Knock, Knock! Who's There?? (My Love for ZuMBA!)

**The post below was originally posted in April 2011 and I'm updating it for this week's Workout Wednesday.
The reason i've decided to repost this is, looking back at how much I loved Zumba it still amazes me how far I came while having fun. It amazes me! Exercise can be fun! Zumba changed my energy level, my body and my heart. I was BORN TO DANCE! After doing Zumba 3 times a week for many, many months, my instructor moved her class to the dreaded... GYM! *GASP* I have a fear of the gym, a fear of being judged and an insecure mind. I quit immediately! I stopped working out all together and continued with an awful diet filled with salads loaded with ranch dressing and ended up in the same place I began.

And that brings us to the present... I'm not a girl you will find in a gym, but I'm not the girl who wants to remain tired and unhealthy either. You HAVE to figure out what works for you, you have to change your diet and you have to get moving. It doesn't happen overnight, but it will happen if you change your lifestyle!**

It’s Me… I’m HERE!! I know, I know... I have been MIA forever. *sigh* I have a tendency to get on these "kicks" where I am SUPER, CRAZY passionate about something until something ELSE takes over! {It’s a good/bad thing & a habit I'm trying to break} Does that ever happen to you??

I am channeling my creative juices into a different direction, but I AM working on combining the things I enjoy so much. I miss blogging, I miss blogland and I miss (SUPER MISS) reading everyone’s updates… BIG TIME!!

As for now and the past few months, I have been completely focused on something new, something fun, & something that allows me to be creative (but not crafty), something that is a completely different direction... my NEW passion… ZUMBA!!

(NOTICE: It is a BIG deal, I mean MAJOR, that I posted the picture below.)

This is why I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Zumba! It was NOT my plan to lose weight, inches and tone up in ways I just didn’t realize I could, when I started Zumba. I wanted something in my life that was fun, something different than what I had done before and something that just allowed you to be free for a short period of time everyday. However, when I looked at the above photos side-by-side and shared with friends, I could not believe the benefits that Zumba offered. I had no idea that I was working the muscles that I was; I just thought I was dancing and having fun. Who knew?! A girlfriend said to me, “If I had that type of improvement, I’d be posting these pics everywhere!” Really? I just couldn’t! My first thoughts… “Look at that before picture…Was that really me? Did I really allow myself to get to “that” place?” I was so embarrassed and ashamed of where I was that I could not even see where I am now. I should be proud and slooooowly day by day, I am becoming more proud of what I am accomplishing and that I am feeling like “ME” again!

Zumba did this! I am blessed with a Zumba instructor who is a breast cancer fighter and survivor and is beyond encouraging and a group of family/friends who want nothing more than for me to be the best “Me” that I can be.

Yes, I will be back and I’m beyond excited to share all of the projects I have been hiding and the ideas that I have in-store. I am still SUCH a craft-a-holic & have so many FuN & Spectacular projects that I just canNOT wait to share!!!

*Tiffany

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It's Monday - Get Moving!

This weekend was my sorority's annual Girls Get-a-Way Weekend in Galveston (Oh Galveston) and we soaked up the sun at the beach.  We enjoy the sun, the laughs, the junk food and the booze!  Good Times, Great Friends and Girly Gossip... I love, love spending time with my Sisters!

(Cheers to the Freakin' Weekend)

 

(Toes in the Sand and a Beer in my hand)

 

(If only I was as long and lean as my shadow!)

 

Unfortunately, a fabulous girls weekend also means that I did not get one workout in and for the first time in more than 2 MONTHS I didn't not log my food in MyFitnessPal.  It's hard to log, when your days consisted mostly of frozen margaritas and carrots with Love Dip and your enjoying every minute of it!

The good thing?!  It's Monday and it's time to start again.  Time to get back on track.  Time to get moving.  It's as easy as that!  No one is perfect, we will all fall at some point, but you can always start again.  Don't give up!

I am ready for a new day and ready to get back on track!  Get up and get moving now!  It makes a difference and I'm slowly seeing it every single day.

Have a great week!

Weekly Goals

Setting ACHIEVABLE Goals is key to Success!

This week, I've decided to set a few goals for myself... We'll see how it goes.

1st Goal and probably the most important to me: Record everything!  You canNOT out exercise a bad diet, so recording everything is a BIG deal for me.  It helps me keep track!  I love the phrase, "If you Bite it, Write it!" and i'll be doing just that.

Download the MyFitnessPal app... It's FREE!  NO EXCUSES!

Speaking of excuses... IF only they burned calories, but they don't!  This week my 2nd Goal is to get in 3 workouts that burn a minimum of 500 calories.  It's not as easy as you think!  Every workout might feel like you are burning a gazillion calories (and I wish you were), but your not.  Bummer, I know!  With the help of my Mio and Garmin, I am brought quickly back to reality.

Water is VERY important and Goal 3 this week is to continue to drink a minimum of 8 glasses a day.

Along with my 3 workouts, Goal 4 will be get in two Yoga sessions.  Yoga is GREAT!

 

After a Holiday Weekend, Goal 5 is to get my butt back on track!  I LOVE this reminder!  No matter what, you can ALWAYS get back on track. 

 

I am linking up with Jess over at Operation Skinny Jeans for this week's Weekly Goals Link Party! 

This is a great reminder that if you fall of track, set a few achievable goals for yourself and you're right back on!