Water Aerobics.... OF DOOM

Apparently the theme of my workout experiences revolves around the word... "DOOM"
Yes, Zumba was fun and wasn't THAT difficult. I survived and I'll probably happily go back to classes after I finish my water aerobics class...of DOOM.

So, I'm sure that many of you have seen the show "The Biggest Loser" before. Well as you know, the morning of the weigh-in they have what is called... "A Last Chance Workout...of DOOM".. ok. so no doom, but it is there one last chance to bust their asses and try and drop an extra pound or so before weigh-in.

Tonight, I came as close to a last chance workout as I'll ever have. I initially signed up for water aerobics because I figured it'd be a breeze! I actually cracked a few jokes about how it'll be awkward to be hanging out with a bunch of old geezers twice a week!

WELL!!!.. Was I wrong!

I once again had an internal struggle of forcing myself to go. I had my Lansing Happy Hour Club tonight right across the street from my work at the Hall of Fame Cafe. It was soooo nice to have a beer and socialize, and I did NOT want to leave to go sweat!

I made it back to my apartment with plenty of time to change, and head to the Hannah Community Center in order to find the pool and the locker room. Much to my surprise... Two of the ladies from my Thursday afternoon WW meetings were also taking the class! Also a (good)surprise, the majority of the class was my age! =) (including one very pregnant girl)

So we get in the pool and I notice that our instructor is about 19 years old, and doesn't get in the pool with us. She just stands on the side and shouts. So we start jogging laps across the shallow end, then she yells that we need to start running... then knees higher.. then backwards.. then reverse.. Then we have to get in a circle and run as fast as we can... then turn around and run against the current.... then we turn and do this OVER AND OVER again until the pregnant woman, and 5 of the older women have to step to the side and sit out.

We ran in circles for a half hour... yes water is easier on the joints, yes it was good for me, but GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!! If you're gonna snark at us "Mini-Jillian Michaels" than get in and do it with us!.. So then she tells us that we will be treading water for the next 20 minutes. I wasn't sure if I could do it, but I was already pissed off and determined, so I stuck it out... we had to do the breast stroke forward and back without using our legs, and staying vertical in the water, we did that back and forth across the pool the whole time... Once again women were dropping like flies.. and I got more and more pissed and determined. HA! (P.S. thanks Mom and Dad for buying a cottage on a lake, apparently I am better in the water than I thought!) Meanwhile from the sidelines our instructor was very rudely telling the women who had stopped that they HAD to keep going, she lectured the pregnant woman on how it will be "good for her" and I thought my arms were gonna fall off...But I stuck with it. Just to prove to that Beotch that I could keep up.....

Long story... not short, I survived. It was PAINFUL! More painful than Zumba was. I thought about going to the desk and complaining about the instructor and asking for my money back, like many of the women did.
But I got out of the water and FELT all of my trouble spots aching. This class will be tough, It will make me sweat, and ache but it will ALSO work. I've got to stick to it!!! I KNOW that it will be worth the pain and I'll be a much happier and healthier person when it's done.

But I'm telling you right now blogger, as you as my witness... that little teenage drill sargent better watch her mouth, or my inner fat girl might have some choice words for her! =)

There's a First Time For Everything.. Including Being Healthy.

So... I honestly was so inspired by my experience at my first EVER Zumba class tonight (you'll hear more about that later), that I decided it was time for me to start a blog about my weight loss journey.

Just to catch you up to speed, I reached my heaviest in September of 2009. It REALLY hit me smack in the chubby little face when my boss handed me the team picture for my Relay For Life team taken on August 14. We had a group picture taken, and I normally slink to the back of the group and try and hide in the shadows so that no one can see my "shape" (round)... Well SOMEHOW.. SOMEONE... pushed me to the front of the group because I was the team captain. Good lord. When my boss handed me the picture I was SO ashamed of how I looked, I was afraid that she would judge me for how bad I looked in that picture. Then I realized, that's what I look like ALL the time. Everyone else saw me as that "horror" everyday, but I refused to look in mirrors and had no clue. So, I decided that enough was enough. She gave me that picture and within a week I signed up for Weight Watchers.

Ugh.. here I am.
Not the same picture but just as bad

Back to the present... Since that fateful day I have lost a total of 53 lbs. It has been 37 weeks on the Weight Watchers program and I'm loving it! =)

It has definitely taught me patience and perseverance, hope and determination. I am determined to be healthy. I dream of the day that I can run a mile without stopping, that I don't get winded and redfaced with any activity, and that I can rollerskate with a NORMAL center of gravity =)

I've come a VERY long way, a lot further than a lot of people can come. But as of today, I am still 110 lbs away from my goal weight. I am confident I will get there, and I do think this blog will help! Any support and words of encouragement would be appreciated, and any advice or constructive criticism is also welcomed!

So now that I've done my first CHEEEEESY post, now stay tuned for my adventures at Zumba!