We all know that the road to weight loss is not an easy one. Someone once told me that I didn't put it on overnight so don't expect it to come off overnight (I think that was my husband David.) As part of our Healthy and Well in 2012 challenge I am trying to educate myself on healthy living so I've been doing a lot of reading. Everything I have read so far has said that dieting alone is not going to help me lose weight. I need to burn some fat as well, get that blood pumping! So, I am trying to work out at the YMCA at least 3 times per week. I have taken Zumba, Step Aerobics and last night I took my first Pilates class! How hard can that be? You're laying down on the floor after all. UGH! It's not as easy as it looks. I had no idea I had muscles in some of the places we were stretching. I can not believe how much you sweat just stretching and really making those muscles work like they haven't in a very long time.

I found a lot of great Pilates videos on YouTube that you can watch to get an idea of what the class is like but there is nothing better than being in a group, grunting, laughing and encouraging each other. Jonathan, our only male, was making me laugh so hard I couldn't breath. We were told to lie flat on our stomachs and to reach back and grab our ankles. Wait...WHAT? I was actually able to do that one. Then stand on one foot, hold your other foot flat against your calf and hop backwards. There were many other positions that we tried but since it was my first class I don't really know what they are called. My favorite was the one where you lie flat on your stomach, raise your feet up straight and simulate the kick you make when you swim. I could really feel that one in my gluteus maximus. That is good though, swimsuit season is just around the corner.

I have good arm strength (that comes from tossing square bails of hay around) but I have no core strength. David is always giving me a hard time about my core strength. He can jump tall buildings in a single bound but me, I can't get 3 inches off the ground.

I really enjoyed the class. I felt stretched out after we were finished. I woke this morning a little sore but I'm told it's the second day that's the worse. My friend Barbara said this morning. "No Pain, No Gain"! Wait! I'm trying to lose weight here!

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