The Break Up

So, the shred and I are currently seeing other people at the moment. I haven't entirely given up on it, but I will admit that by Sunday morning, I was incredibly bored with the frightening Ms. Michaels telling me to keep going even though I wanted to quit. During a switch in equipment, I sat for more than the minute she allows and I almost didn't get up again.

Sunday morning came 'round and I was snuggled warm and happy in my bed, watching "Supernatural" and calculating what exactly I could eat (or, how little I could eat?) so that I'd be justified in not doing the workout. And at that precise moment, my stepmom asked me if I wanted to go to the gym with her. At first, I replied with a falsely hoarse "No." I climbed back into bed and resumed watching the Winchester Brothers' chronicles. But something inside me (perhaps my conscience? Or the remnants of that delicious slice of pepperoni pizza I happily devoured earlier in the week?) told me that I really needed to workout. And so I trundled off to the gym, equipped with gossip rags and a kickass Cardio playlist to get me through.

The workout? Oh, just 60 minutes on an elliptical machine. Which, let me tell you, is nowhere near as easy as you think it is. Sixty minutes of grinding repition marked only by the pops and cracks of my entirely woefully unexercised joints, with background music provided by Lady GaGa. Around the 30 minute mark, I was sure I was going to pass out. I selected "Bad Romance" and pushed on. It was not fun, and it was definitely the first time I've sweated in, well, a really long time. But when I hit 60 minutes, looked at the calorie count and the distance I'd "traveled", I was more than pleased with myself. That was until I got off the ellipticals and my legs were so Jell-O like that I nearly fell, Bridget Jones-style.

In the end, the workout was well worth it. I went back today, still slightly sore from yesterday's workout, but secure in the knowledge that though my muscles seemed to be staging a not-so velvet revolution, they'd be thanking me in short order.

30 Day Shred: Day 3

I am in day 2 of the Flat Belly Diet's 4-Day anti-bloat fast. And can I tell you something? I am RAVENOUS. I cannot diet, and this is why. For breakfast I had: a bowl of unsweetened corn flakes, some sunflower seeds, pineapple tidbits and a glass of Sassy Water. I understand that dieting is about feeding yourself for nutritional value rather than taste. Which is something especially important for a comfort eater like myself. But I go to bed hungry, I wake up hungry, and even when I eat, I'm still hungry.

ME WANT FOOD.

I have to go to Target today to pick up some odds and ends, and I think that I will break my diet and have a Jamba Juice smoothie and then go shopping for diet foods for myself. I cannot follow this diet without going insane.

In other news, I did something different for my 3rd day of the shred! I cracked open our EA Active for Wii Box and did a few workouts, and holy ISH. Amazing. If you have a Wii, I highly recommend buy this game. My heart rate got going, I did cardio, kickboxing, etc. And you don't need the Wii Fit board, just the Wii-mote & controller.

Anyways, I'll do the shred tonight. In the mean time? I'll be avoiding boxes of crackers for fear that I will eat an entire box in one sitting.

30 Day Shred: Day 2

This morning was even more of a struggle than yesterday morning, but I successfully pulled myself from the comfort of my down comforter and worked out. I had a bowl of oatmeal afterwards, but overall, the day was pretty bad food-wise. I took a nap right after my workout, and then headed to Seattle armed with a peanut protein bar and a bottle of Sassy Water. I got through about a quater of the protein bar (it is still languishing in my purse, half eaten and partially damp from the rain) and half the bottle of water. I spent most of the afternoon in the hairdresser's chair. And afterwards, I decided to spend my Sephora gift card and got a little mini makeover because of my new bangs. I like my bangs, my only hesitation is that I'm going to have to do a little more work; make up AND straightening. But I'm game for a challenge.

Anyways, after my makeover, I had time to kill before the bus home, so I had a Soy Awake Tea Latte from Starbucks and it was basically heavenly, although just a touch too sweet. When I came home, I had a handful of cashews & right now, I'm waiting for my tilapia & red potatoes to finish baking.

The ache in my arms and legs has faded to a dull roar, which is a positive. Tomorrow, I'll be back on track with my food. I'm proud that I managed to avoid going to Le Panier for a piece of D'Orsay, but I really should have eaten something. Anything. I think my fear of breaking my diet prevented me from eating anything at all.

30 Day Shred: Day 1

Well, it's 2010. And I have arrived, safe and sound, albeit in a slightly pudgier body than I imagined. To rectify that, I've decided to embark on Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. I tried this in May, during my last round of unemployment, and I lasted a grand total of 2 days before I could no longer resist the pull of the Chick-Fil-A around the corner. With the nearest Chick-Fil-A about an hour and a half's drive away, I really have no excuse/distractions keeping me from trying to complete the whole shebang. And maybe throw a diet in there somewhere.

So, this morning, I woke up at 6am, ready and rearing to go. Well, that's actually kind of a lie. I woke up at 5:30 and stared at the ceiling for a while before hauling myself out of bed shortly after 6. When I finally got the CD into my new computer, I discovered that the default DVD region on the computer was inexplicably set to Region 2. Anyways, after fiddling around for a while, I started. And oh my Godric, I was winded like 2 minutes into it. In a good way, I guess? But I completed it! With a few water breaks thrown in (even though Jillian repeatedly says no breaks) because I cannot remember the last time I did a full on jumping jack. After my little workout, I had a bowl of oatmeal, a glass of water and a Women's One-A-Day vitamin. It's actually really remarkable what a little cardio can do to jumpstart your day. After I finished breakfast, I cleaned, did a load of laundry and was basically finished with my daily chores by 8am. My plan is to go for a walk shortly before lunch, and then maybe another walk later in the afternoon.