Being Thankful…

In 2010, just 8 months after I opened the Danvers studio, I wrote this blog post in the barre n9ne® November Newsletter.  Since I enjoyed writing it so much and many new clients have joined barre n9ne® since 2010, it has become a tradition for me to re-share this write-up each November.  Enjoy.

Many of you know that from 2005-2008 I was a New England Patriots Cheerleader. The number one question I am asked when people find this out is “Was that so much fun???”  Now obviously the calendar shoots, games, promotions, endless practices and the bittersweet trip to the Super Bowl in Arizona top my list as amazing times during these 3 years….but nothing compares to the experience I am about to share with you…

In 2006, my second year on the team, I was selected along with 5 other women to represent our team and travel overseas to entertain the troops and boost morale for our annual Operations Seasons Greeting Tour (OSG as we like to call it!). Now let me share an inside detail with you….when you are a Patriots Cheerleader you hope, pray and cross your fingers that YOU are selected for this tour so you can IMAGINE the joy and excitement that rushed through my body when I received the call from my coach one day that I was one of the 6 invited to go on the OSG Tour. Think of the most amazing thing that could ever happen to you and multiply it by 1,000,000!

The OSG tour is about 2 weeks long. We travel with the Air Force and leave before Thanksgiving and return after the beginning of December. Because a two week tour could not possibly be summarized in this blog I will share you with you two eye opening experiences from this trip.

During the tour we traveled to Incirlik Turkey, Ramstein Germany, two bases in Iraq, one base in Afghanistan and one base in Quatar.  In a nutshell, one November day we departed Boston and landed in Georgia at the Air Force Base. Two hours later departed Georgia on a military plane for Turkey which would become our “home base” for the next 2 weeks.

Upon arriving in Incirlik we were greeted by our Chief who would be responsible for keeping us safe for the next two weeks…..what a huge responsibility!  We were given our agenda for the next two weeks in a very long briefing then shown to our rooms. From there the craziness began….tons of meet and greets, practices, performances, autograph signings, interviews, flights from here to there, more briefings, rules, secret locations disclosed to us minutes before landing….you name it, we did it. It was amazing.

On Thanksgiving we arrived in Iraq and were brought to the soccer field where Saddam executed the soccer team…this is where we were performing on Thanksgiving night….intense. When we got out of the plane we were quickly brought behind the stage into a “dressing room” where we got as dolled up as we could with the wind blowing tons and tons of sand around….I could literally scratch my head and pull out sand….and we were supposed to look “glamourous” Yeah Right.  When it was our turn to take the stage we took off our warm up suits and headed up the stairs IT WAS FREEZING! I kept thinking, ” I can’t believe my family is sitting around the dining room table right now having Thanksgiving dinner and I am in Iraq.”

At this point my heart dropped…….as I looked out into crowd, there weren’t just a few people waiting for us to perform…there were hundeds, maybe thousands of troops lined up for miles and miles into the darkness waiting for the performance we were about to give. I couldn’t believe it.

After we danced we were brought to a side table where we would take photos and autograph our team posters. All the troops we had just danced for lined up to meet us. We were there until about 2 or 3am signing. The line went on forever. We told our coach we didn’t want to leave until we met every last person. It was incredible. We met men, women, older, younger, married, single, kids, no kids, etc from all over the world.  Get this….each one thanking US for coming. I couldn’t believe it. These men and women, who are fighting for our freedom everyday, risking their lives, are thanking US for giving up our Thanksgiving with our families to visit them? It didn’t seem right. All you could hear down the table from our girls was “No, thank YOU for all that you do.” It was breathtaking.

During the signing I met an attractive young man who had a smile that could light up the room. He exchanged jokes with us, made us laugh, asked us where we were from, told us a little about himself, took a photo with us, received his signed poster and moved along. We smiled at each other. I figured I would never see him again.

A few days later while we were visiting a military hospital we were brought into the rooms where the most critically wounded troops were. Guess who I am faced with…the same charming, once smiling young man I had met only a few days prior, however, now his whole life has been changed.

The short story is that he stepped on a landmine and lost both legs along with numerous other injuries. The tears started flowing as my teammate and I realized who he was. We squeezed his hand and each gave him a long hug. Although this selfless man could hardly speak, he thanked US for coming to visit him and told us how much he enjoyed the show. I could not believe it.

Whew! Now if you are tearing up, I apologize. I know our emails/blog posts are typically motivating and uplifting and not tear jerkers!

At this time, as we approach the holiday season I feel it is so important to give back, appreciate our freedom, appreciate our loved ones and be grateful for all that we have. As you spend your Thanksgiving with your family sitting around the long table surrounded by endless appetizers, foods, drinks and desserts, I encourage you to take a moment to think of those who are not spending Thanksgiving with their families because they are overseas risking their lives and fighting for our freedom.

For those of you whose mother or father, son or daughter, husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, brother or sister, aunt or uncle is overseas at this time, my heart goes out to you. For those of you who have lost someone while they were fighting for our country, please accept my heartfelt condolences. I know I speak on behalf of all the staff members at barre n9ne® when I say we are so thankful for the men and women who are fighting/have fought for our freedom.

Tanya

Being Thankful…

In 2010, just 8 months after I opened the Danvers studio, I wrote this blog post in the barre n9ne® November Newsletter.  Since I enjoyed writing it so much and many new clients have joined barre n9ne® since 2010, it has become a tradition for me to re-share this write-up each November.  Enjoy.

Many of you know that from 2005-2008 I was a New England Patriots Cheerleader. The number one question I am asked when people find this out is “Was that so much fun???”  Now obviously the calendar shoots, games, promotions, endless practices and the bittersweet trip to the Super Bowl in Arizona top my list as amazing times during these 3 years….but nothing compares to the experience I am about to share with you…

In 2006, my second year on the team, I was selected along with 5 other women to represent our team and travel overseas to entertain the troops and boost morale for our annual Operations Seasons Greeting Tour (OSG as we like to call it!). Now let me share an inside detail with you….when you are a Patriots Cheerleader you hope, pray and cross your fingers that YOU are selected for this tour so you can IMAGINE the joy and excitement that rushed through my body when I received the call from my coach one day that I was one of the 6 invited to go on the OSG Tour. Think of the most amazing thing that could ever happen to you and multiply it by 1,000,000!

The OSG tour is about 2 weeks long. We travel with the Air Force and leave before Thanksgiving and return after the beginning of December. Because a two week tour could not possibly be summarized in this blog I will share you with you two eye opening experiences from this trip.

During the tour we traveled to Incirlik Turkey, Ramstein Germany, two bases in Iraq, one base in Afghanistan and one base in Quatar.  In a nutshell, one November day we departed Boston and landed in Georgia at the Air Force Base. Two hours later departed Georgia on a military plane for Turkey which would become our “home base” for the next 2 weeks.

Upon arriving in Incirlik we were greeted by our Chief who would be responsible for keeping us safe for the next two weeks…..what a huge responsibility!  We were given our agenda for the next two weeks in a very long briefing then shown to our rooms. From there the craziness began….tons of meet and greets, practices, performances, autograph signings, interviews, flights from here to there, more briefings, rules, secret locations disclosed to us minutes before landing….you name it, we did it. It was amazing.

On Thanksgiving we arrived in Iraq and were brought to the soccer field where Saddam executed the soccer team…this is where we were performing on Thanksgiving night….intense. When we got out of the plane we were quickly brought behind the stage into a “dressing room” where we got as dolled up as we could with the wind blowing tons and tons of sand around….I could literally scratch my head and pull out sand….and we were supposed to look “glamourous” Yeah Right.  When it was our turn to take the stage we took off our warm up suits and headed up the stairs IT WAS FREEZING! I kept thinking, ” I can’t believe my family is sitting around the dining room table right now having Thanksgiving dinner and I am in Iraq.”

At this point my heart dropped…….as I looked out into crowd, there weren’t just a few people waiting for us to perform…there were hundeds, maybe thousands of troops lined up for miles and miles into the darkness waiting for the performance we were about to give. I couldn’t believe it.

After we danced we were brought to a side table where we would take photos and autograph our team posters. All the troops we had just danced for lined up to meet us. We were there until about 2 or 3am signing. The line went on forever. We told our coach we didn’t want to leave until we met every last person. It was incredible. We met men, women, older, younger, married, single, kids, no kids, etc from all over the world.  Get this….each one thanking US for coming. I couldn’t believe it. These men and women, who are fighting for our freedom everyday, risking their lives, are thanking US for giving up our Thanksgiving with our families to visit them? It didn’t seem right. All you could hear down the table from our girls was “No, thank YOU for all that you do.” It was breathtaking.

During the signing I met an attractive young man who had a smile that could light up the room. He exchanged jokes with us, made us laugh, asked us where we were from, told us a little about himself, took a photo with us, received his signed poster and moved along. We smiled at each other. I figured I would never see him again.

A few days later while we were visiting a military hospital we were brought into the rooms where the most critically wounded troops were. Guess who I am faced with…the same charming, once smiling young man I had met only a few days prior, however, now his whole life has been changed.

The short story is that he stepped on a landmine and lost both legs along with numerous other injuries. The tears started flowing as my teammate and I realized who he was. We squeezed his hand and each gave him a long hug. Although this selfless man could hardly speak, he thanked US for coming to visit him and told us how much he enjoyed the show. I could not believe it.

Whew! Now if you are tearing up, I apologize. I know our blogs are typically motivating and uplifting and not tear jerkers!

At this time, as we approach the holiday season I feel it is so important to give back, appreciate our freedom, appreciate our loved ones and be grateful for all that we have. As you spend your Thanksgiving with your family sitting around the long table surrounded by endless appetizers, foods, drinks and desserts, I encourage you to take a moment to think of those who are not spending Thanksgiving with their families because they are overseas risking their lives and fighting for our freedom.

For those of you whose mother or father, son or daughter, husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, brother or sister, aunt or uncle is overseas at this time, my heart goes out to you. For those of you who have lost someone while they were fighting for our country, please accept my heartfelt condolences. I know I speak on behalf of all the staff members at barre n9ne® when I say we are so thankful for the men and women who are fighting/have fought for our freedom.

Tanya

Being Thankful

In 2010, just 8 months after I opened the Danvers studio, I wrote this blog post in the barre n9ne® November Newsletter.  Since I enjoyed writing it so much and many new clients have joined barre n9ne® since 2010, it has become a tradition for me to re-share this write-up each November.  Enjoy.

Many of you know that from 2005-2008 I was a New England Patriots Cheerleader. The number one question I am asked when people find this out is “Was that so much fun???”  Now obviously the calendar shoots, games, promotions, endless practices and the bittersweet trip to the Super Bowl in Arizona top my list as amazing times during these 3 years….but nothing compares to the experience I am about to share with you…

In 2006, my second year on the team, I was selected along with 5 other women to represent our team and travel overseas to entertain the troops and boost morale for our annual Operations Seasons Greeting Tour (OSG as we like to call it!). Now let me share an inside detail with you….when you are a Patriots Cheerleader you hope, pray and cross your fingers that YOU are selected for this tour so you can IMAGINE the joy and excitement that rushed through my body when I received the call from my coach one day that I was one of the 6 invited to go on the OSG Tour. Think of the most amazing thing that could ever happen to you and multiply it by 1,000,000!

The OSG tour is about 2 weeks long. We travel with the Air Force and leave before Thanksgiving and return after the beginning of December. Because a two week tour could not possibly be summarized in this blog I will share you with you two eye opening experiences from this trip.

During the tour we traveled to Incirlik Turkey, Ramstein Germany, two bases in Iraq, one base in Afghanistan and one base in Quatar.  In a nutshell, one November day we departed Boston and landed in Georgia at the Air Force Base. Two hours later departed Georgia on a military plane for Turkey which would become our “home base” for the next 2 weeks.

Upon arriving in Incirlik we were greeted by our Chief who would be responsible for keeping us safe for the next two weeks…..what a huge responsibility!  We were given our agenda for the next two weeks in a very long briefing then shown to our rooms. From there the craziness began….tons of meet and greets, practices, performances, autograph signings, interviews, flights from here to there, more briefings, rules, secret locations disclosed to us minutes before landing….you name it, we did it. It was amazing.

On Thanksgiving we arrived in Iraq and were brought to the soccer field where Saddam executed the soccer team…this is where we were performing on Thanksgiving night….intense. When we got out of the plane we were quickly brought behind the stage into a “dressing room” where we got as dolled up as we could with the wind blowing tons and tons of sand around….I could literally scratch my head and pull out sand….and we were supposed to look “glamourous” Yeah Right.  When it was our turn to take the stage we took off our warm up suits and headed up the stairs IT WAS FREEZING! I kept thinking, ” I can’t believe my family is sitting around the dining room table right now having Thanksgiving dinner and I am in Iraq.”

At this point my heart dropped…….as I looked out into crowd, there weren’t just a few people waiting for us to perform…there were hundeds, maybe thousands of troops lined up for miles and miles into the darkness waiting for the performance we were about to give. I couldn’t believe it.

After we danced we were brought to a side table where we would take photos and autograph our team posters. All the troops we had just danced for lined up to meet us. We were there until about 2 or 3am signing. The line went on forever. We told our coach we didn’t want to leave until we met every last person. It was incredible. We met men, women, older, younger, married, single, kids, no kids, etc from all over the world.  Get this….each one thanking US for coming. I couldn’t believe it. These men and women, who are fighting for our freedom everyday, risking their lives, are thanking US for giving up our Thanksgiving with our families to visit them? It didn’t seem right. All you could hear down the table from our girls was “No, thank YOU for all that you do.” It was breathtaking.

During the signing I met an attractive young man who had a smile that could light up the room. He exchanged jokes with us, made us laugh, asked us where we were from, told us a little about himself, took a photo with us, received his signed poster and moved along. We smiled at each other. I figured I would never see him again.

A few days later while we were visiting a military hospital we were brought into the rooms where the most critically wounded troops were. Guess who I am faced with…the same charming, once smiling young man I had met only a few days prior, however, now his whole life has been changed.

The short story is that he stepped on a landmine and lost both legs along with numerous other injuries. The tears started flowing as my teammate and I realized who he was. We squeezed his hand and each gave him a long hug. Although this selfless man could hardly speak, he thanked US for coming to visit him and told us how much he enjoyed the show. I could not believe it.

Whew! Now if you are tearing up, I apologize. I know our blogs are typically motivating and uplifting and not tear jerkers!

At this time, as we approach the holiday season I feel it is so important to give back, appreciate our freedom, appreciate our loved ones and be grateful for all that we have. As you spend your Thanksgiving with your family sitting around the long table surrounded by endless appetizers, foods, drinks and desserts, I encourage you to take a moment to think of those who are not spending Thanksgiving with their families because they are overseas risking their lives and fighting for our freedom.

For those of you whose mother or father, son or daughter, husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, brother or sister, aunt or uncle is overseas at this time, my heart goes out to you. For those of you who have lost someone while they were fighting for our country, please accept my heartfelt condolences. I know I speak on behalf of all the staff members at barre n9ne® when I say we are so thankful for the men and women who are fighting/have fought for our freedom.

Tanya

the story behind the barre n9ne® 60 day challenge

Before delving into how the 60 day challenge began and why as well as the evolution of it I first need to start by saying that this program would not be what it was if it weren’t for Jessica and Jolene, two of our amazing instructors. From Day 1, these girls have put their heart and soul not only into barre n9ne® studio but into our 60 day challenge program. They have far exceeded my expectations and I am so very thankful to have them on our team.

In April 2011 I launched a studio wide contest to win a free 60 day challenge. Many clients submitted a paragraph explaining why we should choose them. Jolene submitted a write up for herself and Jessica. I hadn’t even thought about selecting two ladies but their story just spoke to me and I thought, “why not have two?”

By winning, the girls had to take 4 classes per week (were allowed to take more if they wanted), drink the recommended amount of water, follow our nutritional advice and complete 10,000 or more steps per day. Also there were a few other rules associated – no squats, lunges, spinning, or artificial sweeteners. {If you want to know why come to one of our nutrition seminars 🙂 }

Jess and Jolene’s free 60 day challenge kicked off May 12, 2011. I highly recommend reading Jessica’s blog post after they had their first meeting with me. We actually did not weigh them. We only focused on inches lost because honestly in my opinion the number on the scale does not matter even close to as much as how you feel, how your clothes fit, and most importantly if you are happy with what is staring back at you when you look in the mirror- because lets be real, the actual goal is for you to be HAPPY with your body.  {Jess recaps how she felt at the 30 day mark here}

{If you are interested in reading how many inches the girls lost at the 30 day mark here are their posts: Jessica’s and Jolene’s}

I think what makes me the most happy when I re-read these blog posts from Jessica and Jolene is not just the results it’s the feeling behind all of it. These girls were not the same girls I met in May. Not even close, and they sure as heck did not look the same. They stood taller, prouder, were more confident and had a sparkle in their eyes that no one could take away. They truly were transformed, in more ways than one, forever.

{If you are interested in reading how many inches the girls lost at the 60 day mark here are the posts: Jessica’s and Jolene’s

After posting their results in emails and blog posts and getting the word out to all the barre n9ne® clients, we officially launched the barre n9ne® 60 day challenge studio wide in August 2011.

For Jessica and Jolene, after their “60 day challenge” officially ended they continued to purchase unlimited months and would come to class as many times as they had been. Since they were my original challenge girls, I continued to measure them every 30 days until they hit the 6 month mark-  really just for business purposes for barre n9ne®. I wanted to ensure my program was still working and was actually a lifestyle- and it was.

Almost two years later Jessica and Jolene still to this day just LIVE. They take class (and of course teach!) They follow the same nutritional advice they were given on May 12, 2011. They get their steps in from running or walking. They drink the recommended amount of water. They enjoy the foods they want when they want to and that is that. There is no dieting, or weight fluctuations of 10lbs in one direction or the other. There are no good days and bad days. They learned the tools to succeed and they carry those with them each and every day.

Since August 2011 we have helped hundreds of women change their mindset about food and dieting, transform their bodies into one that they are comfortable in and proud of, and most importantly they have learned how to live a happy and fulfilling lifestyle, for the rest of their life.

As we approach the kick off of the April 1st challenges that you all have been inquiring about, I felt that it was important to reach out to those ladies who are contemplating doing a challenge, those who have done a challenge in the past, and those who are completing the current challenge and are not sure what exactly to do next.

As you know I do not promote dieting, in any way, shape or form. I am completely and totally against it. I don’t believe it works for the long term and I don’t feel that you are actually living, because you are not -you are dieting– two different things.  {Take a moment to read a post drafted by Jolene at the one year post challenge mark.}

In my opinion once you participate in a challenge you should be good to go. You should not necessarily need to do challenge after challenge after challenge. This program was truly designed to get you started. To learn the tools you need to live a healthy, fun, happy lifestyle. I know it is scary. I know that me measuring you helps keep you accountable. I know that you are scared you will gain back the weight and inches. YOU WON’T IF you truly accept this for what it is supposed to be- a lifestyle, not a diet. Doing challenge after challenge after challenge tells me you are scared to do this on your own. I am here to tell you, YOU CAN DO IT! I have faith in you. Jess and Jolene have faith in you. We KNOW you can do this. You just have to believe in yourself 🙂

In a few days I will be launching the sign ups for the April 1st challenge. Those of you who have inquired about it already and haven’t done a challenge before I am so excited to work with you! Those of you who have been doing challenges back to back, I think it is time to let some new girls participate. {again YOU CAN DO THIS!}

It brings me happy tears and I am so beyond flattered and grateful for the outpouring response to our program. I seriously wish I was superwoman so I could measure every single person that has ever done a challenge each month so you could see your ongoing results- and so that I could see the smile and excitement on your face when you have reached your goal or surpassed it!

The reality is I am not superwoman {shockingly enough ;)} I am only one person. I can only measure so many people in a day and I want to help as many women as humanly possible reach their fitness goals and to come to peace with food.

What I haven’t mentioned yet is that because of all of you who have been doing challenges back to back you have made a lightbulb go off in my head- and without you what I am about to say wouldn’t have happened.

I am in the midst of creating a bunch of new packages-2x per week packages, 3x per week packages, 4x per week packages and more fun things! This is to alleviate the fear inside of you that without a ‘challenge’ you won’t be successful! These will be non-measuring packages so that you can continue to follow the same program as the challenge and you will still be held accountable in the sense that if you don’t use up those classes in a set time you will lose them- same as a challenge 🙂

Also the MOST exciting news is that in honor of the 2 year anniversary of Jess and Jolene’s challenge we will be giving a FREE 60 Day Challenge to one lucky lady! Details soon on how to be considered!

I hope you are as excited about this as we are!

I seriously cannot thank the barre n9ne® community enough for your support and love for us. We love you back just as much and as so excited to be on this journey together.

See you at the barre,

Tanya

First Annual barre n9ne® studio Client Appreciation Week!

Today kicks off our first annual barre n9ne® studio client appreciation week and we are so excited to see all our  FREE classes sold out!! We hope it is a chance for you to try a different class than would typically not take (cardio, for example!) or to check out various instructors that you have not yet tried a class with. Beyond that, it is our chance to thank YOU for being such loyal, dedicated, and enthusiastic clients for the last, *almost* THREE years!  We definitely would not be where we are today without your support, word of mouth referrals and enthusiasm!

Client appreciation week also kicks off a bevy of new events and special classes that I, along with our marketing team- Jolene and Jess– have put together, starting with the introduction of barre n9ne® studio Intensives! These are 75 minute classes made up of our most challenging exercises, with less breaks, more education, and of course, more sweating! (For the safety of our clients you must have taken at least 20 classes to participate in a barre n9ne® studio Intensive!). Try out one of these intensives this weekend —  on Saturday in Danvers with Jessica, and on Sunday in Andover with Jolene! We promise these will challenge you like never before, and will help you take it up another notch or two in your fitness journey! We plan to hold these every other month, starting in March, so stay tuned!!

Annnnnd are you ready for this? In addition to Intensives, we are also bringing you barre n9ne® studio workshops! These will be complimentary to the barre n9ne® studio Intensives in that they are 75 minute sessions that focus on form, posture, breaking down various exercises, and showing you the most effective way to do them which will  help you apply this to each and every class. We will choose a specific focus for each workshop – for example, abs – so you can connect more with that body part, learn proper form and placement and apply that knowledge to your next class! These workshops will also start in March, and will be on alternating weekends to the Intensives! Stay tuned!!

These are just a few of the fabulous events we have planned in 2013 for YOU, our most AMAZING clients. We are really looking forward to seeing you all this week in our packed classes and for those that have the opportunity to try an Intensive, TELL US how you liked them, and share it with us on Facebook, too! We love, love, love hearing from you!

See you at the barre,

Tanya

5 Questions With…Emily Viator!

At barre n9ne®,  we have an incredible mix of clients. I feel that everyone can relate to someone. Our clients range from age 17-66. This range is made up of ladies either working full time or going to school, or both- either married or unmarried, those that have children and those that don’t. We have the mothers and daughters that come together, we have the grandmother and granddaughter who come together, we have the sisters that come, the best friends, the cousins, the aunts and nieces. The list is endless. There are the fitness fanatics who come to barre n9ne® 5-6 days a week and those who come 1, 2, or 3 times per week.

The awesome thing is each and every client is unique and different in their own way and I love them all! That being said, there is one niche of clients who will always hold a special place in my heart- our MOM clients, and for me specifically at this moment, our NEW MOMS. Being a ‘relatively new’ mom myself, I understand how hard it is to get in some ME time. You see, when I had Jalen, I was working full time at a financial advising firm and running the Danvers studio so I can absolutely relate to the 9 to 5-ers who have children and are trying so hard squeeze in a workout. I know it is tough. I know you are exhausted at the end of the day. I know many times you just want to blow off class and stay home and either relax when kids {finally} go to bed or get laundry, errands, and other chores done. I commend you for making time for yourself and coming to class! We also have stay at home moms who have 1,2, 3 and 4 children! Now whoever said that a stay at home moms job is EASY, in my opinion, that person is a crazy lunatic 🙂  This is one of the hardest jobs out there! So to those clients who are stay at home moms and still find the time to come to class I also commend you!!

Now where is all this heading? Well, we are so often featuring challengers when we talk about the results you can have from taking barre n9ne® classes. This time, I wanted to focus on a mom who didn’t necessarily do one of our 60 day challenges, but rather a mom who had purchased the New Moms Bounce Back package (3 unlimited months of classes for $300, valid for new moms who are no more than 9 month postpartum.) and who committed to coming for 3 months straight. One lovely lady who stuck out in my mind is Emily Viator. You can read her story below, of course, but first I just have to say that Emily did such an amazing job in the 3 months that she was taking classes with her New Moms Bounce Back package. She took 54 classes over the course of 3 months and totally got back into pre-baby shape!

Emily is a shining example of why making sure you get in some “ME” time that you all deserve is so important.  Taking an hour a few times a week to go to a class not only makes you feel great but will provide you even more energy to care for your new baby! Congratulations Emily, on your progress and success, you look fantastic, happier than ever and carrying that newfound confidence we all love to see!

1) What drew you to barre n9ne® and the new moms bounceback program, initially (beyond the obvious ‘body after baby’ factor)?

Well to be honest it was seeing the results of some of the other clients!

I am friendly with a couple of the instructors (Jessica and Jolene) and I have been amazed and also intrigued with their transformations over the last year. I had talked about trying it in the past but this just seemed like the perfect time to give it a shot. I was 4 months postpartum and felt like I had a handle on things with the baby enough to commit to going to classes a few nights a week. I remember looking at the class schedule and thinking…an hour is an ok amount of time for ME right? Can I honestly say I can make it to class at least four nights a week?  I laughed when I asked myself these questions because a few months prior they weren’t even questions, thoughts or even considerations. I never had to think about if going to an hour class would have such an impact…any mom can appreciate that one! Going to class also gave my husband a chance to spend some alone time with our daughter which he greatly enjoyed and looked forward to.

Since becoming a new mom, I needed something new and exciting to get me back into working out. I was looking forward to getting in shape with other women that were in the same situation as me and had the same goals and concerns. I thought that the bounce back program was a great way to make the classes affordable for new moms. The unlimited option was GREAT and I tried to take full advantage. I felt like the three months was also a good amount of time to allow for someone to get a full experience and see results. I think any new mom can appreciate the need for a little extra time to get your body back in shape.

2) What were your expectations (if any) going into the program?

I have to say my expectations were rather low. I was really excited to get back into working out but I was pretty skeptical about the results. Mostly because I knew that going to classes as much as possible allowed no time for true cardio besides walking with the stroller during the day. Let’s just say I was WRONG!

3) Prior to barre n9ne®, what was your go-to workout for getting into ‘fighting’ shape? Did you have any reservations about trying something new to get back into shape, post-baby?

I am a pretty active person by nature. I have always enjoyed exercising. Prior to barre n9ne®, I would say I was your typical “gym go-er.” I enjoy spinning, weight classes, other group classes and working out independently. I was lucky enough that I was able to work out pretty much throughout my entire pregnancy.

My reservations were mainly that I wouldn’t see any major results. I desperately wanted and needed these results. I wanted my body back, the way it used to be! I was concerned that by doing the bounceback program I was going to invest all of my designated work-out time to a method and program I hadn’t tried before. Would it be worth it? Should I just go back to the gym? Finding time for me can be so difficult and sometimes feel impossible. I wanted the investment of time to be effective and it DEFINITELY was!

4) What has been the biggest surprise result or experience for you coming out of the new moms bounce back program?

A very memorable moment came about two months into the program. One morning, I was getting dressed for the day and I noticed my pre-pregnancy jeans sitting in my closet. They were somewhat hidden only because I had tried to put them on a few months prior and it was not a success. As much as I love my daughter and treasure the experience of being pregnant, I did not love or treasure the weight gain. I was lucky enough to have a very “easy” pregnancy but going to those appointments and seeing the numbers go up on the scale was so difficult. Even though I gained the “average” 30 pounds, it still wasn’t easy.

So there they were the jeans. I hesitated putting them on thinking that this was going to be another one of those moments where I would end up hiding them back in the closet for yet another try but sure enough they fit! They fit just like they used to and I actually felt good in them! I was so excited. At that moment I was completely convinced that the barre n9ne® classes really do produce results. They are 100% worth the investment in all forms.

5) What overall results did you experience during the three-month program – both physical and mental?

Physically: The results speak for themselves. I am now able to fit into all my pre-pregnancy clothes. Some of them are even now loose! I am stronger, leaner, and feel like I am back to myself. One of my favorite aspects of the barre workouts is that they never seem to get easier. You can always get lower, hold longer, do a longer series etc. It is truly the first and only method of working out that I haven’t noticed any plateau and I love it for that.

Mentally: Doing the bounce back program allowed me to designate time for me again.  The sudden lack of sleep, physical, and mental exhaustion that accompany new motherhood make it so easy to come up with an excuse not to work out. I remember having those early mornings in the beginning and being signed up for a class at night, thinking “How am I going to make it through today, never mind a barre class tonight!” Although not easy, you can, and when you return home after class you will feel great! The commitment to the program made it easy to stay focused on getting back in shape and also justified the time I was spending away from the baby. It was also a commitment to me which I think is so important for new moms especially. There are so many changes that happen so quickly in your life that it is easy to lose site of who you used to be.

I also wanted to add that the mommy and me classes were really great too. It was such a fun experience to be able to work out with Julia and she loved it! The environment was so welcoming and hanging out with all the new moms was a lot of fun. I also liked how it was casual enough that I didn’t feel awkward if Julia cried or maybe wasn’t in the mood for the exercise series at that moment. I will also add that doing the barre exercises with a baby on your chest is not easy!

Bonus question: What is your favorite/least favorite barre n9ne signature move and WHY?

CHAIR pose at the barre is definitely my favorite and LEAST favorite move all in one. It is so challenging and never seems to get any easier! I think my legs begin shaking at the mere mention of it in class! But that is also why it is my favorite as well. I love the challenge that it presents to both my body and mind to stick with it through the series.

Thank you to barre n9ne® and all the instructors for giving me the opportunity to feel like myself again. The studio is truly a special place and I look forward to continuing taking classes, I’m hooked!

Reflections…

In 2010, just 8 months after I opened the Danvers studio I wrote this blog post in the barre n9ne® November Newsletter.  Since I enjoyed writing it so much and many new clients have joined barre n9ne® since 2010, it has become a tradition for me to re-share this write-up each November.  Enjoy.

Many of you know that from 2005-2008 I was a Patriots Cheerleader. The number one question I get is “Was that so much fun?”  Now obviously the calendar shoots, games, promotions, endless practices and the bittersweet trip to the Super Bowl in Arizona top my list as amazing times during these 3 years….but nothing compares to the experience I am about to share with you…

In 2006, my second year on the team, I was selected along with 5 other women to represent our team and travel overseas to entertain the troops and boost morale for our annual Operations Seasons Greeting Tour (OSG as we like to call it!). Now let me share an inside detail with you….when you are a Patriots Cheerleader you hope and pray and cross your fingers that YOU are selected for this tour so you can IMAGINE the joy and excitement that rushed through my body when I received the call from my coach one day that I was one of the 6 invited to go on the OSG Tour. Think of the most amazing thing that could ever happen to you and multiply it by 1,000,000!

The OSG tour is about 2 weeks long. We travel with the Air Force and leave before Thanksgiving and return after the beginning of December. Because a two week tour could not possibly be summarized in this blog I will share you with you two eye opening experiences from this trip.

During the tour we traveled to Incirlik Turkey, Ramstein Germany, two bases in Iraq, one base in Afghanistan and one base in Quatar.  In a nutshell, one November day we departed Boston and landed in Georgia at the Air Force Base. Two hours later departed Georgia on a military plane for Turkey which would become our “home base” for the next 2 weeks.

Upon arriving in Incirlik we were greeted by our Chief who would be responsible for keeping us safe for the next two weeks…..what a huge responsibility!  We were given our agenda for the next two weeks in a very long briefing then shown to our rooms. From there the craziness began….tons of meet and greets, practices, performances, autograph signings, interviews, flights from here to there, more briefings, rules, secret locations disclosed to us minutes before landing….you name it, we did it. It was amazing.

On Thanksgiving we arrived in Iraq and were brought to the soccer field where Saddam executed the soccer team…this is where we were performing on Thanksgiving night….intense. When we got out of the plane we were quickly brought behind the stage into a “dressing room” where we got as dolled up as we could with the wind blowing tons and tons of sand around….I could literally scratch my head and pull out sand….and we were supposed to look “glamourous” Yeah Right.  When it was our turn to take the stage we took off our warm up suits and headed up the stairs IT WAS FREEZING! I kept thinking, ” I can’t believe my family is sitting around the dining room table right now having Thanksgiving dinner and I am in Iraq.”

At this point my heart dropped…….as I looked out into crowd, there weren’t just a few people waiting for us to perform…there were hundeds, maybe thousands of troops lined up for miles and miles into the darkness waiting for the performance we were about to give. I couldn’t believe it.

After we danced we were brought to a side table where we would take photos and autograph our team posters. All the troops we had just danced for lined up to meet us. We were there until about 3am signing. The line went on forever. We told our coach we didn’t want to leave until we met every last person. It was incredible. We met men, women, older, younger, married, single, kids, no kids, etc from all over the world.  Get this….each one thanking US for coming. I couldn’t believe it. These men and women, who are fighting for our freedom everyday, risking their lives, are thanking US for giving up our Thanksgiving with our families to visit them? It didn’t seem right. All you could hear down the table from our girls was “No, thank YOU for all that you do.” It was breathtaking.

During the signing I remember meeting an attractive young man who had a smile that could light up the room. He exchanged jokes with us, made us laugh, asked us where we were from, told us a little about himself, took a photo with us, received his signed poster and moved along. We smiled at each other. I figured I would never see him again.

A few days later while we were visiting a military hospital we were brought into the rooms where the most critically wounded troops were. Guess who I am faced with…the same charming, once smiling young man I had met only a few days prior, however, now his whole life has been changed.

The short story is that he stepped on a landmine and lost both legs along with numerous other injuries. The tears started flowing as my teammate and I realized who he was. We squeezed his hand and each gave him a long hug. Although this selfless man could hardly speak, he thanked US for coming to visit him and told us how much he enjoyed the show. I could not believe it.

Whew! Now if you are tearing up, I apologize. I know our blogs are typically motivating and uplifting and not tear jerkers!

At this time, as we approach the holiday season I feel it is so important to give back, appreciate our freedom, appreciate our loved ones and be grateful for all that we have. As you spend your Thanksgiving with your family sitting around the long table with endless appetizers, foods, drinks and desserts, I encourage you to take a moment to think of those that are not spending Thanksgiving with their families because they are overseas risking their lives and fighting for our freedom.

For those of you whose mother or father, son or daughter, husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, brother or sister, aunt or uncle is overseas at this time, my heart goes out to you. For those of you who have lost someone while they fighting for our country, please accept my heartfelt condolences. I know I speak on behalf of all the staff members at barre n9ne® when I say we are all so thankful for the men and women who are fighting/have fought for our freedom.

Tanya

It’s Returnable!

I thought of this post as I was blowdrying my hair this morning, thinking “It’s raining again and I still don’t have rain boots!”

Now those of you who saw my string of posts on Facebook talking about the Hunters rain boots I bought on Gilt (for $73 each!) well I had to return them because they were too big. 😦

So how does this relate to barre n9ne right®…? Because I know you really have better things to do than to worry about my rain boot issue 🙂

Well I was thinking about the 60 day challenge ladies who are finishing up TODAY and getting measured TONIGHT and also thinking about a conversation I had with a new client yesterday afternoon, AND thinking back to when I bought these two pairs of Hunters on Gilt and to justify it I told AJ “they are returnable”-I had an epiphany….

That body you don’t like, IT’S RETURNABLE! This is my new motto! Bring it to barre n9ne® and trade it in for a body you LOVE.

This is truly what these ladies did during their 60 day challenge! At the halfway mark let me remind you we had women losing 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10 inches- in 30 days! Also weight loss of 3-11lbs! I mean if that isn’t remarkable I don’t know what is! They basically “traded in” or RETURNED their old body for a new one!

So if you hear me saying this a lot now you know why!

Start applying this saying to EVERYTHING- heck I do!

I bought some clothes this weekend and the first question I asked at the register is “what is your return policy?” Why am I obsessing over this {one might say} because life is too short to live it unhappy or unsatisfied. Your life is what you make of it. You are responsible for YOU. If you aren’t who is?

Do you think that celebrity you are spending time reading about in US Weekly is caring about what you are doing with your life? NO, not a chance- they don’t even know who you are BUT we seem to know everything that is going on in Jennifer Aniston’s love life or all the tiny details about Kim Kardashian’s wedding….Spend that time on YOU instead.

If you don’t like your body, do something about it (and I can help you!!!) if you don’t like those jeans you bought last week- return them and get a pair you LOVE! If you are not happy in your job, get your resume in order and start sending it out and networking!

Trade in that which you don’t love for that which you do love!

What are you going to “return” today?

P.S. 60 Challege Ladies: take those clothes that you will never fit into again because they are too big and DONATE them. Get them out of your closet. There is no going back- this is the new YOU. Congratulations.

30 day results….19 days late…oops! AND a wonderful client story

The last time I posted was right before we moved. I am happy to report that we finally feel settled in. This was a really difficult move. I don’t know if it’s because this time we have Jalen therefore we have way MORE “stuff” or if I was just not as organized as I have been in the past. Either way I feel relieved that it is finally over.

Moving on to what I am so excited to post about….and yes 19 days late might I add….The halfway point results of the current 60 Day Challenge! Here goes:

As of September 1^st 2011: 12 ladies…. 66 inches and 45lbs LOST!

Some of you may know that we had a friendly competition going on during the first 30 days. The person with the greatest number of inches lost would win a set of 4 blue dishes from Crate and Barrel! WHY BLUE? Blue makes you eat less 🙂 look it up!

The winner is Amanda H. She lost 10 inches and 11lbs!  Congratulations Amanda!

I am so proud of these women. Their determination and commitment to the barre n9ne® 60 day challenge has truly paid off. AND we are not even at the end yet! I can only imagine that we are going to be close to 90 inches lost on September 29^th!

Now for the best part…..I received this note in my email box from a participant in the 60 day challenge last week. With her permission I am sharing it with you. It is notes like these that remind me why I love my job so much. Enjoy.

Tanya,

So I knew I was excited when I lost a few inches and pounds, but I’m pretty excited that other people are noticing – so excited that I decided to write you a brief novel 🙂

Here’s a  quick background on how I came here:

In Summer 2006, I was a sophomore in college and really antsy. I had NO idea why I settled on Salem State and sticking around here. I was in a stale relationship, and decided it was time for a change. I applied to NYU as a visiting student, didn’t tell anyone, not even my parents or boyfriend, and then in 2007 I was off to live in New York City without knowing a soul. I consider that to be the year that I was in the best shape ever, but still somewhat unhealthy. I was going to the gym at school often, walking everywhere (in heels…in the winter…), and just exploring. I lost weight but I know part of that had to do with nerves, and it was my first time living on my own so I wasn’t eating very well (lots of oatmeal and tea, shoes came before nutrition!) Right before I left, I treated myself to a pair of size 27 Seven A-Pockets for $170. I LIVED in these jeans!

It all unfolded that as a visiting student, if I became a transfer student, I wasn’t eligible for financial aid and my whole degree would cost me over 75k for two years. So, I packed up my stuff, moved back home, broke up with my boyfriend, back to SSC with no friends after having the best time of my life. I started dating someone else, a relationship that lasted almost 3 years and was SO unhealthy, mentally, and food-wise. We literally used to sit in his basement and eat pints of Ben and Jerry’s, always ordered takeout, just gross. I would always get fro-yo, but still, I was sitting on my butt eating a lot of crappy food. I graduated, and my part time desk job turned into a full time desk job. And my hips got wider, butt got bigger…you know the drill!

I finally broke up with that guy in April 2010. What a mess it all was. My good friend from high school invited me to hang out with her running club friends after their usual Thursday night run. I started hanging out with them weekly, and they quickly turned into great friends. I was impressed by how active they all were – not just their running, but just always doing something outdoorsy. I started indoor rock climbing with them, and my friend had heard about barre n9ne® from a girl she worked with because we both wanted to take a winter class to keep us busy. I ended up coming to class one night and clearly, was hooked!

Fast forward to last night, it was my little brothers 20th birthday dinner. We’re really close, and two summers ago we went to the beach and he killed me when he said “whoa, you could tighten up your belly a little”. I wasn’t offended because we’re close, he wasn’t trying to be mean, and I had just always been thin and never worried about being in a bathing suit. Talk about motivation. I feel like I finally got it all together with this challenge…last night we went for a quick trip to dunks, I was driving, and when I grabbed the coffee from the drive through he was like “wow, look at that, no arm flab! And your belly doesn’t hang over your jeans!” I flexed my arm a little and he was impressed that I had a little bit of definition. PS, I had never lifted a single weight before barre n9ne®, I was always WAY too intimidated by them, so I always stuck to machines and the elliptical at the gym. Anyway, that felt awesome, to have someone who has known me my entire life say that my body has changed and it was noticeable.

My goal sheet that I filled out before the challenge said two things: to not have to tuck my belly in my jeans when I sit down, and to fit in my goal jeans. Since my brother pointed out the belly/jeans thing, I decided to give my goal jeans a shot. Well, I’m wearing those size 27 A Pockets at work today. They’re not quite perfect – I had a little muffin top when I put them on, but they button, zipper, I can sit in them, and you can’t see panty lines, so in my mind, they fit! 🙂

This has been an awesome year, I’ve tried so many new things, am very active, and in an awesome relationship. This challenge couldn’t have come at a better time – can’t wait to start the next one with my friend, who I met as part of the running club (that I still don’t run with, but that’s a whole ‘nother story!)

So yeah, thanks for all the support, the tweets, the assists in class…it’s all working out so well!

You are exactly where you are supposed to be. Love, Dove

Yes I ate a Dark Chocolate Raspberry Dove Promise at 10:45am….I couldn’t help it my co-worker put it on my desk…this is why I don’t go into the kitchen 🙂 I digress…

Honestly this “promise/fortune” couldn’t have come at a better time. I was thinking this morning after virtual barre what my next blog post would be about…A day in the life of Tanya? No, not yet 😉 An update on my 60 day challenge ladies? No, that will come after their measuring on 9/1. A fit tip or recipe? Don’t have any new ones right now so no. I was on the phone at WMG as I opened this promise and  a light bulb went off!

If you are friends with me on Facebook or attend regular classes at the studio you may have seen my posts or heard me talk about moving. Yup we are moving on 8/31 (or sooner!) Why? Our lease is up, our current place is way too small for this little boy named Jalen that I love so much, but the main reason is (drumroll) – we are planning to buy a home soon! How exciting….AND SCARY! Does this mean I am a real adult?! I guess so! I mean of course I am but this is a huge huge purchase- those of you homeowners can relate. Now of course we are not buying a house in the next 7 days so we are moving to a temporary apartment while we find something we LOVE.

This means we are leaving the city (sad face!)…..something I really don’t want to do. I love Boston, I love walking on the Charles River, I love walking down Newbury St. and looking at all the things I will buy someday, I love Osushi our regular sushi spot, I love Scoozi for sangria, Emack and Bolios for my espresso oreo soft serve on a hot day or Paramount on Charles Street for dinner. I love walking around Seaport which really has developed over the past 3 years. I love rainy days in the Prudential and Copley Mall window shopping. The list goes on and on and on.  Boston/East Cambridge has really become my home in the last 3 years since I moved there from the north shore and I am SO SAD to leave.

We have made the decision to move back to the north shore for the next 3-6 months so that we can save money and look for a place to call HOME. I have struggled with this decision since May when I began our search for a home to buy or a bigger place in the city to rent. We haven’t found anything yet and rentals in the city are just insane right now. I could own a mansion for the amount of money a 2 bedroom in town is renting for these days! It just makes sense for us to head up north while we continue our search.

Side Note: Something funny that those living in the city can relate to- we don’t have to pay for parking at our “new” apt…I haven’t not paid for a parking spot in 3 years, I forgot what that is like!!!

Anyways back to my Dove Promise…”You are exactly where you are supposed to be.” I really did need someone to confirm this for me- not just about our move but about life in general.

Is WMG where I really am supposed to be? I believe it is. My job has changed significantly since I have been back from maternity leave in April and I love it more than I ever have in 8 years with this company.

What about barre n9ne® studio? Now I know why they say that new businesses need to stick out the first 2-3 years before they see profit, growth and success. March 1, 2012 will complete 2 years in business- which also means renewing our lease at 9 Page St. I have gone back and forth about opening a bigger place or staying where we are for another year. I haven’t come to a firm conclusion just yet but I will say barre n9ne® is here to stay- whether that is at 9 Page Street or somewhere very closeby 🙂 that is thanks to all of you who have supported my dream and have allowed me to make it a reality.

Annnd the move….I have started to look on the bright side even though I will miss being a hop, skip and a jump away from Back Bay. Our new place is twice as big as our apartment now- this means having SPACE something we haven’t had in years! This also means Jalen will get his own room and he will have so much space to crawl around. He deserves this.

Another awesome plus is that we have a pool and gym on premises. I fully intend to enjoy the pool before it closes on Labor Day and AJ will love having the gym so closeby.

The best part is that we will have TIME to discover the perfect home for our little family.

So….take a step back. Take a deep breath. And ask yourself…” Are YOU exactly where you are supposed to be?” If the answer is yes after your analysis I am so happy for you.

If the answer is no, think of what you can do to change this. You are in control of your destiny. You are entitled to live your life the way you would like to live it. You have an obligation to be true to yourself, your goals, dreams, and passions and IF you are not exactly where you are supposed to be- change it. Change is hard, trust me I know. BUT change will allow you to live life on your terms…and if you need a pep talk grab me at the studio or send me an email. I’m here for you 🙂

Until next time…

tanya

P.S. These delicious Dove Promises top off at about 44 calories so INDULGE- even you challenge girls!  🙂