30DS - Day 6

Dear Jillian Michaels,

I didn't want to like you. Until last week I hated you because your game on the Wii led me to a fractured bone in my foot. I was happy holding my grudge against you, and I had no reason to let it go.

But then, I started hearing more and more about the success that people have had with your 30 Day Shred series. SERIOUS results. So I figured, ok lady - I am going to put our past behind me and maybe we can at least be acquaintances.

One week later, and I am ready to ask you to be my BFF. This Shred is no joke, and it delivers. FAST.

Let me tell you about my week. On Wednesday I did Day 5. It is getting a little easier - the cardio circuits are much easier, and I am considering increasing my weights in the strength moves.

Yesterday, I took a rest day. I just had a long week, and I needed a day off. So today was Day 6. The strength moves are getting easier and I am pushing harder on the ab moves. Overall it went really well.

And then

I took my measurements. I know, I know. It's only been a week. I honestly didn't have high expectations. It's only been 6 days, right?

Ha! Here are my measurements today:
Waist - 35.5 in (-1 inch)
Hips - 41 in (-.75 inch)
Arms - 12 (-.5 inch on each arm)
Thighs - 23.5 (-.5 inch on each thighs)

In six days I have lost almost 3 inches. IN SIX DAYS!!!

That is amazing. And just what I needed to see today.

And that is why I am ready to make Jillian Michaels my BFF. At the very least I forgive her for my fractured bone ;)

Have a good weekend everyone!!!

30DS - Day 4

My plan was to do the Shred this morning and run tonight. Plans change.

Mike was sick, and it was a long night, so I really needed the extra sleep this morning. However, it's only Tuesday, and I still have plenty of days left to meet my running goal this week. So I decided to focus on the Shred, since I have to do that regardless. Day 4 - done.

Today was easier than the last two days have been. I was able to do all the cardio today, and I pushed harder on the strength exercises. I also added an ab exercise that I found in one of Jillian's YouTube videos. Just one, because I really want more focus on that particular area.

After, I decided to take my measurements again. I know, I know. It's only been four days. Don't set yourself up for disappointment, right? However - I have seen so many awesome results online for this program that I thought, what the heck?

So, in the first four days of this program, I have lost almost a half inch off my waist. WHAT??? :) :) :) :) That is so freaking awesome!!!! I am thrilled with that. Seeing results makes me even more determined to keep pushing forward.

On to Day 5!!!

30DS - Day 3

That's right. It's 7:00am, I am at work, and I already did my workout for today. I have been up since 4:10. Yuck!!! I am super sleepy today.

It took me a little longer to wake up than I thought it would, so by the time I changed my clothes and was ready, I only had 20 minutes to do today's workout. So I did as much as I could, and still made sure I did the stretches.

Tomorrow I will get up when my alarm goes off so that I have plenty of time to finish the full workout.

Tomorrow I work out in the morning, and run 2 miles at night. So tonight I plan on going to sleep early ;)

Happy Monday!!!

30DS - Day 2

Day 2 - Check!!

I was not really sore today, but that may be because I didn't hit it 100% yesterday due to my back.

But today - I did EVERY move on that video. I can already feel it in my arms. It's such a good feeling - even though I know tomorrow is going to hurt!! In the video Jillian makes a comment about how people on Day 5 or 6 will notice an improvement in their endurance during the cardio circuits. I hope so - because right now those butt kickers are literally kicking my butt!! Which is kind of sad, considering I've been running for a couple months now.

Have you looked at any of the before/after pictures on Google yet? If you haven't - I strongly recommend it. It certainly gave me the motivation to start these videos. I honestly cannot wait until I have the 'after' pictures to post :)

And really let's be honest. The real reason I'm doing all this work to get into shape is because when the zombie apocalypse comes, I am not going out in the first round!! Haha - just kidding ;) (but not really!!!)

My goals for this week are:

Do Level 1 EVERY day.
Drink a gallon of water each day.
Run 2 miles 3 days this week.

I am also going to write a post this week about how I feel at this weight, and the things I miss about being in the 130's.

The Dirty Girl Mud Run is in 13 days. I am SO excited to do this. It is the first thing I've ever done like this where I actually trained for a physical activity, so I am really proud of what I have put in. I am looking forward to being covered head to toe in mud, and making it through the entire obstacle course. It may take me an hour and a half - but I can't wait!!!

So what are your fitness goals this week?

30DS - Day 1

I opened this today to see my first measurements, and for some reason it reverted to a draft?? so now i have to republish. But its not actually new.

I woke up this morning with a cold. That figures, right?? :P Colton has had a cold since Thursday, so I wasn't really surprised.

But also, I slept totally wrong, and my back is all messed up this morning too. Two good excuses to postpone the start of this program, right?

Nope!! I put it out in the world that I was starting today - and I started today!! I have officially completed Day One.

So the first thing you're supposed to do is take your measurements, so you can compare at the end. I am going to share them here. I am not proud of them, and I won't show the pics I took just yet, but here is my starting point:

Waist - 36.5
Hips - 41.75
L Arm - 12.5
R Arm - 12.5
L Thigh - 24.5
R Thigh - 24.5

Ugh. How did all of that even happen?? Yeah, sure, I had a baby. Things shift and change, that's true.

But.....YUCK. I cannot believe those are my stats. How are my thighs the size that I wish my waist was?!?! What is that?!!

And to be honest - two months ago, my waist was two inches wider. Everything was wider two months ago. And it's gone down...so I just have to keep going.

So. Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. She claims it's only 20 minutes. Maybe when you're in great shape, time moves faster? Cause my laptop said it was almost 28 minutes. But hey - who's bitching for no reason?! Not me!!! Lol!!

So my back was sore, and I'm all stuffy medicine head...but I did it. I didn't hate it, which is a start. And you definitely move through everything fairly quickly, which I definitely appreciate. I didn't do every single second of every single move, because my back WAS sore, and I had to kind of modify things so that I could still walk the rest of today.

But I am very curious to see how much better I get at this level in the next nine days. For those who don't know, there are three levels, and each one lasts 10 days. So I will be halfway through the Level 2 disc when I do my Mud Run in two weeks.

I am going to take pictures at each 10 days, and compare. I don't know if I will post any of the pictures on here until I finish the first complete cycle - I'm just not ready to show the visual of those stats above yet. But I am documenting it all so that when I do get where I'm going, I can remember where I came from.

And I will get where I'm going.

11/3 - Starting 30 Day Shred

I have decided to start Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I might be crazy.

Last time I did anything related to her, I fractured a bone in my foot. True story. Evil B's game on the Wii Fit was not my friend.

However, I've been reading and seeing a lot about this program and the results that you see after just a few days. I spent a couple hours tonight looking at results pics on google, and I am seriously impressed.

So I got the videos, and I am going to start tomorrow. I am hoping to lose at least one pant size by December 3. I am also still going to run at least three days a week.

I will take pictures of the before, but I am not ready to post those yet. I will post them once I have some good pics to compare them too. Haha!!

I am going to try and blog my experiences as the 30 days go by. It may not always be much - I suspect I may be too sore to type some days ;) But I am going to try and share how this goes.

If anyone has these dvd's, and wants to join me on my first Shred journey, I would love some motivational support :) If you don't have the dvd's, there are places you can find the video's online....if you know where to look ;)

So, Jillian - let's try and be friends for the next 30 days, ok??

"Change" - It's kind of a four letter word

I have come to realize lately that things are going to change. Some are good changes, some are bad, some you have control over, some you have to completely let go of and just let things fall wherever they are meant to be. But change itself? That is something you can always count on. The only thing you can actually DO is focus on the changes you have control over, and find a way to make it work for you.

So I had to ask myself - what can I change? Or - what do I want to change?

I am not happy with me. I don't like the way I look, I don't like the way I feel, I don't like who I am when I look and feel this way. I am NOT myself, and I don't like this person.

I want Colton to be proud of his mom. I want him to wear the "My Mom is Hot" shirt that his Aunt Kari bought for him - and I want to feel like that is a true statement.

We've been eating healthy since June, and I haven't had McDonald's in over four months. That is such an accomplishment for me....hahahahaha!! But seriously, there are days when I want some McD's fries SO BAD that I daydream about them. But I haven't had them.

I gave up drinking Mt Dew. That is also a huge change for me. I was drinking at least a six pack of Dew a day. Ugh. That is so bad to admit. But now I drink 2, sometimes 3 Coke Vanilla Zero's a day. As in - zero calories, zero carbs. At first it was pretty much zero flavor too, but I've gotten used to it now.

I started tracking my calories with myfitnesspal.com. I'm not always great at this, but when I do remember - it is CRAZY how much more picky I am with what I decide is worth the calories every day.

So I changed what I was putting in, and then, I had to focus on changing what I was putting out....

I have been running pretty regularly for a couple of months now. And I'll be honest. I have not enjoyed it. It's not fun, it's not something I look forward too, and I am ALWAYS happy when my run is over. And that's kind of sad, considering that up until last week I was only running a mile a half at a time.....four times a week.

Today I did my third 2 mile run. And for the first time - I felt good. I focused on my feet hitting the pavement. I focused on keeping my pace steady, and not overdoing it early on. My goal today was to just run as much of the two miles as I could.

I hit the 2 mile mark almost directly in front of my house. And I stopped, and I'll be honest - I cried. I cried because I ran almost that entire two miles. I walked twice - at .75 and at 1.5, and only long enough to drink some water and stretch a little bit.

I walked less than a quarter mile today That is such a big deal for me, I don't even know how to process it yet. And I felt GOOD - I didn't want to stop and walk every time the song changed. I didn't tell myself that I could stop when I reached the next street. I just kept going.....and suddenly I was home.

I have lost 24 lbs since starting to work out regularly in July. At first I was taking classes at the Red Mtn Center, which I loved...but I wasn't seeing results fast enough, and I knew that I could do better.

I started on the treadmill...and worked my way up to running a full mile start to finish. That was a pretty great day too. I did a LOT of research on running, and how to see results as quickly as possible while still remaining healthy. (I do have a baby I have to take care of ;))

And slowly, slowly...sometimes excruciatingly slowly...I am seeing results. In the last two weeks, I've been able to wear two pairs of pants that I haven't fit into since before I was pregnant. I have lost two inches of my waist, and an inch and a half off my hips. My legs always take well to working out, and for the first time in forever, I can actually cross one leg over the other comfortably while sitting in a chair.

Lately, I have been in more pictures instead of just taking them. No, I'm not at my goal weight yet, and I don't love every picture......but I have a little guy whose life is happening NOW, and I want to be in the records of his life. The best part about that has been that I actually have some current pictures of myself on Facebook...for the first time in a long time...lol!!!

It's those little things that change how you look at what you're doing, and make you appreciate every quarter mile.

I said I wouldn't do this......

Actually, I said I couldn't do this.

Run. Running. Runner.

So not me. In fact, the last time I tried...this is how it went:

August 30, 2010
Today's painfully learned lesson: I need more cardio in my life. (you have to be prepared for Zombies, you know?) so I decided to run/walk just a mile. Just one single mile. Two blocks into my slow trot....my calf muscles seized and I could barely walk my ass home. Lesson: Do not decide spontaneously to run. You are probably NOT hydrated enough to do so. So now I am laying on the floor trying to stretch so I can walk up the stairs to shower. I might be here a while :( I haven't cried in a long time. I cried today. I said every cuss word I know, probably invented some new ones -lol!!! I just hope I can get out of bed tomorrow :P And don't worry, Mike already laughed at me today - 'You gotta drink water all day before you decide to do something like that'. I just got really motivated for about five minutes.....and then science kicked my ass.

I was sore for a week....and pretty pissed at myself too.

However....

Running is the fastest way to lose weight all over. And although I may not actually seem like it....I do have a bucket list of physical achievements I'd like to accomplish.

Plus about 60lbs of not-all baby fat to lose.

I would like to run a 5K, and I'd like to run the Pat Tillman instead of just waiting at the finish line...or volunteering handing out race packets.

So I did some research, and I found a program called C25K. Couch to 5K. It's a program you do three days a week for 9 weeks...and you basically go from nothing to a 5K in 9 weeks.

So today is Day 1, Workout 1.

Brisk walk for five minutes, then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes, then a five minute cool down.

There's an app for it that allows you to listen to your own playlist and it gives you the verbal cues to switch between jogging and walking at the right times.

I can do this. I know I can. I've already started to conquer another bucket list item:

I haven't really talked about it a lot on Facebook because I didn't know how well I would do...but as of today, I haven't smoked a real cigarette in a month. I bought an electronic cigarette June 2, and I haven't smoked a real one since. I've moved from the high level of nicotine to the medium level, and in two weeks I'll switch to low...and I'm hoping by the end of August to not be using it at all. Pretty big deal for me, honestly, as I've been smoking half my life, and I have always enjoyed being a smoker.

But I'm also a mom now. And although I want to be able to play and run and have fun with Colton, I know that in my current physical state, I can't do that. So it's time to make a change.

So here goes nothing.

Me...a runner? We'll see about that.

My Garden

I've always wanted to grow a vegetable garden, but until this year I had never tried. While working on another backyard project in January, we had some extra dirt that we needed to do something with, so Mike got some paver stones and built me a little garden spot in the back yard.

I wanted something small to start, just so I didn't overwhelm myself. So here's what he built me:

See my pretty solar light? Yeah, that's all I had there for a while....

And then for Valentine's Day, Mike took me to Lowe's and I picked out 11 different types of vegetables and herbs that I wanted to try growing.

Dirt! Fun!!

I used two bags of the dirt to fill in the planter, and then part of another bag to fill in the dirt around the plants as I planted them. I also had a mini roses plant that I gotten for Valentine's Day, so I decided to plant that in the middle of the garden.

After everything was planted:

Back Row, Left to Right:

Cucumbers (two), Sweet Bell Peppers (two), Rosemary, Strawberries

Middle Row, Left to Right: Snap Peas (two), Green beans(two), Parsley, Strawberries

Front Row, Left to Right: Spinach (two), Acorn Squash (two), Basil, Greek Oregano

It's been six weeks since I planted everything, and it has been growing like crazy!

The spinach has been growing the fastest, and today was my first harvest. I also trimmed some of the parsley, and I had two little strawberries that were ready to be picked as well.

We used some of the spinach to make salads to go with our dinner tonight. They tasted awesome!!

It is really cool to eat food that you grew yourself, and I am really looking forward to trying out the rest of the veggies as they grow. I didn't know how I would do with growing veggies, as my green thumb has not been great with flowers in the past. But it turns out I really enjoy working in this garden, and I am already thinking about other things I'd like to grow.

Of course, it always helps when you have a cute little guy to keep you company while you work!

40 lb goal

Last week I started a workout program. When I had Colton, I weighed 212 lbs. After I gave birth I weighed 188 lbs.

I don't want to weigh that anymore. I am tired of not fitting into my clothes, and hating shopping for new ones, no matter what the occasion is that I am shopping for. So I decided its time to do something about it.

Mike decided to start doing P90X again, which is a 90 day program. I decided that I was going to try the Brazil Butt Lift program, which is a 60 day program, but I am going to do it for 90 days. We have a competition going to see who can stay committed to their program and work out the number of days that we agreed each week. For Mike, that's five days a week. For me, that's at least three days a week.

I wanted to try five days a week, but after the first week I realized that might be too much for me starting off. As much as I want to jump in full force, I did just have a c-section six weeks ago.....so I have to keep that in mind, and not overdo it.

My goal is to lose 40lbs overall to start. That would put me under 150 lbs, which would be awesome. I am tired of wearing size 16 clothes, I want to be able to wear cute clothes - and the closet full of clothes that I have that I can't currently f it into.

And now that I have Colton, I want to be able to run and play and keep up with him. Right now, there is no way I can do that. So it's time to make some changes. In the first week, I lost almost 2lbs, which is awesome. By next week, I hope that number is at least 6lbs lost.

Brazil Butt Lift is a lot of fun. I like the Cardio workout a lot, which is good because that is what is going to help me lose the most weight. I am currently in the middle of week two, and I am not hating it yet.

So here's to staying committed and meeting my first mini-goal of losing 10lbs by the end of March!!

My Place

This is my place to talk about all of the things I aspire to do...and all of the things I adore. Those lists are pretty long, and getting longer every day...... So here we go!!