New ZumbaWear!

Hurry! Check out the site and tell me if there are things you want. Some sizes are out of stock but are being restocked soon, so tell me your wishlist! I'll place an order Monday or Tuesday.

www.zumba.com/shop

Here's that fabulous ab song

This song is SO good. Here's the place to find it.

LOVE Zumba on Valentine's Day!

If you are in Zumba on Monday night it is because you LOVE it more than anything else you could be doing for Valentine's Day. So we'll make a playlist of all the songs you LOVE. I've got a few up my sleeve. What are your favorites? Send them to me and I'll put them on the list!

Why Dance to Music in a Foreign Language?

When I first came to Zumba classes, I found I enjoyed relying on the feel of the music rather than the lyrics. When you don’t have the lyrics in your head to express yourself, you rely on your body to bring out that energy. That means you are working your muscles more and enjoying it at the same time. The time flies!

If you already speak Spanish and know the lyrics, there is good news for you, too! Zumba highlights music from all over the world. In addition to Latin rhythms like salsa, cumbia, merengue, samba, flamenco, axe, and tango, we get to enjoy rhythms like polka, bhangra, soca, and African dance. AND, we still enjoy a sprinkling of familiar English songs that bring a smile to your face and really get you moving! There is something for everyone!

Hale Freezes Over 5k/10k this Saturday

Just in case you are interested:
http://webticketing.haletheater.org/

Scroll to the bottom and register quick!

FREE High School Night at the Orem Fitness Center

February 4 is a FREE after-hours high school party! 10-midnight! I'll be doing a Zumba class from 10:15-11:15 p.m.

Admission is FREE with a current Orem city high school ID. Send all the teens you know. I'll work 'em hard and send 'em home by midnight.

My diet experience

Yes, I’ve been on a diet. Twice. 20 years ago. Of course, just like most people, I gained all weight back, plus MORE. I said, “hmmm, if I keep doing this I’ll keep gaining weight for the rest of my life!” So I promised I’d never go “on” a diet again. Going “on” a diet implies that at some point you’ll go “off” the diet. That’s the part where you gain it all back! Permanent results require permanent changes, so if you want to lose weight, you can’t go “on” a diet and expect it to fix things quick. You’ll have to “change” your diet. The good news is:  those “changes” tend to not be as drastic as many “diets” and the results are much longer lasting!

Count downs are SO last year.

Ever put together a jigsaw puzzle? The excitement is seeing how much progress you can make each time you sit down to work on it. Even though all puzzles start out telling you how many pieces there are, I don’t think anyone spends much time counting how many pieces are left in the box. Instead they enjoy seeing the picture grow on the table and want to see how much of it they can build.

Who would enjoy taking apart a house of cards one card at a time? No one. The fun part is seeing how high we can build it.

Sadly, we don’t see projects in our lives with the same excitement. Too often, we are focused on how many pieces are left in the “box” and not enjoying the fun of how much progress we’ve already made.

It really takes the fun out of it.

We count down how many months left in school, how many more minutes left in a meeting, how many years until the children grow up. We count how many minutes left on the treadmill, how many laps left to run, how many pounds to lose, how many days left on a diet…

It really takes the fun out of it!

If you are taking on a new challenge, try looking at it from the perspective of building up, instead of breaking down. Count the minutes you complete on the treadmill, the days you stick to your diet plan, the number of new healthy meals you create, the times you make it to the gym. Don’t count consecutively. Count every minute, every lap, every day, every meal.  The point is, BUILD. And build up. Don’t even think about “the end.” You may be surprised what a big difference this small change in thinking can make!

NEXT POST: my experience with diets.

WARNING! READ THIS before you make any New Year's Resolutions!

First let's talk about the bad kind of New Year's Resolutions.

The bad kind of resolution would be to set a goal for a result you want. For example:

I want my children to not fight with each other.
I want my boss to give me a raise.
I want to lose 20 pounds.

What's wrong with those goals? They only focus on the outcomes. They have nothing to do with your behavior. Behaviors you can change. You can't always control the result.

Better goals:
I will work to get my children to bed earlier so they have the rest they need.
I will focus more time at work on the things that are most needed, (and spend less time on email!)
I will work out 3 times per week, find healthy snacks to satisfy my hunger, and drink 6-8 glasses of water per day.

Do you see the difference? The first set of goals can lead you to be continually frustrated if you haven't been able to produce the desired effect. The second (good) kind of goals are the ones YOU have control over. At the end of every day, you can say, "Yes, I did it. I can probably do it tomorrow, too." Much more positive.

Check out a podcast segment I did on this very topic four years ago.
http://babiesandmomsradio.com/blog/2007/12/

You'll just need to listen between 7:25 and 22 minutes. There is an article I reference about Chinese footbinding (I do have a point). You can find that article here: http://www.myseveralworlds.com/2007/07/11/suffering-for-beauty-graphic-photos-of-chinese-footbinding/

I want you to be successful and feel good about yourself. I hope this helps. I welcome you to talk to me anytime. 


NEXT POST: a healthier perspective on continuing your goals. 

Rudolph with Ryan Shupe video

You're all stars! Check it out!

Zumba: Easier than Step Aerobics

Worried you're not enough of a dancer for Zumba class? Think you can't make your body move?

Check out what this website has to say about Zumba over another traditional cardio workout.

No treat -- No big deal

I took my kids to Baskin Robbins last night. Everyone got a double scoop of something. Except me.

I can't have ice cream. Ever. I know people tell me I can buy those little lactaid pill thingys, but they don't work for me. So I just don't have ice cream. Ever.

But even at the ice cream haven, I didn't feel sorry for myself. I didn't even feel tense at being surrounded by all those yummy treats I can't have. Because the truth is, I CAN have them. I just CHOOSE not to put myself through the consequences. I am in control of that.

From the first day I realized I could never have ice cream, or milk, or yogurt again, it was no big deal. Why? Because I realized how it was making me feel and I didn't want to feel that way again. I felt empowered to know what to do to avoid the bad feelings. It's just a change in perspective. Understanding what it does to my overall "feel good" level makes it change from being something I am being denied to something that I am in control of. Hot chocolate makes my stomach sick and then I don't want to move. So saying "no" when someone is holding a hot steaming cup out to me isn't hard at all.

So why is it that I can't have the same attitude about cinnamon rolls, raw cookie dough, peanut butter M&Ms? I don't even have to say no ALL the time. The difference is probably that the consequence is more distant from the decision point, but the consequence is still there. When I overdo it, I get an insulin response, I feel sluggish, my stomach doesn't feel good. Yes, even me!

So, maybe my public confessional will cause you to rethink a few things you think you are not strong enough to say no to. You probably don't have to say no ALL the time. Just be in control of your choices and keep everything in moderation. I think at this time of year, that is a realistic approach.