Day After Dancing

My new lifestyle has taken over my life.

Myself and another girl have taken the reigns of a dance community in London, Ontario and between the two of us we have organized dances and instructional series of classes from now until the end of December. I get to be the demonstration partner for the instructor that we're using often, so we meet, do our own lesson, then practice the two lessons, do the two lessons, film the recap of the two lessons and then dance for the rest of the evening.

I didn't even dance every song! Rarely do I dance every song--I need to manage my perspiration.

Actual social dancing started around 10:10pm and finished an hour later. In there, I danced two songs using East Coast Swing which is a little bit faster feeling because you are triple-stepping so much and stepping back for a rock step, then stepping forward into a triple, then another triple, then rock stepping. This would make more sense if you learned to dance. You should look up "West Coast Swing" dancing in your area. Trust me, it's fun!

In an hour, I probably had about 5-7 dances since I was doing a lot of socializing and promoting.

By the time I was done, I was ravenous. Dinner was a restaurant chicken salad at 5:30pm and after that, there was no time for more eating and I prefer to eat light before dancing.

Once I got home, although I had premade pancakes waiting in the fridge, I knew that would be bad news to go to bed on a stomach full of pancakes, so I had 250mL of Greek Yogurt and a couple of triscuits and a hot chocolate. Yes, I bought a canister of hot chocolate the other day *sigh*.

This morning, as I woke from being dead to the world, I was grateful to myself for making a stack of whole wheat/blueberry pancakes and refrigerating them. I ate 3 with No Sugar Added syrup (I prefer the milder sweetness of NSA syrup by E.D. Smith).

I hadn't given myself enough time to get into ketosis and figure out how it would feel to do all of that with the very restrictive diet that is required in order to achieve and stay in ketosis. I also know that I would need to make a serious effort to get my stamina up and strengthening my back so I don't feel so completely spent the next day. The Michigan Classic at the end of May is looming.

I might have to put stamina and back conditioning ahead of fat loss.
What I might try next is to get into ketosis for May 4th when we have our next dance and see how I feel the day after.

On the Keto Fence (again)

When things start to feel out of control, or I start to feel overwhelmingly anxious about the damage I've done to myself with the eating last summer/fall, or when I view myself dancing on video which I'm doing a lot more of lately in order to improve, I start panicking and plan to get into ketosis so I can lose weight as fast as possible with the tried and true methods of my past.

Then I start to anticipate that feeling of isolation that comes with being on a ketogenic diet (constantly having to turn things down, explain yourself etc) and it too makes me anxious. I go through the day talking myself out of it, rationalizing that if I just ate low-carb and did cardio for an hour every day, I could probably affect a weight loss; even though not as great as it may be with a ketogenic diet.

Then I realize that my life is totally different this year, in that I am committed to dancing nearly every weekend this summer and an evening of dancing leaves me so exhausted and ravenous, I don't know how I would manage the energy demand. I won't know until I try of course.

When I see myself on video, I bounce back to my original thought that I seriously need to buckle down and get into ketosis because it saddens me to see what I've done to myself.

I feel like a tennis ball.

Greek yogurt & my go-to digestive cleansing product

First off, I've been hot chocolate-free for two days now. Jonesing! Still staying strong even though it is my comfort drink.

Secondly, I wore my armband for quite a long time yesterday (22 hours and 50 minutes) and I woke up this morning with my armband being somewhat embedded into my tricep (I'm exaggerating a bit) and leaving a spot on my arm itchy and irritated. So I am leaving it off until that goes away (probably another day).

Let me exclaim how delicious greek yogurt is! So creamy and chilled! There will be no need to get ice cream now that I've discovered greek-effing-yogurt! Here's how I've had it so far:

• with Splenda & coconut flavoring or banana flavoring (bought at Bulk Barn) + ground flaxseed to give it that "coconut/banana cream pie" texture
• with Splenda & cocoa (this was an experiment--I might give it another try with the 2% Liberte yogurt...the 0% President's Choice yogurt had too much of a tangy aftertaste to enjoy the chocolate, although maybe I need to mix a dash of vanilla in to cut the tanginess)
• as an additive to mashed sweet potatoes. don't bother doing this, it dulls the flavor of the sweet potatoes

There's another issue I have that seems to affect both the number on the scale and how my clothes fit at any given time. This is a somewhat embarrassing/personal issue to talk about, but I think it's worth talking about so that I can tell you how I'm handling it when I need to.

I'm fairly certain I have some degree of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) because not only am I not regular, but it's very easily affected by how many carbs I'm having, what types of carbs I'm having, whether I'm stressed, whether I've been less active etc. My sister, on the other hand has gone with a gluten-free lifestyle (that's for you Ember ;)  ) and has a completely opposite constitution.

On Monday & Tuesday of next week I will be visiting her place and bringing along some of my own foods, but when it comes down to birthday cake or baking, I know I will try it, love it and then pay for it for days by being immediately "Bunged Up" (favorite terminology used within our family for ages for this condition lol). She tells me I should eat Magnesium Citrate tablets and be careful how much I take for it might make me want to stay close to a washroom at all times. I bought it *hoping* that was the case and it had little to no effect on that.

Anyhow, I know that when I'm bunged up my digestion "isn't working well", I don't even bother to weigh myself and tend to choose clothes that are looser and more stretchy. I've tried self-administered colonic massaging (rubbing my tummy counter clockwise) and have found that it was helpful in stimulating some digestion a little bit.

When I notice that things are starting to need attention and I'm done with waiting for something to happen, I take 2 of these babies:

I HIGHLY recommend them as they are much easier to tolerate than taking 2 Extra-Strength Ex-lax tablets which I save for the critical-stage times.

However, if you plan to try this product, take one before bed with lots of water, and then lots of water as soon as you get up. Do it on a weekend so you know how your body will handle it. My mom took one and found her digestive system too "squelchy" throughout the day, whereas for me, I don't get that at all.

I'm in Canada, so I buy this in the herbal/vitamin aisle of the natural food section of Loblaws or Real Canadian Superstore. I don't take them every day, so a bottle can last me quite a while.

Down the Dance Rabbit Hole & Back Up Again

Thank you so much Ember for lighting a fire under me to put up another post : )  I guess I kinda thought no one was reading.

Another month has gone by and I used my BodyMediaFit armband consistently and logged my food consistently, and still no real change on the scale or in the fit of my clothes.

I have my first ever dance weekender coming up on May 30th and I want more confidence in myself at that time than I've had the last 3 months.

So it's time to return to the Ketogenic or Low-Carb plans that have worked for me in the past. This time, I referenced a blog that I came across which puts a fresh mindset on the whole process:
http://josepharcita.blogspot.ca/2011/03/guide-to-ketosis.html

My President's Choice Sugar-free Dark Hot Chocolate addiction habit needs to go. It's far too easy to mix up a couple of tablespoons and sit down with that lovely hot chocolate flavor making everything feel alright. I don't even want to go through the list of ingredients because the undissolved chocolate sludge at the bottom of every mug is enough to tell me I probably shouldn't be drinking such copious amounts of it.

The temporary consideration of taking up running has passed after meeting with a personal trainer in her 70's (she's an athlete, don't laugh!) and discussing my knee concerns. She started me on a ball workout program which left me completely sore (as it should) and I've had a number of things going on affecting me getting to session #2.

Mostly stress and disappointment with life and disappointed that I think we all get brought up to believe that you are pretty much going to have a husband and children and a house and it's a matter of finding him and arranging all that. For the late bloomers like me, it's a huge disappointment that you reach age 40-whatever and feel left behind.

Anyways.

It doesn't help that I'm in "love" with my car mechanic who is in his 30's and has a girlfriend. Fortunately I have a car that is aging and *perhaps* he likes me a little bit (from afar) and takes care of me, going well above and beyond every time I have a car concern.

I digress again.

So the last month has been a mad blur of dance-related activities. Here's what I accomplished with my co-pilot on the project:

• built a website  (westcoastswinglondon.ca)
• established a Facebook page, group and Youtube channel for us
• negotiated and scheduled two 6-class courses for Beginner Lessons and Musicality
• designed/ordered business cards for our group
• negotiated and scheduled several other workshops & social dances for the remainder of the year
• established relationships with the West Coast Swing communities in driving distance and started to share their events so they could share ours
• the list goes on....

I am looking forward to lots of dancing coming up and whatever I do in the gym will need to be towards being a better dancer in some way or another because it is definitely a passion and the kind of thing you can always improve on (like golf!).

Thank you for reading and getting my head back in the game.

MOTIVATED.....by dance!!

The past 9 days have seen a whole new frontier start to open up before me!

Nine days ago I agreed to be a demonstration partner to a visiting West Coast Swing instructor who decided to take me under his wing as he was impressed with my enthusiasm and interest in progressing.

Since then, myself and the girl who presented me the opportunity to be the demo partner have been selected as the right people to form the new committee which will take over the monthly dances that are one of the few outlets of West Coast Swing here in my fair city.

My mind has been racing with the possibilities and how we can build on the monthly dances, how we can bring in new dancers and expand the group of people who like to do this.

As well, my boss invited me to pay out some overtime which gave me just enough to book and prepay a hotel room for 2 nights so that I could go to the Toronto Open Swing Hustle Championships which my dance mentor recommended.

And now--I'm considering attending the Michigan Classic which is an even higher caliber of event at the end of May.!


Further still, are upcoming dances within an hour's drive out of the city with excellent instructors!

I've also found a new dance that I probably won't be able to learn in this city, but it's exciting to look at and revived my interest in Latin dancing (I kinda gave up on Salsa mostly for financial reasons last September). The dance is Zouk if anyone is interested.

With all these exceptional opportunities and commitment to a whole community of recreational dancers and a commitment to myself to reach a new level of skill, I do NOT want to arrive at either of these championship events feeling self conscious of my body.

The latin dances, and even West Coast Swing look much better when you're willing and able to execute body rolls and stick your booty and hips far out to accentuate the music and styling. For me, I need to feel that confidence again.

And so--I decided.



It's interesting but all these past few weeks of the new year when I was logging my food and learning to do new things with my body (ie: hoop dancing), I thought I *had* decided.

This feels different.

This feels like, "EFF THIS--I'm DOIN' IT because I'm EXCITED for what I'll be able to do when I feel PROUD of these curves and the small waist and by then my skills will have reached the level that I CAN join in the reindeer games!"


We have a jar of M&M's at work. I stood next to them and walked by them multiple times today in the course of doing my job. I was smiling inside because I was thinking, "man I can't wait to dance in Toronto and wear snug fitting dance tops!" : D

Calorie Burner: 3 hrs of dance lessons followed by 2.5 hours of social dancing

omgee.
my feet hurt!!

As I may have mentioned in previous posts, I am part of a West Coast Swing community of social dancers.

This evening I was fortunate to have a one hour private lesson, followed by 2x 45 minute lessons where I was the demonstration partner (for the first time ever!), followed by another 2.5 hours of social dancing. It was not quite on the level of World's Largest Disco calorie burning, but from 6pm-11:30pm, I burned about 1081 calories doing all of that.

You know that you've burned a lot of calories in a short span of time when you sort of "hit the wall" and then you'll pretty much eat whatever's put in front of you. I ate a leftover half-sandwich from the food trays that were put out and a handful of truffle candies, then a slice of bread and peanut butter (and a Tylenol) when I got home.

Knee Pain / Weakness (program)

This is a little post to capture a wonderful site I finally ferreted out after searching for help with my knee issue which my doctor had said was likely "something patella something" (I can't recall).

I found helpful information at:
http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/chondromalaciapatella.html

I found very good knee cap exercises at:
http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/knee-cap-exercises.html

General leg strengthening to benefit the knee at:
http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/knee-strengthening-exercises.html

Awesome knee and supporting muscle stretches shown at:
http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/knee-stretches.html

Calorie Burn: treadmill walking & leg extensions (plus an epiphany!)

Living in Southwestern Ontario between 3 great lakes has brought a lot of windy, snow and generally messy winter conditions. After a long day at work, whether I was tired out from a busy day, or tired out from lack of being busy, going out into the winter weather was enough to make me want to get home as soon as possible for a hot chocolate and my Hello Kitty pj pants.

This afternoon at work, I looked out our windows to watch the driving snow and the university students forging ahead from building to building. Again I visualized how nice a hot chocolate and my comfy pj pants would feel once I got home. As usual, since I've been paying for a gym membership every month and not going, I briefly considered whether I should go to the gym or not.

Since last summer, I noticed my knees feeling less stable, or weak even when climbing up onto a curb or getting up out of a chair, or my car. My doctor told me that it was likely just that I needed to strengthen the ligaments which hold the Patella (knee cap) in its place (sitting in grooves which it slides along). She recommended leg extensions.

As someone who has been learning to dance for the last 3 years with a promising future of enjoying it immensely, my knee strength is important to me. It's also important to me that I don't groan when I get up out of a chair or climb up a curb. I should be bounding up and down stairs, not leaning on the handrails for support.

I also mentioned in my last post that I've been considering running. I certainly can't run if my knees are going to be at risk, so I have new reasons to be considering the gym and what I can do there to improve my life by facilitating the physical ability to continue exploring these new activities.

While I was visualizing stepping out into the cold, wintery late afternoon, I fast-forwarded to the summer and visualized myself heading out into the warm sunny weather when it would be much easier to get to the gym.

That's when my thoughts shifted.

What's worse: going to the gym even though it's cold and windy out and I just want to go home and be warm and cozy, or heading out to enjoy a hot summer day feeling overweight and not being able to wear the things I want to wear like my favorite leopard print maxi dress, or all the other flattering dresses I've collected over years of thrift-store shopping?


I went to the gym tonight.

As soon as I climbed up on that treadmill, I felt successful and proud that I was able to push myself and overcome thoughts of immediate gratification. I had a vigorous 25 minute walk on the treadmill at a 1% incline listening to awesome tunes and then did 3 sets of 10 leg extensions using very low weight just so that I could work on my knees and not worry about trying to build muscle.

I enjoyed 7.5 minutes on the Hydromassage bed and then headed home where I had a healthy dinner and good conversation with my best friend while it was baking in the oven.

Calories burned in my 45 minutes of walking and leg extensions at the gym: 230

 I'm not really sure what that V shape portion of the graph is all about, there was no sudden decline in activity, I'm wondering if it was just an anomaly or something. I will pay closer attention to the clock when I go to do leg extensions so I can easily pick them out in the graph.

Flirting With The Impossible

I'm interrupting my youtubing to document the seed of a thought I've begun flirting with.

running.


Never in my LIFE have I been a runner. When I was growing up, we didn't have access to treadmills until the day I joined a gym. Even then, running on the treadmill was out of the question for a few reasons:

1. I already sweat a lot just walking briskly on a treadmill. I can't imagine how drenched and gross I would look and feel by running.
2. My junk in the trunk would be bouncing at such a momentum that I would look like a 1940's jalopy running full tilt at a giant bump on a dirt road with the back end barely hanging on.
3. My bosom (which I consider one of the few things I am happy with) would be bouncing so much that it may attract attention, or become so used to bouncing that all the ligaments would stretch out and I'd end up having my very nice bosom turning into something which hangs low and moves to and fro.

This would be the most common type of gym activity which would be the furthest out of my comfort zone, but which may bring me the physical appearance I want in the shortest span of time.

How did this seed form? My friend LG has been a dedicated runner, especially over the last year and has done admirably with her health and achieved her personal goals for physique with running.

And a girl I play World of Warcraft with posted on her Facebook wall that a year ago she was 27 lbs heavier and when I asked what she had done differently, she said she took up running on the treadmill.

So, I've begun considering the idea and not immediately dismissing it like in the past.

To document something I may or may not do, I thought I would collect some of the resources now in case I need to look back on them.

Running Form: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3hjpDs_Fq8
Treadmill running program for beginners: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2LL8f65x-Y
http://www.mytreadmilltrainer.com/

Calorie Burn: 1.5 hours of cleaning my 2-bedroom apartment

I have company coming today and it was the perfect time to give the apartment a once-over. I don't have a lot of things to dust and I don't have a lot of carpet to vacuum (which is unfortunate because I am a Dyson owner and there's nothing I love more when cleaning house than a good, cathartic vacuuming).

However, I have two cats that rough-house A LOT, so sometimes I'll be walking through an area and the air current from my walking past draws out some significantly large cat hair tumbleweeds (tumblefurs? I've invented a new word).

So, after doing my house cleaning, I promptly removed my Armband, plugged it in to find out how many calories that just burned:

300 calories!

See that flat spot in the middle? That's when my Dyson sucked up a pen and I had to find where it had lodged itself in the hose and remove it, which I did.


Housecleaning is well worth the good feeling it leaves me with when I've made everything fresh and sparkly, and makes me feel like I can have people over without concern for tumblefurs rolling by, AND I burned a good amount of calories!