My Zumba and Me

Since January this year, I have been doing Zumba for my fitness and loving it so much. I decided my new goal is to become a Zumba instructor. I have been tracking my check-ins at the gym and to date I have done 36 classes. I did realize though, at 41, cardio doesn’t cut it.. Unless perhaps if I eat an egg, lettuce and nothing else.. Nothing is budging. So now, I am incorporating weights in the morning. I mean hell – what does a girl have to do to shed some pounds!

My eating isn’t terrible by ANY means.

Ok so here is my routine – no lies – this is me being real

Morning

Chai Tea (black Chai not Starbucks)

1 boiled egg

3 strawberries

Sesame seed snacks

Afternoon

Salad – Kale, spinach nuts, cheese and chicken (Package says 250 calories)

1 apple, one handful of nuts

1.2 avocado

Dinner

Steak / Chicken and broccoli

1 glass of red wine

Sometimes I will have chocolate or chips

I mean, that’s not awful right?? That coupled with morning pushups and arms with weights and evening 1 hour Zumba 6 days a week. And no, my thyroid is fine, my hormones are fine. But the podge STICKS!

Any advice is appreciated.

In any case, I learnt that I have to do at least 600 hours of Zumba in order to even join to find a mentor LOL  - But I am game. I am dedicated. I wish I could do ballet again too… but alas! I have to give up something, hey.  I have now cut all soda out of my diet and slowly but surely cutting out the sugar and carbs.. hope that works!

The One With the Night I slept in a Train Station in Italy:

When I was 19 years old, Craig and I went to Italy. This was our first trip out of South Africa. I was excited beyond belief.  The journey itself was eventful as we got stuck in Gabon – a French speaking North West African country which we had never even heard of before. After a week of equal parts interesting and horrific [story for another time] – we made it to Italy. 

I was joyfully oblivious at how much I had over-packed and poor Craig had to lug around our suitcases while I skipped and hopped everywhere enjoying the Italian sights and sounds. About two weeks into an amazing adventure, we started to run out of money. Money? What is that – I was 19 and my boyfriend was the one with the money, the car and the job etc. I was just along for the adventure. I think my father paid for my ticket, I don’t even remember – all I know is I was in Italy!

In hindsight, I am not sure how much Craig really enjoyed this little adventure, every time we went to eat somewhere, I think he would hold his breath wondering if the credit card was going to be declined.  We were in Pescara, enjoying this beautiful Southern Italian Coastal town.

It was a long journey on the train from our adventures in Sorrento and St Augustine, we also hopped over to Assisi and spent a night there.  We checked our bags into a hotel we found in Pescara and went to this fabulous Seafood place for dinner. I remember having the most delectable pasta and white wine sauce.  When the bill came we handed the waiter the credit card, it came back declined.

My heart sank.  It was very weird, though,  because the waiter didn’t ask us if we had cash or whether we had another card. He just politely said in a very heavy Italian accent and some broken English that it was “ok”. We left wondering whether we needed to wash dishes or what.

This was our first real meal in a few days as we were budgeting and trying to eat whatever free food we could find.  It was about 11pm and we were exhausted, we went to our hotel and as we arrived there, the front desk had taken our bags out of the room and it was waiting for us out front at reception.

They very angrily told us that the restaurant had called them and that we needed to leave since we had no money to pay! They threw us out.   Waiving us out in Italian with hand gestures and everything.

I cannot remember now how the restaurant knew where we were staying. Once again Craig was lugging our heavy bags. With no money and no place to stay we wondered around for a bit and got to the train station, simply exhausted and disheartened. There was so much activity going on at the train station, as it was World Cup Soccer season and we would learn later that, Italy had won the semifinals that night, hence all the celebrations going on.

We sat in the train station watching the festivities and celebrations until the sun came up. We then got on the next train back to Rome and slept the whole way.

 At this point, we couldn’t go home to South Africa, we still had 4 days left before our flight departed, so we got off the train in Rome and went to the South African Embassy. As much as we loved Italy.  The crazy Italians, trying to understand and be understood.  As much as we loved learning the gruff and romantic lingo and culture of this ancient land, it was great to hear our own language and our own people when we arrived at the Embassy.  It was like an oasis and a welcomed relief.   They greeted us with a smile as if we had come back from the war.  They freely gave us some money to tide us over [which we had to pay back the minute we hit South African soil ofcourse] 

With our new found riches we went to the nearest street vendor and bought and devoured the most delicious cannoli. Smiling from ear to ear. Let the last 4 days of our adventure begin!!