30 Day Shred

Weight loss: 0, +1 pound
Total weight loss: 18.6 pounds

Seriously? How did this happen? I worked out and ate (mostly) healthy. My theories are that I've gained muscle, or hit a plateau and need to switch things up.

I did Jillian's 30 Day Shred yesterday for the first time with my friend Mallory.

Here's my review on the DVD, in case anybody cares.

I spent a solid hour reading reviews on Amazon about the workout before I decided to purchase it. The reviews were ALL positive. My favorite being, "This workout has brought me closer to religion because I have faith that it works." Seriously, people were being all kinds of crazy.

A lot of reviewers claimed that they've run marathons and are "gym rats" and that even for them, level 1 was a killer. To those people, I call BS. (Unless their idea of being a gym rat is scurrying around the gym's trash can looking for food..or maybe they think a marathon is measured in feet, rather than miles.)

The TOTAL length of the workout is 27 minutes. I went into it thinking that if the self-proclaimed gym rats couldn't finish level 1, then I was sure to die.

False. I did not die. And while the workout IS difficult (but definitely not unbearable), I truly believe that anybody that believes they could lose 20 pounds in 30 days while strictly doing this DVD needs a reality check.

That being said, I really enjoyed the workout itself. I'm sore today, and definitely think that it's a great exercise to tone, which I need. If it was coupled with 3-4 days of cardio, and  a healthy eating regime, I could see it having excellent results. However, I've only done one day, so my opinion isn't worth much.

I plan on supplementing it for my workouts on days I don't make it to the gym, and potentially doing both on days that I have time. I'm sure I'll add a more educated review once I've done it for a month or so, but for now, this is where I stand.

"There is no secret routine, there is no magical number of reps and sets. What there is, is confidence, belief, hard work on a consistent basis, and a desire to succeed." -Steve Justa

One workout from a good mood.

Weight loss this week: 2 pounds
Total weight loss: 19.6 pounds

It's crazy that it's been exactly three months today since I started this. Although I'm far from where I need to be, I've noticed a lot of changes in my life. I have more energy. I'm not afraid to look in the mirror anymore. I actually crave vegetables.

Over the past couple of weeks though, I've noticed depression creeping back into my life. I couldn't pin point why-nothing has changed really. Then last night I went to the gym for the first time in a couple of weeks. (I've been pretty sick and using it as an excuse.) Afterwards, I realized that missing my workouts most likely played a huge part in the way my emotions had been changing. It reminded me of this picture I saw on Pinterest:

When I first saw this picture a couple of weeks ago, I didn't really like it. It didn't seem applicable to me, and I couldn't see any correlation between working out and my well being. Then last night, after leaving kickboxing (and feeling like my legs were going to give out), I felt lighter. Everything that has felt so wrong in my life suddenly didn't seem so hard to face. My circumstances didn't change. But one good work out helped me feel a little more hopeful. I can't help but quote Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy."

So I'm resolving to do better at consistently working out. Not just for my physical health, but for the sake of my mental health too. One thing that I really believe, and have learned through all of my weight loss/gain experiences, it's that without the proper mind set, the weight won't stay off.


When I reached my skinniest (pictured below), I gained the weight back because when I looked in the mirror, I still saw the chubby girl that I was growing up. I was physically more healthy than I'd ever been in my life. But my head wasn't in the right place.

That's why my new motto is:

"Be ok with yourself, 
even if you know you want to change."


Here's to an all around healthier me.

Not much to say..

Weight loss this week: -2.8 pounds
Total weight loss: -17.6 pounds


I'll admit, I round it up to 18 when I tell people how much I've lost. And everybody says that 18 pounds is a lot, but honestly..I just don't see it. The good news is I'm wearing pants that haven't fit in a solid 4 months.

Working out hasn't happened in two weeks..I know, I fail. I went to California and cancelled my appointment with my trainer. I need to reschedule soon.. Then when I got home, I got a nasty bug and haven't been able to breathe out of my nose or mouth for a week. Thankfully I'm almost done with my antibiotics. I know I should suck it up and work out anyway. I always preach to not make any excuses. I'll do better.

I know this post is short, but I don't have much to say. 2.4 pounds away from 20, and I plan to make that happen in the next two weeks.

2012

Happy New Year!

I got on the scale on Saturday after two weeks of eating carelessly. I had cake, Christmas candy and cookies, Mexican food, Italian food, hot chocolate, etc...

Two weeks of having family and friends in town, celebrating birthdays AND Christmas, and being off of work was really hard. Granted, I didn't eat as much of the junk as I would have months ago, but I ate it.

I felt disgusting and I just KNEW that I'd gained 10 pounds. But I only gained .8, leaving me with a total of 15 pounds lost still.

The beginning of this year has felt very refreshing. I know it's cliche to say that I can feel 2012 will be a good year-everybody's saying it.

But I really don't think that this year could be worse than last year, so there's nowhere to go but up!

The start of the year also gave me a fresh resolve to keep going on this journey.

I WILL reach my goal weight this year. And I WILL continue to learn to love myself. 

I have an appointment with a personal trainer this upcoming week to go over my current measurements, my goals, and put together a game plan of how I'm going to get there. Because I will get there.

I really started to notice the 15 pound difference over this past weekend. I've seen the number drop on the scale, but haven't really felt any different. As I got ready for New Years Eve though, I looked at myself in the mirror and liked what I saw. I noticed that my stomach was flatter and that the new sweater I bought showcased my waist. I noticed that I looked happier and felt good in my skin. 

And this is just the start of something amazing. 

{I plan to.}