My story and a definite SOS!!!

[Head Games]

[Greetings all fellow belly dance enthusiasts...
I'm going to try to make my introduction as short as possible. I recently gotten taken to the cleaners in my divorce after a 10 year marriage. I haven't been out on a date since the divorce and never cheated on my husband. Before and during my marriage, I was an avid rider which kept me physically fit but I do not have access to my horses or a place to ride them right now so I started thinking about different ways to stay fit for free. I asked around and did some research and I came across belly dancing. At first I laughed but got to thinking about it and realized-it is really the perfect package for me! What else can you do that will tone you, supply you with talents to entertain friends and that special someone, have fun feeling good about being a woman, and emphasize your core which will come in handy when I start riding again. So here I am. I have scoured the web for resources and have tons of instructional videos and literature and some time on my hands.

So here is the SOS: In less than a month, a well-to-do gentleman wants to fly me out of town for the weekend. I would like to have some basic posture and balance mastered and look as lean as possible. I'm 5'7" and was 135lbs but have dropped to 130. My ideal weight when fit is 128. My problem areas are my waist: definite mommy tummy and some cellulite in back of thighs and rear. What I need from anyone who is willing to help is a efficient and productive way to utilize my resources to achieve these things. What should I be working on and in what sequence and what frequency? I will let you know that I really enjoy the yoga approach (fusion) to belly dancing and feel as though using some of Rachel Brice's stuff to warm up and cool down has been very effective in terms of loosening me up. Please give me any and all advice you have, not to so much WOW this guy (which would be nice) but having the satisfaction of knowing that I'm still desirable even if I am older. Thank you so much]

 

[Mosaic]

Welcome to the forum. One thing I'd like to point out, what you write here openly can be read by anyone scouring the web. Putting all your personal history out there like that may not be a good thing. It may pay to edit what you have written.

As for shaping up via BD or anything else for that matter in less than a month, I very much doubt that what you are wanting can be done. BD takes time a lot of of time to master correctly, yes a lot of people think it is easy and can be achieved at break neck speed, it can't. Sure you can learn a few basic moves and probably you could get away with them. But toning up here and there is a whole other story. Probably going to the gym and working out several hours a day might achieve more toning, I don't know, I am not a fan of gyms.

To learn BD you need to start at the beginning, right at the basic posture and go from there.
~Mosaic

PS: I have moved your thread to Beauty & Fitness it is probably more suited to this sub forum.

 

[Yame]

Belly dancing is a lot of fun... it's decent physical exercise and it's so addictive. However, I am sorry to tell you, but you likely will not lose much weight from it alone, even if you do it a lot. You also are not very likely to tone up very much from belly dance.

Personally, dance is all the exercise I get (but not just belly dance). It's good moderate exercise and will keep you somewhat fit. But I don't need or want to lose weight, so I don't feel like I need anything else. I feel like belly dance is something that, along with a balanced diet, might help you maintain your weight, but won't really help you change your body. So if you want to lose weight, and/or tone up, you need something else in addition to belly dance or instead of belly dance.

Belly dance might change you from inside out. You might feel happy to have a hobby... it might make you feel less stressed out about your personal troubles. It's very healthy to have something you love to do. You might also begin to feel more confident with your body and with your overall appearance. And it's a good way to start with light exercise before moving on to more intensive exercising. So I'd definitely recommend it... just don't expect it to really change your physique very much. For that, I'd recommend something like P90X.

 

[Greek Bonfire]

Running and biking is great for that area. However, bellydance will make you feel better about your own body as a whole, and will also so I would recommend learning it for yourself.

 

[Amulya]

Not so sure if belly dancing wouldn't work at all, for me if I dance a lot it definitely tones my body up, but I will have to dance daily. Loosing weight depends on so many things, diet, right type of exersize. I think if someone dances a crazy amount of time they'd really loose a lot of weight, but who has the time and energy to dance for hours a day.

But dancing should be fun and not a chore

 

[Head Games]

Mosaic,
Thank you so much for your advice about the content of my message. I took much of the detailed info out. I'm new to the forum scene, obviously. I did not want to come across as flippant about the amount of time and dedication necessary to become a proficient bd. As I read and watch the videos, although some of the basic videos look easy enough, I quickly realized that there is much more going on beneath the surface than what you can see. So I have reverted all the way back to posture and balance and yoga for belly dancers for beginners. I know it will take me years to become good enough to even venture outside my room to perform for ANYONE but I enjoy the holistic approach to this art form and like that it was created by women for women. It is helping me get back in touch with being comfortable with my feminimity. I would like to become an astute student of bd and would like to know exactly how to proceed. I can't afford formal lessons at this time but when I get back on my feet, I would like some guidance from local instructors as well. For now, I have internet, a mat, this forum, and myself. Thank you for your advice.

Yame,
Thank you for the insight. Yes, it does make me feel better from the inside out and I have changed my eating habits, thus the weight loss. I like the fact that belly dancing makes me concentrate on my posture and the yoga is helping me decompress my spine. Addictive-Totally!!! I really enjoy it. Thanks for the tip on P90X.

Amulya,
Thank you for your response. My body tends to respond quickly to changes in diet, excercise and environment. My environment has improved in that I'm not living in a extremely stressful home life and I have changed my eating habits and have been investigating and trying some very basic bd with yoga for about a month now. My body tone is improving-esp. my legs and back but my abs are stubborn. I don't want a washboard, just some tone minus the fat. I agree that dancing daily can improve tone-for me anyways. Thanks.

 

[Mosaic]

Mosaic,
Thank you so much for your advice about the content of my message. I took much of the detailed info out. I'm new to the forum scene, obviously. I did not want to come across as flippant about the amount of time and dedication necessary to become a proficient bd. As I read and watch the videos, although some of the basic videos look easy enough, I quickly realized that there is much more going on beneath the surface than what you can see. So I have reverted all the way back to posture and balance and yoga for belly dancers for beginners. I know it will take me years to become good enough to even venture outside my room to perform for ANYONE but I enjoy the holistic approach to this art form and like that it was created by women for women. It is helping me get back in touch with being comfortable with my feminimity. I would like to become an astute student of bd and would like to know exactly how to proceed. I can't afford formal lessons at this time but when I get back on my feet, I would like some guidance from local instructors as well. For now, I have internet, a mat, this forum, and myself. Thank you for your advice.

It sounds like you have worked out how to go about your learning journey, as others have said it should be one of joy, not a daily chore that you are pushing yourself hard towards. Yoga should help a lot in the toning up - working with the basics from DVD, youtube etc is the best way to achieve your goal & if you can manage the odd private lesson or workshop along the way, that will be of huge benefit. Good luck and joy on your BD journey.
~Mosaic

 

[da Sage]

I'm so confused. Is this guy flying you to his place so you can entertain him and his guests with bellydancing - a paid gig? Or is this a date, and you want to surprise him by dancing for him? Or is this a date, and you just want to look more fit, toned, and confident?

If you are looking to improve as a bellydancer, you will probably find that the tools that are most helpful are not free - classes, music, workshops, DVDs all cost $$.

If you want to shape up, calisthenics are probably your best free option for toning, although any sort of dance is good for aerobics.

If you want to be desirable, try primping and then relaxing so that you both look good and feel good when you meet this new guy. More importantly though, this meeting should be about whether you desire *him* or not.

 

[Farasha Hanem]

Welcome to the forum, Head Games. Since you're new to the forum, I realize you're probably not aware about not multiple posting. I have merged your posts to solve that problem.

Eating properly and drinking plenty of water is also important when losing weight. Don't skip meals, that will only make things worse. Ask your doctor about losing weight---he or she will help you to reach your goal in a healthy way. Good luck.

 

[Starmouth]

Welcome to the forum.

Whilst I have not lost weight through belly dancing, I do feel as if I am a little more toned - not around my waist and hips, but my thighs! I certainly stand up straighter, have better posture and feel more confident, and I'm sure it shows!

I hope you enjoy your belly dance journey - if you can afford to take classes, do. It might give you an opportunity to dance in public (at student recitals, haflas and the like) and to dress up in all the prettiness.

 

[Greek Bonfire]

Actually, I did lose weight but I was doing it an hour everyday and forgetting to eat, so it probably was not a good thing to do. But it did reshape parts of my body, although as with any exercise, if you do any exercise a lot, you will probably get the same results.

 

[Darshiva]

When I'm on my regular training schedule I lose lots of weight (2-3kg/week until my body likes the size it's at - around 60-65kgs) but that's when I'm dancing approximately 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. Most people don't have the same amount of free time I do though, so that sort of weight loss through dance isn't really feasable, but dance definitely helps with all the things others have already mentioned.

 

[walladah]

Toning with bellydance

is not only possible, is great! however, one needs to spend time everyday for this, at least 30 minutes of drilling plus to wait for at least 6 months so that results get visible.

However, best toning results come after years of daily practice (i can tell it is worth the effort, but not many people are so patient). The good news is that toning is possible even on body points that normally can be sculpted only with surgery.

I think that once you like it, you just need to dedicate yourself the first 4-5 months. After this your body will demand the dance anyway...