Gobble Gobble

I don't have to tell you what time of year it is! Thanksgiving is a week away. If you haven't already, make your plans for a healthy and leaner you today! Don't wait until you have to pop open your pants at Thanksgiving. I have heard it a dozen times in the last few weeks. People claiming to start or get back on track after the holidays or after Thanksgiving. Don't be one of those people! Plan to have a lean meal for Thanksgiving. Don't pile your plate high and then go back for seconds and then dessert later. Don't take home leftovers or if you are hosting ask your guest to clean you out of the fattening and high carb stuff while you hold tight to the turkey and fresh green veggies. Don't cook you greens in salted meats you are defeating the purpose. A lot of people make them with smoked turkey...no this is not a healthy option, you still have tons of sodium in smoked and cured meats of any kind. Skip the rolls, pass on the gravy. Take a tablespoon of mac & cheese or mashed potatoes instead of two heaping spoon fulls. Nope it's nothing cruel about it. You will thank yourself in the end. You won't feel miserable either from being so full. Pass on the soda and over sweetened punch. Reach for good-for-you water! Try fruit salad for dessert made with fresh fruit and fat free whipped cream instead of sweet potato pies and cakes with globs of icing. Make it a meal to truly be THANKFUL for not one that your body will regret!

Here I go again!

Just when I thought my workouts couldn't get any better, I have messed around and found another high! Belly dancing! Can I just tell you what a fabulous time I had? Well before I do as you all know I always blog about looking for new workout, trying something new, blah blah blah. Well recently I have been on this "Check out other gyms" kick. There are several gyms in my area and I have been a faithful member to my local Gold's since 2007 but "Hey you get bored." Well at least I do. Yes I change up my workouts, try some classes but the scene is still the same. So a few weeks ago I checked out LA Fitness. Well I watched this place being built last year and honestly I thought they were building a Target. The place is huge! I mean huge! However I was not impressed. It was just drab looking and not very inviting. I did, however do a spin class there that was very on point. As you all know I am a spin junkie! I even liked the bikes they had and the instructor was awesome. Didn't care for the tunes but the workout was worth it and my instructor sounded just like Karen Walker! LOL Anyone who is a Will & Grace fan knows who Karen Walker is! LOL!!! Anyway the LA Fitness was a little cheesy and their guest pass was only for 3 days! But it's all good it was free. So a friend of mine just recently joined SPORT FIT and of course I said I wanted a guest pass. This one is good for a week and I went for the first time on Wednesday night and ran like the wind on one of their state-of-the-art treadmills that charges your IPOD while you play it! Big plus! Anyway couldn't wait to get there today for the Belly Sculpt class. The instructor is who took me on the tour when I got the guest pass and she is walking motivation. She practiced law for 10 years before she made the choice to shed the weight and take on a healthy lifestyle now she teaches a little of everything and does outreach on fitness and health and I was just in awe! So the class was great, the music was great and she even had some extra sashes. I am sure that's not what they are called but you know the scarves the belly dances wear with the little coins that jingle. I bounced my hips and dropped it like it was hot and waved my arms, and rolled my mid-section like my life depended on it! It was both calming and thrilling, sensual and erotic, powerful and empowering! Folks were sweating, I was dry as a bone (you know it takes a lot for me to sweat) but I was soooo into it! I felt energized and even ran 3 miles on the treadmill when I was done! Anyway as I sit here sipping on my wine and winding down from this experience I think to myself: "What's next?"