Balance Bar Helps with Your Summer Shape Up While Offering Up Great Tasting Energy Bars for On-the-Go Snacking #BalanceShapeUp -- Review and #Giveaway

Disclosure: I received a Walmart gift card and any additional product as part of a sponsored collaboration with Balance Bar. However, all views shared are mine and mine alone.

Did you dread putting on a bathing suit this summer?  Find yourself giving up on your New Year's weight loss resolutions as a result of you not seeing the results you had hoped for by June?  I have shared off and on in blog posts how my resolution last year was to lose the excess baby weight.  And, by the end of the year, with changes to my diet and exercise, I was able to achieve my goal.  But, as the new year rolled in, so did the extra pounds I thought I had lost for good.  Maybe it was the stress from the terrible two's and three's we were dealing with, or the fact that my girls were testing our patience when it came to going to bed on time and staying asleep through the night, that made me seek out and indulge in high in sugar and fat sweet treats.  Little by little, I found the weight going back on.  And, by the time the summer came and I had to put on a bathing suit, I found myself wanting to cover up or not want to go swimming with the girls.  But, I knew that I needed to do something about it.

I first started by throwing out all the sweets I had bought and stashed throughout the house.  I stocked up on fruits and veggies to snack on, and began counting calories again. I also found myself looking for healthier ways to cook up meals for the whole family. And, when it came to grabbing snacks for on the go, I made a point to have an assortment of Balance Bar energy bars on hand.  Not only do these nutritional bars taste great, but they also give you a boost of energy -- something this busy mom of two girls under 5 yrs. old needs!

With so many flavors to choose from, I recently had a mini taste test party with a few girlfriends.  They, too, found themselves putting weight back on, and wanted to say goodbye to them for good.  Before hosting this tasting party, I visited my local Walmart and picked up an assortment of Balance Bars, including cookie dough and peanut butter.  

Then, the fun part -- trying out the different flavors to find our favorite balance bar. :-)  Two of my girlfriends had never tried Balance Bar products before, so they were in for a treat.  And, my other friend was a fan of another energy bar brand...that was until she tasted the Dark Chocolate Caramel Macchiato Balance Bar...and, then she made the switch. :-)

We had a blast trying out the different Balance Bars and in the end found our favorites.  

My personal favorites included the Peanut Butter, Chocolate Craze and s'mores bars, while my friends all found the Cookie Dough and Chocolate Raspberry Balance Bars to be their favorites.  

In addition to hosting a tasting party, I also participated in the fun #BalanceShapeUp Twitter party, hosted by Balance Bar. 

I asked a few cardio questions and got some great tips for at-home workout and alternatives to expensive exercise equipment.  I loved reading other Twitter party attendees' questions and their responses which were answered by personal trainer, Holly Del Rosso, as well as other fitness experts.  Not only did I have a great time at this fitness themed Twitter party, but I learned more about my go-to nutritional bar brand, Balance Bar, including their 40-30-30 nutrition principle, which I didn't know about.

"Balance Bars are designed to provide long-lasting, balanced energy, rather than a quick sugar rush followed by a crash. Their bars follow the 40-30-30 nutrition principle, which represents the caloric ratio your body needs to stabilize blood sugar levels and satisfy hunger:

40% of calories come from carbohydrates - blended with Balance Bar's unique protein blend and dietary fat to help promote a slow glycemic response and sustain your energy levels.

30% of calories come from quality protein - a combination of whey, milk and soy protein for muscle recovery.

30% of calories come from dietary fat - a concentrated source of energy and source of essential fatty acids."

----

To learn more about Balance Bar including varieties they offer and to find a retailer near you who carries these nutrition energy bars, visit http://www.balance.com/.

---GIVEAWAY---

Have you had a chance to try out Balance Bar products yet?  If so, do you have a favorite?  Want to having a mini tasting party of your own with family and friends, to sample the different Balance Bar flavors?  

Thanks to the kind folks at Balance Bar, they are offering Inspired by Savannah readers the chance to win a $10 Walmart gift card, so that you can pick up an assortment of Balance Bars to sample, or your favorite flavors if you are already know.  In addition, Balance Bar will also send along a variety pack of Balance Bars so that you have bars for at home and on-the-go snacking. :-)

To enter this giveaway, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a Walmart gift card and any additional product as part of a sponsored collaboration with Balance Bar. However, all views shared are mine and mine alone.