The post this morning takes me back to my “home” town and to the love I have for my Zumba peeps.  It was such fun and so encouraging to watch a “newbie” step through the doors, scared to death, and leave empowered.  Some of you will read this and think, “well Zumba is not for me or at home workouts are not for me.”  You are missing the point–it’s about taking that first step and doing something for the good of you.  That can be walking, running, lifting weights, working out at home or venturing a new class.  A huge thanks to Miss Barbara Benson for this awesome, transparent, and inspiring post.

Contemplating Exercise

I have put a great deal of thought into exercising, literally months and months of thought and contemplation. I knew that I needed to exercise, after all, I was forty-nine years old, and if not now just when did I expect this to happen? So I visualized myself exercising, even purchased a 12-week Turbo Fire DVD set after being seduced by the info commercial on television. I mean you got to love infomercials! You can get so inspired while lying on your lazy ass, sort of the same way we all eat dessert while watching the Biggest Loser, but I digress. So the DVD’s gathered dust as I continued my visualization efforts all through the spring of 2011. Summer came and a girls trip to the beach, while my friends and I have the good taste not to photograph each other in our bathing suits, the weekend did produce many unfortunate pictures of my flabby arms. AAHH!!!! (I cannot scream that loud enough). What could be worse then flabby arms to go with my double chin? My time had clearly come.

In late June both of my children were at camp at the same time for one full week. No excuses, I had one week to myself with no one in the house but my kitty companions, this was it! I located and dusted off my Turbo Fire videos, marched down to the basement, and began working out six days a week. Let’s be clear, it was UGLY. One of the DVD’s was called the 55 EZ – indicating 55 minutes of easiness — NOT! My goal at this point was simply not to die. The set came with a 12-week calendar requiring me to exercise six days a week. I needed that calendar; it was the only thing holding me accountable. I figured that if I religiously followed the calendar that eventually I would come out of the fog and wake up 4-6 weeks later. Fortunately the DVDs came with the new to class option. This is where they break down the moves for the coordination/dance challenged people like myself. Honestly, I was too tired to remember the moves, even with the new to class help; I just liked the break in the work out. I mean damn, I was tired, real tired. But I muddled through; after all I still had the vague memory of the aerobics addiction I had in my late twenties. It was the best I ever felt about my body in my entire life. One of the few times I ever wore a bikini. I wanted to get back to that addicted state, and dare I say, to the bikini.

Time passed, four weeks to be exact, yea! I was actually starting to getting twinges of exercise addiction and see changes in my body such as actual indications of muscle mass. Unfortunately, weight wise, I was not losing as fast as I had hoped. While I was getting smaller, I was gaining muscle, which of course weighed more on the scale. I could tell I was getting muscle in my abdomen but it was hidden under a layer of fat and I really wanted that fat to go away.  Enter Zumba, several of my neighbors had caught the Zumba bug and were seeing some great results. So one hot Sunday afternoon I headed to my first Zumba class (with Cheryl, yea!) and what turned out to be one hour of dance fun. I really enjoyed it in spite of my total lack of coordination or the ability to follow dance moves and shake my booty (honestly, it just doesn’t shake in any attractive way whatsoever). But it was fun and I a great break from my very predictable DVD’s, where I had now memorized everything Chalene said. Now I have to admit, the Turbo Fire calendar was my friend, my rulebook, and I could not, not follow the calendar. After all, if left to my own devices, clearly, I would not exercise for another 20 years. So yes, I would go to Zumba three times a week and dutifully come home and Turbo Fire afterwards. But you know what, I always lost weight on Zumba days (you may now imagine the Halleluiah chorus). The weight started to move and people started to notice, and isn’t that what we all want? To be noticed, and to feel good about our bodies and ourselves. Hell yes it is! And better yet, I was developing muscles in my arms and could wear tank tops with much less embarrassment. Oh the joy in that!

Fast forward, six months. I have lost 15 – 20 pounds and I feel better than I have in a long time. I do not play the “new to class” version of my DVD’s and I actually know the moves, though it is still not a pretty sight. But alas, that is why I do it alone in the basement. I cannot tell a lie; I ate lots and lots and lots of sugar during the holidays and yes I put on some Christmas weight. I hit the end of my Turbo Fire Calendar during the fall and did a more modified approach of just trying to either Zumba or Turbo Fire six days a week. Without my calendar holding me accountable, I did not do as well. I am just one of those people that needs a routine. But good news, my kids are out of town with their Dad for the week, smile, and I am getting back into my groove. I am looking forward to Part II of my exercise journey. I figure if I can do a REPEAT of the last six months, I really will have on that bikini this summer! And the thing is, I know that I can do it, because I already did it once. It’s so easy to look at other people and get discouraged, to think that you can never lose the weight, get in shape, etc. But you can, because I did it, and if I did it, anyone can do it. So do it, its January, get a calendar and follow it. Don’t worry about how you look, or how tired you are, just take it a day at a time and one day it will be 4-weeks later and voila, you will be on your way.