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Every once in a while, I like to take a break from the regularly scheduled program of books and sharing them, and share with you some other cool stuff. Today, I want to share a website/app that I was asked to review and think could be a real benefit to ANYONE wanting to lose weight and/or get healthier and/or exercise more. It’s called SLIMKICKER.COM, and it’s so super easy to use for your weight loss/healthy lifestyle changing goals.

So, what is it? According to the website, Slimkicker.com is “a level-up game and point-based program. You start by tracking your diet, where whole foods are worth more points than processed foods.” Then the creators go on to say, “But diet, and fitness are half of the battle. Most people regain weight because they never learn long-term habits. We solve this by taking habits as quitting soda, and turning them into 7-30 day challenges. Like a regular game, the challenges start out easy, and gradually become harder, with more points. We encourage you to check-in daily with others doing the same challenge for accountability and social support.”

They also state that it can go along with any diet program that you may already be using or want to use, AND it’s all about learning portion control, proper nutrition, and acquiring healthy habits. I can see this site REALLY appealing to a competitive person OR someone who needs to be accountable to someone, but doesn’t have a fitness buddy in his/her life.

It’s easy to sign up–I did it in about 5 minutes. I haven’t used all the tools yet, but there are tabs in your account where you can record what you eat, how much you exercise, and then join a challenge, such as eating one salad a day for 7 days OR replacing juice with tea for 7 days. You get a certain number of points added to your account if you complete the challenge. YOU ALSO can choose your own rewards–like if you reach certain levels on the site, you might reward yourself with a girls night out? A new handbag? A new book? (That’s what I want to see! )

Spring is here for most of us–(most major holidays are over for a while) so it’s the perfect time to get in shape and be healthy! Check out Slimkicker.com. (BTW, I get nothing special for telling you this. I just think it’s a cool site and will be helpful for some of you struggling with this area of your life!)

Finally, because I HAVE to share a book with you, I reviewed this one for The News-Gazette. It’s great to share as a family because it’s all about excuses and how we use them to eat unhealthy! Its called: “But I deserve this chocolate!” The 50 Most Common Diet-DeRailing Excuses and How to Outwit Them (Author: Susan Albers, PsyD Publisher: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.) I’ll put an Amazon link below. It’s an easy book to use, and you don’t have to read it cover to cover. Find your excuse or your spouse’s or your kids’ or your work-out buddies’, and go from there.

I am ridiculously obsessed with this book, French Women Don't Get Fat.  

It all started with a few, ahem, extra pounds from my holiday baking extravaganza. As motivation to get back on track, my sister and I decided to do a Biggest Loser contest for 8 weeks. Biggest loser wins a gift card to B&N. After day one of small portions and celery sticks I was extremely depressed. I said to myself, "Self, I can't do this for eight weeks." I was perusing my library for helpful tips when I found this book.

It's all about enjoying your food, savoring the flavors, exploring with spices, eating variety, eating seasonally, seeking out quality ingredients (1 small piece of quality chocolate vs a Snickers bar). And there's recipes! And lots of French thrown in, for that Je ne sais quois. But it is muy magnifique! Now I want to learn French, cook French food, and visit France. And be svelte and fit and sophisticated.

Now where did I put my beret?