changethetape

It’s been a few weeks and so much has happened! A few highlights…

• Les Mills Mega Launch at XSport
• First ever trip to a naturopath
• Fun times with family
• Epic dismount off the wagon

Fitness Magic

If you’ve been following this blog long or are friends with me on Facebook or, I don’t know, actually know me in real life, you know that I teach group fitness classes. It’s more like I eat, sleep and breath group fitness classes. For the record, I can’t be sure they’re gluten free, but I can be sure it is the best job in the world. Specifically, I teach BodyJam, which I very often mistype as “BodyHam” and it makes me giggle every time. It’s a pre-choreographed dance fitness class created by fitness giant Les Mills out of New Zealand. Les Mills is also responsible for BodyPump, BodyStep, BodyAttack, BodyCombat, and RPM – all offered at XSport Fitness where I teach. We receive new music and moves every three months which we learn and then “launch” at our gyms. We try to make a big deal out of the launches; multiple instructors, coordinated outfits, hours of prep time. Occasionally, we make a REALLY big deal out of launches and host them all at one or two gyms over one or two days. We hopefully create buzz, we invite everyone we know… and usually some people we don’t. 

On July 12th and 13th, XSport hosted the Les Mills Mega Launch Weekend and it was a SMASHING success! Excited participants showed up in droves to every class and the instructor team was on FIRE. I had the great honor to be present for all but two of the classes and I can say without a doubt, it was a first rate show! I can’t express how many hours instructors put into these launch experiences but specially for this one – my BodyJam team went ALL OUT. Friday night rehearsals for weeks. Dress rehearsals and more dress rehearsals. Not a detail was left untouched. I’m so proud of this team and our hard work paid off! See below for a lil taste. (You have to go to YouTube to watch it, but then come right back!) 

HUGE shout out to Stephanie Z. for her editing magic on this video and then hours of help – I’m not kidding – trying to load it here for you! ROCKSTAR!

With all the hullabaloo around this event, sticking to the plan got pretty tough. I managed to get through it, though, and felt pretty good about that.

Dr. Dami, Naturopath (AKA: The Smartest Woman Alive)

There aren’t enough ways to show my gratitude to TRUE Health and Wholeness owners, Nina and Christian Elliot for being two of the most generous and supportive people I have ever known. Not only am I thankful that I know them, I’m ridiiiiiiiiiculously thankful that I get to work for them. One of the benefits of working at TRUE is that we get to try out all of our services. So you better believe when I heard we had a Naturopath/Acupuncturist/Homeopath/Wonder Woman coming on staff, I signed up with the quickness.

Her name is Dr. Damilola Familoni, NMD, MHA, M.S.Ac (Acupuncture), M.S. (Nutrition) and she is a Naturopathic Medical Doctor, Health Administrator, Acupuncturist and Nutritionist. When I arrived, she took a look at the forms I had completed per her request and then she gave me a brief description of what a Naturopathic Medical Doctor is and how it is different from a “regular” doctor. It was super interesting and if you’d like to know more, please check out this link to Dr. Dami’s page on the TRUE website: http://www.true-hw.com/naturopathy

We discussed my myriad of ailments and frustrations and she very quickly ascertained that, yes there was an issue with my thyroid and no, it was not being treated properly. Now, I supposed being a well educated, bright woman I probably should have been able to figure that out. I had a problem: I was tired all the time and couldn’t lose weight. I went to the doc who prescribed me medication: I did not feel better. Not a big jump to realizing maybe something wasn’t working. Also, I have trouble handling sugar (http://www.nationalcandidacenter.com/candida-what/) and that my liver isn’t functioning as well as it could be. (Insert as many jokes re: wine and margarita consumption as you see fit here) She spent 90 minutes with me discussing my options and providing me with the information I would need to make the right decisions for my body. It was amazing and eye opening and positive and hopeful. And supplement laden 🙂  Take a look at my new morning regimen:

I’m either seeing a naturopath or I’m 90 years old. Hard to say some days 🙂  Just another step toward a more “well” me and more fodder for this blog – unless I choke on any one of the 47 pills a day I take. 

Drinking with Ginzo

When my family gets together, we often enjoy a cocktail together. My grandfather could tell it was 4 PM, and thereby happy hour, by the positioning of the sun….or rather the shadow it cast on his bottle of dry vermouth. Now, to be clear (and to make sure my mother doesn’t disown me) my family is not a bunch of lushes. We just enjoy a lovely glass of wine or two when we are socializing. My mom, Ginny, is fun and loving and loves spending time with family. (When I’m your family, how could you not? I know, I know.) But she is also a stickler for respecting authority and rightly so! Growing up, we called our friends’ parents “Mr. & Mrs. SoandSo” even if they told us to call them by their first names. We still refer to our aunts and uncles by Aunt Whosahdaisy and Uncle Whatshisname – not by their first names only because we’re “all adults now.” And I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

But my mother also has a wise ass cousin. And at least 15 years ago, he walked into a room during a family reunion and said, “Hey! Ginzo!” That was it. It stuck. I’ve called her Ginzo ever since and she hates it (read: secretly loves it). But I can’t help it. And it is, without a doubt, a term of endearment. She recently asked me, quite seriously, to stop calling her that. She says she has her reasons. So I will try, Mom. I promise. EXCEPT when we take pictures raising a glass together. Drinking with Ginzo pics….a phenomenon well known to those in my clan and still one of my favorite things to do with the fam. Here are a few examples. Do you have one? Post to Facebook – let’s get this thing trending!  #drinkingwithginzo

 

 
This was taken at our mini family reunion/Ginny and Lorraine’s birthday celebration. Such a fun time!

The Wagon: View from the Ground

Oh hey! That part about my life you are probably reading this blog for in the first place? Here it is. Finally. 

Maybe I haven’t posted in three weeks because I have all this *gestures grandly to preceding ramblings* going on. Or maybe it’s because I’m a procrastinator by nature. 

Or maybe it’s because I took a giant, flailing, remarkably large yet not particularly graceful leap off the wagon about 10 days ago. It started innocently enough. I ran out of cashew milk and I needed my morning cup of coffee. I had a big day ahead – I wasn’t skipping my coffee. One trip to Dunkin Donuts and a coupon for a free large coffee later, I was tossing back that delicious “Cream and Sugar, please!” delight. Oh well. One slip up. No big deal. 

Pulled out the hummus I’ve been eating by the gallon (plain Whole Foods brand…mmm) because hummus was on my “approved snacks” list. You know what else is also on a list? Olives. AKA Olive Oil. Only the list it’s on is ORANGE. Yep, Whole Foods, and almost every other kind of hummus, is made with olive oil. For 4 weeks I thought I had been avoiding an orange list item only to find out, nope. Not at all. Gotta start that one all over. 

Wednesday of last week this happened:

I can’t even tell you why. I was fine. Having a good day. All was right with the world. 
It might have been even better after a few squares….not gonna lie….

Then we babysat my sister’s kids last weekend. What a wonderful time!! They are amazing!!! 
And they love monkey bread. An aunt can’t say no to such sweet faces…

All of this capped off by Dairy Godmother Tollhouse Cookie custard at the birthday celebration. 
And a doughnut(s) on Monday. 

BUT I AM BACK. BACK BACK BACK. 
Jumped right back on the wagon and cruising smoothly this week. 
I will not beat myself up over this. I will not expect myself to be perfect. I will not be dissuaded from the greater plan.

And I will NOT throw in the towel. 

Good Eats this Week(s)

Mango Avocado Chicken Salad

Barbacoa Tacos on Jicama Shells

Rosemary & Garlic CHicken Stew