Coffee Talk Monday..A New Year and a New Workout Plan

Every January 1st people commit to a new list of resolutions, which somehow always at the top of is "going more frequently to the gym." And it becomes ridiculously crowded for a few months and what once was enjoyable becomes more frustrating than anything else. So I decided I am going to mix it up and commit to the Tracy Anderson Method.

I have been intrigued for a while by Tracey Anderson's method, and how she has helped to transform many celebrity bodies (Gwenyth Paltrow, Courtney Cox, Shakira, etc.) Her videos, and approach to exercise are fun! Mixing cardio dance routines and strength training, using repetitive movements and your own body weight she targets all the right muscles to achieve lean muscle. I am totally obsessed! The best part about her workouts are that you can take them with you on the road, into the gym or in the comfort of your own home (some space required, especially the dance videos)

For those of you interested in trying some of the routines before investing in the DVDs this is a great site with links to some of her routines. Happy New Year!

The Kind Diet...

Over the years I have been forced to redefine my diet because of allergies to many of the foods I always used to enjoy eating. As I started to eliminate different foods, I saw a huge change in the way that I felt. The best approach for me is to stay as close to natural products and ingredients as I can, including fresh vegetables, protein, whole grains, etc. Anything processed and in a box is loaded with things that don't agree with me. So a clean diet is what I strive to maintain, which is not always easy running from appointment to appointment.

Recently I have been doing some research into superfoods and vegan/raw eating. I am curious about the lifestyle but know it will redefine an already strict style of eating and eliminate some things I still do enjoy, i.e. chicken, and cheese. One of my brides recently suggested the Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone and raved about the recipes that are included. And she is right it is just absolutely fabulous and also goes into great detail about the benefits of being a vegan. I highly recommend this book for anyone that is considering making these changes to their diet and incorporating a healthy approach to look and feel better without having to drink cayenne pepper, maple syrup and lemon (master cleanse) to lose weight. I am excited to give it a go!

Fitness + Dancing= Perfect Workout

Those of you that know me well know how much I love to workout and maybe even more than that how much I love to dance. So you take the two things and put them together and it is perfection! While visiting the ladies' blog over at Wiley Valentine I came across this video and was introduced to Tracey Anderson (she trains Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow), who I have now become completely obsessed with.

My arms are burning just watching her. I just might have to make my own video to show you how much fun this workout is and that you can do it anywhere, just by putting on a song that makes you want to dance.