Any other Zumba fans?

[Anita Latte]

@Kasi...OMG YES...I know that song "Volare"...It's by the Gypsy Kings and it's an old song. I love the lead singer's voice of that group SO MUCH. Just love it. That rhythm is called "Rumba Flamenca" and it's a kind of more groovin' and less uptight and stiff version of Flamenco dancing. I really like that rhythm and I really like that group...but their songs seem to go on forever and so I have never even tried to choreo one. Someone put the Gypsy Kings' song "Caminando Por La Calle" on a mixed tape for me in college. I LOVE that song, and think it might make a nice cool down kind of song...

 

And YES...we are still warm...been in the 70s with high HIGH humidity...like 70-90% humidity...so even though the actual temperature isn't high...the stickiness factor is and it's just so gross feeling.

 

@Vanesa...I definitely have clothes issues! I did order some from Athleta. I have the formal dresses but my main problem has to do with regular casual clothes. I have work out clothes coming out my ears!! But nothing that could be considered "normal" and so that is what I am trying to fix. I have high hopes that what I have ordered will work.

 

I've never really landed on a personal fashion style and so I actually have a hard time finding clothing that makes me feel really good for normal everyday wear. These days, with the weight loss and changing body...I just wear my exercise clothes everywhere. I started researching to get some inspiration and I think I googled "SAHM uniform" or something similar and there is a TON of information out there about yoga pants and knit shirts and/or matchy matchy track suits...LOL!! It seems to be the challenge for everyone to find something that can hold up to the rigors of babies, children, household chores...something that is washable and yet, still somewhat fashionable or stylish. It's my personal mission right now to discover my style to help guide me as I completely overhaul my wardrobe (necessary as I have shrunk out of so much and will continue to shrink).

 

Have fun in bellydancing! I took a bellydancing class. SO FUN. I'm trying to remember what it was that was sore that was so surprising...I think it might have been my calves? That would be weird, I have SICK strong calves...upper legs? IDK...but it's a great workout...shoulders too when you get the arm movements into it all.

 

The water recommendation is based on your weight in pounds. You calculate it by multiplying your weight by 0.5 ounces to 1.0 ounces. This is the range of water that you should be shooting for daily. So...I am about 158 pounds right now...So that is 79 to 158 ounces of water daily...OR 10 to 20 8-ounce glasses.

 

Which is a heck of a lot more than 8...

 

THEN you are supposed to add more water for every 20 minutes that you exercise...AND MORE water for any caffeine or alcohol intake...

 

Seriously.

 

Your body is a "bag of mostly water...ack ack" (For anyone that has seen Mars Attacks ;):eek: such a stupid movie...) ANYWAY...

 

It's easy to understand HOW we can all be feeling drained when we haven't had enough water...especially if this is day after day...

 

Speaking of...I know I have been lacking in the water department...UGH...probably another reason why I have been feeling a bit slow this week...that and the Australian Open...OMG...been staying up a little too late to watch a couple matches there...

 

Hope you recover quickly Kasi...have fun in your class Vanesa...Calanita, how was the other instructor?...Donna, hope you are doing well...Mom has to share her story of her record high today...and to all the lurking FIRE ladies...Zumba love!

[aoknkentucky]

I am so sad to say this, but unless we have ten people show up for our Zumba class on Monday night, the class will be cancelled. This is one of the reasons that I have not posted what night my class meets or how many times per week I exercise since this was my only exercise of the week. Tiny baby steps, I know, but I was just beginning to feel comfortable enough to add another night of exercise when our instructor hinted that this would happen after the first of the year if enough people didn't come to the class.

 

I really like my instructor, Nikki. Since she had just begun as an instructor, this was/is the only class she teaches. We have several classes in our area, but I just can't get motivated to show up at a different place where the class is established. To be honest, my main reason (excuse?) is that I find it more and more difficult to explain my limitations to someone. I look perfectly fine. I can do most of the moves if I gear up (medicate) like the Enegizer Bunny before I arrive on-site. The problem is that I hurt like H##L for about three days after. This is not good for my joints, my muscles, or my stash of painkillers.

 

Anita, I really appreciate your earlier post about moving is moving is moving (my paraphrase). As you and Pam have said over and over here, the right instructor makes all the difference in the world. I'm glad you gave the example you did. My movement is not limited by my weight, but I really related to the lady with bone-on-bone movement limitations. I learned quickly that reworking the moves just a little made all the difference in the world for me to be able to participate.

 

Enough of the Debbie Downer. We may have enough people to continue. Monday evening will tell the story. In the meantime, I went to my first Tai Chi class last night!!! This is a brand new class that is starting in another location. One of the two friends that attends Zumba with me has a buddy that leads a couple of Yoga classes in this location, so both friends and I attended last night. I really liked it. I can "do" it. I may not have all the moves, but I can keep up with the tempo. LOL As the instructor told us, progress in finessing moves is measured in decades. Kinda puts it all in perspective and takes the pressure off, KWIM?

 

Kasi, I'm very glad you were not onboard the Concordia and I'm sure you will have a lovely time on the newly booked cruise. I bet you'll make your goal of maintained weight loss too. You go, girlfriend!

 

Welcome newcomers. I'm sure you'll like the spirit of encouragement and the tips and hints you find here. I'll report back on Tuesday to let everyone here know if I am still a Zumba participant, but I'm not sure if I'll be adding further posts since it seems I'm headed in a different direction with exercise by way of Tai Chi.

[Member123]

Debbie!

 

OK, this thread is about people who LOVE Zumba, as in "Any other Zumba fans?" We don't care if you post about doing Tai Chi because the post doesn't say anything about actually DO-ing Zumba, and we know that you are a fan. So, that's not going to get you out of coming to our party, girlfriend! :D

 

Anita hinted at my most amazing accomplishment today. First I have to set up the scenario for you! I walked into my Zumba class today and found a well-attended class, so I ended up moving out of my "regular" location in the class and heading to the back row. One of the reasons that I did that was because I realized that there are a lot of shorter people in my class! I think the majority of ladies in there are hitting somewhere around 5'2" or 5'3", so I have no difficulty seeing the instructor from my height of 5-7-1/2" (I'm taking the 1/2" because my doctor was really impressed with my 1/2" at my last checkup... she said that women "my age" <ugh> were losing height and she thought it was wonderful that I was maintaining!). So, anyway I'm at the back of the class and I'm able to see everyone in the mirror, which amounts to a whole lot of people who are dressed in black exercise clothes... maybe a little bit of white thrown in here and there. Well, I decided to wear my bright lime green top today! And, would you believe that Young (my instructor) decided to wear her bright green cargo pants today! So, in the sea of black/white, we were standing out like crazy in the mirror!

 

Maybe that's why I feel like I really gave it even more than usual today. IDK. But, I really poured it on and kept up with Young. Felt pretty good during the hour. I have a really cool feature on my heart rate monitor (HRM) that shows a "recovery" heart rate; in other words, when I hit the STOP button, it remembers my heart rate at that moment and will display my heart rate after a minute of time has elapsed. I read (somewhere) that a healthy heart will drop 10 beats per minute after stopping exercise; I usually drop 17 to 20 beats in the minute after stopping, so I feel pretty good about that.

 

Imagine my surprise when I checked on my calorie burn and found the number...

 

<drumroll>

 

1057....

 

Yep, I broke the 1000 calorie burn figure! I couldn't believe it! I usually burn in the low- to mid-900s, so I was pretty impressed with myself!

 

As we've mentioned on here before, the use of the HRM is mainly as a tool for a general idea of the level of exertion and, therefore, the numbers might not be able to be taken literally. Disclaimer, etc. But, even using the HRM as a metric tool for exertion.... WTG! Don't you agree?!?

[kasi1979]

Wow Pam,

that´s awesome. So you are the girl they need for the promo-tours :)

It´s interesting that you write of your monochrome classmates, our classes are a sea of color, everything from pink, yellow to different blues, greens and so on. Even the ones that don´t wear Zumba clothes are colorful. Maybe we need that color because it´s so dark and unfriendly outside...

 

You should have seen my face this morning when I went to weigh myself. I´m below 80 kg *yeah*

My weight seems to finally drop. I hope this trend will continue.

So, if I manage to maintain that weight or loose a little more this upcoming week, I´ll be buying myself a Zumba shirt next Sunday :)

 

Today I´m aklways listening for our door bell, as I ordered a new mobile phone. Mine is a company phone which I have to hand back on my last day at the current company.

[littlelovely21]

@Vanesa...I definitely have clothes issues! I did order some from Athleta. I have the formal dresses but my main problem has to do with regular casual clothes. I have work out clothes coming out my ears!! But nothing that could be considered "normal" and so that is what I am trying to fix. I have high hopes that what I have ordered will work.

 

I've never really landed on a personal fashion style and so I actually have a hard time finding clothing that makes me feel really good for normal everyday wear. These days, with the weight loss and changing body...I just wear my exercise clothes everywhere. I started researching to get some inspiration and I think I googled "SAHM uniform" or something similar and there is a TON of information out there about yoga pants and knit shirts and/or matchy matchy track suits...LOL!! It seems to be the challenge for everyone to find something that can hold up to the rigors of babies, children, household chores...something that is washable and yet, still somewhat fashionable or stylish. It's my personal mission right now to discover my style to help guide me as I completely overhaul my wardrobe (necessary as I have shrunk out of so much and will continue to shrink).

 

Have fun in bellydancing! I took a bellydancing class. SO FUN. I'm trying to remember what it was that was sore that was so surprising...I think it might have been my calves? That would be weird, I have SICK strong calves...upper legs? IDK...but it's a great workout...shoulders too when you get the arm movements into it all.

 

The water recommendation is based on your weight in pounds. You calculate it by multiplying your weight by 0.5 ounces to 1.0 ounces. This is the range of water that you should be shooting for daily. So...I am about 158 pounds right now...So that is 79 to 158 ounces of water daily...OR 10 to 20 8-ounce glasses.

 

Which is a heck of a lot more than 8...

 

THEN you are supposed to add more water for every 20 minutes that you exercise...AND MORE water for any caffeine or alcohol intake...

 

Seriously.

 

Your body is a "bag of mostly water...ack ack" (For anyone that has seen Mars Attacks such a stupid movie...) ANYWAY...

 

It's easy to understand HOW we can all be feeling drained when we haven't had enough water...especially if this is day after day...

 

Speaking of...I know I have been lacking in the water department...UGH...probably another reason why I have been feeling a bit slow this week...that and the Australian Open...OMG...been staying up a little too late to watch a couple matches there...

 

Hope you recover quickly Kasi...have fun in your class Vanesa...Calanita, how was the other instructor?...Donna, hope you are doing well...Mom has to share her story of her record high today...and to all the lurking FIRE ladies...Zumba love!

 

 

Anita, thank you for the reminder on howto compute the suggested water intake. I'm 145 lbs currently. I'd like to be 130 but I just don't know if I'll ever get there because I've got a good amount of "junk in the trunk" lol Sadly it's hereditary and no matter how hard I try I'm always going to have it as well as thicker thighs. I know I can get the thighs toned over time, but I just don't know if I'll ever have them NOT touching. Hubby loves 'em, I don't. :rolleyes:

 

I'm kind of the same way as you are when it comes to clothes. I've never had a "style" I just wore whatever fits and isn't too expensive. But I do love to dress up for special occasions, then I'll get all made up and wear something sultry and I'll put on my high heels. Sadly I can't muster up half the energy to do that to get ready for work! Ha! If I could I would probably spend all day in my yoga pants they are so comfy and they keep everything in place for me :D I'll let you know how I do in the belly dance class, I'm sure my calves will get a good workout from tiptoeing and whatnot.

 

I have Zumba tonight and I NEED it after all the snacking I did at this Food & Wine Classic we went to last night. Oh my goodness the food was yummy but we definitely had too much to drink :o (If I had to add a more and more water for the amount of alcohol I drank last night, let's just say I'd be drinking a ton of water! lol)

 

 

Debbie!

 

OK, this thread is about people who LOVE Zumba, as in "Any other Zumba fans?" We don't care if you post about doing Tai Chi because the post doesn't say anything about actually DO-ing Zumba, and we know that you are a fan. So, that's not going to get you out of coming to our party, girlfriend!

 

Anita hinted at my most amazing accomplishment today. First I have to set up the scenario for you! I walked into my Zumba class today and found a well-attended class, so I ended up moving out of my "regular" location in the class and heading to the back row. One of the reasons that I did that was because I realized that there are a lot of shorter people in my class! I think the majority of ladies in there are hitting somewhere around 5'2" or 5'3", so I have no difficulty seeing the instructor from my height of 5-7-1/2" (I'm taking the 1/2" because my doctor was really impressed with my 1/2" at my last checkup... she said that women "my age" <ugh> were losing height and she thought it was wonderful that I was maintaining!). So, anyway I'm at the back of the class and I'm able to see everyone in the mirror, which amounts to a whole lot of people who are dressed in black exercise clothes... maybe a little bit of white thrown in here and there. Well, I decided to wear my bright lime green top today! And, would you believe that Young (my instructor) decided to wear her bright green cargo pants today! So, in the sea of black/white, we were standing out like crazy in the mirror!

 

Maybe that's why I feel like I really gave it even more than usual today. IDK. But, I really poured it on and kept up with Young. Felt pretty good during the hour. I have a really cool feature on my heart rate monitor (HRM) that shows a "recovery" heart rate; in other words, when I hit the STOP button, it remembers my heart rate at that moment and will display my heart rate after a minute of time has elapsed. I read (somewhere) that a healthy heart will drop 10 beats per minute after stopping exercise; I usually drop 17 to 20 beats in the minute after stopping, so I feel pretty good about that.

 

Imagine my surprise when I checked on my calorie burn and found the number...

 

<drumroll>

 

1057....

 

Yep, I broke the 1000 calorie burn figure! I couldn't believe it! I usually burn in the low- to mid-900s, so I was pretty impressed with myself!

 

As we've mentioned on here before, the use of the HRM is mainly as a tool for a general idea of the level of exertion and, therefore, the numbers might not be able to be taken literally. Disclaimer, etc. But, even using the HRM as a metric tool for exertion.... WTG! Don't you agree?!?

 

Congrats on the 1,000 calories burned! That is so awesome!

 

Wow Pam,

that´s awesome. So you are the girl they need for the promo-tours

It´s interesting that you write of your monochrome classmates, our classes are a sea of color, everything from pink, yellow to different blues, greens and so on. Even the ones that don´t wear Zumba clothes are colorful. Maybe we need that color because it´s so dark and unfriendly outside...

 

You should have seen my face this morning when I went to weigh myself. I´m below 80 kg *yeah*

My weight seems to finally drop. I hope this trend will continue.

So, if I manage to maintain that weight or loose a little more this upcoming week, I´ll be buying myself a Zumba shirt next Sunday :)

 

Today I´m aklways listening for our door bell, as I ordered a new mobile phone. Mine is a company phone which I have to hand back on my last day at the current company.

 

Yay! Congrats to you as well for your loss! That is so amazing :) Maybe that's what I need to use as inspiration, shopping rewards for pounds lost! :D

[Anita Latte]

Just a quick note...how is everyone?

 

I'm adding a new song this week..."Hola My Friend". It's a Zumba Fitness song. I don't know who sings the original. I am not doing this routine...but here is the song:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5UXqYDVYDs

 

I made up my own routine to it...I watched some videos about "Hot Hula Fitness" and my version of the song is all about a major core workout...very fun...lots of attempts at hula like hip swaying. :) I'm in love with this song...I'm in such a vacation mood. On tonight's playlist was this song and:

 

Plane to PR (did you know PR stands for Puerto Rico?)

Ven a Cumbiar (we call it the cruise ship song)

Take Me to Rio

Ay! Papasito (makes me think of cartoon ladies with fruit on their heads)

Iko Iko

 

And of course, my typical mix of other latin rhythms that give that wonderful vacation-y feel. :) I'm getting so excited for our cruise...oh baby!!!

[aoknkentucky]

I'm so excited! Tonight was to be the last night of Zumba at our church if we didn't have atleast 10 warm bodies. We had ELEVEN!!! The very best news is that I can now proudly tell the group here that I have a weekly fitness routine. Because we thought we might lose our Monday night Zumba, one friend researched and we will be learning TaiChi on Wednesdays. The other friend that attends with us found a Zumba class in another location on Thursday and we will be trying it this week also. Three times a week? Me??? How did this happen? I went from couch potato to this? I owe so much to everyone here. Thanks for the encouragement everybody. --Debbie

[kasi1979]

Debbie,

that´s awesome, I know how you feel.

At the End of 2010, I was this unfit lady, always lounging in front of my computer and not getting it done.

Now I attend Zumba classes up to 5 times a week, and I feel good.

It´s wonderful what you can achieve when you finally find the workout that you love.

 

I think I´ll be back on track this Thursday, as my cold seems to finally get better. So looking forward to the good-time music.

[Anita Latte]

@Debbie...I'm so glad you got 11!! I was hoping Monday's attendance would make the grade. :)

 

I think it's great that you are trying out another Zumba class. Instructors vary so much...in general there should be an overlap of moves...I'm not sure if you would recognize names, but still...when you hear a cumbia song...you will likely be doing some sort of new configuration of the basic cumbia (one foot moving forward and backward), "sleepy leg", "sugar cane or machete", and booty circles...salsa will have one foot forward, the other backward...switch...the out to the side and out to the other side...the kick back, where you just go to the back on both sides...I think you get the drift...Remember though that the routines may or may not be the same between instructors...and music taste varies greatly too.

 

I can't wait to hear how the new class is.

 

@Kasi...Congrats on your weight!!! Woot Woot!!! I'm sure the trend WILL continue. Are you going to get one of the football shirts? I've been thinking about getting some more loose fitting shirts...almost all my shirts are the tanks...I like them...but I wouldn't mind something different now and again...and I'm glad you're feeling better...it's good to not push it when you aren't feeling well...the important thing is to know that you have something to do when you are better and that resting while your body needs it won't steal away your motivation.

 

I realize I have THREE Daddy Yankee songs on my playlist this morning! I really like him, I guess. LOL.

 

Yesterday...I played Stand By Me for my cool down /pre-stretch song. I think my classes at Curves liked it but were getting bored with it...the choreography is really simple, really repetitive...and yes, it could be called boring...I started offering some more complex songs...but I brought this one back yesterday...it was the most energetic bachata EVA! The ladies were getting into it and having so much fun with it...which just goes to show you...ANY song done with enthusiasm can be more intense. You get out what you put into it.

[Bea_Bopp]

Hi - newbie here.

 

Your thread jumped out at me because I too am a Zumba fan - love it:D. Twice a week with a fantastic (male) teacher at our local sports centre - the hall takes 80 people but it's so popular that you have to phone as soon as booking opens to get in.

 

Our teacher used to be a dancer so he puts his own spin on the choreo but also styles out the songs. One of our current tunes is 'Maria' and if he's in the mood we get the full Ricky Martin - very cheeky;).

 

We also use 'Stand By Me' as a cool-down song - do you do the strange 'hand to shoulders, head, knees' thing at the beginning?

 

Guess where our teacher used to dance?...in the shows on cruise ships!

[kasi1979]

Hi Bea

and welcome to our Zumba thread.

 

We do the Hand, Hip Knee combination at the beginning of Stand by Me, I kind of like this cooldown song, however I prefer historia.

 

My Zumba instructor Annie is a certified dance instructor for Latin and Classic dances, too. She´s been dancing all her life and that´s what you feel when watching her. It´s as though she breathes rhythm. This new year classes at the beginning of the week were so crowded that Annie has to add two more Zumba hours to her schedule to not have to turn anyone away.

Now I can choose classes from the following schedule:

Monday: 6:30 or 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday: 7:45 p.m.

Wednesday: 7:30 p.m.

Thursday: 6:15 and 7:30 p.m.

Friday: 6 pm

Sunday 11:30 am

and starting in march I plan to add a Zumba Toning class on Sunday.

 

I won´t be attending all classes, that´s just to much in combination with a full time job, but I believe up to 5 classes are doable.

[littlelovely21]

Debbie,

that´s awesome, I know how you feel.

At the End of 2010, I was this unfit lady, always lounging in front of my computer and not getting it done.

Now I attend Zumba classes up to 5 times a week, and I feel good.

It´s wonderful what you can achieve when you finally find the workout that you love.

 

I think I´ll be back on track this Thursday, as my cold seems to finally get better. So looking forward to the good-time music.

 

It is quite amazing how addicting Zumba is isn't it?! I remember when I first started, my hubby was shocked that I was even working out because I was such a lazy butt! lol And I'd even take 2 classes B2B and he just couldn't believe it. I wish I had more days available to do it but my schedule only allows for 3 classes a week. Keep up the good work Kasi!

 

@Debbie...I'm so glad you got 11!! I was hoping Monday's attendance would make the grade. :)

 

I think it's great that you are trying out another Zumba class. Instructors vary so much...in general there should be an overlap of moves...I'm not sure if you would recognize names, but still...when you hear a cumbia song...you will likely be doing some sort of new configuration of the basic cumbia (one foot moving forward and backward), "sleepy leg", "sugar cane or machete", and booty circles...salsa will have one foot forward, the other backward...switch...the out to the side and out to the other side...the kick back, where you just go to the back on both sides...I think you get the drift...Remember though that the routines may or may not be the same between instructors...and music taste varies greatly too.

 

I can't wait to hear how the new class is.

 

@Kasi...Congrats on your weight!!! Woot Woot!!! I'm sure the trend WILL continue. Are you going to get one of the football shirts? I've been thinking about getting some more loose fitting shirts...almost all my shirts are the tanks...I like them...but I wouldn't mind something different now and again...and I'm glad you're feeling better...it's good to not push it when you aren't feeling well...the important thing is to know that you have something to do when you are better and that resting while your body needs it won't steal away your motivation.

 

I realize I have THREE Daddy Yankee songs on my playlist this morning! I really like him, I guess. LOL.

 

Yesterday...I played Stand By Me for my cool down /pre-stretch song. I think my classes at Curves liked it but were getting bored with it...the choreography is really simple, really repetitive...and yes, it could be called boring...I started offering some more complex songs...but I brought this one back yesterday...it was the most energetic bachata EVA! The ladies were getting into it and having so much fun with it...which just goes to show you...ANY song done with enthusiasm can be more intense. You get out what you put into it.

 

I too love Daddy Yankee :D His music definitely makes you wanna get up and shake your moneymaker! haha

 

Hi - newbie here.

 

Your thread jumped out at me because I too am a Zumba fan - love it:D. Twice a week with a fantastic (male) teacher at our local sports centre - the hall takes 80 people but it's so popular that you have to phone as soon as booking opens to get in.

 

Our teacher used to be a dancer so he puts his own spin on the choreo but also styles out the songs. One of our current tunes is 'Maria' and if he's in the mood we get the full Ricky Martin - very cheeky;).

 

We also use 'Stand By Me' as a cool-down song - do you do the strange 'hand to shoulders, head, knees' thing at the beginning?

 

Guess where our teacher used to dance?...in the shows on cruise ships!

 

Welcome! I'm a newbie here as well but I feel right at home with these ladies and how we all can share in our weight loss achievements & goals and our love for Zumba!

 

Anita, I have started this week with the lemon water you had suggested a while back. I'm having one in the am and one before dinner every day. Hoping to see a difference after a couple of weeks. I googled quite a bit and most everything I read seemed to be that adding lemon water to your daily routine helped increase the weight loss. I'm hoping it works for me too :)

 

The new place I'm going to is also an herbalife distribution center and they have a combo deal that I plan on using for my 3 Zumba days. It's $6 and you get the class as well as a before workout tea and an after zumba herbalife shake as your dinner replacement. This is my first week combining Zumba 3 days a week, the meal replacements, lemon water detox an Saturday bellydance class. Man I'm getting tired just thinking about it all! lol But I plan to stick with it because my goal is really to go on our March 11th cruise with the same weight and body I had when we went on our March 6th honeymoon cruise last year. I weighed 139.5, currently I'm 143.5. It seems like it'd be so easy to get down to that weight but IT'S NOT! We ate out soooooooooo many times after getting married, Pizza almost every Saturday and then the fact that after I got married I basically stopped exercising, it's been dificult to see that low number again. But I am trying and will continue to do so and I hope I can keep it going even after my cruise now that I've found this support group as well as a local FB support group for weight loss and I'm making new friends at the new Zumba place too that can keep me in check. I hope everyone here has a fantastic week. GOOOOOOO US!

[littlelovely21]

I'm so excited! Tonight was to be the last night of Zumba at our church if we didn't have atleast 10 warm bodies. We had ELEVEN!!! The very best news is that I can now proudly tell the group here that I have a weekly fitness routine. Because we thought we might lose our Monday night Zumba, one friend researched and we will be learning TaiChi on Wednesdays. The other friend that attends with us found a Zumba class in another location on Thursday and we will be trying it this week also. Three times a week? Me??? How did this happen? I went from couch potato to this? I owe so much to everyone here. Thanks for the encouragement everybody. --Debbie

 

Congrats on getting the 11 to Zumba! Also, congrats on committing to a healthier lifestyle. I too was a major couch potato! :o But I'm so glad we have all found Zumba :) Keep up the hardwork!

[aoknkentucky]

Hi Everybody. Anita posted recipes in the early days of this thread and I thought I'd post something I found a few minutes ago on a blog. Have you ever read a blog and clicked on a blog from their blog list; read that second blog and clicked on an interesting sounding blog in the second blog? Well, that's what happened to me today and I'm afraid I'll never find it again. If I put the recipe here, I'll remember where it is and we can all benefit. I haven't tried this, but it sounds yummy and healthy. Win-Win.

 

I simply popped 2 pork tenderloins (but any pork will do) into the slow cooker, added some sea salt and pepper, and then dumped a jar of Trader Joe’s salsa verde on top. (any all natural salsa works, just make sure no added junk) Let it cook on low for 8 hours. Came home after an intense Crossfit (Zumba) workout, shredded my pork with a couple of forks, it should just fall apart.

 

Whipped up some easy guacamole – just 2 avocados mashed with a couple spoonfuls of salsa, a little cumin, sea salt and pepper and it is ready to go

 

Pre heated broiler, sliced up 3 bell peppers that I lightly coated in olive oil and seasoned salt and stuck them in under broiler. Fliped mid way through, about 5 minutes on each side.

 

I “riced” a head of cauliflower by sticking the florets in the microwave for 2 minutes, then using my chopper to chop it up. Put the cauliflower into a skillet, added about a 1/4 cup of salsa along with a sprinkle of sea salt and pepper and sauteed until a little softened, about 5 minutes

 

Served the pork with a dollop of guac and sour cream, with the veggies on the side – delicious

[Anita Latte]

Hi - newbie here.

 

Your thread jumped out at me because I too am a Zumba fan - love it:D. Twice a week with a fantastic (male) teacher at our local sports centre - the hall takes 80 people but it's so popular that you have to phone as soon as booking opens to get in.

 

Our teacher used to be a dancer so he puts his own spin on the choreo but also styles out the songs. One of our current tunes is 'Maria' and if he's in the mood we get the full Ricky Martin - very cheeky.

 

We also use 'Stand By Me' as a cool-down song - do you do the strange 'hand to shoulders, head, knees' thing at the beginning?

 

Guess where our teacher used to dance?...in the shows on cruise ships!

 

Hi Bea! WELCOME!!

 

I may be stealing Mom's thunder here, but your instructor sounds like one that used to teach one of Mom's classes. PACKED to the gills...he had a dance background...and he was just SO FUN...his mannerisms were excellent...he connected with the class...everyone just enjoyed being there with him.

 

I can only imagine being in a regular class that size though! WOW!! I bet the energy in the room is amazing and that alone would get you pumped up to go. It sounds like going to a Zumba concert twice a week. What fun that would be!

 

That weird hand movement stuff at the beginning of "Stand By Me" is choreography straight from Beto...instructors get a CD/DVD combo every other month...the DVD has Beto or one of the other main people from Zumba teaching a live class and also one of the Zumba Education Specialists (the people that are trained to train Zumba instructors) teach their own choreography to each song on the CD. So instructors can choose one choreo or the other, mix and match, and/or incorporate their own choreo. My instructor already had a routine to "Stand By Me" before the Zumba Fitness version came out, so I do what she did to it. I could have changed that, but it was the one bachata that I already knew when I started teaching and I didn't mess with it.

 

I like the Maria song too...there is a Zumba Fitness version where they remixed it into more of a Flamenco beat rather than the Pop beat of Ricky's original. Sounds like you have a great class. Let me know what songs you really like and seem to be well liked...I'm always on the look out for new music...especially cool down and stretch songs at the end.

 

I won´t be attending all classes, that´s just to much in combination with a full time job, but I believe up to 5 classes are doable.

 

Wow Kasi, it sounds like Annie's classes have really taken off! That's fabulous. I know from having my own class attendance fluctuate that more people really does mean more energy. It's possible to have fun in a smaller class, especially when everyone knows each other...but sometimes, when you are struggling with your day or are more tired or whatever...it's helpful to have more people to get into the groove.

 

It is quite amazing how addicting Zumba is isn't it?! I remember when I first started, my hubby was shocked that I was even working out because I was such a lazy butt! lol And I'd even take 2 classes B2B and he just couldn't believe it. I wish I had more days available to do it but my schedule only allows for 3 classes a week. Keep up the good work Kasi!

 

Zumba IS addictive. I think that's what makes it so great! When you are first getting started, if you have found an instructor whose taste in music is similar enough to your own...not that anyone really had any prior TASTE in Latin music right?...but you know what I mean?...he general sound and the quality of the voices...when you think about what the class is...listening to some music and moving around for a while...it's not hard to decide that you can do that. And it becomes a short step into...yeah, I WANT to do that, I in the MOOD to that, and then I NEED to do that. ;)

 

I too love Daddy Yankee :D His music definitely makes you wanna get up and shake your moneymaker! haha

 

I love that about him! There are some singers in that genre "Reggaeton" that I just can't stand...they are SO hard...they sound like they are YELLING...they sound ANGRY...I can't handle them at all. Wisin Y Yandel falls into that category for me...lots of instructors like "

"...I do too...BUT the hard verses sometimes bug me...the video is kind of sad...and so I continue to pass on that song...I know

is also popular. It's weird to reference songs I don't really love...but they are used and I know sometimes people like to know what songs are in class but they can't remember anything about the songs or figure out any words to even try to search. LOL.

 

Welcome! I'm a newbie here as well but I feel right at home with these ladies and how we all can share in our weight loss achievements & goals and our love for Zumba!

 

I'm so glad you feel at home! My whole reason to start this thread was for exactly what you wrote...to share our achievement and goals and give each other encouragement along the way. :)

 

Anita, I have started this week with the lemon water you had suggested a while back. I'm having one in the am and one before dinner every day. Hoping to see a difference after a couple of weeks. I googled quite a bit and most everything I read seemed to be that adding lemon water to your daily routine helped increase the weight loss. I'm hoping it works for me too :)

 

We're starting the lemon water again too! DH is struggling with his routine. It's been messed up for several months now. Things have changed at the tennis club and he hasn't been able to get on the ball machine, and that's what he loved, so he is having a hard time figuring out what to do.

 

The new place has a great deal on Zumba classes! You do have an aggressive schedule set up, but it sounds do-able. The great thing about Zumba is that you CAN adjust your exertion level as needed...even if you are tired or sore...moving with generally be good for you...one thing...it may take your body a bit to adjust to all the necessary energy that you are expecting it to give you...so yes, you may be more tired than usual as your body learns what to do...I've been going through this adjustment as my body gets used to my schedule again after having had a break from two locations' classes over the holidays.

 

Debbie...that recipe sounds yummy and easy! Thanks for sharing it! Note to everyone...this kind of thing is ENCOURAGED here.

 

Salsa and any kind of protein in the crock pot is AWESOME! I haven't done pork, but I HAVE done chicken and turkey. I've done chicken breasts and turkey thighs. You can experiment with the salsa that you use too. This makes me want to look at that "Salsas That Cook" book by Rick Bayless from the library. The only rough thing that I have found about jarred salsas is the sodium content. That can rough on water retention...

 

This is my morning OFF! Yay! I've done "Hola My Friend" now three times...I LOVE it...it sticks in my head...I studied some of the videos of "Hot Hula Fitness" on YouTube and I do a kind of Polynesian inspired routine to it. It's a recovery song for sure, but it's a sneaky arm killer...especially if you try to keep "pretty arms" throughout the routine...OMG.

 

I have indoctrinated my corporate class with "Gasolina" which is a KILLER song. It's one of those that you think...this isn't so bad at the beginning...and towards the end, you're like "Is this song ever going to be OVER?!?!" I can only do it to them once a week. LOL. But I like to have those simple moves, killer songs...I need to figure out what song that will be for Thursday's class.

 

I'm waiting around this morning for the garage door repair man. The spring broke on our door...Thank God neither myself nor my car was under the garage door when the spring broke. And I need to do laundry. AND finish putting my Christmas stuff away. :o Debbie, you thought YOU were bad. LOL!! Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

[Member123]

Today I have a weird sense of just... being... and doing some thinking. I need to sit down and think a bit. Right now, I'm just putting down some random thoughts as they come to me... because. I had a weird :confused: few moments in Zumba class last night.

 

So just hang along with me as I randomly sort out myself this morning.

 

OK.

 

I've been feeling a bit frustrated about the changes that my body has been going through... to "my" eye. When I look in the mirror, I feel a certain sense of time.. because my body has responded to the Zumba weight loss with a certain sense of "age," again. to "my" eye. I don't appreciate the way that I've lost weight and my skin has become loose and I get a muffin top when wearing certain pants. AND, I think that's a contributing reason for why I'm hanging onto pants that are now 2 sizes too big: they really aren't that comfortable! It's not comfortable to constantly be pulling up your pants throughout the day.

 

Oh! And my bras are also too big! The band, in its tightest fastening point, does sit right under my breasts. But, during the day, it also creeps up and ends up gravitating towards my nipples, which makes my bras also very uncomfortable! Well, I'm not an "endowed" person: actually, except for the headlights "issue," I could probably do without a bra entirely.

 

But, there you have it: pants too big; bras too big. Just baggy overall and that includes (again) to my "eye," my skin!

 

So I started on this grand search to figure out what to do about skin tightening. WELL, let me tell you that there are basic things that need to be done. What should I do? Should I share my research with everyone... right out of the get-go... or should I put my skin through the paces and then report on the outcome? I don't want to share bogus information, so I'll let you know that I'm starting on some of the procedures that I found out about... and I'll report back. And I promise! I HATE it when people post that they will report back and they DON"T... So I will NOT do that!

 

But, I will tell you one of the most important things that you can do for your skin and to help it with the tightening that needs to be done after weight loss... because we all already know what it is. WATER. HYDRATION. Must Be Done. So, I sit today with a pitcher of lemon-infused water on my countertop and a full glass of water being sipped on my desk. Yes, today will be a day of running for bathroom breaks.... always happens when I begin (yet another) attempt at hydration.

 

So, to my weird moment in Zumba class. I needed to explain some of my current feelings in order for you to understand the 'weirdness" of my moment.

 

I'm standing in Zumba class, and I'm completely spaced out. There is a major golf tournament happening in my area right now; it's one of those national televised tournaments which means that we have streets that are closed to normal traffic patterns, major congestion, bizarre drivers, just general hassle. Kisha (instructor) didn't take this into account and they've just announced that she's stuck in traffic and will arrive somewhat late to class. So, we're all standing around... and I feel a tap on my shoulder... so... turning around, I see a lovely young woman that I had met a few months ago, Lindsay. Lindsay stepped up to talk to me because she hadn't seen me in quite a while.. really since September of last year.

 

Anyway, Lindsay just wanted to tell me how fabulous she thought I looked! She was amazed at how TONED my arms are! And how TONED my stomach looks!

 

What?!?

 

This was my weird moment. How could I be getting compliments on something that was making me feel frustrated and somewhat depressed?

 

So, I'm thinking about this.... are we just really, really hard on ourselves? Do we need to be more gentle and caring and nurturing to our ourselves? Do we need to be more kind?

 

I'm just wondering....

 

in the meantime, I'm drinking my water....

[littlelovely21]

Today I have a weird sense of just... being... and doing some thinking. I need to sit down and think a bit. Right now, I'm just putting down some random thoughts as they come to me... because. I had a weird :confused: few moments in Zumba class last night.

 

So just hang along with me as I randomly sort out myself this morning.

 

OK.

 

I've been feeling a bit frustrated about the changes that my body has been going through... to "my" eye. When I look in the mirror, I feel a certain sense of time.. because my body has responded to the Zumba weight loss with a certain sense of "age," again. to "my" eye. I don't appreciate the way that I've lost weight and my skin has become loose and I get a muffin top when wearing certain pants. AND, I think that's a contributing reason for why I'm hanging onto pants that are now 2 sizes too big: they really aren't that comfortable! It's not comfortable to constantly be pulling up your pants throughout the day.

 

Oh! And my bras are also too big! The band, in its tightest fastening point, does sit right under my breasts. But, during the day, it also creeps up and ends up gravitating towards my nipples, which makes my bras also very uncomfortable! Well, I'm not an "endowed" person: actually, except for the headlights "issue," I could probably do without a bra entirely.

 

But, there you have it: pants too big; bras too big. Just baggy overall and that includes (again) to my "eye," my skin!

 

So I started on this grand search to figure out what to do about skin tightening. WELL, let me tell you that there are basic things that need to be done. What should I do? Should I share my research with everyone... right out of the get-go... or should I put my skin through the paces and then report on the outcome? I don't want to share bogus information, so I'll let you know that I'm starting on some of the procedures that I found out about... and I'll report back. And I promise! I HATE it when people post that they will report back and they DON"T... So I will NOT do that!

 

But, I will tell you one of the most important things that you can do for your skin and to help it with the tightening that needs to be done after weight loss... because we all already know what it is. WATER. HYDRATION. Must Be Done. So, I sit today with a pitcher of lemon-infused water on my countertop and a full glass of water being sipped on my desk. Yes, today will be a day of running for bathroom breaks.... always happens when I begin (yet another) attempt at hydration.

 

So, to my weird moment in Zumba class. I needed to explain some of my current feelings in order for you to understand the 'weirdness" of my moment.

 

I'm standing in Zumba class, and I'm completely spaced out. There is a major golf tournament happening in my area right now; it's one of those national televised tournaments which means that we have streets that are closed to normal traffic patterns, major congestion, bizarre drivers, just general hassle. Kisha (instructor) didn't take this into account and they've just announced that she's stuck in traffic and will arrive somewhat late to class. So, we're all standing around... and I feel a tap on my shoulder... so... turning around, I see a lovely young woman that I had met a few months ago, Lindsay. Lindsay stepped up to talk to me because she hadn't seen me in quite a while.. really since September of last year.

 

Anyway, Lindsay just wanted to tell me how fabulous she thought I looked! She was amazed at how TONED my arms are! And how TONED my stomach looks!

 

What?!?

 

This was my weird moment. How could I be getting compliments on something that was making me feel frustrated and somewhat depressed?

 

So, I'm thinking about this.... are we just really, really hard on ourselves? Do we need to be more gentle and caring and nurturing to our ourselves? Do we need to be more kind?

 

I'm just wondering....

 

in the meantime, I'm drinking my water....

 

I completely understand how you feel *hugs* I think us women in general will never see ourselves as others see us. My husband and other friends tell me all the time how pretty I am and what a great bod I have and it goes in one ear and out the other. Sadly. Sometimes I'll agree (if I'm having a high confidence day - very rare) but most of the time I'll just say thank you and think to myself, "How can you see that with me?" I know I'm not a big girl, I weigh around 143 and am about 5' 3" but I'm wide in the hips. Some would say I'm curvy or average but I see myself as a big ol whale from the waist down. I KNOW that I'm NOT but that's just how I FEEL. :o

[kasi1979]

Hi Ladies,

 

just have to report back from my first Wednesday night class, As it turns out, Annie has reached her limit and my dance studio has another instructor under contract who will teach the Wednesday class every second week instead of Annie. The prospect ist that Claudia, the new instructor will be taking over more classes once she´s settled.

 

Well, let´s say it was a weird class. Not only did we not not even one song, Claudia likes to junp and twist, a lot. And this are two things, my knees are not comfortable with. I can do some mild jumping, but continuos fast jumping is bound to be hurtful. So I stumbeld through class. Through lots of high intensity incredibly fast songs I´ve never heard before and I suddelny realized it´s no fun and I´m close to tears.

So, while generally I love Zumba, Claudia´s kinbnd of teaching is no love-at-first-sight. I hope her style will grow on me, too, and maybe she tones her style down a bit. It was kind of luck, that class was in low attendance tonight. Just about 10 people.

I was not the only one struggling through, another girl, overweight like me, and possibly also with knee problems, gave up after abpout half the class and went home early.

 

Sorry for ranting, but I was not prepared for my night out on the town would be struggling und stumbling through.

 

I´m heading for the shower now and will be back online in a bit.

It seems water intake is one topic where I could be first in class. I drink about 3 liters per day, unsweetend water, lemon water or peppermint teas.

 

I´m going to buy me the black football zumba jersey as motivation. I just have to figure out the best size for me, as this shirt seems bigger than the others...

 

See ya later girls.

[Anita Latte]

@Kasi...I am so sorry to hear about your class...after you were so looking forward to going again after being sick!

 

You need to give feedback as soon as possible! You are a long term client, you have been attending Zumba classes at this location for a long time...pleasing you should be high on the priority list of that studio. They NEED feedback on this instructor that they are thinking about bringing in. Getting her "settled" could be that they are EXPECTING to hear about her and need to see if she is a good fit for their group.

 

SO. You need to talk to someone at the studio.

 

Here's what you need to say...

 

Do NOT talk about not knowing the songs...and do NOT try to give subjective feedback like "I like Annie's class better." You need to give specifics like the following:

 

1. Claudia did not show variations in the moves. Her moves were mostly high impact moves. Explain that you have knee issues and NEED to be instructed in to what low impact move you should be doing in place of the high impact move that is being shown. It is her JOB to show the different levels and lead a safe class. Therefore, she is not properly fulfilling her roll as the INSTRUCTOR...and you need your instructor to INSTRUCT.

 

2. I would also mention that you prefer an interval style of class...where those that what to up the intensity can, but those that are trying to do intervals have the higher intensity songs mixed in with lower intensity. Explain that your understanding is that Zumba can be both...but the way that Claudia led the class...HOW to do any of the songs at a lower intensity was not obvious...and perhaps it would be possible to make the class' playlist to be more like intervals, but it was not taught that way.

 

3. Say that the pace of the class was overall too fast. Really analyze whether the moves themselves were too fast or her changes of moves were too fast. or she didn't cue well enough so that you could follow along. Did she not do the same move for long enough? And thus, changing the moves quickly made the class feel like it was much faster paced? Or was she just a "Heart Attack" Zumba instructor? Either way...give your feedback.

 

(Intensity and pace are too different things...think about how a certain song that may be more focused on toning type moves could be very intense but not necessarily fast paced.)

 

4. Finally, you need to state that you have been taking Zumba for almost a year. Explain that you are familiar with many of the basic moves and yet, you felt like you were stumbling and struggling through the entire class. Kasi, this could really be an indication of how good Claudia is at truly LEADING the class and communicating what you all should be doing to the songs.

 

This is why I say that instructors vary GREATLY. Understand though Kasi, that you are clout. You are the client that the studio wants to keep happy. You are a long term client. You have brought other people in the classes to try them. This studio, if they really care about their business, wants to hear from you about this knew instructor. It is probably one of the reasons why she is only teaching one class at first.

 

Don't put it off. Give your feedback. I don't know how experience Claudia is as an instructor. If you is very experienced, then she should appreciate the feedback, because she should be focused and caring about her student's and fulfilling the trademark slogan of Zumba...Ditch the Workout, Join the Party. And she should already know how to respond to such feedback. If she is a new instructor, then she REALLY needs the feedback so that she can improve.

 

I think you ARE the water star!! WTG!!

 

I have to leave soon...but I wanted to respond here quickly so that you might see this now. Zumba hugs.

[Member123]

Oh, Kasi....

 

I so understand what you're talking about!

 

As Anita has said, over and over, Zumba instructors are so very different; there really isn't any kind of franchise-type training that would make one Zumba instructor kind of like all other Zumba instructors. That's a kind of... bad news/good news... scenario because you really want the individual personalities to be able to shine through.

 

Because of my gym membership, I have the opportunity of experiencing quite a significant number of different Zumba instructors. There's only one that I will tell you I will NEVER go to her class again. I went to a class that she led and found myself getting so annoyed... then angry.. I left. I've never done that to ANY one before in ANY type of class. But, I realized that I didn't want to endure her class any longer. She was a substitute; as it turns out, she recently substituted again and I thought about going... for a fleeting minute. I didn't go; the people who talked with me about her class just validated that decision for me.

 

I'm sorry that Claudia is one of those types of instructors. I call them ADD... as in Attention Deficit Disorder instructors... because their class is kind of like... we're going to do THIS now.. and THIS now... and THIS now... and FAST... and THIS now... and LOOK AT ME! Because I'm doing THIS now. It's just exhausting and irritating... hence the ADD adjective.

 

You know I wear a heart rate monitor, right? Well, I still do... and I can tell you that those ADD instructors are NOT as good at burning calories as the instructors who are calm, deliberate in their movements, and just FUN type of booty-wiggling instructors. Mainly, I think, because the ADD's are too fast in their movement changes and they are so difficult to follow that you can't really get INTO the movement and give it all the energy that you can with the instructors who just flow with their movement.

 

Well, the only advice that I can give you is... especially if you really want to do the class on Wednesday... is to just modify, modify, modify the movements to be able to fit into what your body wants to do. It takes some understanding and some deliberate thought... but you can get to the point where you are working out quite effectively. I actually had someone come up to me after a class and ask if she could always stand behind me because she liked what I was doing as a modification to an ADD instructor! So, you can get the job done... have a great workout... and just enjoy the movement and the music.

 

BTW, Anita, there was a person in my Zumba class last night who decided to do jumping jacks during our cool down song! Made me laugh! I so did not get that jumping jack memo!

 

Kasi, if you need some help in any type of movement modification, just ask. Anita is really good at helping with knee issues. What I can tell you is that I just slow things down. For example, there is an ADD movement that goes something like.... jump to face the wall and land in a squat... jump to face the opposite wall and land in a squat... jump to face the opposite wall and step out and raise your arm in a pec flye type of movement... then repeat by jumping to face the opposite and wall and do the pec flye movement. It's a terrible movement pattern for me! So, I modify by... forget the jump.. who needs that?!? Just step into the move, do the lunge, come up and step into the move and do the lunge. If I feel like it, then I"ll face the same way everyone else does. If I don't feel like it, then I just keep facing the front and do the lunge. No big deal. AND, if I don't feel like doing a fast, fast dance step... well, I just do a slower, bigger step. So, while everyone may be on their tip/toes and mincing across the floor, I'm just stepping once for every time they step twice. Again, no big deal. I promise you that I'm burning a significant amount of calories and I don't keep up with those ADD instructors and I don't even try to!

 

Just don't let this instructor harm your motivation!

 

WTG on the water! I'm having an uncomfortable day as I've had about 48oz of water and I think I've emptied my bladder with... well... a small pond...

[kasi1979]

Hi Anita,

 

thanks fpr your posting.

I´ll head back to the studio tomorrow for my next class and talk to the boss, so that she knows how it felt to me.

 

Thanks and enjoy your day, I´m heading of to bed.

 

Oh, and I orderd the football jersey, will report back on size and fit once I received it.

[kasi1979]

Hi Pam,

 

thanks for your encouragment. As I already posted, I´m heading for the next Zumba class tomorrow. Let´s see how sore I´m going to be.

 

I think I was just so unhappy because it was absolutely not what I expected it to be...

[Anita Latte]

For example, there is an ADD movement that goes something like.... jump to face the wall and land in a squat... jump to face the opposite wall and land in a squat... jump to face the opposite wall and step out and raise your arm in a pec flye type of movement... then repeat by jumping to face the opposite and wall and do the pec flye movement. It's a terrible movement pattern for me! So, I modify by... forget the jump.. who needs that?!? Just step into the move, do the lunge, come up and step into the move and do the lunge. If I feel like it, then I"ll face the same way everyone else does. If I don't feel like it, then I just keep facing the front and do the lunge.

 

WTG on the water! I'm having an uncomfortable day as I've had about 48oz of water and I think I've emptied my bladder with... well... a small pond...

 

Mom, is the move you are talking about in this song?

 

 

Nice going on the water Mom! I'm so dehydrated, I just know it. I keep trying to catch up...I need lemons...

 

Only had 3 ladies in class tonight...and one of them was a lady that is in my Saturday class that couldn't make it this coming Saturday so she came tonight instead. :( These ladies...I tell you what...I've got to sort through some thoughts about this class.

 

Planning a killer corporate class tomorrow...:cool: I say that but so many songs are slow and fast all in the same song...it's intervals within each song...and definitely a more sustained higher level class...nothing sick fast though...Here's my list:

 

Good Feeling

Waka Waka

El Amor, El Amor

Hella Decale

Jai Ho

Que Te Pica

Take You to Rio

Lovumba

Dame de Tu Boca

Hola My Friend

Feeling Good

 

Hope your class is better tomorrow Kasi. Tell us how it goes.

[Member123]

Anita, yes! The move that I was trying to describe is done in the song link that you posted. All I do to modify that jump-twist-squat move is make one of my feet be a pivot point. kwim? I just have one foot that never leaves the floor, so I don't do that little jumpy bit in between the squats that everyone else is doing. I just pivot, squat (with intensity), pivot, squat... and move my arms in that modified pec-flye movement, if I feel like it. Absolutely turn a hi-er-impact move into a low-impact move, for me. No knee problems, for me, in the modification. But, of course, everyone's knee issues are a bit different...

 

I absolutely sabotaged myself last night with my dinner! I'm a fairly decent cook so when something goes wrong it usually surprises me. There was a rack of baby-back ribs on sale quite a few months ago. I had to get them out of my freezer because they were taking up so much darn space. So I cooked them last night... and they were terrible! I love ribs... but this meat was just fatty... and I hated the flavor! Ugh! I ate as much as I could tolerate... and then I just couldn't eat any more... but still being hungry, I went into a crazy snack binge and started eating anything I could find. Brushing my teeth wasn't sufficient to get the taste of those ribs out of my mouth, so I ate... and ate... and ate... hunks of cheese... peanut-butter smeared bread... chips.. anything!

 

2 lbs.

 

That was the result of all that binge eating. A total sabotage! ugh.:eek:

[aoknkentucky]

Oh, Pam. I can so relate to your post about pants and bras and SKIN! My daughter is my best girlfriend for telling me how it is. You know the one that says "not that top, no, not that one either" when you're out shopping? She is at the half-way mark in her second pregnancy and earlier this week she said, "Oh Momma, your neck looks so nice and thin and mine is getting fatter and fatter." I hadn't mentioned it to anyone, but had just noticed that morning how my weight loss seems to have created much looser skin in my neck area and I was a little self-conscious that my neck was beginning to look "old". Her comment was said out of the blue, no previous conversation remotely about this and I know my daughter. She noticed it and said it. Simple as that.

 

What I'm trying to say, Pam, is I think you and I both are being a little too hard on ourselves, maybe? I won't ever have back the 125 lb. pre-childbirth body that I had at 22, but I'm getting stronger and healthier and yes, even better-looking than I was before I started this journey. My pants didn't fit either. I bought new ones. My bras have PLENTY in them, but they don't fit properly anymore either.

 

I heard the other day that you can't trust 25 year old for a bra-fitting. I believe that! I purchased two different styles and went back in the same store a week later because I liked one bra better than the other. Found out that I'd purchased two different sizes by mistake. Had another bra fitting. She brought me various types in various sizes. End of story is that I left the store and didn't make a purchase. She told me that I wore my bra tighter than most people usually wear them. Who are these people? People that don't need a bra in the first place? I need foundation garments to hold everything where it needs to be. Otherwise, I end up with my underwires across my nipples. What's the use in spending $$ to constantly be uncomfortable? I decided that I will try another store and look for the lady with the tape measure around her neck that looks to be closer to my age. Good luck, Pam, with all necessary shopping. But aren't you glad we need to go shopping? It means we're on the right path. I'll add my Zumba hugs to you too. --Debbie