Strength, Shaping, and Serendipity

I've mentioned my trainer in passing, but I don't think I've fully articulated just what an amazing and influential figure she has been in my life.

When I joined my local gym 5 years ago, I was trying to become fit after losing weight through Weight Watchers.  I was having difficulty focusing, so I learned about the training program through the manager.  He decided to match me with D since he thought our personalities would mesh well together.  He also told me that D was in the process of becoming ordained.  That threw me at first since I'm not a particularly religious person, but I decided it couldn't hurt to meet her.

I'm going to sound cliche, but we hit it off like gangbusters.  D has said from day one that our meeting was serendipitous.  She was impressed with my strength and frequently mixed up my weekly training programs.  However, I soon began a pattern of only seeing her at the gym and not going on my own time.  Things were starting to get stressful with my mother, and I began gaining weight.  I think I was only one of two clients who gained weight on her watch.  She didn't get upset with me or berate me.  I always referred to her as my "Bob" rather than "Jillian" from The Biggest Loser.  She knew that I wouldn't respond well to abrasive behavior and was relieved that I was getting any kind of exercise in my week.

My husband had just moved in by that point and came with me to the gym.  They hit it off as well, and he would sit in during my sessions while chatting with D, holding my feet, and teasing me that I needed to do 100 more reps.  They put their creative minds together to write and illustrate a book about a fairy tree, which will hopefully be available in the future!  D finished her schooling and became a non-denominational Christian minister.  It was truly her destiny to go down that road, and I saw new peace and fulfillment within her.

D is a very warm person who finds meaning in everything.  She doesn't like negativity and finds a way for me to put a positive spin on the grumpy things I say.  And believe me, that woman spent many grumpy hours with me over the years!  She always managed to put a smile on my face by the end of those sessions.  D finds beauty in the world and is quite poetic.  She can pull a poem that she wrote 10 years ago out of her brain, and it's always a lovely summation of a particular person, object, or situation.  D has an excellent sense of humor, and we often talk about TV or movies.  We chat about our personal lives, and I feel like I can trust her with just about anything.

My mother died in December 2010, and I was a mess.  My mom faithfully believed in God, and I didn't want a random minister giving her eulogy.  I called D, and she was hesitant at first because she never performed a funeral and hadn't been to one in many years.  But she got over her nerves and told me she'd be honored.  Even though D had never met my mother, she knew so much about her from all my stories and performed a beautiful service.  I felt calmer knowing I could focus on her while she was speaking next to the casket.

D does not force religion or spirituality on me or judge my beliefs.  She has been a sounding board for my rambles about what I truly believe.  I started reading more about Taoism thanks to her.  I am feeling more comfortable about giving myself permission to open my mind to more in this world beyond restrictive organized religion.  I am still a skeptic, but I'm willing to do research and reading, and never judge others.  My way of life is to treat others the way you want to be treated.

We were married in April 2012, and naturally we asked D to do the honors.  It was a short engagement period, and every Monday was spent exercising and going over the service and wedding details.  I loved how D put together a service that honored our beliefs while eliminating phrases and words that we didn't like.  She wore her robe with two crosses to make my Catholic grandmother happy, but otherwise it was a very spiritual wedding utilizing old Celtic traditions and blessings. Her husband was there as well, and he was so delightful and present in the rehearsal and setup.  It felt like a family affair.

I gained all the weight back that I lost on Weight Watchers (and then some), and D was extremely patient.  She was tentative about pushing my strength because she didn't want me to hurt my body.  It was a very fine line that she was walking with me, and I'm eternally grateful that she didn't give up on me.  She knew I had to come to the breakthrough and conclusion myself.  Naturally, she and my husband were worried that my depression and stubborn nature would keep me from doing this and that my health would be affected.  She would gently discuss this with me, and I knew she was right, but I was scared.

D would always tell me that if I just walked for 20 minutes, 3 times per week, that it would make a difference.  That a habit is formed after doing something for 22 days.  That my body needs protein and I should always pair a carb snack with a protein (think apple and cheese).  That I should really be eating a vegetable with every meal.  That I can think of myself as an island and that the necessary, nourishing food for my body is being dropped off via parachute.  That I should be mindful of my eating if I'm not exercising frequently.  That she really wants me to be exercising, but if I absolutely had to choose one or the other, that eating well is the way to go.  I started printing my week of MyFitnessPal daily diaries for her to read while I warmed up on the treadmill.  She would tell me what I did well, what could be improved or replaced, and talk to me about why I felt like I needed that coffee cake 3 nights in a row.  We recorded my weight weekly and talked about the fluctuations.  I do research on nutrition and weight loss, but it's funny how most advice I've given to people is usually from something D told me.

I started this journey in January 2013, and I lost 60 lbs by October 2014.  D is beyond thrilled.  Many people at the gym compliment me, and the owner has even posted my progress on their Facebook page.  I feel great being an example of the exemplary work that D does for her clients.  After I lost the initial excess 41 pounds in 2013, she began working on "shaping" me in 2014.  I only lost 19 lbs that year, but I lost a lot of inches.  People think I lost more weight thanks to her work!

I had to stop seeing her while I was unemployed from October through February, and it shows.  I'm still wearing the same size clothes, but I gained 10 pounds and have gone back to my old habits of never going to the gym.  D had designed a program for me that I could do on my own during that time, but I only did it a couple times.  I just had a session with her two weeks ago, and it felt amazing.  I'm still as strong as I ever was.  But I'm having a hard time managing family stress, a new job, and tired laziness.  D always tells me that the time I really feel grumpy about going to the gym is the time I need to go the most.  I only live 3 minutes away, and my new job is now another minute down the road.  There's no excuse whatsoever.  I feel like I'm starting from scratch again with my "change of life" mentality.  I know what I have to do thanks to all her guidance.  It's a matter of getting my butt out the door.

I miss her a lot, and I aim to have my life fully back on track in April.  We text and check in, but it's not the same.  I miss my friend, and I miss getting my weekly physical and mental workout!  My husband and I joke that D is our Yoda, and she truly is.

"Do. Or do not. There is no try."

July Progress Numbers and Wrap Up

I didn't intend for this to be almost a week late, but once again, life has proven itself to be unpredictable and crazy.  I didn't get as many pictures this month either, but that's probably because my hair has looked like ass.  Thanks, humidity!

Let's get to the numbers, as I am SUPER excited!  I finally broke my 2 month gain/plateau, and it feels amazing.  I am one pound away from the lowest Weight Watchers number back in 2009, and then my first huge goal is ridiculously attainable.  

Weight:  -3
2014 Weight loss: 14 pounds
Weight loss:  55 pounds

Back on track!  Hooray!  It's even more exciting since I've barely been able to get to the gym more than once a week.  I want to, but I have a lot of family crap going on right now.  That crap has been like a domino effect since May.

July 4 was a lot of fun.  I don't even think I overate!

Like kids again with sparklers!  It was such a beautiful day.  

I've been making more of an effort to get outside this summer.  I'm crazy busy at my new job now, but I make a point to go outside for at least 5-10 minutes every day, even just to walk the big parking lot while checking my phone.  The burst of vitamin D feels good.

Not weight loss related, but I upgraded to a 5C and it's so prettyyyyy.  I named it Miss Hedwig.  Yes, I name my gadgets, what of it?  I had to take a picture since my color/style coordination was a complete coincidence.  This phone is so much faster and has a great camera, so it will be helpful as a weight loss tool.

Wearing a shirt that used to make me look like a puffball.  I look upset, but I was actually surprised.

The day I got back on track with my running...only to be forced off again shortly thereafter.  Sigh.

We went to NYC to see Rocky: The Musical for a second time before it closes in mid-August.  Yes, that's my husband standing next to me- he approved the use of this picture.  A friend took this sneak shot of me wildly gesturing while talking to Rocky himself, Andy Karl.  Yeah, I'm pretty dramatic.  Shocking, huh?  I was surprised at how much I actually like this picture of me.  I actually don't mind the way my back looks.  And of course I'm going to like any picture involving me and Andy.  This was also the day that we ran throughout the city as I discussed in my last entry.

We saw Of Mice and Men with James Franco and Chris O'Dowd that night.  Of course I had to stage door, especially considering Franco's obsession with Instagram and selfies.  The security actually briefed the crowd on how to take a proper selfie.  LOLZ forever.  I took a bunch of pix of him looking like a slithering creepoid in his hat and glasses as he slithered past everyone, but I'm going to post this one as I'm doing the OMGJAMESFRANCO face.  He's been on my top 10 for years.  Freaks & Geeks forever, man.

My last post involved a comparison picture of 2011 vs 2014, and I'd like to post a bigger version of the recent 2014 pic.

I don't know why I had an obsession with spaghetti straps when there was so much fat on my upper body.  It's nice to see that it doesn't look like the straps are disappearing anymore.  Mind you, I do have thick bra straps in this recent shot.  Is it wrong that I don't care about bra straps when I'm not at work?  I try to make sure that they match or blend with the shirt...

Total awesomeness.  The left picture was in 2011 (the same vacation as the above comparison picture), and now the shorts are falling off me.  My black shorts are in hot pursuit.  

Perhaps my biggest NSV in awhile.  I could never wear those exercise shorts outside the house for years since they would always ride up my thighs.  Now they're loose and I could go to the gym in them while stopping to do a couple errands on the way home.  That was an awesome feeling.  Stacy London and Clinton Kelly would be pissed at me for going out and about in this outfit, but I don't care...it felt good!

Hoping to have another picture after the treadmill this month, and hoping that it won't be just one time!  I need August to pick up.  I can't believe we're in the 8th month.  Where the HELL is time going?

"Running to the future, with you right by my side"

I'm really not much of a runner.

I can actually get up to 4 mph now on the treadmill, but it's not one of my favorite pastimes.  I enjoy the challenge, but as of now, I'm just doing it to gain endurance, burn calories, and strengthen my lungs and heart.  It doesn't really give me a high right now or feed my soul like I see it do for other true runners.  I just stick to the treadmill for now because I won't overdo my pace and get tired early.

I jog because it's something I never thought I was capable of doing.  In high school, I had around a 12-14 minute mile and was always one of the last stragglers during the required phys ed mile test.  Mind you, I was also around 160 pounds back then.

Over the years, my endurance grew very poor, especially with the weight gain and poor choices.  If I had to run down a train platform (especially in the cold weather), I would be out of breath and coughing for most of the 90 minute ride.  Getting up and down multiple subway steps while carrying luggage almost made me pass out one day.  I had to call a friend to come save me.  It was humiliating, but in a small defense, I was getting turned around in circles and ended up in Brooklyn at one point.

I quickly lost 45 pounds in 2009 when doing Weight Watchers.  I only focused on points rather than integrating exercise.  My mother's death at the end of 2010 broke my plateau for the worst.  I had gained back about 15 pounds by that point, but I packed it all back on by the end of 2011.  We got engaged in November 2011 and married in April 2012.  I started a new job after the honeymoon and gained another 7 pounds by my friend's wedding in July 2012.  As you know, if you read my first post, November 2012 was my breaking point and I officially began my current journey in January 2013.

My mother died on a chilly, but clear, December night.  It was 3 weeks after my 30th birthday.  She had chronic Multiple Sclerosis for over 30 years and went into the ER on Friday for a minor emergency we thought would be cleared after the weekend.  She went into cardiac arrest on Saturday afternoon, and the next 7 hours of my life were a surreal nightmare.  She died at 12:35 am on Sunday morning.

We had gone home around 9 pm to pick up meds, phone chargers, and to try and get a little bit of sleep.  Naturally, we weren't sleeping.  We were in bed with the TV on, and me and Mom's favorite movie was on.  I started crying and insisted on watching.  Around 11:30, the hospital called me and told us to come as she was in bad shape.  There was no way she'd make it to surgery.  We turned off the movie and started quietly getting dressed and left the house.  There was no sense of urgency like there was in the afternoon.  We figured there would be some more hours of torture.  10 minutes later, they call me back to let me know that she was crashing and did we want to resuscitate.  I'm driving, couldn't find her living will earlier, and was on the other line with my grandmother.  I start flipping out and put the doctor on hold to ask my grandmother.  We were both screaming helplessly and didn't know what to do.  I went back to the doctor and just started screaming YES YES, WHATEVER.

We get to the hospital and park in the normal pay garage.  Little did I know that the entrance to the hospital was locked on that end.  Rather than pay and drive around to the ER lot (we really weren't thinking clearly), we start running around the hospital to another door while I was on the phone with the doctor.  She tried to meet us at one entrance, but everything was locked and out of her control.  We had to get around the big hospital to the ER.

And I couldn't run.  It wasn't that chilly, it was a little wet out, but I couldn't run.  I may have been crying a little, but that shouldn't have been holding up my lungs.  I had to stop and power walk, and I started screaming at the top of my lungs, "My mother is dying in that building and I can't even fucking run to get to her!!!"  I was ashamed and and disgusted with myself.  I always assumed adrenaline would kick in when an emergency was present, but my body would just not respond the way I needed it to.

The doctor met us outside and would not say anything until they got me upstairs to the ICU.  And when they told me the news I already knew, I started screaming at the top of my lungs while feeling guilty and nearly speaking in tongues while trying to get into a closed room.  I didn't want to upset any patients in the ICU.  And then, as my now husband made the hardest phone calls of his life, I just started screaming louder as I fell on the floor.  They pulled me up and forced me into a chair.  Her only local family was me and her mother.  I had to pull myself together as we waited for my grandmother to get there (she has macular degeneration and lives 45 minutes away, so a friend had to take her).  She was supposed to be there that morning before surgery, but it was too late. And the hardest thing I've had to do in my life was tell the doctors not to move the body until her 82 year old mother got there to break down over her 57 year old baby.

December 11 & 12, 2010 were the worst days of my life.  I started going to therapy, but I started regressing in other aspects of my life.  I finally started gaining control over my health in January 2013.  I pushed myself to start jogging in 1-2 minute spurts in April 2013 while finishing with a 5 minute jog.  By the end of the year, I could jog for 22 minutes, or in my world, 1.25 miles.  I intend to do this a few times a week but end up falling behind because of life.  This year, I found that I could jog a mile under 16 minutes.  15:45 is my best time so far.  I wear proper running shoes and have specially designed music playlists.  I constantly monitor my heart rate when doing 4 mph and the cool down, as my heart is still getting used to that level of intensity.  I refuse to end up like my father, like I discussed in my June 23 post.

The left is July 2011, 7 months after my mom passed.  The right is July 2014, a couple hours ago.  Control is being restored.

Yesterday, we went to NYC for the day.  We stayed in the Midtown West area, specifically around 6th-9th Ave, 30th-50th Street.  My FitBit says that we did a total of 7 miles that day.  That's pretty typical on an active NYC day, especially when you don't take public transportation.  The first half of the day was pretty mellow walking, but we picked up the pace around 5:30.  We realized that the store he wanted to go to on 30th was closing at 6, and we were only on 42nd by that point.  So, once the crowds parted, we began sprinting down NYC streets.

Obnoxious?  Probably.  But did we move deftly around people and not crash into anyone?  Yup!  We started getting into a rhythm- when the stoplight was up, just power walk.  When the walk light was on, SPRINT.  We made it there in a few minutes.  I was ridiculously impressed and not out of breath at all.  I had a slight side stitch, but my husband told me to pinch it and breathe, and the pressure would release.  I was very pleased to see it worked.

At the end of the night, we had to get to the midnight train after waiting for James Franco at the Of Mice and Men stage door for over an hour (my husband is a saint).  I may have had outbursts during our walk from 48th to 42nd because the crowds were extra congested due to construction, and NO ONE WAS MOVING.  It was the first time I've felt NYC native rage towards Times Square in years.  It was such a gorgeous day and night that everyone was out and about.  By the time we made it past 42nd, we practically ran the whole way to the train.  I was wearing my flats, and my thighs were in pain by this time because they are the absolute worst shoes to run in.  Today, I feel like I did inner/outer thigh machines for hours.  But I wasn't out of breath at all on the train.  I had my inhaler with me just in case, and I was totally fine.  I was red as a beet and sweating by that point, but I felt just fine.

I now know that I could run around the entire hospital if need be.  I took control of my life again.  I have been accomplishing goals that I've set for myself.  It may be slow, but that's ok.  I can keep up with my husband, and it felt amazing to have him running in tandem.  It's going to last.  For once, it's going to last.

The Pink Axe: Hold on to Your F@%$#n Hat.

It's been a few months, and it's quite obvious that I'm a (mostly) open book.  Let's talk about that fun topic that most women have to go through for about 40 years or so of their lives.  Men, you might want to take to cover, unless you're interested in what we really feel like for a week every month.

PERIOD
MENSTRUATION
SURFING THE CRIMSON WAVE
TOM (TIME OF MONTH) (the common term online)
PINK AXING IT (see below video)
GETTING GRAMMATICAL (as I said in college)
YOUR INDISPOSITION (as my trainer says in an adorably Victorian way)

All ladies go through it at some point in their lives.  Many of us got embarrassed when we first bought pads or tampons in our teens, but really...it's biological!  I don't profess to be an expert or anything, and I know there are many ways that women avoid their periods, get them erratically, or no longer get them whether temporarily or permanently.  We're all different, but I would venture to say that biologically born women have gone through menstruation during some point in their lives.

It kinda sucks.  You can choose your own way of dealing with it (pads, tampons, diva cup, skipping the placebo pill week and going right to the next pill pack, heating pads, Ibuprofen, Midol, chocolate, salty snacks, movies or tv that will make you really mad or sad no matter what the genre is, hiding in bed, lazing)-  all of those methods are valid.

You know what an excellent method is?

Exercise.

Before you say, F off and why the hell would I want to do that, just know that I said the same thing for 21 years.  I read all the pamphlets that encouraged gentle exercise and movement during your cramps and period, and I just smirked and tossed them aside.  Last year on a whim, I went to the gym on the first day of my period and jogged and walked on the treadmill.  I left the gym feeling less pressure on my abdomen.

I realized the meaning of my legs feeling "strained" when I was younger.  I wasn't active and I was retaining salt!  This was such an eye opener for me, and I'm a little embarrassed it took me so long to realize this.  My legs feel heavy pain when I eat too much salty food (my downfall).  Lots of water and moderate exercise takes down the bloat and really does relieve menstrual pain.  My trainer always wants to know where I'm at during the month because she adjusts my exercises (who the hell wants to spread their legs on a hip abductor machine during that time?) to fit my body's needs.

I tended to blame a lot of weight gain on the TOM when I was bloated.  But let's think about this- I PMS for a good week beforehand (especially if I'm not taking my pill on time or am eating poorly).  Then I have to go through the indisposition for 5 days.  That's HALF THE MONTH that I'm blaming stagnant weight on period bloat.  That shouldn't be!  I should only really be fluctuating for a week.  My trainer always says as long as I eat and exercise well that I will shed that water weight and then some after the period.  But I can't keep depending upon that "final shed" for my numbers!  Consistency will take down my cramps and exercise will help my blood flow, flexibility, endorphins, and numbers.

This is all great in theory and empowering, but face it, who really thinks that practically when you feel like a baby beluga is floating in your stomach and you would stab someone in the eyes for Taco Bell?

Let's watch the greatest Saturday Night Live commercial of all time, penned by Tina Fey.

My husband painted a fake axe pink.  It's chipping, but I love it.

I figured it would be more fun to see the evolution of PMS into the crimson wave in gif form.  

First comes the overwhelming sads.  And you can't explain why.

Then the frustration kicks in because you realize why you feel like ass.

The couch or bed seems like a magical kingdom when you're stuck at work.

And then the rage kicks in.

The only thing to calm down this rage is delicious food that is so very bad for you.

But then you realize mid-bite, wait- I should be responsible and healthy!  Exercise, here I come!

You expect this...

But it looks more like this...

Why would you want to move when there's an aquarium in your stomach and a uterus with a grudge?

And then it finally comes.  Finally.  It's cleansing and freeing and keeps you in touch with your body's clock, even though it's a pain in the ass.

What do we say to the one week of the month that threatens to turn us into feral animals?

And then you feel kind of badass.  Like Steven Tyler once said, "If men bled, tampons would be free."

But when it comes down to it, this would be preferable.

March Progress & Wrap Up

Well, this month is going to be a little different as my jeans are in the laundry (and I'm lazy) and I kept forgetting to yank them out and have my husband take the traditional pictures.  But, I think I have an even better comparison shot.  It may be from 4/2, but that's ok!

This is how you bring 80s brightness to the office!  This is my new Old Navy XL dress that fits nicely, but I decided to detract from the tummy with my awesome zebra belt.  Gray tights with popping hot pink flats and most of my back tat being shown made me feel so good that day.  I've been learning that when I dress cutely that I'm more productive and not such a lump.  Witness yesterday's dress:

I call this my 98% Zooey Deschanel outfit (I just didn't make my bangs chunky).  Elephant dress with black tights and flats?  Ding ding ding, I am officially ready to go on the Bein' Quirky With Zooey Deschanel talk show! 

(P.S., the dress is from the plus section at Forever 21, and so adorable that I can't even stand it. Elephants are my spirit animal.)

I've gotten so many compliments these past couple days.  I've joked and said, "Yes this is the Jekyll part of my wardrobe, you've seen Hyde for far too long!"  But I truly feel better when I look nice.  I love dresses and skirts so much and I can't believe that I can fit into even more than I realized now.  Modcloth is going to be a dangerous website for me.

Let's do some numbers:

March weight loss:  about 1 pound

Total weight loss:  48 pounds

So what happened?

I didn't exercise much.  I was in a funk for parts of the month (thanks, vertigo), and I just wasn't making the best choices with my eating.  But suddenly I could fit into old clothes and buy new smaller sizes...my body was adjusting even while the numbers didn't move.

I went to the gym on my own for the first time in ages on Wednesday.  It hurt a bit and was slower, but I felt good once I finished that mile and a quarter.  I have a few ideas for blog posts that I'd like to do this month.  I've also started contributing recipes to this great new amateur food enthusiast website called Sfamo (you can find it on all sorts of social media as well).  I think that hobby will get me to start saving money and calories by learning to enjoy the kitchen and experimenting.    

This is our 2 year wedding anniversary month (last month was 6 years together, aw!), and I plan on being fabulous when we go to the city to celebrate.  

A few more pictures from this month...

PSYCHED to go see Veronica Mars on opening day (I was a first day backer, baby!).  Also psyched that I could squeeze into the ladies cut XL.  Well, I did need a sweater to cover the handles, but I was showing off my girl that day!!

The typical bathroom selfie.  This is not the most flattering shirt but it looks better than last year by far.  This is also the point in the month that my trainer pointed out how you can see my "cape," or the area of my upper body from the shoulders/collarbone/above the chest.  I'm sure there's a better way to describe it, but I see what she means in this picture.  Maybe that's an old school term she's using?  I dunno.

I don't have to tilt the camera for selfies anymore.

Straight forward!

And just because it's fun, a couple more shots from the one bridesmaid's dress that is a sheet on me now.

So, April's goals?  Get back into cardio already!  The weather's nicer and this is the time last year when I realized I could actually jog.  I just discovered that the Hedwig and the Angry Inch songs "Exquisite Corpse," "Wig In a Box (reprise)" and "Midnight Radio" are the perfect songs to wrap up a jog with.  I've never run as fast as when I was listening to John Cameron Mitchell sing:

"Oh god

I'm all sewn up

A hardened razor-cut

Scar map across my body

And you can trace the lines

Through Misery's design

That map across my body."

New Broadway playlist, coming up!  This is going to be the month of theatre and cardio.

"Cotton candy, sweet and low, let me see that tootsie roll..."

I love to dance.

LOVE.

One of the most important things for me in our wedding planning was that the reception be a huge dance party.  I worked with the DJ closely, and he honored all my music wishes.  Nearly everyone got on the dance floor at some point which meant the world to me.  I am in love with our reception pictures and have the best memories from that entire day.

The bottom right picture emphasizes why I wanted a tea length dress.  Swingy!

That mini-collage proves that I have a great love for dancing, but no coordination or rhythm whatsoever.  It's funny because a lot of people in my family are good dancers, and my grandmother was even a professional dancer with her own school in 1940s NYC.  

I tended to be shy in club atmospheres when I was single, but after I met my husband, my hips and feet started going out of control when there's an opportunity to dance.  I've even broken him out of his shell.

I always think I look like this...

But I really look more like this...

So, I may not have the sweetest moves or can easily grasp choreography, but that doesn't stop me!  And let me tell you something-  you can really burn a decent amount of calories even by doing a video game like Just Dance for a half hour.  The only thing is that you actually have to move your legs despite the Wii controller only sensing the hand motions.  That's how you get the sweat and calorie burn going, because let's face it, anyone could perfect the arm motions while standing still.  I don't do this to win the game; I just like to have fun and burn calories when I don't feel like going to the gym.  I haven't done it for awhile, but I decided to try it again tonight while I was alone and really able to throw some sass into the movements while flailing like a spaz.  I know, if only you were a fly on the wall!

(I know I could just turn on my iPod shuffle and start dancing, but I like having structure and a guide when the intent is to burn calories.  Shame that you can't just turn on MTV anymore!)

I really need to upgrade to Just Dance 4 so I can see the calorie burn on the screen, but I'm happy checking it on my Fitbit.  209 calories in 25-30 minutes!  Not too shabby.  More than I burn sitting and watching Big Bang Theory, you know?

(None of these screencaps are mine.)

I warmed up with "Baby One More Time."  It's hilariously easy.

Eased into "California Gurls."  This one cracks me up with all the "sultry retro" poses.  Don't be fooled, it really works the arms!

"Party Rock Anthem"...hadn't done this in awhile, forgot how raver-esque the moves are.  Not my favorite.

"I Don't Feel Like Dancing."  Whew, for someone who doesn't want to dance, this one really gets the heart rate up! (Love Scissor Sisters!)

"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)."  Not as hardcore as you'd think.  It just really made me realize how the Running Man gets harder when you have boobs. (I was 10 when it was popular, ok?)

"Let's Go to the Mall."  I'm still shocked they put Robin Sparkles (How I Met Your Mother) on Just Dance!  I absolutely love it, and the moves are more intricate than you'd think!  The captions are ridiculous because instead of "Gretzky," it says "Brettsky."  WHAT?!  Hey Ubisoft, you do realize you can Google the lyrics?!

Normally I'd include "Apache" on there, but I didn't feel like jumping tonight.  I have to include a picture because it's just so ridiculously offensive!

You know you want to watch Will and Carlton now.

Mixing it up is fun, and I'm trying to remember that the dancing I just did is not the lazy person's way out of exercise.  When you have a sheen of sweat on your face and you have to roll up your pants and walk outside in the freezing winter weather for a minute, you know you definitely got the heart rate up, and I'd say that's a success.  I just have to keep this momentum going.