Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The times, they are uh-changin'

I love the lady gym!! Just something about it - the people, the group classes, the energy. I am never really disappointed when I go no matter what class I take. Although, I have a new favorite instructor that I just started taking classes from a few weeks ago and have been stalking her in her classes ever since.

This instructor is hard core and she has like the perfect athletic body. Somebody who I am sure, has always been into fitness and it shows. Well friends, I was wrong (shocker, I know).

During one class last week I heard her say that she used to be over-weight. So I am thinking "oh she lost her last 10 pounds, good for her!"

Sidenote - I am being sincere in this statement. Losing weight is soooo tough! I would never put someone down for trying to get healthy. Whether you are trying to lose 2 pounds or 200 pounds (or 1 stone for my friends who weigh in other standard units of measurement), my hat is off to you and I wish you all the success in the world!!

The next day, I showed up to a class early and was pleasantly surprised to see that she was the instructor. She seems very open like I am and we were alone, so I asked her about her weight loss. I was wrong again. Turns out she lost 87 pounds. She is about 5'2 so that number is super huge! Did I tell you she has like the perfect athletic body? I was shocked. She gained alot of weight with pregnancies and only started working out about 3 years ago after she started Weight Watchers and now she is BIG TIME into fitness and being an instructor.

Now fast forward to a few days later when I show up to take her Zumba class (my 5th Zumba class that week). There was a woman who is about 60 who was taking the class as well. I guess she had been in a class with me earlier in the week. She approached me and said "you must really like Zumba, I think you take a lot of classes." I told her I loved it and how it helped to shape my waist and abs. She then told me that I hop around alot and am very bouncy. I could not help but laugh. I told her how I wasn't always able to do that. I told her when I first started taking classes that I weighed almost 300 pounds and you just cannot hop around when you are that heavy.

This is where heads snapped and jaws dropped, including the instructor. And I got the question I had never gotten before "you used to weigh almost 300 pounds?" I could not help but feel happy inside. I must look far enough away from 300 pounds now that it is hard to picture me that heavy.

So far on this journey, most people knew me when I was at my heaviest. These are some of the first people I have encountered that did not know me then.

Today in a class I noticed something else. I am no longer the least fit person in a room. That used to bother me. Not to be the heaviest, but to be the least fit. When the class would do something challenging and I struggled. I still struggle with difficult moves and heavy weights but I am what I consider a fit person now.

So the times are uh-changin'. Last year I would not have said that. But I have created someone new. A fit, fun person. Hopefully I still feel fit at turbo kickboxing tonight. Burn calories, burn!

9 comments:

Michelle said...

So maybe I will break down and try a class or two...

Aimee said...

i've never tried zumba. just a sidenote.

how awesome to be acknowledged like that! you had to be so excited. :)

Shelley said...

Heads snapped and jaws dropped? Now that? Is cool.

You have come so far! Isn't is great to not be thought of as the former fat girl?!? You are just one of their peers in that class!!!

wildfluffysheep said...

I love like everything about this post. woot. people surprise you huh? in many many ways.

I read this and smiled like ten times. I like that your times are a changing. I hope mine are too. You keep rockin' it missus.

sara said...

um, awesome. AND i would bet you any amount of cash (based on your pics and your forays into trying on size 12s) that they'd be shocked you're close to 200 now. Also, do you own any of the Zumba DVDs and if so which one do you recommend getting?

Brightcetera said...

You just never know, do ya?
And now you are in that category yourself. How awesome is that!
This post is making me smile ear to ear.
Think of how many people you're inspiring.
i have to google Zumba. I have no idea what everyone's talking about but you guys seem to really like it.
Great post.

Diane, Fit to the Finish said...

You probably inspired all the people in that room to reach for a goal they've been longing to reach. Not necessarily with their weight, but with their life!

Be proud!

InWeighOverMyHead said...

Wow! your instructor sounds great!

Apex Zombie said...

Such a great post! Those moments are awesome, and you totally deserved it :)

Kick ass!