Recipe: Delicious Turkey Meatloaf

You can now see this yummy recipe at my NEW blog Crunchy, Crafty, and Crazy!

I LOVE this meatloaf! It's the closest I've ever come to a "real" meatloaf. The texture is great, and there's all
sorts of yummy goodness inside.

I use ground turkey because it has less trans fats than ground beef does.  It's best to get the highest quality, leanest ground turkey you can.  That will reduce the amount of fillers (yucky, yucky stuff added to many ground meats on the market today) and the amount of fat in the finished product.  Here's a tip: get meats from a local meat market.  They may not be found everywhere, but I'm willing to bet there's on pretty close by.  You'll often get the cheapest price, and higher quality meat than going to the super market.  You can also have the a turkey breast ground for you at the meat counter in your local super market.

This recipe does not require an egg, and no more bread crumbs.  Using oatmeal and whole wheat bread, it gets you in a little complex carbs also.  I like to serve it with steamed broccoli with cheese sauce.  Delish!

Like all of my recipes, these are just the general amounts I put in.  If you like more or less of something than add it.  Just try not to do anything that will mess with the fat content.  It the mixture seems too dry add a little milk, if it seems too wet add in more oats or bread.  Feel free to add any other seasonings you'd like, but watch for sodium content.  While the verdict might be out on how sodium may effect your heart, it will definitely make you bloat.

Review: 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet

This isn't my typical review post. This week I wanted to share something amazing that I've stumbled upon. I don't even remember how I found it other than it was truly an accident. I found a FREE weight loss support forum! Well, It's more than a forum they also have numerous articles and other tools. It's all found at 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet.

Pros

It's totally free! Use of the forums, articles and everything else is all at no charge!

You get lots of great support from lots of great people. There's a few men, but a whole lot more ladies on there. Forum topics are divided up well. One other thing I also love is they aren't "clicky" like a lot of other forums I've seen are.

It's easy to set up your account, it's very much like setting up any other online account.

Cons

It's a little confusing at first. The layout of the website is a little confusing. There's just too much on the page. The forums are fairly straight forward, but you definitely need a day or two of exploring to get the hang of it.

There are so many forum posts it's hard to keep up with the ones you've posted in. Especially if you decide to post in multiple sub-groups on the forum.

Well that's all I can think of right now. While navigating might not be the easiest, 3fatchicks.com is a site with a wealth of information. The support you get on the forums from other people with the same struggles is amazing!

Wow!

I haven't written about me in a while. I'm regaining the motivation to keep going. I'm super proud to say I've not gained any weight back even with the failures I've had. I even got down to 191!!!!

For whatever reason that number just seemed to be unattainable. I'm more excited now than ever to get into the 180's. That's my next mini-goal! I will hopefully be there next week!

It's so hard to keep this up, but I'm so determined to keep on. I was exploring the forums over at 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet and found an awesome quote: "Being fat is hard, working out is hard, maintaining is hard. Choose your hard." I definitely never want to feel the hard that being fat brings! I love the feeling of losing and meeting my goals!

It's not been too hard to keep on the diet plan, though I don't track my calories as closely as I should be. I've still been losing. I've had almost no motivation to workout, however. Most of that comes from not getting enough sleep and being tired. I really need to get back into it. It seems to be the glue that sort-of holds my healthy lifestyle together. When I workout I'm more motivated to eat right and my body just works better. So, tomorrow I'll be waking at 8 and eating a light snack before working out. Then comes breakfast, and a day of eating on plan. No waiting til Monday. I'm starting NOW!

Weekly Challenge: Be Un-American

What!? You want me to be unpatriotic? Absolutely not! This challenge is all about not being the average American when it comes to having heathy habits.  Americans are infamous for our indulgences.  We want everything bigger, badder, and better than everyone else.    Everything from the size of our houses to the size of our food portions are bigger! We want everything cheaper, so we allow food companies to put harmful chemicals, additives and preservatives in our food.  It's no wonder we have such a huge problem with obesity in the US! We also have such a low work ethic compared to yester-year that we couldn't possibly get close to burning off all the junk we consume.  There are many different ways you can form healthier habits, but I'm just going to touch on a few.

First, control your portion sizes.  You'd be amazed at how much bigger our portions are than what they ought to be.  There are several different guidelines to help you judge how big a portion is.  The best tool, though is just to look at your hand.  Below is a chart from this site that will help you see what a portion is like compared to your hand!  This other site is also great for foods that aren't on the chart below, or don't relate to your hand.  Look them both over and learn them well!  Even if you've selected healthier options, overeating is not going to get you anywhere on your weight loss.

Second, make better choices.  Dong the Grocery Overhaul challenge will help you a lot with this. Choose baked chips over regular, whole grains over white grains, and add in LOTS of fruits and veggies.  Also read the labels on the things you purchase and try to avoid foods with names you can't pronounce as much as possible.  Especially avoid things like MSG, red food dyes, high fructose corn syrup, and partially hydrogenated oils.  Most of those things are found in highly processed foods.  You might be surprised to find that a lot of DIET foods contain those ingredients.  Try as much as possible to stick with the things God gave us and not the things man decided to add in to raise their business profits. (I recommend watching the documentaries Food Matters, and Food, Inc.)

Thirdly, get off your butt.  A recent study suggests sitting more than six hours a day can increase your chances of heart disease and therefore death.  One news report I heard said this may be because of the type of fat in your body.  Athletes have fat thats similar in consistency to olive oil, whereas a couch potato's fat is more like butter.  It sticks to your insides, even your organs such as your liver, and is harder to get rid of.  Getting in a good workout everyday is important, but If you're sedentary the rest of the day it may not be enough.  Try getting up and walking around, or doing squats, or any other type of exercise every so often while you're at work.  Maybe you can arrange your desk in a way that your computer is at standing level, so you can use it with out sitting all day.  Even little things like parking further away from the door or taking the stairs instead of an elevator, or walking to a person instead of using the intercom will make a big impact.  One of the things I try to do is pay careful attention to how I'm moving my body.  I'm pretty bad about just flopping down into a chair or couch when I'm sitting, but if I pay attention and sit by squatting then I'll be getting in a squat each time I sit.

I hope these simple tips can help you get in better shape.  Losing weight is a marathon not a sprint and every little bit you do can have a large impact on your quality of life!

Recipe: Perfectly Pumpkin Oatmeal

This recipe was inspired by a yogurt recipe I found on Fitness Magazine's website.  The yummy pumpkin pie taste mixed with the oatmeal is delicious.  It almost makes you feel like the fall is almost here!

I like to add some protein powder on some mornings to really pack in some extra protein. Just be sure to add in the protein at the end.   You can add as much of the pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon as you'd like.

Pumpkin is so good for you! It's packed with a lot of very beneficial nutrients.  Oatmeal has also been shown to lower Cholesterol, and is a great complex carb.  Walnuts are also rich with antioxidants and are a great source of heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

The almond milk can be substituted with regular skim milk, soy milk, or coconut milk.  I like vanilla flavored the best. Almond milk really packs in the calcium (50% more than regular milk) which is especially good for women.

I usually count the exchanges as 1.5 carb, 1 fruit, 1 milk, 1 protein, 1 fat. They are probably not exact exchanges, but it's healthy so what the heck lol.

Recipe: Fried Rice

I love this easy recipe.  I almost always serve it with the Hibachi Chicken recipe.  You can also cut chicken into thin strips, pound them even thinner, and cook before adding in the rice and eggs for a complete meal in one pan. All of the measurements are approximate you can add more or less of anything (except the oil) to your taste.  Try to use a low sodium soy sauce to help keep the sodium content down.   Since it is a carb be sure to measure it out carefully.

You may also want to "deconstruct" it for yourself. What I mean is to measure out your rice, and veggies to make sure it's 2 servings of rice and 1 cup of veggies.  On your own plate.  Otherwise, I wouldn't really count the veggies in this as a veggie serving since there's so much more rice than there are veggies.

Weekly Challenge: Write it down

This weeks challenge is something I've tried to do off and on for the past while.  It amazes me how what you eat can add up.  Just the little journaling I have done has convinced me that it's impossible to follow any diet without planning ahead of time.

In the past when I've dieted, I've just kept track of my points, or calories, or carbs or whatever and end up running out of whatever I'm allotted by the afternoon and end up hungry by night time.  This challenge is for you to also see just what the food you're eating does.

Do a little research for yourself.  See how many calories you need to eat each day to lose weight.  OR count points with a plan like Weight Watchers.  Just be sure you're being reasonable.  You don't really want a diet, but a complete lifestyle change.

Journaling doesn't have to be done for a long period of time.  This challenge is just to commit for one week.  It will require you to measure everything so that you can be sure to have an accurate journal.  It's a great tool to use on when you're stuck at a weight and aren't sure where the problem might be.  Also at the end of the week, you'll have a better handle on what proper portion sizes look like.

Please comment below and let me know if you're going to participate! I expect a full report next friday! lol

Recipe: Hibachi Chicken

We LOVE eating this meal.  It's a staple on our menu rotation, especially since we've all started trying to eat healthier.  It's quick and easy and oh so healthy.  I haven't figured out how to get it "dry" like it is from a hibachi restaurant.  Maybe cooking the veggies separate from the chicken will help, but we don't mind the extra liquid.  You might also try cooking it on something like a smooth topped George Forman Grill--hey that's the closest thing I can think of to a hibachi grill lol.

Some nights I'll even whip up a little shrimp sauce to go with it, and I usually serve it with fried rice.  If you do the shrimp sauce, just be sure to measure your portion carefully.  Since the mayo is the fattier of the main ingredients I measure based on a serving of mayo.

Shrimp Sauce

1 cup Mayo. (as good as it is Dukes is too strong of a flavor)
1/2 cup ketchup
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder

Just mix all the ingredients together and let it sit while you're cooking everything else to let the flavors meld together.

Week 3: Results

I've been having such a hard time! It's amazing how just letting your determination slide even just a little can effect how everything goes.

Wasn't able to get to a pic today, but I am somewhat happy to announce that everything is pretty much the same as last weigh-in.  I was down to 192.6 lbs so I was down a little, but definitely not where I should be.  My waist was at 38", and everything else staid the same as well.  If I had followed everything the way I should I'd be down into the 180's.

Last week I worked out only 3 times. I was really down about my weigh-in on Tuesday that I began to self-sabotage, something I do way too often. I lost all motivation and just had no real desire to workout or eat right. On the plus side, I did complete the EA Sports Active cardio jump start!

We had a few drinks twice over the past week, and I swear that changes everything! My body has to work extra hard to detox from the alcohol and it just really sets me back! I'm going to have to keep myself to one drink on rare occasions.  I did do pretty good on Saturday with Sticking to vodka and cranberry for a good bit during the night.

I did have a few saving graces, though.  First off, I didn't have any junk in the house.  So while I didn't control my portions properly, what I was eating wasn't horrific.  When we ordered pizza, I chose one with lots of veggies on it.

This week I've rediscovered my motivation.  Sunday I sat down and re-worked my plan and made a detailed menu for the week!   It's already made a HUGE difference to know what I can eat and when to eat it.  The plan also forces me to get up earlier which helps me get more done throughout the day and sleep better at night.  I'm very curious to see what kind of difference getting a good nights sleep will make in my routine.  I'm also tracking everything I eat.  I have apps on my iPhone and iPad where I can put in what I eat.  That really helps a lot.

Weekly Menu

I thought this week I'd show you my weekly menu. I've been having a hard time sticking to the plan, just cause no matter what it is I have a hard time sticking to it and keeping motivated. So this is what I came up with for this week. I've also changed the plan a little bit to have 3 meals and 3 snacks all spread to be within 2-3 hours of each other.  Be sure to drink a full glass or bottle of water with each meal and one 30 minutes before and one after your workout.  That will help get the 8 glasses of water in.

I hope you can get a few meal ideas from this! And Please, PLEASE share yours! I love cooking new things!

*the number of exchanges for each meal are listed beside each one*

Breakfast: 1 carb, 1 protein, 1 fruit, 1 fat, 1 milk

• Vanilla Protein Shake made with Milk, blended with banana. A slice of toast with Peanut Butter
• English muffin with butter, 1 egg, cheese, 1 apple
• Smoothie made with milk, vanilla protein powder, banana, peanut butter, and 1 tsp honey
• Egg sandwich on English muffin with 1 T mayo, and yogurt mixed with strawberries
• Yogurt with a peach and granola, handful of almonds
• Yogurt with pumpkin, walnuts and granola

Snack 1: 1 carb, 1 vegetable

• Baked tortilla chips, salsa
• Rice and broccoli
• bell pepper and corn
• mix of corn and Tomatoes
• Mix of black beans and bell peppers.

Lunch: 2 carbs, 2 meats, 1 veg, 1 fruit, 1 fat, 1 milk

• Salad with croutons, chicken, ranch, tomatoes and cheese
• salad with tuna, ranch, tomatoes, cheese, croutons
• tuna salad sandwich (1 can tuna with 1 T mayo) Lettuce, celery; banana smoothie (1 c milk with 1 banana--or 1 serving of any other fruit)
• French Onion Soup topped with a Toasted, cheesy English muffin. (spread english muffin with 1tsp butter and cheese place under broiler until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly, sprinkle with a little garlic salt); Banana
• Turkey Sandwich with Mayo, mustard, lettuce; yogurt with peach
• 2 tacos (with leftover fajita meat) with tomato, cheese, meat, lettuce and sour cream

Snack 2 (this is a hard one lol): 1 meat, 1 veg

• Almonds and Broccoli Flourettes
• Ham (lunch meat) and Cauliflower
• peanut butter and celery
• hummus and carrots (hummus also counts as a carb you'll have to pull from somewhere else--most likely dinner)
• Slice of Turkey Sandwich meat, tomato

Dinner: 3 carbs, 2 meats, 2 veg, 1 fruit, 2 fats

• White Chicken Chili (made from McCormick Seasoning mix, just follow recipe on package) with crackers (6), cheese, bell pepper and tomato
• Hamburger helper with green beans, carrots and watermelon
• Whole Wheat Spaghetti with ground turkey, sauce, mushrooms, onions (cook the mushrooms and onions with the meat as you're browning it, add the sauce while the noodles are boiling). Strawberry shortcake.
• Turkey Meatloaf with mac and cheese, green beans (I'll get the recipe posted soon. Veggies are cooked into it so I only added one). strawberry shortcake for dessert (slice of angel food cake, sugar free cool whip, strawberries)
• Baked Fish, Mac and Cheese, sweet potato fries, cauliflower. Cantaloupe
• Chicken Fajitas with onion, bell pepper, sour cream, beans and strawberries
• Hibachi chicken, fried rice, watermelon

Snack 3: 1 milk, 1 fruit, 1 carb

• Yogurt with granola and strawberries
• Smoothie: 1 cup milk, 1 tsp honey, 1 fruit of any kind (Ice can be added if your blender can handle it)
• Strawberries with slice of angel food cake and yogurt
• Whole grain cereal (look for one not loaded with sugar or high fructose corn syrup and with no partially hydrogenated oils!), with milk, add fruit of your choice
• Strawberry shortcake with REAL whipped cream, just measure carefully, go sugar free or sweeten with stevia. You'll have to take a fat from somewhere else that day

Alright, so that's it for the week! Who said you have to starve to eat healthy? Like I said before, please let me know what your meal ideas are! I'm so unoriginal when it comes to ideas lol. I'll get more recipes added to the recipes page for the ones not linked on here.

You can email me at lilly.bunns.boutique@gmail.com if you'd like a copy of my grocery list.

Weekly Challenge: Buy Workout Gear

I don't know about you, but I'm always ready to use something I've just bought.  Whenever I get home from shopping trips, the first thing I want to do is put on my new clothes.  Whenever I buy workout gear, I can't wait to get home and try it out.  So my challenge to you is to get some new gear!

You don't have to go out and spend a fortune.  Maybe you just spend 15 bucks on a new sports bra like the Danskin Now one I reviewed.  Or maybe you want to shell out some dough and get a treadmill.  I don't care what you go for, just get something that you want to use BAD.

I've been doing a lot of research on kettle bells.  I'm really wanting one.  It looks like such a great way to get a good cardio workout at the same time as using weights.  So, I'm getting one this weekend and I'm sure I'll want to rush home to use it!

Recipe: Chicken and Rice

This Chicken and Rice is very filling and tastes like its unhealthy.  I swear it tastes just like chicken and dumplings without all the fat of the dumplings.  The recipe is approximate measurements.  Be sure to check often, if it's looking too thick then add a little water to the mix.  I didn't have any stock or broth on hand when I made it, so I decided to just make my own by boiling the chicken and vegetables for a bit before adding the rice.  If you're short on time then buy a low sodium Chicken Broth and substitute for the water.  You can also add one cube of chicken bullion to the water instead of the salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.  A Serving is about 1 cup.

Workout: Slim Down Strength Training Workout Routine

This routine looks awesome! I can't wait to try it out! Of course, it's from one of my new favorite fitness people Sarah from sarahfit.com.  You can also follow Sarah at her Facebook Page.  As always, make sure with your doctor that you're healthy enough for exercise.

Progress Report: Week 1

I'm so excited for this report! I was so nervous that I wouldn't make any progress this week, and would have to admit my failure.  I'm excited to say that I'm right on track for my goal!

Begining Stats	This Week
Weight: 195.4 Waist: 39" Bust: 43" Arms: 12" Hips: 44.5" Thighs: 26.5"	Weight: 193.0 Waist:  38" Bust:  41.5" Arms: 12"  Hips: 44" Thighs:  26"

I'm so excited! That's 2.4 pounds down and 1 inch from my waist! I did cheat a little bit, and am very bummed I did.  I wonder what my stats would be if I didn't cheat! Oh, well, I'm back on track now!

Beginning Photos

 I also missed one day of working out.  I was kinda down on myself for doing that, but I know that mindset will just cause me to fail again.  Yesterday I did two of the EA Sports Active 2 workouts back to back.  I can feel my body getting stronger.  I can now complete 10 push-ups, do a lot of sit-ups at once.  I'm amazed at how fast my core is getting stronger! The workouts are getting easier too! I think after next week, I'll begin to run in the mornings!

Week 1: A little different from week 1!

I really need to work on getting enough sleep.  I should be waking up at 7:30 working out and eating by 9 am in order to get my metabolism on the right track, but I'm all backwards.  I've been going to bed at 2 and waking up at 11 am, yes L will sleep that late.

Please let me know what your stats are this week! I'd love to have support from others on this journey.

I almost forgot, how do you like the new look for the blog? I've been working for about a week straight getting it to look good.  There are tabs on the side and across the top to make navigation easier for you.  The tabs are pretty self explanatory and each page will tell you what days they will be updated.  Thanks for being on this journey with me!

It's never JUST a little fat!

Having extra weight on is so much MORE than just a little fat. It's not ever Really feeling attractive and feeling like no one else will think you are either. It causes a lot of extra toll on your body. But most of all I think it's an overwhelming feeling of failure.

It really sucks to feel like you've just completely failed at life. One of the basic human functions is to take care of yourself, right? It's extremely humbling to reslize I can't even do that right.

I'm not morbidly obese, or even extremely unhealthy. But there are many areas where I can tell the weight has worn on me. For one, I have stretch marks that are there just from gaining weight. I can't stand for extremely long times cause my feet hurt. Last summer I worked weighting tables. I was definitely way more sore At the end of a shift than I was when I was young. On nights my hubby and I go dancing, I feel I can barely make it through a few songs. I'd love to be able to dance the entire night!

Perhaps the most telling way is in not being able to play with L the way I want to. I can't go chase her through the yard without getting too winded. I can't do the cartwheels with her or even sit in the floor beside the bath for very long. I really hate not being the fun-loving mom I always thought I would be.

I really hate not feeling like I'm good enough fro my husband. I know he's not really attracted to someone who is obese. I don't like feeling like I need to constantly be pulling my shirt down in the bedroom, or having to make sure there's not even a glimmer of light. I would LOVE to be able to go completely naked and feel good about myself.

Just Do It

No this is not an endorsement for Nike! Just a little encouragement for you! It's something I've been telling myself over and over.  Like every overweight person, over the years I've given excuse after excuse to not workout or eat right.  Well, the excuses stop here! Now! I mean it! I'm not going to allow myself to give another excuse, and you shouldn't either!

No more excuse of no more time.  You can make time throughout the day to get a little in here or there.  You can fold clothes and do squats. You can do sit ups when watching TV.  Got a crying baby? No longer an excuse! Pick him up and run in place, or do jumping jacks with him on your hip (just switch sides half way through :))

Today time totally got away from me.  L has a cold and like any mommy I kept waking up to check on her.  Long story short, we didn't even get out of bed until 11:30 this morning.  Then I got caught up working on a new, much, much better design for the blog.  Next thing I knew, it was time to get up and get dressed to go out for moms night and I hadn't worked out, yet.  No longer making any excuses, when I got home I quickly got dressed and worked out.  I didn't care that it was 10:45 pm that I did it.  What counts is that I did it.  I got my workout in.  Now I don't have to feel guilty, and even better I burned off some of the extra calories I got from eating out!

Ugh, my knee, WORKOUT

I was feeling so hopeful yesterday that my knee is finally better and even had plans to go running on it today. I woke up in the middle of the night with a lot of knee pain. You know how your legs feel after you've been on them all day? That's how my knee feels. I think I just need a few more days of recovery.

It's such a bummer cause I can't do the workouts I want. I can do abs and arms, but not much with my legs.

So here's what I'm doing to work out:

Cardio: hitting the punching bag. I've got to make sure I'm constantly moving and punching with a lot of force to get my heart rate up

Muscle building: Abs

Side plank (2x 15 seconds)

Plank (2x 15 seconds) 

LOVE the workouts in the below video.  I'm not quite strong enough to do them the way Sarah does, so I modify them.  When doing to leg bridges from the first exercise, I do them with both legs down, but still do the same number of reps.  For example, when I should be doing one on each leg, I do two with both legs down.  When doing the side exercises, I cut the reps in half, I just can't get through that many, yet.

Muscle Building: Arms

Biceps Curls with five pound weights (2 sets of 12)

Triceps Curls (2 sets of 12)

Reverse flys (2 sets of 12)

Dumbbell Bench Press OR Push ups (you guessed it 2 sets of 12)

Lateral Raises (2 sets of 12)

Cardio: Punching Bag

You don't need a punching bag to do this.  Just punch the air.  The reason I'm using this as my cardio is because of the knee.  The key to making this a good cardio workout is keeping your feet moving.  If you're unsure how to do this, then watch a video of a boxer on YouTube.  Punch with vigor.  I like getting mad at someone and envisioning their face on the bag :)  Keep your punches sharp and crisp.  Do a combination of uppercuts, jabs, and hooks to get a pretty good ab workout too :)  I do this for however long it takes for me to get to where I can only talk in short sentences.  

I don't do this workout in any particular order.  I've read it's best to workout in intervals, so I'd do a little cardio at the beginning, middle and end.  Do NOT repeat each set back to back.  If you want to do everything in the order it's listed here, then go down the list once, go back to the top and repeat 3 more times.  

**I'm not a fitness expert! This may not be the BEST way to do the workout, but It's what I'm doing until my knee is well enough to do the workouts on the EA Sports Active 2.  It will work the areas.  As with all workouts, be sure to consult a doctor to be sure you're healthy enough for exercise.**

In the Begining (starting stats)....

I was really over weight.  I'm totally committed to being completely transparent on this blog, but I have to say, this is probably one of the hardest things I've ever done.  I've seen pics of myself clothed, but to see them when I'm not so clothed is very difficult.  I can't believe I've let myself get this way.  My waist is as big as my bust measurement was when I was skinny :(

Below you'll find my stats.  They are quite depressing this week, but that's all going to change! Please ignore the knee brace.  I hurt my knee last Friday. And please, please forgive me for not picking up the floor before the pics were taken!

Each Tuesday I'll post new pictures and measurements.  If you miss the blog post, you can check up with the progress each week on the progress page.

Product Review: EA Sports Active 2 for Wii

Welcome to my very first product review! I'll do one about every other week, or as my budget allows me to buy things :).  I'll review anything and everything from water bottles and pre-portioned meals to workout gear and videos.

Today, I'll be reviewing EA  sports active 2 for the Wii.  It's a great fitness "game."  It's available on the PS3, XBox 360 also, but I chose to get it for the Wii.  I was able to get it for $25 at Walmart.  It comes with a usb plug-in, heart rate monitor, leg sensor, resistance band, and game disc.  It takes 4 AAA batteries (two for each sensor) that it also comes with.   You'll need to use your Wii remote.  You have the option of using a Wii balance board but it is not necessary.  A yoga mat, or being on carpet isn't necessary, but I do recommend it for the floor exercises.

Ease of Use

It's very easy to use.  You just connect the USB plug-in into the back of the wii, pop the game disc in and get ready for a great workout.  Once you have it running, it will give you video directions of how to put on the heart monitor and leg sensor. You'll then be prompted to create a profile for the game as well as an online profile.  You'll also be asked to choose a trainer.  I chose the guy trainer.  

Doing the Workouts

There are two fitness programs to choose from.  There's a 3 week cardio kick start, and a 9 week course as well.  Each have 3 levels of fitness for you to choose from.  Once you choose your program it will take you to a calendar so you can set the days you want to workout.  Don't worry if you miss a day, you can catch up with your missed workouts.

If you're working out on a day not on the program there are other options to choose for your workout.  You can make your own custom workout by choosing from over 70 pre-programmed exercises.  You can also pick an area of your body you wish to workout and your trainer will create a workout for you.  Don't like what he chose? Then just click on regenerate to have a new one generated for you. There are also a myriad of workouts already on the game.

Once you have your workout selected it's time to begin!  The first time you do each workout, it will show you how to do them.  I recommend watching them because there will be little things you need to do with the wii remote in order for the game to realize you're doing the move.  

Pros

1. It kicks your butt! Absolutely love that I actually get a workout
2. You do it at home.  No more excuses about having to get ready and go to the gym.
3. It's very easy to use.
4. I love the options!
5. The resistance band offers a good bit more resistance than the old one!
6. Doesn't require the balance board! This is great since I don't have one ;)
7. The trainer gives you reminders to get water, and suggests an after workout snack.
8. In the settings menu, you can choose songs you want to play from a list of songs already on the game
9. It comes on all of the consoles.

Cons

1. There's not quite enough time to get the resistance band set up right between sets, when going from no band to using the band.
2. The menus can be confusing at first, and the instructions don't tell you how to navigate them.  Don't worry, though.  You can't really mess anything up. I do recommend going through everything before working out.
3. You can't create a workout longer than 30 minutes.  It also caps the amount of calories you can burn.  It's for safety reasons, but sometimes I just want a super 500 calorie burn workout, and I just can't do it.  (there is a 45 minute pre-programmed workout)
4. Every so often it won't register that you are doing the reps! 
5. At some point the resistance band won't be enough.  You're limited on your choices of weights because of having to hold the wii remote. This is not a problem if you are using the program on other systems.  I think you can get weights made for using with the wii, however.

I hope this helps you with your decision to BUY this program! I absolutely love it, and am so glad I decided to buy it.  It keeps  the workouts interesting.  I'll be creating a workout group soon and will let you all know what it is so anyone else with the game can join me!