best thing to do. Any suggestions?" Oy! Protein Drinks! Let’s start with some definitions. Supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry. There are lots of "fitness" foods out there: Protein Drinks, Energy Drinks, Meal Replacement Powders (MRPs), Meal Replacement Drinks (MRDs), Protein Bars, Energy Bars, and Meal Replacement Bars. Meal replacements are designed to replace a complete meal, and therefore have a nutrient formula similar to what that manufacturer believes should be the nutrient breakdown of a meal. It will have an adequate supply of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. These Read More . . .
Veggie Burger & Sweet Potato Fries
Ever since I’ve read the Omnivore’s Dilemma & saw the movie Food Inc., I’ve been more aware of the quality of my food, where it’s coming from & also the environmental impact of my diet. With all of that, I went online searching for veggie burger recipes & found a Houston’s copycat version. Houston’s Restaurant has the best veggie burger EVER! It looks like a burger should (not like those lame frozen soy patties that you get in the grocery store), it has a ton of flavor & is just to die for. If you’ve never had a veggie burger, never had a veggie burger that you’ve liked, or haven’t tried Houston’s veggie burger, you need to go there & try it. (Gary even liked it & ordered one!) Anyway, I’m playing around with the recipe. I think the flavor is there, but they’re pretty loose – so I need Read More . . .
Bodybugg Calories Burned
Another Frequently asked question about the bodybugg application is: "Why do I have two different Calories Burned Numbers? I just got my Bodybugg last night. It seems to be working and when I uploaded data from the armband to computer, at the bottom it said I had burned 31 calories-had only been wearing it for a few minutes. The top display for the overall day is completely out of whack says 381 calories burned so far which can’t be done in wearing it a whole ten minutes?" The Red arrows in this screen shot point out the conflicting data. Clearly the numbers are different, but why? The top number shows the total number of calories burned during the entire day. The bottom number shows the number of calories burned during a specific time of day, typically your waking hours, which is illustrated by the darker gray area that the blue Read More . . .
Is the Bodybugg Useful for Fitness Pros?
I mentioned in my last post that I’ve joined Twitter. I have two logins: @esherman that is more personal & I tweet about health stuff that interests me, and @bodybugg where I support the bodybugg twitter community. I’ve gotten to "meet" some great people, and have some interesting conversations. [click here to learn about the bodybugg & what it does] Here’s one that I’m currently having (keep in mind that twitter only allows 140 characters per post) @Targettraining The Bodybugg sucks, it is for those with no discipline and people that focus on the wrong part of fitness. @bodybugg that is absolutely false @Targettraining The BBugg is for trainers that are lazy or don’t know much about nutrition!!! That is how I feel.. @bodybugg As a trainer it’s a HUGELY valuable tool; it allows you to see into your client’s lives outside of the 3 hrs they’re with u @Targettraining Read More . . .
Referrals = $ for you
I’ve decided to implement a referral program for current & past clients, anyone who knows me, or knows of me. Here’s the deal: You refer a new, paying client to me & I pay you a referral fee. Bodybugg – $10 cash (price matching guarantee still applies) Personal Training – $50 Gift Card to Total Health by Elizabeth or 10% of initial purchase (lesser of the two)* Nutritional Coaching – $50 Gift Card to Total Health by Elizabeth or 10% of initial purchase (lesser of the two)* Wellness Coaching – $50 Gift Card to Total Health by Elizabeth or 10% of initial purchase (lesser of the two)* Fine Print: No, there’s not a catch – just some details. I’m doing this as a thank you for giving my name out. I have actually been doing this for some time, but have now opened it up to non-clients. There are no Read More . . .
My Cloud
So I was playing around on Wordle & was curious what my website would look like as a word cloud. I think it's pretty cool: And here's my blog: Fun! Read More . . .
Wellcoaches is On Board!
I have gotten my first sponsor for the Total Health Challenge. Yippee! I am a licensed Wellness Coach through wellcoaches, so I thought it would be a great idea if each of the participants in the program gets one-on-one wellness coaching. In addition, each of the participating trainers will receive free tuition to complete the wellness coach certification on their own. It's a win for everyone! Copyright Elizabeth Sherman. Purchase a Bodybugg through Elizabeth Sherman. Read More . . .
HFCS – It’s a Four Letter Word
I was watching TV last night when I saw this commercial & was stunned. It’s a commercial promoting High Fructose Corn Syrup. Here’s another one. If you don’t already know, High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener made from corn. Production Excerpt from Wikipedia: High-fructose corn syrup is produced by milling corn to produce corn starch, then processing that corn starch to yield corn syrup which is almost entirely glucose, and then adding enzymes which change the glucose into fructose. The resulting syrup (after enzyme conversion) contains approximately 90% fructose and is HFCS 90. To make the other common forms of HFCS (HFCS 55 and HFCS 42) the HFCS 90 is mixed with 100% glucose corn syrup in the appropriate ratios to form the desired HFCS. The enzyme process which changes the 100% glucose corn syrup into HFCS 90 is as follows: 1. Cornstarch is treated with alpha-amylase Read More . . .
Wellsphere
I've recently gotten turned on to this new site called Wellsphere. It's totally in line with my personal philosophy & perspective. It's not about living the "perfect" life according to the rules: no sugar, no alcohol, no fat — just green beans & grilled chicken. It's about living life and doing those things in your life that will allow you to enjoy your life for as long as possible. I love that! They've asked me to join their community as a health blogger & what could I say, but YES, Yes! So, it's a great site especially now because I'm a part of it. Elizabeth Sherman Healthy Living Community Read More . . .
I’m not going to feel guilty on Vacation
As I mentioned in my previous post, I was on vacation last week; and I ate. A lot! So the next question you might ask is, "Did you wear your Bodybugg?" No, I did not. I wore it when I exercised – because I have the display device, and I wanted to know how many calories I was burning. There were a few days that I really wish that I had worn it because Gary & I were so active that I was curious to know how many calories I was burning. The main reason I didn't wear it was because of the food. I was going to eat what I wanted to eat regardless of how many calories I burned; and also add to it that I was eating restaurant food, which, in my opinion, is more difficult to estimate calories than the national debt. I was on vacation, Read More . . .
Eat Without Abandon
This week I was on vacation. My husband, Gary & I went to Boston for his sister's wedding, and while we were there we spent a couple of days in Newport, Rhode Island. Now, my attitude towards vacations is this: When I'm on vacation, I do everything that I can't do at home. That definitely includes eating; I eat whatever I can only get locally. I don't eat foods that I can get at home because really, what's the point? Since I was in Boston & Newport, seafood (specifically shellfish & lobster), italian food and good bread (because we can't find those here in Austin) were on the menu. I follow a 80/20 rule: 80 percent of the time I make food choices that are "clean eating"; or foods that my body needs to function properly. The other 20 percent of the time, I relax my guidelines a bit, and Read More . . .
Fiberific!
This month's Nutrition Action Healthletter is all about fiber. Fiber is great stuff. Not only because it helps you stay regular, but foods high in fiber tend to be more filling. Fiber is found in carbohydrate sources of food. Simply put, it's the part of the grain or plant that is not able to be digested by the body. There are 2 natural types of fiber: soluble & insoluble. If you've ever taken Metamucil or psyllium husk, you've taken Soluble fiber; it gets gel like when it interacts with water. Because of that, when you eat foods that are high in soluble fiber, it bulks up in your stomach causing you to feel less hungry. Insoluble fiber is found in the bran part of whole grains, and in most vegetables as well as edible fruit skins. Insoluble fiber stimulates the muscles of the large intestine, helping the waste with it Read More . . .
To Be or Not To Be … Vegetarian
Wanting to leave the world in a better place than I received it is how I started in the health field. At the time, I interpreted that as a duty to serve my fellow humans by spreading the message of wellness to all. Nowdays with so much attention to being earth-friendly, I try to incorporate 'green' practices into my own life as much as I can. I try not to waste gasoline; I turn off the lights & fans when I leave a room; I recycle; I eat local foods when they're available to me, and definitely stay away from produce shipped in from South America when the same US produce is sitting in the next bin over at the store. But now I'm starting to turn my attentions to other areas of my diet: protein. As a Nutritionist, I know how vital protein is to our bodies for muscle Read More . . .
Success!
After 12 weeks of using the bodybugg, I've achieved my goal weight. If someone had told me that I would have been able to lose almost a pound a week without starving myself or working out for 2 hours a day, I would have told them that they just didn't know my body. My body is different. It's very efficient & doesn't like to give up it's calories & fat. It's impossible for me. I know this because I've tried. I guess I really don't know this because after using the bodybugg, it proved that I'm wrong. I competed in a bodybuilding contest about 3 years ago. I competed in the figure division, which the judging favors the athletic female form rather than the overly muscled women that you think of when you think of women's bodybuilding. When competing in bodybuilding, the competitor must get his/her body fat down to Read More . . .
Mmmmmm… Tacos!
I just posted a new recipe to my website for Thai Style Steak Tacos. They're a really good alternative to traditional mexican or tex-mex tacos. Read More . . .
It’s Very Freeing
I really love my bodybugg! I love it because I am so close to achieving my goal. And that's exciting. It's exciting to know that as a personal trainer and nutritionist, I'm not a failure at losing weight — I just didn't have the proper tools before. And it's amazing to me how easy it is. As I've said before, I've always had a rather clean diet, and I've journaled my food for years — nothing new there. I don't think I'm exercising more either. I haven't given up carbohydrates, and I still pretty much eat chocolate every day. I have become more aware of my hunger, and I try to eat to that, however whenever I had tried to eat according to my hunger cues in the past, it had led to eventual overeating. I think there were days that I certainly didn't eat enough for my activity level, Read More . . .
Is Eating Healthy More Expensive?
For years, I've heard the argument that eating healthier foods is more expensive. It's hard to argue with that when you have McDonalds and Burger King supersizing meals for a measly $0.39, yet a salad can run you $9.00 at a to go restaurant. Not too long ago, I saw a post on what 200 calories of food looks like. I wondered what 200 calories of food cost. Lucky for me, someone already did that. As a general rule, you want to "eat from the rainbow". Foods that have lots of color have more nutritional value. Unfortunately, everything looks pretty beige (except for the brightly colored candies, cereals, and chips) until you get to just above the "Cost of 200 Calories: Over $1.00" category. The Avocado makes it's debut at $0.99. It makes me sad that not only is bad for you food cheaper, but it's so readily available – Read More . . .