Teacher Dances Off 100 Pounds: 29-Year-Old Teacher Says Zumba Makes Exercise Fun

A teacher danced off 100 pounds and found her dream body in doing so. Back in 2012, the 5-foot-6-inch teacher weighed 235 pounds. According to CNN, Roni Tarver (above left) felt like she needed a lifestyle change. She had back problems from the weight and stomach problems from taking over 10 ibuprofen every day. One day Tarver just knew that she had to make a change.

She explained:

“I found myself crying in bed one night over my weight, and my husband told me that he thought I was beautiful, but if I was so unhappy, I should do something about it. This triggered something in me.”

The new teacher didn’t dance off 100 pounds right away, however; she started slowly. For the first two months, she monitored her calories and made sure to get in some walking or other light activity (like riding a stationary bicycle) six days a week, taking one day off to rest. Tarver then decided it was time to hit the gym. She noticed some classes that were being held there and decided to take her very first Zumba class. And the rest was pretty much history.

“My instructors were amazing, and made me feel like they loved having me there. I was having a blast exercising for the first time in my life.”

If you have ever taken a Zumba class, you probably know how much fun it can be. It’s easy to make friends, laugh, and have fun while burning calories and losing weight. Tarver stuck with it for 10 months with encouragement from others in the class and then she decided to take yet another step forward — she got certified to become a Zumba instructor herself! She coupled her new-found love of dance with a few changes in her diet and voila! She lost 100 pounds… and she has been able to keep it off.

Of the experience she says:

“You really feel like you’re in a club, dancing with people, but you don’t have a hangover in the morning. At the end of it, you feel awesome, you’re exhausted, and you can go back and do it tomorrow if you want. It’s good for your soul, if you ask me.”

The teacher who danced off 100 pounds isn’t the only person making news for feel-good, inspirational weight loss success either. As previously reported by The Inquisitr, a dad from Idaho recently lost 140 pounds and surprised his son who had been away for two years.

Reading these success stories is uplifting and often inspires others to get healthy. If you’re interested in taking a Zumba class, you can visit their website to find an instructor near you.

[Photo courtesy of Facebook]