My 30 day shred.

This morning I worked out with Jillian Michaels (ya know, from the Biggest Loser) for the first time. You may, or may not have heard of The 30 Day Shred? I looked up the DVD. I read article reviews, I read blog reviews, I looked at before and after pictures of Shred heads (that's what we call ourselves, I guess. I might be jumping the gun on that one though). After not much thinking at all, I decided to take on the challenge. That's how I start most of my adventures though, on a whim. After being married for 3 years, having 2 kids, and suffering with a ridiculous stomach condition that went undiagnosed for years, I packed on the pounds. I mean, I REALLY packed on the pounds. I became unrecognizable to myself. None of my clothes fit. I was always tired. I didn't want to do anything except sit on the couch and feel sorry for myself (sound familiar? I know this must strike a chord with someone out there).

Just recently I started my weight loss journey. I've walked miles upon miles. I've jogged. I've sprinted (resulting in a badly sprained knee). I've ridden bikes for hours. I've changed my eating habits. And the result of it all? I've lost 3 or 4 pants sizes, and 44 pounds (all while eating chocolate and chips daily). Save your applause though, because I'm nowhere near done.

This morning I woke up, after a rough night might I add, and before even a sip of coffee, but after a glass of water (I'm still breastfeeding, water is more than essential), I put in The 30 Day Shred. The workout starts quicker than I anticipated, after only a minute or two of stretching. Jillian didn't waste any time getting me on the ground and into the push up position (oh god). The hardest part for me personally, was the jumping jacks and jump rope moves. I'm extremely busty, an H cup, and no sports bra in the world can hold me in place. It was uncomfortable, and I had to re-adjust about a billion times before we switched to a new move. The good thing is, Jillian transitions quickly between cardio, abs, and strength training. The cardio of course, seems to last the longest. It was much easier for me to do the punching in place, because it didn't involve bouncing. My toddler was upstairs still sleeping, and my 5 month old was next to me in his Jumperoo squealing with both delight and frustration, as Mommy danced around like a big goof, yet, failed to pick him up and clap every time he engaged a really high double leg kick. Before I knew it, the workout was over. I was drenched in sweat, yet, feeling kind of defeated. It was hard for me to keep up. I felt like I wasn't getting the most out of the workout, due to my lack of endurance. Fast forward 5 minutes to me walking over and picking up the baby, and... shred achieved. Jillian had apparently kicked my ass without me really even knowing it? When it came time to walk up the stairs to get Miss Elie out of bed (she was already wide awake by the way, and probably had been the entire time) I kept praying my knees wouldn't buckle. Falling down the stairs isn't how I wanted to begin my day. How, oh how, am I going to do this again tomorrow? The same way I get up at 3am to feed a hungry baby. The same way I cook an entire gluten free/citrus free/dairy free meal from scratch at the end of a long day. I'll do it because I have to.

My starting measurments in inches (ugh, I can't believe I'm posting these)...
-bust: 44
-bra Band: 36
-waist: 39
-hips: 44
-upper thigh: 23.5
-lower thigh: 19
-calf: 15.5
-upper arm: 12.5
-bicep flexed: 13