My Interview with DanceFIT Studio!

This month I started managing the social media for DanceFIT Studio!  I am so excited to be a part of this amazing company.  On top of working full time, being a mama to 2 crazy kiddos, all of my DanceFIT classes, and tacking on a few extra hours during my off-hours to have fun with this new social media adventure, I am going to be one busy woman- it is such an amazing opportunity...I am thrilled!  

Check out my interview with DanceFIT Studio owner, Gina Fay, here! 

While you're at it, check out the rest of the Blog

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Then, share with all your friends! 

We <3 Social Media, can you tell! 

Me and C outside DanceFIT Studio in Brookline, MA 

Team "I Am Fit"

6 weeks
6 days a week of fitness
6 fruits & veggies a day
6 team members
6FIT

My 4th 6FIT has come to a close.  This session was really great- I pushed myself harder than I have in past 6FITs and truly made a lifestyle change.  I averaged 8-10 classes per week, got active with my family on the weekends, tried new recipes and new foods that I wouldn't have before and overall can tell that my body has changed and I am a lot stronger and leaner.  I have not taken official weight and measurements yet, but weight loss was not an ultimate goal for me this session.  Getting stronger was.

Going into this 6FIT, I had some goals for myself.  You can read about them here.

How did I do?

• Well, I stretched A LOT.  I also learned about an amazing product called a foam roller.  I am obsessed with it.  It's like having a massage therapist in your home at all times.  I highly suggest you get one and use it all the time!  
• Disconnecting was another major goal.  I wanted to turn my phone/computer/ipad/tv off an hour before I went to bed.  I didn't accomplish this, but I did learn to disconnect when I got home from work in order to spend quality timer with my kids (read more about that here). 
• Get out and run! I love Spring time 6FITs.  The weather is just starting to get nice, the temperatures are perfect for running, the flowers are blooming and everyone is gearing up for an active spring and summer.  This is New England, however, and we basically went from winter to summer in a matter of 2 weeks.  Still, it wasn't too bad and I was able to get some quality runs, hikes and beach exercise in with my family.  
• Did I get organized?  No, not at all.  My big plan was to take the time on Sunday and prepare for the week.  I failed miserably at this.  Starting back at work, keeping up with the family and having busy weekend took over life and I had to give in on something.  So, lunches weren't packed and my laundry sits unfolded for days.  Such is life.  

I wanted to share a few things with you that I have found helpful after past 6FIT's to keep me on track.  

Support:  Having support from fellow 6FITTERs, family and friends who love fitness as much as you do is crucial to keeping up with the 6FIT lifestyle.  I wish I could do it by myself, but I can't- I always fall off the wagon.  I am going to rely on you guys to keep me in check and I hope you rely on me too.  I would encourage you to become friends with other 6FIT members on facebook if you haven't done so already.  Surround yourselves with friends and family who like to be active on the weekends or after work.  Go for a walk, run, bike ride together.  Take the kids out in the stroller before bed (it will help them sleep better which is a plus)! Whatever you do...keep moving! 

Apps:  MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, MapMyRun, DanceFIT Studio App are my favorites.  

With MyFitnessPal, you can track your meals, strength exercises, cardio, water intake and weight loss progress.  You can connect with friends who have it and send/receive encouragement along the way.  

RunKeeper and MapMyRun are similar.  They track miles, calories burned, distance, speed, etc.  You can also connect with friends who have the app and offer words of encouragement.  

Check what classes are being offered at DanceFIT Studio both virtually and in the studio daily with the DanceFIT app!  There is one available for both Iphone and Android.  It is awesome! 

If you're a yogi, Lululemon developed a new app for Iphone (not sure about Android though) called the OM Finder.  Plug in your zip code and it will bring up all the yoga classes that day in your area.  It's great for on the go and travelling.  

Blogs. In our wrap up seminar last night we talked about following blogs for inspiration! I love fitness blogs! A lot have Facebook pages and if you like the page, you can get daily fitness routines, recipes, etc.  

Here are some of my favorites: 

FitSugar - This is probably my favorite blog.  Everything from great ab workouts, cardio workouts, trouble area workouts, recipes and fitness inspiration and motivation.  Love this blog.  I follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest too! 

100 Days of Real Food:  This blog is dedicated to eating clean and also to feeding your kids clean.  There are great recipes and really good ideas for kids lunches. 

Sarah Fit - Boston based Youtuber turned fitness expert.  She has great fitness tips, workouts on Youtube and advice on new fitness products.  

Shape and Fitness Magazine on Facebook and Twitter.  Get daily workouts and recipes by "liking" their pages.  I get a lot of recipes from them and also great fitness tips.  

Move Sweat Love with Ali - Like Ali's Facebook Page for motivational tips and fitness advice.  She teaches pilates, piloxing, zumba and many other classes around Boston including at DanceFIT Studio! 

Social Media is a great took for staying inspired to be fit and healthy.  I recommend following blogs, and following fitness loving friends on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  Speaking of Pinterest, DanceFIT Studio has and AMAZING Pinterest page that you should definitely check out! 

Going into the summer, I have some personal goals that I want to achieve.

1.  Keep up my water intake.  At least 70oz per day. 
2. Eat clean 80% of the time.  I am a huge 80/20 advocate and believe that not depriving yourself is important in achieving your healthy lifestyle goals.  
3. Cardio 4 times per week and strength 3 times per week.  I will do this with a combination of DanceFIT Studio virtual classes (there are really great classes coming up in June at perfect times for busy people like all of us!) and outdoor activity - Swimming, stairs, hills and running.  I am signed up for my classes for the month of June and will continue my 6-8 classes per week routine throughout the summer! 
4. Commit to charting via MyFitnessPal for a month (short term goal).  

I need to give a huge, giant thank you to Gina Fay who is the creator of this amazing 6FIT experience.  I have said it so many times before, but her dream and creation have put me on the path to a healthy life again and I am just so grateful.  It is because of Gina and DanceFIT that I have made friends who inspire me every day.  They help to motivate me and lift me up after a hard day.  They commiserate with my after a sleepless night, or challenging day at work.  I am so thankful that I am able to share this experience with my sister who live in NYC.  Even though we live in different states, having a common goal we are able to push each other to make the right choices when it comes to living a healthy life.  I am so happy I had the opportunity to blog for DanceFIT Studio.  Turns out that I really enjoy blogging and will continue to do so even though 6FIT is over.  

The other virtual instructors (Alissa, Maeve, Kari, Laura and Nicole )at DanceFIT worked insanely hard during this (and every other one) 6FIT and added a lot of classes to their schedules to meet the demands of us Virtual FITTERs!  You guys are amazing and so are your classes! 

The entire team of 6FIT were so amazing this session.  There was SO MUCH motivation from everyone, which to me is the key to 6FIT success.  I know we were broken up into teams, but I felt connected to all of you and felt that we did this together.  Team Orange, Purple, Green, Yellow and Red - We are Team I Am Fit!  

This is hanging in my office at work and I thought it was appropriate.  You should all be so proud of everything you've accomplished!  

There will be another 6FIT in the fall!  I encourage all of you to join in the amazing 6FIT adventure and try out a class or two at DanceFIT in the meantime!  

Your Journey is Your Journey

Ah!  It's here.  Our last week of 6FIT.  Typically, I get a little anxious this week because I know that by this time next week I will be on my own.  However, for the first time, I feel like I am going to be able to handle this new lifestyle without completely falling off the wagon.  If I do happen to fall off, I have a wonderful group of women who will help to get me back on.  Here we go!

Going into this last week, I wanted to remind you of something that I have been personally battling for a very long time.  I 100% stole the inspirational message below from Gina, but it's a good one for everyone to follow...and it provided me with a good blog topic! Thanks, Gina :)

Your Journey is YOUR journey...

For a very big part of my life, I have been consumed with comparing myself and my life to everyone else around me.  I am talking everything:  Family, occupation, workouts, weight, clothes, houses, towns we all live in....everything.  It is a terrible and unhealthy way to live and it's mentally exhausting.  I have been making a conscious effort over the past few years (especially since I had kids) to really start focusing on all the good things I have in life and everything I have accomplished.  I know a lot of people who will never be happy with what they have, what they look like, what type of house they live in.  They cannot see what I see and I just want to shake them and say "Look at what you have?  Look at your beautiful children, loving husband, amazing family, fabulous friends!"  So, I decided, I don't want to live like that anymore.  I want to be happy with what I have right now while simultaneously pursuing what I want. Does that make sense?

I find that there is a lot of negativity in this world and even though I DEFINITELY have days where I feel down on my luck and nothing is going my way, I try to stay as positive as I can.  Living in a time where Social Media pretty much runs everyone's lives, I see a lot of negative things flying around.  On Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, I post about the following:  My kids and my workouts.  Both of which annoy some people.  That's fine though...if you don't like it, don't read it! I post my workouts not to brag, but to hopefully inspire others to try a new class (which I have!), get out and run, or go for a walk with their kids.  I also find some sort of accountability and accomplishment when I post my workouts.  I am proud of my workouts!  Personally, I think seeing everyone's workouts on Facebook or Twitter is a positive.  Typically, my news feed is filled with MapMyRide, MapMyRun, Runkeeper screenshots, check-ins at the gym on the stairs or into a Virtual class.  Then there are maybe one or two Negative Nellies who post about how annoying it is to see updates about workouts. For a fleeting moment, I feel bad...I don't want to irritate people, but I quickly snap out of it.  I say whatever- hope you're enjoying your couch.

When it comes to 6FIT, there is a certain amount of competition...I prefer to call it motivation.  It's not a vicious competition though, and even if you're not on the same team you are still congratulated and cheered on by other 6FIT members.  That is the beauty of it.  We all want each other to succeed in this journey.  That said, there are days when I see the charts of my 6FIT friends and feel badly that I didn't rack up as many points as someone else or didn't take as many classes...they can do it, why can't I?  I have to tell myself to snap out of it.  I take 8 classes a week on top of other activities, working full time and caring for my family.  I am doing the best I can, and if can't physically manage the triple header I was planning (or double header for that matter), I need to accept that.  If I am burning the candle at both ends, it's not good for anyone.

Moral of the story... Have faith in yourself, in your family and in your life.  You're doing the best you can.  You will get there.  You will get to where you need to be.  Give yourself a break.  Be happy.