No, I'm really not in shape!

A good Barre Fitness workout is all it takes to make it very clear to me how out of shape I really am. I have been playing around with barre workouts for some time now, mixing up the exercises and adding some of my own but I haven't been dedicated as of late and that was crystal clear this afternoon. I love these workouts because my body just responds best to dance and pilates-based training. I personally prefer to have lean and chiseled muscles as opposed to bulk.

These types of workout are the way to go but you have to expect a bit of a learning curve and some pain. This afternoon I gave Xtend Barre a try and really liked Andrea Rogers teaching style. She offers great cueing and mixes the beauty and grace of ballet with energy and rhythm. The best part of Andrea's class was how much more ballet there was in her method. Her arms remained graceful, she used many ballet terms and fused classical ballet movements into the class seamlessly.

The Lean and Chiseled DVD was tough and I didn't get all the way through the workout without some whining and mini-breaks. We'll see how that changes as the month progresses.

Barre workouts usually follow a similar format:

• Dynamic warm up
• Arm and upper body sculpting using 3-5# weights (smaller is better, trust me!)
• Thigh work using a ballet barre or chair
• Seat work also using the barre or chair
• Floor work and Abs

• Cool down

Each discipline has a little different take on the originally developed Lotte Berk Method and they are all good. I suggest creating a collection of DVD's and mixing them up for fun and variety. I'll be trying many of them this month so I'll let you know what I like about each.

This afternoon I was challenged, wiped out and my muscles are twitching. Most importantly, I concentrated on my core throughout the entire class and I stretched and lengthened my entire body continually. What a beautiful treat for my body!!

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Not enough minutes in the day!

Is there ever a day where there is enough time? More than enough time to do everything you want to get done and then still sit back and enjoy, ponder, and reflect?

I wish.

No matter how much I try to avoid rushing through life and running around like a crazy Momma, it inevitably seems to happen each and every day. Sometimes even on the weekend. I no longer say 'yes' to every opportunity but with two kids, two dogs, a husband, a job, church, home and me - there is a lot to do on any given day.

I'm sure everyone can relate to the demands of life so how do we balance what we 'have' to do with what we really 'want' to do?

I know I want to love on my family, maintain a clean and comfortable home, eat well and exercise, read, serve my church and have fun. What I really don't want to do is work every day, fold endless loads of laundry, grocery shop, pay bills, balance a budget, manage massive amounts of school paperwork/emails, etc. etc. etc.

In attempt to create balance, I schedule the 'want to' activities in between the 'have to' activities and this allows me to get the fun stuff in my schedule most of the time. Often though, the unplanned commitments always seem to outweigh the fun stuff - no matter how hard I try. Or, I just become completely exhausted and by 8pm seem to lose all energy to do either.

What is your trick?

With my 2nd full week of Challenge Re:Vive under my belt there are a few things I am very happy about and others that need improvement.

• Caffeine Free - This is awesome. I have had one small decaf coffee in two weeks and have experienced no real cravings to jump back on the coffee bandwagon. I even moved the coffee pot to the basement. I enjoy my hot tea in the morning and also have an easier time drinking more water. All positive results of this change.
• Almost Dairy Free - I did have some pizza at my son's birthday party this weekend but otherwise I have been mostly dairy free. I have decided that my Greek yogurt snack daily is too good for me to give up and I will also resume having my daily DanActive. It helps my tummy and is also good for my diet. Other than that - no milk, cheese, coffee creamer, etc. Good stuff!
• Lean Meats Only - Although I began this challenge with the goal to remove all meat from my diet, there are too many positive benefits from having lean meats in moderation. I also enjoy the protein of egg whites and hard-boiled eggs. I have not, however, had one hamburger or cheeseburger since beginning the challenge. Only lean cuts of meat, prepared at home. With that being said, I do plan to learn more about vegetarian cooking and look forward to picking up Tosca's new Vegetarian Eat-Clean Cookbook so I can add more veg meals weekly for the entire family.
• Juicing - It is my goal to juice every other day and although I did better last week I would still like to get at least 3 days in per week. That is my goal this week.
• Remove the Sugar - I have made real gains in this area but still experience the craving for sweets. I have not had any candy or chocolate since beginning the challenge but did have some b-day cake this past weekend. Improvements yes, but work is still needed. What can I substitute that is natural, yet sweet?
• Wellness Behaviors - This is an area I struggle with. I still have to get to a store and purchase a natural bristle brush so I can begin dry-brushing. I also need to get on board with my supplements and schedule a massage once per month.
• Fitness - This is the area I love the most but my weekly schedule is crazy busy and doesn't leave too much time to get it in. I need to take a look at my schedule each week and actually schedule my fitness as an appointment each day. Somehow it has to happen. I did some Zumba and FuseDance yesterday and can barely walk. Being a weekend fitness warrior is not a good choice. It makes walking very difficult on Monday morning.

Week 3, here I come. Big goals to achieve and another week to be well, live large and love fully.
Blessings to you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

A day to celebrate love - how great is that. It reminds me to be thankful for all of the loves in my life.
... an amazing, loving and graceful God
...handsome, healthy and loving boys
...a loyal, loving and funny husband
...two gorgeous weimaraners
...a fabulous family
...lifetime friends
...a warm bed
...hot baths
...books, books, books
...dark chocolate
...moleskin journals
...fuzzy slippers
...pilates, yoga, Zumba
...dance
...music
...long walks
...waterfalls
...nature and the freedom to walk in it
...religious freedom
...clean water and food in the fridge
...flowers in springtime
...an abundant garden in the summer
...vacations
...art-the enjoyment of viewing and of creating

and much more! Enjoy your day!

Days 2, 3 & 4 - Is it Friday yet?

My work week is such a blur. Run here, run there, never enough time in any given day to get done what needs to be done. There has got to be a better way and I sincerely hope this challenge will help me find that.

So far I have found that giving up sugar, dairy, meat, caffenine and alchohol has been doable but definitely not enjoyable. Let's be sure to point out that I live with 3 boys. Okay, one man and two boys. They cannot understand why in the world any living human would ever give up meat not to mention sugar and dairy. Seriously. "What are you going to eat Mom?" is what I've heard his week and then on Tuesday night was asked, "Mom, do you want a burger?"

Memory is not a strong character trait of young boys.

Have I been a superstar this week? Definitely not but I do have a few successes to mention:

• no meat whatsoever
• no coffee (caffeninated or decaffeinated) - I picked up some fabulous loose leaf red tea instead so I'm drinking up the antioxidants instead of wasting my entire morning slurping the crappy coffee.
• Juiced and Smoothied (veggies too) -  This is going to take my sensitive digestive system some time to adjust. It's not quite sure what to do with all of that 'live' nutrition at the moment. Check out the EATS page for recipes.
• Rebounding Away - I have to say this is my new workout of choice. The benefits are numerous and it just plain makes me feel fantabulous. Look for a blog post on it this weekend.

Now to get to what didn't go so well...

Even though I didn't give in to the burger invitation on Tuesday night even after realizing that my endearing husband forgot to pick up the Boca burgers I had asked for, I have slipped here and there unintentionally.

Its amazing how we eat so mindlessly and don't even realize how much sugar and dairy we consume. I don't even like dairy but what am I going to eat if I don't have any meat and can't have Annie's Organic Mac & Cheese (its my fave!). Also no Greek yogurt or danactive?

So a little mac & cheese here and a little PB and jelly there (I'm sure there is unnecessary sugar in there too.) Each day I am becoming more mindful of what is in my food and that is the purpose of this challenge.

As for my goals posted on Monday. I still have to get to a store to find a natural bristle brush, they are not readily available. Once located, I will give the dry brushing a whirl. I'm sure that will be interested.

Meditation... well, I'm still working on that. I know it will be a huge benefit for me to... "Be still and know..." but I find myself getting through each day and then realizing I have yet to sit. More to look forward to is all.

Be well and live big!

Day 1 - Challenge RE:VIVE

It was a good start today - just having a plan is encouraging and each successful step gives me the confidence to push forward. I was still suffering from a cold/sinus infection today so there was no fitness and it may have been easier to each nutritiously due to my lack of appetite. We'll see what tomorrow brings when I'm back to my normal self.

One thing I must say is when we make good and sound healthy choices we just feel better. After I juiced some awesome fruits and veggies for lunch as opposed to throwing some processed junk in the microwave - I instantly felt better. I'm convinced that was the key to feeling better this evening. We have to always focus on the little details. Each choice is important. When we slip we have another chance to choose again.

My biggest hurdle in this challenge will be to not give up and not let stress and emotions derail by progress. I'm hoping this blog will hold me accountable. I am determined to hit my 40th bday feeling and looking better than ever. There is no reason for that not to happen.

I also have some exciting classes to look forward to this spring that will keep me on the fitness track. Getting back to teaching motivates me to step up to the challenge so I can be at my best.

To do tomorrow:

• Rise and shine bright and early, 5 min of meditation before my bath
• Pick up a natural bristle brush so I can begin dry-brushing, an excellent way to stimulate the lymph system and promotion the flushing of toxins. Check out the crazysexylife blog for dry brushing details.
• Hit the mat for some yoga.

Sweet dreams!

Welcome to the faithMOVES blog!

Welcome to the faithMOVES blog. This blog has been the the works, in one way or another, for some time now. I've always wanted to find some way to share my love for health and fitness in a way that would truly provide something valuable to the reader. What would make this blog any different from any other? What type of content would really motivate me and encourage me to stay with it day in and day out? In my other attempts I would explore various topics, research them and then spit back some information.

That would last awhile and then quickly become boring and fade away... In the end I would be left wondering - what would it take to create something that would last?

As I quickly approach my 40th birthday I find myself often reflecting on who I am, what I've accomplished and what aspects of my life I need to work on. I know we all do this regularly but I feel as though I am consumed by those thoughts more often as of late. Why? Maybe because I'm finally realizing how fast the time is going - maybe I'm realizing I should be making the most of it and not wasting precious moments each day or maybe I am just finally growing up and want more out of my life.

Regardless, I decided this blog could be focused on creating change in my life and maybe, just maybe a reader could take something away from that.

twentyone is the result of this quest for change. It has often been said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit or change an old one. Whether or not that is actually true really doesn't matter - I guess we'll see. I'm using the 21 day time frame as a method to focus and commit to trying new things, removing old habits and creating new and healthy ones. I hope you enjoy the journey.

You'll also find on this blog information on health, fitness, faith and my fitness class - barre360. I hope you enjoy it and I welcome your comments.