Thursday, February 25, 2010

Let's Get Ready to....ZUMBA!

So I am going to admit here on my little pink blog for everyone to see that I have gained the post wedding weight. I got married about two and a half years ago. For my wedding, I lost some weight and worked out like a mad woman (read 6:30 am boot camp followed by running at least three miles in the afternoon five days a week). I was in great shape and very proud of myself.


THEN I go and get married which meant moving in with Mr. Pickle. Mr. Pickle loves to cook, but doesn't really cook with the healthiest ingredients and in addition, I took a hiatus from working out and enjoyed being married.

Enter weight gain at it's finest.




I would say I am probably the heaviest now than I have ever been and I am lacking motivation more than ever. I mean my hubby loves me and still thinks I am beautiful, but I am uncomfortable and unhappy with my weight.




And since every post is better with pictures, let's take a look at the past few years...now I know they aren't all the best, but I am not on my computer where I keep all my pics, so bare with me.


Probably 4 or 5 months prior to the wedding

With my bridal party about a month before the wedding (I am on the end)

Obviously, my wedding (with my sis)

Right after our 1 year anniversary

Probably at one and a half years of being married

This past Halloween (after our 2 year anniversary)
PS. I am dressed up as a Care Bear

This past Christmas...gotta love what the holidays will do to your weight


As you can see, I have gradually gotten pudgier ever since our wedding.


I have always been fairly good about being active, but now I am embarrassed of how out of shape I am. I NEED to make a change. So I am starting slowly. I am trying to get a handle on what I eat and I am thinking about working out. This thinking process has been going on for a while and it wasn't until I found a Zumba class at my gym that I was even considering getting back to my workouts.


Typically I need to work out in the morning, if I don't do it in the morning 75% of the time it will not get done after work. However, the gym I am a member at doesn't have very many options when it comes to 5:30 am classes, plus who knows if I would actually be able to function in a class that early in the morning.


So tonight, after work, I am headed straight to my gym for my first Zumba class. I have heard wonderful things about these classes and hoping it can jump start my activity level. Or it may make me feel like an uncoordinated nerd and I'll never want to attend a class again. :) I am hoping the latter isn't going to happen or if it does, I won't be the only one in the class who can't get it down in which case I will feel better about myself.


here

Wish me luck!!


What do you do to keep your self fit and from getting bored??


Side Note: I LOVED my boot camp class, but I can't really afford it any more. My gym membership is only $9 a month so I am trying really hard to stick with my gym classes.

7 comments:

Marcie Franich said...

Jamie, you are beautiful!! I will do anything, annnnnnything in the world to help you. You know I will! If you want me to come take some classes with you, I will! If you need a walking, running or bike riding partner on the weekends, I'm your girl! If you want to learn how to cook healthy, lets find some cooking classes! I know how hard it is to get started but I know you can do it. You know that it's the first month that is the worst. Getting the schedule down and sticking to it. But after that, easy as pie! (yummm, pie :) Please let me know what I can do to help you.

Btw, look into the Sports Basement near you. Here they have some free classes like walking/running (outdoors of course with a group), bike riding (outdoors also with a group), yoga (indoors). At least the San Francisco one does. Hopefully the one out there does too.

What also helps me is blogging about my food and what I'm making. Seriously, try the pizza I posted in my blog! Blogging and taking pictures makes it fun to cook and it's also a good way for others to get ideas!

I will keep thinking of more ways to help.

Love ya, sis! You can DO it! :)

Jenn @ West Sac Honey said...

Good job! That's the first step is realizing you want to change, my boyfriend and I bought a house together and then my weight gain started and I hit the heaviest I had ever been this past summer and that was my breaking point. I didn't like the way I looked in photos or the way my clothes fit especially when I wanted to look cute one night out and I didn't have jeans or a top that fit nicely. He wants to eat chicken nuggets with ranch and who knows what else that isn't that healthy. Add that plus no exercise. I know I sound like a exercise nut on my blog but seriously I didn't exercise until January of this year I took a 6 month hiatus. But if you put your mind to it you'll get to the point where the clothes feel great and you feel great too! You can do it! What other gym classes does your gym offer? I always love Spin and Step Aerobics. Spin will really help you burn the calories. I was a total class girl but it's only been recently that I've learned how to weight train (correctly) and really burn the pounds. I can send you some links that I'm using for weight training you would like it!

Anonymous said...

$9 a month? Wow. I wish that was the price here. I feel you on getting back on the fit train. I'm planning on working my way up to running a 5k and then beyond (but 5k first) and then doing so toning through at home DVDs etc. Im on the budget get fit plan!

Ashley said...

$9 a month! HOLY cow, that is cheap! I do zumba every Wed. My Zumba class is not so much latin dance though like it should be...but more dance party. I love it. I run 4 days a week on top of that. And JUST started lifting weights this week because I am just getting fatter. I am hoping the weights will help boost my metabolism. I have gained quite a bit of weight since I got married too! And 5 AM ...hahahahahahah.
I cant even get up for work! I get up at 8 am to be at work at 9...and that is a struggle for me. I do my gym time at lunch or after work. or both. no morning time for me! You can do it!!! I will root you on!

Mrs. Awesome said...

Right there with you girlfriend! I've gained 30 lbs since the wedding...only 6 months ago! I'm doing Weight Watchers, elliptical and the Jillian Michaels video. You should try it! It's 20 minutes and kicks your butt!

We can cheer eachother on! Good luck friend and if you need to vent or any encouragement let me know!

xoxo,
k

Unknown said...

Jamie, I know you can do it!! I am hopeing that maybe for my birthday, I can have someone help me pay for a gym membership at 24 Hour Fitness for a year and maybe I can work out with you once in awhile (or who knows, more than that - even) I have been feeling down about myself (weight, in general), too. But, I know we've got it in us. Now that sunny weather is coming back (slowly, but surely), we'll get there again. I hope you had a great time at your Zumba class. It's always scary the first time, but I know you'll get the hang of it :0)

All my best,
Kristen!

MKille said...

You know, they say life is about little changes and I believe that to be 100% true when it comes to diet and exercise. I think its too easy to fall off the wagon when you make giant, all of a sudden changes. It's all about gradual change. It sounds stupid, but I do a lot of little things, that when you total them all up they make a big difference. Here are some of my tips (which some are just common sense and you may already to or have thought of, but I'll pass them along just in case):
1. I have what I call the "little spoon" theory. It dawned on me one day when I went to the store and on an impulse buy, bought one of those tiny little ben n jerry cups. Well that little cup was the most satiating thing ever and lasted longer than a usual big bowl of ice cream. Its classic human behavior. The more that is accessible to you, the more you consume. Hence why a lot of companies but things (like shampoo) in bigger bottles, statistcally people go through more when they have a little bottle. When I use a smaller spoon (think teaspoon vs. soup spoon) and a smaller plate I always eat less and it takes me longer.

2. Each and everyday I go to the gym, I implement the "5 minute rule". It's basically a deal I've made with myself. There are just those days that I just DON'T want to go workout or go to the gym. So what I do is cut a deal, that I will go for 5 minutes and walk on the treadmill, and then if after the 5 minutes I STILL don't want to be there, I can leave, no guilt, no nothing. 9.75 times out of 10, once I'm already there, I stay. The hardest part is the getting there most times. And, if I end up leaving after the 5 minutes then I know my body really does need the rest or maybe I just do mentally.
3. I try to use "filler" with all my meals. Meaning, if I can add vegetables or fruit to pump up the volume without pumping up the calories, I do. So, with every dinner I try to have a large salad or vegetable and I always try to eat it first. It provides a good base and helps make me feel more full by the time I'm done eating.
4. When I go out to eat, I always try to eliminate "extra calories" here and there (I always try to get egg substitutes instead of eggs, dressings on the side, no butter or cheeses added on, or have them added on the side so I can dictate what goes on, no mayo and just mustard on sandwhiches, etc etc)
5. Also, when going out to eat, I many times will try to instantly cut my portion in half as soon as the plate hits my table. Doing this mentally helps me set a limit on what I eat. Most the time I am pretty good on eating half. But sometimes I eat it all...and if I do...well I guess I needed it.
6. This one is the most important one (for me at least) the minute I start setting hard and fast rules on myself, and thinking of my life as on a "diet" it INSTANTLY becomes unbearable. As long as I allow myself the mental room to not always follow the rules, the guidelines become easier to follow. Something about making it a rule, makes it mentally harder to jump back on the wagon after I 'break' one, so if there are no rules to break, it's just a slight deviation, and that's just life.

So anywho...those are all I can think of right now. Good for you, and good luck on your quest. I tried Zumba the other night for the first time, but...was not my bag. Oh well.