Stats:  Published every other month (6x’s a year)

Cost: $3.95/issue or $14.95/one year, $24.95/2yrs, $34.95/3yrs.

Review:

I really like this magazine.  Let me tell you that I am no stranger to weightloss magazines and I know a good one when I see it.  The layout is a little different though, and may take some getting used to.  Rather than having every single article referenced in the first few pages, the table of contents is divided into sections.  The sections listed are; “your looks,” “your life,” “your cookbook,” your health,” “your fitness,” and “first person.”  When you turn to the page listed for the section, you’ll see a small table of contents that references that particular section.  It’s kind of nice because everything about cooking, for example, is in one section instead of all throughout the magazine.  Now this means that if you are looking for a particular article, you’ll need to know which section it falls under or else it might be difficult to find.  But it’s a good concept and works well.

Here are a couple of  titles to give you an idea of some of the articles featured throughout the magazine: “The Heart of the Matter” (about diabetes, hypertension, etc.), “Step It Up” (a walking plan), and “Jump-Start Your Success” (a meal plan).  The articles seem pertinent and well-written without a lot of “fluff.”

And now for my favorite part - the Success Stories.  Other weightloss and fitness magazines only offer one, two, maybe three at best.  But not WW Magazine!  They have four! Yes, you read that right - FOUR!  I’ve always found these stories to be inspiring and am glad to see that they have so many. 

Bottom Line:  it’s a great magazine that offers the same diet articles that you are used to, but with a formatting twist. 

Pros:

• Reasonable cost
• Good articles
• Great “success stories” about real people

Cons:

• Only published every other month

Website: Order here

Rating: 5 Stars

Posted by: Tabitha

Stats:  Made of Coolmax® with 11% Lycra/ Sizes XS (4), S (5), M (6), L (7), XL (8)

Colors:  White, Black, Taupe, Petal Lite (pink)

Cost: $8.95 - $15.00/pair

Review:

So I was looking for a pair of underwear that would take me through an all day sporting event, one where I would working hard and wanted to be comfortable.  I have to say that this pair did the trick. 

A big concern for most women is the proverbial “wedgie” (if you’ll pardon the expression) and it is important to find undwear that will not cause this problem.  The Moving Comfort Brief stayed in place due to the elastic band around the legs.  It wasn’t too tight or restricting but fit well and was true-to-size.  It is made with moisture-wicking material that helps keep you dry during high-activity events.  Definitely worth the $15.00 investment.

Pros:

• Moisture-wicking fabric
• Comfortable fit
• Doesn’t “ride”

Cons:

• A little pricey perhaps (but worth the $$)

Website:  Click here to purchase 

Rating: 5 Stars

Posted by: Tracy

Stats: Total Toning Basics and Advanced Fat Burning DVD/124 minutes Running Time/ Copyright 2005/ Found on Amazon.com or local retail video stores

Cost: $14.99+

Review:

I had high hopes for this after watching an informercial on tv.  I am always looking for the newest and best work-out routine (as evidenced by the website of course) so I snatched this up when it first came out.  This particular video includes the Total Toning Basics and the Advanced Fat Burning routines.  

Let me first say that the cinematography is amazing.  The video is shot outdoors by the water or by a fish pond and it’s beautiful.  That’s the good part.  The tough part, at least for me, was the various segments.  I found it a little disjointed.  The Total Toning Basics is a 45-minute routine which begins with a cool warm-up.  It then stops and moves right into the ballet portion which lasts about five minutes.  The next segment is the sculpting, then the yoga poses, abs segment and finally the cool down.  Each piece is filmed in a different location and lasts about five minutes.  That’s the problem - I realize it was the basic program, but it’s hard to feel like you get a good workout bouncing around like that from one thing to the next without spending any length of time on one particular area.

The advanced was definitely better in that regard.  The cardiovascular portion was probably 20 minutes and was a mix of ballet and funky hip-hop moves.  It was actually kind-of fun and nice for a change of pace, we even did a move called the “chicken.”  How can you go wrong with that?

The music was for the whole video was good, with some background beats and a guy sitting to the side playing drums.  And of course there was the proverbial “center your heart” and and “coiled cobra” moves that is often found when doing any type of yoga.  It is suggested that you use hand weights (1-8 lbs) and a sticky mat as well as a pillow for various exercises.  Bottom line: For something new and different and to add to your weekly workouts, the advanced routine offers a unique change of pace.  For a long-term solution to weight management, you may want to look elsewhere.  

Pros:

• Fun and unique
• Good music
• Amazing cinematography and background
• “normal” people included in the video
• Can pick and choose the various segments if short on time

Stats: Cal 5/ Carb 1g/ Sugars 1g/ Caffeine 30 mg/ Serving Size 8 fl. oz (2 servings per 16.9 fl. oz bottle)/ Available at Whole Foods and Target

Cost: $1.29 - $1.59

Review:

Function Light Weight is a drink that is supposed to help you burn calories. It is “created by physicians” and uses some kind-of formula to help speed up your metabolism.  It has EGCG which is a green tea extract and gymnema extra that reduces the number of calories that you take in.  There is even a red wine extract (resveratrol) to increase energy production.  

The taste isn’t too bad.  I’ve definitely had worse.  But it tastes like a diet drink, frankly.  It’s actually pretty sweet and not as watered down as other diet drinks.  And one good thing: there are no perservatives,.

Pros:

• supposed to burn calories and increase metabolism
• tastes alright

Stats:  2.5 hp motor (continuous duty vs. peak horse power)/ 215 lbs./ belt size 20″x60″/ incline level 0-10/ Speed 0-12mph in .1 mph increments

Cost:  $999.99-$1299.99

Review:

I write this review with the understanding that most of us can’t afford, or don’t have space for, the commercial-size treadmills.  If that is the case, then this is a decent treadmill for you.  

I say decent because it has some cool features and is pretty solidly built. The console uses a Grafixx™ Hi-Resolution Display that lights up blue and there are no buttons as everything is controlled by the keypads.  The treadmill uses the ifit® Workout Card Technology which looks like a regular SD card and fits right into a slot on the console.  The card offers several workouts and intensities and has an eight week program with workouts designed by personal trainers.  The good thing about the card is that it switches the routines for you so you don’t have to.   There is even a downloadable workout chart on Nordictrack website.

As I mentioned earlier, the frame is pretty solid, you can jump off and on the belt quickly without feeling like the frame can’t take it.  The belt rides smoothly and the motor isn’t too terribly loud.  One thing I did notice is the sound of the motor at higher speeds - there was a vibrating noise and even though it wasn’t obnoxious, I did notice it.  

The features are a nice bonus: there is a workout journal (maintains daily, weekly, monthly and yearly workouts), a training zone indicator (to show how intensely you are working), an IPod dock and speakers, a heart rate monitor, and even a fan to cool you down.  

One thing to mention, I researched other reviews and saw that out of 29 reviews (on www.Sears.com), this treadmill was given only 3.1 (out of 5) stars.  The reason seemed to be faulty equipment and lack of timely response by Nordictrack. I can’t personally attest to that, but want to make you aware of the word “on the street.”  Bottom line: for the price, it’s a sturdy machine, just beware of all the high-tech gadgets and features as they may cause problems down the road.  

Pros:

• Stable and sturdy frame
• Belt is smooth
• Relatively quiet engine
• Lifetime warranty on motor and frame (by Nordictrack)
• Cool display/features
• Good price for the bells and whistles

Cons:

• Background noise heard at high speeds 
• High-tech features may be difficult to navigate for some

Website:  Click here to purchase

Rating:  3.5 Stars

Posted by: Tabitha