Hip-Hop Abs Week 4 Calorie Burn (Month 1 = DONE!)

Day 22: Total Body Burn = 440 calories and 3 min of fat burn

Day 23: Fat Burning Cardio + Ab Sculpt = 548 calories and 7 min of fat burn

Day 24: Fat Burning Cardio + Hips, Buns & Thighs = 516 calories and 10 min of fat burn!!!!!

Day 25: Total Body Burn = 392 calories and 7.5 min of fat burn

Day 26: Fat Burning Cardio + Ab Sculpt = 516 calories and 13 freaking min of fat burn!!!!!

Day 27: Fat Burning Cardio + Hips, Buns & Thighs = 548 min and 11 min of fat burn!!!!!

Day 28: REST

So my calories burned has gone down, but as I emphasized above, the amount of time I spend in a fat burning zone has really started to increase! I'm still spending 3/4 of the time in a fitness zone to help my body build lean muscle and continue burning fat all day long, but the other 1/4 of the time I'm just burning off the fat right then and there!

I also have before and after pictures.  I decided not to take measurements because I can get really discouraged, so going by how I feel and my before and after pictures will have to do.  I have lost 3.5 pounds during this first month; not life-changing results like the infomercials show, but I also don't follow the diet plans.

A little story:

When I was 13 years old, I was already bigger than the other girls in my class and very uncomfortable, so (with a doctors permission) I started going to L.A. Weightloss and seeing a dietitian.  My dietitian wasn't much inspiration considering she was incredibly overweight herself, and my "coach" at L.A. Weightloss yelled at me for eating a single Starburst, thus scarring me for life when it comes to diets.  I've been to personal trainers, done every fad diet, taken every diet pill and have been watching everything I eat for half of my life.  I've learned how to do a lifestyle change, and so I'd rather loose weight very slowly then quickly through strict dieting.  Dieting also makes me feel stressed and I start gaining instead of loosing (plus, I have a picky palate that makes following diet plans that come with workout programs difficult on my tastebuds). 

So with that said, here are my before and after photos.  

I did recently learn that the lack of feeling between my belly button and my c-section scar has lead to a loss of elasticity in that area, making it difficult for me to loose that c-section "shelf" some moms end up with.  (Only a tummy tuck will fix that, and I'm not sure I want to go that far.)  So I still have that little pooch below my belly button and I need to work on my love-handles, but I feel myself getting stronger and hopefully Month 2 will show some more dramatic results.  (I'm giving up ALL candy for the next 4 weeks--no cheat days!)  

At least my booty looks a little raised with some squinting!!! haha

Jillian Michaels: Body Revolution

I started Jillian Michaels 90-day Body Revolution program yesterday (it's more like 97 days, because she gives you an optional kick-off week to really jumpstart your metabolism).  I decided to start with her Kick-start week which includes two 30 minute work-outs a day (morning and evening) and a lower caloric intake than the rest of the 90 days for that first week.  You do have the option to skip the Kick-start week and go right into week one, but I wanted to see what this first week could do for me (Jillian claims you can drop 1 jean size in 1 week if you follow the meal and exercise plan).

The Body Revolution workouts use HIIT (high intensity interval training) and PHA (peripheral heart action) which causes blood flow to go from top to bottom, bottom to top, back and forth to speed up your heart rate.  These work outs are said to rev up your metabolism for 16 hours after a workout!  (I don't have any scientific proof of this, but I believe it because my appetite has increased already.)  With the kick-start week you're doing two workouts per day to make your metabolism work extra through the day and night, keeping your body burning calories at its max 24 hours a day!  This is a good jumpstart to your metabolism and your stamina for the next 90 days.

If you're a Jillian beginner, really listen to her and don't push yourself too hard the first couple weeks...just get used to her, her moves, and your body's abilities.  If you're experience with Jillian (like me) the workouts may seem boring at first so she'll give you ways to spice things up with resistance, but still enjoy the easier moves (I am, because I know how she operates, and things WILL get A LOT harder).  Even though it feels like beginner work, I'm definitely feeling a little sore, so I know I'm still getting a good workout.

Now let's talk about the food: I'm a picky eater who is horrible at diets, lactose intolerant, and doesn't like to cook, but I do like to eat as healthy as I can under my circumstances, and I am good at remembering to count my calories.  Thus, instead of following the 75-page book of recipes that comes with the program (I might actually give some of the recipes a try when I'm bored with my food; I'm sure they're delicious for people who have a different palate than mine), I've just decided to count my calories and make my calories count!  I bought some Greek yogurt for snacks (and some regular for when I just want a side dish to a meal), celery, low-fat peanut butter, carrots, bananas, tuna, some Weight Watchers frozen meals (I know the sodium in them is bad, so I'm doubling up my water intake to flush it out), and of course, I'm still drinking my Muscle Milk.

Eating healthy when you've got two kids and a husband who can eat whatever they want, whenever they want and not ever have to worry isn't always easy. There are cookies, cokes, and candy in the house that I have to train myself to avoid (out of sight, out of mind is my best tactic).

As for eating healthy when you're on a budget, if you live near a Kroger or Ruler Foods, you can get their brand of foods and save A LOT.  Muscle Milk also now comes in a powder form giving me a months worth of shakes for the cost of what used to only get me through a couple weeks.  It's the same price as Whey protein, but it tastes a lot better!  In fact, sometimes I drink one when I'm craving ice cream or a milkshake, or when I just want something sweet.

And if you're thinking you want to go the diet pill route as a supplement for an extra boost, try Relacore or Slimquick without caffeine.  Caffeine will boost your metabolism, but I know from personal experience that spending too long on diet pills or relying too much on caffeine can actually destroy your natural metabolism, cause an addiction and/or anxiety, and give you horrible withdrawal headaches, and make you sleepy when you can't get "enough."  Jillian suggests no more than 400 mg of caffeine a day, I suggest even less than that if you do it.  My biggest regret is depending on diet pills for way too long, so I've switch to filling my body with vitamins that will help me inside and out: Fish Oil with Omega 3, Biotin, pure Rasberry Ketones, DHEA, and Niacin.  It may seem more expensive than taking 1 pill, but considering the average bottle of diet pills lasts you 10-15 days, the vitamins will last you at least twice as long (but take the full recommended doses).

I know it's quite an investment spending $100 for Body Revolution, $12 for a resistance band, and then about $50 on 3, 5, and 8 pound weights (you'll need them to advance the moves and challenge yourself...some people might even need a set of 10's), and then having to replace your unhealthy foods with healthy ones, but let me tell you how worth it is...I've already lost 1 pound in 24 hours! My stomach even looks flatter already! :)

My Progress of Shedding Inches

I decided that I probably should have posted these a while ago.  How can I give you advice if I don't show you examples of practicing what I preach.  So here are some photos of the progress I've made.

July 2011 after the birth of my daughter at 184 pounds and wearing a size 14 (all you'll see in photos from this time are of my face!)

Our wedding in January 2012 at 153 pounds and wearing a size 8

July 2012 (me on the far left) at 138 pounds and wearing a size 4

6 months ago at a wedding at 128 pounds and wearing a size 2

So, you can see the difference, even though my weight changes weren't dramatic.  I've always been focused on how I FEEL as opposed to what the scale says since I know that I'm building muscle which weighs more than fat.  I have put on a  few pounds since this last photo, but I still feel great and I still fit comfortably in my size 2 jeans (however, my quad and glute muscles are getting larger/stronger so they're a little tight in those areas, but I have to wear a belt to keep them on my waist and a flat stomach IS my goal!)  

I'll post another bathing suit picture after my trip to California next month...that's the deadline I've given myself.  :/  YIKES!!  But I know I can do it, and you can reach your goals, too!  It may take time, but you've got to have patience!  

I Want a Hard Body!

I forgot that while I was giving you a review of Jillian's new DVD Hard Body, I forgot to give you a list of the workouts!  Instead of her coveted 3-2-1 system, or her other popular technique of one circuit of moves repeated twice before moving on to the next circuit, this DVD has 6 circuits of combination moves done once all the way through and then repeated.  (There is a combination of kick-boxing, some yoga, and, of course, cardio in these circuits.)

Jillian suggests using a range of weights from 3 lbs. to 8 lbs. (going lighter at some points and heavier at others), but I only have one set of 5's, so although that makes some of the moves easier on me, it makes others harder which evens everything out and still gives me a massive burn!

(Some of the moves sound intimidating, but remember, Jillian always provides you with a beginner modification...or you can just do the super-advanced!  My tip is to LISTEN to what Jillian says instead of watching the girls, because some of the girls are a little off on doing the poses right when Jillian isn't looking.)

This is LEVEL 1:

Warm Up: 
-Over-hand jumping jacks
-Alternating step-back planks
-Twisting front kicks
-River-dance
-Skaters in chair pose

Circuit 1:
-Speed squats
-Push-ups
-Speed Rope
-Sit-up/Superman combo

Circuit 2:
-Row into lunge and curl
-Suicides
-Crunch with scissor kicks
-Chest press, chest fly, triceps banger in bridge

Circuit 3:
-Calf raise with a shoulder press in sumo
-Donkey kicks
-Weighted burpee
-Curl in crescent pose into a kick-back in warrior 3

Circuit 4:
-Side lunge with a  row into chair pose with a shoulder raise
-Skiers
-Traveling push-ups with lateral jumps

Circuit 5:
-Push-up with a row into mountain climbers
-Jump-kicks in crab
-Alternating lunges with a punch using weights

Circuit 6:
-Surrenders with mermaid
-Squat (with a curl) spinners
-Oblique raise with a side crunch
-Lat pull with a pelvic thrust

Repeat Circuit 1-6 then Cool Down

(Even though I just gave you a run-down of the moves, I ALWAYS suggest buying the DVD for modifications, motivation, and guidance.)

Jillian Michael's Hard Body DVD

Jillian Michael's newest DVD Hard Body is a now out and kicking butts all over the place!  I just got it, so, so far, I've only tried level 1 twice, but it's already kicking my butt!  You can burn about an average of 350 calories in 40 minutes while sweating like a pig!

1. Remember my tip to work out in shorts and a sports bra in front of a mirror and keep your tummy tucked in!

2. Also, work out without a fan, and you'll sweat more which means you'll loose more water weight.  (I did Ripped in 30 level 1 and Killer Abs level 1 back to back and burned off 2 lbs of just water weight.  It's amazing how great you can feel after a nice, hard sweat!)

3. Add 3 lb weights or even just hand weights or ankle weights to that exercise you love but doesn't make you feel challenged anymore.  That will really spice things up and make you feel challenged again...plus you won't have to find a new work out to do!  (I dance or do Zumba with 1.5 lb hand weights; I also started back at level 1 on all my Jillian Michael's DVDs but upped the weights.)

Dieting is hard to do! Tip #2: Portion Control

For those of you who think I must be some awesome dieter because I've lost so much weight...you can think again.  I have a VERY hard time watching what I eat; I'll get obsessed and drive myself crazy (or worse) if I think too much about it. 

The reason it took me so long to lose the weight is because instead of living off of veggies and protein to get fast results and cutting out all carbs, candy and McDonald's, I learned to be smart about my portion sizes.  I did cut out french fries and sodas until I reached at least my first goal weight, and then I learned to get a small fry (sometimes a medium) and a fresh cooked Angus burger with no seasoning or cheese when I wanted my McDonald's fix; I grab one serving of mini Reese's and put the bag far out of reach to resist getting more, and I drink a lot of water (use no calorie Crystal Light if you just can't do the water thing).  I learned that watching my portions shrunk my stomach and now helps me keep up with my lifestyle change.

About Tip #1: Rent Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown from your local library to give it shot if you have reservations about buying it, but I know you'll love it!  You may not SEE a big physical change in your body but if you put in the effort and push yourself, you'll FEEL yourself getting stronger as your stamina increases. (And believe me, it's amazing when you accomplish those chaturonga push-ups without stopping! Remember that it's the little accomplishments that count, because that's how you reach the big ones.)

A bonus is even aerobic yoga gives you a satisfying relaxing 30 minutes that can lead to a satisfying relaxing day or night.