Hip-Hop Abs (again...)

I know, I know, it's been awhile!  But I took a couple months of a hiatus with very little working out, however, I plunged head first back into it this past week with the decision to give Beachbody's Hip-Hop Abs a legitimate try this time.

And this time, I'm a little more motivated.  My heart rate monitor lets me know how many calories I've burned, so the goal is to burn a little more each time!  (I've also decided to go back to wearing my FreezeAwayFat shorts...I did lose almost 7 total inches the last time I combined wearing them with a workout program.)

So today's entry is about 2 things: helping you find the motivation you need to get back into exercising if you've recently lost the willpower, and promote ShaunT and his Hip-Hop abs program as a really good ab workout.

With Hip-Hop abs, it is very important to watch and practice with the Secret to Flat Abs dvd, because that's where you'll learn how to do all the moves while doing the total engagement: tilt, tuck, tighten!  It's a lot to think about at first so practice will make perfect, and if you don't keep those abs engaged throughout the workout, it won't work!  (You can also get a added leg workout if you jump and slide and do the higher impact moves instead of sticking with the beginner stuff.)

This is the amount of calories burned and the length of time I spent in a fat burning zone during the first week.

Day 1: Fat Burning Cardio = 336 calories burnt w/ 1.5 minutes of fat burn
Day 2: Fat Burning Cardio = 339 calories burnt w/ 2 minutes of fat burn
Day 3: Ab Sculpt = 201 calories burnt w/ 7 minutes of fat burn!
Day 4: Fat Burning Cardio = 327 calories burnt w/ 4 minutes of fat burn
Day 5: Fat Burning Cardio = 384 calories burnt w/ no fat burning :(
Day 6: Ab Sculpt = 247 calories burnt w/ 4 minutes of fat burn
Day 7: Rest Day...consisted of me doing a low impact, lower body-focused yoga routine (I will post my review of that workout tomorrow.)

The scale won't budge!

Reaching a "plateau" is a problem that EVERYONE faces on their weight loss journey.

You all know that I've been using FreezeAwayFat Cool Shape shorts (not intended for weight loss but for fat loss), and I've been doing Jillian Michaels Body Revolution 6 days a week for the past two months.  I just started Phase 3/week 9 so it was weigh-in time, but I stepped on the scale this morning only to discover that I have gained a pound in the last 2 weeks!  I've said repeatedly that muscle weighs more than fat, and that as you lose weight and gain muscle, sometimes the number on the scale won't budge because you're weight lost and muscle gained is equalling out, but that doesn't make the fact that the number on the scale isn't going down any less frustrating.

In the first month of BR I lost about 5 pounds (which isn't a lot, but when a work out like Jillian's isn't your first rodeo, your results aren't going to be as dramatic as someone pushing themselves to their limits for the first time).  In the last month, my weight has stayed between 135-137 (give and take half a pound), and I feel like I'm losing my mind because I'm working so hard (workouts 6 days a week, 1 cheat day every other week, 1200-1500 calories a day, and currently taking the all natural weight loss supplement Fenphedrine) and seeing no results...on the scale.

Here's where my two-cents for you comes in: your body knows at what weight it feels best and at what weight it wants to stay to keep you healthiest! I know this doesn't make looking at the number on the scale any easier, but I'm learning along with all of you to stop thinking about the scale and start thinking about how I feel.  My size 4 shorts are baggy and my size 2 jeans are just right, again.  I can't deny that my hard work is working on my body fat, but body feels just right at an average of 136 pounds and that's where it wants to stay despite my efforts to get my weight down to 128 (I thought 8 pounds would be easy to get rid of, but my body doesn't want to).

I was going to wait until the end of BR to share my inches lost, but I feel like now is a good time for me to help you (and help myself) by telling you all just how much my body has changed despite the lack of change in that always-on-my-mind number I see on the scale.

You already saw the pictures, but here are the numbers: (I measure every two weeks and there have been some fluctuation as I build muscle so I'm just going to do before and now measurements.)

Before BR                                          Now
Right Bicep: 11 inches                       Right Bicep: 10.5 inches (-.5)
Left Bicep: 11                                       Left Bicep: 10.5 (-.5)
Right Thigh: 23                                    Right Thigh: 22.5 (-.5)
Left Thigh: 24                                       Left Thigh: 23.5 (-.5)
Waist: 28                                               Waist: 27 (-1)
At Bellybutton: 34                                At Bellybutton: 32 (-2)
Hips: 36                                                Hips: 35 (-1)
Booty: 38.5                                           Booty: 37 (-1.5)
Weight: 137.5 pounds                        Weight: 136 pounds


As you can see, there was only a loss of 1.5 pounds in the last 2 months, but a total of 7.5 inches!  So while I can complain about my weight all I want, every time I look in the mirror I see tighter thighs, definition in my upper and lower back, and those nice little curves between my obliques and abs that gives my flat stomach some definition of muscle.

I still have some stubborn fat to lose, so I'm not going to quit working out or stop wearing my frosty pants (as my husband likes to call them), but it's not just because I want to look good, it's because I enjoy working out and watching my body change and get stronger.

I'm only 25, but I want to live to be 100, and Jillian with her butt-kicking workouts are going to get me there in tip-top shape!!!!  (I'm gonna be the hottest mom in kindergarten and the hottest grandma on the block! haha)

First Set of Before and After Photos

(edited Monday, August 19, 2013)

I am halfway through Body Revolution and just finished my first 5 weeks of FreezeAwayFat Cool Shapes shorts, so I thought that I would post some before and after pictures for you. You'll notice that the photos of my back show how much I've built my upper back to make my waist look smaller--told you it works!

And the Cool Shapes shorts have REALLY shrunk the stubborn fat on my stomach. (I've lost 3 inches total from my hips to my waist!) I went from my stomach sticking out, to FLAT!  Totally awesome!  (I've still got some lower abdominal fat that needs an extra push, but that's what having babies does, right?) I really recommend combining the FreezeAwayFat Cool Shapes shorts to any diet or exercise program...I'm keeping a healthy weight, building muscle with BR, and watching the inches freeze off!


                                                  
                                      

FreezeAwayFat Update

Yes, I cut out candy.
Yes, I'm doing Jillian Michael's Body Revolution.
Yes, I haven't even lost 10 lbs, yet.
BUT I've lost 1 inch around each thigh;  1.5 inches around my belly button; a quarter of an inch around my butt and half and inch around my hips and it hasn't even been the full 5 weeks!!!  I can't wait to see what a few months of wearing these shorts will do (I can actually see me abs!!  I've got a visible 2 pack and I'm proud of it!!)

It's worth every penny!



PS- I start weeks 7 & 8 of BR and it's really getting intense.  I know that on the reviews of BR vs. Insanity, a lot of people think BR is slow and that they enjoy REALLY sweating like you do with Insanity.  Try turning the air off and not using a fan (like hot Yoga), and have patience, because phase 2 of BR will have you sweating like a pig!  I have it dripping off my legs and into my eyes after only 28 minutes of her cardio exercises and I still get a good, hard work out and nice sweat with her front and back of body exercises.  I've always been her biggest fan and her biggest advocate after all she's done to push me to lose those 60 pounds, and the bonus of FreezeAwayFat has helped me start to actually see my abs and have a mention my legs, because MAN ARE THEY TIGHT!!  Like Jillian says: "I want you to have sex with the lights on!"

SO KEEP ON PUSHING!  I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!

I've never offered this before, but decided it was time to really help, so if any of you have any questions or would like some advice, I will do my best to answer them and help in any way I know how, so feel free to e-mail me at krisitnam0530@gmail.com.  Just give me you first name (or an alias if you aren't comfortable, and details about whatever problems your having...I will answer you HONESTLY and if I don't have an answer, I will consult a professional.  Ask me about diet, proper ways  to do exercise moves, why you've plateaued, and even about supplements (trust me, I've tried A LOT of them).

End of Body Revolution Month 1

Today, I officially moved on to Phase 2 (month 2) of Jillian Michaels Body Revolution, and I wanted to share my end of Phase 1 Results.  I've overall only lost a couple inches, but my shorts definitely feel looser around my waist and my thighs, and I've lost 9 pounds.  I don't have much more weight to lose because I'm mostly looking to just tone up my problem areas.    Hopefully the next couple months will get me to my toned body!

I've also been using the Cool Shapes shorts and I think those are working, even though sometimes it's so cold I can sit outside in 90 degree weather and I'm still a little chilly! LOL

I have been taking Relacore.  Mostly, it's been great for suppressing my anxiety and depression; so whether or not it helps with weight loss, I don't know...I just take it to improve my mood.

I wanted to share a tip with you: If you're workout feels like it's getting easier for you (that's great!) but it also means you need to start using heavier weights.  In order to see results, a good rule of thumb: make sure you're straining on your last couple of reps.  As painful as it's been, I upped my weights to 8's (which is the heaviest Jillian goes in BR, but you can go heavier if you want), and that's when I started to really SEE the changes.

My second tip: Use heavier weights to work your back and lighter weights to work your biceps.  You're biceps are still working during back moves so you don't want to wear them out with heavy weights.  Heavy weights during back exercises will build up your back which gives the illusion of a small waist (and a sexy back!).

FreezeAwayFat Cool Shapes

You all know that I ordered my Cool Shapes shorts last week and they came in the mail today!  My investment was $173 but shipping was free!  The package came with 6 gel packs (only 4 are included in the $150 offer) and a mesh case to help them freeze correctly while in the freezer, 1 pair of compression shorts with 8 pockets, and a carrying/storing case for the shorts.

I think they're pretty neat.  You place the gel packs in the mesh case and place them in the freezer for 2 hours before putting on your shorts and placing the gel packs in the appropriate pockets.

I had to wear a sweatshirt while wearing them because it was kind of cold (I wasn't about to make my husband and kids suffer in the 90 degree weather with no air conditioning--but if you're home alone, you could probably save on your electric bill!).  However, it  really wasn't uncomfortable (especially since you only wear them for 30 minutes), it's just like wearing compression shorts when you work out except there's no slimy sweat dripping down them!  Now, there's no immediate results of course, but I took my measurements, so we'll see where I am in a week or two.

Can you really freeze away fat?

Edited Wednesday, July 17, 2014, at 5:30 p.m.

All this new research has come up in the last few years that freezing fat can be an invasive (non-surgical) way to minimize those "problem areas, and until recently, it could only be done by professionals, but now it can be done at home with compression shorts and ice packs!?

"Scientists around the world have discovered that fat cells are highly sensitive to cold.  Brown fat cells, the kind we want, react to cold by becoming more active and burning more calories.  White fat cells, the stubborn fat we want less of, react to cold by withering and dying." according to the FreezeAwayFat website.  So that means the fat is PERMANENTLY gone!?  Sounds good to me!

This product is meant for people, like me, who have reached their ideal weight and are pretty close to their ideal shape, they just have a few stubborn problem areas.  I eat right, I exercise hard, but I still have belly fat on my lower abdominal area that I have spent my whole life trying to get rid of...my hips will shrink by my belly won't budge! (It'll just bulge...blah!)  I'm a sucker to try anything with a money-back guarantee so I ordered my pair with an extra set of gel packs (for a total of 6).

There are 8 pockets to place the freezer packs in that focus on a woman's main problem areas (I'll focus on stomach, love handles, and inner thighs and buttocks).  The product is to be worn for only 30 minutes but every day, and the website claims that if you follow the rules, one can lose about an inch (in each area) in 5 weeks.  (The catch is that the money-back guarantee is only for 30 days after your purchase.)  So I'm going to give it a shot and see how my pants feel after a few weeks of wearing them to determine whether or not I like them, but the research seems to suggest that this is a legitimate idea...now, we just need a real life guinea pig to see if it works! (Guess that's me!)

Go to http://www.freezeawayfat.com/ to check out more information and maybe even try your own pair...just remember, it's not a miracle, you will always need diet and exercise to lose weight and burn off fat, this just might help you get those final results you've been waiting for.