Bugg

Hiya, folks!
Got my BodyBugg yesterday, and set it up at home last night. I have to admit, the installation instructions and procedure is pretty lengthy and there's a significant amount of software and updates you have to download when installing the BodyBugg. Plus, I searched everywhere for the bloody serial number, to register the thing, and finally figured out that you have to remove it from the band and turn it on it's side to find the number. (Hey, I know it's not astro-physics, but couldn't they have just SAID that in the manual?)

So it takes a while to charge the battery (which charges once you plug it into the USB port on your computer.) Also, if you're thinking of purchasing one yourself, don't buy it from the bodybugg.com website. Instead, do like I did and go to 24hrfitness.com and buy it there. Instead of $349 for the device and the wireless digital read-out watch, you pay just $249 and get the watch thingy for FREE. Good to know!!

So, it walks you through a pretty thorough questionnaire about your eating and exercise habits, and tailors a fitness and nutrition plan based on your personal quiz. The website is very user friendly, and easy to use, and the digital watch is a MUST because you can always check your pedometer, calories burned, and activity (oh yeah, and the TIME...remember, it's a watch too!) And the watch is waterproof, but the device is NOT. I mean, it's sweat proof so you can wear it when exercising, but you have to take it off for swimming or in the shower. Also, good to know!!

So, how's it work? Well, so far I'm pretty impressed! I put it on this morning, and it's very comfortable (you forget you're wearing it!) Plus, by 9am this morning, I'd already burned 1,182 calories! That's just WALKING TO WORK! I am shocked by that! I've taken 3,414 steps just getting ready for work, walking the dogs, and coming to work.

I'm aiming for a calorie deficit of 1,000 calories a day, meaning I will burn 1,000 more than I consume. Doing this, I should be able to lose 2lbs per week. If my deficit is higher, then I'll lose even more. At this rate, that should be very feasible! I'll keep you posted on my results but so far, I think this little invention is FANTASTIC!

2009 Annual NO PANTS subway ride

That's right- the improv everywhere team is scheduling their annual NO PANTS subway ride. The qualifications are simple: Just show up with no pants, keep a straight face, and ride the subway together. Be prepared for lots of photographs, news reporters, and media coverage. Whaddya think, folks? Should I do it?

Check out all the details by clicking HERE

Louis Vuitton Skateboard

Louis Vuitton is selling only 3 LV skateboards as part of the new Stephen Sprouse collection ( P.S. if anyone wants to get me the Stephen Sprouse for LV ROSE bag, my birthday is Aug. 9!)

The skateboard is $8,250 and you can read more about it by clicking HERE.

Viva la RECESSION!

Is it the END of the Hourglass figure?

I thought this article was really fascinating- studies are beginning to show that the hourglass figure, made so popular by Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe, are beginning to fade as the straight figure becomes more popular in female forms. Career women are under more stress, and as a result, tend to carry more fat in their stomachs instead of their hips. This means that a tiny waist and curvy hips may soon be extinct.

Personally, I think the curvy figure is MUCH more alluring, don't you? Today's hollywood starlets look like emanciated 7 year old boys!

Check out the full article HERE

Martha, Martha, Martha

Ok, any time that I've called something the most disturbing thing ever, I take it back! THIS is the most disturbing thing ever! Who wants to dress up their babies as turkeys/lobsters/pies? Very CREEPY!

2009

It's a new year, and I think it's time for a new LOOK for my blog. I'll be trying out a few new templates, so if you're wondering what the crap is going on, don't worry. Stay calm. Put your head under a tablecloth or something.

Also... I’m thinking of taking my blog public again. Any thoughts on this? Do you guys like being the CHOSEN ONES or would you like it open. Feel free to comment, but I might just do whatever I want anyway.

Joking!

I'm the loser!

Did anyone watch the biggest loser last night? First of all, let me start by saying- this 2 hour thing is just ridiculous. We like to watch the biggest loser, but we HAVE to watch it on TiVo because we fast forward through about an hour and a half of the show. It's all FLUFF! Don't you hate how they generate false cliff hangers by cutting to commercials at poignant times? The problem is, that gets OLD, and now there's no drama because you KNOW automatically it's going to commercial. Then, when it comes BACK from commercial, they re-play the last 5 minutes that they JUST played before the commercial. And speaking of commercials, I don't even understand why they NEED to cut to commercial because they're all BUILT IN to the show! Could there be any more product placement?! It's unreal! "Let's go use our Glad bags to make lunch!" Yeah, well it makes me want to put a Glad bag over my HEAD and kill myself!

But regardless, the 30 minutes or so of the show that we do actually watch is pretty good. The weight loss is dramatic and it's cool to see their bodies transforming. But last night, I was excited about one part of the show- where they introduced the BODYBUGG devices. Why was I excited? Because I ordered one last week! It's due to be delivered tomorrow, so I'll keep you posted on how it works. Basically, it's a device that you wear on your arm that monitors different variables in your body using sensors. It uses body temperature, pulse, and a pedometer to calculate exactly how many calories you burn in a day. Then, it transmits the information to a website that you log on to each day and input what food you ate. It then calculates the food you ate MINUS the calories you burn, and gives you a balance. If you create a DEFICIT (in other words, BURN more calories than you EAT) you lose weight.

This is a great idea for me because I struggle to estimate how many calories I burn, and I usually don't eat ENOUGH calories to lose weight. In NYC, I'm constantly walking (no driving!), running up and down subway stairs, walking the dogs and then working out at the gym on top of that. When Dan and I first moved to NY, we lost weight without even trying, just because of all the additional exercise. But over time, our bodies have just adjusted to doing that amount of activity every day.

On Monday, I was back at the gym after my holiday hiatus. I had a 1 hr session with my new personal trainer, Carlos. He is a professional torturer. You think we'd start off easy, since it's been several weeks since I've done weights... NO! Right away we started in with 90lb squats, lunges, and deadlifts. I was miserable the next day, and could barely walk. Even stepping up onto the curb was extremely painful! Every muscle in my body hurts...wait, not hurts BURNS! AHHHH!

Last night, I was walking to the subway with Carmen, and she had to tie my shoe for me because I couldn't bend over or even lift my leg up! When I sit down, I'm like a pregnant lady, having to lower myself down gradually by holding onto something. Elizabeth has been calling me Frankenstein because when I walk, I can barely bend my legs!

I had another session scheduled today at 11am, and last night, I was trying to stretch and work some of the pain out. I thought I'd feel better today, but this morning, I called Carlos and told him I had to ROLL out of bed, I was in so much pain, so I cancelled our session. There's no way I could lift weights again today. I think it was a bit too ambitious to start out trying to do 2x a week with a trainer- next week, hopefully I'll be ready for it.

oh my darling clementine

I just ate a Clementine- mmm, I love those little suckers. Much less aggravating than peeling an entire orange. Anyway, you know how you can tell if it’s gonna be a good one or a bad one? You know, the peel comes off really easy on a good ripe one, and the sections pull apart perfectly with no mess. But this one, ugh, it was NOT a good one. The peel was tough and came off in little bits. Then, the orange was stiff and didn’t pull apart without a mess.

But what do you do at this point? I’m not gonna just throw it away- I ate it anyway, knowing it was a bad orange. It wasn’t juicy- it was kinda sour and I even got a seed in there! Oh well, there’s a few like that in every box. What’s the point of this story? Believe in your dreams.

Pet Peeve

I've got another great one... it's a BIG pet peeve of mine when you pay for something at a store in cash, and then they hand you back the change in this order:

bills
receipt
change

...All in one little pile on your hand. What am I supposed to do now? I have my hands full with my handbag on my arm, my wallet in my hand, and my bag of stuff I just purchased hanging precariously around my pinky finger, and then you go and PILE my change on my hand?

So what always happens is I somehow stand there and twist around my wrist awkwardly to dump the whole pile of glossy paper/money/coins into my purse, where they will dissapear into who knows where.

I wish they would put the receipt in the bag, give me the bills and THEN give me the change!

(or...maybe the simplest solution is to just NOT pay with cash)

Canadian Christmas Crackers (nice alliteration, eh?)

I've been showing my Christmas pictures from Montreal around a bit ( don't worry, I'll get them posted on our Carmine & Dan blog soon!) Anyways, I've gotten a lot of interest about these Christmas Crackers and the Crowns on our heads. Here's the deal-e-o...

I believe it's a British thing as well- we buy these "crackers" or poppers, and place them around the table for Christmas dinner. Everyone crosses their arms in front of them, and grabs hold of one end of their cracker and the end of their neighbors, forming a big chain of crossed arms and crackers. On the count of 3, you PULL really hard on each end of the crackers, until they POP! There are little firecrackers inside them that make a loud bang, and they split open. Inside, there's a paper crown, which you put on your head for the duration of the meal, a joke (which we take turns reading around the table) and a PRIZE! My prize this year was a teeny tiny deck of cards. Dan got a little picture frame. Some of the other prizes were keychains, little toy cars, etc.

Due to the interest, I've now gotten requests to buy these the next time we're in Canada, and bring them back to the U.S. for some friends. I like to bring them to Dan's family Christmas in PA- they've embraced the tradition as well!

Lunch

Just got back from Cosi for lunch today, with my friend Carmen (read that again, carMEN...I'm not talking in the 3rd person, here...) I ordered a flatbread sandwich that JUST got added to the menu. It's melted brie, cheddar, and swiss cheese with figs. The sandwich guy said I was "brave" to order it. I asked him why, and he said I'm only the 3rd person to order it! Wierd, right?

So anyway, just thought I'd share that with you. I ordered it, and it was delicious, and I'll probably order it again. If you see it on a Cosi menu near you, be BRAVE. Try it!

Funny ha ha

It's MONDAY. Correction: not only is it MONDAY, but it’s the MONDAY after a holiday break! Double Whammy!

I did have to work on Friday, however- and I can guess that most of you were OFF. How random is that? We closed at 3pm on Tuesday (New Year’s Eve), then closed on Wednesday for New Year’s Day, but then we had to come BACK into the office on Friday, just to close again at 2pm and go home for the weekend? I’m telling you, it was torture, having to wake up early while it’s still DARK on Friday morning, while Cory, Dan, and Nolan and even the DOGS were snuggled in bed sleeping in.

I have to admit, I really had a bad attitude while I was walking to work on Friday morning. First of all, it was a ghost-town- NO ONE was working that day. Second of all, there were little bits of confetti all over the street that had blown clear from Times Square to Fifth Ave. It was such a sad reminder that the holidays are OVER! : (

So, I thought I’d post this cartoon today to provide a bit of comic relief and to maybe even lighten my heart just a little bit. I just HATE it when Christmas and New Year’s are over! It seems like it flew by, didn’t it?