Day 13 and 14

If I  don’t get on here and post right after I do the workout I seem to totally forget to do so! That’s what happened yesterday. I did the dvd but didn’t jump on here right afterwards.

Wow, today is day 14, I’ve been doing this for two weeks already? OK, so I missed two days and technically I’ve only done 12 workouts but I’m posting every day regardless if I’ve actually worked out or not. That way I can follow my progress over the full 30 days and I can see why I missed some of the days I missed.

You’d think after two weeks this would feel easier, but if I’m honest my body just seems to feel more and more tired. That might have something to do with the fact that I’m not a spritely young twenty year old!  I think after these 30 days I’ll go back to doing something a little more enjoyable, like walking around the neighborhood ;-)

Day 12

I skipped the workout again today!!! But I had good reason, I actually had a work out and a half when I mowed the front yard this morning and pulled a lot of weeds out of the flower beds and trimmed the bushes. I usually don't have to cut the grass but the guy we have come every two weeks is overdue, it happens sometimes, and usually we can just wait, but this time the weeds were getting too high and I didn't want a letter from the HOA telling me to get my yard tided up, so I cut it.

SO, I will start back again tomorrow. I realize now how hard this is going to be, but I'm nearly half way through it, so I'll keep on trying.

Day 10 . . . . and 11!

It’s Saturday, I didn’t get a chance to get on here and post for yesterday. I did the workout yesterday but I’m going to skip today!! I know, I know. .  . but honestly I just need to rest.  This is harder than it seems, more from a discipline thing really, ok the workouts only last 20 minutes (not really true, with warm up and cool down it’s more like 27 minutes) but I just know I don’t have it in me to do it today.  I just want a break from it.

I don’t know why, I just do. So I’m not going to pretend I did it when I didn’t, I’m going to be up front and honest and say today, I’m taking a break.

Tomorrow I will start again.

Day 9

I'm just off to bed, but realized I didn't post on here for today! Meant to do it earlier but the day got away from me.

I had to go out again first thing this morning to a music store of all places to get Kristen some new books for her piano lesson. It meant I didn't get to do my workout til nearly 12pm!

It also meant that I didn't put as much effort in to it today. I don't know why, I just know I could have done better. I'm hoping tomorrow I can stay home, have breakfast as early as I usually do and do my workout at 9am. It always seems to feel better at that time.

Yesterday I did better with my eating and actually counted points. Got on the scale this morning and was happy to see 126.4 :-)

Day 8

Some days seem easier to do than others? Today not being as easy a day as yesterday . . . don’t really know why. I had to go get the oil changed in my car today so didn’t do my workout until 10am.

I had a banana when I went out and had oatmeal again when I got home, then did the workout. 

I really must get better with the eating, my weight has gone up to 128lb this morning, and if you know me at all, you know I’m freaking out at that number, although some of you will tell me that I’m probably gaining muscle and that of course weighs heavier than fat! But I know the truth! I’m still eating the ‘wrong’ things. . . some how a bag of Cheetos found it’s way on to my lap last night, when I was watching Biggest Loser of all things!  I only have myself to blame.

Today I’m counting my points, and hopefully will do so for the next week to see if there’s any change on the scale.

I’ll keep on keeping on ;-)

Day 7

Whoooo, now that was a better workout :-)  I had oatmeal for breakfast this morning and two slices of ‘light’ whole wheat bread (only 1 ww point for two slices). What a difference. I had so much more energy because I fueled my body first.

Today I even managed to do more of the cario. I’m totally out of breath as I type this because I just finished day 7. Wow, day 7, that is one full week of working out EVERY DAY.  I’m so proud of myself.

Eating better today, I called in to the grocery store after taking Kristen to school and bought fresh fruit and veg. Lunch today will be a nice spinach salad, perhaps with fresh apple on top, fat free raspberry vinaigrette (my fav) and some walnuts – kinda like this . .

My friend Judy is hoping to start the dvd with me this week :) It’s always great to have a friend help you along. Not only do I hope to motivate Judy as she starts this, but I know she will be motivating me too.  So, let me know when you get started Judy. I’m not sure if that will be today or if you’re still waiting for the dvd to arrive?

Anyone else joining in? Or are you doing any other daily exercise? I’d love for you to share with me.

Day 6

I did day 6 of the Shred today, but barely got through it. I made the mistake of trying to do the workout a little earlier today, meaning I didn’t bother eating breakfast first… just had some coffee!

Big mistake. I could tell as soon as I started I just didn’t have the energy like the other mornings, and so the effort I put in to it was pathetic :(

Still, you live and learn. Tomorrow I will be back to it ‘in full force’, breakfast first, then dvd at 9am.

Day 5

Sunday, 11am – I just finished day 5, and I actually think its getting a little easier :-) Not easy by all means, but easier. I managed to do some of the jumping jacks today, so I can see some improvement when it comes to the cardio. I also moved up to the 3lb weights. These felt a lot heavier so some of the movements were a bit modified. I like this weight though for the chest/butterfly press that she does on the floor.

The last 1 minute of crunches is a killer! But I’m so proud of myself for doing it, AND for sticking with it over the weekend. Tomorrow I might up it to level 2 but still do the ‘easy’ version of that.  Gotta get back to better eating and drinking more water too.

Day 4

Well, if nothing else it’s just good to have it over with! I did day 4 at 10am this morning :-) Now I can get on and enjoy my day. I can’t say ‘weekend’ because I will have day 5 to do tomorrow!

For the most part I’m feeling good, legs still ache like crazy, still can’t do the jumpin jacks, but I can tell I am getting better at cardio – just a tad! It’s only day 4 and I can feel an improvement, so I can only imagine how good I’ll feel at day 14.

I must get better at the food intake though. I did eat Tilapia this week and had a few salads, but I can do even better and cut out some of the junk food I’m still nibbling on. Still trying to drink more water too – it’s a process for sure!

Day 3

I did day 3 of the Shred yesterday, I just didn’t get around to posting an entry. It’s Saturday morning now (8.30am) and there’ll be no rest from a work out. Jillian says you do 30 days straight!

Yesterday was ok, it’s the cardio still that gets me, I just can’t keep up and really modify it, to the point that I’m just marching in place at some places!  But at least I’m still moving!

Still aching too, but not as bad as the first day. I will stick with level 1 until next Wednesday, that will be my first week over, after that I think I will try out level 2 just to change it up a bit. That’s the only down side, you do the same routing every day, you know what’s coming . . . and it can get a little boring.

I haven’t been cutting back on the calories as much as I wanted, had a piece of pizza last night and some wine! But I keep trying. I’ll weigh in on Monday and see if there’s any change there.

Day 2

I just finished day two of the workout.... I'm so out of breath I can hardly type!!! Phew, this is gonna be HARD. What I find the worse is the cardio, I get out of breath really easy (even just walking up the stairs), it could be because of my asthma and sinus issues, or it could be just that I am totally out of shape. I'm hoping I get better with time. But the cardio - I really had to modify it today, those jumping jacks kill me!

The other thing I find hard is transitioning from the floor for the ab work to standing up again with the weights, if I move too fast I can feel rather dizzy! I'm just taking that part slow so I'm usually a couple of reps behind Jillian and her girls. Still, I'm doing it, that's what counts and I'm feeling it. I was really aching this morning, but proud of myself for putting the dvd on again.

I'm off to shower now ;-)

It starts today. . . .

As you can tell from my sporadic posts, I kinda fell off the wagon when it comes to good eating and exercising. I let myself indulge over the whole summer, ate whatever I wanted, drank when I wanted (and I’m not talking water!), and didn’t get out walking or do any other form of exercise. As a result of all that, I managed to gain the 10lb I lost and as of today I weigh in at 127.8lb!!!

THAT is way too much for me to feel comfortable. SO, today I am starting this -

I’m motivated by the fact that many other girls are doing this too. Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam has started it. She’s asked anyone that wants to, to join in with her, keep us updated on her progress at her blog AND her Facebook page.

So, today, bad eating stops (again) and exercise STARTS!  I hope to post on here EVERY DAY for the next 30 days to confirm that I have done the 20 minute routine that Jillian puts you through each day. I will miss only two days in the next 30 because we have a weekend away planned with our neighbors. I know I won’t work out on that Saturday and Sunday. I will workout on the Friday before we leave, and actually depending on the time we come home on Sunday I may actually be able to pop the dvd in later that day – we’ll see.

Any other day  . . . .  THERE WILL BE NO EXCUSES!!!!!

I did the workout today, and it is HARD!  But I felt good afterwards. The test will come tomorrow when I know I will be sore and I have to do it all over again. Today I’m cutting out the bad eating habits too. I don’t want to totally deprive myself of the things I like, but I must not eat them so often. I WILL have a glass of wine when I want and I WILL have Margaritas on the front porch with the neighbors at the weekend. I will NOT deprive myself but I will NOT overindulge either.  I took some ‘before’ pictures this morning, I may (or may not) share them here at the end of the 30 day challenge.  I took some measurements too, which I will post here :

Bust – 36”

Waist – 31”

Hips – 37”

under bust – 31”

Top of thigh – 20 3/4

Top of arm – 11’

I know to some of you I am not over weight. Everything is relative, just because I don’t ‘look’ overweight’ doesn’t mean I don’t feel overweight. When you’re used to being about 117-120lb then an extra 10lb (sitting mostly around your middle) makes a big difference. I feel sluggish, no energy and my pants are all tight! And one thing I can definitely vouch for – I am NOT fit. I get out of breath just walking up the stairs, I’m so out of shape. 

These posts are mainly for my own motivation, but if you’re here reading it, I appreciate the time you took to do that, and I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment if you would like to, it would surely help keep me motivated if I thought you were out there checking up on me;-)