Zumba

On weight loss.

| cheriarmour

This is that time of year where Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, and Hydroxycut commercials are hitting hard and heavy.  And that’s certainly not to say that all of these things are bad, I personally think that Weight Watchers is one of the best programs out there.  But with everything that’s out there, I’m sure that’s it’s really tempting to try a pill or a chew or something that you sprinkle on your food to help you out to reach your weight loss goals.  But truthfully, as someone who lamented over her weight for a looooooong time, rest assured that none of those things will work.

2010
This was me in the spring of 2010, and I think I weighed approximately 160 at my heaviest.

Then here’s me again.

2011
This is me in 2011 at about 128.

So currently, I rest comfortably around 129 lbs or so, and here’s how I did it.  There were no powders, or magic fixes.

  1. I got rid of dead weight.  Literally, and figuratively.  I started hanging out with people who were like-minded.  Instead of spending time at the bar, I started spending more time in the gym and in my bed.  Did wonders for the bod.
  2. I did a stint at fat camp.  Sorta.  I worked at Camp Pocono Trails as a fitness instructor, more specifically a Zumba instructor, and instead of sneaking my own food and going off the plan, I followed the same plan that the kids were on.  As a fitness instructor, I really would never make my clients do anything that I wouldn’t do myself, and the same went for food.
  3. I stopped counting teaching a class as a workout…
  4. And put a priority on doing my own workout in addition. 
  5. I started using measuring cups to measure my food.  Which sounds insane, but if you’re on any kind of plan like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig, they’ll tell you the same.
  6. I started logging all my food in an app on my phone/iPod so I could make sure I was in a caloric deficit on most, not all days. 
  7. Annnnd, as I got more into the fitness aspect, I started adding a variety of fitness classes.  Yoga, lifting, I tried Barre, swimming.  

With all of this said, I can honestly say right now, since I’m not really trying to lose weight, I have pulled back a little bit on logging every morsel that goes into my mouth, with the idea that I simply want to nourish my body, rather than lose part of it.

But my gift to you?  If you want it, of course.

For the next week, I will log every morsel and every workout, and bring it to you this time next week.  I’ll critique it, cause I’m definitely not perfect, point out the good stuff, and add a few tips for those of you looking to shed a few pounds.  Who’s in?  

 

 

 

 

With a creative spirit also comes this irritating trait.

| cheriarmour

I’m horribly forgetful.  Horribly, horribly forgetful.  The only way I remember to keep my class schedule and show up to places is that I write every single thing, every single appointment down I have in an appointment  book, and once it’s written, it’s real.

Last week after a Zumba party…
Zumba Party

…I decided in order to keep up with my streak (more on that later), I needed to run, even though it was after 10pm.  But I didn’t want to miss my mile, my honey was gone for the weekend, and I was feeling antsy. So still wearing my Santa hat from the party, I drove to my old condo, which is in a super populated, well-lit area, don’t worry.  I parked my car, hid my keys somewhere in the car, and closed the door.  When I went to test the door to make sure it was still unlocked, I found, much to my immediate horror, that I had locked the door with my keys inside.

Damnit.

I called AAA from my phone, which I’d thankfully not locked in the car, and since in my experience, AAA takes years to get to you to unlock your car, I decided to go for my run, since it was also about 40 degrees out, and I wasn’t necessarily interested in freezing as I waited.  So down the road I went in my purple Moving Comfort jacket and Santa hat.  I’m sure I got a lot of strange looks.

Murphy’s Law must have been at work, because not a half-mile down the road, I got a call, which I answered mid-run from the tow-truck driver.

“Yeah I’ll be there in 10 minutes…”

And in the fastest lockout time in history, I arrived back to my car to the tow truck driver waiting on me.  So I jogged up, and explained to her why I was jogging around downtown at night with a Santa hat on.

Bruise

Now, in completely different news, I discovered this bruise the other night on my thigh, and I cannot, for the life of me, remember how or when I could have whacked myself so hard that me, being the dark-skinned girl that I am, could bruise like this. My forgetfulness at its finest…

I went to Zumba yesterday….

| cheriarmour

With the gorgeous Loretta Bates.  I got there super early, jumped on the treadmill (cause I’m still streaking), and then went to reclaim my spot in class.  I said hi to a few folks, and did my usual pre-class ritual.  Don’t be obnoxious or draw attention to myself because it’s rude to do that when you’re a teacher in another teacher’s class.

When the grumbling started.  

It was a chick behind me, and I think she was mad because I “took her spot” in class.  Because we have assigned seating.  And this is middle school.

I tried to ignore her.  And she made it a point to tell everyone around her, loudly, that “SOME PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THE RULES.”

I roasted the entire class.  What was I gonna say to her?  I had it all pictured in my head.

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I was gonna turn around, and tell that girl, in her blue shirt where she could go.  That she was mean, that she was evil, and that if she wanted the spot, she could take it cause I’m not an idiot, and I don’t care. Here’s what actually ended up happening.

I went and grabbed my stuff after class.  I kind of stared her down, and she was being silly with her friends.  Damnit!  I couldn’t very well approach her when she had her army around her.  So like a creep, I waited for her friends to kind of wander off to approach her.

And here’s what I said.

“I just wanted to let you know I wasn’t trying to block your way.  Cause I heard you grumbling back there.”

It wasn’t quite ‘Mean Girls’ style, but her smile froze on her face.  She’d wanted me to hear, but she certainly didn’t want me to approach her about it.

“That’s okay!” she stuttered.

And that was it.

But on the real folks.  It’s almost January.  Get to your fitness classes early, these folks are serious out there.

Be kind to yourself.

| cheriarmour

Hey, I need to follow my own advice.  I’m sometimes horrible to myself, and I’m on the more confident end of the confidence spectrum.  I’d be lying if I said I don’t stand in front of the mirror and kinda turn, and assess what’s going on.  More often than not though, I wink at myself, do a little dance, and conclude that I’m pretty boss.

But at yoga last week, the sweet, kind little teacher reminded us to “be kind to yourself. Be kind to everyone you meet.”  And I was so glad she’d reminded me of that, because I can use a little help in this department.

Zumba

One evening, earlier in the week, I taught an evening Zumba class.  Two of my regulars, loyal faithfuls who keep me on track, were present, and totally ready to go.  When the blonder of the two started.

“What’s wrong with these mirrors?”

“Girl I know!”

And the whole while, I’m standing there, completely puzzled. What were these two even talking about?

“The mirrors over here! They make you look bigger.”

“I know!”

They turned to me. Shit.  What did I do?

“Except for her.  They don’t ever make her look bigger.  I been coming for over a year and I ain’t never seen her look any bigger.”

I was stunned.  Let’s do the math.  So, according to these women, the mirrors in the studio are selectively choosing folks to make look bigger?  I don’t think so.

So ladies.  And gents, really, I don’t discriminate.  Be kind to yourself.  Spend the next week choosing your words wisely.  And the very second you’re tempted to poke at your tummy, frown at your skin, or pinch your butt, say something nice instead.

From my vantage point….

| cheriarmour

So I teach group fitness.  Which I’m sure you know if you’ve been around for a while cause I’m a dork and I love it.

I love it.  I knew from the moment I stepped into Koh Herlong’s Zumba class that I would love it.  My eyes would well up at a particularly beautiful song when I started like in 2003.  And that carried into teaching.  I’m obsessed.  When I hear a good salsa, I’ll Shazam it.   I love to salsa out on Thursday nights.  And I take every rare opportunity to choreograph something cool for my students.

The first thing people usually say to me when I offer them an invite to class? “Oh my word, I’m so embarrassed, I can’t dance worth a lick!”

Hohkay, calm down.  If I cared, or anyone else did for that matter how you danced, I’da quit long ago.

I will always maintain that we, as fitness instructors, we don’t make fun of our students.  Ever.  We just don’t.  Even if a student does something hysterical, I would jump off a cliff if I was giggling so hard that they thought I was making fun of them and then they never came back to class.  That said, there’s like a distinct 4 people who come to every class.

  1. The person who hides out in the back row, and thinks I can’t see them in the mirror.  I can see you I can see you.  Also, I walk around A LOT so I see you.  Even when you giggled when I dropped it low.  I saw that.
  2. The person who stands at the window and stares in.  Come in!  (Or leave, cause you makin me nervous.)
  3. The guy whose wife forced him to come.  I’m sorry.  As a bonus you get to stare at a lot of butts. If that’s what you’re into.
  4. The woman who’s bound to become an instructor herself.  This chick usually brings me to tears.  This girl comes every single week.  She knows your routines.  She picks up quickly on new ones.  She comes with a friend.  She comes by herself.  And when she catches your eye, you accidentally burst into tears, cause you know that was you a few years ago.  I’ve heard.
  5. The overachiever.   I love this girl.  She usually has a sexual outfit to wear.  She coordinates.  Does she know what’s going on in class?  Nope.  And she doesn’t really care.   She stand there, on the front row, and she don’t care who sees.  She loves to dance/step/lift weights/whatever, and what the teacher is doing doesn’t concern her. Because she’s dancing to the music of her mind.  Go head, do your thang.

So do we notice this stuff?  Yes, absolutely.  Are we going to make fun of you and tell you not to come back?  Absolutely not.  Look for whatever class speaks to you, and before you know it, you’ll be a total workout out fiend – whatever your workout of choice may be.

I teach Zumba on the side – Blind Item.

| cheriarmour

And truth be told, had I never started teaching Zumba, I’d certainly not be as sexy as I am today.

Okay, I kid, I kid, but Zumba, coupled with my stint at a teacher at a weight-loss camp super ignited my passion for fitness.  And I’ve been teaching since then (by then, I mean, like early 2010).

So anyhoo, I teach at this place.  And I don’t want to say the name of the place, because I’d like to remain gainfully employed.  And the place is beautiful.  Beautifully maintained facilities, great staff, and generally, a wonderful place to work.

Recently, at this place, I’ve run into some trouble, screwed the pooch, if you will.

I think I’ve been labeled as the gym’s troublemaker, because recently, every single time I teach, I get a filthy look from the attendants, and usually, once a class, one of them storms into the room, wildly making the “TURN IT DOWN” motion with his fingers.  It’s gotten to the point that usually, I’ll spy one of them coming, my heart rate will increase, I will dissolve into a nervous giggle (in front of the class,) until I’m told to turn it down.

I’m a Pavlovian Experiment, now every time I see the attendants in their uniforms, I begin to giggle, and I’ve started playing this game called “How Long Til I Get Yelled At Today?”

I’m a rebel y’all.  This fitness game is so real.

Salsa + miles

| cheriarmour

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Trying to strike the balance between teaching, and still getting those miles in without hurting myself, and still managing to give my students my absolute best. I’ll figure it out, right?

A typical day – fat camp edition

| cheriarmour

I write to you today, from the front porch of my cabin, where I’m lying in a pool of my own sweat, despite the fact that I’ve already removed my shirt, and I’m only rocking the sports bra. A heat wave has barreled through the area, and thankfully, camp is mostly divided, boy-girl, and we’re free to walk around as clothesless as possible.

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^not kidding about the lying in a pool of my own sweat thing.

But I digress. You ever wonder what a typical day at fat camp is like? No? Well you’re not being honest with yourself then. It’s not all rice cakes and calisthenics, I’ll tell you that. So a typical day?

8:15 am – morning line-up we go out to the flag pole, say the pledge, and a lot of the time, folks, counselors and campers alike, are in rough condition. They’re sleepy, their hair is a mess. And after that, we head to breakfast!

The Food not bad! Actually, it’s kinda awesome to not have to cook for yourself for a little while, and the veg options and the dessert are pretty dank. The only difference between our camp’s food, and regular food is that our meals are more balanced, and portion controlled.

10:00 am – morning workouts this is where ish gets real, especially for me. As a fitness specialist, I teach class all morning, from 10-12, with a break in-between for me to switch groups. The girls work HARD in Zumba, and have always had a liking to me and to Zumba.

12:00 pm – bunk notes the girls get a little break to get letters from home, get bunk notes, and to clean up if their morning workouts made them super gross.

12:30 – lunch lunch. Jello. The salad bar is open. Thank gawd!

2:00 choice Choice period. The girls can choose, and at this point, I teach another period. This is a time for fun stuff. They’re waterfront activities, there’s cheerleader, me, archery, and all the stuff you typically think of when you think of “camp”

3:00-4:50 – Camp Actvities the girls are scheduled every day for specifics. All the campy stuff happens here, with a teeny bit more of an emphasis on physical activities than most sleep away camps.

5:00 pm – 6:50 Shower Hour and dinn duh. And plus we get dessert so obviously my favorite meal because I have a problem.

7:30ish pm Evening Activity. Fun. Just fun. And it gets even more fun during Color War, when each night means the diff between a win and a loss for the teams involved.

10:00 pm – go to sleep! The girls head back to their cabins, while the counselor on duty (OD) intermittently asks them for nail polish and magazines, and also tells them to be quiet and go to sleep.

I wish my words can capture what really goes on here, but at least you guys get to kind of place me at each point in the day.