Friday, May 1, 2009

The 30 Session Pilates Challenge

I woke up this morning in a fabulous mood. The sun was shining, the birds were singing… (Well, I’m assuming they were. I couldn’t actually hear any birds singing because all our windows were closed, but you catch my drift… It’s a beautiful day!) And it’s the first day of May, my favorite month of the year! I love May so much, not because it’s my birthday month, but because it’s the month that spring REALLY arrives here in Washington. I love spring ~ all the flowers are in bloom, summer seems just around the corner, and we Washingtonians start wearing shorts and tank tops far earlier than we should simply because we equate sun with warmth. (Never mind that the forecast is for highs in the low 60’s ~ it’s sunny! Bring out the summer clothes!)

My good mood increased when I got on the scale and saw that I’d lost another half pound, bringing my loss since Monday to one pound. As part of revisiting my New Year’s resolutions, I’ve been writing down everything I’ve eaten this week, as well as all the physical activity I’ve done. A quick look back at my log showed that I’d lost my two half pounds on the days after I’d done Pilates. Hmmm, I began to wonder if there was something to that…

I started doing Pilates about eight years ago in college. I got this amazing video (on VHS, although now of course is it available on DVD) and was soon hooked. I especially liked what the instructor said ~ “Remember what Joseph Pilates said. You will feel better in 10 sessions, look better in 20 sessions, and have a completely new body in 30 sessions.” I did notice changes in my body at the time, but was never overly consistent about my Pilates sessions to achieve the “new body” Joseph Pilates promised I could have. I did continue with sessions two or three times a week, and was fairly pleased with the results.


The frequency of my sessions decreased when I moved last winter. My favorite place to do Pilates is in the living room in front of the TV (I no longer use videos but like to watch TV from my mat to keep my brain occupied), and this isn’t always easy when you share a living room with three other people. (Turns out that no one likes legs flying in front of the TV set while trying to watch their favorite show.) Now that we’re on our own, I’m trying to get back into my old Pilates routine, and have decided to try a 30 session Pilates challenge. My goal is to get in 5 or 6 sessions a week, so by mid~June, I should have completed my 30 sessions. I am hopeful that I will see real results from this ~ after 18 years of ballet, my body seems to respond well to Pilates as much of its stretching movements are similar to those done in ballet. I’m going to take my starting measurements tonight and Dear Boyfriend has offered to take a “before” picture for me that may or may not be posted at the end of my little challenge. We'll have to wait and see if the end results will make up for the embarrassing "before" shot...

Excited about the promise of a "completely new body" and anxious to share my results,
Heather

5 comments:

Xazmin said...

oooh! I'm sending so many good luck wishes your way!

I have a yoga pilates video that I won in a raffle at a family reunion. I've been thinking of breaking it out in conjunction with my daily treadmill walking.

I'm excited to see your transformation!!!

AndreaLeigh said...

i am excited to see what results you achieve. i've heard such great things about pilates.

Jen said...

Good luck with the Pilates - and take pictures! You will love to have them for comparison when you've reached your goal.

Amber Filkins said...

See, I read the title of this post this morning, and the first line, and thought, I'll come back later, b/c I was trying to make some rounds.

It's like I just had an epiphany. I am SOOO results oriented. And to tell me, in weeks, how much something is going to work, it totally perfect for me. If I know that after 'x' amount of weeks, this will happen, then another 'x' amount, I can totally stick it out.

I heard yesterday on Oprah {via Hugh Jackman} that it took him FIVE whole months to see the real results for getting into shape for the latest X-Men movie---it really put it into perspective. Because you know he worked hard core. I would've expected him to see his results faster. But it's staying the course that really brings the REAL results.

I'm such a snacker, and especially after a meal I have to have something sweet. After walking for 1 hour tonight I can honestly say that I don't need or crave anything. It's such a good feeling.

Hey, so nice to meet you by the way! Sorry for the huge ramble. lol. I think this comment has just become my next post. :)

Vivienne @ the V Spot said...

good luck! I am sooooo not a yoga or pilates person, but I am rooting for you!