Accomplishments since I started Grooving...

I am an almost 62 year old woman. I am in late menopause, have Hashimoto's and deal with lots of the things many other people are dealing with. I tell myself, so what. I don’t want to give myself excuses, I can acknowledge the facts of the challenges in my life but I am choosing to focus on my accomplishments and what else I want to do. Like Misty says, "It's MY choice. It's MY responsibility." Life changing words.

The photo on the left is pretty typical of what I looked like day to day before I started grooving. I just didn’t care about how I looked. The photo on the right was taken about three weeks ago. I am taking the time each day to care for myself and I think it shows...

I make a choice every single day… I will Groove today. I don’t worry about tomorrow or the day after that. For TODAY, I commit to groove, and then I do it again the next day.

I started documenting the changes I was seeing. My hope is that it will help those who are struggling, worry that it won’t make a difference, or something else. You can do this. I don’t care who you are, YOU CAN DO THIS.

This is what grooving is doing for me...

 At 30 Days:

• Lots more flexibility, I can touch my toes!

• Got up off the floor without help or holding onto furniture.

• Can do the pony for short periods.

• Down 6 pounds.

• Resting heart rate went from 87 bpm to 63 bpm.

• Improved balance. (There was NO balance in the beginning.)

• Went from an average of 750 steps a day to hitting 6,000 steps a day consistently.

At 60 Days:

• I can hop, not jump, but both feet are off the ground at the same time. Barely, but they leave the floor.

• There is space between my toes.

• I can see my wrist bones.

• Ankle bones are starting to show.

• Balance is much better.

• I can see the little bones in my feet.

• Inflammation is way down.

• Blood pressure from 149/85 to 125/77.

At 90 Days:

• No longer feel like I have to groove, I get to groove, I want to groove.

• I can put on my underwear and pants while standing without losing my balance.

• I can lift my foot to the opposite knee without reaching down and pulling it up to put my socks and shoes on.

• I am happier.

At 120 Days:

• I put the scale in my closet for now. My focus is moving daily, not looking for approval from a number.

• I can pivot on my feet when the dogs threaten to trip me up.

• Acid reflux – GONE

• Heartburn – GONE (unless I eat too close to bedtime)

• Joint pain - GONE

• The dumpster in my apartment complex is up a fairly steep hill from my building. I used to put the trash in the back of my car and drive it up to the dumpster. I walk it up now and can make two or three trips a day without getting winded.

• When I get out of bed in the morning I’m not walking hunched over, in pain with each little step until I get “warmed up”. I step on the floor and walk upright with confidence and no pain.

• I don’t need chiropractic adjustments as often.

• You know those little “fat pockets” you have on the front of your shins? No? Consider yourself lucky. Yes? Mine are slowly getting smaller. For the win!

• There are 15 steps up to my apartment. I used to have to stop at least once and many times twice to catch my breath before continuing to pull myself up the steps using the handrail. Today I can jog up the steps and not breathe heavily at all!

150 Days:

• My scale remains in the closet and that makes me happy.

• I can move my feet much quicker so moves like the pony and feet flicks are finally doable!

• I can bend down into a full squat. The kind where my knees are completely flexed and my bottom almost touches the floor. I showed my daughter and her face! She was shocked and so happy at the same time. The best part, after I squat I just stand back up, I don’t need help nor a piece of furniture to help push myself back up. When I started grooving I could only squat to about 25 degrees, this is amazing to me.

• I can interweave my fingers behind my back and lift my arms toward the ceiling. I don’t go far yet, but I couldn’t get both arms behind my back like that when I started.

• I carried a 50 lb. bag of dog food up the steps to my apartment, without help and without stopping. How wonderful is that!

• I am making healthier food choices because it just goes hand in hand with grooving.

• My self-worth and self-confidence is growing. I actually said “no” when someone asked me to do something that I really had no interest in doing and I wasn’t really needed anyway. I was polite but before Body Groove I was such a people pleaser that I was afraid to say no. It felt amazing!

• I am beginning to make other decisions regarding self-care. I have never really loved myself and had very little self-confidence. Possibly a common outcome for children of parents who both feel the same way about themselves, but I don’t know, so don’t quote me. I am finally stepping back from my self-loathing and seeing a valuable person beginning to appear. She smiles more, has a pretty unique laugh and she is worthy of my time and my love. The relationship is new, but it’s promising.

180 Days:

• Grooving has given me an inner strength and mental grit that allows me to continue my daily self-care routines.

• I'm loving myself enough to take time for a nap when my body needs it, soaking in a hot tub and letting grief roll over me and through me until it has moved on for the moment and I can breathe again 

At 210 Days:

• I am dealing with stress and really tough days MUCH better! I still feel the anxiety from time to time, but my focus is on the positive and what I am accomplishing.

• I am taking the time every day to do my hair, care about how I look and make an effort.

• My eating habits are vastly improved and it shows in my skin, my demeanor, my outlook.

• I can mow my dad’s 6 acre property in one day. I couldn’t mow the front yard in one day 7 months ago.

• Kinda started singing a little when I groove now. Huh, who knew?

• Rather than sitting in my home when I’m not working I am feeling brave enough to venture out more. Perhaps I will make some friends.

Thank you Body Groove!"

- Micque