The point of this log is to show people what it looks like to really start from the beginning, and to encourage people who are just getting started, so I want to talk about weight loss today because I know a lot of people are jump roping for that purpose.

To start out, for those of you who don’t know, I started jump roping about a month and a half ago, hurt myself and was off for about two weeks. I’m about 2-2.5 weeks into that recovery, getting back into things. First and foremost I’m a distance runner and have been for about a year now, and most of my goals revolve around that. So I was in decent cardiovascular shape before I started.

This past week I worked on continuing different combinations with split kicks and allusions. I’m enjoying adding flexibility and dance elements to it. I also started working on cartwheel/handstand tricks this week which was certainly... interesting. I am strong enough to kick up to a handstand. I am also strong enough to kick right over and fall on my face.

In terms of weight, I haven’t lost any. But that’s actually why I want to talk about it. My body has changed significantly. I have lost a lot of fat and gained a lot of muscle. So if you feel discouraged about weight right now, please don’t. The way your body changes is so complex. BMI isn’t the only indicator of healthy fat amounts. I looked back at the videos I made from the beginning to the videos I made two days ago and the difference in my coordination is nearly unbelievable. I didn’t realize I was capable of that much progress. So I want new jump ropers to realize that you are going to see so much change as you move through this. You are going to get so much stronger and so capable. Stick with it!