Added some P90X into the Shred.....

I'm still doing the Shred but have been wanting to do a bit more for my abs, so my Husband suggested his P90X DVD's.  Now remember, the last time I tried P90X I was close to upchucking and was sick for the rest of the day, so I was pretty hesitant to try it again, but I did.....


The Abs workout is 20 minutes long with no resting.  It goes from one move (25reps) to the next.  I have to admit, I held my food down okay, but couldn't quite keep up the whole way through.  I didn't do the last 5 minutes worth of side-sit-ups because my back is still a bit messed up, but I can tell I'm going to be sore tomorrow.  


I did Level 1 today with 5lbs, and following Natalie (the more advanced one), and using the weights during the Punching.  Level 1 is still a great workout, so if you feel like you're not ready to advance to the next level, stick with Level 1 for awhile.  =)


I'm going to purchase on of JM's other workout DVD's....possible the Cardio one.  Has anyone else tried one of JM's other DVD's.  If so, which ones do you like, dislike etc? 

Level 3.......

Well, I'm sorry to say I took a couple days off.   I pulled something in my upper back/shoulder area that was very painful but luckily it only took 3 days to feel relatively normal again.  I got up to day 23.  =(
I really wanted to say that I got through the whole 30 days, but oh well.  

As soon as I felt better I went straight to Level 3.  I had a hard time with the push-up movements because of my back and shoulder but I got through it okay.  Man, those jumping moves though, whew.....that takes a lot of strength to really do it right.

I haven't really heard from everyone else lately.  What day are you on?  Have you taken some days off?

Day 21........

Today I felt pretty darn good with Level 2.  I think I'm going to do 2 more days of Level 2, and then move on to the dreaded Level 3.  I also am using my 5-lbs weights through the whole 20 minutes, with one exception....those V-raises....those suckers are hard!! I still haver to use my 2-lbs for those.  


P.S.  Have you all ever tried Fresh&Easy's Power House Protein Drink??  Sooo yummy.  I drink it after my 20 min Shred.  Its a total of 420 calories, but its packed with good stuff and taste delicious!!  



2 Questions for all my Shredders.......
What day are you on?  
Have you noticed any results?   

Got Water Weight?? ..................Day 17

I read an interesting article about bloating and water weight so I thought I'd share the facts and give this theory a try.  I don't know about the rest of you but I always feel my thinnest when my tummy feels flat and tight.  This however isn't always the case whether its during my, "monthly gift" or because I had a little too much pasta the night before.  What seems to solidify my current bloat is when my loving 2 year old Jackson, asks with happy glee, if I have a baby in my tummy.  No my Dear, I reply, thinking that this extra bit of blub has been there ever since I carried his skinny butt for 9 whole months!

Anyways, back to the bloat.  So the theory is.......you can loose a bit more water weight by doing these extra few tricks.  You may also notice 1-2 pounds lost, but keep in mind, this is temporary.  You will most definitely gain this water weight back, but if you need to fit in that special outfit or you're headed to the beach and want to look your best, this is a good temporary fix.

Also, for safety precautions, pay attention to what your body is telling you.  Remember the goal is to sweat out the excess fluids but if you feel over heated or extrememly exhausted,  DON'T PUSH YOURSELF!!  No amount of weight loss is worth a trip to the hospital!!

Okay, so here we go......


Neoprene Waist Belts:  These are great.  You can find these at a sporting goods store.  They are made of a stretchy rubber material and wrap around your waist with a velcro strap.  You can wrap it as loose or tight as you feel comfortable.
     I actually already had one of these because I wore it the day after I gave birth to help me gain my stomach muscles back and to hold in all that blub.  I wore it almost everyday for a month and it really helped me tighten up my waist.  (A good trick for new Mommies.)
     You can wear the belt during your usual exercise as well as the rest of the day, when you sleep, etc.  I would wipe it down after your exercise because it does cause extra sweating, but you can easily wipe it down with a rag.  I have to warn you that it does have a slight rubbery smell give yourself an extra squirt of your favorite body spray.  ;)
      I purchased mine at amazon.  They had the best price!!  You don't have to get anything fancy.  If you're a narrow waisted, go for the ones that you can freely wrap as tight as you need.  And if you need this thing today and your desperate....go for the saran wrap (and please take pictures so we can all see j/k)!!

Limiting you Fluids and Salt Intake:  Now I don't believe in depriving yourself of water.  The last thing you want is to become dehydrated, and strangely enough, not drinking enough water can cause your body to go into panic mode, storing what little water you do drink.  Just be aware of your choices.  Obviously soda is not a good choice.  Even diet sodas....they may be low in calories but they are high in sodium.

Bananas: Potassium is great for helping your body correct water imbalances, but don't take this to an extreme.  Too much of anything isn't good.


Grab your favorite pair of Sweat Pants:  Now this sounds easy but wearing head-to-toe sweats while working out is a killer!  You'll notice that your usual fitness routine that was relatively easy, is going to kick your butt!!  You're going to sweat your brains out.  Today I wore sweats during my Level 2 Shred and weighed myself before and after.  I lost 1.5 pounds of sweat!  Now I was soaked, but 1.5 pounds???
While doing the Shred, I was thinking that this would be a great way to increase the level of difficulty in any exercise, whether you're trying to loose water weight or not.

So there it is ladies.  If you decide to give this a try, post your experience so that we can all read it.  =)
Have fun sweating!!!

Wash My Hair Everyday??

    I don't know about you, but prior to my Shred days, I washed my hair every other day to keep it from getting too dry and brittle at the ends.  But now, doing the Shred everyday, there is no way I can skip this chore. 

At the end of my 20 minute shred I'm feel like a standing in a haze of my own sweat and stink.  I suddenly realize how Pepe Le Pew must have felt all these years.  I wave good-bye to my kids and make a quick Bee-line to the shower.  My boys inevitably follow me and ask why I'm all wet, like I've had an accident.  It's sweat from my exercise, I tell them.  

I literally have to peel the soggy clothes off of me....which leads me to now realize why I've had so much more laundry lately.  Hmmmm.  Anyways, I'm so sweaty that I cannot escape washing my hair everyday.  I've noticed that my ends have become extra dry and stringy.  

I've always loved the smell and feel of baby products.  I use Johnson's Lotion everyday and LOVE it!!!  So I thought I'd try the shampoo to gently wash away the sweat without stripping my hair of all those natural oils that make it feel silky.  

Baby shampoos are Sulfate-Free which is what makes it gentle to use on babies.  The downside to using it, is that it doesn't cleanse as well as your normal shampoo which contains a stronger detergent.  I still use my normal shampoo but I use it every three days now, while washing with the baby shampoo in between.  I've seen a big difference in my hair.    

****Also keep in mind, that if you use a lot of hair products (ie hair spray, gel, goop-of-some-sort), you probably need the stronger detergents to wash away that build-up.  

Let me know if you've experienced the same thing, what you've done, and/or if the Baby Shampoo helped.  Thanks!  =) 

P.S. Please post your hair comments on this "Wash My Hair Everyday" post so that we can all read, share and compare each other's hair dilemmas.  

Day 10,11,12...

I knew I was going to have a long weekend and wondered how/if I was going to fit the Shred in, but I was determined to do it.  Friday and Saturday I was helping my parents have a Garage Sale, so I knew if I didn't wake up early, it wouldn't happen.  So yes, 5am rolled around a little too soon, but the Shred got done!!

I have to admit, I cheated a little by doing Level 1 both days, because I didn't want to be exhausted during the long day of dragging out dusty furniture and wheeling and dealing the locals, but it is still a great workout.  Level 2 definitely takes more strength and stamina and it also works different parts of your body.  So if you know you're going to have a long, rough day and want to take it easy, I would suggest doing Level 1......you'll still get a worthy work-out.

Sunday (day 12) I went back to Level 2 and it was a killer!

Day 9......A family Affair...........

So I finally convinced my Husband Justin to try the Shred along with me.  Remember this is the guy that runs consistently, and has accomplished many half and full marathons.  He wanted to do Level 3, but I was convinced Level 2 would do the trick.

Using my 8LBS weights, he kept up pretty well, but half way through, his skinny butt was sweating more than me.  I don't know why Jillian doesn't have men in her video.  I wonder if a lot of men shy away from it, thinking its a total chick workout.  Obviously its just as effective for men.

So my question for the day is........Has your Husband, boyfriend, guy-friend, brother, male cousin, or grandpa tried The Shred yet?  And secondly, how'd they like it?  (Lets see if I can get my Hubs to comment, hehe....love you babe!)

Beware Level 2......

Day 8:  Why oh why did I decide to move on to level 2!!??

This morning I wasn't sore, so I thought maybe I should move on to level 2....What was I thinking??

The "cool downs" are NOT cool downs.  I was out of breath the whole time, sweating profusely, cramping up, couldn't keep up with the new moves, feeling my lunch resurface.  My knees were actually sweating.  I didn't know knees could sweat.  Jillian moves your body in a whole different way on level 2. There are these "plank" moves that make your backside giggle like it's never giggled before. I advise you have your hubby or boyfriend leave the house during this time. Near the end of the video Jillian says, "You should feel like you're going to die", and all I could think was, "Oh yeah, I'm there.".

So I warn you.....if you are thinking of moving on......think again.  Give Level 1 at least 10-12 days.

P.S. I'm terrified of Level 3.    

Day 7....

Yay, my first week completed!! This morning I woke up and wasn't sore at all which was surprising.  I can only assume that I'm getting stronger, so this morning I followed Natalie's lead.  She's the dark beauty to Jill's right that goes faster, bends down lower, etc.  It was definitely tougher, but if I'm still not sore tomorrow, I may just switch to Level 2 and/or get heavier weights. 

Official Weight/Measure Loss.  (remember I'm only giving the results......)


Weight Loss: --------->2LBS
Arms: ------->Same (this is an area I'm hoping gets bigger with muscle)
Thighs: ------------>lost 1/2 inch
Stomach: ----------->1 1/2  inches (my favorite area to loose inches) =)
Hips: ----------->lost 1/4 of an inch


Overall, my pants aren't quite as tight as the week prior, which is the best result for me.  

Don't get discouraged if the scale isn't giving you the results you want.  Remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so you could loose a lot of your fat, and gain muscle, and the scale might be higher than what it was a week ago......of course this depends on how much fat you're loosing.  The more you have, the more you'll loose.  


P.S. I'm eager to hear any other results.  I'd say that getting a tape measure would be a great way to see results.  You can pick these up cheap at Walmart, $1 stores, or Michaels Craft store.  

Check out this motivating story....

This is about Kristen from Shredheads.  She was your typical Mom of 3 with limited time.  She started with 30 Day Shred and lost 12 pounds in one month.  She later added kickboxing, Cardio Max and Yoga, along with sensible eating and increased water intake. These pictures are in a 4 month time period, starting in March and ending in June.  She is now a size 6!!  Look at how confident she is in the second picture compared to the first.  Pretty amazing!! 

Copy and paste this link to hear her full story and to see her before and after photos!!           http://www.theshredheads.com/2009/05/about-kristen-chase.html

30 Day Shred Before and After Results!

Day 6......

Definitely easier today.  Tomorrow is my weigh/measuring day to see if there has been any changes.
Wish me luck.  =)

Day 10 I'll be starting Level 2.  I figure every 10 days I'll switch it up to the next level, and then eventually use heavier weights as I go.

Can you believe Pam is on day 117??  What a trooper!!  (refer to her comment)

Day-5 (Oct.17)

Finally, felt better today.  I can really start to see a difference in my stamina.  I still struggle with those push-ups and end up plopping on the floor in between sets, which leaves me to wonder.......What is the hardest part for you?  And what size weights are you using?

Also, I have a problem with doing it early in the morning.....usually I'm starving right when I wake up but if I eat the wrong thing; too heavy, too liquidy, I always feel the need to puke half way through the video.  Today I grabbed a handful of Shredded Wheat Cereal (yes, with the frosting) and felt great.  It filled my tummy just enough to get through the twenty minutes.  However my body seemed to burn right through it so I had to eat again afterwards.

"It's not IF, it's WHEN!!"

Woke up kinda' late this morning so I thought, well maybe I'll skip today because I don't want to miss church (9am), and definitely don't want to take 2 showers, but changed my mind.  I figure if I wake up thinking, not IF I'm going to do it, but WHEN I'm going to do it, it turns into a must.  Lets face it ladies, even when we have a busy day, if we hear of a sale at Old Navy, Nordstrom, Macy's (whatever fits your pleasure) we fit it into our schedules.....even if that means skipping lunch.

So Jillian Michaels first, and then off to the second service.

BTW......

I would appreciate any comments about your own experience and/or results.  We all have different bodies and struggles and may relate to one more than another.  The point is to read and know that we're all doing it together.   Thanks, Jennelle  =)

Day 1,2,3,4.

Day-1: (Oct. 13)

Harder than I thought but way easier than P90X, which almost made me vomit and left me feeling sick for half a day. I was definitely sweaty and had a hard time keeping up at some (strength training) points, but generally easy to follow. Felt an extra burst of energy during the day, despite some lack of sleep last night. Need to purchase lighter weights….used my one and only pair of 8-lbs, and couldn’t keep up.  I read another blog where the lady used 2 cans of beans, so whatever works. =)

Day-2: (Oct.14) 

My WHOLE body was sore from yesterday so I struggled through today, added with a slight headache, but still finished. Instead of using both 8lbs weights, I used one and modified the strength training to fit the single weight. Will pick up some 2 or 3-lbs tomorrow. 

During the "jump roping" I alternate legs to save the disgrace of my pesky bladder.  Pretty sweaty again today. Happy I got through it. Determined to do this every morning I possibly can. =)

Day-3: (Oct.15) 

Had more strength on the push-ups but felt like I was going to vomit a few times. Possibly because I finally got the 2-lbs weights and was able to use the weights throughout the whole 20mins....what a change! Still finished. I'm tempted to measure and weigh myself, but its only day 3 and I think I'm jumping way ahead of myself.

Day-4: (Oct.16) 

Felt better today; stronger. My energy throughout the day, has kicked up a notch too. The 20 minutes seems to be getting shorter an easier although I still don’t feel ready to move on to Level 2. Couldn’t resist weighting myself yesterday. Gained 1-lbs, which could be more muscle or just water weight. My stomach seems flatter and I haven’t been craving as much snacky food lately. Whether it’s because of Jillian, or it’s all in my mind, I’ll take it. =)

The Beginning to JM's 30 Day Shred......

   So our pastor Chuck and his amazing wife Pam started Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred quite awhile ago and I've seen tremendous results on them both.  I myself try to get to the gym as much as I possibly can, but am constantly wondering what do next, different, right, wrong etc, to get the best results.  Plus my boys and I constantly seem to bring home some lovely virus/bacteria that leaves us out of commission for a couple weeks.  This 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off schedule has always left me feeling defeated.

   When I heard that 30 day Shred was only 20 minutes and produced significant results, I figured I could fit that into my every day.  My goal is for all us ladies to do this challenge together and keep each other motivated and well as accountable.

   I started the first day weighing myself (naked) and measuring my stomach, hips/butt, thigh, and arm at the largest (most bulging) part (no sucking in ladies). These numbers are for OUR EYES ONLY!!  I've chosen not to list my personal numbers, but ONLY the results.  This isn't about comparing our body parts, this blog is about posting our results, our experience and uplifting each other in a positive way.

   So good luck and kick butt!!