August 19, 2014- 57 days until the wedding!!

     So I decided that I needed to make sure I was taking full advantage of my Vixen membership, which means taking additional pole, lyra, and silks classes! Now, the lyra classes offered are few and far between, but I am determined to find a class that fits in my schedule!

     So today I took my second installment of Intro to Pole. This time, the instructor was Staci. Staci was all about the different holds and tricks, and not so much about being sexy on the pole. It was a different way of teaching. She would show us the move/trick she wanted us to perform then we had to imitate her. It was a lot of tossing my body at the pole and trying to hold on for dear life!! The backs of my knees were feeling the pain! I definitely need to take more pole classes. I've extremely weak and un-confident in the different beginner holds.
     After abusing my body in intro to pole, I took a break from working out to grab some dinner before my final class of the evening: Co-Ed Hip Hop!
     Man I love Hip Hop! It is not a style of dance that I'm comfortable in, but I love doing it! It challenges me and pushes me to get better. Not to mention that I am having a blast, AND getting an amazing cardio workout! 

August 18, 2014- 58 days until the wedding!!

     I worked until 5pm then rushed over to Vixen Fitness for some ZUMBA!!! This was my first Zumba class ever and I was quite excited for it! 

     Zumba is not really a dance class. Yes there is dancing, and it's technically a 'dance fitness' class, but no prior dance experience is required. You just have to watch and listen to the instructor, follow along, and have fun!! Because I DO have some prior dance experience, I was able to track the pattern of the movements (or choreography I guess you could call it in this case) and predict which movement sequences were coming up when. The instructor did a good job of mixing a fast, upbeat number with a slower, calmer number. It made for a better workout because it was almost like interval training. While I didn't feel like I got a huge cardio workout from the Zumba class, I will say that I sweat a little bit, and I drank an entire bottle of water (and I only drink water when I'm sweating!). I would take Zumba again as long as their isn't another class at the same time that I'd rather take.
     Today I decided to take the full 30/30/30 class with Jesus! I know that 2 weeks ago I took just the spin portion of the class, but today I'm doing the whole she-bang! Luckily my two friends (Ariana and Jen) were also taking the class, so we could suffer together! When I walked into class, Jesus told us to run 5 laps around the building. Excuse me? Let me clean out my ears because I thought you said 5 LAPS!!! Nope.. I heard correctly! Ariana, Jen and I were at the front of the pack and we ran/jogged the ENTIRE 5 LAPS!! After the 3rd lap I wanted to walk for a bit, but the girls convinced me not to give up, to power through and to think about my wedding. So every single time that I wanted to walk, I repeated my own personal mantra: "Beautiful, white dress; beach wedding; wedding dress body; sweating for the wedding." We lapped most of the other ladies in the class and we lapped one poor girl twice! When we lapped on particular group of girls, they exclaimed, "What? They MUST be cheating!" I was extremely irritated with that remark!  We had watched 3 girls cut through the center of the building (where there is an outside patio entrance) and only do half of the building and they were calling US cheaters! The nerve!!! After we were finished with our laps, Jesus ushered is all inside (so some people only ran 3-4 laps, which my friends and I did all 5!) AND there were already people inside the classroom who had claimed that they ran all 5 laps! No WAY!!! We were in the front of the group the entire time and you didn't lap us!! I was furious! But I calmed myself down. After all, why should I be concerned with those individuals? They are only cheating themselves! They are paying to attend this class and to get in shape, but they are cheating themselves by not performing what is asked of them. It is these very same individuals who like to claim on various social media sites that they are constantly at the gym and working out, but they never seem to get in better shape. You see those people at the gym as well. They claim to spend "3 hours at the gym," but they do maybe 15 minutes of arms, a couple of squats, a handful of crunches, a push-up or two, and then 2.5 hours on their phones!
     SO, after our 5 laps, we did about 15 mins of TRX training, which got my legs and arms and core burning!!! Up next was our 30 minutes of spin! They overbooked the class, so there were more girls then Vixen had bikes for. Thus, Jesus had to improvise. He had half of us on bikes and the other half did various leg and butt exercises. Then the groups switched after 15 minutes. It was a complete cardio workout! Afterwards, we completed our 30 minutes of calming yoga. Now yoga with Jesus is still incredibly challenging! He makes us sweat but in a more controlled and calmer atmosphere.
     All in all it was a sweat-inducing Monday afternoon/evening at Vixen Fitness!

August 15, 16 & 17- 61, 60, & 59 days until the wedding!!

   I had to go 3 days without working out at Vixen! Yikes!! I felt SO extremely guilty, but it was unavoidable. I worked Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday after work I had an audition, which forced me to miss the J'adore Go Go class that I was looking forward to. And, as usual, there are no afternoon/evening classes on the weekends at Vixen, so this weekend was a wash! Thus, I plan to hit it hard come Monday to make up for 3 missed days!

August 14, 2014- 62 day until the wedding!!

     Alas the day has come: the last day that I am using my vacation hours. I will still have days off every week, but not the significant amount of days off that I've had the wonderful pleasure of experiencing as of late. Thus, to celebrate the end of my vacation hours, I took the 2 tough classes!
     Thursday is going to be my "tough" day. All of the classes typically offered on Thursdays are rough, tough, sweaty, muscle straining, and just generally exhausting! First up the agenda was Cardio Kickboxing with Jesus. We started the class in a similar fashion to how we started the class last week- with some jogging around the room, side-stepping, quick kicks, cardio. Once we all were panting and gasping for breath, Jesus asked us to pair up and put gloves and pads on. My friend Kira was at the class, so she was my partner. It was her first time at Cardio Kickboxing, and I was anxious to see what she thought! The partner work today was more intensive (in my opinion) than it was last week. During a rather strenuous punch sequence, my arms were hurting so much that I had to take mini breaks to shake them out before I could continue on! I love all of Jesus' classes because it doesn't take it easy on us and he pushes us because he knows we can handle it!
     After kickboxing, Kira and I went right into Butt & Abs Bootcamp with Kristie. Dang this class!!! I was so physically worn down that I think I actually had an out of body experience! I saw myself doing the exercises, but I don't remember actually doing them! It was so incredibly exhausting! I knew it was going to be tough when the very first thing we had to do was 100 squats! Talk about buns of steel!! Superman has nothing on my booty!!  

      After Butt & Abs Bootcamp, Vixen was offering a Lyra class. Now I have been dying to take a Lyra class, but today was not the day! I was WAY too run down to even think about trying to attempt something difficult and strenuous on an apparatus that I've never been on! Just another day in Marisa's Movement!!

August 13, 2014- 63 days until the wedding!

     Yet another day off!! My vacation time is just about all dried up though, so I need to enjoy these days off while I can!

     I am starting to adjust to the significantly increased workouts. I look forward to attending classes and I constantly look at the online schedule to figure out the best classes to take, the best way to maximize my time and the biggest variety of classes!

      Today, my good friend Ariana joined me for my classes, and first up was Insanity!! Yes, this is the same Insanity that includes DVDs with teacher Shawn T! Our teacher (Kristie) is a certified Insanity instructor and she is this tiny but incredibly fit lady! The class is all about intense cardio in short intervals. And the music had built in sound effects that signaled when we were to switch to a different move- so that was extremely helpful!! I was expecting any class of Kristie's to be difficult, and this was- but I really enjoyed it!!! It was constant variety and the song selection was awesome so I found myself singing along while I was sweating and my muscles were shouting! Ariana and I could hardly breath at the end of the class, but we were smiling the entire time!

     We then had an hour break, so Ariana and I went to grab a quick bite before our last class of the night: Sexy Chair Dance with Josen!!

     I fully think that Sexy Chair Dance is my favorite class at Vixen. Sure I may not be sweating, doing hardcore abs or butt, or bootcamp, but I DO get a little bit of a cardio workout and it's another dance class that I use to increase my dance experience! The routine was fun, sexy, sultry and wonderful! The great thing about Vixen, and about classes like this in particular, is that there is no pressure to be amazing! There are girls of all shapes and sizes and of all skill levels, but we are all there to be confident, and to have fun!

     I took my 'Sexy Chair Dance' routine home and showed my Fiance. That is now his favorite class for me too!! It's the gift that keeps on giving!!

August 12, 2014- 64 days until the wedding!!

     It was a glorious morning of sleeping in!!! My arms are still aching from silks two days ago and intro to pole yesterday!!
     First class of the day is Stretch & Flexibility with Marissa. This is my second time taking this class (but it was with Heather the first time) and I have to admit that I was nervous. The first time I took stretch and flexibility, it aggravated my left foot so much that I could barely walk afterwards. I was immensely worried that it would happen again. I have such limited flexibility that this class in particular is difficult for me. But the reason I take it is because I need to increase my flexibility, which is something that is essential for dancing, pole and silks. My ultimate goal is to get pretty splits on both sides!!

     Marissa put us through our stretching paces!! I was sweating- not from exhaustion or cardio, but from the sheer pain of my muscles stretching further than they are use to! While I was in the class, I couldn't wait until it was over because it hurts so badly! But after the class, my muscles felt more relaxed and my body felt stronger. And as an added bonus- my foot didn't hurt! It actually feel better then it has in a long time! I have to make a note to try and do this class more often!

     Next class up was Rockin' Hard Beach Bodies with Marissa. A double dose of double Marisa's!! My lovely friend Kira joined me today! It was her very first class at Vixen! Now, if I was breaking a sweat in 'stretch & flexibility' class, then I can confidently say that sweat was POURING out of my veins in Beach Bodies class! Marissa had us doing a ton of cardio, utilizing weights, step-ups on a chair, etc. We ended the class by running 2 laps around the building, which is torture in the summer Florida heat!! Luckily I brought 2 bottles of water with me to the classes, because I was guzzling water to replenish my system!

     And the third class, yes I did 3 classes today, was Co-Ed Hip Hop!! I love the dance classes that Vixen Fitness has to offer! I am a performer, with my talents being more in acting, but I've always wanted to improve in the dance department. And the only way to do that is to take dance classes!! So I'm going to make it a point to take as many of the dance classes as I possibly can. It will help me in my career! Our routine was a hard hitting one- literally! We had to punch the palm of our own hand twice during the routine! After the first couple of times, it hurt my hand, so I just clapped when we were suppose to punch. I love Josan (the instructor) and hip hop is so completely out of my element, but I love it all the same!!

     Today was the perfect mix of classes. I had cardio, a good, deep stretch, and a dance class! If I can orchestrate every day like this it would be perfection!!

August 11, 2014- 65 days until the wedding!!

     Every morning that I wake up I assess my body and judge the aches and pains. Today, my arms are at an 8!! They are so tight and tense!! But sleeping in this morning felt incredibly glorious and so relaxing! I'm trying to enjoy these days off as much as I can, because at the end of the week, I go back to work for huge chunks. I was lucky in the fact that I had a TON of vacation time to use up. Once my work anniversary hits (which is about the third week of August), I lose all vacation hours that I did not use! That's like free money down the toilet!! No way was I going to let that happen!! So I timed everything out so that my days off and the start of my Movement coincided! I will confide in you, dear reader, that I am immensely worried about doing back to my "normal" shift (which is 10a-5:15p). The worry comes from the fact that I will have to complete an entire work shift and then haul my butt to Vixen Fitness for classes. Currently, I'm getting scheduled evening shifts and I get to do my workouts in the morning and then head into work. This system is perfect for me because mornings are my friend! And I can get my workouts done early and go home after work.
     I love my job. It is the best job that I could have ever hoped for or asked for. With that being said, some days are harder than others. And those hard days are incredibly draining emotionally. It's those days that I cannot wait to clock out and go home. I'm worried that I will have those days with my new Movement. I know that the LAST thing I'll want to do is workout. But I suppose that it'll be those days that will test my devotion and commitment to this Movement.
      Fortunately, today was not one of those days! I rested, played with my pups, did a few chores around the house, and then headed to Vixen for classes. Today I started with Intro To Pole!!

     Knowing that my arms were already sore, but that I would need them for a Pole class, I was scared!! Luckily my good friend Ariana was there to join me and she gave me the encouragement I needed. We were both extremely excited to try a pole class and learn proper techniques! It was a fun class! The instructor, Allison, showed us various moves we can do with the pole (body rolls, the sexy walk, hip rolls, etc. And we also learned two "moves", the 'fireman,' and the 'martini' (which I believe is the move pictured above!) The great thing about classes at Vixen is that everyone is in sweats and tanks or t-shirts. The instructor was the only person in heels, although she encouraged us to try and incorporate heels once we become a bit more proficient with the pole. At times I felt completely inadequate! The instructor made everything look so sexy and sleek and she performed the pole moves with such ease. I, on the other hand, felt like a hippo gyrating obtrusively!! I felt very un-sexy. And while I could do the moves, I was spinning around the pole so quickly that I started to get a headache from the constant dizziness!! I had no idea how to spin slower and how NOT to get so dizzy!! But Ariana did have a blast in the class. When I realized that everyone else were beginners like me, and that we ALL looked like gyrating creatures, I stopped worrying about how I looked and focused on having fun!! I left the class feeling confident! I will have to take Into to Pole 4-5 more times, at least, so I can master the basics and build up my strength before I move on to the next level pole class.

     After pole class, Ariana and I had a bit of a wait before our next class, Cardio Dance, started. Unfortunately, the teacher was a little late due to traffic, and then he couldn't get the audio to work correctly and that took a few minutes to fix, so we started class about 10 minutes late total. I adored our teacher Romero!! He was so funny, and just the person that I'm used to at work! But the first thing he had us do was a rotation of 20 sit ups and then a 2 minute plank. We had to do that 4 times! That's 8 freakin' minutes of planking!!! Whew! It was exhausting! Romero put us through an extensive ab workout, and a deep stretch. And then we only had about 10 minutes to actually dance. He started that he usually taught 1.5 hour classes (this class was only an hour), so he apologized to us! He asked us to come to the next class that he taught and he would use the same routine! Ariana and I loved him and we both agreed that we needed to catch his next class!!

     All in all it was a good day! I've been fortunate enough to be able to sample a plethora of classes at Vixen Fitness and I'm ready to commit to a full membership once my two weeks are up!!

August 10, 2014- 66 days until the wedding!

     Today's "Word of the Day" is: NERVOUS!!! I'm taking 2 classes this morning, but one of them is going to be scary!! I'll leave you with that cliff hanger while I talk about my first class!

     First up was Video Vixen. The 1.5 hour class is described as thus: "A hit, sweaty, fast-paced, high cardio, non-stop dance party that is like no other! Combine heart thumping music, cool choreography, and a sound/light system together and get fitness with an attitude! By the time this class is over, you are going to look and feel like you are in a professional dance troupe performing in a music video...even if you have never had a dance class or consider yourself 'coordination-ally challenged!' You're going to LOVE this class!" From the description I thought we would be doing cute choreography to a hit pop song. I was ready to get my dance on! Man, my body was mad at me!! For the first 45 minutes of the class we did ballet stretches and strengthening exercises. Basically everything a ballerina would do on a barre, but we did it laying down on a yoga mat. Wow-wee!!! My legs, abs, arms, hip, and butt were on fire!! Guess that's what I get for thinking I was doing an easy class!! After the stretches and strengthening exercises, we spent about 30 minutes doing across the floor sequences. And the last 15 minutes we did a short routine and then a cool down. It was a great class for your core and taught by the wonderful Josan! If I ever get a Sunday morning off again, Video Vixen will be on my to-do list!

     And my second class of the day, and the class that I am most excited/nervous about is...drum roll please... Aerial Silks!!!! 

   

     Doesn't this silks artist look beautiful?! One day I might be able to do something like that!

     The biggest reason for my nervousness is that I'm scared of heights. Sure you can go up pretty high on a pole as well, but a pole is a solid piece of metal that is screwed into the floor and attached to the ceiling. Silks is 2 pieces of fabric attached to a single point in the ceiling. It's freakin' scary!!! But I was desperate to try it. Silks are making a huge coming out party lately and it's everywhere! People are turning more and more to silks as an art form and it's so beautiful!! I wanted to make that movement part of MY Movement!!

     The first thing that we learned in Intro To Aerial Silks was how to climb the silk. Sounds easy right?! WRONG!!! You have to let the fabric drape on one foot then use your arms to pull yourself up. All 5 of us "newbies" gave it a try and I got about 1.5 pumps up before I dropped down. One the second time around I just gave in, took a deep breath, and I climbed all the way to the top! The first person in my class to make it to the top!! Yay!! I felt so proud! Once at the top, the instructor Heather applauded and cheered! At that moment I started freakin out! "Ummmm.... I guess I should mention that I'm scared of heights AND I forgot how you told us to get down!" Heather came over and instructed me how to slowly lower my body back down. Once I let go of the silks, I realized that my arms felt like I had been stabbed!! My biceps were screaming! It was almost as if I had done 500 push-ups! I had only climbed for 2 minutes! It was crazy! Silks is ALL upper body. We learned a few other things and I enjoyed the class so much! I am so eager to go to another silks class and continue to learn and grow. And once my flexibility increases, I will be able to look really pretty up there! Here is an actual pic of me in a silks hold:

     Next time I'll try this higher up!!

     Well, day off work tomorrow, so if my arms are sore, I can rest it off!!

  

August 8, 2014- 68 days until the wedding!!

     GOD BLESS IT!!!! My back feels like it's been cut open with a knife!!! Every movement sends searing pain up and down sections of my back. And my arms feel heavy- like they weigh 70lbs each!
     Seeing as how I had to be at work at 2p, the only class I could have taken was Power Yoga at 12:15p. Also, today is the first day of Miami Dolphins preseason football!!! I am a huge football fan, but the game was during my work shift, so I had to record it on my DVR and I'm currently watching it while I'm typing this!
     I glanced ahead at the Vixen schedule and saw that there were a ton of classes coming up that I wanted to take and try. Thus, I deemed today to be a rest day. I need one day of rest a week, and I think Fridays might be that day of rest!! But today the the one week anniversary of the start of Marisa's Movement and I love this new me!!

August 9, 2014- 67 days until the wedding!

     A day off was necessary for my body to rest, but I felt so guilty! I understand that I will need to give my body at least one day of rest a week, and yesterday was that day. And now I'm going to go hard this next week. I have 6 days left of my 2 week trial at Vixen and my plan is to try a bunch of new classes this week so I can experience everything!
     I had a later work shift again today (in at 3p), and luckily Vixen offers a ton of classes on Saturday mornings, so I had a lot to chose from!! I picked 2 new classes, and the first was one I was really excited to try: Sexy Pole Dance!!
     Ok, so I had to ask if I was even able to take the Sexy Pole Dance class because I hadn't taken Intro to Pole, but I was assured that I would be ok. I remember reading on the website that you had to wear shorts "as short as you felt comfortable wearing" to the class, because skin on the metal was the best for gripping. I'm not very comfortable in my own skin right now, ESPECIALLY around other ladies who have taken pole classes for years!! Now, Vixen has members of all shapes and sizes, and I have not heard anyone being judged or talked about or teased. In fact, quite the opposite is true! Everyone is completely supportive of each other, we cheer each other on (even if they are complete strangers), and all of the ladies are very open and friendly! That's probably one of the biggest reasons I love this studio!
     The pole room has 8 poles in it, so each class can really only have 7 students in it (with one pole for the teacher.) We started out with an awesome and sexy warm-up, and then the routine started. Picking up cheoro is a little easier for me, but the teacher threw in a few lifts, and pole swings that I couldn't do. There was another girl in the class who hadn't taken a pole class before so she was in the same boat as I was! The teacher was very understanding and just told us to try what we could, or we could just dance around the pole. At one point in the routine, everyone had to climb their pole for 2-8 counts and then slide down into a split. I couldn't climb the pole, so I just danced and then dropped into my half split (I'm not flexible yet to do a split, so I keep one leg bent.) It was a fun class and I did end up doing one pole hold/spin!! The teacher said that she was going to be back in a week and she was going to do the same routine, so I plan on doing that class and hopefully I'll be a bit more advanced!!
     The second class I took was 30 minute Power spin with 30 minute butt & abs with Jesus. Guys, Jesus is a beast!! Spin hurts my pelvis bone so much!! But the initial pain wears off after about 8 mins, so I stick with it. We did about 10-12 minutes on the bike, then did floor work- which included about 1000 push up and crunches! Lol!! My limbs were pushed to their maximum capacity. My arms were shaking and my abs were straining!! We did another 10-12 minutes on the bike and then more floor work. It was intense. But I made it through without dying, and that's all that matters!!
     After today, I know that I definitely want to invest the time in more pole classes. It takes a lot of upper body strength and I need to focus on my arms! My wedding dress is sleeveless, so toned and fit arms are a MUST!!

August 7, 2014- 69 days until the wedding!

     Waking up, and I felt great!!! No intense soreness at all. I still feel a dull pain in my legs but that's about it. Because I was feeling so great, I decided to be brave- one of the qualities of a Gryffindor!- and tackle 2 classes that look like they would be a bit more difficult.
     

     First up was Cardio Kickboxing. Yep... not just regular, good-ole kickboxing, but CARDIO kickboxing!! The class was with Jesus so I had a feeling it was going to be intense and my intuitions proved correct!! We started the class with about 15 minutes of different cardio/kickboxing movements. This included various punch sequences and kick sequences. Then we did partner work with one person wearing gloves and the other person wearing mitts. Jesus taught us an awesome punch combination, and then we switched gloves/mitts and repeated. It was an excellent arm work-out and definitely something I was looking for. Toned arms are a MUST whilst wearing a wedding dress!! The rest of my body is fairly hidden (I mean, the dress hugs my waist a bit, so I can work on my abs) but ARMS is what I need the most of. 

     After both partners had completed their combinations, Jesus taught us another combo, this one included jabs and a duck and a kick. We do that and switched and our partners completed it and he taught us the final routine. The final combo included jabs, a knee, a push and a duck! Both my partner and I were exhausted at the end of our turns. She kept encouraging me and I encouraged her- it was all very helpful!! Afterwards, we put the equipment away and did about 7 additional minutes of cardio and leg activities. I was exhausted and I drank one entire bottle of water and then a third of another bottle!!

     Instantly regretting my decision to do the next class, I took a deep breath. What the hell possessed me to sign up for Butt & Abs Bootcamp after doing cardio kickboxing?! Just the word 'Bootcamp' scared me!! But my friend was in the kickboxing class with me and she was staying for Bootcamp, and she reminded me what I was working for!

    Butt & Abs Bootcamp was rough. My thighs were already burning from kickboxing, so I had a rough time. There were 5 girls in the class, 3 of us were first-timers to Bootcamp. Kristie was the instructor and she began the class with 50 squats. I was ok with that because I'd recently done a 30 day Squat Challenge (which I quit after 20 days...) but squats aren't too bad for me. The girl in front of me, on the other hand, whispered to me: "50 squats?! Oh my god!" I started to worry about her right then and there! We then we given weighted bars and had to do different squats with the bar held behind our head on our shoulders. It got harder with each position. Next up was pushups with our feet on this workout discs that allow you to glide your feet. We did a tons of different glides- butt completely up, legs at 90 degree angle to rest of body and back, etc. I didn't complete a single exercise in its entirety! I couldn't perform each movement as quickly as Kristie wanted, my feet kept coming off of the discs, so I was constantly readjusting, AND I had to keep taking breaks because it was so difficult! About 20 minutes into the class, the girl in front of me (who had left the room a couple of times to, I can only assume, use the restroom) started packing up her things. She put everything away and left the class and just sat on a couch outside the room. She freakin' quit! I wanted to quit too! I REALLY did!! But I couldn't. I couldn't do that to myself. I toughed it out and I swore to come back to the class so I could master those dang discs!!!

      I finished my second bottle of water during the duration of the Bootcamp class. I was working hard today!! We finished the class with 8 minute abs and a light stretch. Whew!! I have a sneaky suspicion that I'm going to feel this tomorrow!!

Food journal:

     Breakfast: I woke up too late for an actual breakfast!

     Lunch: Olive Garden!!! I ate 3-4 breadsticks (so yummy!!), half a bowl of chicken and gnocci soup, and half of my fettuccine alfredo! 

     Dinner: After Bootcamp, I knew that I was extremely hungry, but I didn't want to cook when I got home, so I stopped at Chick-fil-a. I ordered a chocolate milkshake, chickn sandwich (sans pickle) and fries. On the way home I drank the milkshake. Towards the end of the shake my stomach started to rumble. Maybe dairy after 2 intense workouts wasn't a great idea!! I then ate the sandwich, which was very good. Then I attempted the fries. I ate one fry and my stomach wasn't happy! I'm fairly certain that my stomach is shrinking and I don't need as much food intake. This is an excellent thing!!

August 6, 2014- 70 days until the wedding!!

     Another glorious day off and another opportunity to sleep in so my body can rest and recover!! But there were 2 classes at Vixen that grabbed my attention for today. Well, to be honest, 3 classes REALLY stood out (Insanity, Booty Bouncin', and SEXY chair dance) but I was worried about doing too much too fast. I know that I desperately wanted to do the chair dance class, and Insanity sounded extremely difficult. I would love to tackle Insanity, but I might need to save that class for a day when I don't have another class. So, Booty Bouncin' it was!!
    

    
 Booty Bouncin' is exactly what it sounds like! It was an hour long class on how to use your hips, legs, waist and tushie to create different booty movements. Ok, so I've tried to 'twerk' before. I've even had my best friend teach me how to twerk, all to no avail. I can't explain it, but I cannot get my cheeks (or "Booty meat" as our instructor Staci called it!) to bounce up and down. We were also instructed on the best way to learn how to 'booty clap,' and various other movements. I have never felt so uncoordinated or dumb!! I felt like I was an old women gyrating to some unknown beat that only she can hear!! The class was fun, and I would love to take it again just to see if I've improved!! I didn't sweat or every start breathing hard, but my legs and thighs burned at times, and I'm certain that all that action worked my badonkadonk!! All I want is a nice, firm bubble butt, toned legs and a tiny waist- is that too much to ask?!
     Second up was SEXY chair dance with Jasmine. This was a fairly full class- 7 girls total. We learned an adorable routine that utilized the chair and it was choreographed to a Justin Timberlake song. I LOVED this class! It was so enjoyable and, like in Hip Hop, the hour went by so quickly, and the routine was so fun that I forgot that I was working out!! Jasmine did say, towards the end of class, that this was the slowest, easiest routine she's ever taught and for us not to get used to it!! I loved hearing that! This class is on my list of MUST's for each week!!

Food journal:
     I'm so sorry, but I completely forgot to write down what I ate today!! I tried to rake my brain to try and remember, but I have no idea!!!

August 5, 2014- 71 days until the wedding

     This is the adorable topper that John and I chose to put on top of our "cake." We are doing a cupcake tower, and our baker is going to make a jumbo cupcake for the top so we can put our topper on!! I think it's so adorable! It's a little artistic and different, and it suits our relationship perfectly!
    
     I have the next 3 days off in a row! I have a TON of vacation time that I need to use to I will lose it on my work anniversary, so it's perfect timing with my new workout Movement!
     First workout of the day was Yoga with Jesus at 5:30p. This class was not as intense as Power Yoga was on the first day of my Movement, but it was still a strain on my muscles. It was a great class and the front desk girls had even brought in candles to add to the ambiance of the class!
     Then it was onto co-ed Hip Hop at 8pm with Josan! I've taken plenty of jazz and broadway classes, but NEVER a Hip Hop class! I was extremely excited for Hip Hop and I had heard great things about Josan. Everything was true! I broke a nice sweat dancing, and it was such a FUN cardio workout. Dance classes are so much fun that you forget that you're working out and you forget to check the clock!! It was an awesome time and I even got a compliment from Josan at the end of the class! I loved it!!
     As a side note: my body, while still incredibly sore, is slowing adjusting to the constant movement and lack of sweets and junk food. I did have a craving when I was driving home, but I ignored it. That, my lovely readers, is willpower!

Food Journal:
     Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs and 5 pieces of bacon (the remained of the bacon went to my Fiance who took his real estate license today. He passed and he is now officially a realtor!!!)
     Lunch/dinner: 2 grilled cheese before I left my house to go to Yoga.
     Snack: a large banana once I got home from Hip Hop!

August 4, 2014- 72 days until the wedding!

   

     Woke up at 9:30a and, yep- still sore from my chest to my toes! But I had a co-ed Body Control class at 12:15p with Jesus. I walked my pups, made a late lunch/early breakfast, and left for the class.

     I get to Vixen Fitness and put my bag down, and Jesus instructed us to run 5 times around the building. Ummm...excuse me? 5 times?! I'm a newbie to all this cardio! And it's summer in Flroida- so it's about 97 degrees once humidity is factored in! 97 degrees!!! I thanked heaven that I had brought extra clothes to change into for work!

     So 5 laps around the building. Now Vixen is not in a free standing building. It is in a section of a huge multi-layered office complex! I actually was able to control my breathing enough to jog the first 3 laps completely. For the last 2 laps I walked halfway then jogged the remained of the lap. I got a later start then the other girls in the class (no boys showed up) so I was the last to get back into the studio. I stumbled in, drenched, and Jesus asked me how I was feeling. Besides being sweaty, I felt fine, so I told him so. I looked around the room and each girl was performing a different exercise. Jesus had me to 3o crunches followed by 15 push-ups, and I had to repeat the sequence for a total of 5 times. Next was 30 lunges followed by 20 (I believe) reverse crunches, and I had to repeat the sequence for a total of 4 times. The class continued on with Jesus giving me different sequences and the number of times each was to be performed. About 45 minutes into the class I felt like I wanted to puke!! I just kept drinking water and keeping my breath under control and calming myself down. This was definitely the hard class I've done so far! But it felt good! I ended the class feeling incredibly exhausted, but glad that I made it through.

     I worked from 3p-6:30p, so a short shift- 3 little shows! My foot felt great so no Hunchback of Notre Dame here! My only plans for after work was a meeting at 8pm with my Fantasy Football league to discuss roosters and scoring changes. I live too far from work to go home so I checked the Vixen schedule. Jesus had a 90 minute class that ran from 6:30p-8p and was divided into 3 parts. I called the studio and they said I was more than welcome to pop in for the 7p-7:30p section- so I did just that! I had no idea what to expect! When I signed in at the front desk I was told that they would be in the spin room in a few minutes! Spin room?! Oh no!! I had been so nervous about taking a spin class because I have such short legs that bikes always felt uncomfortable. But, no turning back now! And it was going to be under 30 minutes- I could make it through 30 minutes. And if I hated it then I knew for next time!

     

 (not me in the pic)

     The minute I sat on the bike (which Jesus had help me adjust) it hurt my...ahem...pelvis area. Most specifically my pelvis bone. I found myself standing up every once in awhile for a little release! My legs started burning about 7 minutes into the class, but Jesus made the class fun and 30 minutes passed by rather quickly. I made note to definitely try one of his one hour classes- to the dismay of my pelvis bone!!

     All in all, I'm starting to get in a groove of working out! They say that it takes 3 weeks of doing something before it becomes routine, but it might be earlier for me!

P.S.- I got weighed at my job today for the "30 day weight loss challenge"!! So now I have two goals to works towards!!

Food journal: 

     Breakfast/lunch: 2 grilled cheese sandwiches (they are so delicious and take almost no time to make!)

     Dinner: I made yet another stop at Pei Wei this week! Got the same ol' large shrimp fried rice meal and a soda and I ate half of it during our FF meeting!

August 3, 2014- 73 days until the wedding!

                                            BRIDAL SHOWER!!

     I woke up in even MORE pain than yesterday!! Not only were my sides still sore, but now a dull throbbing pain was pulsing in my legs and butt! I postponed getting out of bed as long as possible because of my foot, but I couldn't postpone it forever- my dogs needed to be walked and my Fiance was still out cold!! So I stood up and walked to the bathroom and my foot was fine!! I still feel a tiny pain, but nothing that would prevent me from not going to another fitness class!!

     Today, my 4 beautiful and sweet bridesmaids got together and threw me a lovely bridal shower!! Due to this, I took a break from my new workout Movement. The girls spent a lot of time and energy planning and putting this party together so the last thing I wanted to do was rush it so I could work out. I also put aside my diet because everyone baked and cooked for the party and it seemed rude not to partake when it was all for me!

Food journal:

     Breakfast: none. I woke up with just enough time to walk my dogs and get ready for the party.

     Lunch: a mini ham and cheese sandwich/sub that my mom had purchased for the party from Publix.

     Dinner: 2 grilled cheese sandwiches

     Cheats: 3 vanilla cupcakes with white frosting that a bridesmaids had baked, a cup of homemade butterbeer made by my sister, and a piece of cake that my mother had baked. 

Here are some pics from the party:

August 2, 2014- 74 days until the wedding!

     Alarm goes off and I roll over to turn it off. Suddenly I clutch my abdomen because both sides of my torso are so SORE!! I sit up and delicately touch my sides and wince! I was expecting a bit of soreness though. I would have been upset if I woke up and I WASN'T sore!
    I have another 3pm clock in time for work, so my options for classes would be limited again- or so I thought!!! Apparently Vixen Fitness has an abundance of classes, AM and PM, on Saturdays! So I had some choices on classes. Sunrise Yoga looked appealing to me, but it was at 10am, so just too early for the day. I decided on TWO classes- surprise surprise!! 
     First class was Rockin' Hard Beach Bodies with Marissa! Obviously I wanted a rockin' hard body, and the wedding is going to be on a beach, AND the instructor shares my name, so this class seemed to be a no-brainer!! I was one of three girls in the class and it was chalk-full of cardio!! Forgetting a towel, I had to use my shirt to mop the sweat from my forehead! Luckily I have a large storage of energy, endurance and stamina, but by the end of the hour class, I was running on fumes. Training my body, which is sore and tense from the Power Yoga yesterday, to get used to all this increased physical activity is hard!! I really regretted having signed up for 2 classes. I didn't know if I would be able to get through it!! But I was already at the studio, I had already committed and signed-up, so I needed to follow through. As extra motivation, I pulled up a picture of me in my wedding dress that I had taken at the fitting. I reminded myself why I was doing all this and what I hoped to accomplish.
    Second class was Stretch and Flexibility with Heather. I have always wanted to increase my flexibility and be able to do a full split. If I thought this was going to be an easy class- I was dead wrong! Yes I did not sweat because it was not high energy, but the amount of strain on my muscles was through the roof. I was already exhausted from the Beach Bodies class, and all the various positions that Heather had us stretching in was so strenuous that I actually thought about quitting the class halfway though! But I've quit every other workout thing I've tried so I HAD to see this through for my own sanity. Heather had us work on splits on both legs and a middle split. I cannot do a split, so she had myself (and another less flexible girl) go down as far as we could, and use a big foam roller to hold ourselves up so we can deepen the split to get our muscles used to it. The one position that stood out the most to me was the backbend (aka "wheel" in yoga terms.) Now, I can do a decent "bridge" position:

 But Heather didn't want "bridge," she wanted "wheel":

     My body doesn't do wheel!! I tried to put my hands down and straighten them and lift my body- but I collapsed. I tried again and I collapsed. Finally Heather came over. She wrapped her arms around my waist and lifted my torso up so I was forced to straighten my arms. I felt like my spine was going to snap!!! I was gasping for air. My back has never experienced being bent that direction and at that angle! Heather kept telling me to breathe and just as the pain was becoming unbearable, she let me go. We did the exercise one more time and it was not any easier!

      When the class was finally over I was so grateful! As I stood up to put my mat away, I almost fell over! My left foot erupted in pain. I had an incident about 5 weeks ago in which I was walking my 140lb dog Nimbus. I was looking to the right and he was sniffing a tree on the left. Suddenly he pulled with all his might! He had seen a wild rabbit and was ready for the chase! Well he jerked my foot so badly that I bruised the muscle or tendon in my foot that sits just above the heel. I ended up having to walk with a small limp for about 2.5 weeks but then it had lessened to a dull pain. The doctor had said that I simply needed to ice it and stretch. I did both, but the dull pain remained. I guess the intense stretching from the class reminded my body that something was wrong in my foot! I had to perform in 6 shows that evening and while I tried to hide my intense limp, one of my co-workers said I looked like the Hunchback of Notre Dame! I immediately became worried that I was going to have to quit going to Vixen until after my foot had healed. It hurt to put any amount of pressure on my foot, so just walking was torture! How could I do anything like spin class or dance class or ANYTHING?! I came home and cried a little. Day 2 of my new Movement, and I might already have to quit!

As a sidenote: At my job they started a 30 day weight loss challenge! We get weighed by a manager and 30 days after we get weighed we'll get reweighed. The goal is to lose at least 100lbs within the entire department, and the "biggest loser" (based on body percentage lost) will win a prize!! Because I've already started this Movement, I thought, "This weight loss challenge has come at the most perfect time!!"

Food Journal:

Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs with a small handful of ham chunks cooked in.

Lunch/dinner: I had a repeat of yesterday. I purchased another large shrimp fried rice and had half for lunch around 3:30p and the rest for dinner around 7:30p.

Cheat: those damn cookies! They tempted me again! But I only had 3 this time!

August 1, 2014- 75 Days Until the Wedding

 

    It's a beautiful Friday morning, and I've woken up with a new outlook and a plan of attack! I know that I needed to do something bigger than what I've done in the past. Something that will push me, challenge me, but be able to keep my interest. 
      A co-worker takes fitness classes at a studio called Vixen Fitness and she's shared her experiences there on a few occasions. I've always been intrigued by the studio, mostly because it's a stones throw from my job-literally! I can park, take a class, and then walk into work if I wanted! Not to mention that they offer pole class, silk class, and lyra (hoop) classes (all of which I've always wanted to try) along with fun classes like: Booty Bouncin', SEXY Chair dance, and Belly Dancing! When I did some research on their website, I saw that they had a running special of $30 for 2 weeks of unlimited classes. The fitness classes can be bought individually for $10 a class, and the pole, silk and lyra classes are $20 a class normally. They also offer monthly unlimited classes, class packages, and a slew of other plans to fit any person! But I wanted to take advantage of the special so I could try the studio and all of the different classes before I did an actual membership. I had to be sure that this was the right fit for me.
     I had to be at work at 3pm, so the only class I could take was Co-ed Power Yoga at 12:15p. Most of the classes are females only, with a few exceptions like this class. I was a mixture of excited, apprehensive, and extremely nervous. I was worried that everyone was going to be in bras and short shorts, and be yoga pros, whilst I would be in my sweats, falling out of every pose. But I thought- "You paid for 2 weeks. Just give it 2 weeks."
     Vixen Fitness is a place that will make any girl smile. It's all pink and black, leopard print cushioned chairs, huge glittery mirrors in the pole area, and even a bar & lounge area (the studio is sometimes bought out for parties). I walked into the room where our class was to be held and it was very similar to a dance studio room- floor to ceiling mirrors on 2 of the 4 walls.
     The instructor, whose named was Jesus, according to the class schedule online, is a very in-shape spanish man. There were about 6 other girls in the class and Jesus turned off the main lights and left on these pulsing pink lights-  ambiance I can only assume. Yoga mats are provided for us to use, stapled with the studio logo in the center with words of encouragement at each end "I AM STRONG." 
     The class was extremely hard for me! I kept waiting for the meditation portion of Yoga, or the "sleeping" pose, or anything that didn't make my muscles quiver and shake!! I found myself constantly checking the clock to see how much time was left! But anytime I would half-ass a position or pose, or do an exercise slower or lower because I was tired, Jesus would come by and lift my leg higher, or instruct me to try and push myself. I definitely was pushed to my maximum capacity! Once class was over, and my body was soaked with sweat, I stood up to put my yoga mat away and almost fell over!! My muscles felt like JELLO!! My arms and legs felt so heavy! But  I noticed that I felt wide awake and even energetic! Although it was difficult, I really enjoyed the class and the instructor! I left Vixen feeling joyful that I completed my first official workout on this journey!!

Food journal:
    Breakfast: I cooked 2 scrambled eggs for myself and also had 5 pieces of bacon. (I can normally eat an entire ration of bacon in one sitting, so limiting myself to only 5 pieces was a big deal!!)
    Lunch/dinner: after my one hour Yoga class, I stopped by Pei Wei and bought a large shrimp fried rice. I ate half of it around 2:30p for lunch, aand I polished it off for dinner at about 7p.
    Bad: of course my roommate baked chocolate chip cookies from scratch today!! And he left them in a beautiful tupperware on the kitchen island. I passed by them multiple times when I got home from work (which was about 11:15p.) My willpower finally broke an hour later and I had 5 cookies. 5!! Why?! That's probably all the calories that I burned in my yoga class! All that pain for 3 minutes of cookie enjoyment! I felt so guilty and it definitely was no worth it! Note to self: try harder to resist temptation!!

July 31, 2014- the beginning

     Let me start by sharing a bit about myself. I am a spry 29 year old who lives in Florida. I am an actor and a performer and my job hinges on my "look" and maintaining a "healthy" body weight is par for the course. If you were to see me in person, you wouldn't say that I'm fit by any means, and you also wouldn't say that I'm overweight. But at 5'1, and 127lbs, I AM considered overweight. For those of us more 'vertically challenged' individuals, even 5 measly little pounds can make a HUGE difference. We show any weight gain instantly and it's a very difficult thing to manage.

     This is the largest I've ever been in my life. The more I age, and with each passing day, weight becomes harder and harder to lose. In my early 20's, I could maintain my weight simply by working (dancing 6 shows under the scorching Florida sun.) I didn't do any additional working out or any type of dieting. I was never toned or tight, but  my number on the scale was low and unchanging.

     Now, less than a decade later, my body is a shell that I want to shed like a snake. I look at myself when I get dressed in the morning and I am disgusted with what I have let occur. MY choices made me like this- so I can't blame anyone else but yours truly. I made a decision to get myself to get into amazing shape. To actually apply myself. I had attempted P90X and T25 in the past, but I would always flake on workouts, skip days when I was feeling lazy, half-ass exercises, take more "breaks" then the programs' allowed, and usually quit after 2-3 weeks. I made a promise to commit this time. And with a wedding looming in 2.5 months, it was perfect motivation. Every Bride wants to look fantastic on their wedding day, and this lady is no exception! So, for motivation, I also decided to start a blog to document my journey. Here are my obligatory "before" pics- complete with no-make up, black and white filter, and scraggly hair!