Tag Archive for '#shredheads'

Yay! It’s been a week! I just completed Day 7 of the 30 Day Shred! When I started this a week ago (has it only been seven days!?), I took photos. I took measurements. I stepped on the scales.

This weekend, I cheated and took measurements again and was amazed at the results! I reconfirmed with my official 1-week measurements today. I’ve lost an inch off each thigh! I’ve lost an inch off my tummy! My bust-size hasn’t changed, but I don’t have those odd bloopy parts on my back anymore.  I wasn’t expecting visible results so soon!

But, the best part?

I can feel my muscles…and I’m not just talking about the “Oh, I feel them, cuz they’re burning!” I’m talking about feel them as in they are defined. I have them. Without even flexing, they’re there. I can feel them in my arms. My abs are getting more defined. There is still some flab there, but it’s melting away. I’m still too shy to show you pictures. MAYBE when this is done you can see before and after. MAYBE.

All of this on top of the fact that my hips and my back haven’t hurt in a week is just amazing to me.

The one part that was disappointing was what the scales told me. My hubby had warned me when I started this that fat weighs less than muscle. He’d encouraged me to just take measurements and not weigh myself until the very end.

But, I didn’t listen.
Throughout the week, I’d step on the scales and watch the number go up.

What!? This isn’t nice. I am working really hard, so why am I going backwards on the scales??

He’d shake his head and mutter something that sounded like an I-told-you-so and something about how muscle not only weighs more than fat but it burns calories faster too, and something about how the scales would tip in the other direction if I’d just keep working and be patient.

*sigh*

So, I resisted the urge to step on the scales for the rest of the week. I told him that for scientific research purposes, I’d weigh myself once a week.

And that is today…

And today? I’m only up half a pound from last week.

That coupled with the definition and lost inches?

Worth every ounce of pain this week!!

I’m amazed.
I’m shocked.
I can’t wait to see where the next week gets me!

You can read more about my 30-Day Shred Adventures by clicking here!

Alternate title: Jillian can’t count

Day 5 of the 30 Day Shred is done! This was the first day where I felt like the workout was close to 20 minutes long. The first day, the workout seemed to be an hour and 45 minutes long. Day Two was roughly an hour and a half. Day Three was about an hour long. By the time I made it to Day Four, I was spending what seemed like 45 minutes down there.

Today, the workout really felt like it was between 20 and 30 minutes long.

We’re halfway through Level One, so I think I’m probably right on track.

Now, if you’re wondering how I fit such a long workout into my day, it’s always 20 minutes. For real. Just 20 minutes.

But, perception is reality to my muscles.

Speaking of muscles, today was the first day that my muscles didn’t hurt when I woke up. Right now, they are buzzing, but they aren’t burning. And, I only felt like collapsing at the very end of the workout!  I dare say this program is working!

One reason time is so distorted for me is not only that I’m a slug that’s not used to doing an exercise routine, it’s the words that Jillian chooses. I’m a word person. I’m surrounded by words all day. I weigh words against each other and am careful to choose the one that best suits my purposes.

Jillian, on the other hand, tosses around words as if someone listening to her intently isn’t hanging on every one of them. Four more? Awesome. I can wrap my brain around four more. I can deliver four more. I know how many are left when you tell me we have four more.  It gives me something to focus on instead of the pain.

A couple more? Sweet! One… Two… Wait. Why are we doing number three and four…and seven!?

Jillian! “A couple” is NOT seven! “A couple” is TWO. Don’t tell me we have “a couple more” and then make me do seven more. It’s all about managing expectations, Jillian!

Oh well…she doesn’t have a toddler or preschooler running around under her feet all day, so she’s probably not an expert at managing expectations with the words she chooses. She is, however, an expert at the workout. In reality, I don’t need my expectations managed…I guess. I’m not downstairs huffing and puffing for a grammar lesson. I need my body shredded, and that’s what she’s delivering, regardless of her word-choice.

So, Day 5 is done! Five more days of Level One, and then we’re onto Level 2. I guess Jillian would say, “Hang in there! You only have a couple more days left!”

You can read more about my 30-Day Shred Adventures by clicking here!

If you’ve read this blog for any length in the past, you’d think the title refers to the voices in my head, or my preschooler. But, this time, you’d be wrong. It’s from my muscles.

The 20 minute workout of Day 3 of the 30 Day Shred is done! I’m 10% done with the program! Yesterday, after completing Day 2, I talked about my legs burning. Well, by the time my husband got home from work, I was a mess. I could barely move. I could barely hobble like the old lady I felt like.

I stretched it out. I took a hot bath.
Still, I was in so much pain that I became very grumpy and decided to go to bed. My whole entire body ached.

At 9pm, Claire went down for her bedtime, and so did Momma. Now, don’t laugh…but I decided to use the pain-relief tactics I learned while preparing for childbirth. (I can explain later, in another post. Remind me.) And you know what? I got myself so relaxed that I fell asleep and woke up 12 hours later.

I kid you not!

Today, I pulled my sore muscles out of bed and did Day 3 of the 30 Day Shred. My muscles worked themselves out, and this was the first day that I had to literally fight back the tears. But, you know what? Today has been the first day that I haven’t felt like throwing up. The first day, I felt horrible after breakfast. The second day, I nearly lost it that afternoon. Today? So far? I feel good! I feel sore, but I feel good.

And, for what it’s worth, my hips are still pain-free. Now, I’m not an expert, but it could be that other parts of me hurt more than my hips, so I just can’t hear them whimpering over the screaming of my other muscles, OR, maybe whatever I’m doing in this workout is making them better. Let’s hope for the latter, shall we?

One of my favorite bloggers leaves comments here, and yesterday, she asked me an interesting question. She wanted to know if I was enjoying this and if I look forward to this every day. (Hi, XUP!)

Well, that’s a loaded question. How do I answer this?

The truth is I hate exercise. There. I said it. There isn’t an “exercise program” out there that I would enjoy. I hate running. I hate “pushing myself.” I will NEVER jump out of bed with the anticipation of doing an exercise routine.

I love Tai Chi. I love walking. Those are more my speed.

I say I love hiking, when in reality, I love the view from the top. I put up with the hiking to get there.

That’s how I’m viewing this 30 Day Shred. It will be a means to an end. When in reality, I know that there isn’t going to be an end, per se. It will be something that I continue to do. After the 30 Days is over, will I do it every day? I don’t know yet. But, I will do it at least every other day. This will be a habit. It will be something I do because I need to, and not because I like to.

I can already see results, and it’s only been 3 days. I know that I’ll be able to see such great results that I will want to continue it even when I’ve completed the program.

I attack each day with a positive attitude. I know it helps me get through it, and it also shows my daughter that exercise can be enjoyable. (Just because I hate it doesn’t mean she will. I don’t want to set a poor example.)

So, do I look forward to doing it every day?  No, but I look forward to getting it done every day.  Do I enjoy it?  No.  Not really.

BUT, I enjoy seeing that I can do it, and I enjoy seeing the results.

So, is it worth doing something I don’t enjoy to get the results I want?  Yes. A thousand times, yes.

You can read more about my 30-Day Shred Adventures by clicking here!

I just completed Day 1 of the 30-Day Shred! Correction: I completed the 20 minute workout, the rest of the day stretches before me.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, and as I got into the routine, I thought, “Hey! I can do this!” and then the warmup session was over, and the real workout began.  Ha!

Holy.
Chao.

But, I did it. I only felt like I was going to die a few times. And, I didn’t cry once. I did laugh out loud a few times. And, I may have muttered under my strained breath.  But, I gotta give Jillian props: she really doesn’t give you time to mope around, and she wasn’t mean.

Claire helped me with this first session, and in true 3-year-old style, she’s ready for Level 2 already. She didn’t even break a sweat.

Logistically, I’m happy with some things, and trying to figure out some others. In the “Yep, this works!” column, I love my sports bra and my shoes. So, I have no issues there. In the “This is kinda cumbersome” column is the ceiling in our basement. Our super-large HD TV, which makes Jillian seem like she’s right there in front of me, is positioned for the best audio/visual while-you’re-sitting-on-the-couch experience. The ceiling in the entertainment room is low over the couch and ottoman due to a heating vent. When I move the ottoman to do my workout, everything is fine until I get to the arms-a-swinging-high-above-your-head part of the routines. Then, I have to move forward closer to the TV which makes me nervous with my swinging weights. Or, I have to move back behind the couch which makes it hard to see Jillian. It worked okay today, but I may ask my hubby if he has any suggestions. Ironically enough, I won’t have the strength to move the pieces of our sectional back and forth until after I’ve completed this workout program.

Either way, I made it work today, and I felt great.

Well, great in a puddle on the floor kinda way.

My legs and abs don’t hurt right now. My hips feel awesome. I’ve had problems with my hips for years (even before I had Claire), and I even went to physical therapy for my issues. (Oddly enough, when I lost 40 lbs, my hips did not react well. Go figure.) But, for the first time in years, they feel fine!

But, I have a feeling that tomorrow will be a different story with these muscles. They may just be in shock.

My arms and shoulders, on the other hand, are not happy with me. They are not only in shock, they are telling me about it. My arms were shaking when I was trying to get breakfast for Claire, and I can’t lift them above my shoulders without doing my breathing exercises.

It’s a good thing the keyboard is at this level, because the groaning when I reach any higher is starting to alarm Claire.

So, all in all, it was a successful day. I started the program, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow feels like!