Keeping up with Zumba during Easter Break

Because of the Easter Break and one gym moving to another location, I've tried my best to still keep in shape and up with zumba, using one of the other gyms in the meantime. March 30th., April 2nd. and April 5th. I was at what used to be my regular gym, years ago. They were classes by three different instructors. So because I had no other options, I used the opportunity to check out some new instructors. I like to try different instructors, so I can recommend them to others. I'm being honest when people ask for my oppinion. One of the instructors was a new ZIN as of January 2012. He turned out to be someone that I had been standing next to at one of the other zumba classes. It was clear that he needed routine, but I loved the fact that he used a lot of Brazilian music and had a way of spreading joy and positive vibes so we all had a lot of fun. Because he's so new, I'll definitely check him out later. In my mind, I'll try to remember him as one of the best instructors I've come across.

Yesterday we had the first regular zumba class at the new gym. Because of Easter and because of the new location, we had a "dress up Zumba class." It was a lot of fun. Had I known how hot the new place would be, I probably wouldn't have worn so much clothes... But I managed.

I now know, that a laced up skirt is too warm for zumba... And jewels in your forhead can also get very warm. I took the opportunity of dress up zumba, to go sleeveless for the first time ever during zumba. It's not as bad as I thought, but I'm still not 100% confident of doing it. I lost so much weight that my arms have slimmed quite a bit, but I now have loose "chicken wing" arms. I hope that I will be able to build some muscle so I can get ridd off the loose skin. I have considered getting cosmetic surgery on my arms so many times. Before zumba, I was thinking of a fat reduction... But now, because of zumba (THANK GOD), I'm thinking of a skin reduction. However, I have decided not to do it. I have had problems with staphylococcus before, so I think it's too big a risk, to go through surgery. That goes for a tummy tuck, which would also be concidered by some if they were bothered with the lose skin, like me. Luckily I'm not as affected by all this as some. I'm simply happy to have lost so much weight. My arms now fit in almost all sleeves, because whatever lose skin I have, it will form the shape of the sleeve I'm fitting in to. But I must say, I'm not happy with the pictures that show a ring of loose skin around my stomach, but remind myself that it's better to look like that, than how it was before my weightloss.
The new gym is wide, but narrow... which basicaly means, we can only form 3 lines instead of 10. That also means, that I'm now forced to look at myself in the mirror, which is something I always hated doing. But who knows, maybe some day, the mirror will turn up to be my friend?! I hope so.
Tomorrow morning I have two zumba classes at the new gym. After this week-end, I should start to have a normal zumba/ gym routine again... But I think it will take a week to get used to, as my 5 weekly zumba classes, will now be at two different gyms. Luckily the other gym is the gym I already go to for my latin mix and dance fit classes on Mondays, so it shoudn't be that hard.

Tuesday I went to my Ladystyling Class. We did more of the ancient Gods dance steps. I must say, it's something else.We danced to "Canto de Yemaya." Yemaya is the goddess of Water. What gives me the most trouble when it comes to the ancient dance steps, it's that the beat is so different from what I'm used to. I think it's because it's slow and I always had trouble dancing to slow music. I hate it. But I try my best. Here's the song.

Summer party in the rain

The plans for last night changed a bit, since one of the girls who were suppose to come to my place, got ill.. So instead, I spend the entire day and evening with my other friend, whom I went to the mall with.. It was nice to spend time with her again, as we don't do that too often now that she's married and lives a bit far away. Well, not that far.. But an 11 minute train ride away.
I took the train home around 11:30 PM. It was clear, that the city she now lives in, is much smaller than where I live. Teenagers were at the station, dressed up for party and drinking. Here in Denmark you have to be 18 to drink, and some of these guys had just barely crossed that age. As I stood there, listening to the girls' conversation, it reminded me of my own early days of clubbing. I used to love that. And I still do, which is probably why I was starting to feel a bit jealous of these happy young people. I knew where they were headed. Cause living in a small city, of course you would want to get on a train out of there, to go clubbing in the big city. Personaly, I live in a suburb myself, but with only a few minutes to the center, it feels like the city out here, too. Especialy after the mall came out here... And Ikea.. I now think of this area, as the center, cause we have it all here! Except for the clubs.. But that's ok.. They're only a bus ride away.

I couldn't sleep when I got home. But eventualy, I went to bed at 2 AM.

I woke up at 6 AM.. I'm serious.. I really think zumba is boosting my body with energy in a way, that I don't feel so tired.. Well, in the evening I will yawn, but that's all. Or maybe it was because I was excited about today, that I had woke up so early.

Today, my parents throw the annual birthday/ summer party for the family at their summer house.. It's a tradition that everyone asks about.. Fine by me, cause that means my aunts and uncles still buy me presents. The same thing happens with my younger brother's birthday.. As he was born December 25th., everyone in the family comes to an anual birthday/ Christmas party as well.

I was a bit sceptic about the weather. And I still am. It keeps changing from rain, to something that looks like it's clearing up, then turns grey and rainy again.. That is giving me many thoughts on what to wear.

I think I will go with the summer dress I originaly planned on wearing, but with a long sleeved top underneath..

Last time I wore this dress, was at my aunt and uncle's wedding in 2007 and I looked very chubby then.. But since I was never afraid of bold colors, I bought the summer dress and made it work with a scarf covering my big arms. Now I'm totaly ok with wearing it without covering my arms.. My waist has also slimmed down drastic since then, and the dress probably fits perfect now compared to back then, when I just decided to make it fit.

My problem area number 1, has always been my big butt.. But the part of my body I always hated the most, was my upper arms. I always loved wearing small tops.. And when I did go clubbing every week-end, I always had on a perfect cute top, but had to cover up my arms.. With my own solution. A see-through open shirt.. I admit that it sometimes ruined the outfit, that I always had on that open shirt. But since I love to dance, I would always be shaking my arms a lot whenever I was out dancing.. and to prevent people from seeing the fat on my upper arms go from side to side, I noticed that the black see-through shirt, would cover up a great deal.

I swore many times, that if I had the money, I would have a fat suction on my upper arms cause they have been my biggest pain to look at throughout the years.. Now my confidence is good enough for my to walk around wearing a sleeveless shirt... Cause by walking around, I don't put my arms in the air revealing the fat. But when I am occasionaly going out, I will find my old best friend, the black see-through open shirt.

I did go out for a few hours last Friday.. And I had come up with an ok styling of my spaghetti strapped top and the sleeved open shirt. My friend who is very skinny, doesn't understand why I always have to cover up my arms. But really, they're a nightmare to me. I am noticing how the fat on my upper arms has started to shrink in. I can now twirl the skin.. That means, less fat. I really do hope, that some day I will be satisfied with my upper arms and not have to worry about the bingo arms. It actualy looks funny now that it has shrinked in, cause everything is hanging so lose. I wonder if I'll end up having to get a skin reduction on my arms. I think I will put that on my list of goals.. To lose enough weight to get a skin reduction on my arms. If I ever slim down my thigs, I don't think a skin reduction will be neccesary, cause losing weight slowly, is actualy making your skin find its' own new shape... Or so I've heard.. but it would be nice to see how much more I can slim down.

My stomach and waist are smaller than ever.. but my butt and thigs were actualy smaller during my last weightloss.. If only I had listened to the instructors word "The wave machine is not good for people with a tendency for big thigs" - She became my worst enemy when she told me that.. Cause I had been using the wave machine everytime I came to the gym, because it was the only cardio machine I seemed to be able to use without either my knee or ancle hurting... And I noticed how I burnt calories a lot faster on that one. Up untill I started zumba, I would use the wave machine for 30 minutes, burning 500 calories.. Then zumba became my new best friend. They say, that you can burn 1000 calories in an hour, which is basicaly the same as I did on the wave machine... Only zumba is so much better, and work on the entire body.

(07/31/2010