Wednesday 31 March 2010

Product Reviews - Maxitone Sculptress & Definity Shakes

So it's probably about flippin' time I talk about these two fabulous products eh?! Actually, three if you count the shaker, which is a super little thing as it's so cute but also useful too!

I've found that those qualities tend not to be compatible in most products, and I often have to sacrifice function for form... or vice versa. But not in this instance, which is a total result!

So apologies for how long it has taken me to write but I really wanted to give these shakes a thorough testing before I wrote about them!

Firstly, being of the honest persuasion I must confess to my failings as well as successes on this blog, and I have to admit that when I first used my Maxitone Shaker I hit a great big FAIL!

This was because I'm so used to using the boy's shaker of which I have many, in which there's a ledge/ridge where the 'mixing grid' (which is far superior to any other shaker I've tried... *zero* lumps as a result!) just rests.

So, into the Maxitone shaker I popped the grid, gave it a jolly good shake and then wondered why it sort of disappeared into the mixture!!

Noooo... this mixing grid is more advanced than that ladies!

It has a long spear on the end of it which attaches directly into the lid like so...



...and stays firmly in place - *much* better :-)

Right, onto the shakes themselves.

As some of you will already know, I've been drinking the men's version of Maxitone, Maximuscle Promax Diet, for well over a year now and I still love it, especially banana flavour which is why I adore! This is why I chose to try the banana flavour in both the Sculptress and Definity in order to compare :-)

Maxitone Sculptress shake



I love the name of this drink. I didn't at first because I thought it sounded too much like a TV Gladiator, but now I think it's ace as that's exactly what I'm doing to myself at the mo - sculpting my ideal physique and every time I drink this shake I'm reminded of this fact!

Sculptress mixes incredibly well in the nifty little shaker and tastes delicious. I'm not sure how/if the recipe has been altered at all but it tastes creamier and smoother to me than Promax Diet and I like the smaller serving size which means it's under 180 Calories and less than 3g of fat per serving! You do get less protein as a result (although Sculptress has slightly more protein per 100g), but to be honest, most women doesn't need a large amount of protein and 2 servings of this a day will give you 64g of protein in addition to your usual intake - more than adequate!

Onto the fat burning stuff... well, for a start it's a low GI food which, along with the protein, guarantees that you'll feel fuller for longer as it releases its energy nice and slowly... there's none of those instant *kerrzing!* sugar hits followed by energy slumps that you get with the likes of Slimfast!

In addition to this there's the green tea and caffeine that together help to fire up your metabolism and finally there's Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) which, as well as helping keep your metabolic system firing on all cylinders, also has the added fabulous advantage of helping you to lose unwanted body fat but at the same time preserve and indeed build lovely lean muscle mass!

And girls, in case we're still unclear on any of this, if you want a trim, slim, toned and sexy physique, you're going to need to introduce a mixture of resistance, as well as cardio, into your training as:

lean muscle + nice layer of fat over the top = sexy shapely body :-)

In terms of when you should drink Sculptress. Well, as I eat 5/6 small meals a day (because no, snacking is NOT a sin!) it forms one or two of these; but if you're going to stick to less, I'd recommend you have a shake with your breakfast to rev you up for the day, and then perhaps one between lunch and dinner, say between 3pm and 4pm (i.e. classic 'afternoon slump' zone).

However, I would say to avoid taking Sculptress after 6pm as it does contain caffeine in it and might disrupt your sleep if you take it too late.


Definity shake



I can't work out which of these two shakes I prefer so it's a good job I've got both!

Definity comes in a smaller size serving of 30g which you mix with 200mls of water in your shaker to give you a large glass of yumminess. With this you get only 120 Cals but also just over 24g of protein! There is less fat per serving too at just 2g.

Definity has been a bit of a blessing to be honest and I'm gutted that I've worked my way through the tub so quickly but it's hardly surprising considering how much I'm drinking it!

You see, I do most of my cardio in the morning or at lunch time because I find it easier to lift weights in the evening after I've had a day of eating and fuelling my body. Maybe it's just psychological but I feel a lot stronger in the evening (conversely I can't do spin in the evening, I find I need to do at 06:45 and you'd think I'd need a *lot* more energy for that!! Maybe it's just because I don't give my body time to wake up sufficiently enough to argue before I hit it with a high intensity session, ha!)

Anyway, what this means is that I need some protein as soon as I get home at night from the gym and I've been previously taking this in the form of cottage cheese, tuna etc which is just no fun all the time and I often don't feel like eating anything solid at 10pm!!

So, now I have Definity! 24g of protein in a delicious glassful of shake, what more could I need? Plus, as it's a lovely milky drink with no caffeine or green tea like Sculptress, it doesn't keep me awake at night which makes it the perfect pre-bedtime recovery drink, ideal to help me sleep and repair my

Honestly, since I started taking Sculptress and Definity - at least 2 servings a day, either 2 of Sculptress or 1 Sculptress, 1 Definity at night - I have noticed such a massive difference. I'm lifting lighter than I've done in the past but my arms have never looked as good before and my abs are starting to show through even more so too - I'm so thrilled!!



Also, Definity goes fantastically well in smoothies which are a staple of my weekends as that seems to be the only time I get to blend up fruit and yogurt, I look forward for them for that reason - the rest of the time I drink my shakes 'naked' - as in no other ingredients, not without clothes!! Mind you, this might fall into the latter category...



...post-hard and intensive arms workout in the gym followed by a wonderful soak in the bath, accompanied by a lovely cup of Banana Definity and a hot steaming mug of Barleycup (which you can buy in places like Holland & Barrett), loads of flavour, no caffeine, and Tara was a relaxed and happy, mellow bunny :-)

Bliss!

Enjoy the shakes, any questions just drop me a line, :-)

TJx

14 comments:

  1. Hi Tara! I love reading your blogs, keep up the great work ;) x

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  2. Great post Tara!

    I totally did not realise that about the shaker! Thanks for explaining :)

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  3. me too re the shaker....glad to hear I'm not the only one who didn't realise.

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  4. The mixing grid thingy is quite clever :)

    I love making smoothies at the weekend, when I'm less "harassed" ahem.


    I prefer to do cardio in the morning and strength in the evenings too but once I shake off this grotty head cold I'm going to switch it around because I am just finding the mornings so hard for getting the cardio in, or more to the point washing and drying my hair waaah, not enough hours in the day!

    Your arms look fab alright. I think the arms are so rewarding to train. For me, fat vanishes off my uppper half quicker so I can SEE things happening whereas my legs are just an ENDLESS disappointment in terms of shape, albeit I am very grateful to them for getting me around the place :)

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  5. Reading about the Shaker made me chuckle...I ded exactly the same! the grid kept ending up sideways in the shake, but after I figured it out I decided I absolutly love the Maxitone shakers!
    I also found that Sculptress is smoother that Promax Diet. It seemed lighter and much tastier. Im going to try Definity next...can't handle the caffeine in Sculptress!

    Soph

    p.s. Sam from Maxitone sent me a link to your blog as another Maxitone blogger
    barrettsfitness.blogspot.com

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  6. I was so disappointed on how the shakes tasted, was wanting to add them to my exercise routine, but as just one shake took all my will power to actually drink it i had to give it up. :(

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  7. hi what flavour would you recommend?

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  8. ok thank you :)

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  9. Heyy. Would It Be Possible To Have The Sculptress In The Morning And The Afternoon And Then Have One Difinity In The Evening? Would It Work Like That Haha? x

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  10. Hi do you find it helps to repair your muscles? I am trying to train for a half marathon and am struggling with tired legs. Also I have heard that you should subsitute a meal when you take a protein drink is this true? Great blog, just what I needed to make my mind up.

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  11. hiya! I've got a question, I'm an obese 22 year old (weight :90kg height: 5ft 5" )
    Which one of these shakes would you recommend I take and when should i be taking them?
    I am controlling my diet now by eating only grilled and steamed food and i do engage in cardio activity like treadmill and cross trainers everyday for 45 minutes.

    Thank you so much for answering my queries. I'm desperately trying to loose weight

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  12. Hey, i m a man.. Are guys allowed to take the supplement aswell? or is it just for women.. I just want to tone my body a bit.. but i do not want to gain weight.. so if i used the sculptress will i see any results or not?

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