My thoughts on Jillian Michaels's 30 Day Shred

I am almost finished with Level 2 of the 30 day shred. This level is KILLER. Not because everything is terribly difficult, but because she puts so much emphasis on the same muscle groups for the whole time.

If you don't like planks...                                  or lunges 

THIS IS GONNA HURT!!!!
I don't want to scare you but seriously... all of Level 2 is lunge after plank. I'm not talking these simple poses I have in the blog today, I should have gone and gotten images of what Jillian is actually doing. I however did not, so let me just describe it to you.

The beginning of the workout is not too bad. You do some walkout pushups and squats where you pull the weights back and squeeze your shoulders. The cardio calls for a move called squat thrusts, which is a plank where you jump and pull your knees to your chest and push them back out again, remaining in plan position the whole time. Not terrible, but here's the start of them...

Circuit two is all about lunges, be prepared to do a static lunge (where you hold in lunge position for the whole time) and work your shoulders with hand weights again. The second move in this workout is the pendulum lunge with bicep curl. Cardio is extremely simple this time.

The third circuit is what really gets me. You begin with a military press and leg extension, really easy the first time around. Then, you move into chair squats with a v raise. I don't know if it's my double jointed elbows or what, but these suckers are hard for me! You bring your hand weights up to your eyes in an upside down v formation. Going back to the military press after that once is ridiculous, and my shoulders really do burn. OH wait. We're not going to give your shoulders a break there! Moving in to cardio you start with PLANK jacks. More shoulders!!!! You'll get a break for some jump roping, but then moving in to abs, you're going to do some plank twists. Woof. I shouldn't have to tell you, my shoulders KILL.

I'm training for a marathon!

I'm super excited for this one!! In October, I will be running my first ever marathon! I have run 2 half marathons, a 10K and too many 5Ks to count. For those of you who are not familiar a marathon is...

26.2 MILES!!!!!!!

Now before you freak, yes, I know this is a long ways. It is not however the longest race. I've read some running books from runners that have done ultra marathons. Go look them up, those are truly nuts! Some even up to 100 miles and above. THAT is some serious milage I will never touch.

But I'm excited, so that leave me to you. I challenge ALL of you to sign up for a "race" somewhere. It could be the Color Run or Glow Run, or something similar, where it's not really a race. But I encourage you all to do it, because signing up for a race gets you in the mood. Get you excited. Gives you something to work towards. A real goal.

So I'm going to leave you now, with my training schedule. Started today! Feel free to follow along with me. Heck, I would love to see you at the Des Moines Marathon with me!

Almost over?!?

The month is almost over?!? There is no way!!! Man we've been busy every weekend with something or another, and now the month is over! I really can't believe it. 

So in this month, I've gained a few things.

✅ muscles 💪🏻 in spots I didn't know I had the (thanks Jillian)

✅ the encouragement from a little lady who helps me with my workout each day

✅ pride- several people have mentioned their following my blog and it's helping them. Yay!!! Thanks I'm glad to hear it.

✅ confidence. Let's be honest here, really I'm a pretty confident person, but feeling great puts me to a whole other level. 

Getting excited for measurements and weigh I day. Going to make the last 5 days an awesome push!!!! Join me to make the end of June the best start possible to July!! (PS marathon training starts Monday!)

Borrow some inspiration!

I hate to admit it, but there are times when I feel like things aren't working. I'm not achieving my goals. I want to give up and just not care about what I'm doing any more. That is the moment I rely on some of my friends. For example...

Today I saw this amazing post on Facebook!

Here's Jen's story:

 Just a little over 10weeks ago I made the decision to join Farrells extreme body shaping. 💪(awesome choice)

For me, being healthy and active is extremely important. I personally want to be a role model for our family & be the best I can for them. When I'm healthy and fit, I'm a better overall person. 

I am in disbelief to share that I was chosen as one of the winners this past weekend and still cannot believe it. 😳 I feel that my daily routine of taking my Its Vital Nutrition pack & greens/Profit shake every morning ENHANCED my results. It Works has not replaced my hard work, it's been the best enhancer!! 

Along with the above mentioned I used 1 box of wraps to keep my skin tightened, toned and firm while losing just over 16lbs and 14.5 inches in 10weeks.

I also saw another friend who said they'd love nearly 15 pounds on a weight loss journey since May 22nd!! There are so many people out there with motivating me, but then I come back to myself. I've been where I want to be physically. My only goal at this point is to get back there :)

Thank you for the amazing people placed in my world at just the right times to encourage me to continue! You are all rockstars and such inspirations, keep on a rocking'!!!!

Goals

I was thinking about my goals today. I have to set goals, and honestly you should as well. With specific goals we are able to have something to reach for.

Goals should be SMART

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relavent
Time-Bound

I was thinking I would love to be my pre baby weight by the end of the summer. I was like, yeah right, that's not possible. Then I thought, that's 30 pounds, 10 pounds a month. Actually, that's not that bad and might be attainable. I, however, am a very realistic person. My goal is 1.5 pounds per week. So far I'm right on track!

Then there is something I want to tell you about making weight goals. They should not be everything!!! I found when I loose weight, having that weight goal in mind helps keep me on track. I'm not going to loose sleep over if I didn't make my weight goal, especially if I'm seeing changes in the way my clothes fit. After my first week of Jillian, I actually gained a little bit, but now that I've built up some muscle I'm burning more calories. It'll shed the fat and the pounds right along with it.

Happy Goal Setting!!! :)

Done with day 10!!

This one is going to be a quick tonight. I just had to post this one out there. 

I FINISHED DAY 10 OF JILLIAN TODAY!!! 

ourimgs.com

So I'm giving myself a gold star! 

Pretty much, I'm excited to not have to do those anterior raises with a side lunge. Before you ask, no, I never got good at them. Never, ever. This was the hardest exercise I've done, and now I'm done with them!! Maybe, just for fun I'll still do them for a while. 

Eat! You can't live without it.

Nom nom nom! 

Ok for real, though. I heard it quite a few times this weekend. People don't eat regular meals. Sounds like some eat occasionally, skip meals, or eat crap for meals. Oh my goodness!! I wish I had time to go look up all the studies for why it is important, but I don't so you'll get me. :)

Eating regular meals keeps your metabolism running. When you skip meals it does crazy things to your body. Your blood sugar levels plummet, you are more tired, and your metabolism slows down to take care of the little nutrients it is getting. There's more past that, but you can Google it on your own. There is a ton of information out there! I know, it can get hard to plan meals with lives as busy as ours, but your body will be thanking you. 

Just working out doesn't cut it.

I finally keyed into something while doing Jillian today. She was talking about only getting out of the workout what you put in it. Then I caught myself, I could push harder. Yeah, I was doing the moves and working out kind of hard, but I could have gone harder. 

So I did! I ramped up the intensity and had the sweatiest, toughest, most invigorating workout yet! Also Kaylee is getting so much better about being patient during my workouts. She's employed Charlie as her official playmate during Momma's workouts. 

I'm almost done with Workout 1 of Jillian's 30 days. I'm really ready to be done with this set, I'm kind of getting bored. I chose to go on a run last night rather than do Jillian, but I'll make up the day. I'm still going to do 10 days of each workout, even if it gets broken up. 

The scale is not my best friend. Or yours!

CONFESSION: I really watch the scale way too much! I don't know why, and it's a hard thing not to watch, but I'm doing my best.

I used to weigh myself on a daily basis, and it was killer for a while. It discourages me, and frustrates me, but still a habit. I'm still not perfect, but I'm down to once a week.

So today when I weighed myself I was discouraged for a moment... but only one! I had gained a few tenths of a pound. What?! I'm doing all this work, why have I not lost weight yet?? Then I remembered, I'm feeling stronger, my pants are less tight than they were last week. That is my body gaining muscle and losing fat. I will take that over whatever the scale says any day!!

Well, that was productive!

So, it is now 2:58pm, and Kaylee is going to be getting up from her nap shortly. I have to say, I have so much energy today!! I've been working out consistently and eating healthier for the past 10 days now. I've been taking my Thermofit twice a day, and my Greens once a day. I feel AMAZING!

Here is my to-do list today!

I'm working on that blog post as I type, math groups will get done this evening, after Kaylee goes to bed, and so far so good on the eating healthy today. :)

In addition to that list I've:

• finished a few loads of dishes
• watered some flowers
• played with a toddler
• made breakfast and lunch,
• submitted a TQ project request (summer teaching project)

I feel like one accomplished momma today!! 

Lunch today was delicious! I found my Quorn Chick'n at Wal-mart, and I'm so freaking happy about it!! They are one of my favorite meat substitutes, and until now, I haven't been able to get them, where we currently live. I usually picked them up in Ames, when we were in town, so I didn't get them often. Now, I can have them whenever I want them. Plus, they're super cheap here too!

In my salad I put: 

• a chick'n cutlet
• strawberries
• romain lettuce mix
• cheddar cheese (a big pinch, not a ton)
• sunflower kernels 
• almond slices
• dried cranberries

For dressing, I used a Raspberry Vinaigrette. I put it in a cup, dip my fork in it before each bite, and only use that amount of dressing. Makes my dressing last forever, I don't eat near as many calories, and I get the dressing taste in every bite!

Sometimes you just want a s'more...

I had a sixth grader this year write her narrative piece about how much she loved s'mores. She had such descriptive writing, you could smell the aroma and taste the deliciousness of the s'more she was describing. I may not have quite the level of s'more love dedication this young gal does, but I'd like to consider myself a s'more connoisseur. For example, I know that those new stacker marshmallows really aren't great on their own, but if you roast two of them, and make your s'more graham cracker, marshmallow, chocolate, marshmallow, and then graham cracker, you will have one amazing concoction.

So, I have to be honest, I can really eat s'mores. I'm not going to give you a number here, but lets just say I could eat my lunch and dinner as s'mores, nothing else, and be perfectly happy. Doing some crazy rounding, we'll say a s'more has approximately 200 calories in it. Those can really start to add up when you've eaten 3 in 5 minutes, and are ready to make some more.

I HAVE FOUND A SUPER SECRET!! 

I love all of my It Works! products, and each has their own benefit, but the best one for this situation is the Fat Fighter. It is like a blessing in pill form, because sometimes I really just don't have, or don't want to have, the willpower to say "no" to my favorite snack. Fat Fighters allow me the freedom to do that!! 

Whew... it's hot and humid out there!

I enjoy getting outside and doing outdoor activities. This has helped me have a healthier lifestyle, really just being outside. I am 90% more likely to be active outside than I am inside. However, in Iowa, the summer can get incredibly hot and humid. While this doesn't deter me from going outside, it does make me take a few precautions. 

GOOD TIMING. If I want to go on a run, walk, or any other physical activity outside really, I generally do this in early-mid morning or evenings. It is usually as cool as it's going to be at this point, and the sun isn't beating down as hard. 

SHADE. If I'm going outside with Kaylee, I always do my best to find a park or shaded area for her to play. The park near us is pretty shaded, and it's wonderful! If it's hot in our yard, I take Kaylee to the park where it is cooler and we're not in as much direct sunlight.

WATER. We have to have it. It is probably the easiest, best thing I can do for myself. I just always have a bottle of water in my hand or near by. I'd rather be over prepared than have a thirsty, whiny baby, or be thirsty myself. That guy looks like he could use some!! -------->

KNOW WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. We had one of those moments this weekend. We were walking in shade, we had plenty of water, but we decided to go out frisbee golfing around noon yesterday. We love to frisbee golf, but it gets to a point where you're sweating like crazy, you've gone through a bunch of your water, and really you're just not having a good time. We got through 4 holes of 18, and wanted to finish, but we knew it was just too hot for everyone and we decided to pack it in.

Following these simple guidelines can help you enjoy your active, outside activities as well this summer! :)

Killer Move- Side Lunge and Shoulder Raises

Or, at least, that's what I think it's called. I don't really honestly know what it's called, but I do know I SUCK at them!

Today was day 5 of my 30 Day Shred and I thought maybe I'd take a break today, but I'm not sure what I what I'm going to do about breaks yet. Anyway, all of the moves have been getting easier except this one! It is killer! 

It is a side lunge, I'm still with Anita on this one right now, where you raise your weight up to your eyes, at the lowest part of your lunge. Then you come back up and go the opposite direction. I'm doing this with 5lb weights right now and I thought I would be ok. Well, that is not always the case. I push myself really hard on these ones, and even then usually find myself not in form by the end or skipping one. 

Look at Jillian's face! Even she knows it's hard work!! 

Anyway, other than that, my challenge is going pretty good so far! I'm keeping within my nutrition goals, mostly on my exercise goals. I'd like to be doing a bit more running, but marathon training starts soon, and I don't want to burn myself out. :)

Road Trip Tips

Ok, seriously, I can be the worst road trip snacker!! I have the thoughts, "Oh, we're on a road trip, I'm only going to be able to eat fast food and gas station food." Then I buy whatever sounds good, and way too much of it! For example, it would not be out of reach to say you could catch me walking out of a gas station with a soda, a bag of chips, something sweet, and a water. That would be my meal, and because none of this really satisfies my hunger for long, you'll catch me 3 hours later, doing the same thing. Sound familiar? Ok, now let me give you some tips I've learned to be a more conscious road trip snacker. Here are my top 3 tips:

Tip 1: Ditch the fast food. 

Yes, it's fast. Yes, it's easy. Yes, everyone in the car wants it. No, you don't have to get out of the car to get it. Don't give in to that temptation! You're more likely to eat half your day's calorie need going down that road, than you are to chose the smart choices they have available. Are you great at eating the decent food at these places? Awesome, then I'm not helping you out here. I'm helping the person behind you who is not so great at it. Stopping at a gas station gives you more options, you have time to think about your decisions, and let's be honest, you've been wanting to stretch your legs anyway. This gives everyone the chance to get a break from the car.

Tip 2: Find the right gas station. 

In the midwest I've found my best options are a Casey's gas station or Hy-Vee gas. These two usually have fresh fruit, cheese sticks, veggie packs, and other healthier options. Yes, I have come across one now and again that really lets me down, but that brings me to my next helpful bit for finding the right gas station. Generally, the bigger the gas station the better. If they are big they are more likely to have a wide array of choices. If they are small, they have to be more picky about what options they provide. Unfortunately, in the most small gas stations I've seen, my options are the bag of chips, candy bar, and soda. Also, finding a gas station that is associated with, and in the vicinity of, a grocery store will give you the best chances of finding truly fresh produce. Walmart/Murphy USA, sorry, not included here.

Tip 3: Actually choose the better options!

So many times I go into the gas station with the best intentions, and once I get in there I'm tempted to grab the things I want, and not the healthy options. It can be hard, but stick to your guns. Especially if you have kids! You want to set a good example for them. Show them how to choose the things that would be better for them to eat. Also, be good to yourself! Honestly, I feel like crap after eating junk for a weekend. You didn't go to the fast food restaurant next door, you chose the right gas station, don't ruin it just by grabbing the junk. 

Ok, don't get me wrong. There are times I do enjoy indulging, and I do. But, if you are saying to yourself every time you walk into the gas station I'm going to indulge today, then you probably need to evaluate your idea on that one. 

Happy snacking :)

Photo credit: Justin Crotty

My Favorite Wellness App

Ok for today, I have to tell you about my favorite wellness app. It's MyFitnessPal. I track my calories, water intake, exercise, and record my measurements here as well. Here are my pros and cons:


Pros:
-I can scan barcodes and it enters the calories for me
-I can add my own recipes, so I scan the ingredients once, enter the number of servings and it calculates the calories per serving for me
-I can search for foods if I don't have the barcode
-I eat a lot of the same foods, and I can copy them from the day before, making it super easy to log
-It calculates the ESTIMATED calorie burn for me, if I know based off my HRM (heart rate monitor) I can edit it.
-There is a large network of people you can talk to, to encourage you as well
-There is a computer version if you hate apps
-It gives me tips and notes about when a food is especially good for me
-SO easy to use!!!!
-It will send reminders to log your meals if you program it.
-Gives you a daily calorie need based on how active your lifestyle is
-Encourages you when you're doing well!


Cons: 
-Sometimes I really just don't feel like entering the information
-Can become time consuming if I have to enter a ton of ingredients every time
-Calories burned is only an estimate
-I can easily forget to log sometimes
-Some people enter incorrect information
-I come to rely on it so much sometimes that I freak out a little when I can't find a food, like random foods I grab from random cafes. ;)

Now go add me so we can encourage each other!!! My name is aereiners
www.myfitnesspal.com

Workout Plan

Today I started day one of Jillian Michaels's 30 Day Shred. I've done this workout before and really enjoy the moves. It's super easy. 28 minutes, including a warm up and stretching. Don't use your kids as an excuse either!! Kaylee was in the same room as me, and even wanted to jump around when I was doing jumping jacks. Get in a  room where the kids can be with you, put on a workout video (I use my laptop to play the DVD) and get it done!!!!

Post 1- Welcome!

Hey all! Welcome to my blogger for my summer challenge. My goal is to use this blog every week day, and as many weekends as I can, to show you what I'm doing this summer. I am going to get in GREAT shape, feel good, and look even better after this summer is over.

Please feel free to join me!! I'll post what I'm eating, what exercises I'm doing, and everything else in between. You'll see, sometimes I will struggle, we all do, we're human, but you'll also see how I bounce back from those struggle times.

My BIGGEST drawback is how I eat. I LOVE sweets and would eat them all day if I could. Completely knocking them out of my diet will never be an option for me. If I tried that I would lose weight initially, but when I cracked, I'd gain all of it back and probably some more!! So that is not something that will work for me. Instead I am going to do my best to control those sweets I do eat.

 Results Page
This is a page I will update on July 2nd, August 2nd, and September 2nd. It contains my results pictures, weight, and measurements.

Ok so I do have one tip for the day. Take everything one day at a time. Had a bad day? Not all is lost... tomorrow is a new day and it's ready for you to take the opportunity! You'll discover, if you take each day one at a time, you'll start to get in a mentality. A mentality that you can do this, you can do whatever you want to do. Wake up in the morning and say, I've got this. Today is my day. Doing that every day will lead to success, not only in the health and fitness aspect of life, but in every other.

Love you! Thanks for following :)