Now that I've been doing the 30 Day Shred DVD for about 3 weeks I wanted to check in with everyone and let you know how it was going. And holy shit it is going. The first few days I felt really sore. Granted for the 2 weeks before starting it I was almost completely sedentary, but I play soccer and go running on a regular basis so I thought I was in better shape than I was. The DVD kicked my ass, big time. So many muscles hurt that first week, although mainly ones in my upper body. I will be the first person to admit that my upper body is extremely lacking in strength, so clearly this workout has been targeting an area that doesn't get a lot of attention from me (because really, in soccer do you need your arms?). I've talked to a few other people since then about doing the DVD and everyone agrees that you will be sore, everywhere. But I like to think of it like the SNL skit. "Clinique calls that burning, but we say that means it's working."
Now that I've passed through workout level one into level two I can definitely see a huge difference in my body, endurance, and strength. Whenever I lose weight I'm always amazed at how much by body changes. I exercise to try to be healthy. Being in shape for soccer is important for me, and so is keeping my cholesterol low and having a healthy heart. On my dad's side of the family people also tend to be obese and both of my grandmothers have type 2 diabetes. Considering my intense love of food I'd like to prevent that all from happening. So to me, having a good diet and exercise plan is about a healthy lifestyle, not being waif-like. But then I work out and fat disappears and I always think, "wow, I had fat that I needed to get rid of?" Considering I had already lost some weight last year due to a major shift in Nick and my's diet, I think it is a huge testament to this DVD that it still burned off what was left. My arm flab is about half of what it was, my legs are thinner, my butt is smaller, and my tummy pudge (you know that little bit that every woman has and HATES) is almost completely gone. That being said, I'm not sure if I've actually lost weight because I have not weighed myself and I know I am stronger (I can lift things more easily, my knees don't feel as strained with I am kneeling, and there's more oomf when I do things in soccer), so I may have gained some muscle weight. But the bottom line is I'm trimming down.
I'd like to also point out that Nick and I have been eating healthier as well. What's the point of doing a DVD to lose weight if you're not going to really try to lose weight? For me, this just means don't buy junkfood. No extra trips to The Counter and stay away from chocolate, cheese puffs, and cupcakes. I cheat every once in awhile, because I'm a human being, and I really do love food, but we've started buying more fruit and trail mix as snacks in addition to nut bread instead of potato bread.
And this DVD isn't just for women! Nick has been attempting to do the DVD as well and in the 10 days he's done it, he's seen results too (even I noticed them which NEVER happens because sometimes I am pretty oblivious). The first week we did it together every day (since then Nick has visited 5 different cities for work all over the country in the last 10 business days). Our schedules have been pretty opposite these days and we've barely had any time to spend together besides catching up on various Netflix things, so I know I really appreciated having some time with just the two of us. Granted we are sweating our assess off and grunting doing something a lot less pleasurable than that other thing couples like that involves sweating and grunting, but we do manage to have fun doing this too. If anything, we're united in our extreme hatred for Jillian telling us how tough the DVD is, how we should keep going, and how we're going to be better for it. Yes Jillian, we get it. We want to die and yet you are perky and happy pointing at us and laughing. Damn you.
At this point I'm on day 18 (in truth I should be further along, but I have cheated and skipped days. I do play 1 1/2 hours of soccer 2-3 times a week, and sometimes I am too sore game day or the day after to have another intense workout on my leg muscles. But I have done the DVD the morning of a game because I feel guilty about skipping and once that initial soreness from the first week wore off it hasn't affected my ability to play). Considering I just wanted to fit into my jeans again (which probably meant losing 2-3 pounds) and my whole body has slimmed down, I'm pretty happy with the results and kind of want to stop. I'm also super ADD and doing something for 30 days straight is extremely boring for me. Sometimes I day dream about what outfit I should wear, the things I need to get done, or how I'd much rather be outside running with Charlie to increase my endurance on the soccer field. Without Nick to do this DVD with, I'm losing my motivation pretty quickly. If I wasn't so obsessed with how strong I am getting, I think I might stop the DVD. But being strong is kind of a novelty for me so I've kept going.
While I may not be strong enough to carry a TV or move our coffee table for the carpet cleaners by myself, little things like lifting Charlie or a dining room chair is no longer hugely taxing. And like I said, that's a big deal for me. At one point in one of the workouts Jillian says something like, "when your body is stronger you notice that it translates to the rest of your life as well." As a student psychologist that always makes me stop and think about whether or not that's actually true...Maybe I am a little bit more confident in myself because I can lift a bowling ball more easily and my ankles don't give out as much as they used to when I run. So maybe I amend what I said earlier about Jillian. Jillian, I do still kind of want to smack that perky smile off your face, but thank you for making me stronger.
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