As a woman, I felt it absolutely necessary to share the greatest chocolate to ever pass my lips. Before you start picking up stones, this chocolate has some serious health value for you. So in moderation, it is not only DELICIOUS but it is also good for you.

Cacao Nibs Make It Tasty and Healthy

Recently, John Gray (Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus) released a new book. In this book he discussed hormones and how they effect men and women. In the book he talks about cacao nibs!

Cacao Nibs reduce stress levels thus reducing cortisol in the body. Since cortisol contributes to weight gain, anything you can do to reduce this hormone can help, if you do it in moderation.

My Hawaiian Discovery

When I was living in Hawaii, I was going through breast cancer. My neighbor (a health food nut) brought me this candy bar. It was dark chocolate with cacao nibs. At the time, I had no idea what they were. I did accept them and thanked my neighbor.

It was a while before I tried one because I do not like dark chocolate. However, this bar was different. The cacao nibs gave it a crunch that cut through the bitterness. I fell in love with the bar.

Of course, I did not eat the whole bar at once. I would eat a square or two when I was feeling down. I must say, it did make me feel better.

Alas, I left and have no idea what that bar was called until now

Endangered Species Bat, Intense Dark Chocolate (72%) with Cacao Nibs, 3-Ounce Bars (Pack of 12)

I am going to be honest. I am no 100% certain this is the correct bar. However, it sure does look like what I had in Hawaii and I always thought it had a weird wrapper. I am ordering the bar, so I will let you know if it is the same one.

I do recommend everyone trying to find a dark chocolate bark with cacao nibs and tell me which ones your favorites are.

Nutrition Information for the Endangered Species Bat, Intense Dark Chocolate (72%) with Cacao Nibs

For My Weight Watchers Friends

Half Endangered Species Bat, Intense Dark Chocolate (72%) with Cacao Nibs is 5 points.

The entire bar is 10 points

When you begin yoga, you will need some high quality Yoga Workout Clothes. Here you can find reviews on Pilates, Splits59, Juicy Couture, and many more yoga workout clothes for women. I searched high and low to find reviews on yoga pants and yoga shirts at affordable prices so you don’t have to. You can do all your comparisons in one convenient location.

Yoga Pants

Gap Women’s True Black Knit Foldover Yoga Pants

• Price -  $39.50
• Color – True Black
• Size – XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
• Maternity Yoga Pants

PROS – The flap allows you to flip it up as you get bigger in the belly making you feel less self conscious. They are comfy and good to go.

CONS – People 5’5 and under say the pants drag the floor. So if you are a little on the short side, then you might have to roll these things up. The other complaint, after awhile (1 yr), the pants start gathering dust and looking old.

C9 by Champion Ebony Yoga Capri Pants

• Price – $21.99
• Sizes – Varies depending where you shop. (XS, S, M, L)
• Color – Black

PROS – You can get these at Target which is convenient if you need to return. They are comfy and made of cotton & spandex

CONS – Everyone thinks these run a bit small. The picture shows them to be tight fitting, therefore, ordering a size bigger should help.

The Girls Tummy Control Yoga Pants

• Price – $24.99
• Size – Small
• Color – Black

PROS – It does help to hide a little tummy. Since you can buy them at Sears, you can try on and see what you think.

CONS – I could only find a small online. The flare at the bottom may go out of style soon.

Juicy Couture Fold Over Straight Leg Yoga Pant

• Price – $62
• Size – XS, S, M, L
• Color – Black

PROS – While I couldn’t find any reviews, it is Juicy Couture so I had to list it. If you know Juicy, then you know their products.

CONS – Well, it is Juicy so you are going to pay a pretty penny for these yoga pants.

Yoga Shirts

Ashby Tank by Splits59

• Price – $42 – $44
• Size – XS, S, M, L
• Color – 9 Different Colors
• Made in the USA

PROS – It is hard to find a yoga tank in a variety of colors. However, if you like this one you have plenty of options

CONS – The price is a little steep for a tank.

Pilates Suit Womens Core Comfort Exercise Workout Tank Top With Bra

• Price – $5.99
• Sizes – S, M, L, XL
• Color – Brown, Black, Pink

PROS – At $5.99, you really cannot beat the price. Plus it is super comfy

CONS – It doesn’t have a wide selection of colors so you can’t have very many.

Pilates Suit Womens A-Strap Exercise Workout Tank Top With Bra

• Price – $7.99
• Sizes – M, L, XL
• Color – Pink, White, Blue

PROS – Pilates is known for their comfy and true to size clothing. If you have purchased other Pilates clothes, then you will like this one.

CONS – Again, they do not have a wide selection of color or sizes so you don’t have much choice.

Petite Workout Clothes – Pants

Sport Savvy Essentials Petite Full Length Yoga Pants

• Price: $22
• Size – PXS through P3X
• Color – Black, Grey Brown, Blue, Red, Purple

PROS – They are comfortable and come in plus sizes because not all petite women are size small.

CONS – The pants have no pockets, which I look for in a workout pant.

Old Navy Women’s Yoga Pants

• Price – $20
• Size – XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL
• Color – Black, Blue, Neutral, Gray

PROS – Old Navy is close by and offers very comfortable clothes. They are also a little stretchy.

CONS – They have recently changed. If you liked the old yoga pants, you will be in for a surprise.

Danskin Now – Women’s Petite French Terry Pants

• Price – $6
• Size – M, L, XL
• Color – Grey, Black , Red

PROS – They are $6 and found at Walmart meaning they are cheap and you can try them on.

CONS – While they are comfy, they look more like PJs than they do workout pants.

Women’s Petite Crop Pants

Land’s End Women’s Petite Yoga Crop Pants

• Price – $26.99
• Size – S, M, L, XL
• Color – Black, Brown, Blue, Green, Red

PROS – These cropped pants fit the petite woman. Unlike other pants that look more like highwaters instead of capri style.

CONS – They are a little plain and does not come in the most flattering colors.

Hanes – Women’s Plus Petite Fleece Pants

• Price- $5
• Size – 2x, 3X, 4X
• Color – Purple

PROS – It is real cheap and fleece is comfortable.

CONS – These just look tacky and I would never wear them outside the house.

SJB® Active Mesh Capri- Petite Only

• Price – $15
• Size – S, M, L, XL
• Colors – Black, Brown, Grey, Navy

PROS – Found at JC Penny, you can actually try these on to see if they fit you before you spend the money.

CONS – The 19 inch inseam is a bit long for those of us under 5 foot tall.

Terry Cloth Casual Crop Pants by Draper and Damon

• Price – $14
• Size – XS, Small, Medium
• Color – Light Blue, Coral

PROS – You can get a matching jacket for $17.

CONS – The petites are designed for 4’11” to 5’3”. So those of us that are 5 foot and under, will find it a bit longer than the picture.

The good news, finding affordable petite workout clothes is possible. All you need to do is shop around for good low prices.

The bad news, unless you are around 5’3”, the cropped and capri pants are going to be a little long on you. You should plan on the pants to be about 2 inches longer than the pictures show.

Cute and affordable plus size workout clothes…Sound like an oxymoron. Well it is not. Here you will find both cute and cheap workout clothes for the plus size woman. Find honest opinions (both good and bad) about women’s workout clothes for the plus size gal.

Despite what the media would have us believe, most women are not a size 4. We are size 10, 12, 14, 16 and up. It is time that we stop hiding out in baggy (and tacky) sweat pants and oversized t-shirts. We need to get plus size workout clothes and wear them with pride.

Once again, I have traveled the Web in search of reviews.  Here I combine the reviews in an easy to read format. No BS here. Find out the good and bad of each brand.

Plus Size Workout Pants

Workout pants are essential. Even when I am skinny, I do not like to wear shorts to workout. Some things like Pilates and Yoga have me in positions that I feel exposed without a good workout pant. Here are some of the more popular brands and the reviews I found.

Lands’ End Women’s Plus Size Control Top Workout Pants

• Price – $35.99
• Sizes – 1X, 2X
• Colors – Black

PROS – The control top is nice. It does a good job of holding in the wiggle.

CONS – It only comes in black. Why are all plus size stuff black?

Style 500FT Workout Pants

• Price – $27 – $41
• Sizes – XSmall – XXXLarge
• Colors – Black, Blue

PROS – Nice and warm for working out during the winter.

CONS – They are kinda plain looking. I would not consider this cute by any means.

Danskin Women’s Plus Size Cotton Capri Legging

• Price $32
• Sizes – 1X, 2X, 3X, 4X
• Colors – Navy, Grey and Black

PROS – Very comfortable

CONS – They do “squeeze” you in. Therefore, if you are looking for something that holds you in, it is not for you.

Plus Size Workout Bras

Finding good support for a full figure girl is almost impossible. As we all know, some brands work better than others. Here is the skinny (hehe) on the full size bras and how well they work.

Danskin Women’s Plus Cotton And Lycra Bra Top

• Price – $28
• Sizes – 1X, 2X, 4X
• Colors – Grey, White, Black

PROS – Made with 92% cotton and 8% Lycra, this bra is comfortable to wear at any time.

CONS – For us large breasted women, we could use a bit more support.

Goddess Women’s Sports Bra

• Price – $33.34-$44
• Sizes – 34C – 48I
• Colors – White, Black, White/Silver

PROS – It is an affordable and supportive bra for us plus size women

CONS – The bra runs pretty small. You will want to order it a couple sizes bigger or you will find yourself returning it.

Anita Women’s Extreme Control Sport Bra

• Price – $44.96 – $66
• Sizes – 32F – 44C
• Colors – Metallic, White, Lotus, Black

PROS & CONS – The reason it is combined is because the reviews are split. Some women love the support, others think it is not supportive. It may be the type of activity but I guess you will have to try and find out for yourself.

Finding cute and affordable womens workout clothes does not have to be hard. Here I will show you the women’s workout clothes (workout pants, yoga pants, workout bras, and even plus sized and petite clothes) that I found at reasonable prices. I will tell you what I liked, what I didn’t like, and where you can find the workout clothes of your dreams

So if you are looking for any type of womens workout clothes, then you have found the right spot. Look around and find the right women’s clothes for you.

Womens Workout Clothes Shirts

Champion Women’s Stretch Vee Tee

• Price: $9.64 – $16.50
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Colors – 9 colors

PROS – 95% cotton and 5% spandex means it is soft and stretchy. It also means it can hide a few extra buldges.

CONS – The V can be a little bit too low for some of us big breasted women.

Pilates Suit Womens Classic Exercise Workout Tank Top With Bra

• Price – $6.99
• Size: S, XL (online)
• Colors: Black, White, Blue, Pink
• Built in Bra
• Turkish Cotton

PROS – Nice coverage of the breast and the sleeves hug the body so no side exposure there.

CONS – Frankly, I don’t like the colors. Pink, white, black and grey. It is a solid color but I want purple or blue.

Champion Women’s Shape T-Back Sports Bra,Oxygen Blue/White,34B

• Price – $21.95 – $35
• Size – 32a,b,c, 34A,b,c,d , 36 a,b,c,d, 38c,d
• Colors – 7
• Nylon, spandex

PROS – It gives great support without squishing your boobs.

CONS – The piping can make it a bit bulky for some especially if worn under a shirt.

Womens Workout Clothes Pants

Pilates Suit PowerHouse 3/4 Capri Womens Yoga Workout Pants

• Price – $8.99
• Size – S/M/L/XL
• Colors – 4 (pink, white, brown, black)
• Turkish Cotton

PROS – The pants are super soft and true to size.

CONS – The 3/4 length looks more like highwaters on the petite.

PUMA Women’s Esl 3/4 Woven Pant

• Price – $40
• Sizes – XS/S/M/L/XL
• Color – Black
• Polyester-ester

PROS – You don’t have to worry about shrinking with polyester and the cotton gives it a soft feel.

CONS – It has a drawstring waist. I am not fond of the drawstring because it can get lost in the washer and I just thing they get in the way.

Pilates Suit PowerHouse Womens Yoga Workout Pants

• Price – $9.99
• Size – S/M (online)
• Color – Brown and Grey
• Turkish Cotton

PROS – It touts a sweatshop free working conditions. Additionally, people are thrilled with the quality at a low price.

CONS – I had a hard time finding additional sizes online. So finding one that fits you might be a problem.

Womens Workout Clothes Shorts

Delfin Spa Bio Ceramic Anti Cellulite Shorts

• Price – $36.99
• Size – S/M/L/XL
• Color – Black
• 1.5 mm Neoprene

PROS – It has extra room in the tush and the legs for those of us with a big butt or big thighs.

CONS – Neoprene is HOT. Therefore, this will make your legs sweat. Of course, this is probably the intention since it is “anti-cellulite”. However, I question how scientific it really is. We all know losing water weight does not rid the body of cellulite.