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Fitness Challenge 2013: Meet Jessa

Harmonixers are joining the Dance Central fitness campaign to work alongside you in using Dance Central and Kinect to reach personal goals. In this series of personal blog posts from Harmonix, we're sharing what our goals are and how we plan on using Dance Central to accomplish them!


Name: Jessa

Profile:The Bride-to-Be

I’m a community manager here at Harmonix! I primarily work with Dance Central, but because I handle customer support, I'm also involved with Rock Band. So I’m kind of all over the place. Outside of work, I’m fighting winter hibernation mode, so right now I spend a lot of time knitting, reading, and marathon-watching TV shows. Not so great for getting fit!

GOAL

Eight weeks isn’t a lot of time, so I don’t want to set myself up for failure. I do want to lose ten pounds by my wedding, so if I could lose 3-4 pounds over the next two months, that’s not unreasonable.

MOTIVATION

I’m getting married! My wedding is next October, and I want to be in tip-top shape for it. More urgently, though, it’s time to start shopping for a wedding dress. I actually have my first dress shopping appointment at the end of January, and while I can get it tailored later to fit me better if I lose weight, I’d still like to feel good about myself as I’m shopping! There’s nothing worse than trying on (really expensive) clothes when you don’t feel great about yourself.

DANCE CENTRAL FITNESS

It’s cold outside. Like, really cold. It is too cold for me to go running, and my gym is just far enough away that I need to drive when it’s cold, but my car is buried under the snow. I also have to balance my time to make sure someone is home with my dog in the evenings if I’m going to the gym, so she’s not home alone all day long. So many excuses! Thank goodness I don’t even have to leave my house to get a good workout! Until it either warms up or I break down and shovel out my car, Dance Central 3 will be my primary fitness tool (so probably until May).

OTHER ACTIVITIES

I will try to make it back to the gym – I will! I tend to do the elliptical there for cardio. I have a weekly Wednesday night Irish Step Dancing class. I’m also going to really manage my grocery shopping list to make sure I’m not bringing junky food into the house, and instead keep my kitchen stocked with the right kinds of winter comfort foods –fresh vegetables, homemade stews, and hot tea.

PREPARING FOR SETBACKS

The winter in Boston is rough for me, not just because of the cold but because it’s so DARK. When I leave work and it’s so dark outside, I just want to curl up into a little ball, eat carbs, and sleep. I’m going to have to really find ways to motivate myself to not put my pajamas on and settle on the couch as soon as I get home from work. Right now I’m keeping track of how many half-hours I spend working out, and I’ll need to figure out a reward for myself. Yes, I’m bribing myself like a child to get myself started, but whatever works!

THOUGHTS AT THE STARTING LINE

I know I’m not the only one who feels more lethargic and less motivated in the wintertime. I’ve discovered from previous years though that making the effort to be more active not only makes you feel less blah, it also helps you keep the rest of your life in order. I’m way more likely to do the dishes and start a load of laundry after I’ve worked out than if I have to pause a TV show and get off the couch. Then when I wake up the next morning to clean clothes, a clean sink, and a little sore from working out the night before, it puts me in a great mood for the day. So even if you don’t have particular inches or pounds to lose, or any special event you’re working towards, spending an hour dancing is a great way to keep yourself motivated, alert, and happy in all areas of your life.


Follow us here in the blog through January and February for all things fitness! Share your own fitness goals and tips with us in the official forums, on the Dance Central Facebook Page, or by tweeting @Dance_Central on Twitter using the #DC3Fit hashtag!