Weight loss is a dance, from one stage to the next...

I wrote this post with ulterior motives in mind. I know... I know. The title indicates this post contains information about weight loss. It does. BUT first, I want to take this opportunity to brag about my boys.

For you new followers, my boys perform with a dance company. And in my opinion, they possess oodles of talent. See for yourself. The video below features my youngest, the little one in the middle (at the beginning of the video) wearing the scarf and black vest.

Untitled from chris bravo on Vimeo.

See what'd I tell ya.  Pretty good huh? Well my boys started dancing 3 years ago. Both of them EAT, SLEEP, AND BREATHE dance! They spend every waking moment at the studio, Monday through Saturday. And with one car that means I chauffeur them to and fro.


So, I schedule my life around their dance obligations: opening the studio, practices, mentoring other companies, teaching classes AND performing. As soon as I get home from work it's a mad dash to get dressed for CrossFit, so we all make it to our perspective extracurriculars on time!


On a good day, I may get an extra 30 minutes to unwind before my workout. Sometimes I try to squeeze in a power nap to energize myself, but most of the time I rush around like a chicken with his head cut off. But it's worth the missed naps. You be the judge.





What'cha think? Those talented kids range in age from 14 to 18. Okay, so getting to the weight loss portion of the post.

With my hectic days and frenzied schedule I don't rarely  make time to plan my meals. When performances and competitions roll around, the insanity of our schedule magnifies times 10! So as a result, we spend more time in drive-thrus than I'd like.

Last week the kids competed at the Urban Elite Dance Competition, (where they placed 2nd). The pic below was used for the competition advertisement.

Between their competition practices and teaching schedule & my obligations, I failed to plan a menu last week. And you know what THEY say about failing to plan. I must confess, we ate out 4 times last week.  BUT...I will admit, in attempt to make healthier choices we ate at Subway twice. Do not ask where we ate the other two days :-( Moving on...

When you think about it weight loss is a dance...from one stage to the next (get it?). And right now, I stand here STUCK in the I-KNOW-WHAT-I-NEED-TO-DO-BUT-I-JUST-AIN'T-DOIN-IT STAGE:-( If I selected one dance to represent the state of my weight loss effort, I choose the...cha-cha. 

Why the cha-cha? When I plan AND follow through, I see RESULTS and take a two steps FORWARD. BUT when things start to fall apart and the weight slowly CREEPS back on, I stumble and take a several steps BACK. And that...ladies and gentlemen, is the weight loss cha-cha. Forward & back, forward & back...cha, cha,cha!  Fact of the matter, I just need to adapt and overcome any obstacles (e.g. dance schedule) put in my path.

So what's a dance mom to do? Speaking of Dance Moms...do you watch that show? I LOVE IT. And for the record I AM the original DANCE MOM...imjussayin. Sorry, I digressed. 

So, what's a dance mom to do? For this week, I plan to implement my 5, 6, 7, 8 Plan. Why 5, 6, 7,8? Whenever dancers begin a dance combination, they count...5, 6, 7, 8. So in keeping with the dancing theme of my post, I present my 5, 6, 7, 8 PLAN:

5.  Plan a menu...which I did.

6.  Prepare 2 dinner meals at a time. One for now, and the 
     other serves as a reserve meal in the event I do not feel
     like cooking. 
7.  Cut up veggies, to have on hand for snacks or salads.
8.  Carry snacks on hand (i.e. Zone bar, nuts, apple, etc.)   
     for unplanned dance emergencies. 

Well, let's see how the 5, 6, 7, 8 plan unfolds this week. After writing this post, I arrived at the realization that I tried blame the boy's dance schedule for my weight loss shortcomings. But truth of the matter, I need to blame myself.

DANCE is and ALWAYS will be a part of our lives. In 3 years, I watched my boys grow leaps and bounds! Sometimes I sit and ponder what the future holds for my dancers. I foresee a bright future for both, dancing AND creating choreography for mega stars like Usher, Janet, Beyonce or Gaga. Check this vidja of my oldest showcasing his choreography talents at one HIS classes.

INSPIRING!! Can you tell I AM a PROUD MOM? I watch these same videos over and over and over again. And each time I continue to be inspired by their passion and dedication. You know, I hope some of my boy's dedication and passion rubs off on me and my weight  loss efforts.

Thanks for indulging my bragging. And now I leave you with a bit more inspiration... ENJOY!



INSPIRED!!??