Any other Zumba fans?

[Member123]

OK.

 

I guess, like everyone else, it's smart of me to have WATER as one of my short-term goals. So, I'm upping the goal just a bit and I'm going to say...

 

1. WALK the TALK... add infused water to my daily routine.

 

So, to get prepared I bought all the ingredients while grocery shopping today. I already had lemons and limes, so I bought ginger root, a mint plant, and a cucumber. Couldn't swing the melon, just too pricey today. I came home and got a pitcher of water going for my afternoon water. I added a few slices of ginger and some mint leaves.

 

.... about the mint plant!... There was a mint plant, (actually a little live plant of mint for $2.99) that was much cheaper than a container of mint (6 oz for $1.89), so I bought it even though I know that it won't actually be alive for long. It was just a cheaper way of getting my mint!...

 

So, I prepared the pitcher of water about 2-1/2 hrs ago and totally forgot about it! I just walked into the kitchen, to make a cup of tea, and saw it sitting on the countertop! Had my first glass, right then and there. Very minty, with just a hint of ginger... LOL....

 

I guess this proves to me that having water as a goal is a good thing, since I just don't think about drinking my water during the day. Added bonus: the pitcher looks pretty sitting on the counter!

 

Kasi, you honeymooned in Alaska! Did you do a cruise or a land tour, or a combination? We are so fortunate that we get to buy our salmon from Alaska; we have a great source that flash freezes the freshly caught salmon and ships to us, for less than we can purchase in a local grocery store. I checked for you but they don't ship international. :( Well, I guess it is kind of perishable, right?

 

I have some great salmon recipes. Actually, Anita has them too. If I get back and she hasn't put them on here, then I'll do that. I would promise, but I know I won't get to it before I leave.

 

All those fish that you mentioned, I'm absolutely not familiar with a single one of them! I got a DVD, Despicable Me, to watch this weekend.

[kasi1979]

2009 was a year with many ups and some incredible low downs. We got engaged and married that year, but a week before our wedding we lost dh mom to cancer.

We wanted to do a special tour for our honeymoon. Having been to the caribbean when we got engaged ;) (one of the most prefered honeymoon destoinations for Germans), we decided to see something new.

I had been to BC and especially Vancouver a few times before, as I have friends in the lower mainland. So we decided on a 10 day cruise out of Vancouver with some extra days in the city, to meet with my friends and to show DH around town.

It was an amazing cruise and we were finally able to relax. And out of Victoria we went on a whale watching trip and got right into the middle of a whole pot of orcas, a once in a lifetime moment :)

We have a picture from hubbard glacier in our bedroom.

 

If flights weren´t so expensive, we´d be heading west again this year.

 

So please, if you find the time in the future, please share your salmon recipies.

 

Tonight´s yoga night, so I´ll come home relaxed.

 

Take care.

[Anita Latte]

Aww Kasi...your post has me all mixed up in emotions...very sad and very happy memories all within a short span of time...

 

Mom takes cooking classes at a local kitchen/cooking specialty store...she has taken hands on knife skills class and other specialty classes...one class she took was called Simply Salmon...we have 3 WONDERFUL salmon recipes and a couple side dish recipes from that class. We have the handout from class...I'll type them in and get them posted (that's for you Mom, don't try to get that done with everything else you have going on getting ready for your trip).

[Joby]

I just wanted to pop in say how much I enjoy this thread even though I don't do Zumba. We have it here but, I'm just not much of a dancer.

 

We love Salmon. My DH has high cholesterol and Salmon is his favorite fish. We don't get much in the way of good fresh fish here in the Midwest. Frozen is our choice.

 

Keep Zumba'ing and keep up the good work :)

[Member123]

Kasi, My heart just immediately ached for you and your DH. I realize that it hit me personally but I also went to Alaska just a few days after my Dad passed. I spent the morning of our day at Hubbard Glacier... well... that was the day of his funeral... it was so difficult for me. Alaska is spectacular and there is a lot about God's beauty that is soothing when our human hearts are aching. In the hospital my Dad had said to my Mom that he wanted me to go on my Alaskan trip because that was the one place that he regretted not seeing. He said that he would have traded Paris for Alaska! So, I was very conflicted, but I went. Looking back on past decisions can bring regret; I honestly know that I would do things a bit differently, today, but I would still go to Alaska.

 

OMG! The whale-watching shore excursion was beyond amazing. Of course, I didn't realize that you mainly saw whale tails when you "spotted" a whale; just amazing nevertheless.

 

Our SIL, Anita's DH, is an outdoor adventure-type. His wish is to go to Alaska. We want to go back and so we're just waiting for the right time, when our GS is old enough to appreciate the experience (as well as old enough that the adults won't be on a constant "freak-out" about his whereabouts). We just know that is in our future and I'm really glad because I'd love to go back to Alaska with a happier heart.

 

Anita, thank you for getting the salmon recipes to Kasi. I appreciate that so much! :D

 

Goal report:

OK. Don't leave the ginger in the water for too long because it becomes very astringent after about 3-1/2 hours. I fished the ginger pieces out of the water after a glass from the 3-1/2 hr infusion point. I did manage to get one pitcher down yesterday. Well, that's not a lot... I have to do that math that Anita gave about how much water to drink, but I can't remember the formula so I'll have to go back through the posts. Anyway, I think I got about a 1/3 of the water down yesterday that I was supposed to drink.

 

Off to infuse lemons/limes.

 

It's Friday Eve! Yeah! Hope everyone is having a great day. Zumba for me tonight...

[Anita Latte]

I just wanted to pop in say how much I enjoy this thread even though I don't do Zumba. We have it here but, I'm just not much of a dancer.

 

We love Salmon. My DH has high cholesterol and Salmon is his favorite fish. We don't get much in the way of good fresh fish here in the Midwest. Frozen is our choice.

 

Keep Zumba'ing and keep up the good work :)

KIM! I'm so glad you said hello over here!

 

Mom and I get our salmon from

 

http://www.great-alaska-seafood.com

 

Wild-caught alaskan salmon that is flash frozen in vacuum sealed packages. It is really fabulous to have a freezer full of salmon! It makes it so much easier to eat salmon more often. If you get on their emailing list, they will send you deals. Mom also found another potential source for even less, also from Alaska, but I don't think she has purchased from them yet, so can't really recommend...but we HIGHLY recommend the above source.

 

I'm typing the recipes as I take breaks from doing taxes...*ugh*

 

And about Zumba...Zumba is NOT dance...it is officially called Zumba Fitness because it is a fitness class that incorporates dance rhythms into "routines" to internationally feeling music...the MUSIC is actually the key...and the way that the routines are choreographed...for instance you will do the same move to the chorus of a song every time the chorus is played...during the verses...you will do a different (similar) move to the verses...if there is a bridge (you ever take music, choir, band? do you know what I mean here?) or other random area in the song...then you may have another move that you do to that part of the song...

 

The moves are intended to be simple, easy to follow moves...because the instructor WILL NOT tell you what to do verbally...they are supposed to use visual cues (some will CLAP at the time of change in the song)...and the idea is that it isn't important that you do exactly what the instructor does, so long as you are moving...and the MUSIC is the driving force behind getting you to move...if you like cruising...you may love some of this music...Mom said that one song we did with Kelly was played on EVERY cruise ship by every band imaginable...

 

The official saying for Zumba is "Ditch the workout, join the party!" because the idea is that the experience will actually make you want to move and you won't FEEL like you are "exercising"...instructors make a huge difference in classes because at this time, there is no "certification" to teach Zumba...it is all "licensing"...so you pay your money, go to a one-day training session, and BAM, you are a Zumba instructor...you could totally not know what you are doing but if you are brave enough, you could try to teach Zumba...so instructors will very WIDELY...

 

Some will come from a dance background...some from fitness...and I can say from attending the instructor training now that they show you the very basic step...no extra hip action...so like a merengue is basically marching in place...if you can walk in place...they you can do merengue...and let me tell you...more than half the people in the class look just like that...marching in place...BUT...if you can engage your hips in the marching (great core workout)...then you will look more "dancy"...and the instruction tells us how to make the moves more dancy (more hip action) or make them more fitness (adding squats, knees raises, etc.)...and a good instructor may work her way through the varying levels as the routine goes on so that you can follow along...add levels of difficulty and hang out in the level that works for you at the time...

 

If you have a glimmer of interest in Zumba...I always recommend giving it a try...because being active is very hard in today's world...and exercise is BORING...gyms can STINK and generally be unpleasant places to be (at least IMO)...but there is something about Zumba that may hook you in and you will be absolutely ASTOUNDED at how your energy levels and generally feeling of strength, flexibility, agility and health increases as you continue to go to class...

 

Can you tell that I LOVE Zumba? LOL!!!!

 

OK...typing salmon...

[Anita Latte]

Salmon Cakes with Creamy Dill Creme Friache

 

10 ounces cooked flaked salmon

1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 egg, slightly beaten

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

Salt and pepper

 

Combine all ingredients. Shape into cakes. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Fry salmon cakes until crisp; drain on paper towel lined pan and serve warm.

 

Side note: When we made this dish at Christmas...we put the salmon in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes to cook it, as per some Norweigian Salmon site...

 

Creamy Dill Sauce...

 

1 cup creme fraiche

2 tbsp fresh dill, minced

1 tbsp minced shallot

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

 

Combine everything in a bowl and chill for 1 hour before serving.

 

The sauce is WONDERFUL...BUT it makes a HUGE amount of dip like sauce...HUGE...we ended up using the extra as a veggie dip, which was fine, but you might want to reduce the recipe in the first place, because you really only need a little bit of sauce with the salmon cakes or else you overpower the flavor of the salmon cakes.

 

Making the recipe is a funny thing because you cook the salmon and it's done, but then there is all this extra work involved in making the salmon cakes...and salmon itself is so good...but these cakes are really yummy...in the future...I would just defrost extra salmon for dinner one night and use the extra to make the cakes the following day...

 

AND...my current desire is to use the salmon cakes in a salad the way that this WONDERFUL little place in Scottsdale using them.

 

http://www.arcadiafarmscafe.com/afs/menu.html

 

They actually use crab cakes...but they make a modest salad of baby lettuces, jicama (julienned), carrot (julienned), and diced mango with a lime vinaigrette...so I would dress the salad with the vinaigrette...place the cakes on the plate so stylishly overlapping a bit of salad and plate...and drizzle the creme fraiche over the salmon cake side...OMG...*mouth watering* ;):D

Edited April 14, 2011 by Anita Latte

[Anita Latte]

Smoked Salmon Pasta with White and Shallot Cream Sauce

 

1 pound salmon, season with salt and pepper and smoke in a stove top smoker

 

(maybe Mom can expand on this...they smoked the salmon in class...and because it was so awesome and easy, she bought a stove top smoker...if anyone has an outdoor grill with an extra burner, the stove top smoker is the perfect thing to use for that extra burner as per the teaching chef.)

 

1 pound pasta cooked according to the manufacturers directions

Shaved parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Zest of 1 lemon

 

Sauce:

 

3 tbsp shallots, minced

6 tbsp dry white wine

1-1/2 cups cream

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

In a saute pan, heat the shallot and wine on a medium-high heat for about 30 seconds. (Basically, to when you can start to SMELL the shallots...) Add the cream and reduce until it thickens. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Place pasta in a large bowl. Add salmon and cream sauce. Shave cheese over the top and garnish with fresh parsley and lemon zest.

[kasi1979]

Thanks,

those salmon recipies sound amazing, really yummy, gotta see if dh is up to trying something new on the weekend.

 

I didn´t mean to spoil anyones mood tellng about our Alaska trip and what let up to it.

However one thing´s for sure, being so close to the orcas was absolutely wonderful. One swam up to our boat and all along the side, you felt like extending your arm you´d be able to touch him.

 

How old is your son, Anita?

In my opinion it´s easier to do the Caribbean or Alaska with as kid than doing Europe. All these historic sites here are interesting, but I remember being bored to death when my parents brought my sister and me to all these places.

Being outdoors and seing wildlife is more kid friendly than visiting a museum or some historic site from roman time.

However I can just relate from having been a kid once, a long time ago, I´m not a parent, so it´s easy to give advice without being in your situation.

 

Really looking forward to Zumba again tomorrow evening.

Who would have thought that I would actually love some fitness class?

[Anita Latte]

Asian 5 Spice BBQ Grilled Salmon with Caramelized Fuji Apples

 

SPICE MIXTURE:

1 tbsp sugar

1-1/2 tsp five-spice powder

1-1/2 tsp ground coriander

1-1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

 

GLAZE:

3 (3 x 1/2 inch) orange rind strips

1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup honey

2 tbsp minced green onions

1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1-1/2 tsp dark sesame oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

 

REMAINING INGREDIENTS:

8 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 2 inches thick)

Olive oil spray

4 Fuji apples, peeled, cored and sliced

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup sugar

 

Preparation:

To prepare spice mixture, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl.

 

To prepare glaze, combine rind and next 8 ingredients (rind through cinnamon) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Strain through a sieve; discard solids.

 

Prepare grill.

 

Rub the fillets with spice mixture. Cover; refrigerate 10 minutes. Place, skin sides down, on a grill rack coated with olive oil spray. Grill 16 minutes, covered, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting occasionally with glaze. Remove skin; discard.

 

In a saute pan, heat butter until melted and hot. Add apples and sugar and cook until the apples are softened and caramelized.

 

Place apples over fish and serve.

[Anita Latte]

Kasi...no worries. My mood wasn't spoiled...I just feel for you for the situation that you went through.

 

My son is currently 10 years old. I understand what you are saying about visiting Alaska v. visiting Europe and what you could/would see and do...and the interest level likely being higher for Alaska...wanting DS to be older is more related to the fact that going to Alaska will not be something that will be often repeated and so we want the experience to be in his memory bank...as well as his skill level to be able to do certain excursions to be more independent...but not that he has to be SO old to go.

 

We'll get a good idea of a good age for DS for Alaska after our cruise in March 2012, I'm thinking.

 

Side note...Kasi, your English is AWESOME, but just incase there is anything in these recipes that you don't understand please feel comfortable enough to ask for clarification...a friend had to help her son do a Spanish project related to food...and they had the hardest time finding the correct Spanish word for some food items...I don't know how easy it is to find translations for unfamiliar food items.

[Member123]

Why is drinking water during the day so darn difficult?

 

I don't get it.

 

Anita reminded me that the formula for drinking water is between 1/2-oz per lb of body weight on the low end to 1-oz per lb of body weight on the high end. So, for me, 9 and 18 glasses (8 oz) per day. OK. Being an "achiever," of course I want to drink the optimal high end volume of water.

 

My pitcher is 32-oz, that I'm using to do the infused water. Yesterday, I managed to drink 2 pitchers, so I was just a bit short of the lower end goal. I spent the entire day having to go to the bathroom! Unbelievable! I drank the morning infursion of lemon/lime and the midday infustion of mint/ginger. I didn't even think about the evening infusion of cucumber. I thought I'd never be able to sleep if I drank more water! And I woke up tired... and THIRSTY... this morning!

 

And that's the other thing. When I don't drink water, I don't get thirsty. Why is that? Drinking all that water yesterday, and I feel absolutely parched today.

 

And I'm feeling fatigued...

 

So, I'm skipping Zumba this morning. I'll go tomorrow morning. I'm so glad that I have these choices. If the Zumba instructor this morning wasn't such a lttle demon, I could probably go... but she's one of these "trophy" Zumba instructors and I just can't face her. The one on Saturday morning people actually complain about because she takes such long breaks between songs... so I think I can face her just fine! We'll see how different I feel tomorrow about the experience. I'll let everyone know.

 

Yes... there's a pitcher of water on the counter. Today's another day! We'll see how my body responds to the water intake today. I know that it takes a while for your body to settle into a new routine and, hopefully, I won't have quite as many potty breaks today. :D

[Joby]

KIM! I'm so glad you said hello over here!

 

Mom and I get our salmon from

 

http://www.great-alaska-seafood.com

 

Wild-caught alaskan salmon that is flash frozen in vacuum sealed packages. It is really fabulous to have a freezer full of salmon! It makes it so much easier to eat salmon more often. If you get on their emailing list, they will send you deals. Mom also found another potential source for even less, also from Alaska, but I don't think she has purchased from them yet, so can't really recommend...but we HIGHLY recommend the above source.

 

I'm typing the recipes as I take breaks from doing taxes...*ugh*

.

 

Anita,

 

Thanks for the website and recipes (look great to me but a little too high in fat for DH :)). DH's birthday is Wednesday and I'm contemplating a

B I G splurge (for us) and ordering a salmon sample pack for his gift.

 

 

And about Zumba...Zumba is NOT dance...it is officially called Zumba Fitness because it is a fitness class that incorporates dance rhythms into "routines" to internationally feeling music...the MUSIC is actually the key...and the way that the routines are choreographed...for instance you will do the same move to the chorus of a song every time the chorus is played...during the verses...you will do a different (similar) move to the verses...if there is a bridge (you ever take music, choir, band? do you know what I mean here?) or other random area in the song...then you may have another move that you do to that part of the song...

 

The moves are intended to be simple, easy to follow moves...because the instructor WILL NOT tell you what to do verbally...they are supposed to use visual cues (some will CLAP at the time of change in the song)...and the idea is that it isn't important that you do exactly what the instructor does, so long as you are moving...and the MUSIC is the driving force behind getting you to move...if you like cruising...you may love some of this music...Mom said that one song we did with Kelly was played on EVERY cruise ship by every band imaginable...

 

The official saying for Zumba is "Ditch the workout, join the party!" because the idea is that the experience will actually make you want to move and you won't FEEL like you are "exercising"...instructors make a huge difference in classes because at this time, there is no "certification" to teach Zumba...it is all "licensing"...so you pay your money, go to a one-day training session, and BAM, you are a Zumba instructor...you could totally not know what you are doing but if you are brave enough, you could try to teach Zumba...so instructors will very WIDELY...

 

Some will come from a dance background...some from fitness...and I can say from attending the instructor training now that they show you the very basic step...no extra hip action...so like a merengue is basically marching in place...if you can walk in place...they you can do merengue...and let me tell you...more than half the people in the class look just like that...marching in place...BUT...if you can engage your hips in the marching (great core workout)...then you will look more "dancy"...and the instruction tells us how to make the moves more dancy (more hip action) or make them more fitness (adding squats, knees raises, etc.)...and a good instructor may work her way through the varying levels as the routine goes on so that you can follow along...add levels of difficulty and hang out in the level that works for you at the time...

 

If you have a glimmer of interest in Zumba...I always recommend giving it a try...because being active is very hard in today's world...and exercise is BORING...gyms can STINK and generally be unpleasant places to be (at least IMO)...but there is something about Zumba that may hook you in and you will be absolutely ASTOUNDED at how your energy levels and generally feeling of strength, flexibility, agility and health increases as you continue to go to class...

 

I'll take it under consideration :D

 

 

Why is drinking water during the day so darn difficult?

 

I don't get it.

 

Anita reminded me that the formula for drinking water is between 1/2-oz per lb of body weight on the low end to 1-oz per lb of body weight on the high end. So, for me, 9 and 18 glasses (8 oz) per day. OK. Being an "achiever," of course I want to drink the optimal high end volume of water.

 

My pitcher is 32-oz, that I'm using to do the infused water. Yesterday, I managed to drink 2 pitchers, so I was just a bit short of the lower end goal. I spent the entire day having to go to the bathroom! Unbelievable! I drank the morning infursion of lemon/lime and the midday infustion of mint/ginger. I didn't even think about the evening infusion of cucumber. I thought I'd never be able to sleep if I drank more water! And I woke up tired... and THIRSTY... this morning!

 

And that's the other thing. When I don't drink water, I don't get thirsty. Why is that? Drinking all that water yesterday, and I feel absolutely parched today.

 

And I'm feeling fatigued...

 

Pam,

 

just an idea here-sometimes one can drink too much water and actually dehydrate oneself. It comes from the water going through the body too quickly and not leaving anything behind as in electrolytes, etc.

 

There is a fine line between enough water and too much that causes you to urinate too much and thus dehydrate.

 

That's why electrolyte solutions can be a better choice sometimes. I sweat like a man when I'm hot (like in Costa Rica, Mexico, etc.) I was told that if I drink too much plain water that it isn't as good for me as if I would drink a lesser amount of an electrolyte solution that would give me fluids plus electrolytes to rehydrate myself.Does that make sense?I do love your recipes for flavored water drinks. I think I'll try some this summer.

[Member123]

OK. So, here's the deal...

 

be careful what you wish for!....

 

The people at the gym were complaining about this Zumba instructor because she was more (a) social, (b) friendly, © took too many breaks, (d) didn't challenge them enough! Ha! She kicked EVERYONE's hiney today! Those ladies were bailing to their water bottles and sucking them down like nobody's business and running for their towels to get the sweat away from their eyes!... Had to laugh...

 

The instructor was AWESOME.

 

I burned so many calories; I was very impressed with myself.

 

Kim, I never thought that drinking too much water might create a problem with dehydration! That's an interesting piece of information. I can tell you that I've been super thirsty ever since I started this drinking water effort.

 

Hope everyone is having a happy, happy Saturday! I'm getting so excited for my trip! Doing a lot of planning for shore excursions. Thinking hard about my packing list (but that's the subject of another thread!).

 

Thinking about how I can keep up with Zumba while onboard ship. Has anyone ever gone into the fitness area and tried to do Zumba while onboard, without there being an actual Zumba class scheduled? The Zumba that they had on my last ship was a modified form of Zumba, much like the old cha-cha classes, etc. I want to do the whole heart-pounding, sweat-producing hour-long Zumba effort. But I'm kind of shy, and I don't want anyone to see me doing ZUmba in the fitness studio and then come in and expect me to be able to show them what to do! KWIM? So, any suggestions? Anyone?

[Anita Latte]

UGH...

 

Even though I don't WANT to...I'm reporting...

 

1. Water...SO BAD...what is the deal?...it IS hard...

 

2. Eat restaurant food TWICE...in ONE DAY!!...

 

3. Had a couple beers today watching DS's tennis lessons...

 

I've been feeling excited/stressed all at the same time...Friday was a weird day where I tried to talk to someone about getting a Zumba class started...I wasn't able to connect with them...and I tried to do certain things so that I could try to meet with them again...and this was to "stay out" and run errands...and so I was unprepared for lunch...and ended up eating out...

 

Then I was just lazy with dinner...

 

The beers today were just from feeling a bit of stress...I know that alcohol is NOT a crutch for stress relief...BUT...the day was beautiful...DH and I were sitting on the upper deck overlooking the tennis courts...NO WIND (finally)...and it just seemed like such a nice thing to sit and enjoy a drink with my hubby...the stress is what made it hard to overcome the simple want...at least we didn't pick up anything more at the grocery store on the way home...

 

As Scarlett says...Tomorrow is another day...at least, I THINK that's how the saying goes...

 

Moving on...

 

I've found another totally fun song that I am going to play with for my own choreography...it's called Ya'alili by 8th Day...it's in Hebrew...it's a Jewish Reggaeton...I really like it...what do ya'll think?

 

 

I'm going to be seriously missing my Sunday morning Zumba class...Kelly has her last currently scheduled Pilates training this weekend...I'm thinking that I will play with this new song...and maybe work on learning some other songs that I got at training...I'll wear my monitor and see what kind of workout I get doing this preparation for teaching...I'm thinking that I need to set out a schedule for myself so that I could be prepared to sub for Kelly as quickly as possible, and then to be able to do my own...

 

And it is seriously time for me to go to bed!!

[kasi1979]

Hi everyone,

a sunny Sunday to all of you :)

Just got out of the shower after my sunday morning zumba class. I don´t remember sweating that much with any other workout, you could just wiring my clothes afterwards.

Anyways, I tested my new workout shoes, and they seem to be great for zumba. I bought black reebok aerobic shoes with a high shaft. They are light-weight and supported my ankles which is good since I made a dive in the supermarket yesterday and put a light sprain on my right ankle.

 

Anita, thanks again for the recipies, I still have to copy them into my cookbook file on my computer and see which ingedrients I don´t know and cannot translate.

 

I ditched zumba onm friday, I felt squeezy, once again and prefered a nice evening on my couch, add to that that I had a whole 100g of chocolate this week and I know how you feel Anita.

 

I´m still thinking about zumba clothes, they call to me. However I´m telling myself, that I can induldge myself if I loose on size in clothing. Well, I´m going to take my measurments later next week, so lets see if anything changed.

 

Next week is a pretty slow week, as it´s school vacation time in most of Germany, my zumba class is only on tuesday and thursday, dunno, maybe I´ll hit the gym again, as there is no yoga class for the next three weeks, either. Or I´m searching for my pass to the local swimming pool and see if I cannot supplement zumba by swimming.

 

So, what are you doing this weekend?

Pam, is your suitcase already packed? Do you need any advice as to your ports? I´m really looking forwad to your report of your cruise. And I hope you return home, soon. Not that I don´t believe that this cruises are really good for you, but once you are home, it´s nearly time to get ready for my cruise, too :)

 

So, enjoy the sunday.

I´m heading downstaird, dh is putting lunch on the BBQ.

 

Cya

[Member123]

Kasi (and everyone else!)...

 

Here's something that I didn't even THINK of while I was doing all that measuring and recording of lost inches.... Yesterday I went BRA shopping. Well, I had to do it because I needed to have a strapless bra for a formal night dress. So, I stumbled into a specialty bra store (Anita when we visit next we're going to go to this store for you because they have one in your area). This bra store was pretty amazing because their claim-to-fame is that they are expert bra-fitters, and they do everything without a tape measure! I was seriously skeptical and then seriously impressed by the experience.

 

Here's the funny part! I've just been stumbling along with the bras that I own... EVEN THOUGH I've lost an amazing amount of inches in my ribcage. My bras were getting more and more uncomfortable because, as it turns out, the band of my bras is seriously loose and so all the support is shifting to my bra straps! Although I don't have the need for serious support, the shift still made them so uncomfortable that I didn't like them anymore. And I used to love these bras. Anyway, this annoyance with my bra was more like one of those things that you know you're irritated with, but not so much that you're analyzing why... kwim?

 

I guess my advice to you ladies is to look into this for yourself because the support of your bra is supposed to be in the band. I did buy a strapless bra; it wasn't cheap. And I'm going to go back for a more involved fitting when I get back from my vacation.

 

Kasi, my ports are: Ponta Delgada, Lisbon, Seville (Cadiz), Malaga, Barcelona, Provence, Livorno, Civitavecchhia, Messina, and (as you know) Venice. Please let me know if there are any must-sees in any of these ports. Most are new to me; I don't need help with Rome... any pointers are welcome!

 

Kim, when I get back, I'm going to run those recipes through a nutritional analysis to see exactly where they're at in terms of fat percentages. I can tell you that you won't be disappointed with your order of sample salmon. If I remember right, that was the first order that I placed with that company. Got hooked, obviously, on the quality and yum-yum-yum of their salmon.

 

Off to Zumba this morning... Sunday morning...

 

Hey, ladies....

 

having a fun beer with your hubby while chill-axing on a beautiful evening night watching your DS playing tennis?... totally part of a healthy lifestyle!

 

chilling out on your sofa after a week's worth of work and just enjoying your time with your DH and letting your brain rest?... totally part of a healthy lifestyle!

 

You just have to put on your Zumba clothes and HIT IT the next day! Which you both are doing! So... :D...

 

Kasi! I'm so glad that you didn't do more harm to yourself when you slipped in the grocery store. Anita can tell you that Kelly's Mom took a hard fall (and she's not a young person) and the reason that they think she didn't seriously hurt herself was because of Zumba and Pilates. So thank all your previous exercise sessions for the ability to absorb that fall. Whew... :eek:

 

Hope we hear from Donna soon...

 

All you dear people have a fabulous day today! I'll come back later and tell you about my <ahem> day yesterday. It must have been in the influence of the moon or something that we all needed to just relax and calm down....

 

Bye for now....

[Anita Latte]

Kasi...I totally understand about the Zumbawear calling out to you...I want a pair of the cargos SO BAD...I ALMOST bought a pair at the training, BUT I didn't...because of the fit...come to find out that I probably should have tried on the XL because that is more equal to a size 10/12 USA...the L is more like size 8/10 USA...so no wonder they felt a bit tight in the leg! Aw well...before I start teaching, I'm hoping to get the camo style with orange accents...I LOVE those!

 

Being on the forum for instructors, I've found some more sites that are authorized to sell Zumbawear...and one of them, I know, ships to Germany...but I can't remember which one...for easy reference, here are the ones that I have found:

 

http://www.zumbafashion.com (repeat)

http://www.zumbashoponline.com

http://www.shop.zrhythmz.com

 

Also, I would recommend talking to your instructor about getting some cargos...there are instructors that are a part of the wholesale program...your instructor may be able to get the cargos for a more inexpensive price and shipping may be more friendly coming from a fellow instructor...and then she can turn around and sell those cargos to you for whatever you agree upon for a price...that is, if you feel comfortable talking to your instructor about doing this...

 

I have recently made an observation regarding what instructors wear...and I'm wondering if everyone could comment on what your instructors wear as it relates to this observation...

 

At training, the people that were very into Zumba (the trainer and just one or two attendees), that were wearing the cargo pants...I noticed that they wore the pants with one leg pulled up to just below their knee and the other leg long at their ankles...it looked a bit odd, but I just thought that was their style, or something...

 

Now I've been watching youtube videos of instructors...specific ones that I am finding through the forum...and I see this one guy...he has cut his cargos into very long shorts...cut off just below those side cargo pockets...and on one leg he wears a knee high sock in a crazy, wild colorful pattern...and he wears a no-see sock on his other leg...THEN he wears the sock like an arm warmer on the opposite arm...and nothing on the other side...and I'm thinking...:confused:...it's a style I guess...

 

Then the lightbulb comes on...and I realize that these two "style statements" actually make it very easy to see what the left v. the right leg is doing...so that you can make more sense of the foot movements...and follow along much easier...

 

So, I'm wondering...do any of your instructors employ this subtle strategy in dress to help to follow the movements?

 

I also remember reading on the forum that the instructors shoe color should not match their pant color...to make it easier to see their feet...

 

Do your instructors shoes stand out?

 

I am very interested in hearing about what your instructors wear to class...

 

Meanwhile...THANKS MOM for encouraging words! I wish that I had a Zumba class to go to this morning! Instead of having to muster up my own workout at home...not nearly as much fun...it's very LONELY...lol...

[kasi1979]

Kasi, my ports are: Ponta Delgada, Lisbon, Seville (Cadiz), Malaga, Barcelona, Provence, Livorno, Civitavecchhia, Messina, and (as you know) Venice. Please let me know if there are any must-sees in any of these ports. Most are new to me; I don't need help with Rome... any pointers are welcome!

 

Hi Pam,

hope you had as much fun at Zumba today as I did.

 

Actually I´ve been to many of the ports you are going to see:

Lisbon - City with lots of history, I took an indepentend tour with a hop-on-hop-off bus from the city center, it was about 14 euro and you got an explenation of what you were seeing via headphone. Afterwards we just strolled through the city center. Dependend on what you would like to see, there is much more to do there.

 

Cadiz - We actually stayed in Cadiz. In the morning we did a sightseeing walk with a guide organized through the ship. Please keep in mind, that most European cities are quite old and cobblestone is common, so wear comfy shoes in which you don´t slip. And please, put on pants that reach past your knees and a t-shirt, and maybe bring a shawl or something to cover you up for the visit of churches. This is not only valid for women, but for men also. Cadiz has lots of history and a fantastic cathedral. If posible, make your way to the museum of the cathedral to see some really fantastic art. The market building is fascinating due to the varity of fish and fruit offered. If time permits, head out into the gardens along the seaside and just relax for a little while. Actually Cadiz is one of my most favorite stops.

 

Malaga - If you´ve never been there before, the hightlight are the Alhambra and the cathedral. Both really interesting, if you have a guide who will explain to you, what you are seeing. Just strolling through town, doing some shopping and enjoying a chocolata caliente (hot chocolate) is what I usually do. No need to head to one of the sights further away, at least not if you don´t say you have always dreamt of seeing Grenada for example.

 

Barcelona, a wonderful city, due to it´s situation right be the seaside, nestled in between several mountains, the climate is quite nice here. If you love art, Barcelona has so much to offer, if not, it´s a wonderful stop, too. Í´d recommend heading into town and buying a ticket for the hop-on-hop-off bus tour (search for bus turistic), which offers 3 different routes through Barcelona. Again with explanations via headphones. It´s 23 Euro per person and day or 30 Euro per person for two days. Not to be missed sights include: Sagrada Famiglia (Gaudis famous Cathedral, that´s still in the progress of being bilt), Parque Guell (a whole Parc created by Gaudi), Barri Gotic with the old cathedral. Barcelona has so much more to offer, Montjuic, with the old castell, the Olympic sites, La Pedrera ( a house created by Gaudi with an amazing architecture), Paleau Real, and an incredible number of museums. Barcelona is one city I´m always looking forward to seeing again. If time permits, try to view Sagarda Famiglia on a tour from the inside as this is a breathtaking church in the making.

 

Provence, not been to Toulon, however excursions to Aix en Provence or Grasse are famous if you are a fan of original french parfum. If not maybe the seaside has something to offer?

 

Livorno, is motsly used as the port town for Pisa and Florence. Pisa - not much to see, just the leaning tower and that´s it. Florence - a city where just a few hours will never be enough. The city has so much to offer, the cathedral, ponte vecchio (the old bridge with houses on it), and several churches and palazzi from the era Medici.

Livorno itself has an nice old town if you are not into culture.

 

Civitavecchhia - Well, you already know it´s the port for excursions to Rome and you´ll need all day if you even want to see a tiny bit of this ancient modern fancinating city. Highlights in Rome are: Colosseum, Forum Romanum, Trevi Fountain (don´t forget to throw a coin in the fountain to ensure yoúr return to Rome), Pantheon, Spanish Stairs, Piazza Navona, and St. Peter´s Cathedral and the Vatican Museum, to name just a few. If you find the time, just a short 3 minutes walk from trevi fountain is an amazing ice cream parlor - Gelato di San Crsipino in Via della Panetteria, 42. We had the best icecream here and returned three times a day ;)

 

Messina - Sicily might be your best bet for a few realxing beach hours, or a trip to Taormina. Mount Etna is famous, but there is not much to see, well, at least not for me. One vulcano seems to be pretty much like another. Ok, Etna is still active, but for me it´s one of the sights I won´t miss if I never return there. It´s just lava.

 

Venice - I love Venice. Be sure to be up on deck when you are sailing into Venice. You are going right be St. Marcs Basilica, the Doge-Palace and Canale Grande. Be sure to visti the Rialto Bridge, take a look inside St. Marcs Basilica and maybe even the Doge Palace. Be careful if you want to sit anywhere in a cafe and drink something, as they charge you just for sitting there...

Don´t leave Venice without buying some amazing glass jewellery. It´s much cheaper there where it is manufactured than on board or in any tourist shop across the world. I´ve even seen Murano glass jewellery in St.Marten, there you were charged 30 Euro for a necklace, I bought one alike in Venice for just 6 Euros...

 

Maybe take a look at the website weekendinitaly, just google it. There you will find many more tipps and you get a chance to buy tickets for for example the Doge´s Palace ahead of time. They also offer different excursions if that´s what you would like. We are ordering tickets for Dogé´s Palace - Secret Itineraries, as that´s one thing we have not yet done.

 

Whatever you decide, I´m sure you´ll enjoy your time in these amazing ports.

[kasi1979]

Anita,

 

Annie, my instructor, she wears the cargo pants, she seems to own the whole bandwits of what is available.

Today it was a bright orange cargo.

 

Her shoes are always black.

 

Mostly she wears the pants legs down, but I have seen her do, what you describe with one leg shorter than the other on different classes.

 

She always wears Zumba tops along to the cargo pants.

 

-

Yeah, I like the look of these cargo pants. Well eventually I´ll buy a pair of those. It´s just a matter of time and money, maybe when the tax refund comes in...

[Member123]

Kasi,

Thank you so much for taking the time and explaining the ports to me, very very helpful!

 

I did do the Doge Palace tour the last time that I was in Venice. I think that we did the Secret Itineraries tour, not with a guide but with an audio guide. It was spectacular! We love to do the DIY-tours because we love to linger. As an example, when we toured Buckingham Palace in London, we entered with a group (timed entry) and the way that the tour was organized, you could only go forward... you could never make a U-turn and go backward. BUT, we went forward very slowly, saw literally everything, imagined being the Queen! LOL... and we exited with the group that had entered a few hours behind us! When we see things, we like to really SEE things! I couldn't believe when we were in the Vatican Museum we saw a person literally running through the Museum, screeching to a stop in front of some statue or painting, taking a picture, and then running away! He must have had a very limited time and really wanted to say he'd been to the Vatican Museum and have the pictures as proof. IDK. Wow, that was a train of thought that took me to some strange places....

 

Zumba Clothes! OK. Yes! I too want those cargo pants! Today's class was pretty colorful because a LOT of the ladies were wearing Nike's new fashion violet color in their tops. Here's what I realized today. I sweat a lot during Zumba. OK. I've realized that before today... but I'm not that happy with the more slim, kind of clingy, look of the yoga capris. I think I'd like more room between my skin, sweat layer, and clothing fabric. I'm just saying....

 

Anita, several of my instructors do the one-leg up, one-leg down style. Yes, their shoes are a contrasting color. I love it when they do that; in fact, one time Evelyn was "reminded" to button up her one leg because it's so much easier to see the footwork that way. The instructors that are the best really dress so that you can see how they are planting their feet... and they do very exaggerated footwork in the beginning of the sequence and then tone it down a bit as they go along through the song.

 

The class this morning was spectacular. Felt so good to go, especially with my Pig Out Brunch that I inhaled yesterday. Like I said before, maybe something was in the moon? Anyway, yesterday I went to Zumba in the morning. Sometimes I can't face breakfast as early as I need to in order to get to Zumba and that was the case yesterday. So I ate a banana and headed out the door. Thought I was going to an easier Zumba class and ended up getting my butt kicked! Then I came home and had a recovery shake... so, with my latte (which is never missed!) my calorie intake was about 282 calories and my HRM said that I burned 883 calories... even if my HRM was being optimistic, you can understand that I was hungry! And we were heading out to brunch!

 

Did I eat everything in sight? Well.... I really, really wanted a glass of sparkling wine... and the bread/butter.... and the Eggs Oscar which turned out to be the BEST shrimp/crab cake, 2 poached eggs with hollandaise sauce nestled on top of grilled vegetables (asparagus, onions, potatoes, carrots...OMG)... and then... well the carrot cake dessert was small and the coffee tasted really good and the cream to it was a nice addition. Anita, am I being bad here? (Anita told me I couldn't post pictures of my cruise food on here!... so I'm wondering if I'm being bad?...)

 

I use the myfitnesspal app to figure out calories. Well, my best guess is... about 1143 calories for brunch!

 

I knew I had to eat something for dinner, so I ate a modest 282 calorie dinner. Some tuna, etc.

 

I did gain just a tiny bit this morning. Nothing really. Probably because of the Zumba exercise that was also part of yesterday. And probably because of the WATER intake that I did throughout the day. I hit the ginger/mint water infusion pretty heavy in the afternoon to try to help with my digestion! I would say, using Thanksgiving dinner as the metric for the "stuff" feeling factor and putting that at a "10"... my stuff feeling after brunch was around an 8.5+ ???

 

Zumba this morning. I think I probably took care of the small bounce up. We'll see tomorrow. Having a regular calorie day today!

 

I have to fit into my CRUISE clothes!!!! :eek: I can't blow it right before I leave! LOL....

 

OK, everyone... back in track...

[Anita Latte]

*GASP*

 

I can start teaching Zumba classes NEXT WEEK!!!

 

I need to talk to Kelly tonight and verify that she has no issue with this. The recreation center activities director had talked with her about offering daytime classes but Kelly was unable to do this in the past. It's a courteous first right of refusal kind of talk with Kelly. I doubt that anything has changed or she would have pursued it, but still.

 

So here I am all excited about this and Mom is nowhere to be found!! Tried calling her cell and the landline and there is no-one home. :(

 

I'll just do a happy dance here!

 

*happy dance* *happy dance* *happy dance*

 

Speaking of...I have some serious preparation to do in order to be ready! LOL.

[kasi1979]

Wow Anita,

that´s awesome. I´ll keep my fingers crossed that Kelly is ok with that. This is so great, please come back to us with details on your prep work.

 

As it´s vacation time here, it´s a Zumba free evening :( I´ll look through my DVDs in order to find some workout. Ive been sitting in the office and several meetings all day, now I need some exercise.

 

So happy for you.

[kasi1979]

Ok Ladies,

I need some good feelings this morning.

It´s 4 weeks since I took my measurments, and in starc contrast to you, I´m loosing neither centimeters, nor inches, actually it seems to get worse :(

 

I was so frustrated, I skipped the scale in an attempt to not make it worse.

 

Tonights a Zumba class, that´ll help me keep my mind on track, but right now I´m pretty demotivated...

 

 

@Anita, how did your talk with Kelly go?

[Member123]

Ok Ladies,

I need some good feelings this morning.

It´s 4 weeks since I took my measurments, and in starc contrast to you, I´m loosing neither centimeters, nor inches, actually it seems to get worse :(

 

I was so frustrated, I skipped the scale in an attempt to not make it worse.

 

Tonights a Zumba class, that´ll help me keep my mind on track, but right now I´m pretty demotivated...

 

 

@Anita, how did your talk with Kelly go?

 

Kasi,

I noticed something over the weekend that I especially didn't care for. I've lost quite a few inches around my ribcage, but I still felt like the area was pretty tight and toned. Well, it isn't anymore. It's like all weird, loose, and jiggly! I don't care for it, at all.

 

Here's the weird thing as well. Before, I couldn't really grasp a bunch of "stuff" and pull it away from my body. Well, now I can! I can grasp a whole big chunk of "stuff." So, of course, I did some research and came up with the following:

 

To reduce subcutaneous fat, many people resort to dieting. However, since this fat stores energy, it is often more easily reduced with exercise. Studies focusing on fat measurements show that women who exercise three to four times a week tended to have greater subcutaneous fat weight loss. About 60% of the pounds lost from exercise were subcutaneous fat. Dieters who did not exercise regularly still lost weight, but only about 30% of their weight loss was subcutaneous fat tissue.

 

OK. So, what I think is happening on my body is that the subcutaneous fat is actually being reduced, BUT the intermediate situation is that it looks WORSE because it's all lumpy, squishy, and I can grab sections of it. Whereas before, because i had MORE of the stuff, it was harder to grab sections of it. Am I making sense? This stuff isn't muscle.

 

So, taking measurements... it's an art. You don't know, unless you have some sort of marker on your body like a freckle, etc., exactly where you placed the tape from one measuring effort to another. Taking measurements is usually a motivator because the tape WILL move in increments when the scale doesn't. However, be careful using the tape measure as an absolute metric for your progress because (a) you could have pulled the tape tighter or looser on the previous go round and (b) you could have placed the tape higher or lower on the previous go round.

 

Also, be aware that your TOM and your body's hydration will affect that tape measurement, as well.

 

The pundits want you to only take measurements and/or weigh on a frequency basis of weekly or monthly, in order to take into account the fluctuations of your body on any given day. They "think" that by taking an extended time away from your measuring and/or your scale, that you will avoid the occassional blips up and, therefore, keep your motivation. Well that idea holds true... unless you hit your day of measurement on a blip up day! Then you end up feeling the way you are feeling today...

 

Well... STOP that! Because you KNOW, deep down in your logical place (rather than your emotional place), that what you are doing is the right thing to do for your life and health. You kow that you're watching your diet. By watching your diet, I mean literally that you are consciously aware of what you are eating... not mindlessly eating... but mindfully eating. There's a huge difference. It's not about calorie counting; it's about being mindful of the nutritional value and appropriatenss of the food that you're eating. You know that you're exercising in one of the most beneficial programs for weight loss and for happiness. Zumba makes you feel good. There's a great endorphin release with Zumba. Keep it up. You know that you're on a path where you will eventually see the results that you want.

 

You know you will.

Edited April 19, 2011 by Member123