Those who know me, know my love for the dance.

Cases in point:

• Dance Like Everyone’s Watching
• 5 Ways Pole Dancing is Like Social Media

I’m not the most talented dancer — my favorite move is the shimmy shake, in which I move my shoulders up and down and side to side while bobbing my head.

But man do I love it.

And I found myself waiting for a Dance Trance Orlando class to start…and decided to capture my love for dance in a vlog. No, I don’t actually bust out any moves here (but I do have some video that I’ll link to below).

But I do share some of the goofy reasons that dancing is so important to me. Embedded below or watch here.

If you’re just dying to see me in action, you can check out:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyZU6KFL0lw (I’m in the boots and purple shirt)
• http://youtu.be/R2LogXhGGe0 (I’m in the black fishnets and off-shoulder purple shirt)

What is your favorite non-exercise exercise? What makes you deliriously happy?

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Y’all know I’m an ambassador for Fitfluential, right? It’s an amazing group of bloggers and influencers who share one mission: paying the healthy forward.

So this week, I decided to share the mantra that I’ve used to get me through half marathons, triathlons, sweaty sessions at the gym, projects at work and other stressful events.

And, if this is the spark that I mention in the video, you might be wondering how to get started. How to follow that mantra. How to start pursuing that healthy, happy life.

Small actions; big gains, right? So, a few tips:

1. Share your goal out loud. Tell a friend. Post it on your blog or Twitter. Commit publicly to a change in behavior. Heck, email ME and make me your accountability partner!

2. Find non-scale victories and non-food rewards. Instead of relying on a scale, which can disappoint and depress you, find a few items of clothes that you want to fit into, and use them to track your progress. As you meet your goals, get a pedicure or buy a new necklace rather than going out for ice cream. I know that one sounds straight out of Cosmopolitan, but for me, realizing that having “treats” as rewards only started me back down a slippery slope.

3. Water, water, water. It’s a running joke at the office…I drink so much water at work that I end up in the bathroom at least once an hour. I drink water in the car; I carry a Camelback on runs. I practically float around every day, but it pays off. Water makes me feel full, it helps me with workouts and it keeps my mouth busy. I chew gum for the same reason.

4. Set reachable goals. This one was HUGE in my journey, and continues to be important today. While I always looked ahead to 5Ks, triathlons, half marathons and more, the idea of even running a single mile was overwhelming. So I would just commit to getting some kind of exercise each day. If I set out to run and felt like running 1 mile or 10, I still met my goal. Now, don’t take this to mean that I want you to keep the bar low. We only grow when we face our fears and push past our limits, but I know that having daily success stories helped me keep going!

5. Take it slow. Before you roll your eyes — I know. I get it. When you decide to get healthy, you want to get healthy NOW NOW RIGHT NOW NOW. I have to remind myself that back in my weight loss days, a .5-pound loss was a great week. 1 pound was amazing. And slowly but surely, those half-pounds added up. And it was the first and only time a healthy living plan worked for me. Crash diets make you crash. Healthy lifestyles are for life.

6. Find exercise you love. I love to dance. I would dance every day, all day, if someone paid me…it never feels like a chore, but I burn hundreds of calories every session. Sure, I mix in lots of more traditional fitness routines, like strength training, spinning and swimming, but I always go back to my first love.

7. Take the pressure off. Remember what I said about the difference between a diet and a lifestyle? The beauty of making healthy living part of your everyday routine is that you can never fail at it. You can make bad choices and you can miss your goals, but you can always start again. There’s no end to the journey. So when you decide to change your habits, give yourself room to make some mistakes, and to have some fun. I love ice cream, and eat it regularly. I sleep in when my body is tired. I’m 10 pounds heavier than I was when I was skinny-fat, but I’m 10 times as happy.

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(If you don’t care about this recap, or just want to see me in the most AMAZING double scrunchie-sweater combo…head here. Here’s a shot that didn’t make the final cut. DIDN’T make, so you know the ones that did are pretty spectacular.)

But, if you’re wondering how my great “get back in control” campaign went, you’re in the right place! Here were the parameters, with notes on how I did.

Goals

• I would like to get back to feeling good about my body — not so much the way that it fits in clothes or measures on the scale. I feel lumpy frumpy ugh right now, and I know that if I stick to some tried and true “rules,” I can get back to feeling good.
• I will weigh in once a week to track progress, but I won’t let the number define me. I will also use a pair of jeans to try and measure inches lost. I may use a measuring tape to see the real numbers, but I’m going for no hassle, stress free success here.

I’d say this was a success, for the most part. I’m still not loving my frumpy, lumpy, bumpy self, but I feel better than I did. I think by announcing that enough was enough, I regained some of the power that I’d lost. In terms of weighing in, I actually got on the scale FEWER times than planned — maybe twice in the last month. My jeans are still too tight, which is depressing. So not exactly stress free, but still…

Food and Nutrition

• I will generally follow a 3-4-5-2 plan: 300 calories for breakfast, 400 for lunch, 500 for dinner and 200 for…other stuff. That could be dessert, a glass of wine, a second serving of dinner, etc. 3-4-5-2 will let me eat around 1,400 calories a day, on non-exercise days. However, on days that I do intense exercise, I’ll allow myself an extra 100-200 calories for fuel.
• I won’t be counting calories, so the 3-4-5-2 plan is just a general guide. I will try and serve reasonable portions (portion control is my biggest struggle), remembering that I can always go back for more. I will also try and load up on veggies at dinner, rather than joining the no carb left behind tour.
• Real, whole, complex foods whenever possible. No artificial sweeteners if possible.
• Focus on fruits, vegetables, beans, lean protein. Minimal carbs, dairy, sugar.
• Coffee only on weekends.
• Alcohol 2-3 times a week (i’ve been having wine almost every night…)

Thanksgiving threw me a bit…I didn’t overindulge, but I did eat more carbs and fewer veggies than I’d like to have. I also spent about a week fighting a nasty head cold, which made exercise (see below) tough. I definitely came close to my daily 1,400-1,600 calorie allotment, and cut out desserts almost entirely. I only gave myself a treat when I really wanted one, and by doing that, I realized how much I’d started to eat out of habit. Real foods=great. And the only bummer for me with the coffee is that after three great weeks, I caved during the holidays, and for the last week, have been drinking it every day.

Exercise

• I love working out, so I’d like to commit to my exercise schedule — I tend to let things go when I have meetings or other events. My workouts are priority, and I won’t skip them unless I’m sick, injured or just need a day off.
• Cardio 3-4 times a week (running, spinning, Dance Trance, yoga).
• Strength 2-3 times a week (Body Pump, weights, P90X).
• note: some sessions will involve both cardio and strength
• Daily walks (before work; during lunch) because they let me step away from the world for a while.

I still love working out. And after kicking some not-so-fun tasks off my to-do list forever (ahhhhhh), I definitely got back to my regular fitness. I even worked it around other commitments, sneaking to the gym before a blogger get-together and going to yoga while waiting for Lucas to wake up on Thanksgiving. I met all of my goals, including my daily walks. Being sick over Thanksgiving meant that I took two days off, but they helped me recover, so it was worth it.

Miscellaneous

• I’m not setting any time goals here — I am more focused on feeling good again, and less worried about visible results. Having said that, I’d like to hold myself accountable with weekly journaling, even if that does not get published on the blog.
• I’ll be following some mantras to get through what may be a challenging few holiday weeks:
• Special Sweets Only (homemade goodies, etc. — not junk I can buy anytime)
• Water Water Water (skip soda and coffee)
• Celebrate Success (give myself credit for small victories)

Nope. Fail. Totally did not journal, and I wish I had. When I completed 4HB, that really kept me accountable. I was a bit more successful with the mantras — I’ve been drinking so much water I could float, only ate the homemade goodies around the holidays (and small portions, at that) AND I did congratulate myself on fitting fitness in, even when it was tough.

So, what’s next? I’ll be carrying most of this plan into December, knowing the holiday pitfalls that await. I’m not currently training for any events (weird), so I would like to really devote myself to as much yoga as possible…and I’d like to make a better effort to see friends and family when possible.

What are your healthy holiday plans?

I am so excited for my friends.

Meghann (@mealsandmiles), Kelly (@BNeathItAll) and Ben (@shirtlessben) — the Anderson trio — are competing in the Augusta 70.3 Half Ironman today.

At one point, I’d hoped to race with them. I even joined the crew for a few training swims.

image source: mealsandmiles.com

I made noises about committing to training; researched the gear I’d need to finish the three legs of a very challenging course. Thought about how amazing I’d feel if I were able to cross this particular triathlon distance off my fitness bucket list.

But I think I always knew. It wasn’t the right race for me. Not the right time, and not the right way to jump in.

Blogging and making friends with your blends (blog friends) is a positive form of peer pressure, but it’s a double-edged sword. (Remember “Sorry I’m Not Sorry?”) I feel like I came up short, and I have to remind myself today that had I chosen to take part in the race, there’s a lot I would have given up.

I would have sacrificed energy for some major projects that I’m proud to be leading at work. I would have given up the scarce amount of time I have with my husband. I would have abandoned Body Pump, Dance Trance and yoga, and all of those things fulfill me.

I would have pushed my body to its limits at a time when I need to nurture and indulge it. And I think that’s the one that finally got to me. I have some major non-fitness goals that I’m working on, and I’m focused on that right now.

There are plenty of years ahead for training for the elusive half Ironman distance, and I will do it someday. Just not now.

So today, I’m hoping that Meghann, Kelly and Ben race their hearts out, not only for themselves, but for all of us at home who wish that we could be pounding it out in Augusta. (You can track all of them here: http://ironmanlive.com/tracking.php?race=augusta70.3&year=2011.)

Also, good luck to @catmelnyk and @AMLemus, who are also racing, and to @DaniDillard who is cheering everyone on! And more fond wishes to @healthyashley, who had planned on competing today, until her horrific bike crash.

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the last few weeks sitting at a desk, hunched over a computer…

This is the week that I both dread and look forward to every year — the week we tape 13 episodes of Growing Bolder TV and then start the stressful process of actually taking the raw material and crafting it into a show that highlights ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and proves that it’s not about age; it’s about attitude.

I love it. I love writing, being in charge of the details, making sure that everything goes according to plan. But it’s easy for me to lose sight of why we do what we do at Growing Bolder.

That changed on Friday, when I joined our crew for an out-of-town shoot and met a man that gave me just the boost I needed. A reminder that our bodies are powerful, amazing things. And that stepping away from the desk every once in a while can be the start of something great.

That’s a guy named Joe Johnston — he’s a pole-vaulting, track crushing, speed demon freak of nature. And one of the most inspiring people I’ve met in a long time.

(I won’t give you all the details — my boss Marc Middleton will have a video story that will do justice to Joe’s amazing attitude, and I’ll pass that on soon.)

Joe’s shirt says it all, huh? I know 30-year-olds that act like they’re 60 and vice versa. Joe is 67 and has the energy of a high schooler.

And if you think your ice baths are badass? Take a look at his setup.

Brrr…

Joe reminded me that whether you think you can or you think you can’t — you’re right. So why not wake up each and every day and think, how can I push myself to greatness today?

So tell me. What are YOU doing to achieve incredible things? How are you making today a great one?

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(I would be remiss if I didn’t use this opportunity to send the very best recovery wishes to my friend Healthy Ashley. She had a horrific bike crash on Friday and is facing a very, very difficult future. She has a shattered pelvis, road rash, a concussion and more. She has one of the strongest wills of anyone I know — the girl does ultra-distance races and Ironman triathlons — so I know she will pull through. But she could use your kind thoughts!)

I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, light, peace and joy. When you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, We Are One.

It’s one of my favorite phrases in yoga. I get chills when I hear it. I’m not a particularly spiritual person, but I quite literally feel an energy in my soul when I hear that mantra in practice, or reflect on it during my own quiet time.

Today, we were one, at Rasa-Lila Yoga Festival, an all-day event.

(picture from mealsandmiles.com)

Well, for a while we were four. I spent the morning with Meghann (Meals and Miles), Carolina (Peas in a Blog) and Victoria (Running Peanut) and we had a blast!

The classes were fantastic — I think all in all, I did about four and a half hours of yoga, from some basic flow to more intense inversions. Hey, I got in tripod and a full headstand for the first time in a while, and (as you can see), so did Meghann!

The event was really great…hot as heck (I’m so sunburned, despite multiple layers of SPF) but we had some great live music, paddleboarding and some cool vendors.

I’m really looking forward to the next event — so much so that I just may have to head to Tampa when it comes to that city in a couple of months. And once again I’m struck by how much my practice has improved since I committed to going to weekly classes…hey, what do you know — practice makes perfect!

Do you have a mantra? Something you say or chant that speaks to you?

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I hesitated to write and publish this, because my 9/11 experience is absolutely nothing compared to those who lived through it, lost family members, call New York City home, are Muslim-American and had to deal with post-attack racism and more.

But it’s mine, and the journey I went through on September 11th, 2001 has had a major effect on how I live today.

And considering that I am spending the day today celebrating light and love at a yoga festival, it feels like a very full circle moment.

You see, I was in yoga class on that day 10 years ago. I was a senior at Syracuse University, had not even started dating Lucas and was taking as many pass-fail classes as I could. Yoga was one of them.

As I walked through the busy gym that morning, I heard the buzz of the radio — not the regular hard-hitting music, but a news anchor. Why that didn’t stop me in my tracks, I’ll never know. But I kept on going — first hearing vague rumors of a plane crash from my fellow yogis. Nobody knew how bad it was, or would become. So we went to class and 45 minutes later, I headed home.

When I got home (remember, this was pre-cell phone days at college) one of my roommates greeted me with a message:

“Your dad’s OK. He was in a plane, but not one of the ones that crashed. I talked to him. The cell lines are tied up and you probably can’t reach him. But he’s OK.”

My dad works in New York City, but at the time, lived in Boston. So he was a regular on the Boston-NYC shuttle. He was in the same airport as the terrorists that day, maybe even going through the same security line. His plane was in the air when the attacks happened, and they were sent back to Boston.

I found that out later. Quite a bit later, as my time and attention went immediately to the small TV in my room. My roommates — six of us — piled onto my bed and watched NBC reports come in. In horror, we just sat. We talked a bit — about people we knew in New York; about how scary the video was — but mostly, we just took it in.

We didn’t go to class. Instead, we gathered with hundreds of other students in the on-campus chapel, to hear our chancellor and others speak. We signed big white sheets, sending messages to the victims.

image source: syr.edu

Being a New York school, we knew that students and friends has most likely lost loved ones. Those stories came out in the days ahead. Being teenagers and young adults, we knew that our lives had changed. The impact of that came out in the years ahead.

I started that day celebrating peace, and I ended it with a much better understanding of terror. To this day, I think of my roommate’s face when he passed on my father’s message. I think about what could have been. I think about what was, for so many victims. And today when I practice yoga again, I think of the many, many, many souls that we lost on September 11, 2001.

How are you remembering the events of September 11th?

It all started with a post — one where I shared my frustrations with running, and my tips for staying motivated.

In that post, I listed the songs that make me want to sweat…

Then, Adam from RockMyRun.com contacted me to share the scoop on his website’s very cool (free!) downloadable playlists for athletes.

And in a true mashup, Adam and his team have taken my playlist and made it into its very own, free-to-download Katy’s Fun Run track!

It’s 40 minutes, all mixed by DJ Riggz, has some kickass songs and I hope you’ll give it a shot. It keeps me motivated!

Click here to check it out and let me know what you think! What is your favorite song on the list? What’s one song I missed?

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A few weeks ago, I published a post called “My Rock the Run Playlist,” in which I shared some of the songs that were motivating me to get through some long runs and gym workouts.

Just a few minutes later, I got a great comment from Adam:

I’m totally with you Katy – I need nice hard charging music to keep going during a workout.

I needed good running/workout music so bad in fact that I started a company called “Rock My Run” (not named after your playlist, I swear!) and put 14 years of DJing & creating mixes to work for others.  You can download seamless DJ mixes free while we’re in beta.

Check it out, let me know what you think! 

So, I did … I headed right over to http://www.rockmyrun.com/, and I was BLOWN AWAY by what I found!

It’s in beta right now, which means it’s a great time to jump on it:

• Free downloads
• Sort by genre and length
• Sort by DJ

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I’ve never been a huge fan of the treadmill — I get bored easily, never really push myself that hard, and generally get sick of looking at the same thing.

But a combination of it being beastly hot outside and me still fighting a head cold, I’ve spent some time at the gym, doing some fast walking…which means that I can flip through a magazine without falling off the back end of the machine (been there. done that.).

This week, I decided to check out Health Magazine (it was that or Cat Fancy – man does my gym need some more reading material!) and I wanted to share some of the nuggets that I learned about while getting my sweat on.

It’s worth reading the letters to the editor — because sometimes, you see blends (blogging friends) pop up!

I apparently have great taste in razors. I picked up this pink Schick because it was a) pink b) on sale c) my old razor was discontinued. But Health says it’s the best choice!

I need to start sleeping on my back. Stat. Unfortunately, I’m in “the worst” category, as I’m a stubborn stomach sleeper. I also like to sleep without a pillow, with my face smushed directly into the mattress.

Other things I learned from the magazine and on Health.com:

• maybe the heartburn I felt at Taste of the Nation was something I need to monitor more closely
• miranda lambert doesn’t like to eat much before a show; i don’t like to eat much before a big race!
• coconut water may not be as healthy as I thought
• i need to do a better job of tracking my thyroid, as my family has a history of hypothyroidism
• science is to blame for the fact that I have become a lightweight at the bar

Do you like the treadmill? What do you do when it’s too hot or too rainy to work out outside?

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