Defensive Eating & Zumba

This morning I took my first Zumba class. It was definitely cool - a mix of a salsa, bollywood, merengue and generally dance that is designed to make women feel sexy and fit. I burned a lot of calories - about 500 in the 45 minute class - and I was tired after. Here's my hang up, though. It was a small class, and although I was getting the steps right, I felt fat. I felt like I was too fat to be doing these moves. Granted, there were mirrors on every wall in front of me, so I was forced to watch myself as I was dancing. And . . . well, it's impossible not to compare yourself to the instructor. She looked cool - I looked silly. She looked firm and strong - I looked jiggly.

I know that I'll get more fit and I will look better doing the moves. Why do I care how I look to the other women in there? The other women consisted of a 20 something skinny girl who couldn't quite move her hips, a large black women, an elderly woman, and one lady who was smoking at the moves. So, 3 women who probably looked just as silly as me. WHY DO I CARE? I think I'm going to keep going to the class - see if it improves.

One more thing I wanted to talk about today. It's something I call "defensive eating." My job sometimes requires me to eat before I am hungry, in case I get hungry later. I can't stop a lesson because my blood sugar is so low that my hands are shaking. And it's pretty difficult to teach when you feel that way. I also can't pause a gig to stuff my face. This is difficult, because I feel like I'm eating more than I need to, and I don't know how much I need to eat to get through the work day. The only possible way around this that I can see, is that I have to eat smaller meals throughout the day, so I can eat right before teaching or my gig. Hopefully that will keep me from getting hungry while I work.

But, if you still feel like you need a snack during the day, it always helps me to try and eat fruit or nuts. These are easily portable, I can carry them around with me in case I need them. Almonds are my favorite kind of nut to eat, and they're one of the most healthy nuts. A combination of nuts and fruit might make you feel fuller longer. If you find that's not enough for you, another good option are snack crackers (especially if they're made form wheat crackers) with peanut butter or cheese, or a granola/breakfast bar. Might be more calories, but it can save you if you're really starving.

Although I didn't have the greatest experience with my last 2 classes, I really like trying new things. If you don't at least go once, how will you know if you like it or not? I encourage you to do the same if you have the opportunity! More to come soon!