I think MOST diet supplements create issues within the body – especially when taken in extreme.

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FDA Warns Consumers to Stop Taking Hydroxycut Products

By JARED A. FAVOLE

WASHINGTON — Consumers should “immediately stop” using Hydroxycut weight-loss products amid concerns they may cause jaundice and liver failure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday.

The FDA has received 23 serious reports of health problems with Hydroxycut products and one death in a 19-year-old male who had used the weight-loss products, said Linda Katz, interim chief medical officer in the FDA’s food safety and nutrition division.

The FDA strongly advises people against using 14 Hydroxycut products, Ms. Katz said. Iovate Health Sciences Inc. of Canada markets the products, also known as dietary supplements, as fat burners and energy-enhancers. Iovate representatives couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

The company has agreed to recall 14 of its Hydroxycut products. Other Hydroxycut products, such as Hydroxycut Cleanse and Hoodia, won’t be recalled as the FDA said they contain different ingredients from the other products.

Vasilios Frankos, director of the FDA’s dietary supplement program, said it’s still unclear what ingredients in the products are harmful. The FDA is trying to get a better understanding of what ingredients, or combination of ingredients, is causing the liver damage. Other dietary supplements may contain similar ingredients.

The FDA recommends people call their physicians if they are worried about any damage caused by the products.

It won’t be America’s #1 selling product for long!

Hey all!

Remember when I JUST got back from vacation and walked into my Thursday dance class shocked that they were taping the class that day??? WELL…the proof is here! 

I always brag about how wonderful this class is…and now you guys can sorta see what I’m talking about.

It’s fun, sexy and energetic. There will be more small clips in the future, but this is the first one.

I am the one in the BLUE tank top (I didn’t get the memo to wear all black)…and you can find me at the 1:20 mark (briefly

According to this article, it is!

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3) Gym Memberships

The cost of a gym membership can really rack up over the course of a year (an average of $775, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association). So make sure you’re tapping into all of the discounts available to you. Check with your employer, health insurer and other membership groups like your union or alma mater to see if they offer discounts on gym and fitness club memberships, says Bob Nelson, president of Nelson Motivation, a benefits consulting firm.

Potential Savings: On your own, you’d pay $54.99 per month, plus a $49 enrollment fee, for a national access plan at Bally’s Total Fitness. Through discounter GlobalFit.com, which offers special rates for members of partner companies, you’d pay $37.80 per month plus a $29 enrollment fee for the same Bally’s membership. Over a yearlong membership, that’s $226.28 saved.

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I personally think that if you have a really good deal with your gym, then NO it is not a waste of money. For example, I train at 24 hour fitness and invested in the “Buy 1 year and get 2 years free deal”. Now, I only pay $99 a year to keep my membership. At the same time, if I was paying as little as $20-$35 a month for a membership, then I definitely would still keep it.

In this economy, while things are hard, we can’t forget about our health. Depression is rising, cheap fast food restaurants are profiting  and we are watching more TV for entertainment. While we can definitely work out without a gym, sometimes a gym provides an escape for people. Sometimes,being in a gym is motivating as you are with other people who are trying to get in shape/maintain their shape like YOU!

So, use your own discretion before you cancel your membership! I wouldn’t!

Before you do, try a few things to make it cheaper:

1) If you have an ‘all club’ membership, switch it just to your local club.

2) See if you can pay for just alternate days.

3) Talk to the manager and see if you can get a discounted monthly rate. They don’t want to lose you altogether!

4) See if you can get under a family plan with one your relatives.

is it worth it?

Bally Total Fitness has had its financial woes for quite some time…things looked brighter when Mike Sheehan, past COO of 24 Hour Fitness took over as CEO in June, but atlas…nothing could fix this former fitness giant.

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Bally Total Fitness again files for Chapter 11
By Betsy Vereckey, AP Business Writer

Bally Total Fitness files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy; second time in less than 2 years NEW YORK (AP) — Bally Total Fitness Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Wednesday for the second time in less than two years, hindered by debt and limited refinancing options amid the credit crunch.

The Chicago-based gym operator will use existing cash reserves to continue operating. Bally, which again filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, plans to sell itself or reorganize under Chapter 11.Early last year, faced with more than $800 million in debt and $45 million in cash, Bally defaulted on its debt. The company’s shares were delisted from the New York Stock Exchange for failing to meet minimum price and market capitalization requirements. Bally also was delinquent in filing its 2006 annual report because of errors in historical member data.

At that time Bally filed for Chapter 11 in a “prepackaged” bankruptcy plan that helped simplify the process under the control of Harbinger Capital Partners Master Fund I Ltd. and Harbinger Capital Partners Special Situations Fund LP, which invested about $233.6 million in exchange for Bally’s common equity. It emerged in the fall of 2007 as a private company.  Read the full story here.

ba-bye Bally

My area was 55 out of 100! Why?? Because I’m not close to any REAL shopping areas or high schools. I do walk almost every day to the park and sometimes to the grocery store. Once I get my bike with a big basket, I’ll start going to the grocery store  more often via bike – but right now, I can’t manage more than 2 medium-weight bags.

I DO have to say that I walked around San Francisco A LOT when I lived there – hence it’s the number one in the country!!! Read below!

Check your city’s walking score HERE 

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San Francisco most walkable U.S. city, website says

NEW YORK (Reuters) – San Francisco, New York and Boston are the United States’ most walkable cities, according to new rankings from a website that evaluates how easy it is to live in the nation’s cities and neighborhoods without a car.

Walkscore.com, which uses an algorithm to identify those neighborhoods boasting the most amenities per person, published its ranking on Thursday and deemed San Francisco the most walkable city, with a “Walk Score” of 86 out of 100.

The ultimate goal is to see the site’s scores included in property listings, said Mike Mathieu, founder of the company that created the site’s software.

“What we see is someone calling up a broker and saying ‘I want three bedrooms, two baths, a walkability score of 85, what’ve you got?”‘ Mathieu said.

Type an address, and the site generates a map showing the nearby grocery stores, cafes, movie theaters, schools and parks.

New York received a score of 83, Boston a score of 79.

Scores greater than 70 indicate neighborhoods where it’s possible to get by without owning a car, while scores greater than 90 qualify communities as a “Walker’s Paradise.”

(Reporting by Helen Chernikoff)

I loooovvve San Francisco!!!