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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I am on day 12 of the 30 Day Shred and I am kicking my own ASS for not taking a before picture.  I also want to punch myself in the face for not taking any measurements because this is the type of plan in which these two activities are essential. 

You see as things droop stand I am building muscle for the first time in years.  A decade really.  And being almost 100% body fat, the process of burning that and building muscle is actually making the scale go up.  UP.  And seeing those brutal numbers rise makes me want to crawl into bed and never come out. 

So by not having a before picture, or any measurements, the number on the scale is making me feel like a failure.

So I am going to have the husband do these things for me tonight (hopefully he will have managed this insane task called getting the kids bathed and in bed before 10pm when I am due home) so I can get a more acurate representation of my efforts. 

And…

I am going to post the before and after pictures when I am done.  And if you know me, you know how hard this will be for me.  Because when it comes right down to it I am just vein, and absolutely mortified at the way I look; with they way I have let myself go. 

But…

This is necessary for a number of reasons.  The first being I need to own my body, and stop pretending like the world hasn’t noticed I got fat.  I need to embrace myself at this weight and stop letting the extra layer(s) validate me as a person.

 The second reason is to help motivate others.  When I googled 30 Day Shred before and after pictures, most of the results I found were ladies that were already thin to begin with.  Not so much help for me, or others that may have 50 or more pounds to lose. 

And besides the self therapy and the motivation for others, I want to have documentation of my journey.  While this will never be a fitness blog, having a place to track my progress and results will be huge for keeping my fat ass off the couch eye on the prize. 

And the prize is huge, the rewards many.  To name a small few… 

• Self Confidence
• Pride
• Healthy Sex Life
• Active lifestyle
• Success
• Cute Clothes
• Enjoying the Summer (for the first time in years)
• Accomplishment 

So here begins my documented journey and I pray that I stick with my plans…because if I attempt and fail at losing weight one more time, my husband better just order a crane to lift my obese-ness and break me out of the bedroom through the roof of the house.

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A late afternoon nap + a blog idea racing through my mind + feeling randy (ew, I have an Uncle Randy) amorous (huh?) horn (not even going to go there, my family reads this for goodness sake) romantic while my husband snores beside me = INSOMNIA.

So here is my random thought (and not the brilliant post still racing in my head).

Sundresses.

Yep, going to invest in sundresses this summer.  There is no other way around it.  No matter what combination of shorts, jeans, capris, my elastic waistband maternity shorts from last year, or skirts my double stomach screams at people to look at it.  Screams.  And it is scary.

I have this unfortunate pounch left over from 2 enormous pregnancies and a sad under-the-belly-button stomach that would make a teenage boy gag a little and look away.  (Yet another badge of honor fathers deserve yet it goes unnoticed–loving your wife post baby.  And that is love.  Or denial but both work for me.)  And speaking of belly buttons, mine is sadly trapped between the two said stomachs–unrecognizable–and weeping for what it once was. 

A sundress however promises not to cut me in two.  Sure I might be mistaken for pregnant but I’ll take it, and just tell the dumb schmuck I am due in December–another boy!  I know, were blessed.

See also How you know it is really time to lose weight and Part 2.  And somebody, anybody, kick my ass in gear!  30 Day Shred here I come!

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