Each month we'll be highlighting a new Dance Central fan in the Dancer’s Spotlight! These pieces will give us a chance to recognize some of our most dedicated and inspiring Dance Central community members, and give you a chance to meet your fellow dancers! We’ll talk with cosplayers, Fitness Challenge participants, artists, and more, so check back each month to see whose turn it is in the Spotlight.
Hi! My name is Jamie. Most people know me in Twitter-verse and YouTube-land as VegasJamie. I'm from Las Vegas, but I recently relocated to Omaha for my job. I'm 26 years old and I live with my boyfriend and 4-year-old daughter. I have a professional full-time job, but my part-time job is making YouTube videos and networking with people. I am an avid gamer of all sorts and I have just recently migrated my free time from gaming with my mouse and keyboard over to getting up and dancing on the Kinect!
I was a huge fan of the original Guitar Hero games, and I loved it when Rock Band first came out. And not just for the instruments, but for the singing! I've been known to have some pipes, so I was glad to have a game that I could beat on just my vocal abilities. When Dance Central was released, I saw several other YouTube personalities posting themselves playing it. I thought it was awesome and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.
I have tried all kinds of different exercise plans. I needed to find my own exercise routine that I wouldn't give up on. I have had a personal trainer in the past, and he was very tough, and didn't know how to deal with someone my size. He even drove me to the point of injuring myself during workouts. I woke up one day and decided that I was going to do something fun to work out. The first thing that came to mind was the game that I saw on YouTube - Dance Central! I motivated myself to start doing it, and then my fans, friends, and especially my daughter, motivated me to keep doing it.
The biggest reason why I decided to take my fitness goals to the internet was accountability. I knew that by posting my weight loss journey online, there would be people that would come back every week to see my progress. Even if it was only 10 people, that is 10 people that I do not want to let down. There are people who tell me I motivate them to exercise and be healthy. When I see these comments, I often think, "If I stop, why should they keep going?" This is what I needed to keep me going. I have given up so many times in the past. This is the first time I have lasted more than a month and kept going.
I do get an occasional bad comment on my videos, but the positives outweigh the negatives by a mile. Before I started this, I could list off every single negative comment ever made to me. Now, they are so few and far between that they get looked over. As a matter of fact, I feel sorry for anyone who leaves a negative comment on my videos anymore, because when the people who do support me see those negative comments, they do not let that person live it down!
Besides dancing I do a few other things to help me lose weight. I use an app on my smartphone called MyFitnessPal. It helps me track my calorie intake as well as how many calories I burn during workouts. I have found their calculations to be quite accurate. Another thing I use is a blog called Skinnytaste. It has hundreds of recipes that are low calorie. When you eat the food you make from that site, it doesn't even feel like you're dieting!
Now that I have lost some weight, it is easier for me to be more and more active. I take the stairs instead of the elevator, I go for walks on nice days... every little bit helps. You can even burn calories just by stomping your feet while you're on your computer.
My advice to other people working towards fitness goals is to not get discouraged. You will see your weight go up and down all the time. It is just the way our bodies react to the changes we're making. Also, try not to weigh yourself every day if you can help it. This can really discourage you. There are a lot of things that you need to consider when you weigh yourself every day. Water retention, how long it's been since you last ate, the time of day, etc. I have the hardest time with this because I am so curious.
Find something in your life to keep you motivated. I have two. The first is my daughter. I want to be able to keep up with her, and run and play with her without getting winded so quickly. The second is my boyfriend. We will get married one day, and I don't want to have to have a dress custom made. I want to be able to try on wedding gowns like everyone else. Just find your motivations, and keep it in the back of your mind at all times.
There are so many songs that are fun to dance to! Here are my top 10:
"Turn the Beat Around" by Vicki Sue Robinson (DC3)This song will give your arms a good workout!
"Teach Me How to Dougie" by Cali Swag District (DC3) I don't know what it is, but the beat to this song would make anyone want to dance.
"Real Love" by Mary J. Blige (DC2) Because it's fun, and my friend AshChicaa would kill me if I didn't mention it!
"Informer" by Snow (DLC) Great warm up song before getting into those more difficult songs.
"Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It" by Dem Franchize Boyz (DLC) If you want a good ab workout, dance to this!
"Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice (DC3)I actually just recently discovered this song. So fun to dance to.
"The Hustle" by Van McCoy (DC3) Great cooldown song, and totally groovy!
"Bulletproof" by La Roux (DC2) I love to dance to this because the moves are so simple. You feel like a professional when you hit those moves spot on!
"Forget You" by Cee Lo Green (DC2) You can't go wrong with Cee Lo's 1st chart topping hit!
"Gangnam Style" by PSY (DLC) This song is my most requested song on DC videos and livestreams. It gives me the best workout and I sometimes can't get through it!
Also, sidenote, if you aren't playing as the DC character "Dare", you're doing it wrong!
I couldn't continue my weight loss journey without the following people's support! @MrBr1zzo, @TheKingNappy, @CuddleofDeath, @AshChicaa, and @BigCountry77x on Twitter, and the friends/fans that continuously watch my videos and show me support on a daily basis. You are all amazing, and I love you!