Sunshine and Slacking

Oh the rain has gone and the sunshine has returned! I am so happy! Three straight days of rain flooded my poor patio garden and made the grass grow super fast. Fortunately my plants seem to be doing fine! Some of my lettuce sprouts got pushed around but I'm sure they'll bounce back.

So while I'm here...I have a confession. Remember how my husband and I were doing Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred? Well, we went back to Richmond for the weekend and got totally thrown off schedule! We've skipped almost an entire week! I know, I know...for shame!

So far we've completed Level 1, which we came to enjoy! I'm so mad we let ourselves skip so many days! As punishment for our lack of commitment, we're not going to go through Level 1 again, we're going to push on through to Level 2. Take that, slacker-self.

We're hoping to start back up ASAP! Tonight we have friends coming over and tomorrow my husband will be out of town for work all day so the plan is to get out butts back in gear on Saturday!

We'll see how it goes. Level 2 let's do this!

What do you do when you get thrown off course from your workout schedule? How do you fight to keep your consistency? How do you reward yourself?

Till next time,
Catherine

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred-Day 10

Alright...here I am, after 10 straight days of doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred-Level 1! I'm surviving!

Level 1 on YouTube

Level 2 on Vimeo.

Day 1 was definitely hard but Days 2-4 were probably the worst because I was SO SORE! My husband started doing it with me on my Day 2 and he was the same way. But once Day 5 rolled around I was confused because suddenly walking down the stairs didn't hurt anymore! How about that. You really just have to push through the pain and your muscles will get stronger.

Day 6 and 7 I could tell a definite increase in my endurance during the cardio. I wasn't stopped for breathers and water breaks as often and I was doing push ups like a champ! Ok I'm still doing "girl push ups" but I think I'll be rocking the "man push ups" in no time!

Days 8-10 I felt less motivated to do the workout but I made myself stick with it. It was a combination of it being a lazy weekend and Brian being out of town so I was doing it alone. It really helps to have a workout partner to motivate you!

I've got mixed feelings about Level 2 because I've read/watched multiple reviews that say Level 2 isn't good or fun. On the other hand, I'm ready to move on and continue to get stronger and healthier! Subscribe and follow my blog (both options are on the right side of the page) to see how it goes!

Results: I've lost about 8 pounds!!! I can hardly believe it! I'm so ready to keep this up if this is the direction it's taking me!

Are you doing it with me? If not, start now! Let's do this together!! 

Till next time,
Catherine

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred-Day 1

As you may remember, my husband and I recently re-watched all of The Walking Dead and did The Walking Dead Workout along with it. Ok, so we did MOST of the workouts! I'm not going lie to you guys!

I started the 30 Day Shred kind of on a whim so I was a bad blogger and didn't get "before" pictures or measurements. Oops. I don't think I'm brave enough to share that mess on the internet anyhow!

Don't run out and buy the DVD! Level 1 and 3 are on YouTube and Level 2 is on Vimeo!

My husband and I did record our weight and measurements not too long ago so I'll be using those to give you guys an average amount of pounds/inches lost through this program. 

Like I said, I just kind of picked this workout on a whim as something to get myself moving. I've heard of plenty of people using this program with fantastic results. A quick YouTube search will help you get motivated and inspired! 

All you need for this workout is a couple of hand weights. 2lb, 3lb, or 5lb depending on your current level of fitness. A yoga mat is helpful too but I think I'll be fine without one. 

You'll definitely be working, that's for sure! I was sweating in no time. She makes you move and keep moving for the entire time! You do a warm up of dynamic stretching and cardio then move right into strength. The entire workout is less than 30 minutes so the point is to give you a more intense workout in less time. She likes to say, "20 minutes with this workout is better than hours of phoning it in at the gym." It's closer to 30 minutes including the warm up and cool down. 

Her concept is a basic 3-2-1 premise. 3 minutes of strength training, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abdominal exercises. This repeats 3 different times with different exercises for each circuit. There are three different levels and you do each level for 10 days or until you're comfortable moving on. There are no strict rules, just do it how you feel works best for your body!

I'm excited to stick with it and see some results!! Jump in and join me! 

Do you like Jillian Michaels? Have you ever tried any of her workouts?

Till next time,

Catherine