Kinda Weight Watcher

“If you kinda do it, it kinda works.  If you really do it, it really works.”

That’s the message my Weight Watchers leader Cally left us with Monday night.  As she read the words from her oversized paper tablet, heads nodded around the room.

I know this all-too-well since I’ve been a kinda do it weight watcher for a while now.  It’s not necessarily a bad thing.  It’s not like I’m gorging myself with thousands of calories every other night, eating well on others and praying for a good weigh in.  Behavior like that isn’t just kinda doing it, it’s not doing it at all.  But I do enjoy the occasional Friday Afternoon Club drinks with my workmates or spontaneous Indian/African/Sushi dinners with my friends.  I’m losing and gaining but mostly maintaining… not the best strategy since I still have 25 lbs. to lose!

But as a self-proclaimed “kinda do it weight watcher”, I’ve found the only answer for us kinda-do-iter’s is exercise.

At the beginning of the year, Jillian, my good friend, neighbor and partner in crime, joined Gold’s Gym.  Membership was free, it was ten bucks a month, truly a good deal if there ever was one.  But me in a gym?  Not likely.  First of all, I don’t know what to do among the sea of machines, plus there are a lot of men and I have to motivate myself to keep going.  Then I found a miraculous deal on Groupon (if you don’t know what this is, look it up and sign up.  I’ve gotten some amazing deals).  This one was fifteen Zumba visits for $15 (usually $5 a class)!  It was fate, I’m sure, because I saw the deal, bought it and haven’t looked back.

Every Monday and Thursday at 7 p.m. you can find me at the Center for People in Need.  We salsa. We meringue. We even do some belly dancing for good measure.  This fitness phenomenon is an aerobic workout that’s a mixture of rhumba, salsa, flamenco, hip hop and meringue. Zumba works every muscle group for sixty minutes and rewards me with 16 Weight Watchers Activity Points each time!

This is a picture of just a few people in my Zumba class.  This was in the beginning when I was still new and timid but you can see me along the wall in the back.  Ashley, our instructor, is in the front row with the black tank and gray sweats.

I’ve done Zumba about six times.  My first try was hard.  I was out of breath, sweating and moving around like a blind mouse. Fortunately, our instructors roommate quickly befriended me and encouraged me the entire time.  When the final, slow down song came on I almost cried.  I made it!

By my third try, I had gotten the hang of some of the moves and didn’t feel like giving up.  Now, I sweat more than I ever have and I have no problems dropping it like it’s hot in front of hundreds of other women (sometimes a man or two).

Ashley, our instructor, is also terrific.  Every class she kind of radiates with a Zumba Zeal.  She starts off  with an enthusiastic “let’s party” and encourages us to really shake our booties, or yell out Zumba when the song calls for it.  We even did a dance off on Valentine’s Day.  People laugh, people clap, it’s a good time.  The music is good, the dance steps are hip and it’s remarkably easy to alternate between low-impact and high-impact. For that reason, my packed class contains an impressive mix of  ages – anything from rail thin 18-year-olds to women pushing 70.

Even if you have no rhythm, you can shake your money maker and nobody cares.  It makes me feel sexy.  I move my hips, shake my bum and act like a backup dancer.  I even bought some Zumbaesque shirts at Target (with peace signs, hearts and glitter) for class, something I would never have seen myself wearing.  Everyone is confused by the dance moves at one time or the other, but the energy in the room is infectious.  By my second or third visit, I had totally given in to Zumba Zeal, whooping and shouting with my fellow Zumbazons. I’ll be back as long as I can afford it.  I’m addicted!

For me, exercise wasn’t ever a priority.  I knew if I exercised more, I could burn off more calories, but I never wanted to burden myself with something else I had to do.  I’ve been to the gym but my friends had to drag me.  But with Zumba, I look forward to it.  I want to go.  And I’m quickly realizing there are a lot more benefits to working out than burning excess calories.

1.  I feel better.

Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out (a.k.a. stress from work!). You’ll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Regular physical activity can even help prevent depression.

2.  I’m proud of myself

I try to get to Zumba as often as possible and it feels good to actually take the initiative to do it.  It feels good to be able to complain about having to workout because I actually do workout.

3.  I’m healthier

As if eating healthy isn’t enough, I’m doing my body even better by working out.  Regular physical activity can help you prevent — or manage — high blood pressure. Your cholesterol will benefit, too. Regular physical activity boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol while decreasing triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaques in your arteries.  And there’s more. Regular physical activity can help you prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer. Regular physical activity can help you prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

4.  I’m burning excess calories! Enough said.

5.  I have more energy.  Even when I’m tired and don’t feel like working out, I always feel better after. Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. In fact, regular physical activity helps your entire cardiovascular system — the circulation of blood through your heart and blood vessels — work more efficiently. Big deal? You bet! When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you’ll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.

6.  I’m having fun!  I clap, I giggle, I laugh, I jiggle.  I love Zumba!

Convinced you should work out? Good.  Sign up for something and start reaping the rewards!

FAVORITE FOOD FIND:

Here is an amazing recipe I found on WW online, Caribbean Pork with Sweet Potatoes.  It’s fantastic!

I guess I didn’t realize how amazing baked apples are, especially when paired with baked, chunks of sweet potato and a pork loin from Omaha Steaks.

This should be your welcome to fall family dinner, especially if you’re a fan of hot apple cider and sweet potato pie.

The only downfall was I over cooked the pork. The recipe called for 20 minutes but that wasn’t long enough so I put them back in and lost track of time. The sweet potatoes turned out crispy on the edges, mushy on the inside and the apples were like sweet, carmelized onions. Simply divine!

I paired this meal with some cottage cheese. The meal is sweet and the apples and creamy cottage cheese really meshed well. The sweet sauce soaked into the pork was also very nice.

Caribbean Pork & Sweet Potatoes

(I made one piece of pork and cut back on some the ingredients and just counted it as 9 points plus for the whole recipe.  The recipe below is 4 servings, 4 points plus.)

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