I Like to Move IT!

I love the smell of:

1. A newborn baby's breath

2. Almond Extract

3. Honeysuckle

4. Freshly cut grass

5. Grape flavored ANYTHING

6. My mother

7. Gasoline

8. Matches (but not gasoline & matches together)

9. The Beach

10. Leather

11. Baby Magic lotion

12. Target (really, Target has a scent)

13. Calvin Klein Eternity cologne (reminds me of college)

14. Burgers on the grill

15. Suntan lotion

I love the sound of:

1. Michael laughing

2. Children singing

3. Rain

4. Bono's voice

5. My children having their own conversations

6. Our National Anthem

7. A football game on the TV when I start a nap

8. Rice Krispies when the milk hits the bowl

9. Bubble wrap being popped

10. The UPS truck stopping at my house

11. A crackling fireplace

12. Jingle bells

13. Coins in a piggy bank

14. The intro to "Jack and Diane"

15. Michael's voice, telling me a story to help me fall asleep at night

But, do you know what I REALLY love?

Dancing!

Wildly, losing myself, with no care as to how I look--

Dancing.

I love to dance.

I do not like to exercise

I do not like to run

I do not like to work out.

I do not like putting on workout clothes.

I especially didn't like putting on workout clothes,

100 pounds ago.

In fact, nothing made me feel more schlumpy than a pair of workout pants, and a T-shirt, with a pair of white gym socks, big ol' running shoes and my hair in a pony tail or headband....

All made worse by the fact that I wasn't wearing makeup.

I believe this is why I knew,

Knew, knew, knew

I had to find another way than the traditional

Go to the gym

Join a class

Walk or run on a piece of equipment

kind-of workout.

And find it,

I did.

Let me pause here, and make a statement.

One I am trusting you to pay attention to...really

I want to say here again, just as it says to the left of this blog....I am not a trainer, or a nutritionist or an expert in ANY field relating to diet and weight-loss. I am just a woman who managed to figure out (for myself) how to make the changes necessary to drop 100 lbs. Just as you are reading this and counting on me to be truthful and honest about what I did, and how I changed, I am counting on you to be responsible, and check with a doctor and read all you can (beyond these posts), to discover the best way for YOU, in your life, to pursue YOUR weight-loss.

Deal?

Can we count on each other for this?

Good!

So to continue...

I knew I needed to do something to start moving.

So...here's what I started doing (really, this is the truth):

I started playing my favorite music:

U2, Mary J Blige, Elvis, Prince, George Michael, Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Madonna, Tom Jones, Outkast, etc....

and dancing

Alone in my room

in front of the mirror

in FULL make-up

with my hair DONE

wearing high heels

and the sexiest clothes I could pull together from my closest (this was the toughest part...sexy clothes, 100 pounds ago, were hard to come by).

And you know that saying,

"Dance like no one's watching?"

Well,

I did the opposite.

I danced as though

EVERYONE was watching.

Watching ME move!

And they were going to get an eyeful!

I danced with more energy and enthusiasm

than ever before, in my life.

I knew I looked as good as I possibly could

and felt fantastic,

moving

and seeing how I looked.

THIS

THIS ACTION

THESE MOMENTS

THESE TIMES

Fed me more than I can explain.

I felt free, alive and completely ME

each and every time

I stood in front of the mirror and

Danced.

I fed myself music I loved.

Did something I loved

FOR ME!

JUST FOR ME!

and

I never felt like I was exercising

or working out

or burning calories

or building muscle

I was just having fun

and being myself.

I didn't watch the clock

or check my heart rate.

I didn't have to stop to catch my breath

There was no intimidation

Nothing I was trying to accomplish

No instructor or steps to follow.

Just ME

Alive and smiling

and learning how to move the way I wanted

and liking what I saw.

Then,

when I was done

I FELT happy

I FELT FED

I FELT like I had let a part of me OUT!

I had become cooler, freer and funner,

In. My. Own. Eyes.

In the process.

I can remember a few times when I'd been in a bad mood, or dealing with some tough parenting moment with my kids, and I'd call my husband at work. I'd vent, or moan, or complain, or take my frustrations out on him, or scream or cry. He would listen, and then ask, "Becky? Have you danced today? You need to dance. Tell the kids to leave you alone. Go to your room, close the door and dance." And I would. And it would help. 95% of the time...it helped.

I got to the place (and am still there), where

I NEEDED to dance.

It actually started FEEDING me.

It feeds my emotions

My feelings about myself

My sense of self

My love for myself

It strengthens me

It shapes my legs

Works my heart

GIVES to me!

Energizes ME!

You may not be much of a dancer.

You may not have ever danced in front of the mirror

(since Jr High),

But will you try it?

Will you take 10 minutes from your day, your weekend, your night...

to dance

TO ANYTHING you want???

Please?

Please, try it.

Here is what I'm asking you to do THIS time:

1) Take a look at the list of 15 songs you listed that you used to love from when you were a teen.

(Remember, I asked you to do this LAST Friday. I hope you did it. If not, maybe this weekend?)

Find a song, just ONE song from that list, that you can get your hands on NOW!

From your current CDs, online or at a store....

GET YOUR HANDS ON THAT SONG

2) Put on your lipstick

3) Pop in a piece of minty gum

4) Put on your favorite shoes from your closet

5) Close the door

6) CRANK YOUR SONG and MOVE

7) Play it at least three times.

8) Afterwards, sit down, and write out the lyrics to the song in your notebook on the next clean page in your spiral notebook. THIS is YOUR song. This is YOUR Anthem. You can pick a new anthem ANY TIME you want! But whenever you pick a new anthem, write down the lyrics in your notebook. Don't just read the liner notes from the CD case, print the words in your OWN handwriting. Own the words. Own the song, while you're dancing.

9) Turn to the first page of your spiral where you have already written:

STOP EATING

START FEEDING MYSELF

and

This is not about my relationship with food.

It is about my relationship with My Self

and

I am not all that special. I am however, incredibly unique.

and

It is time I start celebrating

and feeding my Smile

and print in the upper left corner:

Today,

Host

A

Dance

Party

For

One

I would LOVE to hear about the song you choose! I have added an email address to the top right-hand column of this blog. Feel free to post your song title for me in the comment section of this post, or email it to me! You can also send me a note on Facebook.

I will post a good dozen song titles and artists who sing

My Anthems

Next Time

You are free to make a good ol' mix-tape of the songs if you want

(though I guess it's called a playlist in 2010).

If you are keeping up with your spiral---WAY TO GO!

I am really proud of you and impressed!

WOW!

And remember, tell your friends, post a link, become a follower of this blog! I added a "counter" to the sidebar on the left to track how many visitors are checking out the posts here...I started it one week after I started writing...There is also a counter, I can view as the writer of the blog. According the tracker I am able to view privately, there are over 3,000 hits to this blog, since it started 18 days ago....YOU ARE NOT alone, in your interest and curiosity about how to make your life different. Others are reading and wondering, too! Sign up and join in the party! It's great to hear your stories and receive your personal notes!

That's All

Be Your Best,

Becky