By Angie Mizzell

I’ve started taking spin classes at the gym to burn off those last few pregnancy pounds.  I’m at the six month mark, and I can finally button my jeans and breathe. The weight loss is accelerated by breast-feeding, and if this go ’round is anything like the last, I’ll continue to lose weight; maybe even a drop another size or two.

Eight months after I delivered my first son, I was thinner than I’ve ever been in my life. Wearing skinny jeans and eating patty melts. I didn’t exercise all that much. I went on walks and did some occasional cardio, and that’s about it.

But there’s no need to hate me. I gained it all back. Every single rotten pound of it.

When we stopped breastfeeding, I started gaining about a pound a week. At first I didn’t mind, because I was returning to my normal weight. Then my normal clothes became too tight. The next thing I knew, I was carrying around ten extra pounds. Then I got pregnant again.

So now, the Lucky jeans are back in action. My husband is appreciating that fact, and I’ve actually caught myself strutting, pretending I don’t know he’s looking. Yes, ladies. Mama’s got her groove back.

Since I can’t keep my kids attached to my breasts for years, (I’m sure some would argue that point) I’ve accepted if I want to keep my muffin top inside my pants, I need to supplement the calorie burn with actual exercise.

Spin class kicks me in the very place I’m working so hard to tone.  It’s hard. During the first few classes I thought I was going to fall off the bike. I couldn’t breathe. My thigh muscles screamed for mercy. But then, after the fifth or sixth class, I found it. I discovered why all those gym rats keep coming back.

The zone.

I enter the zone when I’m peddling down the flat road or climbing a steep hill, and I make a connection with the bike, my body, the music and my breath. When I hit my stride and enter the zone, I see her. The part of me who is genuine and fearless, open and free. In the zone, I gain clarity. New ideas rise to the surface. Whatever was stressing me out fades away; I leave class and continue my day with a mind free of clutter.

I’m sure others get the same experience from yoga, running or taking a simple walk. It doesn’t really matter how we find the zone, just as long as we do. As women, it’s so easy to get covered up, buried under the to-do list, the care-giving and the noise. It’s essential to adopt practices that keep us feeling connected and alive, so we can continue to take care of others, and ourselves.

After all, it’s all about balance, right? If I can gain a sense of peace AND a tighter butt in 45 minutes, I’m sticking with my date with the bike.

Recent Posts By Angie Mizzell

• Do You Take Risks? - August 30th, 2010
• The Big Questions - August 23rd, 2010
• My Two Cents on Eat Pray Love - August 16th, 2010
• Breastfeeding: A world-wide law? - August 9th, 2010
• Crisis Leads to Opportunity - August 2nd, 2010

This entry was posted on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 7:00 am and is filed under Angie Mizzell. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.