Skipping zumba, the Royal wedding and a Family affair

Last Friday, zumba was off due to the holidays. Saturday they put two substitue instructors on the job, as our instructor would be away on holiday. I was planning on going to zumba Saturday morning. I woke up and got ready, but wanted to check the meet-up at the gym's website before leaving. To my surprise, I saw that 17 people would not be coming, which would leave me alone with just 10 other women. So I decided to stay home. After all, I was on my holidays, too. So I didn't go.

Monday I was at my usual latin mix and dance fit class. The instructor has come up with some hard steps for dance fit. They're not realy hard, it's just that I have this problem with my ancles, making it impossible for me to do those steps properly, as it was suppose to be small, but super fast, stepping back and forward on the heels.. And well, I couldn't do it, so I just did something to make it look like I was doing the right thing. Well, my calfs were aching so much afterwards, and the next day. I guess I didn't stretch out enough.

Tuesday I went to the other gym for a class of latin mix and dance fit. Luckily the dance fit routines seem better for my foot work, at the Tuesday classes. Sadly this was the last time that this gym would be offering latin mix and dance fit classes on a Tuesday. The instructor wanted to finish her classes here, with waacking. Waacking is basicaly dance routines with your arms. I've actualy become so good at whacking, that I was able to put some attitude into what I was doing. But then again, the whacking that we've been working with in these classes has been realy simple. I wish I knew how to waack this way:

It was sad to end the dance fit class that day, knowing that I lost one of my work out days. It seems that lately I have to make a new schedule all the time. In order to replace my Tuesday work out, I saw, that the same gym is offering samba classes all May. Every year, by the end of May, my city has a big carnval, where everyone can join. Our carnival is open for everyone who wants to join. Everyone can join the parade. I have no intention of joining the parade, but thought it would be fun to join in on the samba classes.

My work out schedule for the month of May will look like this:

Monday: Latin Mix, Dance fit

Wednesday: Samba

Friday: 2 x Zumba

Saturday: Zumba

If I feel that I need to work out more, I can always decide to go to the two other gyms in town. But for now, I'm satisfied. However, knowing that the gym where I go to for my zumba classes, will be closed for 3 weeks in June and July, makes me a bit worried. But I will find a way.

I'm not going to Zumba tomorrow. The instructor is going to  another zumba marathon down in the country. They did put a substitut instructor on the job, but since there is a big flea market that I would like to go to with my family, I decided to cancel.

Today was the big day of the royal wedding in Great Britain. Being a true Dane, I'm also a big royalist. Althoufh I must say, the royal family in GB hasn't been on my mind since Diana died. Hopefuly, the newly weds, will be able to change the boring way the royals seem to be ruling in Great Britain. I think they're in need of some young spirits.

Anyway, to honor the newly weds, T-mobile made this comercial using royal lookalikes. I think it's awesome! Actualy the zumba group on facebook, was the one who introduced me to this video, as they mentioned it could be zumba... Hmmmmmm it has a variety of funny dance moves in it. Check for yourself

I saw the wedding cermony before I went to zumba, but I had to take a shower and get ready, just as they were leaving the church.

Wednesday I went to the German border with my parents, brother and his girlfriend. I was determined on buying some cute tops for the summer and ended up buying... 18!! I had the money and feel like showing myself in cute, printed tops this summer. Just as we were leaving a mini mall, my mom said she saw some shoes that I should go see. She wasn't sure if they were Skechers' Shape Ups, which are currently my no. 1 shoe. I went to the shop and couldn't believe my owns eyes. It was indeed the Shape Ups. Now I already promised myself to buy the new Spring collection Shape Ups, as I allow myself to buy a new pair every day. Well, in the German shop, they were 80 $ off the price they have here in Denmark. It would be silly not to buy them, so I did.

I love them, but as I looked at them when I got home, I realised that they were not the regular shape up shoes, that I was going to buy in a shop here... But Shape Up "toners" - which means, they have a different sole. However, They're still so comfortable to wear. Very soft. And they have such a sparkle. When the sun hits them, they light up and sparkle as if they were made of diamonds:

The instuctor brought some new music today along with some old. He also said that his doctor had warned him to take it easy, as he had a minor damage. Well, if you love zumba, there's just no doctor that can keep you away.. Here I'm thinking back on the time that my doctor told me the same thing, and I went against his wishes. Well, it didn't harm me. Anyway, he said he might be taking it slow, but of course that was not what happened. He came up with new funny, but hard to figure out, steps. But as always, we just goof around and have fun trying to do what he wants us to do.

In the break between the two classes, my cousin showed up. She had asked me before where my regular zumba classes were and how she signed up etc. I think it was easy for her to tell the difference between the other zumba that we both used to go to, and this. I think the zumba I do Friday and Saturday is much more efficient than what I do to work out the other days. Why do I think that? Well, I sweat more and I have a hard time catching my breath cause there is so much cardio involved in the dance routines our instructor comes up with. He might be doing a special zumba program, to test if zumba is working.. Some people say they're not losing weight. But I think I'm living proof, that zumba does work. I lost weight. But not only did I lose weight, I lost sizes in clothes! I can now fit some of the clothes I bought way too small. My main problem has always been my arms. I always had to cover my arms, which meant I had to wear the same "see through" mesh shirt over my top, every time I went out.. But I found new things to wear, to cover my arms, and it actualy tucks them in so that they don't look fat at all. In fact, I lost so much fat on my arms, that the little "bingo arms" I have left now, is lose skin with a minor fat cover on them. The same goes for my stomach. Lose skin with a small fat cover.. My legs are giant because I've been building up a lot of muscle carrying around the weight that I used to.. But a big part of my thigs and butt was fat. I don't think I'll ever get so skinny legs, that the skin will be lose, so instead, I try to keep them firm, by working out. I feel much better about my body now.. Not because I lost a lot of weight, but because I gained a much better figure.. This has made me think, that this summer, I want to start wearing dresses!

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