Dance with Me (Bailar ConMigo)

Update: 1/26/12. Since this original blog post was published in 8/2011 I've corrected the name of the instructor who taught this class to Rae Toledo.

I recently took a class called "Dance With Me" at the 24 Hour Fitness in Sherman Oaks, CA. I really enjoyed this class and thought I would blog about it. Someone once told me that when it comes to fitness you should find something you love doing and can stick with. I guess for me that would be dance hands down. Dance is great cardio that also works different muscle groups and gets my heart rate up but I'm usually having so much fun, I don't think of it as a workout or "a chore."

I took the Thursday class offered at 6:30 PM by Rae Toledo and she was AMAZING, very motivating and so much fun, but it's also taught on Monday and Wednesday mornings by Billy Blanks Jr.  If his name sounds familiar, yes he's the son of the Tae-bo King, Billy Blanks. I will check out Billy's class as well for comparison and may blog about it. One woman I chatted with in class gave me the death stare and said that Billy's class is "Dance With Me" on steroids. Well alrighty then. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  :)

From week to week, the class covers various styles of dance in a high energy format. I think that's what I love about it. There's so much variety and you never get bored. There's also a choreographed dance which the divided up class performs at the end of the session. More on that later.

After welcoming all the newbies and veterans to class, Rae had us warm up to some music and then took us on a whirlwind trip from the U.S. to India to Latin America and back to the mainland.  We did a fun and fast-paced Bollywood routine to traditional Bollywood music I had never danced Bollywood and always wanted to learn. I must say it is no joke. It's deceptively fun but requires a lot of energy, with it's rapid hand, arm and leg movements.

What really kicked my heart muscle into overdrive was the Footloose Jive routine we danced to Kenny Loggins' "Footloose" soundtrack. I'm an 80's girl at heart so this was a nostalgic moment. I stuck with the high impact version of the dance which challenged me sufficiently, but Rae was thoughtful enough to offer a low impact modification to those who needed it. By this time we were all sweating profusely and sipping from our water bottles whenever we had an opportunity.

Rae really encouraged individual participation.  In the middle of doing plie lunges she'd walk around the room and if she saw you were getting low with it she'd yell out "Yes! That's it!!"

In the middle of class she had us make a huge circle. Whoever she selected would enter the middle of the circle and freestyle dance. Everyone else was supposed to imitate their dance. Then she'd pick someone else to do it. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.  The energy of this class was great. There was no judgment, people were warm and friendly, and there were literally dancers there at all levels from ages 18 to 80.

Towards the end of class we learned a Hip-Hop Paso Doble routine to Jazmine Sullivan's "Bust Your Windows." This dance involved some acting as we were portraying women who smashed out our lover's car windows after finding out we'd been cheated on. Ha ha ha. So much fun. At the end of class Rae selected about 7 participants she thought did the best job and had them perform the routine one final time. 

To my surprise, I was the 1st one she picked, congratulated, and "high-fived." It felt really good because I have been to more advanced, "professional" level dance classes where I felt like a lost sheep.

All in all, this was an awesome class and I haven't had this much fun working out in a long time. I will definitely be back for some more "Dance With Me" action.

Calorie Burn: 450 calories (1 hour)

Waking up in Vegas

Hello.  ....it's been awhile since I've blogged. Recently I had a medical procedure done so I haven't been able to workout and hadn't been online much.  I'm recovering nicely now and think I'm about ready to step on the treadmill for some light cardio, but no heavy lifting is allowed for a while.  During the week of my procedure I had very little appetite and wasn't keeping food down much (I've affectionately dubbed it the "Runway Model's" diet).   LOL. That and the fact that I've been calorie-restricting ever since then means the scale is down.  I'm now in the 140s for the 1st time in several years and I'm happy to say I can now button all the buttons on my double breasted, black leather jacket.  Yay!  It's the small things in life.  Hopefully I haven't loss too much muscle in the process  :)

It's such a thrill to fit in clothes hanging in your closet  that totally didn't fit a year ago, but I have another problem. Now I have quite a few clothes that are too big. The jeans I wore today (which used to fit snugly) are baggy in the legs and too roomy in the seat. Not a good look. I guess I will have to get some clothes taken in. It's also a great excuse to GO SHOPPING! What girl doesn't love a new wardrobe?

Flew to Vegas this weekend to see "The Lion King."   It was a spectacular show. I've never seen anything quite like it from the live orchestra to the costuming, to the set design and lighting as well as the vibrant dancing. I also got to take a backstage tour with the Stage Manager,  see the "behind-the-scenes" aspects of the show, and meet a few of the actors/performers.   While I was there I also checked out the Shark Reef - the nation's only predator aquarium. That was really cool!  Although I've done my fair share of walking in Vegas, I must say that maintaining a low-calorie diet here is not easy. I mean the meal options are endless and Vegas is the type of place that makes you want to indulge not restrict.  Let's just say I had a few splurge meals this weekend. For example, for lunch I had the best fish taco, rice, beans and plantains at the "Border Grille" in the Mandalay Bay and washed it down with a refreshing Pomegranate Limeade.  I like that they bring 3 different salsas with your chips; the salsa verde was my personal favorite.

For dinner, the flavored potato purees (lobster, sour cream and onion and horseradish) and sauteed spinach from "StripSteak" did not disappoint either.   Ironically I didn't order any beef/steak and it was a "dry" weekend for me as far as alcohol is concerned.  Not a typical Vegas-style weekend, but  leaving your  government ID at home  by mistake is pretty much a catalyst for that.   Ha ha. All in all I tried to make some good food choices without depriving myself.  It's back on the program come Monday.

My next blog will be "What Would Jillian/Jackie Do - Part 2."  I'll chat a bit about my experience on Jillian Michael's Ultimate Wellness Cruise in October and what it was like to work out with her and soak up some of her knowledge on nutrition, health and fitness.

Until then...Hakuna Matata!

Zany for Zumba

It's hard to describe the magnetic hypnotism of Zumba which makes you "loco" for Latin dance but I'd really recommend you try it for yourself if you haven't already.

Zumba, the fitness craze that combines Latin and international music with dance to make fitness fun, is all the rage right now.  According to Wikipedia it's offered at 60,000 different gyms and studios in 105 countries to over 6 million participants -- all because of one man's vision. Alberto Perez, a Columbian dancer/choreographer, created the program and years later, trademarked it. Even though Zumba has technically been around since the early 90s, it's popularity has grown exponentially in the United States over the last 5 years. In order to teach Zumba, one has to train and be certified in it. There's even a snazzy Zumba clothing line, Zumba CDs/DVDs and an annual Zumba convention in FL which certifies trainers from all over the world.

I recently took 3 Zumba classes at 3 different studios by 3 different instructors here in Los Angeles.  Honestly each instructor had their own style and flair but there definitely was some cross-pollenation with a lot of the dance moves and musical tracks so everything seemed fairly familiar. One thing I love about Zumba is that it is really hip and high-octane! You will sweat and sweat and sweat some more. I don't know about you but I don't feel like I've really worked out unless I break a serious sweat. Another positive is that even though you're doing intense cardio and working out hard, you don't realize it because you're having so much freaking fun!  Every class I attended was pretty packed so I guess I'm not alone here. People love it. A third thing is that you get to experience several different dance styles in one workout including but not limited to: Belly-Dancing, Samba, Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Cha cha cha, and Reggaeton.

 Instructor Shawnee

The classes I took would be categorized as Basic 1 and 2  level Zumba classes but I discovered that there are a few other types as well including "Zumba Toning" which uses weighted maraca-like toning sticks to strengthen and tone muscles and "Aqua Zumba" which is a Zumba workout in the pool. These two latter classes are more rare as far as I can tell.

Dancer/Choreographer Jeff Samson

I trained with Shawnee Rioles at Heartbeat House (Atwater Village), Jeffrey Samson at Hollywood Dance Center and Augustin Romero at USA Fitness in Sylmar. By the way, Jeff, who also teaches at the Pasadena Equinox, is teaching a FREE Zumba class tomorrow Friday (9/17) at Hollywood Dance Center at 7 PM.  His classes are great and full of positive energy. I love how he takes the time to explain a little about the history and/or meaning of each basic dance move he teaches. The workout is challenging enough while his choreography is easy to follow. Feel free to check him out.

Do you want a workout that lets you burn a lot of calories and have tons of fun? Then Zumba just may be for you.  To find Zumba classes in your area visit their website at http://www.zumba.com and click on "Find A Class."

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

I figured out early on that I needed some sort of structure to keep me on track with my nutrition and exercise program. One of the quotes I love from Bill Phillips is "Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail." I can attribute much of my success thus far to this mantra.

I try to plan my meals and workouts in advance. Usually on a Sunday I'll sit down and decide what I'm going to eat for the week. If I'm eating home-cooked meals I make my grocery list, shop for the ingredients, and cook up most or all of my meals for the week in one day.

Pulled Duck Dinner Salad

If I'm doing Jenny Craig or a meal delivery service like Freshology, I just customize my menu for the week. This leaves nothing to chance. That means if someone orders a pizza at the office or I'm out and about and there's no healthy options wherever I am, I won't be stuck or tempted because I don't have a plan. It takes the guesswork out of everything and ensures I'll stay on track.

Finger-lickin' Fried Chicken

A good example of this is I went to the annual Long Beach Jazz Festival here in Long Beach, CA last Friday with a girlfriend. I packed a small cooler with my dinner for the evening (a "Pulled Duck and Edamame Salad). I initially thought that I might be able to get some food from one of the many vendors at the festival but I didn't want to take the chance that they might not have something I could eat. I'm so glad I decided to bring my own food. Every single vendor we encountered was selling food like fried catfish, fried chicken, french fries and funnel cakes. I reminded myself that just 1 fried chicken breast can pack a whopping 490 calories, 31g of fat and 1080 mg of sodium!  There were no healthy alternatives and I was glad I  had the foresight to pack my own meal. I was so proud of myself that I honored my self-promise to eat clean. Now don't get me wrong! I love me some fried chicken and catfish on occasion in moderation, but I only try to do 1 "splurge" or "free" meal a week and I had already planned that for the following day.

With exercise I know what days I'm going to do cardio and what days I'm going to do weight training. For cardio I usually choose the classes I'm taking in advance and schedule it on my calendar like an appointment so I'm less likely to bail out. For weight training days I write down on a progress report what specific exercises I plan to do for each body part, how many sets, how many reps, as well as how much weight I'll lift. During my workout I jot down what my actual sets, reps, and level of intensity are.  This helps to keep me focused. When I go into the gym I know exactly what I'm going to do and I'm not wasting time training in a haphazard or random way.  Every 2-4 weeks I increase my weight and switch up my exercises to keep my muscles from adapting or acclimating too much.


I've noticed in the past that during the weeks where I haven't planned appropriately, I almost always falter and don't see good results.

I don't know about you, but personally I like being in control and not leaving too much to chance.

Plan, Prepare, Execute, Succeed....

the formula really does work.

Exercise is My Prozac

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the idea of dropping pounds and losing body fat that I forget there are so many other benefits to exercise.  Here are some of them:


1) Causes the release of natural endorphins like serotonin which elevate your mood.

2) Helps you sleep and rest better

3) Improves mental clarity, focus and cognitive function

4) Promotes strength, endurance and flexibility

5) Reduces the risk of a number of diseases (i.e.,  heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, Alzheimers, etc)

6) Gives you energy


Wanted to share an interesting Newsweek article I came across that discusses the results of research on exercise and the brain in more detail:

"Stronger, Faster, Smarter" 


My current exercise program:

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Lower Body Workout (Strength Training)
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Upper Body Workout (Strength Training)
Saturday - Cardio
Sunday - Lower Body Workout (Strength Training)

Dance Choreographer Kimberly Mullen

For cardio I alternate between high-intensity dance classes, spinning and kickboxing mostly. On some days I will do elliptical machines and the treadmill.  I like to mix up my cardio because I get bored easily. Since it's summertime and hot I may incorporate some swimming into my program too as it's low impact and burns a lot of calories.

I've discovered that my favorite form of cardio is dance. It's soooo much fun and I love doing it so much I don't think of it as exercise. I also get a very good calorie burn.

Yesterday I went back to Heartbeat House in Atwater Village, CA. I took two 1-hour dance classes: "World Dance" with Kimberly Miguel Mullen and "Latin Jam" with Juan Pablo (JP).  Although JP's class was my favorite of the two for it's high-intensity and "funktifiedness" (is that a word?),   :-P .... Kim's class was more technical and she teaches a choreographed routine, building on basic steps with more advanced steps over the course of several weeks. The class was pretty far along in the choreographed dance, so I didn't pick up everything right away but I learned some interesting new, Brazilian carnival moves. It was a nice workout that had me sweating bullets and now I understand why Samba/Carnival dancers have such great bodies.

Kimberly has at least a few "Dance & Be Fit" workout DVDs on the market: 1) Brazilian Body and 2) Abs Burn.  I haven't tried them yet, but they have received some great reviews so I'd like to.

Featured Fitness: Heartbeat House - (Latin Jam Class)

I was craving some high-intensity cardio with a soulful flavor. I had recently taken a great "World Beat" class at the Canyon Ranch resort and spa in Tucson, AZ and LOVED it!  The class combined African and Latin dance moves with LIVE percussionists. I can't even convey how much fun this class was. What made it great was the tribal dance moves to live drumming. The energy was amazing and I felt like I was having a spiritual rebirth.  I really wanted to  come back to L.A. and find a similar class.

A few friends had referred me previously to Heartbeat House (a small dance studio tucked away in Atwater Village, CA which is just a stone's throw from Los Angeles' Los Feliz 'hood.) They offer a range of interesting classes from: Zumba to African Dance to Bollywood.  It's a non-competitive environment with hella cool, down-to-earth staff and instructors, but the classes are still challenging which is a good thing!

Instructor Cherith

Last night I took the Latin Jam class taught by Toni and Cherith. These women epitomize the word "high energy!" They were very warm and welcoming but are beasts when it comes to fitness.  :) I got a very good calorie burn. My heart was pumping throughout the entire class and I worked up quite a sweat.  It was a nice plus when Cherith singled me out and gave me a high 5 in class for doing a great job.  I know when I take a class it's not just a workout for me. Sometimes I visualize myself performing for an audience and then I give it that much more energy -- I give it my all!.  Even though their class schedule says there is "live percussion" I was a little bit disappointed to discover that there was none, but the trainers made the class fun and included enough varied choreography to keep my interest level fairly high.

Instructor Toni 

They take you on a trip around the Latin diaspora combining everything from salsa to samba to soca moves set to rhythmic latin fusion music. The studio runs special promotions. For example, for your first week of classes you only pay $5 per class vs. the normal $15 per class rate.

I will definitely be going back to try some more of their classes. Their new Afro Fusion class (which combines Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian, Salsa and West African Dance ) looks really interesting!

There's definitely a fire and sizzle in their classes that I don't usually get at my local gym (LA Fitness). I guess that's why their flyers say "it's what you won't experience at the gym."

Stacie's Top 5 Tips for Losing Body Fat and Getting Fit

Did you know that just a 10% reduction in body fat substantially improves your health and reduces your risk for heart disease, hypertension, stroke, cancer and diabetes?!  As someone who has a family history of all of these diseases I realize how important it is to take ownership of my body and my health before it's too late.  I've lost a total of 7-8% body fat thus far so I am well on my way to achieving that milestone.  What goals have you set for yourself and what milestones have you achieved?

"Strive for Progress, not Perfection" - Bill Phillips (Body-for-Life) 

You'll probably notice that I reference Body-for-Life and Bill Phillips a lot in my blog. When I began eating healthy and working out several years ago, his book was my referential bible for fitness & nutrition. If you're just getting started or just want a refresher it's a great read. Available at Amazon.com.....


Ok, I wanted to share my "TOP 5 TIPS" which have worked for me in losing 16 lbs thus far. Some of these may look familiar to you but I guess a little positive reinforcement is never a bad thing.  :)  Okay so here goes:

First of all you've gotta EAT, you gotta SLEEP and you gotta MOVE!

1)  (EAT) -  Eat 5-6 small meals a day which include a protein and a carb to balance your blood sugar and avoid the spikes which will cause you to get hungrier and eat more.  Focus on eating complex carbs like vegetables, brown rice etc.

2)  Write down and document everything you eat and calculate your calorie burn every day. You may say, "well that sounds like a pain in the a$$" or "I don't have time to do that", but if you want to see good results you have to know what's going in your mouth. The bottom line is we all too often underestimate the calories we're consuming and overestimate our level of activity or exercise.

3)  Drink water, water, water all day, everyday!  Your body needs it more than you'll ever know. Our muscles are made up of about 70% water. Water is essential to transport nutrients like vitamins and minerals throughout your body. If you've ever felt sluggish and tired, it may be because you're very dehydrated and your body's ability to transport nutrients is compromised because you're not drinking enough of it.  There's often a buildup of waste (i.e., ammonia, urea, uric acid and other  junk in your body). So drink at least 8, 8-ounce servings of water a day.

4) (SLEEP) - Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.  Lack of adequate sleep is linked to excess fat and increases the risk of abdominal obesity (or the dreaded belly bloat).  This one was hard for me because I'm a night owl and I love to stay up late watching TV and  surfing the 'Net.... but lack of adequate sleep alters hormones that control hunger and increase your appetite for calorie-dense foods like bread, candy, and chips. The later you stay up the hungrier you get and you're more likely to snack on foods that will completely ruin your calorie deficit. So word to the wise -- get plenty of sleep.

5) (MOVE) - This tip has made the biggest difference in my progress. Exercise burns excess calories so they don't get stored as fat. Simple as that. The best exercise for you to do to lose weight is that which you love. Some people like to run. I personally hate running. So I'm not going to force myself to run and be miserable. Instead, I do other forms of cardio like kickboxing, dance classes and elliptical machines. But also, (and I can't stress this enough especially to all of the women out there), we need some form of resistance training or weight training in our exercise regimen (about 2-3 days a week). While cardio provides the quick calorie burn that lasts only as long as you're exercising, resistance training gives you a slow calorie burn so you burn calories even when you're at REST! It's also the best way to re-sculpt and reshape your body!! So start off with a few days of cardio and a few days of weight training if you're a beginner. Try to work your way up to a total of 6 days of exercise a week (1 hour sessions) to see maximum results.

In the future I'll be featuring a few of my favorite Jenny Craig snacks and meals. For anyone who has not tried the program, it definitely works and the food is tasty. If you are busy like me and don't really have time to shop for groceries, prep, cook, & clean up the kitchen etc.,  I'd highly recommend a program like Jenny Craig to get you started.  Until next time.... :)