From 315lbs to Zumba instructor: my

Just wanted to share with you my little story. I am not done yet but if my journey can inspire someone, then it's worth it.

I have already posted here a few weeks ago at 115 lbs lost. I have hit a plateau after that, and now I am at 119lbs lost.

I used to weigh 315 lbs and I had no control over food. I ate for any reason. ANY reason. When I was sad, when I was stressed, when I was happy, when I was alone, when I was celebrating.... and of course I HATED working out. Like really. Hated it. Since I was a kid. In school I used to ditch PE and go hide around the school and get detention every week! Truth is I was never really athletic any way, and always thought that was the way it was, and that's it. I truly thought that my laziness and my gluttony would kill me one way or another, and that I would be obese my whole life and I just had to love (and die) with it.

I had tried so many diets, so many things. Nothing worked because as much as I would make an effort with my eating, I still would not increase my physical activity so I wouldn't lose and then I would just give up.

And then 2 and a half years ago, I tried a Zumba class for the first time. Truthfully, I did not go for the physical activity itself, I went because I needed to find something to do outside of the house, as we had just moved across the country and I was stuck at home with my two young kids.

That was the longest hour of my life! I was exhausted, sweating like crazy, out of breath... but it was fun! I loved the music, I loved the dancing, I loved that nobody was looking at each other and mocking others as I had feared.

So I came back. Again. And Again. And after a few months, I joined a gym.

I kept doing Zumba at the first class I had tried, and tried other classes too: water aerobics, jazzercise, step... After a few months at the gym I enrolled in a weight loss program with a trainer in a small group. Oh how hard it was! The squats, the push ups, the planking... I was really really not fit. Some days, well, most days, I did not feel like going before class, but I did like how I felt after, so I kept going. And my teammates became my friends. And I saw progress and never gave up.

I started taking other classes on a regular basis, became interested in weight lifting (turns out I'm strong! Never knew!) and became friends with another Zumba and group ex instructor who helped me, encouraged me, became my mentor. This instructor/friend and my trainer have been key elements in my success.

Now my weekly workouts include no less than several Insanity classes (yes, Insanity, like the DVD but with an instructor in the room with you) , r.i.p.p.e.d class, weight lifting/trainer sessions, and of course several Zumba classes too.
And on Friday, I will do the Zumba instructor training, something I would NEVER have thought possible in a million years.

So yes, just wanted to share ... I am not done yet, I still have a lot of work to do, but with commitment and consistency, amazing things can happen.