Member123

@centralcalicruzer. Hello! Yeah, I think you EARTH ladies can get away with black a bit easier than we FIRE gals.

Here's a link to the blog: http://amazingvoyages2.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html

in case anyone wants to go browse through the pictures. This blogger is short on words and long on pictures.

I did catch one blonde who looked like she had a blue/gray gown, which was probably passing for silver in the light(s) of the ship. I suppose that is what I'd have to do... try to find a warm silver? Does that exist? A silver with a brown undertone?

In the pictures (and, again, he might have been selective in whom he posted), there is no one who isn't in the silver / black of the Silver & Black Ball night.

I've thought that Anita looked good in black... and then I see her in chocolate brown or plum and I change my mind! She looks "acceptable" in black, but fabulous in the warmth of the other colors. Now, I know there's the whole discussion of a warm, brown black... I suppose you EARTH(s) can get away with that if you can FIND IT! I don't know what a poor FIRE is to do? What would you recommend for me?!? Me, me, me....:rolleyes:

You'd think that a necklace would help and make a difference but I have pictures that disprove that theory! All those tops ended up in Anita's wardrobe because the brilliant gold necklace didn't get the job done and then the outfit just looked... well... bad... :p

Hi, ladies:

You ladies are more "awake" than my FIRE ladies! So I'm going to ask my question over here first (I'll see if my ladies answer and if they don't then I'll ask "over" there as well).

As a background piece of info, I've found an amazing travel blog from someone who is on a Holland America ship for 221 days! Not a typo... this solo traveler is taking a world voyage. He left Seattle and is headed to Japan; he's been on the ship for 9 sea days... so far...

So, last night the ship had a Silver & Black Ball. He posted pics and I didn't see anyone (of course, he may not have posted someone who was "non"-conforming... anyway) who wasn't participating by wearing black or silver. Lots of LBDs. Lots of tuxedos (really sharp on the men, that's for sure!). Lots of silver gowns. No gold. No bright warm clear colors!... oh... where am I?... ummm... muted, warm colors! (LOL).

What would we do? How would we participate in this event? What would you do? The options are... pout in our stateroom... ok.. not going to happen with us as we love to be out and about and participate in the FUN... wear black?... wear silver?... wear deep, dark chocolate brown and hope that no one notices?... wear deep, dark navy and hope the same thing?... IDK... thoughts?...

On White Night onboard Celebrity, it's pretty easy to wear the creme or ivory that would still be so flattering for us. After all, there are so many shades of white that a creme or ivory just blends right in. But, it's not that easy to blend into silver... black...?... I admit this one threw me a bit.

Anita.

This makes me want to cry from pure happiness and joy. :cool:

O.M.G.

Just an affirmation on how important diet is to any weight loss plan. And, how being in a lifestyle plan makes the bump in the road manageable...

What is up with this 3500 calorie = 1 lb plus or minus math?!?

Anyway, I went shopping on Saturday on an empty stomach. So bad! All the gurus say that in order to maintain both your diet and the heft in your wallet that you should NEVER go the grocery store on an empty, growly stomach...

as it turns out, the avocados looked so good! And the tomatoes smelled so tomato-y, and it had been ages since I'd had any good guacamole... and, of course, you can't eat guacamole without chips. Chips is one of my trigger foods; everyone knows what that means, right?

So, yeah... guacamole for me! I came home and made a batch of guacamole and DH and I chowed. down! oh. yeah.

Sunday morning.... 2.2 lbs UP. Wow, must be all the salt, right?

So, Sunday, off to Zumba class. Felt so sluggish and so darn "icky," just like my whole system was... well... sluggish... and icky. But I got through class and... guess what?... it was an extended class because there isn't anyone coming into the room after us and the ladies kept asking for one more song! So, we went over by about 6 minutes! That was an intense class and the calorie burn was in excess of 900...

Yesterday, I had a typical eating day. Breakfast was a smoothie. Lunch was a typical sandwich. Dinner was a chicken breast, broccoli, and a small baked sweet potato. Pretty yummy.

This morning weigh in. Did. Not. Budge.

I'm just sharing this only because it's all about not paying attention to the scale as your ultimate measurement. Because, I know that I had this bump up and I know why... a total indulgence meal.... well, snack. And I know that my lifestyle means that I'll get my body back to its comfort weight because I'll just continue to go to Zumba and eat healthy meals (without the indulgence factor). Note: my indulgence was an AVOCADO not even CHEESECAKE! LOL.... just wait for the holidays! (ahem)....

But, I think that all this talk about indulgence can't happen if you are on a weight LOSS path. Right now, I'm in maintenance mode. So, I just monitor my calories in/out and use the scale as a tool for keeping me informed.

Just a short chat this morning. Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!

Ladies...I just have to share this website. I posted a link on a different thread here on the fashion board...I explored the site further and it is FULL of inspiration. Take some time to navigate around. Click on a look you like and see the outfit in greater detail with more photos...see what other collections the outfit appears in...etc etc. So much to see...

 

http://chicisimo.com/fashion/fashionista/mariachicisimo/sets/oranges-and-tangerines/page/2/?_t=1348961605977

 

The link above is to a page about Orange and Tangerine...which should appeal to both my EARTH and FIRE sisters. Enjoy!

This site is totally fun! And it's so great to be able to see people from all over the world. Am I right in thinking that these are real people? I just took a look at the link and clicked on the fabulous combination of neon orange dress, lime green shoes, and aqua accessories, green belt, and green nails to find out that this picture came from Russia! Now, I have to delve further into the site to see if the "clip" or the "person" is Russian... but silll, what a hoot! And then the other collections where the outfit appears is fabulous as well, because it seems to just go on and on.

I encourage everyone to grab a sippy beverage and go to this site and start clicking away.... because it is very inspiring.

WTG, Anita.

Ok. I'm so totally in love with this stupid song...I can hardly stand it!

 

I'm looking at YouTube to see what others are doing to the song...there are 3 videos I like...

 

Master Class in Korea:

 

This teaching team is having too much fun OMG:

 

Some of the ladies LOVE some of the moves in this version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOMjAPUuEUc

 

I wonder if Young does anything similar to any of these?

 

There is also Bradley's version:

 

Bradley's is getting copied a lot in other videos...IDK...I think I like the others better...but I haven't actually done any of these routines...I wonder Mom if any of these inspired Young? I'm sure she spinned whatever inspired her...as we all do...maybe she is totally creative on her own. You mentioned a body roll...

 

There is a body roll in this version...I think

 

This guy is in Malaysia.

 

I have to say...this is one of my most favorite things about Zumba...the whole international thing...I really enjoy looking at all the videos all over the world...same song...same general idea...I love it.

I'm going to do my best to piece this together. This may bore everyone else to death; this is basically for Anita.

Gangnam Style, piecing together Young's choreography.

The first moves are similar to moves at 1:47 - 2:05 in the above video.

Bradley's video has arm movements similar to what Young does next at about 0:35 except that Young (being the arm movement queen) has her arms over her head rather than at shoulder height.

Followed by arm, crunch pumps (kwim?)

This video:

has the moves that I was trying to describe when I talked about the cumbia type move(s)... starting at 2:27 - 2:56.

Bradley's video has the lunge type move that I was trying to describe, starting at 3:03 - 3:16. Bradley does an 8-count on each leg and Young split it up as a 4-count, switch, 4-count, switch, 4-count, switch, 4-count switch and changed up arm movements after the first 8-count completion.

I hope this makes some sense.

I can't quite remember how we transition into football legs just before the pony movement. We do the significant pause, after football legs, when we get into the pony movement. And the Sexy Lady move is that cumbia move.

Do I need to do a better job describing this?

Last night.

@fergusonvt, I think you would have had a ball with me last night!

Anyway, normally on Tuesdays I get to go to a Kisha class, but last night she subbed for the Toning class that is right behind my regular class, so I stayed! Which meant that I did Zumba for 1 hr and 58 minutes! What a rush! It was so much fun... :D

Kisha is just a fantastic instructor. She has such determined, slow movements and she has the perfect style for a Zumba Toning class. I did take this class, once, when the regular instructor taught and I just didn't "feel" the FUN, so to speak. The regular instructor is one of those high-impact, high-energy instructors and she really only used the toning sticks as added weight to the effort, kwim? But Kisha put all of her skills to use and used the toning sticks as resistance weight and had us doing bicep curls, tricep extension, lat pulldowns, shoulder presses! It was awesome. If she had a Toning class, I would definitely be hooked.

So, once again.... it's just an affirmation on how important the style of the Zumba instructor is to your enjoyment of the class! Because I could also tell that some of the ladies in the class were missing their regular instructor! Kisha kept reminding them to not "shake" their weights... to use the weights in slow, deliberate movement... to plant their arms at their waist and just use the upper arm movement for the bicep curls... just standard resistance training form, really. But, some of these ladies were outrageous in their outfits! OMG! one, young girl had strapped on ankle weights and insisted on holding her 5-lb weights in each hand for the entire class... and throwing her weight around (literally). Way worse than the pigeon-toed merengue problem... <sigh>... Note: most people did not have the Zumba toning sticks but were using the dumbbells from the gym which is why Kisha kept telling them to stop shaking them! I used the 2.5-lb weights for some of the songs... plenty enough weight... maybe slightly too much for me...

Kisha is also nursing a shoulder problem and isn't supposed to extend one arm above her head. So, consequently, she didn't use weights and because of that I couldn't figure out how to actually HOLD the weight. I know that there's a difference in the hold (a huge difference actually) and how an angle puts different stress on the muscle.... palm up, palm down, holding weight on the vertical rather than horizontal, for example... so I abandoned the weights in some of the songs. No big.

But, OMG, talk about an endorphin rush! I had such a good, relaxed, worked out feeling last night. And, boy, did I have a good night's sleep. I didn't know if I would because sometimes Zumba makes me hyper.

But, I prepared for last night's class(es). I made some homemade chicken soup (so good) that I ate before class. So when I came home all I ate was my dessert, which was 1/2 an apple and a 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries. Tasted yummy and was perfect.

Still feel good this morning... but glad that it's a REST day! :D

*sigh* I think I have a girl crush on Kisha...

 

*ahem*

 

Body rolls. It all depends on the body roll...some start at the bottom and work their way up...some start at the top and work their way down. I usually start at the top...

 

You can start with the head but usually the emphasis starts at the chest for me. Body roll is all about muscle isolation. For the chest...I usually say "head lights on"...lift the chest while pressing the shoulders back (not down)...but back...as in squeeze the shoulder blades...yes...that's good...if you focus on squeezing the shoulder blades...the chest naturally pops out...now do the opposite...open the shoulder blades as wide as possible...this moves the shoulders forward and causes the chest to cave in. If you just do this back and forth...you are doing a chest level "booty pop" kind of thing...actually...this is very belly dancing like...

 

That's the beginning...I think we are about to go home...so I'll be packing up soon...then I can post more.

This was very helpful because there's something about making the movement with your shoulder blades like that... it seems like when I squeeze my shoulder blades my glutes also squeeze... do I have some kind of imaginary string connecting my shoulder blades with my hiney?...I mean it's actually difficult to squeeze my shoulder blades without squeezing my hiney!

Anyway, it also seems natural to do a pelvic tilt when I release my shoulder blades. what?...

so by describing this process am I.... fighting some kind of mechanical difficulty... like the foot pointing in the wrong direction?... or is this normal?

AND, the biggest problem that I have is with the speed of the movement as well. I can totally (well, almost) get a body roll if I really concentrate and go slow... but it just breaks loose when I try to do it with any kind of fast rhythm. And it seems that the beat is always fast when my instructors throw a body roll at me.

I can't help it! I'm on a roll...some of these songs have probably been in use for a while...but I'm just finding them...maybe you recognize any?

So.

Miri subbed for Laura today because there was a surprise 40th birthday party lor Laura last night! Laura only thought she was teaching Zumba this morning! LOL.

It's been a while since I've been in one of Miri's classes; she's as beautiful as ever... but... holy cow... how can anyone move like that?

Here's a question for Anita. What suggestion would you give for teaching me how to do a body roll? And, how do you move your abs and your feet at the same time? This movement just seems extremely complicated to me!

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

Listening to Gangnam Style will put that addictive song into your brain on a repeat that will repeat and repeat and repeat...

You've all been Warned!

I am now over 60 and no longer working as a paramedic firefighter. I did for 16 years but instead of football injuries, I have stories of the knee that was injured when. . . stories.

 

I do feel the support and appreciate it. I have been thinking since Anita's Mom wrote about what she wrote. I wanted to really be honest not only here but with myself so I took my time answering. Before the kids grew up we always ate health, raised most of our own food and I wanted the best for the kids. I never had to worry about weight because life was just busy. But weight has caught up to both me and my DH.

 

Yes, I want to loose weight for the cruise and the helicopter ride. That was the reason we started to loose weight. A short term goal. But as both DH and I are loosing weight and eating better the goal of becoming healthier is growing. It was not our goal but is slowly becoming a life style. I have to be honest and say that 9 weeks ago I just wanted to get on the helicopter. But I like being stronger, I like being able to walk and hike and zumba and just be able to do things. I like not having to find a parking place next to the store so I won't have so far to walk. Just under a year ago, if there was not parking, I would have DH drop me off with my cane at the door of the store and let him find a parking place. I like being strong. I have a good many years left and I sure want to enjoy them.

 

So, we didn't come into this weight lose looking to change a life style but it is changing us, and we both are liking it. Just wait until our next cruise, I may even want to wear a bathing suit.

Linda, :D

I'm so glad that you're looking beyond the helicopter ride. With this response, I know that you understood what I was trying to say about the goal that you started with being an "interim goal" that would be so fabulous to achieve... BUT... if you don't manage to get quite there, you won't be devastated (like your post and the 1/2-lb loss) and will be able to move onward.

I don't know if you've read this whole thread, as it is a bit long. I'll just recap for you my own personal struggle. It isn't ANYTHING like the pain of a spider bite and your personal struggle, so please understand that I'm not trying to compare. I just have my own issues in the form of hypothyroidism and the menopausal body. ALSO, the fact that I spent years and years struggling with the weight and doing all the wrong things because I had bad information. I just can't get back those hours and hours on the treadmill where I was trying to keep my body "in the fat burning zone" and the effort of trying to put together a diet in the "magical" proportions of protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Just so much bad information out there.

I spent a bit of time today reflecting on my eating patterns throughout my life, especially after Margaret's comment about the pepperoni pizza. I honestly don't know WHEN I lost my taste for the food that I grew up with. When I was a kid, our family meals were: meatloaf, mac & cheese, hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken. We did have a vegetable garden so I grew up with fresh tomatoes and corn, even broccoli, onions, radishes. I remember canned green beans, cream corn, canned peas. Lots of summer canning of jams, relishes. Every single meal (just about) had mashed white potatoes and white bread. That was my job... to put a bunch of slices of white bread on a platter that would be passed around the table.

When I moved out of the house, I don't really know what came over me that I changed my eating habits. I didn't have a bunch of money to devote to food, that's for sure! Stretched out a lot of meat items with vegetable additions. I don't have a strong memory of meals except that I know I added lasagna, enchilada casserole, tacos, burritos.... anything that would stretch.

And then....

I met my DH. Wow. Life changed.

Food got way better. Alcohol was added. And I immediately gained 10 lbs! I didn't think much of it because I wasn't really heavy to start with. But, we also added some convenient items to our meals; takeout pizza! lunches at fast food burger places! KFC! Life was busy and the effort became one of time management rather than money management.

When I started struggling with weight issues it was because of the thyroid. And that's when my research into food and exercise really became important to me. At my heaviest, I was 41 lbs heavier than I am today. Today, I have on those 10 lbs that my DH brought into my life! But, that's it!

I don't know if my body will settle down to the weight of my young adult years. I don't really have a goal number in mind. I only know that I'm feeling good... have the energy that I need... and really just put into practice what I know works.

Isn't that the key? To put into practice what we know works. Because I think that if we look beyond all the hype and beyond all the magic solutions, we know that we need to watch our food, drink our water, and exercise.

Linda, I was a little worried that you might take what I was trying to say and not understand. What I was trying to do was address the issue of stepping on the scale and feeling like giving up because of the result. I hope that you got that I was saying to just use those times as a measure of progress but not of effort or a crossroads questioning whether to continue or to stop.

So... :D ...

Helicopter ride... interim goal...

Bathing Suit Purchase.... on the horizon! ...

OMG, Debbie. The color spots on the clothes are just TOO FUNNY! LOL. :D And, they just seem to be... so you!

OK. Now, the serious bit...

you look so fabulous! Your skin tone looks amazing. Radiant. Beautiful. Even though the closet picture (why were you in the closet? LOL)... isn't the best as far as color balance, etc., still... your skin tone is so even and smooth.

Seeing these pictures was great! BTW (whispering... have you lost weight?)... :cool:

Thank you for sharing these; they are terrific.

I thought about writing and decided not to... and now I'm writing so I guess the end result is that I just feel like talking.

So.

Supplements. They are not medicine. Therefore, they are not regulated by the FDA. In fact, you will find the disclaimer on most of the ads stating something to the effect that the FDA has not substantiated the claim being made by the advertiser. Why? Because they are considered FOOD. Enough said.

Self talk. Now, this is an interesting subject. Some of us seem to live with the angel on the one shoulder and the devil on the other. When the devil begins to speak, you literally must intone the, very effective, "get thee behind me"... because if you don't.. then you'll do the same thing you've always done and suffer the same result. Which, as we all know because it's been done. to. death. if you expect a different result, that expectation equals the definition of insanity.

In order to succeed in a weight loss endeavor. Which... the definition of weight loss success is NOT losing the weight. The definition of SUCCESS is sustaining the weight lost!

So, you simply can't be on a diet. You simply can't be waiting week to week for the scale to show a change in weight.

What you have to do.... what you really have to do... is be a person who (1) eats a healthy diet of varied foods that encompasses the true meaning of nutritional value and is a specific amount of calories and (2) exercises. As a lifestyle. As a way of being YOU. You, the person that you are, exercises as a matter of habit and routine. You, the person that you are, eats for nourishment and eats for pleasure. But QUITS eating without crossing the line of eating for the sake of eating...Doesn't rely on eating for an emotional reason rather than just feeling hungry and satisfying that hunger. Eating for the physical reason of providing fuel to the body that you feel good in....

Whatever.

It's a lifestyle.

I understand that there is the getting started point. And, I understand about interim goals and the reaching of those goals. BUT, you have to ask yourself whether you are starting JUST to reach that interim goal? Is that the only reason that you've embarked on this change? OR, would reaching that interim goal be the BEST MOTIVATOR EVER because it's just something that you're striving for on your way to the ULTIMATE goal of being fit and healthy?

I think that's the question. Because if the answer is that you're just trying to achieve a motivational goal, then you will be pleased if/when it happens but not devastated if it doesn't. If, however, you simply want to reach that interim goal and then get off this merry-go-round, then... well... you will only feel like you're not being successful if you don't see that immediate result.

That's about the best advice/conversation that I can think of. Self talk. Very important. And a clear understanding of exactly what you want to achieve. No judgment. Just your own specific answer to an important question.

 

I seriously need to visit Mom and go to some Zumba classes...

YES!!! :D:D:D

YES!!! :D:D

I think that's all the smilies they will let me have.

Sunday: 10:30am Laura

Monday: 10:00am Miri

Tuesday: 5:30pm Kisha

Tuesday: 6:30pm Melanie for Zumba Toning

Wednesday: 5:30pm Brandon OR

at another club: 6:30pm Kisha followed by 7:30pm Brandon for Zumba Toning

Thursday: 9:15am Young

Thursday: 5:30pm Kristy

Friday: 9:30am Melanie

Saturday: 9:30am Stacy

When would we sleep?

That's a LOT of laundry!

by Psy...it's Korean...it's AWESOME...it would be SO FUN in class...I just know it...could be rough to just listen to though...

LOL. Do you remember that Young is Korean? She has a totally FUN routine to this song! Now that I see this video I can get where she got her moves to this song! Awesome. It will be so much easier to follow her now that I've seen this!

OK. The Kisha Merengue song is one of her favs. After watching the sock dude, I can tell you that she does a modification of those moves. Very familiar song. I know that I'll be doing it next Tuesday; I'm sure. I'll get this one into my memory and try to explain. There's a lot of similiarilty in the moves. I do know that she starts out with a merengue march and starts moving arms in a typical merengue fashion and then starts doing a alternate upward movement with the side/side movement and a step out and together type of marching style. Anyway... I will pay particular attention.

Funny about the Korean song, right?!?

Interesting Zumba class today.

Had a few funny moments.

The class started with such a small number of students! This class is highly unusual, for me, in that regard. Most of my classes are absolutely packed with over 100+ in a room. The class on Thursday mornings is lightly attended because, I think, of the time of the offering and the location of the class, itself. This particular gym location is in a strip center instead of being a stand alone building; so, there are a number of reasons that the class is small and it doesn't have anything to do with the quality of the instructor. She's great!

Anyway, I'm one of the older (and I don't mean age as much as I mean having gone to the class since the very first class that Young instructed; as a matter of fact, I think I'm the only person left who regularly comes that started doing classes with Young when she first arrived at the gym).. back to my train of thought... one of the older students in the class. As such, I usually stand in the first few rows... not the absolutely FRONT row because I HATE that feeling! But, today I just couldn't avoid it because the other people wouldn't let me! I got my position in class and expected people to get in front of me, but they just kept piling behind me. They wouldn't go in front! I went to get a drink of water and tried to get behind a person so THEY would be in the front row and they just MOVED. OK. Grin and bear it; I'm going to be in the front row.

So when Young arrived she stood in a position that meant that she was in front of me and I was immediately to her right. So, it was like.... she was RIGHT THERE. And, there I was.

The reason I'm trying to explain this is that I couldn't avoid seeing myself in the mirror today.

I'm not a person who watches herself in the mirror. I just don't. It is distracting to me and I usually get befuddled in some way by looking at myself BECAUSE I'm always puzzled that my body isn't doing what I think it should be doing. KWIM?

Anyway. Today was different. I actually know Young's routines. I actually kept up with her and it was like we were in lock step with each other. Her feet... my feet... moving at the same time AND in the same direction! Her arms... my arms...

I'm just sharing because it really was a wonderful experience for me. Made me feel really good and liberated... because I CAN really do this! I can Zumba. Of course, I've been doing it for almost 2 years.

And, guess what else? I have narrowed my waist and rib cage so much!

Well.

Just a good Zumba day for me.

Linda,

So I checked the link. Yes. This is the song that Kisha uses.

This is, obvioulsy, one of the "international" songs in the Zumba playlist recommendations. Kisha is a hip-hop type of instructor. She just has a flavor about her that is different from any other instructor that I have. She is a purposeful foot-planting type of instructor with a lot of kickboxing moves, and some movements that I don't do in ANY other classes.

I apologize if there are some "words" in this song that are questionable. I can't understand some of the lyrics honestly. I know that if the words are the least bit offensive that Kisha would be playing a "clean" version.

I hope this song isn't offensive to anyone.

edit: uh. oh. Again, with Anita posting at the same time! So, you obviously can understand the words that I can't! LOL. I know there is something about a booty, but I don't get much more than that. Don't tell me! Ignorance is bliss! LOL.

Here it is.

We didn't actually do the routine last night, but I got the song. I don't have a facebook account so I can't get in touch with Kisha to request this song in the playlist so I asked one of the ladies to request it for next week. I'll mention it to Kisha before class, as well. Can you hear the squat(s) beat in this song? It is just squat after squat after squat. I can't remember if there's a tie-in movement... but I do know that at the chorus we do squats with the toes pointed forward for (I think) 8 counts, squats with the toes pointed at 45-degrees for 8 counts; and it's the chorus where we do the slow bounce squats where we get to the lowest point in about 4 counts, kwim? Killer was the last time where Kisha had us move to the lowest point in 1 count and then raise up in a slow 4 count pattern. Absolute killer. Quads release a load of lactic acid with this routine and are sore for a few days, for real.

There is a BodyPump class right before our Zumba class now. Those ladies have so much equipment: bar bells, plate weights, step benches... it takes forever for them to clear out of the room. Last night they cut into our time for about 5 minutes! Grrrrr.... After seeing the BodyPump class, there is no way that I think that I'm interested in it! LOL. The instructor for that class has a Jillian body x2: kwim? She has rock hard abs. One of the ladies standing outside the door asked me if I knew that the instructor had 4 kids! I said, "wow. that explains it! I only have 1 kid so I couldn't get abs like that." She looked at me kind of strange and then I had to say, "kidding." so everybody laughed. They looked relieved like they thought I had lost my mind, or something. LOL.

Kisha has pulled a muscle in her left arm. Poor Kisha; she's in some pain. Anyway, she amazed me because she was intense last night with her kickboxing moves, squats, and I don't think I've ever punched so much air! Just full of toning moves. About halfway through class, she actually stopped the music and told people that they shouldn't use weights in her class because it wasn't designed to be a class with weights. She said that the Zumba Toning Class might use the same song(s), but that the moves were designed differently so that you had controlled movement with the weights. And she begged people not to think that they would be OK holding weights and doing her routine. I guess some people had decided to grab some weights from the back of the room!

And, then she said that she was going to pick on someone in the front row. There was a mom/son duo in the front row whom I've never seen before. The son had on a Venice Beach T-shirt (for those who don't know, that's in California). I don't know if they've moved here or were visiting, or something. Anyway, she said that the mom should stop trying to get her son to be on the same foot as everyone else; just let him dance! Live him alone and let him dance! We all do things differently and our body wants to do things differently and our brains don't work the same... so if your body wants to get a-goin' with the right foot and you notice that other people got a-goin' with the left foot... well, it's all good! You just keep a-goin' cause 'goin' is where it's at!

Kisha was on FIRE last night. Loved the class.

Let me know if you need some detail about the Quad Killer Song's routine.

edit: I had to add this! If you asked me how long the song was, I would say at least 6 minutes! Maybe 10! LOL. It's only 3-1/2 minutes! How could that be?!?

I would like to know more about the splurge meal and what it reveals about our diet. I think if I went to the buffet tomorrow and ate what ever I wanted it would be mac and cheese and sourcream on my mexican food. I don't even crave the sweets until after 8 so lunch would find me with alfrado sauces and cream of brocilli soups and things like that.

Hi, Linda. How's the knee?

Basically, it's a psychological profile. A splurge meal is helpful for those who have episodic emotional bingeing. Bob states that when you plan something, you are in control. And when you're in control of your splurge, you don't later think that you've failed. And that puts an end to the old binge-shame-diet-binge cycle.

I'd be interested in knowing what he means by sleeping right. As someone experiencing nightly hot flashes I'd like to just sleep, even wrong :)

:D:D:D

I so hear you!

OK. Bob says that as we age our body stops making the hormones required for sound sleep. He also states that no one knows exactly how to make someone sleep better, but there are some general rules to follow.

Avoid alcohol after eight. You'd think it would make you sleep better, but alcohol is just another form of sugar, and sugar destablilizes the low metabolic state needed to sustain sleep.

Avoid coffee, tea, and other stimulants after 3:00pm.

If you must eat, eat vegetables and high-fiber fruits. Also chamomile or valerian root tea.

Use aromatic soaps in your bath water. Put a dab of lavender oil on each temple and below your nose.

Unplug your bedroom.

Prepare your body for sleep: learn to meditate and/or do simple, restful yoga poses.

That's what Bob says. He's a Man. Statement. of. Obvious. Fact.

From what I've read about hot flashes, the only tips that I remember are:

dress in lightweight sleepwear. Try sleepwear out of a moisture wicking fabric. Avoid heavy blankets. Consider using a room fan to cool the air and increase its circulation. Reduce stress and try relaxation techniques. These are the notes that I took from a book specifically about sleep problems.

I know. It's not much help.

There was also a recommendation for introducing soy into your diet. I have to avoid soy because of thyroid issues, but I'm just passing this along because it was recommended as a phytoestrogen compound which is supposed to help with menopausal symptoms. Dust and bother. I sure wish that there was something more helpful out there!

Cardiovascular Improvement.

So, I wanted to know!

I've been doing Zumba now for almost 2 years. And, I'm a data gatherer. Researcher, etc.

So, I have absolutely a LOT of data on my Zumba workouts: length of time (duration), peak heart rate (intensity), average heart rate (endurance), instructor, date (frequency), calorie burn.

I thought that I would compare LAST year's month to THIS year's month and see what kind of improvement I could see.

ZERO.

Zero Improvement!

If I were British, I would have been gobsmacked.

On August 30, 2012:

Young's class. 157 average heart rate, 173 peak heart rate, 888 calorie burn.

On August 29, 2011:

Young's class. 154 average heart rate, 172 peak heart rate, 868 calorie burn.

What?!? :(

So, I went on a mad research to gather information on how to measure cardio performance. And this is what I discovered. You can't measure your improvement in cardio sessions by either the max heart rate or the average heart rate achieved. There are way too many variables; i.e., the quality of sleep the night before, the quality of diet the day before, the ability to oxygenate due to the humidity and quality of air at the time of exercise, the body's health as in whether it is fighting allergies or an infection of any kind...

There are 3 things that determine an improvement in cardio health. They are ALL blood related!

1. Your cholesterol levels. If your Good Cholestoreal readings get higher and bad readings get lower.

2. Your blood pressure. If you've improved any high blood pressure readings.

3. Your blood sugar levels.

I did not know this.

Doesn't matter. I'll still collect the data... because that's what I DO!... but, it's now just a matter of seeing the consistency. And it's really, really surprising how consistent it is.

I had the best birthday celebration last year. (milestone birthday). Anyway, we took the Celebrity Solstice from Ft Lauderdale to Barcelona, so I got to be in Barcelona for my birthday! Yeah! Then, we boarded the Voyager of the Seas and went from Barcelona to Venice. So I got to see Venice again! Yeah! This was a long trip.

I prepared for the trip by being really diligent with my Zumba classes. In fact, there were a few days that I went to TWO classes on the SAME day! :eek: Yeah, I was a little nuts.

My last class before we took off for our vacation was on April 26, 2011.

Class was 55 minutes. Avg HR: 150; calories burned: 773

The next class that I attended was on May 28, 2011.

Class was 55 minutes. Avg HR: 161; calories burned: 857

I was operating with an older HR monitor, so I didn't have the data for the max HR. But, I can tell from the average HR and the calorie burn, that I had to have hit a higher max HR just because of the math. That layoff period of 30+ days did have an effect, for sure.

I won't bore you with a bunch of data. To sum up: I went to class on May 28th (a Saturday). My schedule was then: the next Tuesday, followed by Thursday, Saturday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday....

and that's when the stats returned to "normal." Avg HR: 153, class duration: 50 minutes, calories burned: 715.

So, it only took 6 class sessions to reachieve the level of effort before the layoff. I found this to be kind of interesting. I'm mainly showing Anita this information because I think it shows how quickly we can recover from a break in our routines.... if we GET BACK to IT... :D

This data has some difficulty, of course, in being thoroughly analyzed. I mean... I know the max HR that I hit, but I don't know how many times I hit that rate or how long my heart stayed at that rate... I know the average HR, but I don't know if it's lower because I started at a lower heart rate, had a longer warm up routine, had a longer cool down song, etc. So, this data is anything that could be used "scientifically," and I don't put an incredible amount of thought into looking at it. But, over the course of many, many Zumba classes, I know that I can see a pattern.

And. The Pattern. Is. Good! I know that I'm having to really increase my body's effort during class to maintain that average HR. I used to be able to get a fairly significant HR... just by showing up! Now, I have to really engage my arms, etc. in order to achieve the same level of intensity as evidenced by the average HR data. Anyway, that's just me.

Hey, there, Anita: Since you've already refreshed your memory on the storage of fruits and veggies, would love to be reminded as well.

So, on with Bob Harper wisdoms.

Rule 6. Eat Apples and Berries Every Single Day. Every. Single. Day!

This bears some explanation. So, briefly: apples and berries are rich in a class of natural molecules called phytochemicals. In the human body, these are usually involved in some stage of metabolism. The most important phytochemicals, for us, are anthocyanins, usually concentrated in the skin of colorful fruits and vegetables.

So, Bob cites some research and studies (let me know if you're interested enough to want to hear the research behind this rule).

Rule 7. NO CARBS AFTER LUNCH

The carbs that Bob is targeting are those that are based on sugar. For some reason, he (like so many people) doesn't break down simple vs complex carbs! Anyway, it's all about protein and fiber in the afternoon.

Here's why: Sugar cues the pancreas to make insulin, which in turn triggers appetite. The later in the day that you consume sugar, the more likely it is that you will get food cravings late at night. Late-night cravings are not a good thing!

Two guiding principles:

Snack on fiber, protein, vegetables, and fresh fruits (not dried fruits).

Eat lean and green at night.

Rule 8. Learn to Read Food Labels so You Know What You are Eating

Rule 9. Stop Guessing About Portion Size and Get It Right - For Good

Rule 10. No More Added Sweeteners, Including Artificial Ones

Rule 11. Get Rid of Those White Potatoes

Bottom line: don't abuse your potato privileges! LOL.

Rule 12. Make One Day A Week Meatless

Rule 13. Get Rid of Fast Foods and Fried Foods

Rule 14. Eat A Real Breakfast

Rule 15. Make Your Own Food and Eat At Least 10 Meals a Week at Home

Rule 16. Banish High-Salt Foods

Rule 17. Eat Your Vegetables - Just Do It

Rule 18. Go to Bed Hungry

Rule 19. Sleep Right

Rule 20. Plan One Splurge Meal a Week

Note: this is not a splurge DAY. The best splurge meals are breakfast or lunch. You DON'T get to go to a fast food place! Write down the calorie count before you eat. This is the time to have your dessert. This is the time to find out: do you want truly forbidden foods or bigger portions? The answer will tell you a lot about what you want when you feel deprived. Remember, this splurge meal is an ingredient in your healthy lifestyle eating pattern.

Well, that's it.

I thought that I would post this only because it was easy to do and Bob just stated some very basic precepts to a Skinny Eating Lifestyle. We talk a lot on here about how we are engaged in living a healthy lifestyle as opposed to simply being on a diet or exercising to achieve a specific goal and then moving forward with our REAL life. We want the healthy lifestyle TO BE our REAL LIFE.

Bob says that one of the true exercise myths is that you can exercise and the weight will come off. He said that, at first, he thought that he could exercise anyone to the point of overcoming their diet. He has since adjusted his thinking because there just isn't any way that exercise can overcome caloric overload. In his words: That four-mile walk you take every morning? It burns about 350 calories - not even a small bag of fries at McDonald's. That hour of Pilates or yoga? Ditto - not even equal to a large chai latte at Starbucks.

So, the book is going back to the library in 4 days. I'll keep it until it has to be returned; I can't renew it because there's a significant waiting list for this book! It seems that people are still trying to find the "magic" way to handle weight issues. I wanted to read the book because I wanted to see what Bob Harper would say! I was incredibly surprised that he focused so much more on diet as a component of weight loss than exercise.

Anyway, if anyone has questions about any of the rules... wants to have more of an explanation for them... or wants any examples of what he means... please ask fairly quickly so I can reference the book for you.

Anita, did you see the rough video on youtube of the Buford Highway Farmers Market? It seems like one of those places you could totally get lost in; it looks like the food equivalent of IKEA!

Anyway.

Bob Harper and his Skinny Rules.

Thought I would share a little more. There is NOTHING NEW here! But, it bears repeating and remembering.

Rule 2. Don't Drink Your Calories

Now, it's obvious that we would automatically think of some favorite things: like beer, wine... well, any alcohol... but.. it's more than that! Don't drink orange juice; eat an orange. Don't drink apple juice; eat an apple; Don't drink grape juice; eat grapes. Added to this list: energy replacement drinks, soda, smoothies that you don't make yourself and don't control.

Rule 3. Eat Protein at Every Meal. Or. Stay. Hungry. and. Grouchy.

How much protein? Take your weight and divide by 2 and that's the number of grams of protein you should be eating every day. Of course, the recommended protein source is... fish. Followed by eggs, poultry, pork, beef, cheese, tofu.

Rule 4. Slash your intake of Refined Flours and Grains.

Be aware of marketing in labels! Just because it says "low in fat," or "all natural," or "whole" or "heart healthy" doesn't mean much. You should always read the ingredients label... not the marketing verbiage on the front of the container.

Here's a personal story. My DH went to the store and came home with ketchup. He's the one who eats ketchup. He knows enough to read labels to make sure that they don't contain soy, but he usually doesn't read labels for food items that I don't eat. So, here's the ingredients list of the ketchup that I buy for him: Organic tomato concentrate (water, organic tomato paste), organic sugar, organic vinegar, salt, organic onion powder, organic spices. He brought home a different ketchup that had the words "Low Salt" on the front because he's a "nut" about sodium content (sometimes he goes over the deep end). Anyway, I couldn't believe that this bottle was filled with chemicals that I couldn't pronounce because there was an asterisk on the Low Salt description and the print on the back of the bottle explained the asterisk to be a salt substitute that uses potassium for flavoring and a warning to watch your potassium levels! And a prominent ingredient on the label was.... high fructose corn syrup!... so the caveat here is to be careful and use your reading glasses (if you have to) at the grocery store!

Bottom line: the ingredient label should have the words "whole grain" as part of the description of the flour that is being used.

Rule 5. Eat 30 to 50 Grams of Fiber a Day.

Fiber from food, not from supplements.

The Bob Harper list: apples, blueberries, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, acorn squash, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, spinach, zucchini, black-eyed peas, Ezekiel bread, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lima beans, oatmeal, whole-grain pasta.

OK. There's only 15 more Rules! That's it! :D

Enough for today. Will put up a bit more information before book needs to be returned to the library. Like I said, nothing new... but worth remembering

hi Ladies,

 

What else is new and exciting? As this is a cruise board: I´ve my next cruise lined up. We are heading for a transatlantic cruise (Italy to Miami) in early november *yeah*.

HELLO! We've missed you!

So, I can't believe that I'm going to miss you AGAIN by just a few weeks! I missed you in Venice by a week and now I'm going to miss you in Miami. I will be there at the end of November.

Are you going to stay on in Miami for any length of time? Will you be returning home from MIA or FLL? If you need any tips or information on the area, I might be able to help you because we've stayed in the area several times and I know quite a few people who might also be able to help with any information.

What ship are you sailing? Ports?

Sorry to hear about your joint issues, as well. Those joints are no joke when it comes to treating them with concern and attention. Thinking good thoughts for you and hoping you can return to Zumba.

Enjoy the wedding! Tell us the highlights. :D

Lindaler. Hi there.

You know that I'm Anita's Mom, right?

Let me talk a little bit about knee issues. I know that coordination is learned movement and you have to get your brain actively engaged in order to move your body in the way that you want to.

You and I are the same age.

This is what I know about knees and Zumba. Are you familiar with the dance called "cumbia?" This is the one that mimics having one leg be positioned on the floor with non-movement while the other leg is moving. Anita is good at finding dance steps on youtube; I'm not as savvy, but I tried to find one for you.

This dance routine was a real problem for me until Anita analyzed what I was doing wrong. Basically, my feet were not moving in the same direction as my knees; this routine hasn't been a problem since we discussed my knee mechanics and I make a very concentrated effort to make sure that my knees and feet are moving in the same direction. The movement that she makes around 1:25 on this song is the one that was giving me fits. What I do is actually turn my body in the direction of the movement so that my feet are heading in the same direction as my knees. Anyway, in case your last class had a lot of cumbia moves in it, then I'd suggest looking at yourself in the mirror and make absolutely sure that your feet are traveling in the same direction as your movement. I sure hope that I'm making sense.

The other problem move for me is the box step or the jazzy box step. This is the move where you hit the four corners of the imaginary box on the floor? Anyway, if the instructor wants to do a box step where you cross your feet; in other words, imagine taking your left foot and placing it in front of your right foot so that your body forms an "x" and then shifting your weight back onto your right foot and then taking your left foot and bringing it back to the original position.... well that cross over movement is a killer to my knee(s) and hip(s). Anita told me that this type of movement can be a problem if you step wrong and exert too much stress on your joint(s) or if you have tight hips. So, the simple answer to doing that type of box step is to NOT cross over; just do a movement where your foot goes forward without making the "x." Again, I hope that I'm making sense.

Here's a fact: FOR EVERY ONE LB OF WEIGHT LOST, YOU TAKE 4 LBS OF PRESSURE OFF OF YOUR KNEE. FOR EVERY ONE LB OF WEIGHT LOST, YOU TAKE 3 LBS OF PRESSURE OFF OF YOUR HIP JOINT. FOR EVERY ONE LB OF WEIGHT LOST, YOU TAKE 9 LBS OF PRESSURE OFF OF YOUR PATELLA FEMORAL JOINT (the one used when you climb stairs or stand up from a seated position).

Isn't that a big WOW.

OK. You did the absolute best thing for your knee by taking a walk. One of the things that you have to do is move the joint and get the blood flowing through it. Keeping the joint immobile (even if it included a good cup of hot chocolate!) would have been the worst thing for you to do. The key is to have gentle, non-stressed movement. If you are at all interested in yoga or pilates then those movements would be great for you to do. Kind of wakeup movements for the body in the morning, etc.

So, yeah!

And if you are interested in supplements, then a good supplement is Glucosomine (if you aren't allergic to shellfilsh, etc so look up this recommendation if it is news to you to make sure that it would be a good idea).

The last thing that I know about knees is that their alignment depends upon the balance between your quadriceps and hamstring muscles. So, if you have tight hamstrings, you can throw your knee alignment out of whack. With Zumba, you are doing quite a bit of work for your quadriceps, especially if your instructor likes to do any toning movements like squats. Just make sure that your hamstrings don't tighten up. Again, specific yoga moves would be good or at least making sure that you thoroughly stretch your hamstrings after class!