Goal accomplished.
30 days of Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred later I'm reporting results. For the record, I did not follow any sort of diet or dieting rules and didn't go to her website. If I wanted something I pretty much ate or nibbled or shared it, including a small Blizzard and some boneless buffalo wings. Of course, on the flip side I often ate low-fat yogurt, oatmeal or Cheerios for supper or lunch. But that was because that's what I wanted at the time. Also, I didn't follow any other exercise program or add additional workouts to Shred. Any "success" is likely from doing Shred alone.
Shred kicked my booty on several different levels. An exercise buddy and I committed to doing it all 30 days with each of the three levels lasting ten days. We just methodically did them and when it was time to move on, we did, whether we were afraid or ready or whatever.
My buddy didn't do all the days so I'm just going to report my results. I lost 2 inches off my hips, 2 inches off my waist and an inch from my chest. Not only did the tape measure report that, I feel it in my clothes. Now. As I've discussed this with others and we laughed about Jillian's level 3 comment "You should be seeing that six-pack right about now." we've decided that under the "bubble wrap" I've got hanging around, that there is definite change and toning in those abdominal muscles. I can feel them move. My core is much stronger and the moves have gotten easier to do.
Definition and strength clearly happened in my arms, legs and behind as well. Overall I lost 3.3 pounds. Not significant, but not awful either. I'm not trying to break weight loss speed records, just get in better shape and working on becoming healthier. So I'm very pleased with that for 30 days of 20 minute work-outs. Now.
Here's the nitty gritty. I hated listening to Jillian's explanation every day. You can't cut to the chase, you have to go through her 2-3 minute intro. Annoying. Sometimes the comments got a little annoying as well. The visual was nice because the camera hit mostly full body and traveled from the high-intensity model to the lower-intensity model during each move while Jillian explained what was going on and why. I loved that Jillian explained why some exercises were Level 3 and how they worked the muscles, and what was being accomplished etc. The music was a little annoying, too, but I was able to ignore it most of the time. I would've liked to see some different cool-downs because the warm-ups were different for each level.
Many of the exercises are high intensity and I felt a lot of them in my knees both during and after. Level 3 is really high intensity with plyometrics (explosive movements, i.e. jumping) like jump squats, rock stars, sumo squats, jumping jacks with weights, mountain climbers, jumping lunges. In the 10 days we did this level I was not able to do the entire session at the higher level intensity. My body got used to it and my knees aren't barking anymore but be warned. I had a shoulder that yelled at me the first few days I did Level 1 but it hasn't bothered me since. I really felt the squats and other intense moves in my rear-end. So much so that the only relief I got in Day 3 of Level 3 was to do Shred for the day. The ab workouts were mostly painful and did their job, covering every stinking muscle (according to my complaining abs anyway).
I loved, loved, loved that this is an intense 20 minute workout and it's a keeper. I can always put in 20 minutes. No excuses. I am going to give Jillian's Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD a shot. It's 40 minutes and I'd like to see the difference in results.
In honor of 23's soon departure to Chile, I thought I'd share this link with you.
I'm pretty sure she's safe from this horror though. She is packing her own roll of T.P. though.
I loved this film.
Why? Because I left the theater feeling encouraged. Blind Side shows that there is hope, even in the roughest of places, and that a different life is just a few choices away. And it manages to do it without uber-cheese and contrived emotional set-ups.
Michael spends his nights at the mercy of people, and if he finds no mercy he makes do. That's just what his life is, the hand he has been dealt. Leigh Anne is a wealthy electrically-charged wife, mother, business owner who doesn't listen to excuses or consider anything contrary to what she wants as a final answer.
When Leigh Anne finds Michael headed toward the high school gym on a night where there was no mercy available, she takes him home and into her family. Day by day, realization by realization, each of them are changed and their lives meld together.
There are tearful moments and ones filled with laughter and often both at the same time. The fact that this story is based on a true one makes it all the more uplifting.
Parents need to be aware of a little language and some rough scenes in Michael's old neighborhood.
Blind Side was so much better than I expected it to be and I had really high hopes.
(Part of me hesitates to post this just because I don't want to even think about it. But.)
Learn about effective ways to keep your children safe from harm and find out what you can do to help stop crimes against kids on Friday February 19th at 11-12 CST on Kitchen Chat.
Margaret McSweeney will interview Marc Klaas, father of Polly Klaas who was kidnapped and murdered in 1993. As a legacy to his daughter, Marc founded KlaasKids Foundation to help stop crimes against children. Please tune in to Kitchen Chat with Margaret McSweeney Friday at 11:00 am CST!
Let me share a bit about my alarm apprehension. I don't know why a black cloud of terror comes over me when I face a security alarm. Maybe it has to do with my not liking to be told what to do. Or maybe I've just not had great experience in this area. For a short period of time I worked in a huge house that was converted into a non-profit organization. I'd occasionally have to put on a program after everyone else had left for the day. My job required me to enter the dark building, head to the little beeping box on the wall and to punch in a code. I did set the alarm off once when I panicked and reversed numbers. And another time because, why, I don't remember. I talked to the very nice alarm guys more than those times as well when I called to report an oops.
I always felt this horrible anxiety drop over me the second I put the key in the keyhole and I'd rush to the box to silence it before bad things happened. But it's not like I ever had a Swat Team loosed on me.
So on my unfortunate Sunday morning. Without the benefit of coffee and with a time limit. I balked at the whole idea of the alarm.
Fortunately, the call to a shower and a toilet was stronger than my fear of setting off the alarm. 23 carefully explained that the red button was bad. Very bad. We must not push it. Then she went on to describe the other three buttons. Fortunately, three out of four were our friends. She gave us a pep talk, went over the magical colors and what they meant and sent us on our way. As she headed out the door, before it banged shut she turned. Fortunately. "Hey, here's the security code word in case something goes wrong."
Unfortunately, all sorts of visions danced through my head. Cold gun muzzles against my throat, tear gas gagging me and clouding my vision, me, weeping in a pile on the floor followed by fingerprinting, strip searches. Least of all was the realization that, unfortunately, I was riding in the car in pajamas that were tucked into my sweat pants, my hair was in an unruly smash-sided mess and my legs were unshaved. I didn't even stop to consider the shape of the elastic on my underwear.
Fortunately, we made it to the house without any mishaps that would require the exchange of information with unprepared motorists. Fortunately I remembered the instruction about the red button. We neared the door. I pressed white and then we unlocked the door. Beeping sounded from inside the quiet tomblike home. Unfortunately, that did not sound right. Shouldn't it have stopped. "Rob. It's beeping."
Unfortunately, he looked nervous. "She said it beeped when you shut it off. It's probably okay." I hit the white button again and braced. Surely it would stop. Right? Well. Technically. (But NOT fortunately.) It did. The friendly little "I'm here. Don't forget about me." beep disappeared. But it was replaced with it's big brother. The bellow. The "WHO ARE YOU?" screamed through the house.
UNFORTUNATELY.
Frantic and nervous displays of panic and energy followed as I went to the wall box and pushed the off button. Unfortunately that didn't stop it. Then. The. Phone. Rang. Unfortunately. The alarm company wondered if everything was okay. Fortunately, we could say, yes, yes it was. Unfortunately they didn't release us on our own merits. We needed proof. Fortunately, we had it. The last magic word 23 blurted when she second-guessed our ability to handle the security system.
So. No more danger of the Swat Team. And we finally figured out how to turn off the alarm. Fortunately. Showers. Check. Coffee. Check. Fortunately.
