Tracy Anderson Online

Have you heard of Tracy Anderson online? I didn’t even know who Tracy Anderson was until a celebrity hairstylist to the stars mentioned her name …

… and proudly revealed she took a Tracy Anderson Method studio exercise class here in Manhattan.

When asked what the Tracy Anderson pilates style class was like, the stylist slyly smiled.

What Is a Tracy Anderson Online Workout?

When my regular barre / pilates closed due to the Lockdown, I was curious to find a replacement.

I clicked onto the Tracy Anderson Method, website and quickly took a peek at the offerings.

Excited to see that there was a free 14-day trial, I eagerly signed up to find out what a Tracy Anderson Workout online was all about.

What You Need to Know About Tracy Anderson Online

Through signing up for the Tracy Anderson workout online, I quickly discover that Tracy Anderson is a fitness guru to the stars.

As soon as you click into the Tracy Anderson workout online website, you will hear her personal welcome.

While Tracy Anderson doesn’t exactly come out and brag about being [socialpug_tweet tweet=”…a trainer to famous Hollywood movie stars, she often mentions clients of hers who have fresh movies or albums coming out.” display_tweet=””]

And since Tracy Anderson records a new welcome video each week, you will discover her celebrity client list is huge.

What is the Tracy Anderson Online Diet?

Before you even begin your first workout, you will hear all about the Tracy Anderson Diet.

[socialpug_tweet tweet=”And there’s a fantastic reason for this! Tracy Anderson is a beautiful woman with a fit, attractive figure.” display_tweet=””]

Everyone wants to know what diet they should follow to look like her at 45 and lose weight.

To save you from watching the video, I will explain that her diet advice is simple good sense. Stick to low-carbs and get off gluten.

For breakfast, she encourages clients to have two boiled eggs and Yogi Peach detox tea. Lunch could be a salad with a few ounces of cheese or other protein. Dinner would be protein  and a vegetable.

And yes, two glasses of wine allowed per day!

Tracy Anderson Online Workouts

The program is not called the “Tracy Anderson Method” for nothing.

With Tracy Anderson online, the idea is to get into her method of eating, exercising, and possibly even thinking.

So this means you start at the beginning.

First Session with Tracy Anderson Online

Everything started smoothly enough. I fast forward through her welcome message (mistake: watch it for important information about the moves) and clicked on the video for advance students.

Another mistake.

The issue is not just that the workout is tough. The larger problem is that these “moves” are unusual, not part of any exercise program I’ve encountered before.

Then there are all the coordinated dancing moves. Combining dance moves with exercise is fun, yet it’s important to begin with the Tracy Anderson fundamentals.

Once I clicked into the beginning video, I was fine dancing. [socialpug_tweet tweet=”I even got down on my Yoga mat and followed along as Tracy got down on her knees and kicked and stretched her legs.” display_tweet=””]

When she combined different exercises together, it became challenging to keep track of what would be next.

I was expecting some narrative to tell me what to do.

But no. There was just Tracy opening her legs, stretching, reaching, kicking, and so on.

After the video ended, I realized that she breaks down each of the major exercise moves into separate films. Ideally, watch them first.

Personally, I preferred to watch these breakdown videos after the initial workout, so I’d be able to improve my performance the next day.

You should also know she changes the videos every week, so you will always have new moves to master.

What I liked Best About Tracy Anderson Online

I loved the Tracy Anderson Online workout as an excellent example of a positive lifestyle.

And also an example of stellar branding.

Everything, from the Graphic logo TA (for Tracy Anderson) to her natural looking beauty, and the stunning décor of her stage set reinforces health, beauty, and well-being.

From a visual aspect alone, it is a joy to just watch her dance to the spectacular music, or talk about fitness in one of her videos.

In terms of exercise, I thought she carefully designed her routine to sculpt one’s form.

As I’ve been taking the Lotte Berk style of barre classes for some time, I saw some similarities in the two exercise routines – but Tracy Anderson was more aggressive. Even the beginning level video seemed to have some kickboxing elements to it. Immediately, I could tell that if I kept with it, I would see results.

Tracy Anderson Online: Is it for You?

I enjoyed my time with the Tracy Anderson Method online classes. I enjoyed getting to know her virtually.

I absolutely LOVED the music she played during the workouts – I even emailed the studio to find out where I can get it (Spotify).

Tracy Anderson Online is For You if You Love:

1. High Intensity workouts

2. Great Energizing music when you workout

3. Trying new workouts every week

4. Getting new motivational videos from Tracy Anderson every week

5. Like the convenience of working out whenever you want instead of going to a class

6. Feeling inspired

7. Want a workout that is more “dance moves” than barre.

My Thoughts on the Tracy Anderson Online Exercise System

Tracy Anderson online is a great exercise program and worth a free trial. I admire her fitness ideas. In terms of her marketing efforts, she really has her branding down.  She exudes the fantasy of a fresh, healthy, airy, mostly outdoorsy lifestyle.

Visit the Tracy Anderson Online website here. If you sign up, you may need 3 pound weights and also ankle weights for your workout.

Here is a video of her method

Marisa D’Vari is a luxury travel expert living in Manhattan. She is the author of several books, a Forbes.com columnist, contributor to Financial Times Lifestyle and more. See the full bio here.

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Marisa DVari

Marisa D'Vari, DipWSET is founder and publisher of TheLuxuryReport.com. She recently obtained her OIV MSc diploma in Wine Business Management and contributes to Forbes.com, Financial Times, World of Fine Wine, Quarterly Review of Wine, Decanter Robb Report, San Francisco Chronicle, South China Morning Post , and more. She holds the (WSET) diploma, Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers, a Certified Wine Educator through the Society of Wine Educators ... to see it all, please click on bio

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3 Power Tips for Stolen iPhone

Advance Notice: This article includes many resources about what to do when your iPhone or Android  is lost or stolen! This article is based on a recent personal experience. You will also find a convenient checklist to download and keep with you at the end of the article.

Stolen iPhone: What to do First

Like most of you, I also thought I would NEVER have my phone stolen.

Lost, yes.

Always a possibility.

Stolen iPhone? Different entirely.

When your iPhone is simply lost, you have a great chance of getting it back.

Getting into a NYC taxi, I once found two phones and returned them to their owners, just casually conversing outside on the street.

In your home city or even internationally – a simple call to a restaurant, hotel, or taxi company (keep your receipt) will get your phone back.

Yes, it’s true! A friend of mine always leaves his iPhone in a taxi. It’s happened dozens of times. In New York. In London. And elsewhere around the world.

…and he’s always got it back.

Stolen iPhone Different Process from “Lost”

Perhaps like you, I NEVER imagined my iPhone or Android Pixel 3 would be stolen.

I keep track of these devices at all times.

Yet when spending a month in Montpellier, my Max Pro 11 iPhone was literally taken from my hands by two thieves.

Yes. That’s right. Taken from my hands! Then they ran off.

No “light fingers” made their way into my purse or pocket.

Two men simply yanked the iPhone from my hands.

My first reaction was that of fighting back to get my phone – but they were already running off.

And there were two of them, I was alone.

Several people on balconies and nearby saw the theft.

One actually called the police department and gave me the directions (by tram) to file a complaint.

Further into this article, you will see my experience at the police station and if it is worth your time to file a complaint.

How to Prevent Stolen iPhone  

Being prepared is key.

This means:

Expecting your iPhone or Android might be lost or stolen one day

Just expect it would happen.

I wish I had read this article before my phone was stolen, so I’d be better prepared and could save a lot of time and money.

1. Prevent Stolen iPhone Information Theft by Locking Your Phone with A Code

Luckily, I was “forced into this” by my company’s IT department. They made every phone, even personal phones, have a code.

And create a code more difficult than 1,2,3,4 so thieves won’t laugh all the way to the bank when they sell your unlocked phone – or tap into the credit card information – within it.

Increasingly people are encouraged to create a six digit code and that is the best way to go.

2. Consider just a 3 or 4 second time elapse before your phone locks.

Yes, I was resistant to this as well. I am always using my phone, and it was a hassle to unlock it every time I needed to check my email or take a picture.

Yet as I was watching my thieves run off with my phone, I was grateful for programming my phone to lock after a few seconds. They were too busy running to try to keep the phone open, and by the time they arrived at their destination the phone would be locked.

3. Ensure that your “find my phone” (for iPhone) or the equivalent for an Android device is active

With my iPhone gone, I was able to turn off and erase my phone with the “find my phone” program that was on my ipad and Macbook computer. Yet even if you didn’t have another Apple device with you, it is possible to use any computer to log into your iCloud account and erase sensitive financial information on your stolen phone.

4. Tracking System Information for Stolen iPhone

Through the “Find My Phone” tracking system, I was able to see the last time the iPhone was active, and its location as well. I took a screenshot to show the police.

As I was attending a university program in Montpellier, I was surprised to see that the location of my stolen iPhone was a five minute walk from the campus. (note: it had been stolen in a completely different section of the city).

Curious if someone just tossed the iPhone from a car window when they realized they could not get the data from it, I walked to the address.

It was a middle class apartment complex, with several different apartments.

I took a few pictures of the apartment complex, again for the police.

5. Knowing Who to Contact about Stolen iPhone

At the time my phone was stolen, I had AppleCare but not the (then) relatively new insurance for lost or stolen phones.

So I called my personal homeowner’s insurance to see what the options were. They were not good. Sure, I could report the stolen phone and get a check, but with it would come higher insurance premiums.

In the end, I contacted AT&T, my service provider. I had insurance for all my Apple devices with them. The deductible was fairly reasonable at $250. But the problem was that I’d be in Montpellier for another 22 days – without an iPhone.

AT&T was not able to ship internationally.

I could have asked them to send the phone to my home address, and have a friend send it to me in Europe.

The good thing is that I had my Google Pixel 3 with me (I always travel with 2 phones) so I was able to wait out my time until I returned to the States.

6. Filing a Police Report for a Stolen iPhone

For my particular insurance with AT&T, it turned out I “did not” need to file an insurance claim.

Yet I didn’t realize that until later, so I made what turned out to be a 4 hour visit to the police station.

The station was fairly new, and the international (but mostly French) crowd was there to file a report, mostly for stolen iPhones.

Two police officers asked me a variety of questions, so be certain to have all the information you need before you visit.

1. The IMEI number for your phone. This is crucial.

You will see in the “checklist” at the end of the article the first thing you must do is keep your phone’s IMEI number with you in a place other than your phone.It took several calls for me to get my IMEI number (note: Apple won’t have it, but your service provider, in my case AT&T, will have it.

2. The exact time and place where your phone was stolen.

3. A physical description of the thieves.

In addition to giving the police the time, place, and description of the thieves, I also showed them the screenshot of the last place the phone was located. I asked the police if they would be able to just go to the apartment complex and interview the suspects. They said that if it had been a private home, they could do this. But because it was an apartment complex, it would not be possible.Looking back at the theft, I now realize how it could have been prevented.

1. Guard your iPhone like a wad of cash.

Most people are discreet with cash, tucking it into their purse or pocket quickly after they leave a cash machine.Thieves see your phone as a wad of cash, so keep it out of site.

2. Resist the temptation to buy a bright red phone cover.

Yes, my cover was bright fire engine red. This falls into the same category as flashing the cash. After the theft, I bought a black cover. I might use the red cover when I’m in a familiar environment, but I put on the black when I’m in a foreign city at night.

3. Don’t stand in the middle of a street, looking at your phone for directions.

This is when my phone was taken from my hands.

4. Assume thieves are tracking you.I felt fairly safe in Montpellier. Mistake. Assume that thieves are always on the lookout for “marks.” This goes for every city, even your hometown.

Stolen iPhone: After the Theft

For nearly four months after the theft, I received daily phone calls, Facebook calls, messages, and emails saying things like:

1. Your phone has been found (addresses ranged from Montpellier, to Paris, to a location near my office in NYC). “Please contact this number to get it back,” read the message.
2. Most of the missives pretended they were from Apple, and requested I give them my login information.
3. A particularly creative person pretended he bought my phone from someone on the street, and that he was receiving all my personal messages. He pretended he was trying to help me solve this problem.

Of course, by that time, I already was back in NYC with my replacement phone. But thieves know how desperate people are to get their phone back, and often succeed in luring people to reveal their information.

The Bottom Line

Be prepared in the event your phone is lost or stolen.

Below is a downloadable checklist of what you should do before and after the theft.

If you liked this article, you might like:

Lost Passport in France?

Do you Need Travel Insurance? 

Author Marisa D’Vari is a Luxury Travel Expert

The post 3 Power Tips For Stolen iPhone appeared first on The Luxury Report.

Lost Passport in France

What do Americans do when they lose their passport in France?

In other words, when they need a replacement passport — fast!

No one ever imagines they can have a “lost passport in France situation …”

… but it happens.

And with this article you will be prepared.

Lost Passport in France  – Contacting the United States Consular Services

Statistics are not available to determine if more people have a lost passport in France situation, or if the problem was a stolen passport.

In this article, you will discover how to quickly take the steps to rectify a lost passport in France situation.

You will also discover how to prepare for your trips to France so that you will not find yourself in this situation in ever again.

Or at least how you can have all the information at your fingertips so that you can easily get your passport back ASAP.

The “Lost Passport In France Moment”

France is beautiful.

France is safe.

Even as a woman traveling solo at times, I’ve never had any problem in France.

So this may be the reason why many men in France are a bit too trusting …

…. And the reason so many leave their wallets in their back pocket.

Often with their passport.

Hotel Safe: Best Place for a Passport

Typically, it is not necessary to have your passport with you when you are traveling in France.

For example, for identification I typically have my NY State license (or an identification card) out …

… yet no one has ever asked for my passport except a hotel or a bank.

Keeping Your Passport With You

Sometimes, people feel more secure having their passport with them when they travel.

If this is your choice, be certain to put your passport well hidden in your purse or other place.

Whether your passport is lost or deliberately stolen, below you will find the exact steps to take in order to get back to the USA quickly and safely.

The Set-Up

A friend of me visits me during the summers which I typically spend in the village of Villefrance-Sur-Mer, near Nice.

During a ride on the crowded tramway in Nice, he put his wallet, containing every one of his credit cards, into the back pocket of his khaki shorts.

As well as his passport.

Needless to say, within the short 7 minute ride on tramway both his wallet and passport were taken …

… but he didn’t find that out for a few hours, when he needed to make a purchase.

Hours Looking …

Hours were spent retracing every conceivable step, yet the passport and wallet were nowhere to be found.

As he was scheduled to fly back to the USA the following day (with a late afternoon departure from Paris) he had to do a lot of investigative work to find out exactly what to do to get his American passport back.

So here is the interview with this anonymous gentleman, who successfully was able to take his exact flight from Paris back to the States without incident.

Guest Interview: Lost Passport in France

Thank you for sharing your experience about your lost American passport in France.

So please tell us about your experience!

Lost American Passport in France

First, the best action is to not lose your wallet – or have it stolen – in the first place.

Then – aside from that – the best thing you can do is to make sure you have photocopies of all the credit cards and the passport.

You must bring these photocopies with you when you travel, whether it is France or anywhere else.

You must have this key information to give the French police.

So whether or not you have the  photocopies with you, the first step is to contact the French police and fill out a report.

The police report is a formality for the next step, which involves filling out forms with the American Embassy.

Contacting the American Embassy

The next step is to use your Internet skills to find the American Embassy in Paris and check out the “Lost Passport in France” section.

It is unlikely you will be able to get anyone “live” on the phone at the American Embassy, but there is detailed information on the website about the hours and procedure.

The information is in English, but it is very important to read every word or you could make mistakes that can set you back.

American Embassy Hours of Operation

The hours of operation are also on the website, but the office is closed on French holidays … and there are many French holidays.

Also, as is the case in many European countries, they are open in the morning and close for a late lunch.

At present, 8:00 am to 2:45 are the working hours  of the American Embassy in France, yet it is necessary to check.

Also see if it is possible to make an emergency appointment online, or if there is some sort of phone number to call.

Remember to use the word “emergency” so you can be seen immediately, otherwise the wait can be several weeks.

Making the American Embassy Appointment

Once you make the appointment you have to figure out how you would get to Paris if you are elsewhere in France.

For example, I happened to be in Villefranche-Sur-Mer, which is about 20 minutes from Nice.

Taking a Plane to Paris without a Passport

No airlines would accept a picture of your passport.

They need a physical form of identification.

Fortunately  the French airlines will accept any government I.D.

So if you brought a Driver’s License, for example, and were clever enough to leave it in your luggage you may still be able to fly.

Otherwise you would have to take the train.

Traveling: Credit Cards

All my credit cards happened to be in the wallet that was stolen, so remember to put at least one in a secure place.

I was able to borrow a credit card from a friend.

Arrival in Paris

Whether it is by train or by plane, once you are in Paris you must store your luggage.

The reason is that the American Embassy does not allow any luggage, or any computers, inside.

Typically you will find places at the airport or the train station where you could store your luggage for a fee.

Your Cell Phone at the American Embassy

As of this writing, you can take your cell phone to the Embassy, and they will keep it for you until your departure.

Necessary Cash

You will need cash or a credit card to pay the fee for the Passport, which could be $145 USD for an adult.

Express Service Within the Embassy

At the Embassy, you will need to present a photocopy or the number of your passport as a form of ID in order to get your temporary passport.

Now, with your temporary passport, you can take your flight to the USA. 

This can be a slow process so be certain to let your airline know the situation and adjust your flight if necessary.

When you are given your temporary passport, you must apply to get a new passport as soon as you are in USA soil.

You will also need to get your lost or stolen credit cards reissued.

Final Thoughts on Lost Passport in France

Before leaving the USA …

–    Photocopy all relevant documents.

–    Bring a credit card (or two) for an emergency situation like this

–    Send friends or family your itinerary with a photocopy of your passport, (and possibly) your credit card numbers

Marisa: Thank You Guest

Guest, thank you so much for talking about this very important topic.

I would suggest that readers make note of the website of the American Embassy and keep it handy.

If you like this piece, you may enjoy this article on determining if you need travel insurance.Do I Need Travel Insurance For Europe?

If you love France, you will like the story about the Negresco Hotel 

The post Lost Passport in France appeared first on The Luxury Report.

Do I Need Travel Insurance in Europe

“Do I need travel insurance fin Europe?”

Until recently, I never gave the subject of a travel insurance policy a second thought.

As a travel writer, I was hopping between JFK and airports in Italy, Spain, and France nearly every week without feeling the need for travel insurance for Europe.

Yet increasingly I have experienced more and more flight delays and cancellations with international travel …

… and just last month, off to a luxury vacation on a Spanish island, the international flight was cancelled from Madrid.

Clearly, a need for travel insurance for Europe!’

The key problem was that it was not cancelled immediately, so that another flight could be found.

Instead, international passengers had to wait 4 hours until the official cancellation was given.

And by that time, there were no flight options until the next morning.

International Travel Insurance For Europe: Yes or No?

Is Insurance to cover a trip cancellation really necessary?

Every situation is different.

In this situation, we called the luxury hotel we had pre-booked for the first night of our vacation.

Do I need Travel Insurance in Europe

Though the front desk was sympathetic, their policy was that the $$$$ was non-refundable.

We would also entirely miss the first night of our three night vacation.

As promised, the airline flew us out the next morning.

But I could not help thinking how the situation could be avoided in the first place, or minimized at the very least.

Travel Insurance for Europe: Filing A Claim with Your Credit Card

Upon return, the first thing one should do is call the customer service department of your credit card.

The reason is to see if you are covered for trip delay insurance and the amount that can be recovered.

The challenge for many long-vision planners is that hotels are charged months, and even as much as a year in advance.

Do I need Travel Insurance in Europe

In addition to filing a claim for the money lost on the hotel, your bank card will likely expect you to also produce flight information for their reference.

This includes your flight number, ticket number (yes, ticket number), and the credit card details you used to book your flight, even if it is different from the credit card you used to book your hotel.=

It’s not that you would be refunded for your flight, but that they need this information for their files and their report.

They also need proof of the delay and/or cancellation, and this is another very time consuming online process.

Travel Insurance For Europe: Keeping Good Records

Though I pride myself on producing a detailed itinerary for trips, it is increasingly important to create an itinerary with attention to the smallest details.

These details should include:

1. The date your flight was booked

2. Specific credit card used for the flight

3. Ticket number, as well as Flight Number for the flight.

4. Record locator.

5. Date hotel was booked

6. Cancellation policy of hotel

7. Credit card and other details used to make that hotel booking.

Travel Insurance for Europe: Time Investment In Filing a Claim

Though all of the details needed to file a claim could be located within various emails in my computer’s vacation folder, the process took a good 4 hours.

The bank card company also demanded a printout of my credit card statement, highlighted with everything that had to do with the entire trip, not just the night of the cancellation.

Because this included international flights and a myriad of hotels, this process involved printing out months of hotels, flights, and more trip-related activities booked over the course of three months.

Travel Insurance for Europe: Claim Results

When I began the claim process, I was not yet aware of how many hours I would need to devote to this task.

Only well into the process, after the hard work was done, did I discover that even if my claim was successful, I would not receive the full amount of the money paid to the hotel

$250 would be the limit for everything spent because of the cancellation …

… not a very high sum in an era of four figure hotel rooms.

Checking With Alternative Bank Cards

Curious to see if other bank cards provided more protection, I called them all and discussed this with customer service and other departments.

Each of the bank card companies have different claim procedures and maximum claim payouts.

This will depend entirely on the type of card you have and your status with that bank.

Some cards will not allow claims for flight delays at all.

Buying Trip Delay Insurance in Advance

Depending on the type of card you have, it may be possible to buy trip insurance in advance.

To give you an example, I called one well known bank card company and in accordance with our status with them, we could purchase trip delay insurance for $14 each.

In this situation, we would get up to $150 each to cover out of pocket expenses related to a delay or cancelled flight. Pay more and each person could receive $300 for a successful claim.

But is it worth it?

Other Types of Insurance

Before your next trip, you may want to look at your homeowners policy or chat with a representative to see what your insurance policy coverage includes when you are traveling.

I was surprised to see how generous this homeowners policy could be in so many different situations. In our situation, trip delay insurance was not covered, but far more extreme and expensive situations were.

Medical Insurance

Medical insurance when embarking on international travel is often covered by your health insurance.

Overall Travel Insurance

Third party companies like Travelex and Travel Guard also have policies that may be of interest. You can find a list here. 

Only you can make the right decision for yourself and your family.

Here is the website of the American Embassy

Preparation and Anticipation: Planning in Advance

As a frequent traveler, after this experience I’ve remapped the way I travel.

1.  I will record all details (include the date I made the reservation, the card number, etc) as soon as I make any transaction related to a trip.

2. I will make every effort to avoid the last flight of the day, especially if it is a flight going to an island or hard-to-get-to destination.

3. I will consider buying trip delay / cancellation insurance on low-cost airlines – though I am still not convinced it makes much sense, as even these small carriers will simply get you on the next available flight free if they caused the delay or cancellation.

Creating a “Plan B” Before Your Flight Takes Off

Last week, I was on a flight from JFK to Madrid.

Madrid was not my final destination. I was going to another country, but I gave myself over 2.5 hours to make the connection.

Wrong move.

The flight took off more than an hour late from JFK and landed about the time my flight would take off.

There would be no way to make my connection.

When I asked the flight attendant about it, she mentioned another passenger on the plane.

Though she didn’t mention who he was, she said he created an elaborate “plan B” that detailed:

1. All the airlines that would be flying to his next destination in the event the plane was delayed.

2. Trains that also went to his destination.

3. Alternative routes to his destination, via a series of small flights from different countries.

The Back Up Plan: Alternative Airlines

On the return of that Madrid flight back to JFK, the flight was cancelled – not just delayed.

Though we could stay overnight, we chose to take a non-direct flight from that same carrier that would see us home at midnight, instead of the scheduled 2pm arrival.

I tried to see if any competing carriers offered direct flights and had my choice of two …

… the problem is that even though I had loyalty with those airlines that might have enabled me to get a better seat, I did not have my loyalty card information with me.

Lessons Learned

Passengers have little power to prevent delays and cancellations.

Yet It is possible, with planning, to help mitigate them in the future.

Do I need Travel Insurance in Europe

Update as of 12/23/19

I just received an email from my credit card saying that my claim was refused.

A total of 27 hours spent filling out forms and in correspondence.

No, travel insurance is not worth it.

You might like this other personal experience – what to do when you lose a passport in France. 

The post Do I Need Travel Insurance For Europe? appeared first on The Luxury Report.