Home Chapter One Our Vegan Lifestyle Likes Comment-Free

My 30 day shred.

Monday, June 8, 2009


This morning I worked out with Jillian Michaels (ya know, from the Biggest Loser) for the first time. You may, or may not have heard of The 30 Day Shred? I looked up the DVD. I read article reviews, I read blog reviews, I looked at before and after pictures of Shred heads (that's what we call ourselves, I guess. I might be jumping the gun on that one though). After not much thinking at all, I decided to take on the challenge. That's how I start most of my adventures though, on a whim. After being married for 3 years, having 2 kids, and suffering with a ridiculous stomach condition that went undiagnosed for years, I packed on the pounds. I mean, I REALLY packed on the pounds. I became unrecognizable to myself. None of my clothes fit. I was always tired. I didn't want to do anything except sit on the couch and feel sorry for myself (sound familiar? I know this must strike a chord with someone out there).

Just recently I started my weight loss journey. I've walked miles upon miles. I've jogged. I've sprinted (resulting in a badly sprained knee). I've ridden bikes for hours. I've changed my eating habits. And the result of it all? I've lost 3 or 4 pants sizes, and 44 pounds (all while eating chocolate and chips daily). Save your applause though, because I'm nowhere near done.

This morning I woke up, after a rough night might I add, and before even a sip of coffee, but after a glass of water (I'm still breastfeeding, water is more than essential), I put in The 30 Day Shred. The workout starts quicker than I anticipated, after only a minute or two of stretching. Jillian didn't waste any time getting me on the ground and into the push up position (oh god). The hardest part for me personally, was the jumping jacks and jump rope moves. I'm extremely busty, an H cup, and no sports bra in the world can hold me in place. It was uncomfortable, and I had to re-adjust about a billion times before we switched to a new move. The good thing is, Jillian transitions quickly between cardio, abs, and strength training. The cardio of course, seems to last the longest. It was much easier for me to do the punching in place, because it didn't involve bouncing. My toddler was upstairs still sleeping, and my 5 month old was next to me in his Jumperoo squealing with both delight and frustration, as Mommy danced around like a big goof, yet, failed to pick him up and clap every time he engaged a really high double leg kick. Before I knew it, the workout was over. I was drenched in sweat, yet, feeling kind of defeated. It was hard for me to keep up. I felt like I wasn't getting the most out of the workout, due to my lack of endurance. Fast forward 5 minutes to me walking over and picking up the baby, and... shred achieved. Jillian had apparently kicked my ass without me really even knowing it? When it came time to walk up the stairs to get Miss Elie out of bed (she was already wide awake by the way, and probably had been the entire time) I kept praying my knees wouldn't buckle. Falling down the stairs isn't how I wanted to begin my day. How, oh how, am I going to do this again tomorrow? The same way I get up at 3am to feed a hungry baby. The same way I cook an entire gluten free/citrus free/dairy free meal from scratch at the end of a long day. I'll do it because I have to.

My starting measurments in inches (ugh, I can't believe I'm posting these)...
-bust: 44
-bra Band: 36
-waist: 39
-hips: 44
-upper thigh: 23.5
-lower thigh: 19
-calf: 15.5
-upper arm: 12.5
-bicep flexed: 13

11 comments:

LeaKarts June 8, 2009 at 10:11 AM  

Awesome job! Congratulations on the weight you've lost, too. I am about 11 pounds in to my weight loss, transitioning from walking to jogging, and I've found lots of workout videos (including some by Jillian) are available for instant download on Netflix if you need some variety :) Keep up the good work!

Unknown June 8, 2009 at 10:23 AM  

Woot! Good for you, Tia! I keep meaning to get back into the work out video thing (I hate the gym and running, but like those work out videos). I might have lost my baby weight... but I'm still all stretchy skin and 0 tone. Boo. Perhaps I'll Belly Dance (my) Way to Fitness today. Or wait until the girls go down for bed and dance like a stripper a la Carmen Electra's videos :)

Michele June 8, 2009 at 11:03 AM  

Congrats on the weight you lost, I should buy this dvd starting to add a few and I really shouldn't be adding but losing, post was aspiring.

Michele June 8, 2009 at 11:04 AM  

Opps meant inspiring :).

Jessica Marie June 8, 2009 at 12:41 PM  

oh man.. i can't wait to see how you do with this! i have the 30 day shread dvds but.. i just can't get motivated to do it. :(

Maggie June 8, 2009 at 12:50 PM  

LeaKarts, thanks for the info on Netflix, I am off to see if any of them are available to watch on my Roku! THat would be so great to be able to sort of sample them before I commit.

Angela June 8, 2009 at 4:34 PM  

Good luck!

I got a Jillian Michael's DVD a couple of years ago...It just about killed me...then, she said "OK, now that we are finished with the warm-up..." I was like: "Hell NO!" (eject DVD)....so more power to you! I will be checking back with you. It sounds like you are off to a terrific start.

Amanda June 8, 2009 at 6:14 PM  

I'm inspired - I want to do this, I so need to get in shape. 30 min for 30 days? I can do that!

i cheated and got the videos on YouTube... did my first work out today.

SO NOT EASY!!! UGH! I hate her so much! :P I think I may have sworn at her ... a couple dozen times. "No breaks, get right into it" ... hahaha yeah right!!!!

And I have to do this again tomorrow??? I hope you know you'll be partly responsible for my death. :P

Tia Colleen June 8, 2009 at 6:38 PM  

LeaKarts- Thank you! And congratulations to YOU, 11 pounds is an awesome start.

ElegantSnobbery- Thanks lady! Oh pffft, you're so tiny, I don't know what you're talking about. Did you manage to get your workout in while the girls slept?

michele- Thank you! You SHOULD buy the dvd, and then you can call yourself a Shred Head too :)

Jessica Marie- I know, I can't wait to see how I do either. I'm determined to finish the 30 days. Maybe after I do, you'll be motivated too?

Angela- Thanks for the good luck wishes. I'm going to need it. I got down on the floor a few minutes ago to see if I could squeeze out another push up (girlie bent knee style) and OH it hurt. I think I can handle these level 1 workouts, but level 2... ugh.

Amanda- I'm so glad I inspired you!! And you already did it? WooHoo! I know, it totally sucked right? But don't you feel so good? Yes, you do have to do it again tomorrow. And so do I. And 30 days from now we'll be HOT cha cha!

Tiffany @ Lattes And Life June 9, 2009 at 8:01 AM  

Good for you! I watched my husband muck through the Shred, and got scared for my turn!!! I have quite a bit of work to do to even be able to Shred though....like, maybe, more Walk Away The Pounds :-)

The Unemployed Mom June 17, 2009 at 2:30 PM  

Congratulations to you! Do the best that you can w/ the shred. I have bad knees and sometimes have to modify how deep I can go into the squats and lunges. I've been shredding for 16 days and have lost a little over 5 lbs. I can feel myself getting stronger each and every day and best of all, my clothes are fitting so much better.

You can read more about my shred journey at The Unemployed Mom blog. Let's keep each other motivated!!!

Keep up the great work!
Jessica

The Unemployed Mom

Post a Comment