Thursday, March 9, 2006

Dancing Queen

I started my modern dance class on Monday night! (It turns out I can't take ballet because of the time but I'm still trying to maybe work that out.) Anyway, I had mixed feelings about the class but overall I had a good time and I'm glad that I'm doing it. It's just a completely different environment from what I got used to in college: meaning people are in the class mainly for fun and not training to be professional dancers. Of course, I'm only in the class for fun as well but a part of me was yearning for the style of teaching I had back at the Dance Center. I think I took for granted just how good some of the instructors I had were. Plus, I'm totally missing the live musicians. Pop music on a cd player just can't measure up to live drumming. I guess I should have appreciated my college days more. Of course, I did have to pay thousands more dollars for that experience- or should I say I am still paying dollars for that experience. (Thank you United States government! I hear it's not quite as easy now to score student loans and grants as it used to be.)

So on the whole I am pleased. I'm taking an intermediate level class which is on the easy side but I haven't danced in three years and I want to ease myself back slowly. Plus, you can always find something to improve on. Which leads me to my next goal in self-transformation. (No, it's not to stop drinking diet soda because that's a lost cause and I've made peace with that.) Last year around this time I made a conscious decision to start eating better and working out more. I don't really make new year's diet resolutions because in January it's still cold and snowy and I like cuddling up in my house with comfort food and drink. It's always around March or so when I get the bug to get back into shape. So anyway, last year I started eating better and lost about twelve pounds which put me back at the size I was around when I was twenty and also made my drivers licencse stop lying to the State of Illinois. Well, as it turns out I finally gained about ten of that back so I'm getting back with the program again. What program? Well really I just subscribe to the eating a lot less and exercising a lot more program which always seems to work for me. Hopefully I can stay with it this time so I don't have a repeat of it again next year. I blame Jason partially for over the years turning me into such a fan of good food.

Just for the record, I tend to think that writing about food issues and weight can sound a bit annoying and girly (as in "Do I look fat in this dress?") but I need to write stuff like that down so I will follow through with it. Now that it's out there I am forced to make updates on it.

5 comments:

  1. Oh Tracey, I need your inspiration!! I have been going to the gym but eating soooo badly lately. Last time I went to the doc he was proud of how much weight I'd lost in January and now I am puffing all up like a balloon.
    I need to really get serious about cutting down. I wish I was Catholic so I could at least be serious about giving something up for Lent--as it is, I have NO willpower as far as my eating goes. :(

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  2. I need to go to a gym. I've always been an at-home exerciser- for obvious reasons- but I'd love to join a gym. I used to take aerobics classes at the community center in Bartlett (I know, so 80's!) but now I just ride my bike at home and do Pilates and yoga. I hate all my workout dvds because I have them memorized now and the instructors can be so annoying!
    I don't know what my inspiration is. Sometimes I eat horribly and other times I'm really able to turn the willpower on. (I guess that's why I go through this same diet regimen every spring!)

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  3. Congratulations on getting back into class! I've gone several months without it and am already feeling the difference. It's a hard step but worthwhile. I'm also a home exerciser, but find that I get a much better workout when I'm doing it in front of people. Good luck!

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  4. "Just for the record, I tend to think that writing about food issues and weight can sound a bit annoying and girly..."
    At first, I thought you were blog-needling me. But then I read more carefully and un-narrowed my eyes. And resumed eating peanut M&Ms.
    Ha!

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  5. I love posts like this! I'm so proud of you for taking dance again, it's so great to get back into things that make you happy. I keep trying to join swim teams over and over and over again, but it doesn't stick.
    And I'm totally with you on the spring thing, I have so much more motivation around this time of year too! It was 76 here today with a clear sky! I love it!

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