It Has Begun!

You didn’t think I’d let the new season of Dancing with the Stars begin without some commentary, did you?? 

This season started at just the right time – I feel more motivated this week than I have in a while. I’ve still been going to class about three times a week, but Tuesday morning when I got up to go to class, I realized just how much in the last couple of weeks I’ve had to really make myself go versus really wanting to go and being at least a little excited to go.

I know that there are going to be those days that are harder than others to get up and get moving, but the last week or so has been difficult. Dealing with some health issues, unrelated to dancing, have increased some stress and anxiety levels, which led to my natural response of curling up in bed and hiding. I didn’t do too much of it, but, like I said, I’ve had to do a lot of talking to myself and telling myself “Get your behind up and go!”

So, the Dancing with the Stars premiere… There are some celebs on this season that I think are going to be amazing dancers. I’m very excited! As I watched I found myself paying much closer attention to the moves they were actually doing, rather than simply whether or not I liked the dance. Doing Zumba for a few months, which includes some dance moves (not that we do them very technically correct!) has made me really REALLY appreciate just how difficult some of…no MOST of what they’re doing truly is. Watch, especially in fast dances like the Cha Cha or the Jive, how fast they move their feet or when they are dancing on one foot swinging or kicking the other. And when they jump or hop in time or in rhythm… let me tell you, if you are even a little out of shape, if you are even a little overweight – moving your entire body weight at one time – not so easy!

One of my Zumba instructors likes to do routines with lots of hops and jumps. The low impact version of that is walking or marching, doing knee lifts instead, something like that. I have steered away from things like jumping jacks because I’ve had knee problems in the past and until I loose some more weight, I’m very conscious of not injuring myself. But in class this week I tried to do a few of the jumping/hopping sequences – oh. my. god. I’m not going to say “I can’t do them”. I can hop a little, but my toes don’t come far off the ground and I can only do like two! So something new to work toward!

Here is my two cents on the first week of Dancing with the Stars Season 19. You will notice that Derek did not make my list. I know… He is always amazing, so that goes without saying. His partner, Bethany Mota, did well but she had a few issues. However…kudos to her for keeping up with Derek!!

I’m excited to see where they go…
Lea Thompson & Artem – I have always liked Lea. I was excited about her being on this season anyway, but wow!!
Randy Couture & Karina – He was worried about feeling clumsy, but he was anything but! I didn’t know who he was before the show, but can’t wait to see what happens. I’m looking forward to when they start doing lift because I think he’s just going to be throwing Karina around the floor!

Surprises of the night:
Tommy Chong & Peta – Like Bruno said, I was expecting “Bad grandpa”. It wasn’t the greatest but it was entertaining. Loved the cameo by Cheech Marin, too!
Sadie Robertson & Mark – The thing I appreciate most about Mark Ballas is that he is so good with the younger girls. He worked with Shawn Johnson when she was 17, Aly Raisman (18), and Bristol Palin (20). He is such a good guy and he can make them feel grown-up and even a little sexy when the dance calls for it without it being weird, creepy or uncomfortable for them. And oh my god, has the girl got legs! Excited to see her break out of her shell and little and have some fun!

Favorite of the Night:
Alfonso Ribeiro & Witney Carson Not sure what I can say other than I smiled the whole time! So in honor of him and the hopes of seeing “The Carlton” at some point in the season, here is a fun little clip…
Will Smith, Jaden Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribeiro on Graham Norton The whole thing is good but especially if you jump to 1:22

I’m now waiting for Will Smith to show up to cheer on Alfonso!

Finding Inspiration

We all have our own life to pursue, our own kind of dream to be weaving.
And we all have some power to make wishes come true,
as long as we keep believing.
~ Louisa May Alcott ~

When I started this journey, I only shared it with a handful of people. Those closest to me, who know me the best, those that I knew would be encouraging, supportive and would cheer me on. I haven’t posted it on my wall on Facebook. Most of my family doesn’t even know I’m writing a blog. This is a pretty personal journey and part of being brave and fearless is putting myself out there more than I usually do. But we’re taking baby steps here. As I’ve encountered other friends, had meaningful conversations, I’ve continued to share my writing with them. I have not published this blog as private because I want others to read it. I am just trusting that those who need to find it will find it when the time is right. I’ll eventually blast it out on Facebook…just not yet.

In seeking out general advice on blog writing, a friend from college (a blogger and published writer ) gave me some good suggestions and challenged me on a couple of things.

Pictures. I kind of knew that one already but was trying to ignore it. The truth is I don’t have a lot of pictures of myself because I’m usually the one behind the camera and ninety percent of  the selfies I take…I end up deleting. There is a challenge going around Facebook to post FIVE pictures of yourself in which you feel beautiful. I may have to take up that challenge here. Ok…I WILL take up that challenge here!

The harder challenge is one that I’ve really had to sit and wrestle with for a few days. This is what he wrote:
People are going to KEEP reading you if you can show them how they can lose weight. Make links, share what has worked, what doesn’t. If you can help people lose weight, they will keep reading.

I’ve been asking myself for three days if I am up to that challenge.

After much contemplation, I’ve realized that I’m not.

Not because I don’t think I’m not going to lose weight or that I’m not going to accomplish my goal – to dance with Derek- but because I can’t tell anyone else how to lose weight. I’m not a dietician, not a nutritionist, not a health guru or even fitness instructor. I’m not a weight loss expert – although with the number of programs I’ve tried, I feel like I should be. I’ve had friends accomplish amazing results with Weight Watchers (I hated having to count everything). If you have and extremely busy life, limited time and the funds to do it, programs like NutriSystem or Jenny Craig might be what works for you. I know someone else who LOVES The Atkins Diet. I’ve read blogs of people who’ve had great success by becoming vegetarians, vegans or followed Paleo – sorry, but I just love my steaks and hamburgers entirely too much! Everyone has to find what works for them. Several years ago I read the South Beach Diet by Dr. Arthur Agatston. It hit home for me. It was easy to follow, I didn’t have to count much and I lost a lot of weight pretty quickly and easily. There is a lot of flexibility and I learned a lot about the science of nutrition. With diabetes and blood sugar issues running in my family, it was eye opening and helped me change some of the overall bad habits I had always had. I’ve done well on it off and on over the years, but fall back into some of those bad habits again and again.

So what is different this time? My inspiration. I think that is what I want to share and what I can share, because I believe it is the hardest part of the process sometimes. I know a lot about how to eat healthy, what to eat and not eat, about how much water I should drink and how much Diet Coke I shouldn’t drink. I know what the good choices are…I just don’t always make them. But what makes me get up and go to the gym, what makes me take the extra time to make a healthy dinner instead of grabbing the first thing I can…that is often more difficult to figure out.

I have tried for years to set a goal to lose weight or get healthier, with no other real goal in mind. It never worked. Sometimes there was an event and time limit attached – like my 40th birthday or a special wedding or class reunion. I’ve even set goals to complete a 5k or 10k. It might have worked for a few days or even a week, but that’s it. So this time I set a different goal. I want to Dance with Derek Hough. We’ve been over this already, so I won’t rehash it, but it makes a difference. Would I have set that goal if I had not met him in person? I don’t know. Probably not. Kudos to God and the universe for putting me in the right place at the right time to get me moving.

But sometimes the overall goal doesn’t work in the everyday. I’ve framed and mounted the Move: Love on Tour souvenir program so that I see it every morning. It is a daily visual reminder. But every week and every single day, sometimes several times a day, I have to keep going, keep moving. I have to tell myself to keep going, keep moving. This week it is certain music that has kept me moving. I’ve got a couple of favorite songs from my Zumba class that I love, so they are on the top of my iPod playlist. I turn them on and I can’t help but move. Today in class I was flagging. Thirty minutes in and I was almost done. Then an unexpected favorite song popped up in the mix…suddenly I was ready to go again. It is now in my playlist.

So much of this process is mental…and emotional…and spiritual. It isn’t simply deciding to make major changes to your habits and lifestyle and then doing it. I’m not just thinking about what I’m doing, but also the how and the why. Goodness only knows what I’ll unearth through this process, but I’m sure it will be an interesting ride. Thanks for joining me!

I can only share my own journey. I’ll share what inspires me and what gets me moving. I’ll share some pictures (promise!). I’ll even share some favorite food finds and recipes. I will do my best to be honest, real and as brave and fearless as I can be. I can only hope that through sharing my journey, you’ll find inspiration for your own journey.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are
powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
A Return to Love, by Marianne Williamson.