Praying What I Preach {...and dammit! I like my curves!}

Most of the time I'm in workout type clothes. Most weekday mornings find me changing from sweat drenched Zumba clothes into workout capris or leggings, a sports bra and a tank top (with a shower in between, of course). It's not that I'm addicted to working out or the clothes that go with, but rather I just change right into what I will be wearing later in the day when I teach Ballet and/or Contemporary Lyrical (3 nights a week) or a Mat Pilates class. I tend to be one of those people that, once I'm comfy in my clothes, I don't want to change. I say all that to say that I don't necessarily check in with all my jeans as frequently as one might think. I don't have that many and tend to favor certain ones. Warm weather has me lovin the Spring dresses.

So last Saturday (weekends I dress in "regular" clothes) I reached into my jeans drawer and grabbed a pair I hadn't worn in awhile. Gotta backtrack a bit here. A few years ago I made a big overhaul to how I eat and how I feed my family. While I wasn't necessarily heavy, I had definitely filled out. I had gotten rather curvy compared to my 20's early 30's self. The first thing a visiting friend of ours who hadn't seen us in a number of years said upon our reunion was, "Whoa! You have boobies now!" Which in fact I finally did! All my other squishy parts were fairly filled in as well. My friend wasn't pointing out the changes in my body as anything negative. She was just surprised. We have know each other since our teens and she hadn't seen me in quite awhile. To tell the truth, it was the first time I had ever felt really womanly and sexy. In past years, years closer to my youthful ones, I spent many of those years in a much more waif-ish state. At times, dangerously waif-ish. As well as dangerously miserable.

Like I said, I was feeling sexy, but I also starting to suspect that I was going to continue in what I termed as my  "I Finally Have A Bra Size/ Ass Expansion Program". In addition, there were some other issues that compelled me into changing my diet, and consequently how I worked out.

Anyhow, going back about three years, I lost around 25 pounds and significantly changed my body composition. I leaned out, especially in places that I'm not really prone to leaning out in, my backside. I felt pretty good about the changes in my appearance. Overall, I had dropped 4 dress sizes. Suddenly I was in a size that I hadn't been in since I was in my early 20's. Except now I was eating pretty dang healthy, getting plenty of protein, healthy fats and nutrients. I had to phase out most all of my pants and shorts and replace them with new ones (thank goodness for ROSS and the clearance rack at Target). One thing started to bug me though. I had pretty much lost my booty.

In my younger years my backside had always been one of my best features. Even more so in my older years, especially once I started filling out in my mid-30's. Once I lost the weight though, I noticed that my funk in the trunk had pretty much deflated. That's the best way I can describe it. While I had started doing more resistance training with weights, I really hadn't put focused efforts into strengthening the muscles of my glutes and quads. Plus, I started noticing some other things; if I didn't really keep track of how I was eating I would lean out a little more than I really wanted to, making me feel not quite right. I also noticed that my hair was thinning out. Yikes! I started to seriously think about trying to rock this style-


Sonya Tayeh. I love her!

I tweaked a few things since then. All's well.

So, back to me and my jeans. Last Saturday I grabbed a pair from my drawer and threw them on. Well, I didn't necessarily throw them on. Actually I broke into a bit of a sweat doing a mix of Sumo wrestler type moves and punk rock Pogo dancing. After fastening them I had to check the security of the seams by executing some squats. While presentable for public viewing, I had to think twice about any moves that would require kneeling, crouching or deep bending. I also felt a little pang of panic and started to wonder where I was going wrong, seeing as how my pants were revolting against me. As soon as possible, later in the day, I peeled (like a second skin) them off and put on comfy p.j. pants (the sun was still high in the sky). The next day, having grabbed another pair of jeans that I haven't worn in a while, the same thing; a struggle to get the opening of the pants up and over my thighs and butt. I got mid-thigh and thought, "To hell with this!" Tossed the pants aside and just as I started to go into the brain-space of failure mode I realized something. I'll get to that something in just a second.

But first...

I'm not a fan of frequently weighing one's self. Especially if you've been doing things with diet, lifestyle and exercise (especially the exercise thing if you've been doing muscle building resistance training). Most scales just tell one side of the story. Not even a side really. Just a number. I can fill a bag with dirt and another with gold, each bag equaling 10 lbs. The number on the scale tells me nothing of the value or possibilities contained in each bag. Just how much they weight.

Ever seen the difference between what a pound of fat looks like compared to a pound of muscle? Or in this case, 5 lbs.

 
Image source; bamboocorefitness.com

I know! Crazy, huh?

I tend to recommend that one should go by how their clothes fit, and not necessarily by what the scale says. I do weight myself, but only about once a month. If I even remember to.

So, in praying what I preach, what do my tight pants mean? Over the last few years I've fluctuated in a 5-7 pound range. Nothing that should be of concern, at least not to me. Especially considering the complexities of women and hormones.

So if my pants are tight, but my weight isn't drastically different, and what have I been eating, and will I have to now go up a pant size, and should I exercise more, and, and, and (cue screeching car breaks, random items crashing to the floor off of a collapsed shelf, maybe a surprised cat).

I LIKE HOW MY BUTT LOOKS! (Oh, yeah. That's the something I was talking about earlier)

Certainly if by some work of wizardry I could exchange it for a slightly different model I would certainly entertain the idea. But reality being what it is (plastic surgery is not wizardry. It has a failure rate, possible side effects and a recovery time), I'm pretty okay with what I've got to work with. Mostly because of work I've been doing to try and build up my glutes, thighs and hamstrings. Basically, my legs as a whole. Squats, lunges, step ups, dead lifts, one legged dead lifts, good mornings, Bavarian split squats, and the gluteal work I do in mat Pilates and Balletone. All of my dancing takes care of the quads. The rest, maybe I've filled out a bit. But (do I intend a pun here?) I'm okay with the results. I would say even damn happy about it. I'm not exactly where I want to be with my "Dream Booty" (seriously? I'm not sure if I can even take myself seriously with that!). My legs look strong, and most importantly for me, like they belong to a woman. Because that's what I am. A woman. Not the media or Hollywood's version, not Photo-shopped into unrealistic ridiculousness version, and definitely not a woman who's worth is determined by her jean size or weight.

The Universe doesn't care what my size or weight is when I'm laughing on the couch with my husband and kids. Or when I'm sharing special moments with family and friends. Being of a certain size and weight mean so little in the great big picture of everything that goes into what makes me me.

The exact same thing is true for you.

Yes, eating healthy, at least most of the time, is important. As is getting exercise (find something you love, stick with it. Do some resistance training whether you love it or not), getting enough sleep (raise your hand if you struggle with that one...

...yup. Me too)

and trying to reduce stress in your everyday life. Health and wellness are gifts we should all strive to give ourselves.

Before you bristle over what the scale says or how that one (or two) pair of jeans fits, stop and ask yourself if you even care. Stop and take notice of your amazingness (Urban Dictionary says it's a word). That, my friend, cannot be quantified by a mere number on a scale or item of clothing.

And find a comfortable pair of pants to wear.

Okay, funny stuff!

Thanks for hanging out and reading!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

"Royals" Dance Fitness Routine {and a Lyrical snippet}.

I've had some requests for a video of my "Royals" dance fitness routine. So, here it is! This routine was inspired by the fun, sexy and playful flavors of the Burlesque style, so once you get comfy with the steps start firing up that attitude. Although I would say go straight to working the flavor. It's just more fun that way!

In this post I also have a video snippet of a piece I've started in my Lyrical class.

"Royal" dance fitness routine. Song by Lorde.

Lyrical snippet: Part 1 "Safe And Sound". Song by Taylor Swift.

Thanks for hanging out and watching. Have a great weekend!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Exercises For The Upper Back And Shoulders. Part 1.

Since the shoulder complex is attached to the upper back, exercises that target the upper back can benefit the shoulders as well.

Setting the shoulders in proper alignment is an important first step. Here is a link to a tutorial to help.

Opening The Front Of The Shoulders.


Now for the exercises. Following the photos is a video tutorial, so if you don't want to go through the pictorial walk through you can scroll on down to the video.

Exercise #1

Laying prone on the ground or a yoga mat, lengthen through the body. Legs are in parallel, lengthen along the tops of the feet. Fore arms are on either side of the body. Core is braced, glutes engaged, and there is a little squeeze (or engagement) in the hamstrings.

Inhale as the shoulders lift and lengthen away from the mat, staying long through the back of the neck.

Exhale as the shoulders lower back down to the mat.

Repeat 4 more times for a total of 5 sets.

Exercise #2

Place the hands hand over hand underneath the forehead.

Inhale as the shoulders, upper back and arms lift away from the mat.

Exhale as you lower back down to the mat. Repeat 2 or 3 more times. You should start to feel the exercise into your lats.

Exercises #3

Inhale as you lift the upper back and shoulders.

Exhale as you straighten the arms diagonally from the shoulders.

Inhale as the arms come back in.

Exhale as you lower back down to the mat.

Repeat 2 or 3 more times.

Finish with Child's Pose as a recovery stretch. Below is a picture of the stretch. The one I do in the video is a terrible example!

Image source.

Here is a video tutorial with a variation that uses a resistance band.

Thanks for hanging out and watching!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

We All Start With "Little Moves".

We all start with "little moves". What does that mean. Well, it's my way of saying that everyone pretty much starts at the same place when it comes to movement and dance. We all start out being a little unsure and feeling pretty uncoordinated. Very young children jump in with abandon and without inhibitions, and it is a beautiful thing to see. Yet often enough, when they reach a certain age they too feel the pangs of uncertainty in their abilities. Some people take to dance and movement very naturally, but even they will come across their struggles. Often steps are learned on a small scale and then as ability and confidence grows so too does the size (or speed, height, what have you. Sometimes slowing the speed down is the challenge). A "little move" becomes a "big move", executed with confidence, strength and grace. As a dancer and as a dance teacher it is a beautiful thing to witness because I know first hand how amazing it feels.

I still remember the moment that I finally "felt" my first pique turn. Here's a nice video I found of the step I'm talking about-


Pique Turns in Classical Ballet.

I remember struggling and struggling with them. I didn't start really training in ballet with any consistency until I was about 12, so I have very clear memories of the struggles that I had in learning many of the steps in the classical ballet vocabulary. Most of the time I felt like a wagon that had lost one of its wheels. Suddenly one day in class I felt the smoothness of a completed turn with a seamless connection to the next turn. I still, to this day, remember how it felt internally. That is the feeling that I get super excited about when I see my students really feel like they have nailed a step. Especially turns, which have always been what I am weakest at. Although I'm better now, at my advanced age in ballet years, than I ever was as a younger dancer. This is due to the fact that I have a much better understanding of core strength, and thus, a much stronger core. Even though I am mostly a teacher now, I am always learning new things and peeling back new layers of understanding. All the time. I guess that is what I want anyone who does any kind of dance instruction with me  (or any instructor for that matter) to learn first; fall in love the art of learning the technique. The process over perfection.

Seeing exceptional dancers can be both inspiring and intimidating. A Zumba instructor that I got to work with for a licensing workshop who was very inspiring to me said something that I found brilliant;

"You are only as good of a dancer as the person standing next to you."

What that means is that there will always be someone better than you, and someone will probably be feeling that way about you at some point. So stay calm, focused and patient. Give yourself compassion as you push yourself further.

I remember sort of hating going to see big professional companies in S.F. I would watch and try to follow what steps they were doing. I was so wrapped up in my own frustrations with my abilities that I couldn't just sit and watch. And be inspired

Allow yourself to be inspired. Let it flow through you and it will flow from you.

Once I was able to allow myself to be inspired, and took a moment to take inventory of my own good qualities, I was also able to gain a greater understanding of what I was doing, what I wanted achieve, and eventually what I wanted to give to my audience and students. It was there that I truly found joy. I still do!

Thanks for hanging out for my rambling!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

What inspires you? I'd love to hear your story! 

Rolling Out The IT Band

The IIiotibial Band, otherwise known as the IT Band, is a long, non-elastic band of tissue that along the outside of the thigh. It has attachments at the hip, as well as the knee. At the top of the leg it blends into the tensor fascia lata (TFL) and the Gluteus Max. With connections at the knee and lower leg as well it is easy to see how tightness in this band can wreak havoc to the entire leg.



Image source.

Remember the first part of the description is that it is non-elastic. This makes it especially important to "lube" up the fascia of the IT Band to get some pliability throughout all those connections.

*Warning; individuals with high blood pressure and/or heart disease are to use caution when engaging in rolling exercises. This is due to the possible disruption in even breathing which can cause a further elevation in blood pressure. Please consult with your physician for more information.

Thanks for hanging out and reading.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Things To Get Busy With Now That It's 2014 {and some sites I recommend you check out!}

No doubt about it. We are in 2014 and the year is young. The newness of the year brings about thoughts of changes, hopes and goals for the coming 12 month cycle. I've never been one for making New Years resolutions. If a habit is worth breaking or implementing, then one should avoid holding it off and get to making a better life ASAP. With that said, the beginning of the year is still a fine time to evaluate or reevaluate goals.

My household is starting off the year with our house on the market and us looking for a rental house that will accommodate our family of six. But that is no reason to hold of some doable desires. Or at least get the ball rolling for some of them.

Get my personal trainer certification. 
I have a group ex. certification through AFAA. It was something that was recommended to Zumba instructors. I'm glad I got it, but now I would like to expand my role in the fitness field. Step one is to decide which organization to get it though. There are quite a few, but I think I have it narrowed down to either AFAA, ACSM or NASM. Hopefully I will make my choice soon and get crack'in. A great way to freshen up on all that human anatomy!

Become a better blogger.
One of the best ways to get better at something is to do it. And do it some more. I've always been intrigued by writing. For me blogging offers a great opportunity to hone my abilities. I've collected a slew of articles, mainly from BlogHer, that I just need to sit down and read, reread and perhaps employ.

Master this philosophy!
Forget Setting Goals. Focus On This Instead. Written by James Clear, this article looks at the differences between setting goals and using a system to achieve accomplishments, including why the standard practice of just "setting a goal" might be the first step to failure. It is a great article that I highly recommend reading. My mind was a little blown when I first read it. I'm excited to use this philosophy in my everyday life.

Add more of this flavor to my dance fitness routines.
Burlesque! What, what. Starting last year Zumba HQ added the L.A. Zumba Instructor Convention. Prior to the West Coast event the only other U.S. convention was held in Florida. So now there are two annual conventions. I've never been to one, East or West coast. I was hoping to get to the L.A. convention this February 2014, but with everything going on, coupled with the expense it just wasn't in the cards. Maybe next year. No biggie. But if I could've gone one of the things I was really excited about was a mini workshop exploring how to infuse the flavor of Burlesque into choreography, lead by the amazing Gina Grant (she was the instructor for my Zumba Kids licensing workshop).

It is a fun style to add some heat to an already fun and sexy workout!

I also wanted to get some Dancehall...

...with Toya and Cat (they are based out of Sacremento, so this is something I can definitely make happen in 2014!)

Pretty Ballet Hands!
Making hands ballet pretty is a lot harder that you'd think. Hands can hold quite a bit of tension, are usually on the periphery of the mental body check list and they stick out like, well, a sore thumb. I personally have the "Big Mac" habit. That is where one's thumbs stick out, because of misplaced tension, making the hand a suitable sleeve to slip a Big mac burger into. I had one old British teacher who used to threaten to cut my thumbs off. Her accent made her words more believable.
I read about this little tip...

...to get hands like these...

Image source.

Pencils are cheap. I'm sure the repeated clatter of them hitting the ground won't drive me bazonkers or anything. I think my students and i are going to have a lot of fun with this one!

Convince my husband that this will be loads of fun to do with me.

Acroyoga! Okay, so this video might be little ambitious. But we can start here...

here...

and maybe even here...

Safety first. A spotter is recommended. "Caitlyn. Neil. Get in here!"

Acroyoga also means...

Do an unassisted handstand.
I'm getting pretty good up against a wall. It's time to go to the next level. Eek.

Get up from the bottom of a pistol squat. (Not necessary for Acroyoga. Just really bada**)
I can get all the way down, just not up. Future post. Currently hunting down an accomplice. Melanie?

Learn how to dance something remotely like this (the girl's part).

My appetite got whetted to learn how to waltz like this. Even with all of my dance training, it sorta knocks me out of my comfort zone. Which only makes more of a fun challenge! Lot's to remember and think about. Dang! They make it look so easy! I will most likely be a beginner forever.

I. Need. To Roll. More. Period.
When I say roll I mean on a foam roller and/or tennis or lacrosse ball.
I need to do way more than just this.

I want to do a back bend. From a standing position. Dammit.

Sites I recommend you check out!
Here are a couple of dance/strength training/fitness/body wellness sites I follow that I think you might want to check out.

Joel Minden: Strength and Conditioning.



Fascia Freedom Fighters.


The Dance Training Project.





All in all I think I have a pretty good list going for things to look forward to and stay busy with in 2014.

Thanks for hanging out. You can subscribe by email at the top.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

What is on your list for 2014? Anything that you would like to know more about? 

Dance Fitness Round-Up Of 2013.

Between my roles as a ballet teacher, contemporary/lyrical teacher and Zumba instructor I did a lot of choreography in 2013. Most stuff I videotape (if it's my choreo then I'm almost certain to forget it unless I do it a billion times) and some of it I post. I love all the opportunities I get to create my own work, as well as learn from others (I'll never stop loving that!).

Here's a small collection of stuff I posted during 2013. Did someone just say it was time for an impromptu dance party? I'm in!


"Thrift Shop" by Macklemore. The link is to my original posting of it which also includes the uncensored video of Macklemore's music video. Yes, uncensored, so you've been warned if you click on his vid.

"Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore (my fantasy choreo boyfriend).

"Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke. (Click on the link to the original posting). Robin Thicke definitely stepped into the thick of it with this song. The song has been deemed everything from the most sexist song towards women ever made to just a song about a guy being immature and cocky. Regardless of the controversy (and I've read a great deal about it) most everyone who loves a good tune agree that this one gets one grooving. Oh, and my Zumba class freaking loves it!!

"You're No Good" by Major Lazer. (Click here for my original post).

"Girl On Fire" by Alicia Keys.

Hope 2014 is filled with lot's of joy, love and DANCING!!!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

DIY Exercises For At Home Or Away.

I'm removed from my gym for a few days. But no matter. There are exercises that can easily be done at home! Here are some of my favorites! Just click on the links.

Image source.

Dog-Split Yoga Series.
I love this one and it is a killer as well as a great strength build.


Image source.

Awesome Abs!
I used this series for both dancers in core training and for fitness classes. I love it. My sixteen year old even kicks it out now and again. So if your visiting with family see if you can get some loved ones to do it with you! I promise there will be camaraderie and laughter!



Image source.
Pilates Swim And Grasshopper.
Once your body is warmed up with Dog-Split or Awesome Abs, then this is a really good one for core, glute and hamstring work.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Like what you see? Be sure to subscribe!

Dance Fitness Routine; "Girl On Fire".

I think I promised awhile ago that I would throw together a video of this routine for my Zumba class. The choreography was inspired by my love of contemporary jazz dance.

 I filmed it after a long day of teaching dance classes, hence my refusal to wear shoes for another minute. I've been trying to foster "Bun Solidarity" so as to encourage consistent bun-age among my youthful ballet students. Push-ups will be the prize for failure to comply come 2014. 10 for no bun, 5 for pathetic attempts. You've been warned my lovlies!

All that aside, here it is. Replete with my signature crazy dance faces. I dare you not to sing along or make a show of some passion to this fabulous song (click link to buy "Girl On Fire" on iTunes) by the amazing Alicia Keys.
The video has a kind of abrupt ending, so don't scream or anything. In the event that a loved one does wander out to see why you were screaming, make them dance with you.

Thanks for hanging out and watching.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Lyrical Dance; "Arms".

A short lyrical dance to Christina Perri's "Arms".

A week or so ago I got to perform this with my students from my lyrical/contemporary class. The ensemble piece was set on a mix of teen and adult dancers. A beautiful group of dancers! Perhaps I can hunt down a video of the performance (a very casual venue). I have footage of the group in class, but have promised not to post the videos, even though they look awesome!

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin

Exercises For Good Posture.

Today's post is a reconstruction of a series of posts I did about a year and a half ago. 

To see the original posts you can click on the following links:

Exercise #1.

Exercise #2.

Exercise #3.

Or, you can see a version of them below.

Having good posture is important. Not only can good posture make you look younger, thinner and more confident, it can make you feel better. Better circulation, better breathing and better functional movement.

What better time than the approach of a new year, although anytime is a good time for better posture!


Exercise #1;

Laying down on your back on the floor (the most reliable hard surface usually) with knees bent, place your feet about hip width apart.

Feel your neck relax and feel lengthening through the back of the neck without jamming the chin into the chest.

Next, gently press the backs of the shoulder blades against the floor. You want to feel as much of the blades against the floor, without squeezing them together. Rather, feel the space between the shoulder blades expand, being careful to not allow the front of the shoulders to hunch in towards the chest.

As you maintain this neck and shoulder alignment, create space between the shoulders and the ears. I have heard it described once as if you are sliding your shoulder blades into your back pockets. 

Keep the majority of focus, for now, on the neck and shoulder area. Gently pulling the bellybutton towards the spine will help stabilize the rest of the body. Allow your hips and legs to stay relaxed, as if melting into the ground.

Once you have dialed all of these cues in, maintain this alignment for 4-6 focused and deep breaths. Release by bringing your thighs to your chest and hugging your legs. You can add gentle rocking side to side for a gentle massage. Or take a break by simply letting your entire body to rest and reflect for a moment. Then redial all of the above cues back into your body and begin again.

Repeat this exercise 3-5 times, or as desired, a few times a week or even daily.

An exercise like the one above can help train awareness of one's posture, and awareness is the first step.

Exercise #2.
We will move to the backs of our shoulders. They should be relaxed and spread as flat as possible, being sure to listen to your body for signs of pain, on the floor. Visualize lacing up the front of your rib cage, while allowing the back of the rib cage to melt into the floor.

We now journey to our hip and pelvic region. Our back is in a neutral position when the natural lumbar curve (the curve of our lower back) is present. By tilting the pelvis towards the ribs we flatten out that curve, creating an elongated spine. Then release and go back the neutral spine position. That is one set. You can do repetitions at a medium tempo, or hold the tilt portion for longer before releasing. Keep the focus on the pelvis and keep the work out of the legs.

As you work between the two pelvic tilt positions engage the core by pulling the belly button to the spine.

Quick, check in with the shoulders and ribs!

Exercise #3.

Let's run through some alignment principles;

neck relaxed.

back of the shoulders and ribcage are "melting" in to the floor.

front of the ribs are "sewn" shut.

belly button pulled to the spine (belly button to spine will be on the more intense muscle engagement for these exercises. "Standby" mode would be to simply brace the muscles of the torso as if bracing to be patted on the belly, or God forbid, punched in the stomach).

natural curve of the lumbar (small of the back) is present, but not exaggerated.

knees lined up with both the hips and feet (knees are not touching).

weight is distributed evenly through the feet.

Next we are going to challenge this position by incorporating arm movement.

Inhale as your arms extend towards the ceiling.




 Exhale as your arms reach overhead, careful to not let the ribs pop open, or the pelvis tilt away which would increase the lumbar curve and stress the lower back.




Inhale as you reach the arms back up to the ceiling.



Exhale as you bring them down along side your body.



You can further increase the challenge by doing this arm exercise in a seated position.

Starting with your right arm, reach it in front of you.



Be sure to keep your shoulders square and away from the ears. Ribs are securely fastened in front. Abs engage.

Maintaining the alignment in the torso, slowly reach the arm overhead. Keeping the focus on alignment. As soon as proper alignment is compromise, readjust the arm and secure proper alignment.



Be sure to do an equal amount on each arm.

Now you can try both arms together.

Don't let this happen...



Ribs are popped. Lumbar curve is exaggerated. Core is not engaged. Yikes!

Keep that alignment...



Take some time to get that posture aligned for 2014!

Thanks for hanging out.

Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin.

My Morning Chow.

*Note: In this post I talk a bit about nutrition. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist. The common sense thing for me is to tell you to consult with your physician before making changes in your diet. The common sense thing for you to do is to get crack'in on some research of your own. Perhaps get a conversation going with your doctor!




A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a gentleman at the gym. He knew me by my reputation as a Zumba instructor (at least I'm hoping it's that representation of me). Actually I had meet him about a year prior because he knows my husband. A retired anesthesiologist now, when he was still working my husband, then a surgical tech, had been in on many of the surgeries he performed anesthesia for. My husband was also the one who introduced him to Mystery Science Theater 3000.

After getting all that sorted out our conversation went into fitness and nutrition. He asked me what I ate for breakfast to keep my energy up. He himself had been doing smoothies in the morning and was just not getting the results he wanted. As well as feeling bloated and run down. Basically, just not satisfied. Maybe a little miserable too.

So what did I tell him?

First, here's a little about my journey to why my morning chow is what it is.

For years breakfast around my house for my kids and myself was usually a bowl of cereal with low-fat milk or toast. Sometimes the toast had a little peanut butter on it or a thin sheen of butter and some jam. Once in a while I would get fancy and make french toast or pancakes. Then there were the amazing opportunities of cold Take Home And Bake pizza from the night before.

About two going on three years ago I came across Robb Wolf's book Paleo Solution Diet: The Original Human Diet.

It kinda made sense. I was willing to give change a shot. I had been putting on weight over the last few years, although I wasn't too horrified by it. I finally had boobs! A non-dairy bra size. With that I also had a substantial  ass-expansion project going on. Again, I wasn't too horrified, since for the first time in my life I was actually starting to feel comfortable in my body and for real sexy. But then again, I couldn't help but notice that I was making my way to the next size up in clothes.

The main thing that peaked my interest about changing how I ate was to feel better. I was feeling sluggish. And achy. And I really wanted an alternative to the anti-depressants I was taking (a long, thought out decision I made once I realized that I had been battling depression for most of my life. I have mentioned in the past that the choice to start or stop taking anti-depressant medications is a very serious one. Consult a doctor or other qualified expert). I'm not above wanting to "look good naked" either.

While I never dove in head first to strict "Paleoism", I did make some pretty fierce changes. One of the biggies was dragging my tired bed-headed butt out of bed and make a hot breakfast for my kids and myself. A breakfast that was based on animal protein and healthy fats (grass-fed butter and animal fats, avocado, olive oil, omega-3 rich fish oil among them). I use many of the tenets of the Paleo/Primal way of eating as a template now. I believe we each need to tinker with what works for us.

I found these via Ancestralize Me .

I found out pretty quickly that it was definitely worth getting out of bed a little earlier. Not everyone in my household is hip on eating in the morning. My husband for one. He's a big boy and can figure out what works for him (in no way does that prevent me from nagging him from time to time). My pre-teen son was another story. I wanted him to just suck it up and eat his morning chow so he wouldn't crap out during his school day.

Aside from consuming more animal proteins, healthy fats and nuts, the biggest change I made was removing gluten products from our diet. That meant removing anything that had wheat grains in it. I also removed legumes from my diet, including peanuts. My hubby and my kids still have them from time to time (what would football season be without chili beans and taco chips?). I find that I just don't feel well when I eat them. I don't worry about how to make tofu delicious because I tossed out soy as well. What about dairy? We eat dairy throughout the week. I use heavy whipping cream (preferably organic and pasture raised) in my coffee every morning. Because of what I have discovered about our body's need for healthy fats, I no longer recognize low or non fat dairy as an ideal food choice. The exception being when my kids and I get frozen yogurt. It's hard to find full fat at the fro-yo parlor, and 'round these parts that yummy frozen treat happens. Yes, I indulge in sugary yum yums, but not nearly as much as I used to. The cravings for them just are not as strong. I attribute that to the removal of gluten and just being more aware of my consumption of simple carbs. Having an adequate amount of fat in my diet helped too.

What about them carbs?

When I first went about making changes in my family's diet, carb rich foods got significantly reduced. There are carbs in vegetables, fruits and tubers (sweet potatoes). While I started off fairly low-carb, once I reached a leanness that I was comfortable with I realized that I felt a whole lot better if I had a certain amount of carbs in my diet. My kids usually have access to plenty of fruit. Corn chips and corn tortillas are somewhat of a sacred food in my house, so I didn't fret too much about their access to carbs. So throughout the week we have rice or potatoes (white) as well as sweet potatoes. Sometimes we get gluten free pizzas or make gluten free mac n cheese. They are more of a fun treat than a staple. What I have learned though, is that when you eat your carbs can have an affect on how you feel and perform.

Here are my carb strategies:

No carbs in the morning. Not even fruit. That is for me, not my kids. I remind them that they need to get their protein on at breakfast.

If I have really hit it hard at the gym I will try to have some kind of "recovery" carb available to me. Coconut water is my favorite. ZICO Chocolate Coconut Water is my absolute fav. Even a piece of fruit. I do this especially if I know there will be physical demands on me later in the day. On other days, whatever I ate for breakfast will usually carry me to lunch. I should say, will carry me without me throwing a temper tantrum and straight up losing it because I have hit my cranky and hungry mode. It used to happen all the time. Now not so often. That's a big plus in my book.

Outside of "recovery" carbs, if I feel I need them, I prioritize what I eat in the middle of the day to animal protein, vegetables, healthy fats, nuts, seeds and yes, some dark chocolate. I may gobble up some root chips (I. Love. Them.) or plantain chips (with guac. Yes!). While I will maybe have a sweet potato, I avoid foods like rice or white potatoes (except for In and Out fries. That would be straight up crazy, Yo.). Why? Because they make me sleepy, foggy and sluggish for the rest of the day. My husband and I have both found this to be true. Times that we have gone out to eat for lunch on a weekday this becomes a factor in where we chose to eat. I save the rice and taters for dinner time. For me, carbs in the evening contribute to my winding down process. Throughout the day I have feed my body protein, fats, veggies, nuts, dark chocolate and it all gets topped off with some carbs. This system has been working really well for me for the last year. I never feel deprived and I don't feel panic about falling into bad habits that will derail me (except for my love of red wine).

Fortunately for my new gym buddy, I didn't go into all the detail that I just did here. I gave a much shorter version.

Stick to animal protein and healthy fats for breakfast. My go to favorites:
I love eggs. When I have eggs for breakfast I usually have about 3. For crazy mornings when I am trying to get kids ready for school and myself ready to teach a class or classes at the gym, eggs provide a perfect solution for getting some oh so good protein as well as other important nutrients.

Here are some ideas for some quick breakfasts:



1. Eggs scrambled in Kerrygold butter, served with half an avocado, maybe even with a little splash of Tapatio. Sometimes I use coconut oil instead of butter.


2. One or two chicken apple sausages.

I get mine at Costco. They are great for lunch and dinner.

3. Breakfast sausage links or patties.

My favorite brand. They cook up fast in a skillet.

4. Eggs, however you want to prepare them, and some pieces of bacon. (By some I mean as many as I can get before my kids demolish the plate).

5. My new favorite for crazy mornings- hard boiled eggs in a bowl with avocado oil drizzled over them and some sea salt. A fork is recommended. More often than not I just use my fingers.

6. A hunk of BBQed tri tip. Hot or cold.

7. Leftover meat from dinner the night before. Meatballs!

What about some veggies? I haven't included many ideas about throwing in some veggies because, like many people, I just don't have an adventuresome palate in the morning. But you most certainly can throw some spinach or chopped up zucchini into your scrambled eggs. Or maybe munch on some cut up bell peppers, cucumbers and/or carrots. One of my daughters will quarter up a tomato with her breakfast sometimes.

8. If you can plan ahead, try making some egg dishes that can be reheated.
The following recipes are all from Everyday Paleo.
Egg Cupcakes
Easy and Delicious Sausage Fritta.
Southwestern Frittata.
Family Style Frittatas

Doesn't seem like it's worth getting out of bed in the morning without some fruit? Try berries, like blueberries. You get sweetness as well as some great nutrients with a low glycemic level (~40).



So did my gym buddy try this new regiment? He did, and he felt great!

So what about gluten-free waffles and pancakes? Hello weekend mornings! Here's a little stroke of magic I learned from a friend; spread a layer of sour cream (none of that low fat crap either) over your crispy waffle. Then drizzle with maple syrup. Try not to embarrass yourself in front of your family and friends when you experience how delicious it is! I think it tastes like cheesecake.

Thoughts? What is your go to breakfast? Need a change? Lemme know what your results are.

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Enjoy the dance that is life!

~Erin