Tag Archives: Fun

Okay, let’s get back to WORK!

I confess, the second day of the year is often a bit of a letdown for me. We’ve been preparing and preparing for the holidays. We’ve made (and distributed) over 120 dozen cookies. We’ve drunk our New Year’s Drinks and made our New Year’s pledges. The tree will stay up to the weekend but is as dry as a poor doggie’s bone. And I am faced with the harsh reality of having to get the heck back to work. I don’t get that warm, righteous, it’s a holiday but I’m working anyway satisfaction. Nope. I have that, I really don’t have an excuse so I gotta get back to it for heaven’s sake kinda deal. Meh.

On the other hand I do find this time of year very invigorating. I’m working with a whole bunch of absolutely amazing people on some ridiculously cool plans. This is the time of year to believe anything is possible. This is the time of year to make outrageous commitments and sign up for stuff just because it seems like it might be cool. So I’m sucking down my coffee and sucking it up just in time to tell you about some amazing things going on right now, and coming down the pike. Let’s DO this people!

New Fat Chick Clique Personalized Training Programs

On January 14, we’ll be launching our all-new training program built on The Fat Chick Works Out! book and DVD. The program (available at several different levels) will feature a live teleconference every week on Monday nights. You’ll receive personal encouragement emails, lots of opportunities to interact with your fellow exercisers and will have access to a variety of personal training options. Special discounts are offered (through January 14 only) for members of Fit Fatties and The Fat Chick Clique. Even deeper discounts are available for folks also participating in the new Fit Fatties Training Groups (see below).

Fit Fatties Across America

On the Fit Fatties Forum, we’re doing the Fit Fatties Across America project. All you have to do is join the forum (it’s free). Then if you wish to participate, simply fill in the form each time you exercise with the date and your time or distance. We’re going to compile everybody’s time and distance and figure out how long it will take the fit fatties to move across the country. We’re starting in New York City and making our (virtual) way to Los Angeles. Once there, a real, in the flesh, super cool party will be had!

New Training Groups

Also on the Fit Fatties Forum, we are creating 4 new premium training groups. For a modest fee, you’ll be able to join a special group of folks either involved in training for distance events, getting in 150 minutes of exercise per week, dedicated to moving just for the fun of it and yes, even a group participating with the Zombies, Run! application. The group will have private facebook message boards, participate in dedicated email groups and get special and personalized advice from forum founders Ragen Chastain and yours truly. Discounts are available to those who register before January 15, so sign up now!

Set a World Record!

After Ragen Chastain heard about the new program from Angela Meadows to destroy diet books as part of our New Year’s Revolution, she contacted a few of us at the Size Diversity Task Force with an idea. Let’s do this as a group and collect over 20,000 pages of diet books to destroy. Which gave me an idea, a big idea, a rascally, super large, crazy idea. Let’s use all those magazines to create a sculpture like Brenda Oelbaum does, but let’s make it the world’s LARGEST! Let’s go for a World Record here. This is all part of my tired of being timid, go big or go home plan for 2013. Wanna join us? You can participate from anyplace in the world. You can either send diet books, contribute money for us to “liberate” diet books ( from resale shops and garage sales where the book creators won’t be financially compensated for what is essentially paper mâché plaster) or even fly or drive in to join us on the big day! You can click here to stay updated on the details.

Super Secret New Project

I can’t reveal this super secret new project I’m working on quite yet, but I am a tease! So I’ll tell you to keep checking back here for a super cool totally new thing that I’ll be offering. Stay tuned!

So while one party has ended, another one is just beginning. Let’s get it started in here!

Whew, well there is a lot of cool and fun and exciting things for us to do together in the coming year! So grab a cup of coffee and let’s get clickin! Post-party ennui aside, I just can’t wait.

Love,

The Fat Chick

Thursday Theater: Sled Dogs

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Just in time for the new year, I present some very, very happy doggies sledding in the snow. I do this for two reasons.

Reason #1: This video makes me laugh and feel happy every time I watch it.

Reason #2: I’d like to talk with you about one of my favorite New Year’s Resolutions. This year, I’m going to resolve to get more happy, fabulous, fun and JOYFUL movement into my life. I want to move more just for the fun of it–sorta like these dogs are doing. I want to run and romp and play just because I can.

Because I ask you–do you think these dogs are calculating the number of calories they are burning? Do you think they are wearing fitness monitors that tell them if they are in their “target training zone”? Are they pulling out their iPhones to record their number of sets? NO! They are just running around, tongues hanging out, and having as much fun as possible before someone tells them they have to come inside.

Now let me be clear. There’s nothing wrong with tracking details of your exercise program if that makes you happy. By all means use whatever iPhone app or tracking program or digital device that makes you happy. Whatever works for YOU.

But as for me, I’m aiming for more playtime followed by grown-up nap time this year. I want to smell the seasons in the air and jump around and dance like a silly person and collapse with giggles. I hope to have as much fun with my exercise routine in 2013 as those guys in the video up there, and I hope you do to!

Love,

The Fat Chick

P.S. If you live anywhere near the LA area, you can join us for a super fun dance extravaganza on January 6. Details coming soon!

And it’s always fun to join us for our free live streaming workouts. They are starting back up this year on January 5 and will air Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings from 8:30–9:30 PST. Just go to this link to watch and dance with us LIVE!

Stuff that Weighs More than Me: World’s Biggest Hanukkah Menorah

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Just in time for Hanukkah, I give you, the world’s largest Menorah. This amazing edifice stands at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street, by Central Park, between the Plaza and the Pierre Hotels in New York City. This year, the first Hannukah “candle” will be lit at 5:30 PM on Saturday, December 8. All the candles will be lit on the evening of December 15. The Menorah will be lighted nightly with genuine oil lamps. Given the enormous size of the structure, the lamps will be lit using a Con Edison Cherry Picker and two lifts.

This amazing Menorah, certified by Guinness Worlds Records as the world’s largest, was designed based on a drawing inspired by the original Menorah at the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. The Menorah will be the site of a number of celebrations in the coming week including a parade on December 13 and a celebration featuring music, dance, free hot “Latkes” and “Hanukkah Gelt” for the children. YUM!

Here’s the stats:

Color: gold

Material: steel

Height: 32 feet

Weight: Over 4,000 lbs.

Conclusion: even after an evening of free hot Latkes, the worlds largest Chaukah Menorah still weighs more than me.

Happy Hanukkah!

Love,
The Fat Chick

Thursday Theater: The Fat Chick Onstage at The Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas

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Check out this video of me performing on the Soundwaves Stage, poolside at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. It was the end of the day and the sun was going down but we still had a blast. And even though there were a lot of typical hard body athletes, everybody got their Bollywood Bounce on and we had so much fun!

BTW, it’s never too late to join in the fun. Just sidle on up to your computer and dance along!

Love,
The Fat Chick

Women’s Wednesday: Exercise as Medicine for Perimenopause

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The Fat Chick leads a group of laughing and dancing menopausal and perimenopausal women in a Hot Flash Mob in Manhattan.

Are you perimenopausal? Many of us have come to think of menopause as something that happens to “older women”. Many of us don’t believe that we are old enough to be experiencing perimenopausal symptoms. But denial ain’t just a river in Egypt, ladies. As my Mom once told me, “I had been talking about ‘those old ladies’ as if it was a group that didn’t include me. I had kind of a rough day when I realized I needed to start saying ‘we old ladies’!” But denial aside, this condition can begin long before the moniker of old lady could reasonably apply. Perimenopause is the segment in your life between when your periods start to change and up to a year after they have ended completely. This process typically begins in your 40s, but may begin in your thirties. It typically lasts five to fifteen years. Some women have significant symptoms and some women have no symptoms at all.

Some typical symptoms of perimenopause include:

Vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and simply sweating more.
Psychosocial symptoms like anxiety, impatience, poor memory and depression.
And physical symptoms like body aches, fatigue, and insomnia.

There is a lot of debate about treatment for menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms. While some doctors suggest hormone replacement therapy (HRT), there may be significant risks associated with that approach. Some studies indicate that HRT is effective for treating the vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. However, other studies indicate that HRT may increase risk for breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. And HRT hasn’t proved very effective at coping with psychosocial or physical symptoms like body aches, fatigue, weight gain or insomnia.

But do not despair. There is significant and growing evidence that regular, moderate exercise can be extremely effective in improving Quality of Life (QOL) and relieving perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms. Regular fitness activities have been show to increase brain function and offer relief from depression and anxiety. Exercise can improve overall mood even 24 hours after the original exercise session. A recent study indicates that women who engaged in moderate physical activity had significantly reduced hot flashes, sweating, weight gain, bloating and issues with intimacy.

Menopause and perimenopause can be a difficult time in a woman’s life, but it doesn’t have to be. This time can also be a time of great creativity, strength and power. And, as the women who have participated in The Hot Flash Mob Movement (created with partner Dr. Eve Agee) have learned, it can also be a lot of fun. And whether you are pre-menopausal, perimenopausal, menopausal or post-menopausal, exercise is a safe, effective, inexpensive and fun way to have a better quality of life. So ladies, why not gather up some girlfriends, lace up your sneakers and get to it! You’ll be so glad you did!
Love,

The Fat Chick

Thursday Theater: Pets Help Keep Us Fit

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While not all pets are as “talented” as the one pictured in this video, it is clear that pets (especially dogs) help us to keep fit. It is difficult to find a more willing, available and awesome exercise partner than my fabulous dog, Max. He’s definitely getting a little grey about the muzzle and long in the tooth. But all I have to do is say the word “walk” and he nearly loses his little doggy mind with excitement. In fact, we use the phrase, “start the countdown” in our household to indicate the microscopic amount of time between saying the word “walk” and Max going crazy. So it’s pretty typical for my husband and I to ask each other questions like, “Got the leash? Got your keys? Are we ready to start the countdown?” We’ve learned to do this because it’s pretty hard to put on a coat and seek earnestly for your keys when you have a critter pulling on the leash and generally causing absolute mayhem in his urgency to get OUTSIDE.

Maybe we could all learn something from Max. Wouldn’t it be great if we all felt that level of excitement over exercise? Even when we’re older and our hips don’t work so well, regardless of the weather and what else is on our schedule, wouldn’t it be great to feel that worked up about working out? All I can say is, I’m working on it.

Love,
The Fat Chick

Stuff that Weighs More than Me: World’s Heaviest Limo

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Okay kids, this ride goes way beyond your average stretch limo and even puts those stretch Hummers to shame. This bad boy is HUGE. Towed by a 440 horsepower semi, the trailer rides smoothly on 22 wheels. The Midnight Rider boasts a bar, three separate lounges and sports a crew of five including a driver, a co-driver, a hostess and two bartenders. You’ll never get bored on this thing as each of the lounges is equipped with a large screen television and high isolation entertainment system, with satellite television, movies, music, & live feed capabilities. Going to the prom? You could probably carry half your graduating class! This rolling wonder can comfortably host you and 39 of your closest friends. Heck, I’m ready to grab my cell phone and move in to this thing!

Here’s the stats:

Width: 8 ft., 5 in.

Height: 13 ft., 8 in.

Length: 70 ft.

Turning Radius: 48 ft.

Area: 460 square ft.

Weight: 25.5 tons

Check out the video here:

Conclusion: The world’s largest limo weighs more than me.

And, party on Wayne, party on!

Love,

The Fat Chick

On being a Shameless Woman: How Forbes Got it Right

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Ooooo, I’m so excited about THIS article from the Forbes.com site She Negotiates! In this piece, author Brooke Axtell talks about why shame doesn’t make us thinner OR healthier, and she rounds up an amazing group of experts including Dr. Michelle Segar and Dr. Linda Bacon. And I’m resonating so deeply with what is said here that I’m ringing like a big old bell! The article starts out asking a simple question:

The U.S. Diet and Weight Loss Industry produced over 60 billion dollars in revenue last year. With all the available information and products, why do many intelligent women continue to diet and exercise without achieving lasting results?

Good question! Why do we keep banging our head on this same wall over and over again? Why do we keep doing the same things we’ve always done before and expect different results. Why are we behaving in a way that could be defined as insane?

The article goes on interview Dr. Michelle Segar. And while I don’t intimately know her work and can’t comment on her personal feelings about weight loss, I couldn’t find much to fault in her interview here. Basically, her research indicates that if you start trying to change your health and wellness from a point of self-hatred you are doomed to fail before you even start. The article goes on to state:

Many of the behaviors that improve health, such as getting more sleep and making better eating choices, also lead to experiences, such as reduced stress, that contribute to happier lives. It is the positive experience that we crave and it is far easier to measure on a daily basis. Although many claim that their health is a priority, the truth is that we are far more motivated by wanting to feel good than to improve our health.

Yes, yes and YES! In my experience with all of the folks that I work with, it’s the immediate pleasure of having fun, of building relationships with classmates, it’s the better sleep and higher confidence and improved sex life that comes with exercise that keeps them exercising. You can create charts. You can pull out your calipers and scales. You can give the “deathfat” speech all you want. You can even give them a “gold star” for being “good”. But what keeps exercisers coming back for more is having a good time and feeling good both during and after exercise. Period.

This is such an important idea. So often people ask me why I call myself The Fat Chick. They ask why I can’t just skip over the issue of being “curvy” and tell people to have fun while they are losing weight. They ask why I can’t just “suggest” that they could or should lose weight. But I can’t. Because telling people to have fun while they are on the way to being worthy, while they are in the process of becoming okay just doesn’t work. I have to tell them that they are okay now. I have to let them know that they are worthy even if they never achieve the BMI or number on the scale they are seeking. I have to let them know that we will experience joy right from the beginning of our work together, not after some magic number or arbitrary goal is achieved. As the article states:

Ultimately, it matters why we exercise and eat healthy foods. This is important not only to sustain our efforts of authentic self-care, but also to resist the toxic messages of a 60 billion dollar industry that depends on women feeling ashamed of their bodies.

Amen, sister. Amen. So I’ll keep calling myself The Fat Chick, and I’ll keep focusing on feeling good and having fun. I will refuse to fuel the industry built on shame that keeps us down and holds us back. I’ll keep working with people of many different ages, weights and abilities. I’ll call myself and all of my students worthy on the first day and the last day and every day in between. To put it simply, that’s what works in the short term, the long term and the whole term.

Thanks for listening.

Love,

The Fat Chick

Stuff that Weighs More than Me: A Bicoastal Hot Flash Mob

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Well y’all have been hearing about that bi-coastal Hot Flash Mob we did earlier this month and we finally have the video up for your to share in all it’s awesomeness. But October has just been designated International Menopause Awareness Month so we’re still right on time, right!?

Special thanks go out to my partner Dr. Eve Agee, to my San Francisco dance leader the always fabulous Ragen Chastain and to my other West Coast Dancers Julianne Wotasik and Deb Burgard. Thanks from the bottom of my heart for coming out and being awesome. And of course, thanks to all my New York City dancers as well.

Also, I wanted to let all you Southern California girls know that we’re going to be doing ANOTHER Hot Flash Mob at Huntington Beach as part of our Take Back The Beach celebrations this Saturday (tomorrow). Click HERE for more info.

As to the weight of the bi-coastal Hot Flash Mob, I had no scale (Yay! or otherwise) at the event and so some back-of-the-envelope calculations are in order. There were collectively quite a lot of us. I think I can safely say that together, we accumulated over one ton of fun.

Conclusion: A bicoastal Hot Flash Mob weighs more than me. (And it’s too much fun to be contained in one place!)

Love,

The Fat Chick

Thursday Theater: Cats and Treadmills

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Okay, here’s the reality. I love exercise, but I don’t love every form of exercise. I love dance classes and I love walking outside and I love cross country skiing. But when it comes to the treadmill, I have a feeling very much like the cats pictured above. “Hit it! HIT IT!” I hate the treadmill with a deep, abiding passion. And for me, even five minutes on that thing can feel like torture.

That’s why it’s so important to explore different kinds of exercise before you get too deeply involved in an exercise program. If the only exercise I ever did was on a treadmill, I would say that I hated exercise. And if the only exercise I could ever do was on a treadmill, chances are, I would quit. Because I HATE the treadmill.

That’s why I often say, that exercise is kinda like sex. If you hate it, chances are, you aren’t doing it right. You need to try different things, sometimes a LOT of different things until you find the one that is right for you.

So my little Chicklettes, be bold and adventuresome! Try a new form of fitness in the next few weeks. Who knows, it may become your favorite. If not, you can always smack it like the kitties do.

Love,

The Fat Chick