Zumba

Hi! I am 5'6 also. I started MFP back in Feb or 2011. I started out doing mostly Zumba. I would do it twice a day.
I also added in some dvd's that combine cardio and strength. I hit my goal weight a while ago. I am maintaining at 120lbs!

I lost nearly 40 pounds last year combining workouts with Zumba, other cardio and MFP. It does work. I love Zumba! Trying to get back on track now. Feel free to add me as a friend.

Go for it! Zumba is a very great high intense cardio workout and you will lose weight. Good luck with it:flowerforyou:

Hello there!

I have been on MFP for about a month and have lost 9 lbs. I am hooked to zumba and go about 4 or 5 times a week, but not because I am desperate to drop the pounds.. I am just totally addicted to it. It has helped me loose weight, I've made a bunch of friends and it has given me so much more confidence. Loving life right now and its all down to zumba!
Feel free to add me if you like! Good luck with your weight loss journey! xx

Hola all! I teach zumba lost 80 pounds with it but over time due to stress,worrying, and anti-depressants, I've become insulin resistant (non diabetic..just can't handle carbs). so I'm watching my carb intake & changing up my workouts, even my own zumba program since I teach 5 days a week (still have to be burning something) lol. but I've come to far to go back 210lbs. But Yes! ZUMBA with the right teacher is a great cardio and full body workout. ~ Blessings

Hi, there!

I started out doing nothing but Zumba and MFP - and dropped about 15 pounds. I actually became a Zumba Instructor - and it's so awesome to be able to get paid for something I love to do and would have done anyway! Not to mention I'm held VERY accountable because other women are counting on me!

Having said that - I do think it's equally as important to get some strength training in there as well. I found that the weight came off more quickly and my body started to look more "fit" than it did doing Zumba alone.

When I stick to my zumba i usually do 40-60 minutes everyday for about 2 weeks, i lost about 5 lbs and an inch. I would recommend it.

Hello everyone me and my friend abaldauf07 are new to mfp, we have been doing zumba for the past 2months looking for friends & motivation..... Add Us.... Thnkx!!!!!

I LOVE Zumba. It's so much fun to dance around and be sassy. It is a good weight loss tool. Basically an hour of fun goes by but it was actually a work out too. Finding an instructor that you love is really important to it being fun. You'll make friends, you'll sweat, and you'll smile!

I love Zumba and I believe that in order to exercise, you have to find something you like to do and WANT to do in order to keep up with it. I use a heart rate monitor and I do a live class and Kinect Zumba Rush (which is stellar by the way). I weigh about 130 and burn about 400 calories in an hour workout (depending on the dance, my heart rate will go between 120 and 150) whereas if I were to go running for that same amount of time, I'd burn 600 calories (heart rate in the 160's+). But again, you have to do what you like to do. I have been tracking my calories burned during heavy weight lifting/strength training and am impressed with the amount of calories that burns but unfortunately, it doesn't interest me. Right now I'm kind of doing a little using Jillian Michaels on Kinect for a half hour and then Zumba for a half hour but I need to do more strength training. You will definitely see results with Zumba but later on you may plateau and need to add in something different and strength training.. I think that is where I am at right now.

I have been doing Zumba 2-3 times a week for the past year (along with Turbo Kickboxing 2 times a week). It took me 1 year to loose about 15 lbs. I'm 5'4 and went from 155 to 139 (ddown to 133 after starting MFP with workouts). I was onlying doing the kick boxing, but Zumba is what really boosted my weight loss. I highly recommend it!!! It's a great and fun workout! Good luck!!!

Not me! I've tried zumba but being the typical guy, I just stood in the back, trying not to fall over my own feet lol

This site has worked for me with other cardio workouts.

If I'm brave enough....I'll try zumba again

As to the question about classes vs. home with the games/DVDs - here's what I tell people:

If you're not comfortable with it yet, do the home workouts or games until you feel more comfortable. Then go try a class, but give it at least 2 classes before you make up your mind. The reason I say to committ to 2 classes is because your first class you won't have any idea what the instructor's routine is like, and you're likely to feel a bit lost and clumsy. By the second class you'll have a better idea of what's going on, and you'll get a better workout.

If you don't like it at first try you can always find another instructor. Each one is different and has their own "flair".

I find that the classes are more motivational than the home games/DVD's because you're surrounded by other people - some doing less and some doing more than you. I teach Zumba 3 days a week and still take classes from the other instructor at our facility. It's nice to have different routines other than my own...it's nice to let go of the reins and just follow for a while without everyone looking at me.

Zumba's fantastic with the right teacher. Fun and a great way to burn calories. But don't forget to add strength training of some kind as well -- building muscle helps you burn calories even faster, and helps with toning that zumba alone can't.

I've been doing Zumba since December 2011, but started MFP in January 2012. I've lost 36 pounds, so far, and 10 inches. I go to 4-5 Zumba classes every week (Monday evening regular Zumba; Tuesday early AM Zumba toning; Thursday early AM Zumba Toning; and Thursday evening regular Zumba). If I'm feeling really good, I'll do a Wednesday or Friday evening regular Zumba class.

I adore Zumba and feel like a spokesperson for the classes. I like the games for Wii and all that, but there's nothing like being in IN a class. Plus, you can't hit the pause or off button during class, so it really motivates you to finish an entire hour.

I also recommend trying out Zumba toning. It's intense for the first few weeks of it, but it really does make a difference in your progress. I started my classes last month, and I'm already feeling more muscle tone building. The inches I lost were just with regular Zumba and diet.

Add me as a friend if you like! I love love love me some Zumba!!