Warm Hearts Happy Family

If you landed on my site trying to research if the 30 Day Shred works let me start off by saying it does.  Stop contemplating and just go out and buy the DVD.  If you push yourself your body will change and you will feel on top of the world. 

At least this is the experience I have had.  I have been shredding since June 19 (holy crap, almost to my 30 days!) and my stamina went from non-existent to pretty impressive and even though I am still fat, my self confidence is soaring.  Because I am stronger and healthier and I can see my body slimming down.

I’m shredding.

And I have a slight woman crush on Jillian Michaels.  She is just bad ass in every which way–kind of ballsy and mean yet motivational at the same time.  You can’t help but to push yourself because Michaels makes you believe you CAN push yourself, that EVERYBODY is capable of working out and working out hard. 

I needed to hear that.  I needed somebody to tell me that just because I am overweight doesn’t mean I can’t work out hard–she leaves zero room for giving yourself excuses.

My overall experience has been beyond positive.  My original goal was to be down a pant size in the 30 days and I am almost there.  I am going to have to really turn it up this week if I am going to make that happen.  

 When I started this adventure I was about to bust my fat pants up to the next level–up to the pants that have the W for Woman after the size.  Like once you hit the point that your silhouette resembles that of an overweight upright brown bear (or polar as is my pasty case) you have made it–you are a woman baby.  

Not the look that suites me best.  So Shred I will continue to do–push myself I will do until I am down another full size.  After that who knows!  I have always categorized people (judge me if you want) and one of my biggest categories were people that work out (hot) and people that don’t (lazy). 

I have jumped (and jumping jacked, plank rowed, high kneeded and crunched) into the workout category and that feels incredible.

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Let me preface by the fact that men have come a long way baby.   There is a culture shift happening–a movement really–in which men  are plugged into their families.  They contribute equally (or in my case more) in the household chores.  That are tender with their children, they are not afraid to let their nurturing underbellies show.  They co-sleep with their children and they really brave few might even be seen wearing their babies.

My man fits most of these yummy qualities.

But a man he still is.

And apparently men still reserve the right to check out and have adult time anytime that meets their man fancy.

Like when we are at a large gathering and all the men disappear into the garage/basement/backyard/anywhere that the women and children are not.  They hoot and holler, drink beer, smoke and just enjoy feeling “free” for a few hours. 

All the while the women are gathered similarly except their time is spent as a human juggle gym, a milk bar, a monster catcher, a boo-boo fixer a spill cleaner-upper and more.

Men gallivant off to play basketball or golf in their free time.  

Women take the kids to the park.

Men escape into their man-rooms of the house when the day has drug on just a few hours too long, while the women fight with over tired kids and bed times.

Men tally up all they have done until they have filled their “time-card” and are eager to punch out…

I think I am going to try these sneaky man tactics.

How about I clean up after dinner, give baths and put on their jammies only to flee as fast as my legs will take me down to the basement so I can turn up the surround sound to drown out all that is happening upstairs.  To drown out the fervent protests to bedtime.  To drown out the sound of a teething baby’s cries.  To drown out the exasperation in my husbands voice.  And to drown out the sound of the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song filling our home for the 1,895,00 time.

Or

I can join a golf league and leave my phone in the car so I am 1,000 percent unreachable because as you know, it is absolutely against golf etiquette to even think about your phone in the presence of the golf gods.  The only way to please these gods are to drink, smoke, tell dirty jokes and scratch your balls.  Shit, I wonder if scratching the sweat between my boobs will suffice.

Or

I can pretend like I am taking out the garbage/getting something out of my car/watering the flowers but really sneak into the neighbors garage to get away and throw back a beer.

Or

I can give my husband my boobs so he can nurse the said teething baby all night long  while I lay there asleep pretending not to hear a thing.

So yes, men have come a long way but still have things pretty damn easy if you ask me.

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When I first heard about a Detroit blogger meet-up organized by the kick ass RockDrool from RockandDrool.com my first thought was “eff yes I want to go!”  Which was promptly followed by nerves and self doubt and anxiety.  I just don’t step out of my comfort zone often–so the fact that I went was  a big deal for the self proclaimed social disaster. 

And honestly, I wasn’t nervous at all which is crazy.  I felt at ease immediately when I met up and drove with Melissa (aka RockDrool) and the conversation flowed nice and naturally all night.  Teacher Mommy from diapersanddragons.blogspot.com came almost immediately followed by MomZombie from mom-zombie.com and TJList who has his blog marinating in his head just waiting to explode into the blogosphere.

I think I felt so at ease because we were all in the same boat–not quite sure what to expect–but all wanting to connect with other bloggers.  Other people that share a passion for language, writing, social networking, and so much more.  And what an amazing group we were.  Such interesting backgrounds, such different stories.  I think we could have gone on for several more hours talking–we were never at a loss for topics. 

I very rarely get out without my husband and kids so last night was great for me–a nice refreshing reminder that I am my own person.  Seperate from a wife and mother and all of the other cliches that come along with that.  I made connections.  I learned about people that prior to yesterday were complete strangers.  I was a grown up. 

So thank you again Melissa, and to everybody that saw the potential in this idea like I did and had the balls to come.  Can’t wait for the next one! 

Huddle up…hands in the middle…123 Michigan Bloggers…BREAK!

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