Progress: Month of 30DS level one

I am posting pictures because I am pretty impressed with what the 30DS did for me. I did level one for a month and this is the results I got. I didn't even diet! (I tried so hard, I decided to give up. I need to eat more calories on days I work out otherwise my milk supply drops)
I weighed 109lbs in these pictures.
Taken Oct 13, 2011

I lifted up where my skin sagged. Once my skin goes back to normal hopfully I will look like this. If it ever does go back to normal :/

Day 22

I am still not dieting...
Ok, so I have a binge eating problem. There, I said it. The past couple of days I would eat over the amount of calories I wanted to eat, and feeling useless, I decided it didn't matter how many calories I ate since I already failed. Thus leading to about 3000 calories per day (Did I mention I would go out and buy ice cream every night?)
So I feel like it is pointless making this blog. The viewers, and myself, will not get to see how wonderful the 30DS is when you are dieting (which is what is suggested you do). So technically, I am going to start the count down over.

My new meal plan: writing out WHEN I will eat and WHAT I will eat and having it in the kitchen. Granted, I have a baby and the times I can eat will change, but I will never eat before the time I wrote for each snack/meal. Hopefully this will prevent me from binge eating and going off the deep end.

As for level 2 of the 30DS
I felt so useless during the whole work out. I could not keep up at all. I have to give Jillian lots of credit, she really is busting my ass! I was sweating the whole time and had to stop every phase. I figured it would be a lot easier since I am doing so well on level one. Tomorrow I am going to try and do level two with water bottles from the very beginning and see if I see a difference and work my way into using 3lbs. I figure after that I will alternate between level one and level two for a week, and then go another two weeks with only level two and using my weights.

Lastly... Running!
I am able to run (at a rather large incline for most of the circuit) a mile and a half in 30 minutes without stopping. That is two loops around the original loop that used to take me 20 minutes which means I am getting faster and stronger!

I am going to skip writing my weight and measurements this week... Since I have been eating so much I have, unfortunately, gained all the weight I have lost. Ugh. This is not me at my brightest moment.

Can't seem to diet...

I am so frustrated with myself today!
I promised myself starting Monday I would finally stick to a strict 1600 calorie diet. Only problem is last night (tuesday) I ended up going waaaay over 2000 calories thanks to a few beers and a oreo mcflurry.

My problem seems to be I justify reasons why I "deserve" or "should eat" extra food over my limit. After wards though the pain and guilt I feel just don't seem worth it. I struggle though. I have no idea how to keep my munchies down! I drink water, I snack ever 3 hours, and once 9pm comes around I feel the need to eat desert.

Tonight is grocery shopping night. I swear I will not buy ANYTHING (that I like) that is fattening and a potential threat to ruining my calorie count. I need to learn self control! Until then no more storing oreos and ice cream at the house!

I get so frustrated. If I was dieting I would be seeing results A LOT faster for how hard I work out.

The end :)

A new experiment: WATER

So I have heard/read that a lot of the times people think they are hungry is because there body is really asking for more water. If this is the case, I must be completely dehydrated because I am ALWAYS hungry! (I wouldn't be very surprised if I was dehydrated actually, I only drink about 3 glasses of water a day maybe)
The goal is to drink at least 8 glasses of water throughout the day. Doesn't that sound horrible? I hate water, it is so boring. But I am going to substitute water for all the soda, energy drinks, and Gatorade I drink throughout the day. I will make sure to drink water ESPECIALLY if I get hungry and see if the hunger goes away.
I am also going to try and drink a sip of water between every bite at dinner and lunch. Apparently that will make you much more full and satisfied by the time you are finished with your plate!

Day 11

Weight: 110.6lbs
Tummy: 79cm
Thigh: 51.5cm
Arm: 25.5cm

Well, I am a little sad to see there isn't much change. I think I am only building muscle and not losing much fat. And I will tell you why...
I HAVE AN EATING PROBLEM!
I can not, for the life of me, eat less than 2000 calories daily. For some reason I will make it until dinner and after dinner I go on this crazy snack binge. And they aren't healthy snacks either, I am talking cookies, ice cream, laffy taffy, you name it.
I have taken all of the cookies and candy out of the apartment so hopefully we will see me have a good change in my diet.

So... The 30DS with weights KICKS MY ASS! I am still only on level one but this whole week I did it with 3lbs weights. I can do it without resting for the most part (I always have to rest a second on push ups) and at the very last strength training segment (where you straighten one leg out, bend the other, and bring the weights eye level) I always have to do the second time around with one weight. I get such a good work out now, I sweat the whole time! I think all next week I will stay on level one and then finally move into level two the following week. Goodness, Jillian knows how to work my socks off!
As for jogging I am getting faster and faster with each run. I am now able to finish my mile+ in about 14 minutes. I plan on staying on the same route I am on now all of next week and changing it up a bit and trying something new. I do enjoy my current run though. I get a good feel of the different terrain (get to run up a huge hill) and also get to run up about 75 stairs as well, which I am able to do without stopping ;)


Also, here is a picture of me from 5 days ago. I look pretty darn good! It is the first article of clothing I bought since last December (that wasn't nursing or maternity). I am 6 weeks PP in this picture. Look at that stomach!

Day 4

So I have good news and bad news!

The Good: I have kept up with my entire work out routine all week! (Woohoo) And I can finally have a break. I will not lie, it is very very very difficult jogging a mile and then doing the 30DS in the same day. I can most certainly feel a difference on Wedns (the day I didn't do both). BUT if it is any constellation the 30DS is getting easier and easier and I don't have to take more than two 5 second breaks.

The 30DS is an amazing video, Jillian really impresses me. She is so motivating and I swear I feel the burn throughout the whole thing. I can already feel muscles in my thighs, tummy, and arms. It is nice because I already jiggle LESS. (Yes, you see results THAT fast!) Of course, I do not "cheat" during her work outs. I push through it no matter what and make sure that I never take breaks (except two 5 second ones) and I make sure I am doing the work out 100% correct. There is no reason to work out if you aren't going to give it your all. My favorite thing she says is:

"When you start to get uncomfortable that is what you have to make the most of since that is when changes are going to happen. (Your body is adapting)"

I guess it was pointless to put quotation marks around that since she didn't say it EXACTLY that way but she used all those words. And it is SO true!

So I can definitely see a different in my endurance as well from day one. I can also see a difference when I am jogging. Now, please realize I live in the foot hills of Colorado so I have quite the terrain I am running on, (excuses excuses! but seriously, I have to run up a mountain during the first half of my jog). BUT I am able to run a little over a mile outdoors all terrain in 20 minutes WITHOUT stopping! Today was the first day I was able to run completely without stopping and it feels great.



So I guess I should share the bad :(
Well, I have NOT been keeping up with my calorie intake like I should. In fact, I was a little greedy (since I ran a mile, did the 30DS, and walked 2 miles) so I decided I deserved eating about 3500 calories yesterday. Ugh, how can I ever forgive myself?
From now on I am going to be extra extra careful! There is no way I can do all this working out just to eat the amount of calories that I am burning and see no weight loss.

The "Official" Day 1

It is going to be tough (especially without cheating) but today is the day I officially started, and will stick to, my new work out routine. And as far as my first day went, it went pretty damn good by golly gee wiz!

My workout routine:
Sunday: Off (possible active play)
Monday: Jogging + 30DS
Tuesday: Jogging + 30DS
Wednesday: Yoga + 30DS
Thursday: Jogging + 30DS
Friday: Jogging + 30DS
Saturday: Off (possible active play)

As far as the 30DS goes I will not be doing it in 30 days. I want to make the best use out of the video and not try and push myself. I will start by doing work out one using water bottles until I am able to use weights. Once I am able to use weights I will stay at work out one until I am able to follow the advanced (what is actually "normal") work out without having to stop for breaks. From then I will go to work out two and do it the same way. I am not going to push myself too hard. Unfortunately I think that will mean I will not be able to get "shredded" in 30 days but I know I will see a difference because I will still be straining myself. I have a feeling the 30DS dvd will take me a month and a half or so (from today!).
I am also doing cardio because I am too "skinny" to see any drastic change from the 30DS alone*. I don't have much more weight to lose except the weight that is pretty much impossible to get off since my body has had it for so long and since it is the last bit. So my plan now is to use jogging+dieting for that and the 30DS for toning and strength training. (Jillian should just advertise that as a strength training video in my opinion. I have already built so much muscle from it and I have only been doing it, scattered, for two weeks now) I do enjoy the 2 minute cardio sessions she has between each strength work out though. Gives me that extra umph!

So I took some pictures. They are truly disgusting. I took them after working out so I blocked out my face since I look frazzled. I am embarrassed to share these pictures, but I am hoping next month when I put (probably more embarrassing pictures up) I will be able to show off some change. Also if I ever achieve a difference it will be nice to look back and say, "That is was the OLD me!".

Warning: Yes, I am wearing tiny undies. I am doing this so hopefully they will eventually not look so awkward on me the next time I see me in them in a month. (For Nathan of course)

Pictures are 5 weeks Post Partum. Hope that stomach sag tightens up soon.

Ok, so I think I still lean like I am pregnant... I stick my butt out much further then I used to. Hopefully I can work on my posture as well.


MEASUREMENTS AND WEIGHT : the start (lets watch these CM and LBS drop!)
Gut: 81.3CM
Thigh L: 52.3CM
Arm R: 27CM
Weight: 115

A quick explanation on how I do my weight and measurements:
*Weight: I will weigh myself once a week (at least record the weight).
*Measurements: I will only record body measurements once a month since change isn't as noticeable.
*I will record the larger size of the two limbs. (For example: if my right thigh measures more then my left thigh one week I will record the right thigh instead of the left. If for some reason my left thigh starts measuring more than my right thigh I will record that one)

The Inspiration

Jude is finally asleep and I am exhausted. And I have only been trying out my "new lifestyle" for a week.

Why did nobody ever really tell me how hard it is to exercise, eat healthy, and have a newborn?

I suppose I am not giving enough of the people who I have talked to credit. I do recall people, in hopes to scare me or what (who knows), tell me I will be "sleep deprived, tired, and have constant head aches". (It is funny how been-there-done-that-mothers always say how hard it is the first few months rather than saying some good things about it) But to be honest I didn't believe anyone. I had this big dream in my mind where Jude would constantly be sleeping in his crib, napping all day and giving me time to work out/hang out/play video games/have me time/shower/you know the drill. I have no idea why I was so gung-ho about it! In fact, I sort of wish I wasn't, maybe then this first week of "being healthy" wouldn't of been so hard. Regardless, nobody ever told me it would be hard to exercise and now I realize why. Nobody really expected me to exercise. This may be a harsh reality, but it is no wonder post-partum women and people who had their baby ages ago complain about the "baby weight that will never go away".

I promised myself that when I felt good enough (I was hoping it would be a month post-partum) I would start exercising again. Not just to lose the baby weight, because I made damn well sure that I wasn't going to gain too much weight during pregnancy*, but to become fit for my son (and myself). When I bring this up to a lot of people, especially my husband, I get the same exact reaction: "But Stephanie, you are fit!". This, unfortunately, is one of the fattest lies on earth! Do people even know what fit really is? Even if I have a little leg/stomach jiggle, I am still considered "fit" because I am small, 5'4, and weigh 114lbs. Sure, I may look like I don't spend my day eating bon bons, but that doesn't mean I am fit. Many people overlook the real meaning of fit it seems.

Here are some of the definitions off of Dictionary.com:
fit: adjective, fit·ter, fit·test, verb, fit·ted or fit, fit·ting, noun

adjective

1. adapted or suited; appropriate: This water isn't fit for drinking. A long-necked giraffe is fit for browsing treetops.

2. proper or becoming: fit behavior.

3. qualified or competent, as for an office or function: a fit candidate.

4. prepared or ready: crops fit for gathering.

5. in good physical condition; in good health: He's fit for the race.

The main definitions I want people to notice is definition 1 (adapted or suited; appropriate) and definition 5 (in good physical condition; in good health). That is what being fit is to me. It is when my body is suited for keeping up with everyday activities my son may want to do. I often see moms at the park who sit on the bench while their kid plays alone on the monkey bars. It baffles me, and worried me, because what if one day I was that mom**. And in order to prevent being that mom I need my body in a good physical condition and health. I need to have muscles that will enable me to be strong, good endurance so I can keep up with my son, and a healthy diet that will make me live longer and keep my body happy. And best of all: if I can be fit my son can look up to me and be fit himself. (I can't forget: now that I am a new mom I am a constant role model!)

So now onto the real news: how my first week of being fit went.
Well, it was difficult. It took me about two weeks of off and on work outs to feel out how Jude will cooperate, but for the past 7 days I have worked out each day by doing the 30 day shred. This in itself was difficult enough on top of everything else. I had no idea how I had no muscles! (Unfortunately my diet has only been good 4/7 of those days). It is difficult to not comfort eat. When Jude starts crying there is nothing better than grabbing 10 oreos and scarfing down 433 calories and 15 grams of fat in less than two minutes. I am still trying to figure out a way to prevent me from eating pointless, and more importantly, unhealthy comfort snacks. Good thing when me and my husband went shopping last night we bought tons of grapes, bananas, and baked Doritos (oops - at least they are baked, right?) to fix the cravings.

But there is good news on top of all of this! I was able to keep up about 98% of the 30 day shred (cheating: using water bottles as weights. Hey, its a start!) and been eating decent, protein filled, meals. I am currently breastfeeding so it is very important my diet is still good. The weekend is now here and I will not be working out for the next two days since I will be archery hunting. I suppose I will get a pretty good work out from that at least! Anyways, that is it for now. I hope you didn't mind my endless babbling. Until then!


*I was on the elliptical 5xweekly for 40min until 39 weeks pregnant. My last week of pregnancy I went on 2 easy, and beautiful, 2 mile walks with my husband. (In fact, I went on a 2 mile walk when I was 41 weeks pregnant at night and the next morning, at 1:30am, I woke up with contractions 2 minutes apart!) I owned a heart rate monitor and always made sure my heart rate never went above 140 for very long, if ever. I also consumed about 2000-2300 calories a day. I made sure to talk to my midwife about food and exercise during my whole pregnancy to make sure I wasn't harming myself or the baby. He was one of the healthiest babies she has ever delivered.

**I am not saying all moms who sit and watch their kid play at the park are lazy. I guess I am imagining the stereotypical mothers I see. So, if you just so happen to do this, do not be offended. I am sure you have your reasons to not be playing with your kid.