Needing modivation... Bad!!!

afeveryear

I have been doing really well and enjoying the progress that I have been making. I have been doing Zumba, which I really enjoy doing because it's not boring, but it seems to be getting harder and harder each class for me to keep up. I am now getting the steps but actually keeping up is almost impossible. I have been losing weight and eating much better then I ever have in my life. So I don't understand why it's getting harder and now I just dread each day that I am scheduled for a class, like today... I don't want to dread my workouts, that is what will make me stop doing it.... HELP!!!

Has anyone else experienced this and what did you do?

Newfiedan

you are most likely lacking in either protein uptake, or iron/b vitamins in your diet, check that over and you should be good.

jennywrens

Maybe you're putting too much pressure on yourself to get the steps 'right' ...... just have fun and do something as similar to everyone else as possible!!!!

Edited to say - sorry, I read that you were finding it hard keeping up with the routine .... didn't consider you meant keeping up physically xx

Vicky14174

have you been getting enough protein and fiber in your diet? it will give you more energy.

Here is a list that might help you.

High Energy Foods

Here is a handy list of high energy foods which you could attempt to integrate into your daily diet. A high energy food can supply your body with additional energy needed to get through the day.

Vegetables
The list of vegetables which supply your body with high amounts of energy is exhaustive.
The main foods in the vegetable area which provide high amounts of energy are; sprouts, broccoli, asparagus and spinach.

Nuts
Some nuts are a great energy source and are often very suited to a quick snack. Almonds, peanuts and soy nuts are perfect for this example.

Yogurt
Yogurt is full of vitamin-B, and this vitamin helps your body convert other nutrients into energy. You should not eat excessive amounts of yogurt due to the fat content. You could eat a nut yogurt to mix the yogurt and nut energy foods into one snack.

Eggs
Eggs are a great source of energy, and this food will supply a high amount of protein throughout the working day. Some experts advise not to eat more than three eggs a week, so try to mix your weeks food plan up with other high energy foods.

Orange & Other Fruit Juice
Vitamin C can help to reduce levels of fatigue, which will keep you going all day long. As with many other vitamins, too much vitamin C can be bad for your body, so drink these juices in moderation.
Citrus fruits are also very good in providing vitamin C, a great example of this is the main ingredient in the fairly new lemon detox diet.

Beans & Lentils
Beans and lentils are a great source of potassium and carbohydrates. Kidney beans, lentils, baked beans and many others provide a great source of energy for your body.

Seeds
Sunflower and pumpkin seeds are also a great source of energy for your body. These are great as a stand-alone snack, and also combined with other ingredients in nut bars.

Sigra

Yep! I used to dread my workouts as well, I find getting on the elliptical can be very boring, I can probably stay on for a max of 20mins which just isn't good enough for me.

What I did was found something I did enjoy and stick with it! - I've been learning a lot about different types of boot camp exercises. Right now I know up to 50 different exercises that I do 1-2mins of each, it lasts me a good 30mins before I finally go "oh crap! What time is it!" I don't use a stop watch or anything, I just do the best I can to average the time out.

So far so good, for now I just do the boot camp exercises while I'm watching tv in my living room.

husker_gal

switch up your routine. Maybe just use the regular gym equipment or do a different kind of class? Also, if you are finding you can't keep up because you are lacking in the stamina/energy needed to keep up then try upping your calories by 100 for a few days and/or drinking a protein shake about 30 minutes before you work out. Nothing heavy because you don't want to get an upset stomach.

dominioniwoman

Hi, I am a Zumba instructor so I will try to help the best that I can. Are you taking the classes with the same instructor or different ones? Each instructor has their own spin on the steps and the intensity. Also since you are getting a hang of the steps you are probably naturally putting more effort into the routines, thus making it harder.

Do you wear a heart rate monitor? That can help you gauge if you are working harder without truly realizing it. Also Zumba burns a significant amount of calories and you may not be nourishing your body sufficiently enough. At low impact levels you can burn up to 400 calories, medium impact 500-700 calories and if you go full force it is easy to approach if not exceed 1000 calories in the one hour.

When I teach I typically burn 900-1300 calories depending on my class and when I am just a participant I burn 600-800 calories. The heart rate monitor is critical in determining your true calorie burn.

Another thought could be the shoes that you are wearing. If you are wearing regular sneakers your arches are not get the full support for the dancing and your body could be compensating thus making the classes harder. Discount dance supply is website that has a variety of dance sneakers.

I hope this helps and please feel to contact me if you have any questions

Thanks and hang in there

Silvana

SherryRueter

It sounds like you are getting bored with Zumba. Maybe you should look at some other DVD's that interest you? Also, are you taking a stretching day each week, just to stretch out (ie. Yoga) and Do you do any weight training?

Some of the top ones that I like:
Bob Harper (The Biggest Looser) has some out ther that I hear are fab-u-lous.; Jillian 30day Shred (kinda boot camp like); Chalean Extreme, P90X,

afeveryear

I would like to thank everyone who responded and I will try to answer some of your questions. I am definately not bored with Zumba, I love the class. I do take it with the same instructor and she is Wonderful!!! I have got the steps down and love the class, my problem lies with feeling like I'm going to die about 15-20 minutes into the class when a couple of weeks ago, I was making it through the whole hour. I do up my protein on days that I am going to work out but mainly when I am going to lift weights. I am not sluggish or anything like that, I am fine up until I get going and then it's like I just can't keep up. I know it's the weight, but I just don't understand why it's getting harder now, shouldn't it get a little easier? I haven't thought of the shoes... I am using gym shoes, but maybe they are good enough for what I am doing, that just might have something to do with it. I will try getting a new pair and see if that helps, if not... at least I will have a new pair of cute shoes, right?