New Adventure In Zumba

Oh WOW!!! Where do I start. First be prepared to LYBO (laugh your butt off)

I have several deficients going for me:

When I thought I would be shaking some things that hadn’t been shaken in a long time if ever, I never dreamed it would be the sagging skin around my stomach. OMG!!!!! As I leaped to the right it was only swinging to the right by the time I needed to leap to the left! Talk about a disaster in the making. The collusion course was not a pretty picture.

My balance is certainly a problem, but I think I can overcome that by over compensating in other ways.

I have always known in church I can’t sing and clap at the same time. Well, I am just as uncoordinated with Zumba. If the bottom half (legs) is activated I cannot participate with the hands. I am the WORST white woman alive—absolutely no rhythm. Talk about a comedy!!!

Zumba has a basis of swiveling the hips (at the hips). My knees are heavily involved in this action.

I think I spent as much energy laughing at myself as I did attempting to do the moves. The lady next to me asked me if this was my first time. I said, “Yea, I’ve never seen this done and I have no idea what I am doing.” She said, “Well, I suggest you do the leg work and don’t worry about the arms.” I think she was a quick study on a full fledge train wreck about to happen. I thanked her! Several minutes later she said, “Just step to the side then to the other side, then double step. You will get the hang of it. It will be easier on Wednesday.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her I couldn’t attend but on Mondays and I doubted it would be any easier means I am not coordinated. I smiled and keep sweating and stepping. I did start to get the hang of some moves.

Then the true hindrance sat in. My Neuropathy. I made it 45 minutes of the hour class and knew I had to quit. My left foot was throbbing. My left toe was screaming. Tonight I have a limp. I have weak knees so some things were very difficult, but I can compensate for that relatively easily. Of course the fat (sagging skin) is a problem. Actually it is swinging skin. I’m sure it is more bothersome to me than it is notable to anyone else. I’m just afraid if I leap to high I will give myself 2 black eyes! :0)

I was very proud of myself though. 2 years ago I could not have moved at all, let alone actually enjoyed the movement and the sweat. I’ve found I LOVE TO SWEAT! Last year that was not the case! I hated to sweat and tended to avoid anything that made me sweat. It felt so good, until my foot threw it’s fit. I plan to try it again next week!! I think! We’ll see what my foot has to say tomorrow. I think it has the bigger vote.

Okay you can pick yourself up off the floor. Mom and dad were about to fall out of their chairs when I told them about it all. I am certainly a mess when it comes to rhythm and coordination involving 2 opposite directions, involving 2 different limbs, etc. I know it will improve with time, just like the lady next to me said. As for the hip action instead of the knee action---well, I’ve never been good at shaking my booty. Belly dancing is definitely out of the question!! I was probably even a disaster with a hula hoop!!

Until the next adventure…..!!!


Always a valley before a hill.
~American Proverb~

Think Before You Eat

Think before you eat 8/1/10

Today I got up and dad fried some bacon for breakfast. I don’t often eat breakfast, but bacon sounded good. I have eaten bacon in the past and no problems. Well, I went to church about an hour after eating. As I was driving to church I suddenly started to get cramping under my right breast. I told my friend Mellonie I was having cramps. I made it through the 1st song and had to sit down. I sat through the next 2 songs and decided to get up and walk. So I told Mellonie I was going for a walk. We had joked about gas earlier. I had a tough time walking upright. I made it to the teen’s room and laid down on the couch. The pain radiated to my right shoulder and collarbone. After 15 minutes I was feeling better and thought I would get up and go back to the service. I made it 3 steps and knew I was in trouble. Mellonie was searching the hallway for me and ran into me. She said, “Are you okay?!” I said, “Yea, I think I am in the middle of a dumping episode and I am going home to lie down. I will see you at the picnic.” She asked if I could drive or she could take me home. I said I could drive. I went into the auditorium and got my keys and water bottle (thank goodness I sat on the back row). I went home and laid down for an hour and got up feeling fine. At the picnic Mellonie said an older lady sitting on our row asked if I was okay because I looked horrid. Mellonie told her she thought it was just gas. Anyway, on the way home I got to thinking the bacon was cured in maple syrup. We hadn’t even thought about how that might affect me. Won’t be doing that again!!!! At one point I thought I was having a heart attack or appendicitis. I soon realized when I got up from the teen’s room and was headed back to the service that it was a dumping episode and I needed to go lie down for awhile. I just hope I never have another one of those episodes. Now to remember to think about what I am eating, even if I think I’m eating okay. Who would have thought “cured in maple syrup” would affect one so.


Give me a challenger that just might have the strength to take me down,
But give me the confidence to believe I will remain the champion.
~DeAnn M Cornwell~

2 Years & look at me now!

This just shows the physical aspects of my last 2 years. I can’t begin to measure the health benefits. The way I feel can’t be verbalized. My emotional, mental and spiritual being can’t be written on paper. Thank you God for the means to have surgery 2 years ago. Thank you for the blessings since. Would I do it again if I had to---YES!

6/30/08-------------7/15/10
Weight 292----------- 169
BMI 52.8--------------31
Upper Arm 19 ¾---------15
Chest 59--------------40.5
Waist 58--------------39
Hips 61---------------43
Thigh 27 ¾------------21


2 YEAR STATS Reduction
Weight 123 lbs
BMI 21.8
Upper Arm 4.75”
Chest 18.5”
Waist 19”
Hips 18”
Thigh 6.75”


Sizes
6/30/08----------------------7/15/10
Shirts 4x-5x(30-32W)-----------Xl-1x
Shorts 3x----------------------1x (16) (too big)
Pants 26-28P-------------------16P
Pants 50”----------------------40”
Sweats 3X (44-46)--------------M/L
Underwear----------------------down 5 sizes
Bra----------------------------down 5 sizes
Shoes 8.5---------------------7.5

May your character not be a writing upon the sand, but an inscription upon the rock!
~ Charles Spurgeon~

Celebration

My youngest great nephew, Talon (BKA – Better Known As – Bubby) and I share something. We are the same age. He turned 2 the 15th. I will turn 2 the 21st. Yes it will be 2 years since my surgery and new life. I am the healthiest I have been in far too many years. I am the lightest weight I have been in over 20 years.
Saturday we had a 2nd birthday party for my sweet great nephew. He opened his gifts and giggled and played and enjoyed the day as only a 2 year old can. Life is full of such wonderment to him and few worries. As he gets older he will take on more responsibilities. Some by his own choosing (tie my shoes, pick out my clothes, “I do it!”) Some by default. As you get older more is expected of you in order to survive in this world.

Well, I face many of the same feelings, emotions and expectations as Talon does. I am scared at times I am not eating right, exercising enough, living to the fullest. I feel happy for my progress. I am excited to work towards my new goals for the next 5 months. At my 2 year check up my surgeon told me many people at the 2 year mark gain weight. They begin to feel the old hunger pains. They are more relaxed in their journey. They can expand their pouch. Therefore it is even more important to keep my portion sizes to the minimum, chose the right foods and watch my calorie intake. This is true for anyone regardless of having gastric bypass surgery, but more so for me. Therefore my expectations need to be positive so I can keep myself focused on what is truly important. He was surprised I am still losing inches and decreasing in clothing sizes. I am working harder today than I was 6 months ago and it is paying off. He asked me what happened. I assumed he was referring to the fact I have lost 18.8 pounds in the last 6 months. I told him I got focused and serious. He said “Again.” It was a statement and not a question or an accusation. It felt good to know I am focused on myself and what I need and it shows. My surgeon is not easy to impress.

In the past few months I have addressed being positive, keeping focused, trusting God, grieving and growing, reflecting and many other dimensions of life. Through it all God has been the constant steady for me. The more I turn to Him the more peace I feel. Just as Talon feels at peace because of how his mom and dad, sister and grandma provide for him, I feel at peace when I acknowledge what God does for me. I turn to Him and he blesses. I can sit down and write my blessing list and it would be very lengthy. You would be listed on it. Your support through this 2 year journey has meant the world to me. Most of you are silent supporters. Some of you are very vocal and let me know I am doing good. Thank you. I still need that encouragement.

I was reminded today of some of those blessings. I was able to join in the fun of the celebration. I can remember a time and see pictures in my mind of me being present but not a part of the happenings. I was physically taking up space but wasn’t involved in the joy of the celebration. Today as I thought about what was happening and how I was relating I thanked God. For the 1st time in more years than I can remember I was able to participate. I held Talon and Makayla (my 2 ½ year old great niece) up to take a swing at a piñata. BS (before surgery) I wouldn’t have been able to do that. I was able to show my oldest great nephew how to swing a golf club more effectively. I’m no golf pro, but it sure helped him. BS I wouldn’t have even cared to be involved. As I said, I was present, but I wasn’t a participant. I have pictures that show that. I hope today’s involvement with them will be memories they will cherish. I was able to help in the kitchen. BS I would have sat and watched because I didn’t feel well enough to care. Yes, BS was a time of numbness. 2 years out and I am learning to enjoy life with childlike eyes sometimes.

I still have my days, as everyone does in their journey of life. But I adapt to those days much easier. As I progress in this new lifestyle, I pray my “brain-frame” will be set more on God. I pray I will keep remembering what it was like over 2 years ago and what it is like now. I pray I will keep track of what I used to not be able to do and what I can do now. I pray I continue to be refreshed by those accomplishments and challenged to attain new accomplishments. As Talon grows and matures and becomes more independent, I pray he keeps his childlike eyes and enjoys life and keeps himself healthy.

Happy Birthday Talon!
Happy Girthday DeAnn! (Girth = distance around something: the distance around something thick and cylindrical such as a tree trunk or somebody's waist)

May your character not be a writing upon the sand, but an inscription upon the rock!
~ Charles Spurgeon~

Perspectives of Life

Fulfillment of life is all in the perspective.

Depending on how you ask the question will determine the answer. It can influence the outcome. This is not an original concept from me. My pastor brought this to my attention today and caused me to think beyond the thought.

Depending on how you ask the question:
Some were asked the 1st question, some the 2nd question and some the 3rd question.

You don’t want……. do you?
You do want……. don’t you?
Would you like 1 or 2….…?

The results of this particular set of questions surrounded the serving of apricots.
The 1st question brought the response of 90% saying no they didn’t and 10% saying yes they did.
The 2nd question brought the response of 50% yes and 50% no.
The 3rd question brought the response of 50% wanting 1 bowl and 50% wanting 2 bowls.
It wasn’t a matter of if they wanted them or not. They probably didn’t feel they had an option but had to decide how many instead.
It would appear they were influenced by how the question was worded.

There lies the pondering of life. We usually get what we expect from it.
If we look at it positively we will probably find a positive outcome.
If we look at it in a negative manner we will probably find a negative outcome.
Kind of like the glass half empty half full dilemma.

You choose how life is going to be lived. Get what you expect. Expect what you want. Live with the results. Sometimes our expectations are more than what can be given, so take those lemons and make lemonade.


“Time passes. Lives change, but love lives on.”
~Barbara Leachman~

Living – A Slow Process

I had a friend this week tell me sometimes she feels people have moved on without her. She also made the statement that we shouldn't hold onto the things of the past because of the need to live in the here and now. I then started to think about how we need to use the past experiences as a springboard for growth. Through memories we learn and progress. Progress through the pain and the joys of life lived daily in the present. I then began to think of those times and wrote "A Slow Process". I hope you will use the pain and joys of life to live to the fullest measure. It might be a slow process, but through that process we are able to digest the progress to a healthier life.

A Slow Process

 

Life won't be a string of pearls

until the oyster of living

works through the sands of each day

and forms the pearl within.

 

Each situation of life will take the lump of coal

and shine it into the priceless diamond.

 

It takes time to process—a slow process sometimes.

 

 

 

"The leading cause of death among fashion models

is falling through street grates."

~Dave Barry~

 

GPS

These days people rely heavily on the GPS in their vehicles, on their phones, and wherever else they may be able to attach them. At work I got a 911 call from someone who needed help. I asked them where they were and they said, "Let me look at my GPS." Well after a short period of time trying to decipher their location, I asked if they could see any landmarks. They said, "Hold on I'm narrowing in now." Well as it turned out, all they had to do was look up and see a HUGE sign that said "PETRO 2" They were at the I-70 intersection at Salina that was populated by huge signs you could see for a good distance advertising 2 truck stops, gas stations, motels and other businesses in the area. All they had to do was look up and see them.

Well I must admit, I rely on my GPS too. Mine isn't a system that is attached to my vehicle, my phone or wherever else one can attach a Global Positioning System. My GPS is God Positioning System. It is a system that has been in existence since the beginning of time. It has always worked. It doesn't take any special equipment or special installation. I don't even have to have money to afford it. All I have to do is accept it, place it in my heart and rely on it to direct me down the path I need to go. Sometimes it will lead where I don't want to go, but it has a built-in intelligence chip. It knows what the best route is for me. If I follow it, it will divert me around the road blocks in life. It will send me past the pot holes, construction zones and congested byways. It is always up-to-date. It talks to me just like the fancy GPS of modern day technology. It is 100 % fool-proof.

All I have to do is look up and see the HUGE sign. God makes things clear as day as long as I keep my eyes on him, keep my ears attuned to his voice and follow the path he has laid out. It is when I stop listening to the soothing voice that says "Turn left before the bump." "Keep your eye on the goal." "Take one step at a time." "Don't rush by going over the speed limit. Everything comes in its proper time."

Yes, my GPS is always reliant and is always looking out for my safety and best interest. All I have to do is look up. I am assured I will get to my destination in the right time—God's time. Best of all it doesn't have to be updated and it never gets obsolete. The passing of time just makes it better. All I have to do is "Be Still and know that he is God." My navigator is always in control, all powered up and always ready to be used.