I'm A Zumba Addict: My Top 5 Songs

If you follow me on Instagram or Snapchat you will know my stories are mostly about mom and I being at the gym for a Zumba class. At the beginning of the year, when my wedding date was already set, we decided we wanted to go back to the gym to get back in shape, try to be more healthy and no longer feel breathless as we went up a flight of stairs. Since February we have been going to Zumba classes (as well as Dance Fitness, Body Blast and Yoga) and our updated and improved lifestyle has brought us so many benefits. Despite going to classes almost every day, the next day I feel ready to start my day and I am always looking forward to the next class. That's the effect Zumba has on you, it's enjoyable, energizing and an amazing way to burn those extra calories and tone the body. And given we've been going for a good number of months now we have the choreography of most songs down and also our favourite songs which we listen to even outside of classes. Today I'm rounding up my top 5 songs because a) they are SO fun to listen to and b) what's better than good Latin (I may be biased here) music to get you in weekend mode? Enjoy!

My Weight Loss Journey + Before & After

Hi Beautifuls!I've always struggled with my weight and to top it off, I'm kinda lazy; there I admit it. I would much rather go shopping than go to the gym, watch a movie instead of taking a walk. Whenever I tried dieting, it never seemed to work. Sure I would lose some weight, but in the long run those extra pounds always found their way back to my stomach, thighs, face, etc etc. It didn't really occur to me how noticeable my weight loss was until a lot of friends started complimenting on how great I looked. Many asked what crazy diet I was on and I promise, none. Those never work anyway. Changing my eating habits was the key and I've never been more delighted!

My healthier diet included switching from white bread to brown bread, carbs for protein (of course I still eat rice, pasta, etc, but just in smaller portions and less regularly), fizzy drinks for fruit juices and water, and definitely more veggies and greens. I do still love the occasional burger, ice cream and fries, but I tend to keep those for the weekend only as a treat depending on how good I've been throughout the week. These are the results so far:

Before:

Ignore the photos quality; these were all taken on my Iphone.

After:

Now, I can't really tell you how many pounds, kilos or stones I've lost because...well, I don't know. The scale has never been very kind to me, so I stopped using one years ago. But what I do know is that I have gone from a top size 10 to size 8 and I no longer need to squeeze into my size 10 jeans (I actually need to wear belts now to keep them from falling down). Feeling happier and more comfortable in my clothes shows improvement and that is enough for me. 

Being more active is still a challenge (didn't I tell you I was lazy?) but I can see from these photos how far I have come and now it's about keeping those pounds off. With determination, exercise and a healthy diet, a healthier lifestyle is something we can all achieve and that's what I'm after on this ongoing journey.