Wedding Blog

I really love to exercise. I actually look at going to the gym as a treat! Don’t look at me like I am crazy, it’s true!!

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*this is not what I look like when I go to the gym*

Before I was laid off, I used to take four aerobics classes a week. I worked in two huge studios and was constantly moving back and forth between the two—walking about four miles a day! (Yes, I was dorky and wore a pedometer to work every day for a month.) My MOH and I were also taking belly dance lessons together once a week. Mr. Taffy lived in downtown Ann Arbor, so I would walk a few blocks to and from my car (and up a flight of super steep stairs) to visit him a few times a week. I would say that I was in pretty good shape!

Oh, how things have changed:

Job searching has involved me sitting in front of my laptop or desktop for hours a day. Whether I am updating my portfolio, working on a new project or searching opportunities online, the only thing that’s getting a workout (besides my mind, of course!) is my poor wrist. I stopped the belly dance lessons when I lost my job, but kept my gym membership. Working out is important to me, and I got a really great monthly rate during a promotion, less than half of what it would cost to sign up now. I had been keeping up with my gym schedule until late summer, when portfolio work, weddings, and my own wedding planning took my schedule by storm. Mr. Taffy and I now live together just outside of downtown, where we have a driveway and live on the first floor. Parking far away and climbing steep stairs is a faint memory. And it shows! I would say I’ve put on ten pounds or so… it’s hard to tell since I don’t own a scale, and I have seemed to gain the weight proportionately. Oh, did I mention that I became obsessed with Rocky Road ice cream this summer? It’s so yummy, it’s like frozen hot cocoa, only crunchy. Anyway, that did not help me one bit.

I should also mention that I because of my lack of exercise, I have been having major problems sleeping. I simply wasn’t doing enough physical work to make myself tired. I’ve been exhausted mentally each night, but still excited enough to think about wedding plans and job possibilities, so while my body isn’t tired, my mind is racing. This does not add up to sleep!

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I am way overdue to get back into my gym schedule at the YMCA. Yep, I work out at the YMCA. I love it! Earlier I mentioned how much I love going to the gym. There is a catch–

I only like to go to classes.

There is nothing more boring to me than working out on a treadmill or a type of weight machine, but get me in a room with a bunch of people for a class and I am ready to go!!! It’s not that it’s more social; most people keep to themselves. I get a much better workout by doing what the instructor tells me to during class than if I was left to my own devices, and the classes are really well rounded. Cardio, upper body, abs… it’s all included, and packaged neatly into an hour.  I’ll take any class, but have realized that my favorites are the ones that involve lots of jumping around. Most of the classes I take are step aerobics or some kind of cardio mixer. I also take a class called Butts & Guts once a week. That class is so hardcore, I am seriously frightened of going back this Friday! I have been back in the other classes for two weeks, but have been so sore I haven’t even attempted to conquer Butts & Guts. Youch!

Sometimes I think about getting some aerobic DVDs to try at home, but I don’t think it would be the same as being in a room with all of those people, watching the synchronized movements in the mirror and stomping and clapping in unison. I just think it is really fun! Also, there are lots of times when the instructor does something that I would normally never try, but because everyone is doing it together I won’t sit out. If I were at home, I would probably just laugh, let out a “hell no,” and wait, arms crossed, until the next portion of the video.

My new schedule will include three trips to the gym, and five classes. Two step classes, one cardio mixer, one body chisel class, and the beloved and extremely effective Butts & Guts. Last week was really rough, but hopefully I’ll be more used to the classes this week. I’m not changing anything diet wise, except maybe less ice cream. That should do it!

Did you start a gym routine for the first time after getting engaged? Or did you have a good gym schedule going until you got wrapped up in the wedding planning, like me?