Let me start this review by saying you are either going to think this product is genius OR ridiculous. There is no in between.

Why?

Well you are either a scale person or you are not. I know many (Charlie comes to mind) that have years and years of weight data about themselves. Heck, I do as well! Remember my Weight Progress page?

Yea.. I haven’t updated that in quite some time. Mostly because I stopped going for my official Weight Watcher weigh ins but also because my scale habits have changed. I talked about this is an older post called Scale Habits? Gone Full Circle? where I broke down a bit of my scale history.

One of the stages I mention in that post is my daily weighing that lasted all through my losing phase and at least a year into maintenance. Not everyone will agree with this but for me daily weighing was a big part of my weight loss success. In a weird way it helped me disconnect from the number. To look at it as simply data, information. It kept me going and conscious of my food choices and how they effected the number.

During that time, every morning I’d wake up, pee, strip, hop on the scale and get into the shower (was that TMI? lol) it was a routine. I’d then jot down the number and post it on the blog like in this old post from 2007 – Yikes!

In addition to daily weighing I’d attend my Weight Watchers meeting once a week to get the "Official Weigh In" results which I would post on my Weight Progress page. Sometimes the numbers were the same, sometimes they were different but it didn’t matter. This is where I worked on that perfection gene I carry. By seeing that the scale so easily changed it’s mind (he’s a fickle jerk, isn’t he?) it helped me see that regardless what the number said on any given day, I was making progress. I was making good choices and the scale would reflect that over time.

This is a VERY long introduction to the product I’m about to review but I thought you should know where I’m coming from before giving my opinion on what I know will be a controversial product (controversial as in whether or not it’s a good idea.)

Basically the BodyTrace eScale is a regular bathroom scale with a big mouth. It wirelessly uploads your weight to the BodyTrace Web site so you can see your progress online!

Now.. I know it sounds scary and I realize this isn’t for everyone BUT if you are a like me and want to daily weigh, this thing is a life saver! I spend hours tracking my weight by hand and figuring out Excel to make my cheesy little graph…

Then I stopped after getting a new computer when I refused to buy Microsoft Office. Part of me wishes I kept them up. I like looking back at the data. I’m a geek, what can I say?

If I had the BodyTrace back then I’d have not only a prettier chart…

…but one that also tracked my BMI AND is interactive (you can slide and zoom into particular time periods when you are logged in). I may be alone, but I think this is freakin’ cool! –yes I know, geek, already established. ;)

Here’s how it works… you tap the scale to turn it on, hop on, get your reading and then ZAP! it sends it to the web site for you. It couldn’t be any easier.

The scale is sharp looking too. Something you wouldn’t mind having in your bathroom. And I believe if you don’t want to use the upload feature, you don’t have to. It could be used as just a regular scale as well.

I only have one teeny tiny complaint about the whole BodyTrace weight management concept and it’s this…

I absolutely HATE it when I get generic advice from a tool. This reminds me of the Wii and how absolutely brutal it could be with it’s weight loss advice. I wish it would just report the facts. That’s it. That’s all. I don’t need some backhanded comment about how long it’s taking me or how much I gained or whatever. Simple show me the figures. That’s all you need to do. And besides, being down 5 pounds in 2 months is FREAKIN AWESOME! no?

Regardless of that one little nit picky fact, I really do like BodyTrace. I recognize not everyone agrees with the daily weigh in philosophy but if you do this is a fun, easy way to record your scale readings.

I’ve joined the BodyTrace Affiliate program so if you are interested in learning more and possible purchasing one of your own, please click here. I’d appreciate it! Thanks. :)

Update: Gyula the Founder of BodyTrace has replied to our concerns about the unsolicited weight comments. Click here to read her response.

FULL DISCLOSURE: BodyTrace contacted me and asked if I’d be willing to review their product. I was not paid for this review but they did send me the scale free of charge. I’ve been using it for a few months now. I did join the affiliate program and will make a small percentage of any sales that are made when a customer follows this link. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. I refuse to endorse produce I do not like or would not use myself.

Have I ever told you I’m bag whore. I’m serious. I LOVE bags. I don’t mean the name brand Coach-y style you are buying a name brand bag bags (although my friend is slowly converting me) I mean functional bags, fun bags, bags from goodwill, totes, hobos, weekend bags, overnight bags, tiny bags and mega momma bags. I love them all.

So when Sheila from LiveWell360 asked me if I’d review their new Core Fitness Bag I immediately said yes. How could I possibly turn down a free bag?!?

I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, what’s a "Fitness bag" anyway? I immediately thought of a duffel or traditional gym bag which are probably my least favorite type of bag. They are so nondescript, hard to carry and usually made out of yucky material.

Thankfully the Core is nothing like that. It doesn’t even look like a gym bag. It’s gray with a nice thick strap and an interesting easy to carry shape.

I actually used it for my trip to Boston and carried it on the plane. It was absolutely perfect to pack everything in for the weekend.

My favorite feature is by far the shoe pouch. How genius is this?!? A side zippered pocket so you can keep your stinky shoes away from your clothes. Surely this can’t be the first bag that has this feature but I really liked the way it was designed on this bag. I even shoved my dirty clothes in with the shoes on my trip back. Again, genius!

I totally give the Core bag 2 thumbs up (oh and so does the husband and he’s the more fashion minded of us) My only negative isn’t about the bag at all, it’s the price. $120 is a bit on the expense side. Then again, it will probably last longer then all the $30 bags I’ve thrown out because of broken straps. (I just had to toss out my favorite weekend bag for that very reason. :(

Click here if you are interested in pre-ordering the bag. LiveWell 360 is also running a contest until midnight tonight, called the What’s In Your Bag Giveaway. I’m a little late with my review. Sorry. :(

Disclosure: I am NOT affiliated with LiveWell 360. My only compensation for this review was the actual bag they shipped my to try. I am not an affiliate and I will not make any money if you decide to purchase the bag.

I actually mustered up enough motivation to run after work. I realized that I have my next 5K this weekend and I need to start training for the half I signed up for in May by Feb 9th to get 12 weeks in. All I can say is….. YIKES! I’m glad I set those goals, the are keeping me going.

Chart taken from Nike+ web site after sync. Click here to see how I did it.

Other then the run I have nothing to report accept for the new Fiber One 90 calorie bar I tried. If I had more energy I’d probably write a whole post about them but to be honest, I just don’t have it in me. They are like every other "diet food," yummy and chock full of things I can’t pronounce. . .

Chicory root extract, chocolate chips with confectioners shellac (chocolate chips [Sugar, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Milk Fat, Soy Lecithin, Ethanol, Shellac, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil]), Rolled Oats, Crispy Rice (Rice Flour, Sugar Malt, Salt), Barley Flakes, High Maltose Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Canola Oil, Honey, Glycerin, Maltodextrin, Palm Kernel Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Nonfat Milk, Peanut Oil, Cocoa Processed with Alkalin, Natural Flavor, Baking Soda, Color Added, Almond Flour, Sunflower Meal, Wheat Flour, Mixed Tocopherols Added to Retain Freshness.

Can we get yummy and full of ingredients I actually WANT to put in my body… PLEASE! When will these companies listen. Ugh.. it’s like talking to a brick wall.

Sorry.. I’m just tired and grumpy. Here’s my food journal for the day. I didn’t intentionally keep my points low I just wasn’t that hungry. It’s amazing what happens when I actually listen to my body.

Table provided by Roni’s Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator. Follow live @RonisFood

I thought it would be fun to put together some holiday gift ideas this year. These are the first few things that popped in my head. Feel free to add some of you favorite products in the comments. I desperately need help in the gift giving department this year!

Kitchen Must Haves

These are things I can’t live without in my kitchen. The food scale being #1… Unfortunately they don’t carry the one I have anymore but I’ve had a few people recommend the one below…

Workout Fun

I finally got a chance to hook up my Wii Fit and I am LOVING it! The whole family had a blast playing over the holiday. We’ve had the Wii sport for awhile. Our favorite, by far, is Tennis but the Wii Fit has opened up a whole bunch of other fun ways to get up and get moving in the living room.

Running Gear

For the seasoned or wannabe runner the combination of these three items is killer. I’m not exaggerating when I say I owe a lot of my running success to the Nike+. It gave me loads of motivation to get me started and keep me running that first year.

Favorite Gadgets

I had to put my new camera on the list… It’s pricey but for those ready to make to take the leap… TOTALLY worth it. I just got that new scale (LOVE it) and I’ve been using a Flip at work (need to get my own.)

Stocking Stuffers

These are by far my favorite headphones, especially for the price. Great idea for a stocking stuffer. And instead of candy go for some fruit leather or margarita mix! You can’t go wrong! Yum! :)

Feeling Charitable?

If you are feeling generous this holiday season I ask you to support Grace’s Gift. Last year we met Grace and her mission to adopt a cottage of kids for the holiday season. Well she’s at it again and needs our help! Click here to see her donation page.

A few weeks ago Jodi from IamBeyond.com asked if I’d be willing to try out some Beyond Yoga clothes to review for the site. Honestly, I was a little hesitant. Especially when I saw the price tag on some of the items. I’m just not the kind of person that spends 80 bucks on a pair of pants. And I’m talking jeans or dress pants. Yoga pants?? You’ve got to be kidding.

But I agreed and a few days later I received my pair of lagoon blue yoga pants and grey straight back cami (both pictured above). I was immediately impressed by the feel of the clothes. They were soft, luxurious and when I put them on, snug without being constrictive.

Since I received them I’ve worn them to the gym, to the movies, and even on my recent trip to California (totally awesome for long plane rides). Besides the feel of the clothes I’m most impressed by the supportive nature of the material. This cami has been the ONLY tank I’ve been able to wear bra-less with complete confidence. Seriously… I always thought those build in bra tops were a joke. I still always wore a bra with them anyway (I can’t be the only one!) but this one delivered, at least for me. I realize not all women are ummmmm “created equal” in that department. ;~P

Overall I’m quite impressed with the clothes. They have a great selection and I can’t see how any of their other pieces wouldn’t be of the same quality.

Any Beyond Yoga fans out there? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

If you are interested in trying any Beyond Yoga items for yourself be sure to use the promotion code RONI30 for 30% off your order at Beyond Yoga. It’s good until January 7, 2010.

Full Disclosure: Beyond Yoga shipped the clothes free of charge to me to try and I negotiated a discount for the readers of Roni’s Weigh. I have no relationship with Beyond Yoga and I was not paid for this review. (I will be putting disclosure statements like this on all future reviews due to the new regulations).

A few weeks ago you may have noticed that picture on twitter. I had the unfortunate job of taste testing a couple of margaritas for a review on the site. I know. I know. It totally sucked. I mean who wants to spend a night in with their husband sipping margaritas and watching netflix movies.

Ahhhh Who am I kidding. I had blast!

Here’s the deal… Baja Bob shipped me Lime Margarita Mix and Mango Margarita Mix, both were a box of 10 pack singles. I made one of each. Ok, ok, maybe 2 of each. ;~)

Both flavors were good. My only complaint would be the mild sugar free after taste but that’s to be expected… the mixes ARE sugar free. To me it’s a small price to pay for 0 calorie margarita mix. That’s right you heard me.. ZERO CALORIE.

Your average restaurant margarita is at least 300 calories. They are normally gigantic and full of sugar. Using a sugar free mix the only calories in this margarita will come from the tequila, which I believe is about 70 calories an ounce.

Not too Shabby for a cocktail!

Now… due to a mix-up in shipping I received extra boxes of each flavor. I’d love to give them away. Just shoot me a comment below if you are interested and I’ll pick a random winner this Sunday. It’s coming from me so I’ll ship anywhere.

Oh! if you are interested in the ingredients click here for original and here for the mango.

I’m off to bed… getting up early and going for a run tomorrow before work!

I can’t say enough good things about these soups! They are hearty, filling, and tasty without being salty. They are all Vegan and 5 of the 7 flavors are Gluten Free. And the best part… I can pronounce everything on the ingredient list!

Each box is two servings (and rightfully so, it’s a big box) but they are so low in calories the whole box makes a perfect lunch. Especially considering how filling it is.

I haven’t tried all the flavors yet but I will! Here’s a breakdown with nutritional information for the entire box. That’s 2 servings.

Black Bean (Vegan, Gluten Free, LOVED IT)

Ingredients: Filtered water, black beans, vegetables (onions, bell peppers, celery, carrots, garlic), organic brown rice, vegan natural flavor, potato starch, yeast extract, sea salt, organic lime juice, cilantro, spices.

240 calories, 2g of fat, 10g of fiber, 12 g of protein, 4 WWP

Lentil Soup (Vegan, Gluten Free, LOVED IT)

Ingredients: Filtered water, lentils, vegetables (onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, garlic), organic brown rice, organic wine, vegan natural flavor, yeast extract, potato starch, spices, sea salt.

230 calories, 1g of fat, 16g of fiber, 14g of protein, 4 WWP

Minestrone (Vegan, LOVED IT and SUPER filling for 2 WWP)

Ingredients: Filtered water, vegetables (tomatoes, onion, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, celery, cabbage, peas, green beans, garlic), red kidney beans, barley, pasta (durum wheat semolina flour), vegan natural flavors, potato starch, yeast extract, spices, basil, organic evaporated cane juice, sea salt, marjoram.

140 calories, 1g of fat, 8g of fiber, 6g of protein, 2 WWP

Roasted Pepper Tomato (Vegan, Gluten Free, Have it packed for tomorrows lunch. :)

Ingredients: Filtered water, tomatoes, roasted red bell peppers, organic evaporated cane juice, corn starch, onion, garlic, sea salt, spices.

160 calories, 0g of fat, 4g of fiber, 4g of protein, 2 WWP

Split Pea
(Vegan, Haven’t tried it yet.)

Ingredients: Filtered water, split peas, vegetables (onions, celery, carrots, garlic), barley, vegan natural flavor, potato starch, yeast extract, sea salt, corn starch, organic evaporated cane juice, spices.

200 calories, 0g of fat, 14g of fiber, 17g of protein, 3 WWP

Chunky Tomato (Vegan, Haven’t tried it yet.)

Ingredients: Filtered water, vegetables (tomatoes, onion, garlic), organic evaporated cane juice, corn starch, sea salt, spices, basil.

180 calories, 0g of fat, 6g of fiber, 4g of protein, 3 WWP

Vegetable (Vegan, Gluten Free, LOVED IT)

Ingredients: Filtered water, vegetables (tomatoes, onions, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, celery peas, garlic), lentils, organic brown rice, vegan natural flavor, potato starch, spices, yeast extract, organic evaporated cane juice, sea salt, parsley.

150 calories, 1g of fat, 8g of fiber, 6g of protein, 2 WWP

Again, the nutritional information I have posted is for the whole box, 2 servings, just over 2 cups of soup. Pretty good calorie bargain if you ask me!

I told you I really can’t say enough but I’m curious what you guys think. Honestly, I never heard of Dr. McDougalls’ until they contacted me and sent me the soups. Am I the only one?

I’m assuming no. So I contacted them and asked if I could give a sample away on the site under one stipulation. If you win you have to come back and let us know what you think in the comments. That’s the deal. Ok? I need to know if I’m the only one that likes these soups this much!

So leave a comment if you’d like to enter the random drawing. Oh! and let me know if you have tried these soups before. I’d love to hear your opinions.

I’ll pick a winner this Sunday! Happy Tuesday everyone. :)

UPDATE: As per the questions in the comments…
Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods® are sold at finer natural retailers nationwide including Whole Foods, Wegman’s, Stop & Shop, Giant, Tops, Shaw’s, Foodtown , Raley’s, Nob Hill, Henry’s, Meijer, Giant Eagle, Publix, Safeway, Albertsons, Central Market, New Seasons, PCC , Vitamin Cottage, and thousands of other retailers. Click here to see all their products on Amazon.

Oh and sodium is ranges from 440-480 a serving.. so double that for the whole container.

No such luck. It’s been sitting in my basement for over 2 weeks and I, unfortunately, only had a chance to use it twice. Both times were really great workouts! I just need to find more time to actually use it.

The machine is very pilates like. Which I didn’t expect. It’s got a great padded bench on a really smooth track. The pulley system is simply and I was surprised how it didn’t tangle or get twisted up.

There really are 80 different exercises you can do with the gym and they explain each one on large illustrated cards. There’s also routine recommendations, like upper body, lower body, 6-8 minute workouts and my personal favorite, long and lean. I did that one this morning and let me tell ya, I’m feeling it now.

My only complaint has to do with size. The unit is fairly large and you need a big area to workout as some of the exercises require you to swing your arms.

All in all it’s an awesome piece of equipment if you have the space and funds to afford it. Normally it goes for $1948.05 but right now they’re having a fall sale for $948.05. Click here to check it out.

Does anyone else have it or tried it? I’m hoping to get into a schedule with it. Working out 2-3 times a week would be nice. I have a question for all you home gym equipment people… do you workout regularly or does it collect dust in your basement? Because honestly, that’s what I’m worried about as I decide to keep it.

Oh My Word!

I just finished my very first Chocolate Mint VitaTop and I’m in heaven! It was exactly what I needed after my long day. Chocolaty. Refreshing. Totally Deliscious!

But before I tell you more about it let me give you a quick update…

• I squished in a 5 mile run this morning and I did it in 48 minutes. I was shocked and it felt GREAT!
• The in-laws have left but before doing so, helped us immensely. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!
• The POD will be gone tomorrow and we will be handing back the keys to the apartment this week.
• We are officially in the new house! We have food in the fridge and FINALLY a couch to sit on! :)
• We cooked our first meal tonight after a long day of unpacking.
• We aren’t even CLOSE to being done but we don’t care. We have a home and that’s all that matters.

That’s it in a nutshell. The meal I cooked was nothing fancy, just a few hot dogs, some backed beans and quick sugar snap peas but… I made it, we ate at home, and it FELT GREAT to do so. Strange I know.

After dinner we cleaned up, made lunches, gave the little guy a bath, organized the bathrooms and settled down to relax a little bit. I’m exhausted!

I was also a little hungry. So I deiced to pour a small glass of Light Chocolate Soy Milk and try one of the new VitaTop that Vitalicious shipped me. I was totally psyched to see Chocolate Mint. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Chocolate Mint. It’s one of those flavor combinations that’s just hard for me to resist and the VitaTop totally delivered right out of the freezer. I didn’t even let it defrost as I knew the chilled harder texture would be even more refreshing paired with the mint. And it was! There were even quite a few thin chocolate chips that added a great crunch when frozen.

Paired with the small glass (about 4 oz) of Light Chocolate Soy milk it was a really satisfying chocolaty snack for just about 3 points. The VitaTop is 1 and the Soy milk is 1 but added together I’m pretty sure the nutritional info totals 3. EIther way, it’s totally a great filling dessert.

Ok, I gotta go. I really am exhausted and it sucks that I have work tomorrow. I really wish I had another week of to get organized. But I don’t. So I’ll do what I can when I can.

Oh! and I’m hoping one of those things I do is a video for GreenLiteBites! I have an idea and I’m hoping to try out recording in my new kitchen tomorrow night!

Oh! Oh! I forgot… Click here if you are interested in trying the Chocolate Mint VtaTop or any Vitalicious product. Be sure to enter the promotional code RonisWeigh for 10% off.

Ok.. it’s Mad Men time! :)

Oh! Oh! Oh! I started back up with my food journaling today. Figured I’d post…

Food	Units
i’m baaaack! :)
~*~*~*~*~sunday journal~*~*~*~*~
5 mile run #tep #activity
2 egg omelet with peppers #tep #breakfast
fresh mango #tep
1/2 whole grain bagel with fat free cream cheese #tep
leftover linguine with pesto and shrimp #tep #lunch
2 fat free hot dogs, baked beans and sugar snap peas #tep #dinner
chocolate mint vitatop with a small glass of chocolate soy milk (writing review now… so so so good!) #tep #snack
Total:	N/A

Table provided by Roni’s Food Tweet, Eat, Post Generator.

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt Strawberry

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak at this new flavor from Stonyfield Farm. Let me tell you it’s DELICIOUS! A little too much sugar (16g) but, because of that I’m sure, it’s tasty! It’s even better mixed with another product I’m reviewing (see below.)

I reviewed their new Oikos Greek Yogurt line just a few weeks again and if you guys didn’t see, Stonyfield is sponsoring my trip to the BlogHer Conference this summer in Chicago! Hit me up! I’ll coupons for their products. Strawberry will be available in stores mid June!

110 calories, 0g of fat, 0g of fiber, 2WWP per container 5.3 ounces

Enjoy Life Granola

Confession time….. I have never eaten granola. I mean I’ve had granola bars before but never have I bought a bag of straight up granola. I never really understood what it was. Is it a grain? a mixture of foods? Isn’t it just like trail mix? I just didn’t get it.

So I looked it up and according to Dictionary.com granola is a breakfast food consisting of rolled oats, brown sugar, nuts, dried fruit, etc., usually served with milk.

Ahhh I get it. It’s like a generic cereal. So a granola bar is just granola pressed into bar shape. I take it back.. I have eaten granola.

Are you laughing at me yet? Was that a blond moment? Anyway Enjoy Life Foods sent me 3 bags of granola, Cinnamon Crunch, Cranapple Crunch and Very Berry Crunch. I was unfamiliar with Enjoy Life until they contacted me so I didn’t know they make products without any of the most common allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soy.) We aren’t dealing with any food allergies in my family but it nice to know if I were there were a few brands I could just trust.

The granola is crunchy and very tasty. The toddler was immediately a fan. He likes to eat it straight out of the bag. The Cinnamon was my favorite until I tried the Very Berry Crunch mixed with the Strawberry Oikos Yogurt. It’s just an AWESOME filling snack. If you can’t find it in stores you can buy Enjoy Life Granola on Amazon and stock up.

170 calories, 3g of fat, 2g of fiber, 3WWP per 1/2 cup (52g) – approximate, flavors may vary slightly

Quorn Naked Chik’n Cutlets

These came as a surprise to me. Once day UPS just dropped off a package of meatless chicken. I did a double take. Who sent these to me? Why? I’m not a vegetarian. I don’t even play one on TV. Although, I do eat more vegetarian meals now then I ever have and I admire those who are able to strip the meat from their diets. But I can’t bear the thought of never enjoying a cheese burger or Thanksgiving turkey again. If for those two reasons alone I will continue to eat meat at least some of the time. ;)

So how does MEATLESS chicken taste? Well… like meatless chicken. It looked like chicken. It had a similar texture to chicken but it’s just wasn’t chicken. However, I enjoyed it. I really did. I grabbed one out of the freezer, popped it in the microwave, sliced it up and made a quick wrap on a 1 point tortilla with some baby spinach, tomatoes, shredded cheese and a dash of dressing. It was fast, easy, light, tasty and satisfying. I may keep a box in the freezer just for these type of fast lunches!

80 calories, 2.5g of fat, 2g of fiber 1WWP for 1 cutlet (1.4 to be exact.. but not to shabby for fake chicken! lol)

*phew* I now feel caught up a bit! By the way, I didn’t post last night as I fell asleep at 8PM!! It was the greatest night of sleep ever. I woke up refreshed and ran 4 miles at 6:30 this morning! Sometimes there’s nothing a good night of sleep can’t cure. ;~)