Week 1 of Insanity

Yesterday completed week one of Insanity, and I feel so great! I did Insanity everyday except for the designated rest day. I also subbed 4 days, so whatever little voice that tells you that you were busy and don't feel like it, smash it! I was at the schools from 7:15 until 3:00ish and still found it in me to do a 45 minute workout.

I weighed myself today...and....drum roll...I lost two pounds, so I am officially in the 140s. My goal is to lose two pounds a week, and if I can do that, then I will be on the brink of being in the 130s at the end of the month which would be amazing.

What were my meals like? I ate salads, veggies like carrots and broccoli, fish like tilapia and salmon, low fat deli for my deli sandwiches, and chicken. Lots and lots of water...actually, I am pretty proud to say that this week I only had water to drink, no soda!!! This is a big deal for me. I love soda. What about snacks? I portioned out a can of mixed nuts and a bag of cheese whales (goldfish off brand)--oh, and babybel cheese. Yum, yum, yum. :) (I eat cheese like crazy so I get my calcium)

I have also been thinking how I can make better food choices, so tonight I didn't put croutons in my salad because they really aren't the best thing in the world. Also, when we are done with our loaf of bread, we are going to buy whole wheat instead of white bread. Two small changes that, over time, will make a difference.

I'm sure this isn't new news to anyone but dang eating out adds up! So, we decided that we would take the extra money this week and reinvest it in ourselves. I bought a bring red body ball for my awful arms and tubby tummy, and I also bought a pink floor yoga mat because my wrists were starting to hurt and I slide around sometimes when I workout. We also got the Gold's Gym Power Station. It is this long velcro strap that straps around a door, any door. On the front there are six different metal hooks. There are two stretchy arm/ankle straps that hook onto the hooks, and it comes with a chart that shows how to do 20 or so different moves. There are moves that engage all the different muscles in the arms, as well as moves for the chest and a move or two for the legs. It's awesome! I am pretty excited about our decision.

I really do have a renewed sense of spirit for this new journey, and I can't wait to weigh in at the end of next week and take my new body measurements.

Speaking of measurements here are mine. They are terrible and not impressive, and I know that I have  long way to go. But everyone has to have a starting point. I think that I am so defense about my measurements because I knew that I was fat in some areas, but, like most people, I didn't know how fat. I can honestly say that I am horribly embarrassed by them and that I will never ever have numbers like this again, nor will I ever let myself weigh in the 150s ever again.

I don't want to ever be a victim to food again. Even though I love it. :)

Alright. Here they are in inches.

Chest - 38.5
Waist - 36
Hips - 40
Thigh - 23
Mid calf - 15
Neck - 13
Mid bicep - 12.5 (I almost cried when I say that my biceps are basically the same size as my neck and not very far off from my calves).
Forearm - 10

I can't wait for these numbers to go down. I can't wait to be in the best shape of my life. I can't wait to see all the amazing changes that are starting to happen.

Insanity Day 1 (Plyometric Cardio Circuit)

Unless you have been living under a rock, then I am sure that mostly everyone has heard of Insanity with Shaun T. 

J.D. and I purchased Insanity last year. We got three weeks into the program until he couldn't do it anymore because of his back and knees, and I, who have never had a single knee problem, had to stop too because it was killing my knees. It was extremely disheartening.

I am a competitive person by nature, and when we started doing Insanity, I wanted to go and push and look just like the people in the video. I did...for the first day. Then my thighs hurt so bad that I could hardly walk up and down the stairs without crying. Eventually we worked beyond that, but it scared me. Then towards the end of those three weeks, my knees were constantly popping; they even buckled a few times. That scared me even more. I knew that Insanity was a cardio, high intensity, and high impact workout, but I never dreamed that it would but so much stress on my body. So we stopped, and I never looked back because I was afraid to hurt myself again. I was scared to agitate my knees. And, at the time, I was too weak to do the workout without J.D.

Today I did day 1 of Insanity all over again. But I took what I learned from Julian and Bodyrock, and I modified some of the workouts to fit me. Also, I played my own music, and beyond remembering the workout routines, I didn't watch the T.V. because I didn't want to get caught up in the video and over do it.

I know how to lose weight. A few summers ago I went from 160 to 138. I went back up to school and have been between 155 and 150 ever since. I never forgave myself back making all that progressing and then throwing it all away. Because I know how to eat right and workout, I think that I have this mentality that, "I can lose weight anytime." This is unhealthy because it is an excuse not to workout and not to eat right, and then in turn, not take care of my body. Also, because I know how to lose weight and I know how to work out, I want to go all out. Do the video. Run 5 miles. Eat super healthy. I don't give myself time to adjust, and in turn, I hurt myself. Then I get discouraged and don't end up working out because I can't.

This time I was smart. I am a good kind of sore today. I am not hurt at all. I ate healthy. Maybe I can get back on track. I want to lose the weight. I want to be happy with how I look, especially with my wedding being in November. If I don't lose the weight, I will hate everything about the wedding. I need to make this happen. I need to be healthy and smart and not over do it. (And this is really hard to admit, I do have a problem. I do go over board. I hurt myself. I find excuses). This time will hopefully be different. I know that I need to keep myself accountable, but it is hard doing this by myself. Cheers to trying to do the right thing for myself.

Happy Valentine's Day Early

First off there is nothing worse than to be out fighting throngs of pre-adolescent toddlers and ancient lover birds on February 14th for tables, parking spaces, and quality service (which is unheard of on V-day). Service of any kind is non-exsistance on the 14th. The servers basically throw the food at you, and it is usually cold, dry, or fuzzy. Which makes for an overall unpleasant experience.

Because of these unavoidable situations, I never ever go out on Valentine's Day. EVER. Knowing this, J.D. decided that it would be best for us to celebrate this weekend. We got all dressed up and snappy looking.

Proof of the before mentioned snappiness. 

Before we left, he gave me a gift. Something so special and so perfect that I had one of those moments. A moment so wonderful deep in my heart that I knew I would be telling my children about it one day. The kind of moment that lets you know that you are right where you are supposed to be. It is a throbbing stillness that shakes the walls around you and brings tears to your eyes. It was an impossible moment that I have only ever seen poorly acted out in the movies. Usually a moment that involves an Easy Bake Oven that Mr. Perfect finds and the fair and lovely female lead is swept off her feet.

Well, my Mr. Perfect found the elusive childhood toy of my dreams. The one that I always wanted. The one that I always hoped I would get. The one that I brought up once to J.D. many moons ago, and today was the day that I got it!

The Kissing Simba and Nala Lion King stuffed animals with magnets in their noses/mouths? 

This man has my heart more fully than any other person in the entire world.

Once all the screaming and smooching was over we left for Olive Garden. Were we got some to die for food.

J.D.'s yummy food. 

My Seafood Alfredo.

 (He also bought me a bottle of my favorite type of wine. He is SUCH a good man.)

I gave him the crafty I-love-you gift that I made him. I'm sure most everyone has seen it around. I modeled the design after the original, and I designed it on my silhouette machine, printed it off, stuck it on the back of a deck of cards, punched 104 holes, and bound them together. Also, don't forget the 52 reasons why I love J.D. and that would be my gift.

Here are a few of the reasons that I included.

I got this dress on modcloth.com. Isn't it wonderful?

I also wanted to include a view from the back of my dress. 

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!  

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! 

Running

I ran 3 miles today in 30 minutes. Running has always been something that I enjoy; I just don't like hot or cold weather. Then when it is nice outside, I would rather hula hoop. Man I enjoy hula hooping.

My plan is to keep stretching today, and then do level 1 and 2 of the Shred tomorrow.

I rocked out to the Goo Goo Dolls on my Ipod today while I was running, and it was freeing. There was a guy running on one of the treadmills when I got to the multipurpose building on campus. He had a weight vest on and was walk-running. The sweat was literally pouring off of his forehead. When I began to run, he looked at me like I wouldn't last because I started out running pretty fast. I have to admit that when I run, I love to feel a strong burn. With most workout videos the hosts encourage the viewer to "feel the burn" and "don't stop 'til it hurts." And don't get me wrong, I do that, but my heart isn't in it. I push, but I don't push until my muscles shake.

When I run, I want my calves to ache and burn. I love pushing through the burn and telling my body to shut the hell up. I enjoy that horrible split feeling in my shins when I have completed a hard run. The feeling of my feet hitting down on whatever surface creates a soothing rhyme. Everything about it feels wonderful. And then when I am done, the sick, hot feel of sweat pooling on my spine and clinging to my shirt is a feverishly good feeling. Oh! I can't forget the cold smack of the air on my skin when I walk outside of a hot building. My skin practically sizzles and sets off steam.

I feel so good. :)

Life This Week

I student taught last semester, and then I graduated. After spending all my time in a classroom, making a difference, I got extremely depressed once I was done. At first, it was nice to have a break from all the hustle and bustle of teaching, the student attitudes, and waking up so early, but after a few weeks, all I wanted to do was be in a classroom.

I have worked retail since I was sixteen years old. I have always had a job and been going to school. During the summers, I would work two jobs and take summer classes. I was always busy, and I liked it that way. Somewhere in my head I knew that once I was done with college, I couldn't go back to my life in retail.

I had a lot of emotional ups and downs about the whole thing. Mostly, I found myself settling into a deep embarrassment that I was floating and not making anything of my life. I was frozen. I felt lost.

My supervising teachers at the high school and the university both expressed that I was one of the best, and what was I doing? I was sitting at home, watching TV, searching the internet, planning my wedding, and basically being pointless. I felt terrible about myself most of the time. And every time I was ready to call my reserve quits and start applying for retail jobs, I spiraled into a deeper, uglier depression.

As of today, I have subbed twice in a high school English class and a high school speech class. I feel light, almost feathery. I feel back on track. This-this is what I have been waiting for. Purpose. Practice. A job that I want. A job that I can feel good about. I feel rejuvenated. I feel like I have been drowning under water, and now I have finally broken the surface and am pulling in ragged breaths of fresh air.

It has also inspired me to begin creating my own lesson plans again. I have been reading my different grammar books- highlighting and post-it noting the pages like crazy. It has felt fantastic. I have purpose. I have direction. I have goals. I am finally doing things again that make me feel worthwhile.

**~**~**

Wedding updates!!!

Alright, so I know my side of the wedding part, and J.D. still needs to ask his boys- he wants to do it in person, which I think is sweet. My maid of honor is Jessica. She is one of my very best friends, and my bridesmaid is my sister-in-law, Jen. I am stoked that they are going to be sharing my special day with me. They are both awesome and very supportive.

I bought two cake toppers on Ebay for an awesome price. Aren't they beautiful?

My flower girls are going to be my nieces, Jasmin and Arielle. They are adorable.

I know what dress I am wearing. I know what I want the cake to look like. I know the wedding colors- red and yellow. I know my theme, obviously.

The temporary decisions that I have made are as follows:

Wedding and reception site- Celebration church (Located in O'Fallon)
Wedding cake- Whipt Cream (Located in Chesterfield)
Video and photography- STLvideos (Located in St. Charles)
Caterer- Something Italian (Location unknown)
Tuxedo colors- Gray and yellow? Gray and red?
Flower girls' dresses- I have found some that I love, but I need to pick the dress type for my girls and the guys, so the little girls' dresses match.
MOH and Bridesmaid dresses- I have no freaking idea. I found a yellow one that I really like, but I am still playing with the idea of MAYBE, and I mean MAYBE, letting them pick their own. I am also thinking of having one of them wear yellow and one wear red. Then the groomsman and best man would have to match their counterparts for the wedding.

Flower girl dresses that I love!

I have also found myself at one of those fun parts of the planning wear a certain someone keeps telling me people that I, apparently, have to invite. We are keeping our wedding small, less then 80 people, which compared to most weddings, is small. I would really prefer that it be between 40 and 50 but I know that will never happen. So I am keeping it under 80, and I sick of the, "well this is my friend and you have to invite her/him because he/she means a lot to me." My muted response is, "I could care less. Pay for the food and extra decorations that it would cost, and you can invite whoever you want. Oh, you don't want to? Then back off." But I would never actually say that. I have just resorted to, "We can't afford any more people."

Also, one of my new favorite videos is "Shit Brides Say". Haven't seen it? You need to!!!

I have also made my first of many paper book roses that will be used to decorate my wedding. They will make up my bouquet, the girls' bouquets, and the boutonnieres. It will be fantastic!

All in all I would say that things are starting to come together slowly yet surely.

Fallen off of the face of the earth? Maybe!

I worked out today. I was hurt and then super-duper-don't-look-at-me-sick for a long time.

To sum up the workout it sucked, and I did my best...no I didn't.

Tomorrow I will do better. I have to.

JM 30 Day Shred - Day 7 and some engagement stuff

I am healing. This means that I did the Shred today, but I did it toned down. I did everything except for lunges and squats, which I think is reasonable. Let me tell you that taking almost two full days off in a row showed me how far I had come working out. My body felt it tonight! OW! But it was the good kind of ow, not the "oh my god I can't move my leg now carry me from room to room" kind of ow. So that is a good thing.

Also, I was upset when I timed some of Jillian's workouts. I kept feeling like certain exercises were lasting longer then what she said they were. Most of the exercises that I timed were anywhere between 10 to 25 seconds longer then she said they were going to be. I don't know if it is a good thing that she is lying about the time and everyone is being pushed past the time limit, or if it is just plain mean because it feels like forever when she says 30 seconds and it ends up being 50 seconds.

I want to do Bodyrock day 7, but I am scared to push too hard. I am thinking that tomorrow I will kick the day off with day 7 of Bodyrock and depending on how I feel do day 8, and then end the day with the Shred like usual.

Here is my truth moment. After having the time off from working out, it was hard to convince myself to jump back in. The pain was still there today, and it would have been so easy to pout and whine some more about my leg and how I just couldn't do it today. One of the reasons that I did the Shred today was because I got the dresses in for my our :) engagement photo shoot, and the truth is that I fit into the yellow one (a little frumpy, but that will go away with the weight loss) and the strawberry, white, and pink dress doesn't fit. It is really short, and it made me sad. The dress was relatively expensive, and there is a part of me that is hoping that I will fit into after I lose weight, but the other part of me keeps asking if I am really sure that I want to take that chance. What if it doesn't fit ever? Do I want to take the chance? And if I send it back, what if the place stops carrying it? I would be crushed; it is the dress that resembles perfectly what I want.

Here, I'll show you.

So I have no idea what I want to do about the pink dress. I also want to do more of a vintage hairstyle for the session. Maybe a hairstyle from the Notebook because I am loving a more vintage look right now.

Food log

Breakfast - 9:20
Almond crunch bar

Lunch - 12:00
Seafood Alfredo leftovers
2 crossants

Snack 4:30
popsicle
a cookie

Dinner - 5:20
Seafood Alfredo leftovers
crossant
popsicle (don't worry, they are almost gone, and I will not be buying anymore of them)

Break day 2 (and a rockin' video)

I was going to take my official second day off on Wednesday, but I am calling today it because of my leg. It felt a lot better today, like it was healing, but it still hurt to put too much pressure on it. For instance, going down the stairs was fine but going up the stairs made me whimper a little bit. I am crossing my fingers that after not doing anything strenuous today that tomorrow it will be close to good as new. If it is not, I will hula hoop for an hour or so and do an upper body workout. (Which is probably what I should have done today, but I was scared of hurting myself again.)

Some inspiration for today and everyday :) Seriously everyone needs to watch this video and hear its message.

Food log (maybe not the best today...)

Breakfast - 9:40
1/2 cup of chocolate milk
a cookie

Lunch - 12:00
half a crunchy peanut butter sandwich
chips and peach salsa
kiwi
tiny block of cheese :)

Snack- 4:30
a glass of Welch's black cherry grape juice
a lemon Popsicle

Dinner - 6:40
Seafood Alfredo (This is a recipe that I have to post about. It was soooo good)

Snack- 8:50
Strawberry shake :)

JM 30 Day Shred and BodyRock - Day 6 (and some other stuff)

Today was full of good and bad things. Let's begin with the good!

My subbing certificate FINALLY came in. So did my content certification. YAY!
~The reason that is exciting beyond the obvious is now I can start working my way away from retail and get my foot further into the door at the high school. It is also good news because now that I am certified I think all I have to do is apply at other schools to get on their sub lists. I still need to look into it. I will do that this week.

I get on Blogger today and was like WOW 35 page visits. (That is a lot in one day for me, okay?) Anyway, I was feeling pretty good. Then the number jumps up to 40. I look at the thingy that tracks people location and people are coming from everywhere. I'm thinking this is strange. And then a thought hits me. I bet Jen posted something on her blog about me, and she did! Which first off is awesome! I love that I was mentioned in her blog because I worship the ground that her blog walks on. And then it was sad. I did the old awe shucks kick at the dirt and laughed at myself because I will never ever have as many views as I did today (I think the number was like 78 people). It was really, really neat. It gives me a better understanding of why people blog.

Although I am beginning to realize that this is what blogging is like for me:

What it feels like

The Reality

This is just so true. :)

Another good thing is that I filled out an application for a manager job at a clothing store. I went into today and the store manager and myself had a nice conversation about what a good fit I would be there. This is nice to have as a backup incase the subbing doesn't happen as much as I would like. So still solid.


On to the not so good part of my day and the workout section of this post.

Whatever color is not amused is what you can color me. I started to do the Shred workout tonight just like I always do. I was pumped, ready, good to go, and during one of the second of third moves, a tremendous pain fizzled in my thigh. I said ow and stopped. I paused the video and rubbed my leg hoping that the pain would go away.

Thinking I am being a weeny, I unpause the video and get down on the floor for the next move. I complete the move, stand up, and almost buckle over in pain. My fiance at this point was not amused.

We came to the conclusion that it might be a good idea to STOP the workout to avoid further injury.

It is either a sprained or a strained muscle.

Seriously?

Are you kidding me?

I sat there staring at J.D. with a horrified look on my face. My leg then preceded to pulse and tighten, pulse and tighten. It was really quite wonderful...

So that ended my workout for the evening. My leg tightened up so badly that I had to be carried around because it hurt and felt like a tugging was occurring every time I tried to walk. FML.

At least I ate well today. I will be fine tomorrow. Do you hear me body? I will be fine or else!

Food Log

Breakfast - nothing :( oops.

Lunch - 11:30
salad, carrots, green bell peppers, olives, croutons
Chips and peach salsa
Little block of cheese that I gnawed on

Snack - 4:15
Kiwi
one cookie

Dinner - 5:30
Chicken
stuffing
green beans

Snack - 9:30
Freeze pop (70 cals)

JM 30 Day Shred and BodyRock - Day 5

Today, after my day of rest, I feel wonderful!

I did the Bodyrock 400 rep challenge.

Think you can handle it? Here you GO.

75 high knees. 25 reverse elevated sit up thingys. Do 4 times (that equals 400). :)
I finished it in 11 minutes. I feel great about it.

A couple hours after I kicked major hinny, I did Day 5 of the 30 Day Shred. I felt energized. I felt tough. I felt like freakin' Wonder Woman. Growl!

It was easily the best that I have done so far. I stopped for less then 5 seconds twice and pushed through it like a beast. I completed most of the moves in their advance form. Full version butt kicks. Lower, deeper squats. More push ups. Double time jumping jacks. I worked up a sweat and felt great about it.

My big brother, Jake, pointed out/recommended that taking a break is good for the body and keeps it from burning out. If I had known how a break would make me feel, I would have felt less guilty about taking one. This makes me look forward to Wednesday. :) 2 break days a week. That's what he said.

Maybe it all psychological, but when I looked in the mirror today, I thought I looked a little different. Maybe it's real. Maybe it's not. I don't care. It is nice to feel better about myself.

Perspective. 

FOOD

Breakfast 9:30

a cup of chocolate milk :)

an almond crunch bar

Lunch 1:00

5 chicken nuggets

chips and salsa

a kiwi

Dinner 5:00

Half a chicken breast

stuffing

green beans

2 cookies

After Dinner snack 9:36

a cup of chocolate milk

Break day :)

SATURDAY IS MY BREAK DAY! Because the body needs a break to recover. Honestly after having today off, I feel so good, and I feel like I am going to kick butt tomorrow.

In order to achieve weight loss, you need to be motivated and have a stellar support system that has your back. Let my lay out mine for you.

1. My sister in law, Jennifer Dixon :). She posted this photo on my Facebook wall tonight. She has also been the only person commenting and giving me support on my sad little blog.

I just want everyone to know that it is the support, caring, and selfless nature that I am being surrounded with by my family and friends that will keep my going. Everybody should have this kind of support in their lives from someone. I am sure that you have it too!

2. My dad. The poor man sits on the phone with me on an almost daily basis. I ramble on about the workouts that I did, and he tells me what he did. He is always supportive and tells me I can do it. This helps me feel more accountable.

3. My fiance. Do you know what he did last night? We had just finished having an orange cinnamon roll, and I recommended having some popcorn. And he said no. I asked why. He said he didn't want any. I said I did. And he responds, "Don't get mad, but you don't want any more calories for the day." Excuse me? He smiles and says, "You know what I mean. You are going to be mad if you eat it. I'm just trying to help."

How many men out there can actually say something like that and actually mean? How many can say and be true and genuine because they are just trying to be helpful and give you what you asked for, not what they think that you need? Not. Very. Many. :) Thanks baby. Call me out when I am being a fat ass.

P.S. - I was hungry so I did cook the popcorn, and then I was mad after I ate half the bowl. What can I say, I am weak, and he knows me. 

4. Lisa-Marie, the hostess from Bodyrock, posted this on her Facebook page tonight:  "Ok, I'm just about to leave for Sean's B'day weekend but I wanted to say that as I was getting ready all I was thinking was that I reallllllyyyy hope that you guys are staying strong and snacking on carrots not cake and not giving up and ruining the amazing efforts you have made... it takes a week for your body to recognize change so please stay strong, and if you have fallen... This is my hand out to get you back on the wagon !! Please don't stop .... Stay with me !!!! X."

Haha-everytime she posts inspiration like, I pause and look around, thinking how does she know? :)

How can I not succeed in this endeavor when I have so much support coming from so many directions? 

Even though I didn't work out, my word for the day was BELIEVE. I BELIEVE that I can do this. I BELIEVE that I will see changes and will work hard until I do and then even harder after that. I BELIEVE that all the changes that I am making in my life WILL have a positive effect on my body and in my life. I BELIEVE that I can does this and that you can too!

JM 30 Day Shred and BodyRock - Day 4

Did I mention that before I started the 30 Day Shred and Bodyrock that I was trying to get in shape to do the workouts? Well I was. Three days prior to the 30 Day Shred arriving from Amazon, I was hooping, running walk/jogging, and I tried to do the 100 workout. So while this is Day 4 of the Shred and Bodyrock, it is my seventh day straight working out. Day 7. 


Day 7 and while I am patting myself on the back, I am also wondering, "When is my break day?" I do feel pressure to lose the weight, to get results, and to make a change, but, sheesh, I am starting to lose my momentum. 


Oh, and to add insult to everything else...I haven't lost a single pound. It's true. Nothing. Not a single freaking pound. *sigh* This makes me feel like I don't deserve a break. That I haven't worked hard enough. That I haven't eaten healthy enough. It is so FRUSTRATING!


I have been trying really hard. I have. I hope that this is just my body adjusting still. That I am on my way. I have to admit that I am scared that after all of this effort that my body isn't going to change at all. It is scary and disheartening that this isn't enough to change me. 


:( :( :( :(


Bodyrock review Day 4
My inspirational word for today is PROMISE. I made a promise to myself that I would do the 30 Day Shred everyday and would make the change in my body that I wish to see. A promise to keep pushing forward. I have awesome support from my fiance, my father, and my sister in law over at lifecrafts&whatever. The support has been a big difference! I also made a promise to myself to blog everyday about my workouts. I hope am going to keep this up!

Want to watch or try the workout for yourself? Go HERE.

Workout Breakdown: Same intervals as always 50/10

4 workouts. Do 1, 2, 3, 4 and repeat 2 more times. This makes it the same 12 minutes as the others.

1. Burpees + Push-up

Round 1 - 8

Round 2 - 9

Round 3 - 2

2. Reverse Pull Ups using the Dip Station

Round 1 - 17

Round 2 - 14

Round 3 - 3

3. Triple Plank Jumps

Round 1 - 6

Round 2 - 3

Round 3 - 1

4. High Knees using the Dip Station

Round 1 - 10

Round 2 - 7

Round 3 - 4

By round three I was losing it. The reason that there are 4 different workouts instead of 12 is because people were whining that Lisa's workouts were too complex. Whatever. They were not. They were awesome and having 12 workouts made the 12 minutes speed by. It was challenging and energizing. I hated the workout today. Literally hated it. Doing the same workout over and over again made the 12 minutes seem like 40 minutes. I hope that the next workout session is better. 

The 30 Day Shred review Day 4

We had a date night tonight and with that date night came fast food and a later night out. I didn't want to.  Trust me, I know this is becoming a pattern. I pushed through. I am waiting for it to get easy, but I know that it won't. I am being a downer baby. I know I am. I guess I am just trying to be honest. I don't want to just say, "well, it's getting tough. Oh well." Because that is not honest, and if this is going to inspire someone (which I hope it does) I want YOU to know that I agree with all the doubts and the reasons to stop. It sucks, but You have to keep going. One day soon I will post about it and tell you how good the workout felt and how excited I am that I am completing level 1 at the intermediate pace. Have faith!

Food Log

Breakfast - 10:30am

1/2 grapefruit

2 teaspoons of sugar

Lunch 12:30

bowl full of salad - half spinach, half lettuce, carrots, croutons, 4 black olives, caesar dressing

a grilled cheese sandwich :) YUMMY!

Dinner 6:30pm

Buffalo Wild Wings (I am a bad, bad girl. It was date night? I'm sorry)

6 Garlic parmesan flats

a basket of fries

Yea, life is good.

JM 30 Day Shred and BodyRock - Day 3

For day 3 of Bodyrock, please go HERE. 

Lisa has been encouraging people to have a workout word for the day. A word that will motivate and inspire. My word today is ARMS. It is the word that will remind me how my arms looked in the wedding dresses that I tried on, and how yucky I thought they looked. I want them to look better and be stronger. My arms also inspire me because they are the weakest part of my body, and I need to become stronger so that will change. Brilliant.  :)

Lisa’s 12 Minute Cardio, Core & Resistance Workout.

Here are my scores:

Set your interval timer for 12 Rounds of 50/10.

1. Superman Push-ups - 12

2. Elevated Push-up’s & L&R knee to elbow touch with the Swiss Ball (Swiss Ball optional) - 5

3. Squat & Press with the Pink Sandbag (10lb hand weights) - 12

4. Ugi Clean & Press (again, I used my hand weights) + Jump Forward + 3 x Squat Jumps - 5

5. Reverse Pull-Ups on Dip Station (with no dip station do push ups) - 14

6. Side Jump Burpee + 2 knee to elbow Oblique Abs + Tuck Jump Centre (Alternate Sides) - 4

7. Forward Lunge + Side Lunge + Knee Lift. (Alternate Legs) - 6

8. Ugi Ball Push-up (I don't have an Ugi Ball, so I did push ups with my hands place chest width apart) & Burpee + Sumo L&R Knee Touch - 5

9. Tricep Dip + Kickout V Abs with the Dip Station (The modified version is to use the couch to dip down and bring one knee up to the body at a time while elevated) - 4

10. Overhead Abs with the Pink Sandbag (I used 5lb weights) - 10

11. Sandbag Shoulder Lift + Squat + Switch Shoulder Press with the Pink Sandbag (modified version is just straight squat jumps. Boo! - 12

12. Speed Run - whole 50 seconds at full speed. Yea baby!

Lisa is crazy! She makes up these crazy, intense, really hard 12 minute exercises. I fight for every second during the 50 second intervals and all 10 seconds of the rest period. Also, squats are beginning to hurt. I feel sore when I do a few, and then they start to burn, and then the pain begins to set it. I am trying to be smart by going slow and constantly making sure that my stance is correct, but ouchy, they hurt.

I need to look up a good way to stretch after a hard thigh workout.

30 Day Shred - Day 3

I haven't made it through the video yet without having to take a break, but today was the closest that I have come to going straight through. EVERY single time I do circuit three side lunges with the weight press I about die. It hurts, and I fight for every inch of the move, but I can't make it through. It is hard. 

But hey, I am getting better and stronger. That is what I wanted. I can't wait to see what I look like in 30 days.  :)

Alright onto the food log. Just to warn you, I was a little weak today. Not terrible, but not good either.

Breakfast - 9:00am

An orange :) num num num.

Lunch - 12:00

leftover John's Muesetta 

1/4 serving of broccoli carrot soup

1/4 Irish Tatar Bread Bowl

Snack

a cookie :)

Dinner - 5:00 pm

1/2 a chicken small chicken breast

1/3 green bell pepper

1 jalapeno 

1 tablespoon of garlic parmesan cheese

2 tortilla shells

6 tortilla chips

1 tablespoon of peach salsa

I was weak and drank bottle of welch's strawberry soda which is 300 calories!!! OUCH! :(

Snack

Kiwi. Man I love kiwi!

JM 30 Day Shred and BodyRock - Day 2

Food log for today


Breakfast - 9:30
banana


Lunch - 11:30
1/4 cup of grilled chicken slices reheated in a skillet
Taco Bell seasoning powder
1/3 green bell pepper and 1 jalapeno cooked in 2 Tablespoons of Hot Salsa
1/4 cup of cheese (I love cheese too much)
8-10 black olives
2 tortilla shells


6-7 tortilla chips
2 tablespoons peach salsa


Dinner - 6:30
Broccoli Cheddar Soup – Panera Style (SO FREAKIN' GOOD! Don't worry I'll post the recipe later).
Irish Tater Bread bowl (Again, the recipe is a must!)


Dessert - 6:50
2 chocolate, nut, banana bites


I did the food first this time because I forgot about it last time, and I always wonder what people eat when they are living a more healthy lifestyle. Don't worry I won't be posting what I eat forever, just what I eat during this 30 day challenge. I'm hoping that it will keep me on track and accountable.


Alright on to the BodyRock review and scores.

I was dragging butt today. 

I didn't want to workout. 

I wanted to sit on the couch and surf the internet. But I did. I made myself. I kept thinking about how I am UNHAPPY about the way that I look, and I have to be the one to change it.


First off, I want to say that I don't enjoy that they post their videos so late at night. The videos are posted around 7:30pm. I find this frustrating because the last thing I want to do is work my body out hard, use areas of my body that I haven't for a while, and get a good burn going, only to fall asleep a few hours later and wake up unable to move. When a more intense workout is done at the beginning of the day, then the rest of the day is a nice way to stretch out, use your body, and make sure that it doesn't tighten up too bad. 


Other then the timing, Day 2 was great! And to fix the timing issue, I did the pervious day's BodyRock in the morning and then the Shred at night. It works for me; I sweat!!!


Go HERE if you want to give it a try!


Here are my scores for today:
Todays Workout is only 12 Minutes – 12 rounds of 50/10 (For those of you that need an interval timer to complete the exercises, I downloaded mine on itunes for $1, instead of buying one for $20)


10 x High Knees & 10 x Mountain Climbers - 4 and a half 
2 x Squat Jumps & 2 x Push-ups & 1 x Tuck Jumps - 4
Center to Elbow Jump (L&R) & 2 x leg jumps - 4
Tuck Jumps x 5 & ½ Burpee & squat hold x 5 - 1  <----------I was only able to do 1 set!
Clean & Press & Squat & Press & Push Up - 4
Switch Lunge & Press - 19 (I used hand weights because I don't have a sandbag)
Spider Knee Push up & Straight Leg Push Up (L&R) - 3
Side Lunge x 2 & L & R Side Punch  & 2 Tuck Jumps - 3
10 x Squat & 10 x Squat Jumps - 1
Elbow to Knee jumps 10 x each side - 2
Wide leg jumps & Push up - 6
Speed run (whole 50 seconds, giving it my all, CHECK!)


This was intense today! I was grunting, sweating, and out of breathe. Changing isn't easy. I know that I will have to fight for every inch and for every change that I want to see. 


BR did it's job; a really good job. And it was only a 12 minute workout!


That is what I had to keep telling myself. It's only 12 minutes. It's only 12 minutes. Because seriously, I did not want to do it today. It sucked at the time, but hours later I felt energized, and most importantly, I could look myself in the mirror. I didn't punk out.


I would say that the hardest set was anything that had a tuck jump. I hate tuck jumps. I hate, hate, hate, hate them! They are the worst. 


Second hardest were the spider push ups. Oh my goodness. I don't know if it's because the move is really hard, or if it's because my arms are so weak but it's tough. I'm being honest when I tell you that my arms are probably that most out of shape part on my body.


The one that felt the best was the Wide leg jumps & Push up set. I felt and worked for all six. I can still feel it in my arms.


This concludes the end of BR Day 2 review.


On to Day 2 of the 30 Day Shred.


To begin with, and to continue the theme of this post, I did not want to workout today. I did not, not, not! But, I did!


My body was more sore today, so it made the 20 minutes a little more grueling. I also tried harder today because I knew how to pace myself and what to expect. I feel good. The 3 minutes of strength training felt good, so did the 2 minutes of cardio, and the minute of abs was good. I was struggling towards that end and saying some unpleasant words, but I powered through. :)

Wedding Pictures that I have to get!

I'm not playing around. These pics are a must for me.

I can't wait to do this! So freaking cool. And how perfect is it
for my beauty and the beast wedding?!

Reception Ideas - Photo Booth

I want a photo booth of some sort at my reception. It is going to be legen....wait for it...dary. :)

My fiance and I are both English majors, so even though this
is Christmas, I like it would be awesome to have scrabble
titles for people to spell out messages.

JM 30 Day Shred - Day 1

I just finished Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, and oh my goodness. I am sweaty and shaking. 


About Day 1 (20 minute workout)


Be aware (and I think this is one of the most important things Jillian said) 

"You don't get to take breaks in a 20 minute workout. Push through if you want results. Pushing through the burn and the pain is the fastest way to get the body to change."

I am on level one of the DVD, and there are three levels in it. She combines strength training, cardio, and abs to give a great workout. The video began with a warm up and ended with deep stretches. 


To begin with, level one is not working out with Jillian. It is listening to Jillian talk while her two friends workout with you. I did like that one person showed the low impact version and one friend showed the high impact, more intense version. Basically what that tells me, is that I should not move on from level one until I can complete the DVD at least two times doing the intense version because at that point I have taken the moves, learned them, and benefited from them.


For strength training, she includes a variety of moves. The best part was that you do arms and legs at the same time. What? Yea, that's right. The same time! It felt terrible and wonderful. It hurt burned. But then again, it is suppose to. If it didn't burn, then I wasn't working hard enough.


She does a plethora of different moves for the 2 minutes of cardio, and what I liked best was that you do 30 seconds on one cardio and then switch to a different move. So, in each 2 minutes you are doing two different moves, but every 30 seconds you get to switch. I appreciated it because it made the moves easier to complete mentally. 


Last but not least, I did abs. She does 1 minute of abs. I did a variety of abs workouts. I enjoyed the abs because I had to push myself hard and it felt good. 


The endorphins are pumping, and I am loving it. I am sure that tomorrow I will be sore, and it will be more difficult to complete the workout, but I am ready for it. I am ready for the change.


I forgot to post this with the original post, so I am adding it in.
Food log for today!


Breakfast - :( nothing. I woke up later than usual and needed to get ready. This is obviously bad, bad, bad for the body!


Pre Lunch precaution - 11:30
(I was going out to lunch with my best friend Jessica, and I didn't want to overeat, so I ate before I left.)
1 pizza muffin
1 bottle of water
1 chocolate, nut, banana bite.

Actual Lunch - 12:30
Wendy's
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
value fry
value drink (coke) and a half cup refill

Dinner - 6:30
John's Musetta (Small portion size)
It contains - shell noodles, ground beef, velveta cheese, minced garlic, mushrooms, onion, chopped tomatoes, and tomato paste.
Bottle of water

After Dinner snack - 8:30
10 pretzels from J.D.'s bowl of pretzel sticks
1 chocolate, nut, banana bite

Late night snack (cause we were up really late) :(
1 pizza muffin
half a bottle of water