Trading West for East

This isn't a fitness entry, nor is it useful. I just wanted to declare that I am in hate with Western Medicine and giving up on it all together. It has done nothing but cost me almost as much as a semester of college and all to find out that either there's nothing wrong with me, or that there are medications I should be taking (even though I'm not taking them because they are dangerous and oversold).

These people don't have any idea what they are talking about anyway. They'd all just rather make a buck, like the rest of the 1% or whatever we're calling the capitalists in charge these days.

I've had enough. Until I can move to Okinawa, I'll be much happier trusting my body, mind and spirit to Eastern, holistic medicine. And my money, which they will surely take much less of and at least give me some results.

Finding a balance

There has to be some balance between being pure and good and having a the time of our lives. This is what is on my mind as I think of Thanksgiving and the indulgences that I know everyone will be taking part in over the next few days. We don't really want to blow our hard work on one meal, but we also don't want to be the one at the party who passes every dish and says "No Thanks" while gnawing on celery all night. So how do we find a balance?

While my family doesn't actually celebrate this Holiday, I have been to many Thanksgiving celebrations over the years, and even I, the girl with the willpower of steel, have gone a little crazy at the dinner table (I bring you Exhibit A: My friend Jonnie's Baked Brie, which I ate almost half of by myself! and Exhibit B: My ex-boyfriend's mom's pumpkin cheesecake, of which I always had seconds whenever she made it). So even though I won't be celebrating in any traditional ways this year, I still have some ideas on how you all can have your cake, eat it and not undo all of your hard workouts:

1) Get some exercise in on the big day
-Yes I know you'll be slaving away in the kitchen for hours or parked on your couch for football all day on Thursday, but you can find some time to squeeze in some calorie burning in the morning before it all begins. Get up a bit early and get in some cardio or other exercise to jump start your day. Go for a brisk walk, ride a bike around your neighborhood with your kids or your dog, go to the gym (some are open on Thanksgiving, mine is!), or do a workout video. If your family is willing to forgo some football, you can even get them involved. Try organizing a family kickball game or do some races around the Neighborhood. You live in FL? Great! It's hot as heck right now, so get your family in the pool for a little while! Whatever you can do to get some exercise before you start cooking or loafing, do it! That way, you can stress and little less all that yummy food you're going to eat.

2) Use better-for-you ingredients in your cooking.
-Trade out the homemade fat-infused gravy for an organic, lower-fat option (Wholefoods and Trader Joes offer great options, both stored and fresh made)
-Use organic and/or dairy-free cream, milk and butter ingredients (Dairy free creams, milks and butters have much less fat, calories and cholesterol than regular dairy products)
-Swapping out ingredients from your recipes to include vegetables and fruits that are in season, organic and locally grown allows you to be certain that they are free of pesticides and additives

3) Graze, don't gobble
-Cut portion sizes when you serve the food by using a smaller spoon and smaller dishes. This way everyone can enjoy a little bit of everything, instead of going overboard on any one thing

4)Remember, the holidays are about family, friends and community, not stuffing your face.
-Center your holiday around activities and spending time with loved ones, friends and helping your community. The food will then be simply an added bonus.


I hope these tips help you get through this fantastic weekend without as much guilt and with much more health and happiness. I'll be enjoying my Thursday at the gym in the morning, at a turkey sanctuary in the afternoon and talking philosophy on my porch at night. That sounds like awesome to me. Spending the day with people I love, doing things I love, and volunteering for one of the most intelligent and loving creatures on the planet.

What are your Thanksgiving plans? :)

Think you can't afford to eat healthy and exercise?

The holidays are upon us, and as if everyone in this country wasn't strapped for cash before, now we have to buy loads of Christmas and holiday gifts for our friends and family. However are we supposed to afford organic produce and groceries and gym memberships and equipment?

Your body cannot and should not take a back seat to your holiday responsibilities. Your body is the single most important thing you'll ever have in this life. I'm not saying that it needs to have washboard abs, but you need to take care of it as well as humanly possible at all times, and this does not have to cost a fortune for anyone.

Organic produce is often not that much more expensive than regular produce. Conventional baby carrots are typically $1.69 a bag while their organic counterparts are $1.99 a bag. Aside form the fact that organic carrots just taste better, I think NOT ingesting pesticides is worth the extra 30 cents. Organic apples work just like regular ones, in that certain varieties are cheaper at different times. The price difference is often no more than $1/lb and usually less than that. I get whatever organic apples are the lowest price and often find that they are only 20-40 cents per pound more than the regular apples down the next aisle.
The same goes for grocery items like soups, pastas, cereals and frozen foods. The difference in cost is hardly worth the risks you take of eating genetically engineered, synthetic, and dangerous chemically-infused and processed foods. Do yourself a favor, and don't skimp on your body. You can shave a few cents off in other areas of your life, like buy one less song on iTunes each month, or wash your dishes by hand once a week.

And don't even think about putting your gym membership on hold to save some holiday money. What will you spend that money on, cookies, mashed potatoes and pie? That all sounds good, but in January, you won't be thankful anymore. It is especially during the holidays that we need to keep up our fitness. Get to the gym and put in a little extra when you know you'll be having tons of great holiday eats later that night.

Yes this is the season for giving, but you can't give up on yourself in the process. It isn't about coming out of the holidays looking like a model. It's about being healthy and fit so you can enjoy the holidays that much more. It's about BEING WITH your family and friends, not how much you can buy them and how much you can eat.

And that's where I stand on this subject. :)

Dances with Laundry

We all know I'm a cardio freak, but let's face it, sometimes there just isn't a gym in sight! What's an ellitpical-junkie to do???

It's raining outside. There are no workout videos in the house and the computers are all located in places where there is no room to move. This is where there can be a dilemma. This is also where we have to go old-school with how to both get our workout in and entertain ourselves. You know, before the age of youtube...

There are plenty of ways to get some great cardio exercise without even leaving your house. Being home for a few days, I have come to find ways of exercising that are surprising and effective. And I learned them all from my mom!

My mom has a nickname in my house: "Dances with Laundry" and this is for a very good reason. In the morning, when she's doing the housework she puts her iPod on and dances around while she does it. She is totally grooving while she folds laundry, dancing around while she mops the tile and can't stop moving her feet while she does the dishes. It's awesome to watch because I know that even though she is sweating and burning TONS of calories, she is only thinking about how much fun she's having.

I've had to get a little creative myself while I was here. I've gone to the gym, but they just aren't as good here as they are in Jax, so I'm trying to supplement some weight-lifting workout at home. That, I've found, is what the kitchen is for.

I saw my mom lifting weights in the kitchen in between doing housework and getting ready for her day. she wasn't lifting traditional weights, though. She was lifting gallons of milk. It's a great weight for bicep curls and lateral raises. I tried it after she left for work, and I'm also using bottles of water for tricep kickbacks. My arms are getting a great workout and I only had to step five feet into my kitchen to do it! It's awesome!

Am I doing any cardio at home? Of course! This is taking me back to my childhood here, but if you have a carpeted floor and some plastic bags, you are good to go for this cardio-filled leg-blaster! Tie a plastic bag around each of your feet and step onto the carpet (put on some music so you have a beat to keep you energized and entertained) and "skate" around on the carpet! It's an amazing leg workout and you'll be huffing, puffing and sweating real good in no time. The best part is, no one is home to watch me look completely silly. But it's so much fun, I wouldn't care if they were!

What can you do to get a workout at home?

I'm back!

Hey fellow fitness freaks!

I am so sorry I've been gone a while. I had actually attempted to merge my blog with another fitness site, but in the middle of the merge, their site went under! So I moved everything back over here, and it feels like home again. I'm just glad to be back and sharing my fitness flare with all of you again. I've missed writing, and I've missed my readers.

Today I want to talk about stretching. Stretching is the single most important exercise you can do every day. And I mean, EVERY day! Stretching before AND after working out does wonders to prevent injury and helps you get the most out of your strength training. By stretching before a workout, you warm up your muscles ad prepare them to work harder and more efficiently during your workout session, whether it's cardio or weight training. Stretching after a workout keeps your muscles from tensing and stiffening up after vigorous use and can help relieve some of the soreness you can experience after a good, hard workout. It also helps to elongate muscles, creating a longer, leaner shape.

A lot of times when I take Bodypump, my favorite weight training class, many of the students leave class before the stretch track at the end. This, in my opinion, is a huge mistake. They think they are saving themselves time by skipping something unimportant, but really they are only saving 3 minutes and costing themselves much more. If they would just stay and stretch for 3 minutes they would be less sore, more toned and stronger overall. To me, that is worth the three minutes. Plus, stretching after a rigorous workout can be extremely relaxing. What a reward after hard work!

My goal is to post a stretching video on YouTube as soon as I can find the space to record it. If you'd be interested in a stretching lesson or two, let me know and I'll try to get it done asap!

Finding your foodstyle

When it comes to fitness, it’s not just about exercise. We all know we have to “eat right” in order to see the changes we want to make in ourselves. The question is, what does it mean to “eat right?” Is there really only one right way to eat?

The answer is no. There is no one set way to eat that is right and all others are wrong. There is, however, a right way to eat for your own personal body and lifestyle, and it’s up to you to figure out what works best for you.

For me, what works best for me to feel healthy and keep fit is being vegan (eating no animal products including meats, cheeses, eggs and other dairy products), avoiding high fat oils, sauces and additives, eating mostly fresh or frozen produce, and steaming or oven baking most of my foods. I also have some non-negotiables in my diet that I will not budge on: low calorie mini blueberry crumb pies, breads, and melon. They make me happy and they aren’t too horrible for me, so I will eat them.

I have found a balance and it works best for me, inside and out, but it certainly won’t work for everyone. You have to find what foods make you feel better on the inside and which foods to avoid in order to stay healthy and keep in shape. If eating only whole grains and avoiding sugar altogether works best for you, that’s great. There are plenty of natural no-calorie sweetener substitutes now that Stevia is on the mass market, and almost every food now has a whole grain version. If eating meals that consist of lean proteins and greens, avoiding many processed carbohydrates is what helps keep your weight at your desired level, then by all means eat this way. It’s all about finding out what your body needs to function at its best.

When you have your new nutrition lifestyle down, the next step is to balance it with the rest of your life. Do the foods that work best for you fit in your life? If you’re a mom or dad with a full house, can you find foods that are easy and fast to cook that are also nutritious a delicious enough to serve to the whole family? If you’re a busy college student or working professional, you may eat out and get take out all the time. Can you find the foods you need on the go? These are important things to consider, and the best way to figure this out is to ask questions, check menus, research recipes and try new things.

There is no book, no formula, no secret of the trade that will tell you what this is. You simply have to try new things, change things up a little at a time and figure out what combination your body responds best to. And once you have it, don’t forget to treat yourself every now and again. It’s not a failure, it’s not falling off the wagon and it’s not giving up completely if you have a slice of cake or a chocolate covered strawberry. It’s human. It’s delicious. And it’s okay! Just don’t do it all the time. ;)

Dance Floor Fitness

Burning calories I mean. This is gonna be a short entry because I just wanted to tell all my readers and fans out there something that should make you all smile.

On the dance floor at a club, whether you're a frequent at a night like Blue Monday or a top 40 dance party, you can be burning up to 1000 calories all night long! It's equivalent to taking zumba class! If you only take short breaks off the dance floor for water every song or so, you may burn between 300 and 600 calories per hour! (Actual amount of calories burned depends on individual weight and intensity of dancing).

So go out, enjoy yourselves and dance the night away! You'll sweat off some pounds without even realizing it!

Changes are greater than a number

I can feel my body change, get stronger. I can feel my body tighten up and I can see my muscles growing, my skin firming. I can see these changes right before my very eyes...

So why am I so concerned about how much the scale says I weigh?

Technically, I'm "putting on weight." SCARY!!!

But when I really think about it, it isn't scary at all. In fact its a really good sign that I'm gaining pounds because that means that I'm working out hard enough to build muscle!! I should be ecstatic to see the numbers climb!

But I still have that anxiety that we feel when we see our body "get larger" in any form. So today I want to share my feelings and resolutions with you all, whom I'm sure have felt this way at one time or another when you start working out and weight training. It feels like this:
"I'm working out so hard!! How am I still gaining weight??!?!?"

But it isn't like that. It's not that you're gaining weight. Your body is changing. It is morphing into a well oiled machine of muscle and strength. You are gaining power and losing weakness. You are building a core instead of letting it all hang loose. This weight, is good weight.

I have started to see these changes in the last two weeks, ever since I started taking weight training and other exercise classes at my gym. It's incredible, the changes I am seeing in the mirror. But what's more amazing is the change I can feel. I can lift things that used to be too heavy for me (like carrying a 25lb bag of cat litter up three flights of stairs at my apt), I can work through an hour of hardcore ballet training and go straight into my next class without my legs feeling weak, and I have more energy than I ever have.

It's the best thing I've ever done... short of marrying David, of course... >.> lol

Don't be afraid to gain weight if it's the right kind of gain. Gain strength. Gain muscle. Gain power. And lose your dependence on that number. It really is just a number and it really is what's inside that matters.

Revamped

My workouts have gotten quite a makeover in the last week. I discovered something awesome that, to be honest, I had only feared and avoided before:
Group Exercise Classes.

Yeah, I know that's weird for a person who is certified to TEACH group ex classes to be scared to take them. I just worried that I wouldn't last the whole class or that I'd look stupid trying to keep up with people who were stronger, faster, better, etc.
It's very similar to a fear that a lot of people have when first joining a gym. They are afraid to go because they don't want to look stupid or fat in front of the other members, who they envision as super buff and never sweating.

That simply is not the case. These classes and gyms are filled with people just like us. People that just want to be fit and healthy and enjoy the exhilaration and camaraderie of working out with others. I truly had nothing to worry about, and neither do you.

So I've been amping up my workouts in a new way. I had started to plateau a little with just doing the same workouts all the time, so I decided the only way to switch things up was to force myself to push harder. The best way of doing that is to have someone else do the pushing. I am now proudly and happily a group-ex junkie!

I take group weight training classes three times a week, core cross training three times a week, pilates on Tuesday and Spin class on Sundays. These are all classes I was so afraid to even try before, and now I can't get enough of them! I can feel the changes in muscles, even after just one week.

My dad suggested that part of the reason for my fatigue might be that I need to weight train. This seemed weird to me at first, but once I started adding weights into my workouts, I can feel such a difference. My body is undoubtedly getting older, and the older we get, the more important weight training and muscle building is! Now that my body is building more muscle, it actually has the energy to, you know, use them!

Whatever you need to do to revamp your workouts to get your body doing what you want it to, go ahead and do it! Don't be scared to "look silly" in front of anyone. They're all doing what you're doing, and they're feeling as silly a you are!

Blame and Change

"It's because I live in a dorm"
"It's my kids food. I have to keep it in the house for them"
"I don't have any say in what my parents/wife/husband/family feeds me"
"There isn't a gym nearby"
"I just don't have time to diet and exercise"
"It's genetic"

Those might be pretty familiar words to a lot of us. We like to place blame when it comes to any shortcomings. It's human nature. And sometimes, there is something to blame for our unhappiness with our bodies. But for many of us, the only way to shed the pounds is to shed these excuses.

It's not about blame. It's about taking responsibility for your own body and how you treat it, regardless of who or what is "at fault" for what is making you unsatisfied with yourself. The only way to make a change is to admit that there is something that NEEDS to change.

Weight gain, muscle reduction and fat storage are natural parts of aging, something everyone on this planet is going through at all times. I'm not asking you to cheat time, but there are ways of finding a balance as time progresses. You have to change your actions in order for your body to change. And even if you're in a good place with your body at the moment, you can't just stay with what has worked before or even what is working now. You body learns to adapt, and before you know it, what was working is no longer producing any results.

Switching up your diet can be dangerous, so make sure you consult a medical professional before you do anything drastically different with diet. Easy changes you can make are:
-Nix the soda
-Drink more water, overall
-Switch to whole grains (avoid white, processed grains
-Lower your portion sizes and eat more often
-Try going organic

Switching up your exercise routine is just as easy. If you're an elliptical junkie like me, try to throw in a spinning class or some zumba for a change in cardio style. Your body will respond to the difference, I promise. If you're a weight training connoisseur and never really go for cardio, try doing fast paced circuit training in super sets to keep the heartrate up instead of your regular workout. If you can get a good rhythm, you'll be killing both the weight training and the cardio fitness birds with one stone.

The most important thing to realize is that something, or a lot of things, needs to change in order for your body to change the way you want it to. It might be physical change. It might be mental or emotional change. Whatever you think you need to modify in your life to get the results you want, give it a try. Trial and error is definitely an okay way of figuring your body out. Just make sure you do it safely.

Small Start = Big Results!

If you're just starting out with a workout plan, don't expect to start at an hour. If you're not used to doing cardio exercise, you have to start small. You also should appreciate, every little amount of exercise that you do, even if you just run for five minutes, that's five minutes more than your used to doing right now, and that's a big deal.

Don't think that just because you only worked out for 5 minutes at a time that it doesn't have any effect. It can all add up to huge calorie burns if you keep up with it. If you can only run for 5 minutes on your first day, that's fine! It's 5 minutes of cardio you didn't get the day before, and that's a big step. If you want to go a bit further, but you cant handle more than 5 minutes before you get out of breath, do it in intervals. Do 5 minutes, then rest. Then get back on for another 5 minutes before resting again. Repeat until you feel that you've met your workout goal for the day. It doesn't have to be all in one sitting. Just add it all up at the end. Now that's making math work for you, lol!

Example:
A 150lb person burns about 50 calories in just 5 minutes on the elliptical trainer. Do just 4 sets of 5 minute runs on this machine and you've burned 200 calories. Not bad, huh?
That same 150lb person can burn 25 calories doing low-resistance cycling, 40 calories speedwalking on a treadmill, or 35-55 calories swimming (35 for laps, 55 for treading water). All these seemingly little numbers can really add up if you do a little at a time.

Believe it or not, when I started working out, I could only run for three minutes before getting too tired (interestingly enough, most songs are only three minutes long, so that's how long I would dance at a time in class and on stage lol). I knew that it wasn't a very long time to run, but I had to be proud of myself for those three minutes. And I was even prouder when I pushed it to five. I felt so good about myself when I could do ten minutes without stopping. It took me months to get to twenty minutes, and when I did, I stayed there for a while. It became my twenty minute morning run for almost a year, until I was ready to push myself even further.
You gotta do what your body can, and know when to push yourself and when not to.

Do what works for you, and you WILL see results. It has taken me years to get to the workout load I take on now, and some days, I still have to break my workouts into little bits just to get through it. It's okay to take small steps, and even the smallest step can lead to big results. <3

Support systems

Been a while. Sorry about that. Can't begin to explain why, but let's just move on to the real good stuff: workouts! :)

Earlier this morning I mentioned teamwork and peer pressure as a great means of motivation for working out and getting fit, and I cannot stress this enough. Finding a gym partner, a workout group, a class or anything that brings you into a group dynamic for working out is the BEST way of making sure you stick to your workouts.

It's really hard to motivate yourself. It is, I promise. Even the most dedicated fitness enthusiasts need outside motivation sometimes to stay at the gym, get through a whole class or even get up in the morning in time for a workout. We need the support of our friends sometimes to drive us through to our fitness goals.

Sometimes finding a gym partner or a class can be hard, I know. I wish my friend Raven lived near me so we could be gym rats together. It's hard for me to find anyone who wants to go to the gym super early like I do. But I'm kind of hoping that I can be that friend for some of you and you guys can be that friend for me through this blog.

I plan on posting some video blog entries soon featuring yoga poses, stretches, exercises and dance moves. Any thoughts on that? Would you guys like to see some of that? If so, do you want me to do anything specific? I'm completely open to anything fitness related that my readers want to see and learn. I am here for you, and your support is absolutely amazing to me. Thank you. :)

Fitness on a budget

Times are hard, and we're all feeling it. I'm, as I type this, thinking about all the ways that me and my husband can cut back on some things to save a little money now that performance season is coming up. I'm a saver, so I like to start early making a small nest egg, and this unfortunately might mean cutting back on....my gym membership.

Saving $50 a month sounds pretty good, but when I weigh it with losing all that gym equipment, tons of classes and free/open rehearsal space, it's hard for me to give it up. Still, I think it might be worth it to put a little money away so Dave has some financial cushioning while I'm off doing my thing. So I've started to think of more ways I can exercise without a gym.

First of all, my apartment complex has a small gym. The only problem is that the ellipticals in that gym are AWFUL.But, I can use mine at home then go to the apt gym for weights and other machines. It's doable.

But many people don't have apartment given fitness centers and I may not always have that luxury, so I definitely had some creative thinking to do.

Fitness doesn't have to cost $50/month or $99 per week or whatever gyms and trainers cost these days. You can get fit in the beautiful outdoors or the comfort of your own home for next to nothing, especially if you have someone like me giving you tips, tricks and training sessions online! lol Glad I can help!

Here are a few ideas for exercising at home or outside:

-Take your own stairs. Walk up and down the stairs while listening to your iPod. It's like having your own stair master, complete with interval training! Doing this for 30 minutes will easily burn 300 calories (based on calorie chart for a 150 pound person). Trust me a half hour or even an hour will go by fast when you're listening to your favorite playlist.

-Play some tag or sports in your lawn or at the park. Join a pick up game of football or ultimate frisbee if you see people playing at the park. Get your friends together for a game of basketball. Got kids in your life? Great! Nothing can motivate you to get up and move more than getting your butt kicked at tag by a 10 year old. :)

-Yoga/pilates/zumba/etc on tv. here are actually fitness channels now on Comcast or other cable/satellite provider listings that have easy to follow workouts that you can do right in your own home! Give it a click!

-Take the dog, or your Significant Other, for a walk!
Go fast or go slow; it doesn't matter. Just go! Spend an hour just walking around or to the store and back. Those calories will burn away and you'll actually get to connect a bit more with your furry friend, your beau or yourself.


I have plenty of ideas along these lines and as I try them myself, I'll keep sharing them with all of you and let you know what seems to work the best :)

Changes

Sometimes we all have to make changes and sacrifices in order for our bodies to do what we want them to.

I know as a dancer that I must demand a lot from my body, and my diet has to work for me. The problem is finding a diet that works for both my lifestyle and my body. This has proven very difficult. If I don't get enough protein, I can't work out as hard. if I don't eat enough carbs, I barely have a kickstart for my workouts and practices. If I don't get enough fruits and vegetables, I get dehydrated. It's really hard to find a balance.

And not just for dancers. Everyone has to find that perfect balance between what they eat, what they do with their bodies, and what they want their bodies to be like. This is so much harder than even I expected, but it's also super important.

It really is all about balance. If there is something you want to eat, you have to balance that desire with how badly you want to shape your body and really think about what effect that food will have on your goal.

I know how I want to eat, but recently I found out that it simply doesn't work for my body and my needs. It's really unfortunate, but it's something I have to deal with because right now, being a dancer is more important to me than eating certain foods. I need to make my nutrition a priority above all else, or my dance career might come to a screeching halt. Lack of proper nutrition can lead to illness, injury or worse, and I just cannot afford that right now. I don't know anyone who can.

We all have to find the nutritional balance that works best for ourselves. No two people are alike and no one diet will work for everyone. Do what's best for you, and most importantly, figure out what is important to you and feed that desire. :)

Salt Life?

Okay so I don't have a sweet tooth lately, which I thought was a good thing. But no, it has caused me so many problems in the last few weeks: mainly that I'm gaining water weight. No one likes water weight. It feels gross and it's not real nice to look at. I'm not a fan.

Why did this happen? Because instead of having a sweet tooth, I've been craving salty foods. I've been eating a lot of soy sauce with my sushi, popcorn and Amy's pizza. These are all low calorie, good for you foods, but they are incredibly high in salt, it turns out. There was my mistake.

So as usual, when things aren't going my way, I turn to research. I read books, browsed websites and called nutritionists to figure out why this was happening and I have found the answers and some solutions. I know I'm not the only one who has to deal with this, so I DEFINITELY want to share what I've learned with all of you.

1. Salt = water retention.
Eating excess sodium causes your body to retain water, and everyone retains this in different places. Most women retain water around their midsection and legs while men tend to retain it just in their stomachs and chests.

2. Sodium is in so many foods.
It's not just cutting back on adding salt to your food. Sodium is in everything, especially processed foods. Canned soups, frozen dinners an snack foods are filled to the brim with sodium. Steer clear, or just lighten your intake, if you want to avoid bloating up. I've had to give up soy sauce, popcorn and frozen seasoned veggies. I'm sad, but the weight is practically evaporating off now.

3. Natural diuretics CAN help, but only to a point.
Drinking tea or coffee can help reduce some of the water retention, but only a little bit. Use them at first to help your system flush out a bit, but make sure you drink plenty of water too.

4. Water helps get rid of water.
Seriously, drinking water helps to get rd of water retention. It flushes you out better than anything. Drink water. It's the best thing you can do!

5. Don't mistake water weight for body fat and visa versa. Try to be in tune with your body and know what is causing your weight gain or loss so yo can better know how to deal with it. Don't be afraid to visit a nutritionist for extra advice. The best advice is that which is tailored to your specific situation. Everyone's body is different.

I hope I don't miss the salt in my food, but I'm certainly ready to be rid of this water for good. Let's just hope I can keep on track with this!

My favorite seasoning (salt substitute) are McCormick Salt Free seasonings: lemon pepper. The lemon gives me a great acidic flavor that can seem salty to my taste buds and it's great on everything. I also have started to just sprinkle ground ginger on my sushi instead of dipping into soy sauce. It's awesome! I'm sorry I didn't think of it before!

What are some of your favorite salt-free seasonings?

Nothing like a good workout...anywhere!

So I was at work for hours longer than I wanted to be, and I was desperate for some gym time, having missed half my workout that morning (thanks to my husband's car battery dying). Does this ever happen to you? I hate it. Missing a workout makes me feel sluggish and icky all day.

So while I was at work, I decided to make the most of my shift during the down time and work out there. Hopefully you all can use these ideas where you work when its a little slow. Here's what I did:

1. Plies/Squats: When no one is in the restaurant, there is a lot of counter space to use as a "ballet bar." I would go through my plies and squats like this:
-While holding on to the counter with one arm, stand with your feet turned out, about hip width apart or in "second position." Squeeze all muscles in lower body and abdominals as you bend your knees (keeping knees in line with toes" and then straighten up slowly. By the end of 30 reps, your derrière will bee feeling some serious burn. Try to do 3 slow sets of 30 before your manager comes back from the bank, lol.

2. Static bicep/tricep workout: Hold your arms straight out to the sides for as long as you can in one shot. I usually go for 2-3 minutes straight, then let them down to rest before going for another. Holding up the weight of your own arms is a killer toning workout, and its how dancers have long and lean arms (we hold our arms out, up and strong throughout our entire barre/class). Try it anywhere, anytime. Its a great toning exercise that you can do at work so long as you don't care if your coworkers give you silly looks for a minute lol.

3. ABS! - This one definitely makes you look silly, but when your abs are burning and getting toned, you wont care. Hold one arm behind your head and stand firmly on one leg (the same leg as the arm you're using). Then bring your opposite leg into your chest, crunching inward with your abs (like an angled crunch while standing. Repeat on other side. Try for 3 sets of 25-30. It's good times, and something that you can do in an empty office or a bathroom at work in no time at all.

Its not a complete workout by any means, but it's a great supplement when you just don't have the time or space to exercise properly. It gets me through. Do you have any other ideas?

Back to the real world

Man, cruises are nice. Everything you need is right at your fingertips, any time of day. It was nice to spend a week on a cruise with my new husband, relaxing and indulging in life's little pleasures and wonderful moments.

We sat at watched the sunset every night on the deck, we spent our days at art auctions, towel folding classes and...oh yeah, spent HOURS AND HOURS in the gym. :) It was the most relaxed I've ever been.

But I have to say, THANK THE HEAVENS for the gym! If I hadn't spent at least 2 hours working out per day, I woulda come off that ship weighing so much more than I do. It is NOT a myth that on a cruise, the average person gains 1-2 pounds PER DAY.

This bears repeating:

The average person gains 1 to 2 pounds PER DAY on a cruise.

On my 8 day cruise, the average person gained 8-16 pounds by the end of the week. Yikes.

Me and Dave staved off most of the weight gain by
a) Being Active: Going to the gym, going for scenic walks on the on-board/outdoor jogging track, and engaging in active activities on shore.
b) NOT DRINKING

That second one may be difficult for many people but not drinking alcohol on board saved us a TON of calories and more money than we can count. Think about the costs:
Each drink ranges from $5 (beers) to $11 (cocktails). I saw many people drink at least 5 beers and a few cocktails each day, and that was before midnight, so who knows what they drank afterward. I'd say that's an average cost of $50-100 per day in booze. Wow. Between me and Dave we saved between $400-800 on that alone! Nice :)
Calorie-wise, we saved even more. With each beer being between 120-200 calories per bottle and each cocktail ranging from 300-1000 calories (the higher end being frozen, fruity drinks and sweet cordial concoctions), the range of excessive calories goes from a surprising 1500 to over 5000 calories per day....just in liquids! No thanks!

So we did well there, but the food was another story. I was easier for me, being vegan, to skip the heavy foods and keep from overindulging too much. But I did eat much more in quantity than I'm used to, and I ended the week with a 3 pound weight gain. I'm sure I can get these pounds off in no time, and it was nice to indulge a little, so I have no regrets. (For more on how I got to eat all the yummy foods I wanted, stay tuned for a NEW BLOG from me about vegan life and veganism on tour!)
Dave indulged alot, and I'm glad he got to eat some delicious food and sweets. But he has some gym time to put in to make up for it, and I'm charged with the task of being his trainer, lol. I guess we'll really put this marriage to the test here!

The point I'm trying to make is that while it is dangerous to overindulge on vacation, as it will typically always result in weight gain, if you balance yourself with a little give and take when it comes to eating and drinking, and keep up with your workouts while you're on vacation, you can let yourself enjoy all that is around you while minimizing consequences. It was nice to let go and enjoy some of the tastiest foods I've ever had, but I also knew that gym time was mandatory in order for me to fully indulge each day. And I never missed a work out, knowing that I wanted to feel free to eat and eat without guilt.

So next time you're heading off for a relaxing retreat or getting into a string of events (i.e. wedding + honeymoon + stress of finals week) like I did where food and overindulging was just part of the deal, try to make sure you leave time for your workouts and put the effort into taking care of your body so you can enjoy the indulgences while you can.

For me, I'm enjoying getting back into my routine of diet and exercise, but I will also say that I can't wait to get back on a cruise ship sometime. Like for our first anniversary! <3

My Routine

I had a friend on Facebook request that I post my workout routine. I'm sorry I've been so absent from posting, but wedding plans and homework have taken over my life! And the big day is only 2 days away now!!! WOW!!!

But this morning I had an epic workout. It felt so nice to just have the time to myself and focus on my body and my spirit for a little while. Working out always feels so good.

My routine:

60 minutes: Elliptical/Run to get my heart rate up and burn calories at the start of the day.
15 minutes: A different form of cardio to get oxygen flowing through different muscles (Bicycling, Rowing, Dancing, etc)
20 minutes: Weight training. Different muscle groups each day, alternating by areas of the body (Lower, upper, abs/core). I typically do at least 3 exercises for the muscle group in 3 sets of 10-20 (or 50 if its an abs day).
10 minutes: Stretch all muscles in the body (This is THE MOST IMPORTANT part!!)

And if I'm lucky enough to have the time that day, I take a class as well. I love Spin class, Yoga, and ZUMBA the best :)

What's your routine?

Counting down

I know it's been a while, but trying to get married and graduate in the same month has left me little room of anything else. That being said, I just want to state for the record that holy hand grenade I can't believe I'm getting married in twelve days and graduating in a month!

So with twelve days left, I'm trying to stay calm an easy going, and most importantly focused. I have so much wedding planning to do on top of so much homework, and I have to admit the stress of it all has made working out and staying on my pre-tour/ pre-wedding diet really really tough. Add to that my beloved elliptical has met its maker, currently being held up by duct tape. Thank you Murphy's Law for the great timing on that one.

I have spent my days recently working doubles, making favors, writing papers, and dealing with the en thousand problems that always come up when planning a wedding, and I'm exhausted. But I'm not going to let that stop me from staying on rack and looking beautiful in my wedding dress.

I know you all have felt this way, overwhelmed by everything that's going on in your life. I mean hey that's why I write this blog in the first place. So, I'm going to share some of my motivation with you, so we can all make it through these busy times staying as healthy ad FIT as we want to be.

I'm making time for weight training. Especially for those over 25, even more so for women over 30. weight training in a part of a workout that cannot be skipped. After all, what good is it to lose all the fat if you don't have any muscle to showcase underneath it? Here's what I'm sneaking every day to get the tone I mot certainly want on stage... and of course on my honeymoon.

- 50 sit ups
- 30-50 squats/plies
- 30-60 calf raises
- plank position
- and or course, a little dancing

Most of this stuff I get done in the morning while I'm getting ready. I do squats and calf raises at the bathroom counter while I'm brushing my teeth. I either do 50 sit ups and hold plank for 2 minutes right before I get dressed in the morning or right before I go to bed at night. And of course, I'm always dancing if I have the space, even if it's just from the dining room to the kitchen after clearing a table. All of these thing tone muscle and burn calories, and none of them take more than two - three minutes each. know sometimes it's hard to find an hour to hit the gym, but we can always find 2 minutes here and there.

With all this stress and all the craziness in my life right now, its nice to know that there's always a way to FIT it in.

Fad diets dont work

Not in the long run, anyway. I promise you I've experimented with every fad diet known to man. Special K diet, SlimFast, South Beach, Atkins, Cookie Diet... you name it, I've tried it. I can tell you from my many years of diet-obsessed experience that the skinny on these diets is that skinny doesn't apply.

At first, you will lose weight. I doesn't matter which radical diet you decide to go with. Any major sudden change or shock to your system is going to produce instant weight loss results. The bulk of this instant loss is almost always water weight, but losing actual fat and keeping it off long term is simply not in any of these carefully prescribed cards.

When preparing for tour, DragonCon, or dance competitions, I've found that I do resort to my favorite fad diet at least in the few weeks prior. Out of all the crazy diets that you see on TV and in bookstores, the on that I feel best about and that works for me in the short term is a modified Special K diet. I say modified because I usually eat cereals like whole grain Total, Kellogg's All Bran, or plain Shredded Wheat (sweetened with Stevia and/or agave syrup), cereals with density that will fill me up. Special K tastes great, but after an hour, you'll feel like you ate oxygen for breakfast.



The fact that cereals like Total, All Bran and Multigrain Cheerios have 35-100% of my percent daily value of over 20 vitamins and minerals and only 180-200 calories per bowl helps me cut my calories for a few weeks without any fear of malnutrition. In fact, it almost seems like I could stay on this diet forever.

:::imagine Borat's voice::: NOT!

I will say that it worked for a while. I lost a few pounds before tour, pounds I refer to as "desk job cushioning," and I managed to keep it off and maintain my exercise and diet for about six months. But recently, in the last two months, I've started to notice that the cereal diet isn't working anymore.

I gained three pounds, and I started to blame it on the pizza restaurant I work at. ut I've come to realize, that while Libretto's has an abundant supply of tasty, non-diet foods, it wasn't the food that made me gain weight. It was the fact that only eating two bowls of cereal all day turned me into a ravenous, compulsive eater, and all there was around me was pizza and white bread. Gee...



So while the diet did work for a while, it effectually stopped working and had n opposite effect after my body adapted to it and needed more to survive on. No wonder I've been so tired. NO wonder my workouts are getting cut short.

So my advice today is about fad diets and what I've learned. Some of these diets are great for a jump start. I will always recommend certain diets like the cereal diet or SlimFast as a great way to lose some initial water weight, but don't do these for more hat a couple weeks. That's when you have to start finding your own balance between exercise and nutrition, a balance that you can sustain in the long term. I'm gonna have to find my balance now that I've realized my plateau.

I'm going to take the next week or two and find out what works for me. Please feel free to share your ideas. What works for you?

**Pictures are the works of Jhonen Vasquez, creator of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, in his cartoon strip: Happy Noodle Boy.

Tone up and tune up

I'm loving my renewed energy for working out. I'm running at least an hour a day and I'm working on building muscle and toning up with machines, free weights and pilates. It's been so great.

However...I just wish I had more than 90 minutes to spend at the gym every day. 90 minutes barely scratches the surface, as after 60 minutes of cardio all I have time for are 2-3 weight training machines/sets and some stretching. That's why I'm finding even more little ways to tone up and weight train throughout the day when I'm not at the gym.

I know I'm not the only one who wants to work out but really doesn't have enough time to get it all in. Seriously, that's my entire reason for writing this blog! To share my little tips and tricks with others out there who just want to be healthy and happy even when they feel like they just can't fit one more thing into their day.

Try these moves anywhere, any time for a quick tone up to add to your total work out for the day:

1. Kitchen Calf Raises
While cooking dinner (or breakfast or lunch), stand with feet hip width apart, with your feet turned out slightly or straight forward. Stand with straight legs and proceed to lift yourself up to stand on the balls of your feet (standing on your "tippy toes") and then slowly lower back down to stand flat, holding onto your counter, stove, sink or significant other for balance. Repeat in sets of 10, 20, 30 or even fifty, three times total. This uses your own body weight to tone your calves, when all you'd be doing instead was standing anyway. A perfect way to build some sexy muscles while getting delicious food on the table.

2. Abs while sitting
While sitting at your desk, on the couch, on the train to or from work, in a car, or anywhere your but might be glued for a little while, you can give your abs a proper workout as effective as sit ups. Sitting up tall, tense your ab muscles and hold for 3-5 seconds then release. Repeat this 10 or 20 times each set for 3 sets. Increase reps and sets depending on how much time you have and how sore, or not sore, you're feeling. Your summer bikini body will thank you in a few weeks :)

And just in case you do find yourself with some extra time, here is one way, a favorite of mine, to get a work out, have a great time and be helpful to a friend or family member!

1. Play with kids.
Whether you are the proud parent of a few little ones or you have some adorable nieces, nephews or neighbors around you, take some time out to help a friend and get a little lighthearted laughter in your day by watching the kids for a bit. Kids have all the energy in the world, so why not let them run you around for a bit? Play, jump, chase eachother, toss them (safely!), dance with them. Be silly and active in ways only being around kids would allow you to do. :)


Time is something I know we never get enough of, especially when it comes to taking care of our bodies. I really do wish I had more time to spend at the gym, but for now, I'll take all the little sneak-in exercises I can get!

Catching up

Ever feel like you've fallen behind? Not just with work or school (which I am behind in) but also just with your goals and desires in life? They can be big dreams like winning a competition or graduating from school, or they can be small goals like passing a test, paying bills on time or, in my case, keeping up with your workouts.

I've been so overwhelmed with school and wedding planning that for a few weeks I had completely lost my focus in my workouts and dance. It didn't feel good, and now that I'm getting myself back on track, it doesn't physically feel good. I feel out of shape and it hurts.

I re-amped my workouts, not taking any excuses from myself like I have been: "I have to get home early so I can do some online work before I go to work" or "I'm so exhausted from writing this paper I can't workout tonight." Now more excuses. I know my work and planning will get done whether I workout or not, so I won't let these things stop me anymore.

Life is kind of like that. We let all the "musts" and "have-to's" get in the way of the things that keep us healthy and happy, and then many of us then fall victim to the vicious cycle that causes the worst type of weight gain: emotional/stressed out eating.

When we get stressed or sad, our bodies CRAVE simple carbohydrates like sugar, breads and starches. This is because these foods cause our bodies to release certain "happy" chemicals like serotonin, which can ease our stresses and depression. The problem is that not only are these foods usually high in calories, they can be addicting and make us consume large quantities of them in minutes if not seconds if we're not too careful. This is essentially how we can eat an entire bag of chips or down a whole box of cookies or pint of ice cream in one sitting without ever realizing what we're doing until it is too late.

I've been doing that at night, and I realized only a few days ago that it has to stop. There are other ways of getting happy, like dancing and playing games. These are things I love that I MUST make time for so I don't end up consoling myself at night over a tub of soy ice cream. Or a pie... lol

It's a mental discipline and we all must make these choices and resolution for ourselves. My new-day resolution: Get out, have more fun, love my workouts and leave the food in the fridge.

What's yours?

Two truths and a lie

Timing is everything, they say, and I somewhat agree when it comes to food. There are lots of diets that talk about when to eat, when not to eat, what time to stop eating for the day, what time to start eating after you wake up...etc, etc.

The whole timing thing is important, but for me it's comprised of two truths and a lie:

Truth: Eating many small meals throughout the day IS healthier than eating only two or three large meals. By eating small meals/snacks all day, you are keeping your metabolism going and not over-stuffing yourself in one shot. The human body does better when it processes smaller amounts of nutrients and calories throughout the day. Forcing it to break down 3 times as much food as your body has capacity for (which is typical of an American portion-sized lunch or dinner), causes the metabolism to slow and the body to store more of the calories as fat. Bad news.
The other benefit to small meals throughout the day is that you never go hungry. You're always eating and keeping yourself satisfied and your metabolism revving at top speeds.

Truth: Eating late at night is bad for you....maybe. This fact IS true, but only when you have a regular sleep schedule modeled after the typical American lifestyle at present. If you wake up early, spend all day active (awake) and go to bed between 9pm and midnight, yes eating late at night is bad for you. The reason why this is so is uncovered in the lie:

Lie: Eating late at night is bad for you. Your body doesn't care what time it is, it only cares what part of your body cycle it is in at the time. If you follow a similar schedule to the one I outlined above, then eating late means you are eating right before you go to bed. This means that your body will either have to process the foods you eat at a slower rate while you're winding down at a lower energy level, or the food may sit in your system processing at a snail's pace while you sleep. This causes much more of the calorie intake to be stored as fat. Again, bad news. But if you woke up at noon, spend all day active (awake) and go to bed at 3am, eating at 9pm isn't going to hurt you. You still have 6 hours then left in your day to process the food and that is plenty of time.

Timing can be everything, but you have to time your eating with what works best for your schedule. Whatever time you go to bed and wake up, these are my main recommendations:

-Work out before your first meal. It kick starts your metabolism for the day.
-Eat breakfast! It revs up your metabolism and keeps your from becoming ravenous around lunch time
-Smaller meals more often is always the healthiest choice
-Midnight desserts are okay sometimes, but never make eating before bed a habit

What do you think about these timing rules?
And just out of curiosity, what is your favorite midnight snack?
-Mine is pie ;)

A V-day throwdown throwback

Here is an old article I wrote on my open and honest feelings when it comes to this, most superfluous holiday:

Battle of the sexes
Is Valentine’s Day tougher for men or women? This is where I stand:

Many people have negative opinions about Valentine’s Day, often complaining about the nature of the holiday itself. If you’re in a healthy and loving relationship, every day should be what Valentine’s Day pretends to be,” There shouldn’t be a holiday that dictates when you have to tell your partner that you love them; you just should
And yet, Feb. 14 remains as it has always been. Every year, when Valentine’s Day rolls around, the world becomes painted in shades of red, pink and white, and on every TV channel, billboard and radio station, there are ads for jewelry stores, florists, greeting cards and chocolate retailers. What do these ads have in common? They are reminders, both subtle and blatant, of what men need to be doing for their special someones on this particular day. Yes, most of the time, these ads are strictly designed for men.
The staple of Valentine’s Day is, by nature, designed to be gifts from men to their girlfriends, wives and other special women in their lives. While there are always exceptions to every trend, teddy bears, flowers and chocolates are gifts that are generally designed for women. You never see a billboard reminding women to get their husbands the latest Madden or hear an advertisement from Hooters explaining how much their husbands and boyfriends would appreciate a dinner there. The most women are required to do, it seems, is purchase lingerie as a prize to their significant others, should they meet the expectations set upon them on this holiday.
On Valentine’s Day, the expectations on men far outweigh the ones on women. Traditionally, men are supposed to spend every moment of the day doing special, romantic things for their wives or girlfriends, surprising them with expensive and classy gifts. What are the expectations on women? Besides reciprocating the purchase of some romantic gesture, like a watch or a symbolic necklace, the woman is practically free of requirements for this occasion. The man is expected to lavish her with gifts, pay for the meals and events, and arrange spectacular surprises at every turn, while the woman merely sits back and gives her husband or boyfriend a token of her affection at some point.
So many girlfriends and wives make their husbands work so hard just to meet a certain standard of gifts and romantic gestures on this one day, and the consequences of not exceeding their expectations are often severe. People have actually gotten divorced because their boyfriend or husband forgot to buy them a gift, card or flowers. It’s stupid and unfair.
Why do men submit themselves to this quasi-slavery? Often, they are focused on the pot of gold at the end of their rainbow of hard work, in the form of romantic attention from their spouse or girlfriend, as they likely have picked up some wearable Valentine’s Day gifts for them.
That sounds nice, but when you really think about it, it only further subdues men on this day.
Men practically have to jump through hoops of fire to win a prize they usually get by default every other day of the year. Women seem to have all the control. If they’re satisfied with the man’s performance, the man gets a treat. If not, he gets to sleep on the couch. This kind of behavior practically equates men to dogs.
The worst that women have to complain about is how horrible their boyfriends and husbands performed on Valentine’s Day, while men have the burdens of gift costs, event planning and the pressure to please their significant others.
This holiday may have been about mutual expression of love at one point, but now it is simply an exercise in how much greater one woman’s boyfriend or husband is than the next.
Just once, I would like to see a man get pampered on Valentine’s Day. I’d love to see him get surprised with the new issue of Maxim at breakfast. I’d love to see his girlfriend plan an entire afternoon of sports-watching and Halo playing followed by dinner at his favorite barbecue pit or pool hall.
If nothing else, should a man perform exceptionally well on this holiday, they should be given their own special day where their wives and girlfriends have to worry and stress over showing their affection and appreciation in different but equal ways.

Re-fueling

I've been feeling alot better lately now that I've changed up my diet a little. I have much more energy in dance class, despite the sore tailbone I'll be nursin for the next month or so... I really think this surge of energy comes from the foods I'm eating, and, even more so, the absence of certain foods I've cut out.

The refined carbs I was stuffing myself with on a daily basis via pizza, dough knots, pretzels, white rice and hoagie rolls, was giving me spikes of energy right away, and then leaving me with a burnt out fuse for the rest of the night. Not good for dance class. I barely made it through half of a zumba class after work last week.

I've given up cheese. I've given up dairy in general, actually. It really wasn't something I would eat very often, but it's made its way back into my diet lately, and I've been noticing negative effects in my dance classes and my workouts. I've been feeling much better since I've stopped eating cheese and other dairy products, having much more energy and a general lack of achy insides. Last night, I had a small cone of ice cream in an attempt to finish the last of the dairy products in the house, and what do you know? I went to bed with a tummy ache. Go figure.
The question is: Will I eat wedding cake? We'll see...

For dancers, avid gym-junkies, and athletes, I really do recommend dropping the white refined carbs and really limiting dairy products. These things spike you up and weigh you down, respectively, and you just might see a good difference in your performance, especially if you avoid these foods on days that you work out, dance or play.

What are the foods I HAVE been eating? Here is a list of foods that both my taste buds AND my body seem to love:

-Brown or brown and wild rice
-Fiber gourmet or whole wheat pastas
-Amy's frozen meals (Yum!)
-LUNA BARS
-Fruits
-Fresh veggies (It's no secret, I love carrots!)
-Sweet potatoes (with just cinnamon on top, baked...so good and low cal!)
-Stuffed peppers with brown rice, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach and boca burger. Yummy :)

What are the foods that fuel you? Maybe you can add a few more ideas to my list of pre-dance favorites!

A new dawn, a new day

A new life...and I'm feelin' good.

That's pretty much how it feels every time we lose a pound, run a previously unattainable distance, or reach any goal in fitness. It feels like a new dawn has arrived, birds singing and everything.

I hope to feel this way soon for reaching my latest goals, but for now, I am enjoying the spirit of change. I am changing my lifestyle and my diet back to what it was when I was at my healthiest. After all, as a dancer my body is my INSTRUMENT and it has to come first and foremost in my life. I must treat it well.

Not just dancers, though. Everyone should put their bodies first. You only get one body and any amount of damage or mistreatment can be devastating to long term health and even make life inside that body a little shorter.

I try not to think about the damage that I've done with my body with ASPARTAME. For at least a year, I drank pretty much nothing but diet coke everyday, at least 2 liters per day while I was at work. It was tasty and satisfying at the time, but I hate to think about the fact that I caused myself migraines, digestive problems and possibly cancer in the future all to save a few calories on something I shouldn't be drinking anyway (sodas).

There is NOTHING in soda that we should be putting into our bodies. It is full of liquid chemicals and artificial ingredients and tons of sugar/syrups. Nothing else. No nutrients, no vitamins. Just sugar and chemicals. PLEASE stop drinking this!
Diet soda is even worse, by the way, because in addition to chemicals and syrups, it contains artificial sweeteners that are made with alcohols, dangerous acids and even arsenic! I know it's hard; it is hard for me to give it up. But PLEASE stop drinking sodas, especially diet sodas!

And for me, right now, that's just the tip of the iceberg. I've given up sodas, but I've also given up other foods that are doing nothing for me but adding some jiggle factor. I don't like jiggle factor...at all.

Foods that will be eliminated from my diet whenever I can help it:
-Sodas/Diet sodas
-Anything that contains artificial sweeteners
-White flour breads and pastas**
-Processed foods
-Anything with more than 7g of sugar per human sized serving (the amount I will eat, not the serving size listed on the box)

**White flour breads and pastas have been my bane these past two months. I have been eating way too many pizza crusts, cheeseless personal pizzas and calzones, pastas, white breads and plain garlic knots, and as a result I have ZERO energy and extra pounds.
I don't like that at all

So I'm redoing my diet right. I'm stripping the walls and repainting my diet with a fresh healthy new rubric that will give me more energy and keep my muscles from flabbing out.

I'm going to Whole Foods and Native Sun today. Upon return (after ballet) I will write a list of great foods that are full of nutrients and will keep us full of fiber and flavor at every meal. Do you know of any good foods/brands? Share please!!

Have your cake

And eat it! Because, what is the point of having cake if you can't shovel it into your mouth with a fork like a little kid at a birthday party?

On the other hand, cake isn't always in everyone's diet. It's certainly not in mine, but I have such a weakness for sweets. This morning, I am having dutch apple pie for breakfast. Gasp! It sounds so bad for me, right? Not this pie. Each of the 50 pies I have in my freezer are 140 calorie mini pies that are filling, nutritious and DELICIOUS!

Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I don't share my pies. But what I will share are my little secrets on how to get the most delicious desserts for 200 calories or less:

-http://www.lighttouchfood.com/store/
This site is where I order my pies from. They offer a wide variety of desserts and sweet treats like muffins, cheesecakes, cookies and brownies that are all sweetened with fructose and have less than 200 calories each. It seems expensive, but if you buy in bulk it saves a ton. I buy my pies in cases of 48, at just under $2 per pie. If you think about it, that's pretty cheap for a dessert these days, especially one that's good for you.

-P.F. Changs Mini desserts
They have 6 varieties of mini desserts that are sinfully delicious, but heavenly to your figure. I'm addicted to these, I swear! These include
Mini Carrot Cake
Mini Red Velvet Cake
Mini Great Wall (chocolate layer cake)
Mini Apple Pie
Mini Tiramisu
Mini Lemon Dream
(Tiramisu and Great wall are my favorites and they're only 100 calories each!)

-Homemade bananas foster
Oven baked bananas coated in cinnamon topped with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and some whipped cream. No sugar except in the syrup and whipped cream, and try to use low cal/low fat varieties of each to save even more calories for yourself.
Um, Can I have some now?

-Simply Delicious Cakes
This one is for my Jacksonville people, but there may be a similar bakery in other cities that offers a cake like this. Its a layer cake made only with Splenda instead of sugar, from the layers of moist cake to the mousse frosting. It is one of the best cakes I've ever tasted, and everyone who tasted some of the 6" cake I bought a few weeks ago never guessed (and still don't believe me) that its both sugar free and low calorie. Now I'm not an advocate for Splenda, but out of all of the artificial sweeteners, it is probably the least harmful option. Its okay every once in a while, and this cake is definitely worth it at 200 calories per slice (a good sized slice too!). It can be ordered in a variety of flavors and sizes so go see Theresa and pick one up today! (www.simplydeliciouscakes.com)

Tonight I had a PF Changs mini tiramisu for dessert. So good, I'm still thinking about it. :) I'm saving the mini great wall in my fridge for tomorrow unless I decide it's a pie kind of day!

Do you have any low calorie desserts you'd like to share? Please do! I'm always up to try new things that won't break my diet!

Letting go or gearing up

Everyone has an off season, not just dancers, performers, and athletes. During this season, which I find myself currently in, one has to be incredibly self-motivated and self-disciplined in order to stay in shape.

I won't lie, this is REALLY HARD.

I do my hour a day in the morning so that regardless of what happens during the day I at least know I had an hour of cardio. But If I'm going to be open and honest, which I strive to be with you, my readers, I'll have to admit I haven't stretched in days, I haven't been to dance class in a week, and I barely had enough energy to finish my hour. And I feel lousy about it.

Its not that I don't have a thousand excuses, good ones, like school, work, and planning a wedding! But that doesn't change the fact that my first priority is as a dancer. I should be stretching every day, going to classes as often as I can, and hitting the Gym for more that an hour so I can get back to weight training like I know I should.

Its not just us dancers, performers, and athletes. Everyone gets busy, and everyone has times when fitness just can't come first.

I stress the importance of getting in your minimum. I've talked about this before. For everyone, a minimum amount of exercise is going to vary. For me, its an hour of cardio, for others its twenty minutes of a yoga dvd, for you it might be taking stairs to get to your office. Whatever you've set as your minimum, just make sure you get that everyday and you'll at least maintain some level of fitness.

If you find yourself, like me, in a rut where you're stuck on your minimum, here are some ways you can add to it, even on the busiest day of your life:

- go five more minutes. If you're about done, and you know you've hit your minimum mark, just push through for five more minutes. In five minutes, you can burn 50 calories on the elliptical, stretch your entire lower body, or tone one more muscle group. Trust me, it will be an amazing five minutes.

- work out at your desk and/or your work station. Find a minute here, five minutes there, whatever you can get. Do calf raises at a counter, upper torso twists in a desk chair or a couple laps around he office suite/school/building instead of or on a "smoke break." Trust me it adds up.

- You're going to love this one. Finish your workout in bed. Whether this means doing some situps or controlled leg raises in your pj's as you wind down for sleep or getting romantic with your husband or wife before you call it a night, these last minute calories burned are going to make a difference.


Today, I'm determined to stretch when I get off this elliptical, run through the set, work on choreography for my class tomorrow, and take a ballet class. I'm fortunate to have a day off from work today, and I hope that I can get all of this accomplished in between homework and errands.

What do you want to accomplish today?

Impulses and aspirations

So my mom called yesterday, and told me to write about something in my blog that she saw in the grocery store. A couple in front of her on line at the checkout was buying two packs of fresh, healthy sushi and two bottles of juice. Good on you, guys. HOWEVER, before they got to the cashier, though I'm not sure whether it was planned or spontaneous, they each grab a Little Debbie cake off the rack next to the cash register, completing their meals.
Part of me wants to chastise them for succumbing to those devious checkout temptations, but the other part of me is really okay with this. There has to be a balance. I'm not saying Little Debbie is healthy for you, and on some level, they did "ruin" their healthy lunch with America's favorite snack cake. But if you're going to balance an oatmeal cream pie with an eel and avacado roll and some Odwalla juice, I'd say that's a pretty good lunch.

What we do need to watch out for are all of life's little temptations, like the the grocery store check out line. Just because it's there doesn't mean we have to take it. Just because it's a buffet doesn't mean we have to eat till it hurts. And most importantly, just because it's fat-free or sugar-free doesn't mean we should the whole thing in one sitting. I guarantee you its not calorie free.

The other thing that's bugging me today is kind of related to temptation in that I am being swayed into a particular direction or another. I am a girl who has many goals, and I usually keep them in a hierarchy so I remember what's most important to me at any given time. Today, I came to realize that I'm missing one of the most essential aspirations a person can have: happiness. I get so caught up with everything that I want to do, like be a successful, healthy dance, finish school, and get my novel published, that I forget that being happy takes more than "do."

I'm not going to get into this right now, but I am going to tell you that whatever your goals are here, be it weight loss, toning, general health, etc, just make sure that these goals and what it takes to get there make you happy.

That's all for today. If I can get my head out my book tomorrow, I will have much more to say.

What you eat

Is truly what you are. Right now, I feel sluggish and tired and I'm constantly hungry. Well, this is because I'm not eating enough protein and filling myself with white flour pizza with only a sprinkle of fresh mozzarella cheese and marinara. This is tasty, fresh, and somewhat healthy...but all it is is simply carbs. That's not the makings of a good diet, especially for someone who works out as much as I do.

So I'm going to use this blog to post some of the foods I am going to fill my diet with instead of pizza so that you can find some good-for-you, filling, and nutritious foods to cook and buy for yourself as well. My main goals are to increase my protein to help me have more energy for all of the dancing and working out I do, and to eat foods that have higher fiber content and less white flours so that I feel fuller throughout the day and don't graze at the pizza place, lol. Here are some ideas for myself and for you, since I'm sure I'm not the only one falling victim to the all white bread diet:

-FiberGourmet tomato bisque pasta with feta cheese
The company, FiberGourmet makes high fiber wheat pastas that taste just like the regular stuff but have over 14g of fiber per serving. This pasta makes me feel full and it's tasty, especially when I top it with my favorite sauce/topping combo. Instead of traditional marinara or tomato or Alfredo sauce, I love to top my pasta with Tomato Bisque soup. It has all of the Italian flavor of a tomato cream sauce but it is much healthier than a creamy sauce but offers more cheesy flavor and spices than straight up marinara. Then I top it with a small sprinkle of low fat feta cheese and let it melt on top. Yum!

-Teriyaki Tofu (or chicken) bake. Fill a square baking pan or casserole dish with a small layer of a mix of soy and teriyaki sauces. Then lay long cuts of tofu or pre-baked chicken cutlets in the pan so that they are half submerged in the sauces. Let the sauces bake into the tofu or meat at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Serve either in lettuce cups, on brown rice, or with stir fried or steamed broccoli, sugar snap peas and carrots. Good stuff!

-Caprese flatbread. I like using Flat-out Flat breads (only 90 calories each and made with whole grain). These take less than 5 minutes to prep and only 10-15 minutes to cook so its perfect for my crazy schedule. I like to top these with soy or fresh mozzarella (never the regular stuff), diced or sliced tomatoes, low fat feta and basil. Low cal, high fiber, high protein and a perfect food for a snack, a meal or a post-workout pick me up.

-Crescent Burger-Moons. Ingredients: Boca vegan burgers (or if you like real meats you can use Bubba Burgers, Turkey burgers or anything that suits your tastes), Pillsbury crescent rolls, cream cheese. Roll the dough out from the can and spread cream cheese on the inside of the crescent rolls (laid flat). Slice the burger patty into strips and roll them up inside the crescent. Bake as directed. Enjoy as part of a meal or grab a few for the road on the way to work (you, know, so you...er I mean "I" don't spend all day noshing pizza).


I honestly think eating like this is going to do wonders for my energy levels, my fitness and muscle development and my overall health. Plus it's all delicious! Tomorrow night's dinner: Caprese flatbreads as an appetizer and Tomato Bisque pasta for me and ave before we head out dancing all night. That sounds like heaven, doesn't it?

All you can gorge

So I'm hurting today. My tummy is not very happy and it is all my fault. I decided to go to an all you can eat sushi/Chinese buffet last night, and despite all of my efforts, I completely ignored any amount of self control I might have in me. I waaaaaaaaaay over did it. It was so delicious...but so painful.

The question is: was it worth it? Well, at the time, it was. The food was amazing. My favorite things were the candied sweet potatoes and the fried bananas (yes, at a Chinese buffet. Welcome to the south, lol). But I didn't stop when I was full... I just kept shoveling the yumminess into my mouth until I literally felt like I was going to burst open. It hurt so bad.

And today I am still suffering for it. Bad heartburn, cramps, and general distaste for any kind of food have ruined my day today. I'm hoping that a nice yoga class that I'm about to go teach will help a little, but really, I just need to NOT let myself feel this way in the first place.

There is NOTHING healthy about going to an AYCE buffet. I don't care if it's a salad and fruit bar, if you eat more quantity than your body needs, you are doing yourself quite a disservice. There's almost no way to go to a buffet and not over eat, which I'm realizing is absolute hell on your body. Especially with the economy the way it is, most people would be inclined to "get their money's worth" at a buffet, which is a recipe for nutritional disaster.

Next time you feel like going to a buffet, try to persuade yourself that the heartburn, aches and possible up-chucking that may follow is simply not worth the $10.99 price. Besides, for $10.99, you can probably get something a whole lot healthier and better quality at another restaurant down the road.

Feeling really hungry? A buffet is the worst thing you can go to on an empty stomach, because you are guaranteed to gorge and binge eat in the worst way possible. Binge eating is really unhealthy. Forget calorie counting, simply taking in to much food at one time is way too hard for your body to process and you can cause a world of problems like blockage of your systems and more of the food gets stored as fat energy.

Next time you're up for something hearty, go for a footlong sub from places like Subway, Quiznos or Firehouse for less than $8. How about a personal pizza with fresh mozzarella for $8 at your local pizza joint, or some moo goo gai pan and white rice from your favorite Chinese take out for $6.50? Better prices, better portions and no painful tummyaches from overeating.

I'm learning this lesson today, the hard way. Let's just hope I even make it through Yoga class...especially since I'm the teacher!

catching up

Sorry its been so long. Apparently something is going all the way around Jacksonville, and last week it hit me square in the throat in the form of Strep. It hurt so bad I could barely eat, and that is definitely not a healthy way (or a fun way) to lose weight.

Speaking of "Healthy Way," I'm going to take this opportunity to gripe a little about American values and the way we eat. A few days ago, I went to the Town Center Mall hoping to grab some lunch before a gig. As I turned the corner right past Kay jewelers I immediately stop in my tracks, as I see one of my favorite healthy restaurants, the Healthy Way Cafe, has gone out of business.

Of course, Marble Slab Creamery, Auntie Anne's pretzels, and Maggiano's Little Italy, all within eye shot, are busy and thriving. Go figure.

It seems that our society really doesn't like healthy food. We'd rather savor the flavors of full fat, whole milk ice cream, white flour pretzels dripping with butter, and creamy, cheesy, oily Italian food. Well... yeah, that all sounds good... really good. However, to your body, nothing tastes or feels better than crisp, fresh vegetables and fruits, a bowl of brown rice, marinated, organic meats (or tofu), and seasoned vegetables.

Sure, that kind of food doesn't have all of the bells and whistles (aka, sugar and butter) as the ice cream and the pretzel, but it is more filling and offers more nutrients, and it won't make you crash or feel like you're dying of starvation an hour after you eat it.

I find it interesting that this happens right after I watch, and consequently become obsessed with, Supersize Me. We really are a nation of fast-food eaters and sugar addicts, and the closing of one of the few healthy quick-food restaurants completely proves this for me. I'm not saying that we should only eat vegetables and brown rice for the rest of our lives, but I am saying that we would be a healthier, skinnier nation if we didn't close down restaurants and cafes that offer fast, fresh, and tasty healthy food, and then line our streets with McDonald's, Arby's, and Wendy's.

It doesn't matter that Wendy's uses all white-eat chicken and garnishes their fries with sea salt. It's still soaked in oil and of questionable quality. It doesn't help that McDonald's sells salads if they are going to charge twice the price for them, and fill them with two to three times the calories of their traditional menu of Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets. Arby's isn't doing any better since their line of "Market Fresh" sandwiches have much more fat and calories than their cheesy, roast beef sandwich.

I'll give these guys a C for effort, passing them into the New Year with a warning. Shape up your food so we can shape up our bodies. Because Americans are starting to wise up. At least I thought we were until I stood in front of the empty concrete hole that used to be Healthy Way Cafe.

So my advice to you is if you find a healthy restaurant with good-for-you take out and friendly local service, go there. Keep visiting them, patronize them as often as your budget allows, and keep putting healthy foods in your body, and keeping healthy restaurants in business. Hold on to them for dear life.

For my Jacksonville friends, I'll let you know, these are the restaurants that I'm going to start to frequent a little bit more often:

Healthy Eats at the Avenues Mall
The Flame Broiler in Tapestry Park
Chipotle Mexican Grill (they use mostly organic ingredients)
Roly Poly
Nature's Table (I haven't been there yet, but after looking at their menu full of salads, wraps, paninis, and soups, this is so my next stop.)

Recess

In elementary school, I remember being given about half an hour per day to run outside and play with the other kids. However, I also remember this being taken away as soon as I hit the 4th grade, and it was time to study for the FCAT and other standardized tests. Instead of being given a nice break in the middle of our school day where we could be active and get a bit of exercise, we were stuck inside sitting at our desks for seven hours straight.

Now recess is a thing of the past altogether in most schools and P.E. has been reduced to about 50 minutes PER WEEK. Top that off with hours of homework that require more sitting at a table at home writing and reading. While learning is absolutely essential and I believe that homework is a really REALLY good thing, we are forgetting to teach other important aspects of life...you know, the ones that AREN'T covered on a multiple choice test.

Kids spend all day in a desk now, all afternoon studying in their rooms, and all night playing video games as a way to unwind without needing too much energy since by then they're exhausted. This is a recipe for obesity...literally.

And it's exactly how adult life has become too. Many adults spend all day at their desks working, given a short lunch break where they sit and eat, and then go home and sit with their kids helping them with homework or work on bills/etc at their own computers for a few hours. Maybe watch a bit of TV then go to bed. I think we're learning now too early in life that it is "important" and "part of life" to be sedentary, and this needs to stop.

Let's bring back recess. Even if I can't bring it back in schools (which I am really endeavoring to do through my master's thesis), Let's try to bring it back at home. Instead of telling your kids they cant play outside til their homework is done, why not go play with them for 30 minutes or an hour right after school before they start their homework. You know their homework must get done, so if you go outside and play catch or use the swing set with them for a little bit, they're sure to get their exercise and fun AND get their homework done before bed. The only thing that might have to get left for another day is the video game playing. Take it from me, an avid gamer, playing outside is much more fun anyway.

Bring it back for yourself too. Use your lunch hour to "play" outside. Take a walk; take a lunch hour spin/yoga class. Take a few minutes while your kids are having nap time to pop in a zumba video or dance along with Carmen Electra in your living room in between vacuuming. Go get your friends after work in the park and play some tackle football or take up golfing on the weekends.

Get outside and play!

Recess is much more important than schools seem to remember it is, and I hope to affect this change as soon as I can get them to understand that standardized testing isn't the end all save all of education. For now, bring back recess in your own lives and encourage your kids to get more active just for fun. Fitness and health will simply wonderful byproducts of fun!

Forbidden to be FIT

This is so frustrating. I'm sick with Strep Throat and I've been told I'm not allowed to work out for at least three days. This is really upsetting to me...and very boring.

But on the other hand, it is a lesson for myself and anyone who seems to run themselves constantly on the verge of empty. Maybe if I had rested more, and not constantly pushed myself so hard in work and workouts, I might not have gotten so sick. Maybe; maybe not. But it is an interesting idea.

Still, I hate laying here in bed, having hardly been conscious all day thanks to antibiotics and anti inflammatory meds (p.s. I hate taking medication). When I'm awake, I'm stir crazy. I can feel my muscles spazzing, begging me to run and let some air circulate through them.

But even if I really wanted to workout and forget the fact that I'm "not allowed" to until Tuesday, I don't even think I could today. That's the other thing about being sick: your body just succumbs to the virus and everything shuts down. My back aches, my legs are tight, and I have no coordination or balance. Not good combos for a workout.

So I will diligently listen to the advice I've been given and stay in bed...at least for today. We'll see how good I can be tomorrow...

For now, the wisdom I will share stems from my frustration of being sick and trying to find the underlying causes of it. Dave swears it's stress, but that can't be right. I have been constantly stressed for 5 years, but only sick a couple of times therein. As not good as stress may be, I hardly think it's related to this. I think it's actually my current eating habits, making this a prime subject for tonight's blog post.

I've been a bad vegetarian lately. Namely, I've been craving, and subsequently eating meats. I blame both my recent diet of take out from all of the restaurants me and Dave have been working at and the fact that Libretto's Pizzeria has the best meatballs I've ever tasted. But regardless of who is to blame, I've been eating meats often lately. And being that the last time I was this sick (last november), I was eating a lot of meat at Firehouse subs, I am putting the two together.

I'm not saying that everyone should be a vegetarian, although there is something to be said for all of the research and doctor recommendations that indicate that a meatless diet is the best for one's overall health and maintaining/losing weight (http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=9246). I'm saying that this is what seems to work best for me and my body and even though some meats taste really good, I shouldn't constantly indulge in them like I've been doing. Plus all of the take out can't be good for anyone.

My advice today is advice I will try very hard to take myself. If you have the time, cook your own meals. Meals that are healthy and nutritious. Tasty too, of course.

Some take our alternative ideas: Instead of going out for a burger, make home made sirloin burgers with lean ground sirloin and whole wheat buns. Save a tons of calories by topping them with homemade tzaziki sauce or fat free ranch or bbq sauce instead of mayo and high fat sauces. Try melting Feta or laughing cow light cheese wedges instead of full fat cheese on top. Fr vegetarians like me, try grilling boca vegan patties. They're delicious and low cal to boot!
Instead of ordering pizza, try making your own with healthier and cheaper ingredients. You can either get a fresh wad of dough from the bakery for a pizza or use flatbread, french bread or pillsbury rolled pizza dough as a base for a nice pizza. Add mushrooms, onions and peppers to a jar of ragu pizza sauce (which is nicely low in calories) and top with part skim or low fat Mozz, cheddar or any other cheese and toppings. Vegetable toppings add barely any calories so feel free to load up with these!

These are both things I have cooked before successfully. That's saying a lot since I'm not a great cook. Seriously, my version of cooking usually involves dialing 7 digits. But I am trying to be healthier and take control of what I'm eating. The best way to do that, and take more control of your health as a result, is to cook your own food with ingredients you choose for yourself. I think I'm going to go read a bit of Fast Foo Nation before I pass out again, to remind myself that being as sick as this is never worth living on fast food, no matter how tasty it seems.

Good days

I taught Yoga for the first time in a long time tonight, and it felt wonderful. It was nice to not only get to practice my yoga with new people, but to offer yoga classes free of charge to college students and parents and their children meant a great deal to me. Tonight my class had 5 students in it and they all seemed to really love the class. It felt really great to give them a free 45 minute yoga class after a long first day of class, a long day at work, or a long day taking care of their kids. So rewarding :)

I've had a great couple of days, in fact, all centered around fitness and dance too. Yesterday I taught a tap class as a guest teacher down in Mandarin. It was so much fun to get back in my tap shoes, and the girls I taught were so enthusiastic and quite talented. The class went so well that the studio owner actually offered me a job teaching it for the rest of the year! I'm so elated; I can hardly believe that happened. I was just so happy to guest teach for them, and now that I am going to choreograph their recital dance and teach them every week, I am just beaming with delight. Seriously, I haven't been able to stop smiling in more than 24 hours, lol.

That's what teaching does for me, especially teaching dance and fitness classes. I love to teach, to spread my wisdom and experience on to others so that they can have a new experience, or an hour of stress free enjoyment or grow into beautiful dancers and healthy individuals.

And that's why I write this blog. Because I can't teach classes every day, and I can't teach everyone I know, especially since many of you live across the world. I just want to keep teaching and inspiring, and I want to help each of you (and myself) reach these goals and aspirations we constantly strive for.

Health and fitness are attainable goals, even when we think we don't have the time, the energy or the money to help us get there. Tonight, I taught a free 45 minute yoga class that may have helped someone release all the stresses of their day; that might have jump started someone's new year's fitness resolution; that might have helped a little ballerina improve her balance for class tomorrow. I would hope that there might be a class like this that you all can find where you live. Something that won't break your budget or your schedule. For anyone in Jacksonville, come take my class.

In my opinion, fitness should always be free to those who are willing to better themselves. As much as it would make for a nice career to have a yoga studio and charge $10-15 per class per student, I just wouldn't feel right charging that much. I would feel like I'm turning people away who couldn't afford my high price tag. Sure, staying home and watching TV is cheaper than having a gym membership...but it shouldn't be.

Of course, if finding such a class is hard for you, you can always try to workout to a DVD. It's not as silly as it seems to follow along with a video, especially with all of the fun and nifty versions out for sale right now. Some of my favorites are:

-Zumba Fitness DVDs (www.zumba.com)
-Pussycat Dolls workout (available at most major DVD retailers)
-New York City Ballet Workout (available at most major DVD retailers)
And more
Also, the newest video games for the Wii and Kinect systems), though they are slightly pricier than DVDs, are great ways of working out at home for a fraction of the cost of group exercise classes. My favorite has always been (And will always be) Dance Dance Revolution (DDR).

The DVDs typically cost only $30 or less per DVD and most of them have multiple workouts on them, giving you plenty of variety that you can workout with over and over. Plus they're loads of fun, and being able to workout in the privacy of your own home is priceless.

I can't wait to teach again. I'm so excited, I'm going to start choreographing right away! Starting right now!!!!

The Cravings Monster

I've been bad lately. I've been craving carbs, excessive amounts of them, for a few days now. And I can tell you that nothing good has come from satisfying this craving. Normally, I'm a firm believer that cravings are highly indicative of nutrients that you body is lacking. Because of this, I typically listen to my cravings. However, I just couldn't fathom the idea that I wasn't getting enough carbs. It didn't seem plausible that I would be lacking any nutrients in carbohydrates when that is the bulk of my diet already.

So I did some research.

Turns out carbohydrate craving often are not indicative of a lack of physical nutrients but emotional nutrients. In fact, carbohydrate cravings are linked to decreased levels of dopamine and serotonin, the "happy" chemicals. This made me realize that not only was this where emotional eating comes from, but that I was doing it.

Yikes. Now that's a wake up call.

I don't need to wonder where my lack of happy chemicals comes from since I pretty much run on stress as a fuel. But I am sure it also has to do with the fact that I'm not dancing as much as usual lately. Something that makes me the most happy isn't happening as often as it should be. I must fix this.

This happens to everybody, and I want us all to be able to catch it before it gets bad, like stopping a old before it turns into the flu.

Craving carbs turns into emotional eating faster than you can spell carbohydrates. This is how we can end up sitting on the couch munching our way though an entire bag of cookies, a whole loaf of bread, or an extra large Sicilian pizza. And let's not forget the pint of ice cream, every woman's favorite wading pool of wallowing.

So I have an idea. No, I not going to chew gum all day, I'm not going to take an appetite suppressant, and I'm going to substitute anything I crave with diet soda. This is all bad, DON'T do any of it.

The next time I crave pizza crust, pasta, the discarded ends of sub rolls, and fresh-out-of-the-oven garlic knots (can you tell I work at an Italian restaurant?), I'm going to deter my cravings in a healthier way.

To start, I'm going to tell the cooks to stop giving me any of these foods I'm asking for. It's like offering sugar to a diabetic. Not good, guys.
Secondly, I'm going to bring healthier snacks with me so that I have something to munch on that isn't calorie laden, refined bread. Good idea, huh?

And more than anything, since I learned that the reason I'm craving these foods is that I'm lacking some "happy" in my life, I'm going to fix this problem at the source. I'm going to dance more, whether I have time for it or not. I'm going to try so hard to stress less, even with my last semester of school starting today and my wedding being only 89 days away. I'm going to do what I can to stop these carbocravings from taking over my life and ruining my healthy lifestyle.

If you're having massive carb attacks or finding yourself emotionally eating, you can do something to help yourself battle these cravings. Find something that makes you happy that doesn't fill your stomach. Have some friends over. Go for a bike ride. Paint. Do anything that makes you happy even just for 10 minutes a day. It will make all the difference.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go dance like an idiot around my living room for a bit :)

If you're craving