Hello all, my name’s Dana and I’ve been chosen to be Tempo Pilates New Year’s Challenge blogger. I started attending classes in November 2012 but have been away from the studio for the last four weeks due to travel and the holidays. I’m still pretty new at it all, but as a lifetime allergic-to-exercise person I’m frankly over the moon to have found a away of getting healthy that doesn’t have me dying from either embarrassment (any sort of competitive sport) or boredom (running in one place for an hour… zzz).
After nearly a month of superfluous, holiday-driven alcohol consumption (wine! beer! Bailey’s – in everything!), and hoarding chocolate and pork in newly discovered belly rolls, I’d say now’s pretty much the perfect time to detox and get reacquainted with the idea of movement. Oh yeah, and there’s that whole New Year’s resolution business.
My goal with starting a Pilates routine hasn’t been about strict weight loss exactly (not that I’d mind…), but it’s always been more about taking control of my life. Now that I’m back, I simply want to get rid of that bloated, wobbly post-Christmas feeling – both mental and physical. I’m not a fit person, generally speaking, and my muscles are more of a myth than a reality – particularly in my upper-body. Just check out my look of sheer terror while even attempting a plank for a good laugh.
Part of the New Year’s Challenge, along with three weeks of 10 classes, is a diet overhaul. I met with Jane, Tempo’s resident nutritionist, to go over my current approach to eating and I was glad to hear that she thought my overall diet is good. I tend to eat a pretty balanced diet, and I try to balance out my love of the occasional pizza or Chinese food feast with more wholesome food as well as fruits and veggies. But I never deny myself anything as well, which as you can imagine, can be a bit of a dangerous approach over the holidays. Basically, right now I feel horrible (no duh).
To start off my 3-week super-healthy diet, Jane has got me on a three-day detox, which I’m sure my body is dying for right now. For the next three days I won’t drink any alcohol or caffeine, and I’ll focus on raw fruits and vegetables through salads, stir-fries, soups, and smoothies.
I must say that I’m quite scared of my first class back after a month of shameless Christmas gorging, but after a few sessions I’m sure I’ll be bouncing back to my usual self – that is, not very good at Pilates or exercise in general, but not giving up any time soon!
I’ll be back in a week to let you know how things are going and in the meantime – good luck with all your new year’s resolutions!
