Belly Dance Update: Who Am I Kidding?

I just completed Day Three of my belly dance program. Before I talk about my progress, I just want to make sure everyone knows that there is NO belly dancing going on here! I can make it through the warm-up (general stretches) just fine, but the shoulder isolations about kill me! My arms, shoulders and upper back (and my shins!) can definitely feel the workout! 

I am using a DVD, and it seems to be very well done. I've taken belly dance lessons in the past, so I think I'll be pretty comfortable once we get into it. My former teacher, however, concentrated on hip moves; I learned almost none of the isolations for other body parts.  I can do some of the shoulder isolations with no problem and others are a real challenge. My body just doesn't seem to want to move that way.

Next are ribcage isolations. I think I'll start them next Monday and add an isolation area every week thereafter until I've learned them all. That means it will be several weeks before I'm actually dancing, but it will keep me from getting too sore (and thusly, burnt out) at one time. Slow and steady progress, right?

I'm still learning to live with my fill. Yesterday was just brutal. Almost everything I ate came back up. I don't think I'm too tight; I think I have been taking too big of bites or eating too quickly. Today has been much better, and I've been eating much more consciously.

I tried to practice good eating habits before my fill, but it was hit and miss. I'd practice them when I remembered to, because there was nothing keeping me on the straight and narrow. I could eat whatever I wanted in whatever quantities I wanted when I had no restriction, so I didn't always remember to eat slowly, take small bites, chew well, etc. I think that's making it extra difficult on me right now. I should have paid more attention during my healing process. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 vision. Blah blah blah.