Weekly Weigh In and Zumba

This was a pretty good week, though there’s a lot going on - J is starting school again soon, we’re going to have a guest staying with us for a week, we’re trying to reorganize our apartment so it’s more functional, and I’m starting a job search. I love my work, especially my boss and co-workers, but my position is an entry-level one in which people usually move on after a couple of years, and I think I’m ready for a new challenge. While I'm still tracking and working out, I'm slipping on the packing lunches and not eating office candy front. I'm eating more from the candy bowl again and then being annoyed when I can't "afford" a treat in the evenings.

Food-wise, I am slipping on the Friday front. Just something about getting home for the weekend makes me feel like I deserve a little treat. However, in the past, those Fridays would have been an actual free-for-all whose calorie intakes would have put me squarely in the “gain” box for the day. Now, while I definitely ate too much this Friday to have a calorie deficit for that day, I didn't affect the rest of the week. However weird it sounds, this is actually something I’m proud of. Ramble over.

This week’s weigh in:

Measurements	June 8th	August 4th	August 12th	August 20th
Weight	191.2	184	183	182.6
Pounds Fat	82.7	74.5	70.4	72.5
Pounds Muscle	67.3	68.2	66.4	66.8

The good thing about tracking calories is that I can judge the number on the scale and decide if it makes sense, based on how many calories I know I've eaten over the week. A nice change of pace for that judgey electronic bitch. So while I was disappointed to see I'd lost half a pound this week, I know I had a calorie deficit of over a pound. I'm still hoping to make my Labor Day goal to be in the 170's, but we'll see.

We can have a cordial relationship because I know you're mistaken, and that's ok.

In fitness “news,” I took my first Zumba class this week. I've been wanting to try this class ever since I heard of a workout that claimed to combine club dancing with cardio, but just never got the courage to go alone. So when I ran into an acquaintance who happens to belong to my same gym, I asked her if she might like to try out Zumba. I can’t believe I hadn't taken advantage of the classes that are included in my membership until now.

The class was awesome. I’ve heard the the instructor can make or break Zumba, and Vicky was fantastic. She was enthusiastic, encouraging, and mixed up the moves. I had fun, even though I definitely made many missteps. However, they got fewer as the class went on and I learned the instructor’s various hand movements. The other members were friendly, and I never felt like anyone was judging anyone else.

And with the fun, hot damn that’s a workout. In the 55-minute class, I burned 550 calories - basically as much as jogging but was having too much fun to even notice. This class was a good way to break up the regular workout week, and I could even see it helping me with my coordination, which is similar to that of a drunk goat. We plan to go again this weekend.