Weigh-in Wednesday

Holy Mac - this is almost over, thank GOD! But I'm sick of writing about weight and crap so I'm totally going off in a different direction this morning... :)

Last night, a 1 am, I was awake (gee, I wonder why? Baby yelling at me through the monitor maybe??), lying here getting grouchy that I was awake and that I knew Jane wasn't hungry but what other of the five hundred things that could have woken her up was bothering her. Anyways... I was very close to dashing downstairs to get my laptop so I could give you a glimpse into the thoughts of a Mom, middle of the night, tired, grouchy, confused, etc. Then, after lying her and thinking about what I would write (which included a lot of "effin's" and so on), I decided it best not to do that. Why? Mostly because of Mommy Guilt (which I talked about on Monday). I feel like if I complained (using a lot of "effin's") about my middle of the night wake-ups, I'd be complaining about Jane and there's way too much guilt in that. Not to mention, you'd probably think I was some anger-issued, grouchy Mother which I am not at all. Even though in my head I'm saying "why the eff are you effin' up again?", externally I'm saying "shhhhhh, it's ok, Mommy's here". :)

When she woke up at 12:30am, I though "here we go" in for another fab night of 5 wake ups and no sleep. She stayed awake for an hour and a half. Can someone explain this to me? She couldn't have been hungry. It could have been teething. It could have been gas. I don't think she was too hot or too cold but I turned up the heat anyways. She's not sick. I didn't respond to her right away... I let her "cry it out" for 30 mins and she was just getting more worked up. So, I went in and gave her the soother. As I was walking out, she was standing back up in her crib starting to yell again. That wasn't going to work. But I gave her another 30 mins. After 30 mins of getting more worked up, I visited again, took her in my arms and rocked her a little thinking if I got her calmed down again, I could put her down and she'd get herself back to sleep. Gave her the soother. Put her in the crib. Stands up and yells. Awesome. Left the room, 5 mins of yelling later I said "eff this", went back gave her the soother again and another one in her hands to play with (I don't know why this works but it does, it's like having it in her hands keeps her from standing up again and she just pops one out and puts the other in over and over again)... and it usually distracts her enough that sometimes she'll fall asleep. Five minutes later, silence. Hallelujah! Back to sleep assuming she'd be up in another hour and HALLELUJAH, she slept until 5:30am. I just "fed" her (i.e. she nibbled for five seconds and then fell asleep again) and now I'm hopeful she'll sleep until 7am. I know she doesn't need to be fed at 5:30 (especially when she's not really eating just wanting the comfort) but it gets me an extra hour and a half and, otherwise, I fear I'd be re-doing the whole 1am experience.

Ok, so that's a lot of detail and, maybe, a lot of "effin's". I realize the "effin's" have to stop too because it's not going to be a heck of a lot better when Jane hits daycare saying "I want some "effin" juice please"... tee hee hee. In my defense, I don't use it a lot... just when I'm super sleep deprived and grouchy. I think my problem may be inconsistency? I don't know. On the nights when I've slept well the previous night,
I am willing to let her "cry it out" more (like last night) but too a limit... in other words, I'm willing to let her go for 30-45 mins before I say "eff this" and go for the soother. But on the nights after a hellish night, I will often respond right away, giving her anything she wants (boob, soother, etc.) so that I can go back to sleep right away. There's no consistency. The other "thing" may be the naps. Jane still has two naps a day... about an hour to an hour and a half each. I definitely think cutting down on the length of the naps by waking her after an hour or whatever would help the nighttime situation... and I will do that - once I'm back to work. Until then baby, I NEED my breaks! It's worth the wake ups to get those few hours during the day when I can do some things for me... especially with all these projects lately. When I go back to work, I can let the daycare deal with the no breaks situations (ha ha suckers) and hopefully I can slide in and take advantage of more sleep throughout the night! :p A girl's gotta dream.

In the meantime, all these projects are making me skinny. I'm too busy for after dinner snacks! Another pound gone which means only one left to go, which basically means if I have another pee this morning before I eat breakfast, I could possibly be at goal! ha ha ha, I'm sick! I haven't got the b*** to try on my old work clothes again yet in fear that the disappointment that I'm basically there and those pretty clothes still do not fit will send me into a chocolate eating spiral, but I may give it a shot later today (during one of my breaks). I'll keep ya posted.

Expect next week to be your last WIW post... yipee! God, I never expected it to take so long. I wanted to be one of the girls who, 2 months post baby, everyone was saying how incredible it was how quickly I lost the weight! :p ha ha ha. Hilarious how much your priorities change once the baby actually arrives... caring about that kind of crap goes out the window.

Here are my stats:
Starting WIW weight: 157lbs
Current weight: 138 lbs
Pounds lost: 19lbs (which coincidentally is how much Jane weighs and seems insane that I lost that much weight)
Pounds to lose: 1lb (a good pee) :p

The latest pics are from my photoshoot with Jane on the weekend. I'm definitely learning from my photo course and also self-teaching some things in photo editing that I'm enjoying. Quickly becoming an addict! :) This last picture is of Jane doing her new favourite thing - hugs. She's so sweet - she'll hug everything, get right down and snuggle with it, even me! I love it... too cute!

Two more days for "ask me anything" and one more for our $50 Moody Mamas Maternity Gift Card giveaway! :) I haven't gotten tons of questions yet which is kind of funny as it suggests that I'm so open on this blog that y'all feel that you know everything about me! That kind of makes me happy! :)

Weigh-in Wednesday

Another half-pound gone this week, so only 2 lbs to go which basically makes me feel like I'm there. With fear in my heart, I set out on the weekend to try on some of my pre-baby summer clothes (which I couldn't even get up over my thighs last year). Happily, I shall not have to hit the stores this year as my favourite size 6 shorts from Old Navy fit as good as ever... not too tight, not too lose (as if too lose would bother me! :p).

I hate shorts. Not because they show off the legs, just because I'm pretty confident that no one, except for celebrities who wear them with high heels and weight 100 lbs, look great in them. I always preferred to wear casual skirts or dresses in the summer than shorts.
But, fact is, seeing as I'll be chasing around a 1 year old this summer, unlikely I'll be comfortable flashing the world my voo every time I have to bend down or sit on the floor.

Hey, did you hear about this new "trend" for female celebs? IMAGINE - they are deciding to go "au natural" in magazines. No touch-ups, no air brushing, etc. What do you mean, you are going to promote looking like real people and not putting a "perfect" image out there for girls to try hopelessly to attain? Cool. I'm on board and giving these chicks more credit than I am joking about above as they are definitely sending a message and the "pressure" just might work a little. First to get "naked", Jessica Simpson on Marie Claire... and she went all the way - not only no air brushing, no makeup and no hair styling! Can I just say that I love this girl? I know most people thing she's dumb and all that crap but I like her. Did anyone else watch "The Newlyweds" when she was married to Nick?
Dan and I loved that show, they were hilarious and, despite the mansion and crazy cars, just like any other couple... and now that I have severe mommy brain, Jessica Simpson looks like Einstein next to me some days. I think she's the poster child to how parents can screw up their kids - her father was a pagent Mom, if you ask me (not classifying all pagent- Moms as "pagent-Moms", you know what I mean though). Anyways, check out these pics - she looks freakin' gorgeous. Did you see her on Oprah recently? Of course you did, you're Moms. Talking about her "weight" issues and how the paparazzi blow up that she's so over weight and such when she's a size 6. Now, with that said, she does look slightly bigger than what we got used to seeing her when she was dancing around washing a car in a bikini during the Dukes of Hazard days. However, s'no different than someone throwing my wedding pictures in my face now and saying "how come you don't look like that anymore". I'd kill 'um!

Britney's also come out and posted the pre-touch up photos from a Candies shoots for all to see. Don't know if that's because she's trying to promote good body image or if she's just gone off the rails again. Regardless, the girl has also been up and down in weight a little more than your average toothpick celeb (e.g. she didn't do a Shape magazine cover 4 weeks post-baby claiming it was just good eating and "chasing around the kids" that gave her her six-pack back) and I can appreciate that. She looks freakin' great in both untouched and retouched photos but you can definitely see that they shaved off her thighs to make her look less muscular. Her waist has been slimmed down as well. God, if I re-touched all my photos like that, weigh-in wednesdays might never have existed! :p

It makes me so happy to see the trend kicking off. Imagine if it blows up and magazines start realizing that I don't want to see some 100 lb 15 year old girl trying to sell me a wedding dress or bathing suit. I'd much rather see a normal person wearing it so I can, somewhat, imagine what I may look in it. A girl can only dream! And mostly I dream because I have a daughter and I hope the world isn't full of over-processed, "perfect" images of women as she grows up. I mean back in the day Marilyn Monroe was IT and she was no Gisele Bundchen. Glamour mag posted this photo of a model in an issue last year (without drawing to the fact that she was "plus-sized" - in model terms)... they just used the photo and it BLEW UP. Apparently, they got such a great response from their readers they decided to do it more often - hey, it's a start! Fact is, ladies, we're the consumers, we're the voice, we are basically the CEOs of these companies... if we demand it, they'll give it to us.

As usual, I started writing this post without an idea of what to say or talk about... I mean, these weigh-in wednesdays have been ongoing for ages now and I'm sure you're getting as sick of hearing my excuses and whining as I am of doing it. Hoping these pics and, somewhat, "real" women help you have one of those days where you feel like HOT STUFF, cause you are!

Here are my stats:
Starting weight: 157 lbs
Current weight: 139 lbs
Pounds lost: 18 lbs
Pounds to lose: 2 lbs

Lots of love beautiful girls,

Weigh-in Wednesday

Holy Mackerel I am so glad I took "before" pictures when I first started Weigh-in Wednesdays. When you're losing weight, like anything, it's usually so gradual (unless you're one of those crazy motivated exercising types that lost your baby weight in a week - Kristie... :p) that you never really notice the changes. I mean, you feel your clothes get looser and so on but part of you convinces yourself that it's just stretched out. It's not until I look at the photos below that I go HOLY CRAP, 18 lbs is a lot of weight! I notice it most in my waist/tummy area, especially in the profile shot... it's really no surprise that's where most of my weight was seeing as I was PREGNANT (duh!). Literally, when I took those before shots I thought it was useless. I remember I used to post pictures every few weeks and never looked any different so eventually I just gave up posting them. I'm kind of glad I did because right now I'm feeling pretty good about myself which is a pleasant surprise and a rarity for some of us post-baby Mommas (scratch that, most women are overly self-critical of themselves, it's not limited to Moms).

I finally got my new properly-fitted running sneakers on Friday and they are awesome! I ran on them the first time Monday morning and was so relieved that I didn't have any joint pain, foot pain, etc. when I was done... I specify types of pain because the rest of my body hurt like heck but not my feet and joints! :p tee hee hee.

Dan and I ate like crap last week - I've been super stressed about finding a job and sleeping like a** as a result. Excuses, excuses, I know but c'est la vie... I'm an emotional eater (who's not?). Anyways, I was pleasantly surprised to see I had dropped a half pound on the scale this week... and by pleasantly surprised I mean SHOCKED. Typically, with only a half pound lost I would say I didn't lose any weight but seeing as I'm only 2.5 lbs from the goal now, half-pounds are starting to become more significant!

I got a new recipe for you this week... good for Mommy and Baby! Now, similar to my Black Bean Brownies, don't get caught up in the ingredients - be open minded.

Cauliflower Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used dark) 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup canola oil 2 eggs 1 cup banana puree (a.k.a. mushed) 1 cup cauliflower puree 1 tsp vanilla extract

(1) To make cauliflower puree, I boiled a 1/4 head of cauliflower for 10-15 mins until soft, threw it in the food processor (without water) and voila, that's all.
(2) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
(3) Mix all your dry ingredients together in a bowl, excluding your sugar - flour through to cinnamon.
(4) Mix remaining ingredients together in separate bowl with a large whisk.
(5) Combine two mixtures and stir until well mixed
(6) Spoon into muffin pan to make 16 muffins.

Each muffin is about 125 cals. They taste pretty yummy (definitely not like cauliflower - which I hate) and this is a great way to sneak veggies into food for your babes, makes a great snack for them. You should see Jane's face when she tastes the chocolate!

Here are the details in case you need to see it clearly laid out:
Starting weight: 157 lbs
Current weight: 139.5 lbs (officially saying I'm in the 130's now)
Pounds lost: 17.5 lbs
Pounds to lose: 2.5 lbs (basically like a good pee) ha ha ha

Weigh-in Wednesday

This morning I am in need of a full body massage. Scratch that, several full body massages. Had my first AM run today - up at 6:20 and out the door. I have been "off" for the last week and a half as I totally screwed up my foot last time I ran - I got new sneakers and, despite my best efforts to make them work, they were too small. Of course, being a deal-seeker, I bought them off ebay, buying my usual size, and so I couldn't return them. I'm thinking, like they say is common, that my feet are a tidbit bigger post-pregnancy because my extra fatness flattened them out. Anyways, that sucked because not only did the tendons in my foot ache for a week and a half but I totally counteracted my deal-seeking and lost the $80 I spent on my first new sneakers but still had to buy another new pair of sneakers... which just pissed me off because the reason I bought them off ebay in the first place was to avoid spending $200 for my Asics... and now that's exactly what I've done and the whole process has taken three weeks and been a pain in the foot! :p

I thought I was going to die on my run today. I made the mistake of being cocky and starting where I left off almost two weeks ago... doing 4 and 1s (4 mins running, 1 min walking). The first interval, I was a superstar - running at a great pace, lungs good, legs solid, Miley Cyrus Partying in my ears (I admit it, I love this song, whatever). Third interval, I was still doing OK, decided to slow my pace as I could tell I wouldn't be able to sustain it. Fourth interval, 50% dead, had to take a break midway as I thought my legs were going to give out underneath me. Fifth interval, agreed that I wouldn't break no matter how bad I was dying because I gave birth and if I can give birth I can run for four freakin' minutes... yeah. About a minute into it, I was wishing I had a baseball hat on so no one would recognize me if they drove by 'cause I was running slower than a senior on a mall walk and my face was likely so red that I rivaled that chick from the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory who ate the blueberry. Regardless, I did it.

Wanna know what sucks too? I can't run in my subdivision because of all the hills. So I walk down to the main road and run there as it's flatter. No biggie on the way down. On the way back, however, after I've basically killed myself, I have to finish myself off by walking like a half km up a giant-ass hill. This morning I seriously considered driving to the bottom of the hill and driving back up. Yes. I am a lazy exerciser. ha ha ha. Actually, I shouldn't laugh as I haven't completely written that idea off yet. :p

No surprise I didn't lose any weight this week as last night, on his way home from the gym, I got Dan to pick me up some Coldstone. Yesterday AM (if you can even call it the AM as in my mind it's still PM), I woke up at 3:30 (yes. 3:30am) and started working on budgeting because I am so stressed about this whole job hunt thing. So, come last night, I was basically a zombie and do I even need to say the rest... I will for the "newbies"... zombie Jen = eat everything I can find in my house even if it's not appealing at all and eat it in excessive amounts (e.g. dry cereal).

So, I may have actually lost weight but the excess food in my "system" from yesterday is weighing me down (literally)... :p That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Next week I am confident I'll be down another pound. If I'm not, I'm lying about it anyways - as if you'll figure it out! :p ha ha ha. Half-kidding.

Pictures are from Monday - Jane and I went for a picnic at the park. It was awesome!

Weigh-in Wednesday

Well, well, well... I'm at a loss. What the heck do I do for Wednesday next week?

What?!?!

Yup!

After almost 10 months post-baby and 8 months of Weigh-in Wednesdays, it's gone. All gone. What's left is not the same. But at least step one is done! YIPEE!! Insert your happy dance here! I am so shocked and relieved... and about to do what every girl who reaches her weight loss goal does... eat some chocolate baby! Celebration time! Coincidence I should reach my goal pre-Easter - I think not!

How did I lose three pounds in one week? I about you-know-what in my pants this morning when I got in the scale - well, I wasn't wearing pants actually (pants would have added at least 0.5 lbs) and had I actually you-know-what-ed I would have weighed even less! :p I'm sick, I know. In truth, I ate insanely healthy this week... better than ever. I've traded in my typical dessert of light hot chocolate covered in fat free whipped cream or a black bean brownie smothered in whipped cream (both about 100-125 cals) for one piece of dark (70% cocoa) chocolate - saving myself 50-75 cals and satisfying my need for sweet a heck of a lot more. I must admit, it's no Fruit-n-Nut bar, but it works and that works for me! Secondly, I ran my a** off (literally). I ran four times last week, doing 3 mins running, 1 min walking intervals and started 4-n-1s this week. I'm thinking it must be the combo of the two that finally got me over "the hump".

I meant to take some pictures but I will for sure update this post later for you - right now, I'm running out the door - literally - time for a run! :)

Thanks for all your support - you guys are awesome. Definitely couldn't have done it without you!

Be sure to check out our Baby Mae Mini Diaper Bag Giveaway!

PS - Happy Early APRIL FOOLS!! :p I'm totally not at my goal weight and, trust me, if I was, you'd be getting pictures galore and a lot more celebration! :p

Why would I do an early april fools? Well, I'd like to say because I wanted to trick you and I thought if I posted it tomorrow, you'd totally catch on. But, truth is, I 100% thought today was April 1st and then my post didn't post when I set the date to April 1st. So, I'm like what the heck is going on? So I checked my computer's calender and it says March 31st. I was so convinced that it was April 1st that, for a second, I thought.... HA, funny, I wonder if all the computers are doing this today as an April Fools joke (yeah, because that would be acceptable - all the world's computers with a wrong date)! Seriously. I even ran through the "30 days has September..." rhyme in my head to make sure. I'm an idiot.

Weigh-in Wednesday

It's 8pm on Tuesday night. I'm waiting for Dan to get home from the gym with a bag of chips and a chocolate bar for me. Gonna go out on a limb and guess the scale ain't gonna say I dropped 10 lbs tomorrow morning... :p

Typically I have my once-weekly "cheat day" (essential to my sanity) on Wednesdays. Why? Well, obviously, because my cheat day means I can eat whatever I want - which usually means a lot of chocolate - which also translates into extra weight on the scale the next day (not significant obviously and always disappears by the Thursday or Friday). Thus, why I do it on Wednesday... so I have plenty of time to rid myself of set-back before my next weigh-in. Those of you who don't have a chocolate addiction are probably thinking "why do you need a cheat day? If you didn't have a cheat day think of how much more quickly you could have reached your goal!"... to you, I say I love you but, in reality, I'm giving you a big, Clueless-style, W - whatever! I'm 100% positive if I didn't give myself these scheduled cheat days, I would eat worse. I'd constantly be trying to fill my craving with other crap - likely carbs - instead of just having what I really want - my Cadbury Fruit and Nut bar (frozen, please). :p

Ok, aside from all that... here's my rationalization for having my cheat day today (Tuesday) vs. tomorrow. Jane slept like crap last night. Mostly I blame my husband for this who, during bedtime routine last night, says "she sleeps so well through the night now, eh?" (yes, we're Canadian, we say "eh"). My response? "KNOCK ON WOOD, DAN! Right now!". To which he responded "Oh, Jenny, that's stupid. I'm not going to change anything by saying something outloud." UH HUH. Right now is typically where, telling this story face-to-face, I would call my husband some "bad word" (idiot, stupid-a**, jerk, etc.) but would say it sarcastically and with a smile on my face to ensure the person I was talking to was aware that I wasn't seriously calling my hubby an idiot. However, because I'm writing this, I cannot say that as I'm pretty sure you guys can't see my expressions at this point - although, I'm pretty sure y'all know I'm not a total b-i-t-c-h (if I spell it is it less of a "swear word"?). Anyways. Here's the shocker (sarcasm)... By midnight, I had already been woken up 3 times by my little sweetie and had to feed her to get her back to sleep (usually she only needs a feed at 5ish and then back to bed). This is why you should not allow guns in your home. Obviously (although I'd never it admit it to him), it wasn't my husbands fault Jane was up... more likely the two front teeth that have been peaking through the gums for 3 weeks now. However, at 3am, exhausted and grouchy, there's no one better to blame (and want to injure) than the person sleeping soundly, and uninterrupted, next to you. So, moral of my story, I'm tired.

Tired = lazy = snacky. Thus, I've already eaten more than I should have today and might as well write the entire day off... I mean, if not, I'll have a crappy eating day today and tomorrow (two bad eating days for those of you who can't count :p) vs. just eating all the crap today and getting back on board tomorrow. PLUS - I was supposed to run today and I didn't because (1) I was tired and (2) despite sleeping horribly, Jane decided naps were not necessary today which kind of put a damper on the running situation. So, reason numero douce for having my cheat day today - I have to run tomorrow. I'm not going to run and then have a cheat day! So, if I don't have the cheat day today, then I'd have to sacrifice either the chocolate bar (unlikely) or the run (duh) tomorrow.

I'm just thinking - if a man is reading this (I don't know why a man would be reading this but regardless) he's probably thinking I'm crazy. What he doesn't know is that I'm pretty sure 90% of the women I know also think this way. Men don't get it. Man sees chocolate, eats chocolate. Woman sees chocolate, spends three days pondering the pros and cons of eating the chocolate and then eats it anyways.

This has always been part of my theory of why women "struggle" with weight issues more than men. Up until I started worrying about weight and food, I was skinny mini. It wasn't until I started thinking about it that I turned into a regular person vs. skinny mini! ha ha ha. I think it's a catch-22. Skinny girls don't often think about what they eat or when to eat or any of that nonsense - they eat when they're hungry, simple as that (novel idea, I know). But if you start worrying about your weight and what you're eating, you're always thinking about it, so you eat more - you plan when you're going to eat, what you're going to eat, etc. So, instead of eating when you're hungry - you plan to eat such-and-such at x time. Do you agree?

Ok, officially have to go - Dan's going to be home any minute with my chocolate! :p ha ha ha. If, by some miracle, I lose any weight according to the scale tomorrow - you'll hear about it. If you hear nothing, it's because I'm punishing myself on the treadmill (which is basically the only reason why I workout - punishment). Sidenote - I actually had a woman at the gym ask me one day what I was training for (because I was working out so intensely)... training. Hilarious. Punishment is much more motivating.

I've attached some recent pics I took of Janers. Although I write my nonsense and craziness about my weight on here, it is my mission in life to never discuss such things in front of her and pray that she can avoid the insecurities and body image issues of most of our generation... although, sadly, I doubt that's completely possible.

Hey - two giveaways this week! Check 'um out - top of the right-hand sidebar - Brand new Pampers products and an awesome sleep sack!

Weigh-in Wednesday

Feeling great as I've kept up with running for the last two weeks. I LOVE to run but, like most people, if I fall "off the wagon" (or have a baby in this case), it takes a lot to get me back at it - my motivation? The weather! The weather has been amazing the past two weeks. Seeing the runners out enjoying it just made me too envious so I had the join them.

I've started from scratch again, interval training. When I first really started running (almost two years ago), I took a Running Room course - Women's Learn to Run - and I really liked it. Once a week we had a "class" (20 min lesson on different running topics) followed by a run and then the Running Room has some sort of "group run" thingy-me-bobber on Sunday mornings where anyone can show up and you're pretty much guaranteed some running buddies at your level. So, I considered those both "mandatory" runs and then it was much easier, psychologically, to convince myself that I only had to run 1-2 additional times on my own during the week. The only con, and I'm not saying this to sound "cool", was that almost immediately I was a little "better off" then the rest of the ladies in my course and by week 3-4, I was starting to feel bad because I was so much faster (I'm taller, naturally I'd have a longer stride) than the rest of "the girls". Anyways, if you're interested in starting to run yourself - here's a similar interval training program to what I'm doing. Last week I did 2 mins walking, 1 min running (6 times) and this week I am doing 2 and 2 (5 times). I'm finding it pretty easy so far so I might switch it up and do 1 and 2... we'll see. My favourite part, about halfway through my run my love-handles start to itch which makes me feel like they are MELTING away! :p ha ha ha (in my dreams).

Ok, funny story... I wore my pre-pregnancy SKINNY jeans all day Saturday (Yup, that's right!) - and by wore, I mean went out in public with them so they didn't just fit, they were wearable (important distinction). Anyways, in the true style of a serial dieter, I thought I should reward myself with (if you don't know the answer to this you haven't been following my blog long enough)... A Cadbury Fruit and Nut Chocolate bar. Duh! I mean, women who don't reward themselves with food are my heroes! Diet experts are always saying "don't reward with food", buy yourself a pair of jeans or treat yourself to a massage.... uh, hello! If I was loaded rich, yeah, I might reward myself with a new pair of jeans every week. But, I live in the real world and in my world, reward = chocolate. Actually, pretty sure if I was loaded rich, I'd get chocolate and jeans. Anyways, that's not the story. So, I was eating my chocolate bar and lying on the couch (Jane was napping obviously) and, truth be told, I wasn't all that into the chocolate (which confirms my belief that I'm actually truly ready to be healthy again because it's the only reason I can think of that I wasn't savouring every precious bite). Regardless, I ate the whole bar. The next morning, I go into Jane's room when she wakes up and see dark poop smeared all over her sheets... I mean her whole room even stunk like poop (a sure sign of a dirty diaper). So, I carefully roll her around in her crib (I'm not picking her up until I'm aware of the situation) to see where the poop has managed to escape her diaper, sleeper and also a sleep sac and (WTF) I can't find any poop on her! So, I'm thinking this is an A&E mystery now to find out how the poop escaped three layers of clothing without getting on anything but the sheets. After a few seconds I thought "rub your hand in it Jen and see if it smells like poop" (ha ha ha - genius). Well, it didn't. Light bulb moment. When I had put Jane down to sleep the night before my nursing bra was still open. There must have been chocolate crumbs in my bra that fell into her crib as I laid her down and then melted into the sheets throughout the night... hilarious. I'm sure this stuff doesn't happen to skinny people! I'm sure Giselle isn't finding chocolate "poop stains" on her child's sheets in the morning. Look at all she's missing out on! :p Lesson learned. Next time I reward myself with chocolate, I need a bib.

Managed to drop another pound this week (I'm on a roll now, there's no stopping me):
Starting WIW weight: 157 lbs
Current weight: 140 lbs
Pounds lost: 17 lbs (Yeehaw!)
Pounds to lose: 3 lbs

At 140 lbs, I've reached my "conception weight" which, for most women, is likely their pre-pregnancy weight. Not me though. I convinced myself that before I got pregnant, I need to eat more nutritiously (which was basically just an excuse to eat more) so I gained 3 lbs before I even got pregnant (genius plan). Might have also had something to do with the fact that I read that full-fat dairy can help women ovulate or some nonsense and so I convinced myself to eat a serving of ice cream (definitely the full-fat dairy these "experts" had in mind) everyday before getting pregnant. ha ha ha. I'm awesome. :p

How y'all doing with the post-baby weight?

PS - A few recent pics of my diva-in-training (oh, the diva tantrums she has had the last few days are hilarious... in retrospect).

PPS - Who hasn't entered our Glow Baby Giveaway? You're nuts not to - makes a great shower gift or new baby gift if you're not a Mom/Mom-to-be!

Weigh-in Wednesday

Jane and I are sick. She's been battling a cold since Friday - so cute, she's still smiling. I dreaded the first cold, thinking my sweet, little, happy girl would turn into the child from "you know where".
Although she's been obviously miserable, she's still laughing and smiling and being her cheerful self... when she's not snuggling into Mommy (which I have to admit, I love - not that I wouldn't prefer her to be healthy rather than snuggly :p). I managed to catch a big, beautiful, booger bubble with the camera the other day - priceless. Perhaps only a mother could find that cute but for others I'm sure it'd make you chuckle this morning.

Myself, I have just been a bit tired the last few days as, of course, being sick, Jane's "schedule" is all shagged up and she's back to waking at least 2-3 times a night. She'll wake up coughing, sit up and then nothing except a little milk gets her back to sleep. So, it's not surprise, that after 4 nights of zombie-dom, I'm feeling like I got run over by a tank this morning and, I'm pretty confident, I look worse. We were trying to avoid heading to the docs in fear of the oh-so-terrifying (sarcasm) antibiotics, but, at this point, I'd rather be safe than sorry. Plus, it gives me an excuse to hit my favourite shopping spot... the drug store. Ahhhhh, aisles and aisles of beauty products just dying to be "needed" - heaven.

On a brighter note, I'm a pound skinnier this week, HOORAH! It's in my genetics that when I'm sick, I don't eat a whole lot. Add in the fact that things have been a little crazier than usual the last 4-5 days and you've got yourself a recipe for weight loss sans exercise. Only problem is, I think Jane's inherited this no-eating "rule" as she's basically sworn off solids the last few days... but, as usual, I'm still not quite sure what's going on (it usually takes a few days for me to figure out what she's up to). I think she may be going through an "independence" stage as she'll only eat if she can pick it up and feed herself - which, of course, stinks because I have a freezer full of fabulous homemade pureed baby food! Or, she may just be turned off the solids because of her cold (everyone knows what it's like when you are sick - you can't properly taste foods). So, I'm rolling with the punches and picking up some non-smushy foods today that she can pick up on her own. We'll see if that works. She had cheerios for the first time yesterday at my girlfriends house and she basically became a vacuum - crawling around cleaning up the cheerios that were dropped on the floor.

I'm still somehow (it's called denial, I believe) holding out hope that, if I lose these last few pounds, I'll fit into my work clothes properly again. So far, the shirts fit - which seems miraculous considering the obvious increase in size of my "assets" but the pants are killing me. We'll have to wait-n-see I guess!

Here are the stats for this week:
Starting WIW weight: 157 lbs
Current weight: 141 lbs
Pounds lost: 16 lbs
Pounds to lose: 4 lbs

American Girls - don't forget to submit your funniest Mommy Brain Moments to the Bright Starts Giveaway for a chance to win HUGE prizes - a deluxe playpen, automatic bouncer or two different swings! Check it out by clicking here.

Also, and y'all know I hate doing this - but TopMommyBlogs.com refreshed their rankings again... don't get me started. Could ya be a doll and click the button on the left to vote for me? Pretty please with cherries on top? All you have to do is click and your vote is cast! You can only vote once per day so anytime you get a chance to click, it's appreciated! :)

Weigh-in Wednesday

Is it Wednesday already? Seriously?

Quick post this morning as I've got the girls coming for a play-date today and, in true Mom style, I have to clean up the house to make it look as though it always looks that way. Meanwhile, currently you have to step over landmines (a.k.a. numerous toys) to get to the livingroom from the kitchen. :p I spent hours online trying to find the perfect storage bins and organizers for Jane's playroom... they've never been used. Why would I put it away just to take it out again?

I've run twice this week. Doesn't sound like much, I realize, but is basically a record for the last year so I'm feeling quite proud. Also, my girlfriend was in town with her little man (see pics) this weekend and we went to get my measurements for her bridesmaid dresses and I joked that they could just write down 34-24-36 so you can imagine that I almost peed my pants when the first two numbers were 34-26! What the heck is 2 inches, nothing (unless you're a man :p)... let me be clear that the salesperson pulled the measuring tape so tightly that I thought she bruised me (ha ha ha, kidding). As for the hips, the only number I saw put me in the 30's but, in true commissioned-salesperson style, I wasn't allowed to see the last number in fear that I'd take it a run (which we did anyways because my gf is from out of town and ordering the dresses at home :p). I figured if, by some miracle, I was in the 30's for hips, it's probably safest to go with 39.9 because there's no way this bootilicious chick is at 36! :)

At this point, I'm kind of counting on going back to work to get these final pounds off... if I ever find a job. Haven't applied for much but, fact is, there isn't much to apply for. I'm definitely thinking it will be easier to not eat my face off every day when I'm busy and not sitting next to the fridge all day. Boredom is the diet killer. I'm going to start reading again because a good book can make me forget to eat period (not that I recommend this for losing weight). Maybe another crazy mommy project on the horizon as well... we'll see what it takes to reach my goal.

I didn't lose any weight this week, which kind of stinks but, at this point, I'm pretty happy with how I'm looking so I'm not going to get all dramatic about it like I would have a few months ago. If my clothes fit, I'd be satisfied but no such luck which makes me grouchy.

Ok, see. This is what happens. I start writing a post, say it's going to be a short one and then can't stop "talking"... time to go. Cutting myself off. Must clean house.

Stats for this week:
Starting WIW weight: 157 lbs (seems like ages ago)
Current weight: 142 lbs
Pounds lost: 15 lbs
Pounds to lose: 5 lbs

FYI... my girlfriend braved my Black Bean Brownies that I posted about last week and loved 'um. She's gone home to make her own. She also suggested using an egg substitute (like Egg Beaters) instead of egg to make them even lower in calories.

Weigh-in Wednesday

Do you know how long I've been doing Weigh-in Wednesdays? 26 weeks. That's half a year. That's six months. That's insane!

I definitely didn't think it would last this long. Naively, I'm pretty sure I thought I'd have had all this weight off by the Fall! ha ha ha. Cracks me up. I could have had it all off by the Fall. But that would have required giving up chocolate and working out sooner than I wanted to... not worth it! :p It's all in your priorities people.

The 30 day shred is done, thank God. I lost, what? 3 pounds on it - WOOHOO (sarcasm). Actually, that ain't bad seeing as I seemed to have plateaued prior to that. I'll take it. I've been doing my own little 15 minute workouts every day (except for weekends, who works out on weekends?) since Monday (when the shred ended). Also, I have run once on the treadmill as well. I'm going to try to get up a little earlier in the AM now that Jane is basically sleeping through the night. Thinking if I aim for 2-3 runs per week (starting back at intervals) and 2-3 strength workouts, that'll be a realistic goal.

I've got two new addictions this week... numero uno is hummus and baby carrots. I thought I hated hummus. Then, at a playdate, one of the other Moms, Kathy Ann, introduced me to her hummus recipe and I've made it twice already. It's so easy and, more importantly, makes vegetables something I want to snack on!

Kathy Ann was nice enough to not be one of those people who keeps their winning recipes to themselves (you know who you are - it's like you're scared if we learn your recipe, we'll stop inviting you :p). Here it is:

1 can chickpeas (drained)
2-3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp tahini (sesame seed butter - can be found with the all natural peanut and almond butters)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cumin (very important ingredient, cumin is necessary)
A little s & p
Chuck it all in the food processor and mix until it's not chunky anymore. SO tasty. Eat it with carrots, peppers, etc. or with some pita.
For about a 1/4 cup serving, it's only like 50 cals - so mix it with veggies and it makes for a low cal, super healthy snack!

Secondly, and you have to be open-minded for this one, I have substituted my chocolate addiction with Black Bean Brownies. Hold on, hold on. Before you write me off... they aren't that bad. I'm not going to lie, they aren't brownies. But, they do satisfy my chocolate need for a lot less calories and a lot more nutrition. I got the recipe years ago from Oprah, I think, as she had somebody on who was trying to help parents get their kids to eat better by sneaking healthy things into things that kids liked.

Here's the recipe for Black Bean Brownies:
1-15 oz can Black Beans, rinsed (shake off excess water)
3 eggs, divided
4 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 - 2.25oz jar baby food prunes
2 cups of sugar or splenda, or do what I did and use 1 cup splenda brown sugar
3 tbsp flour
3/4 cup cocoa
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Blend beans and one egg in food processor until completely smooth.
Add melted butter, remaining eggs, vanilla and prunes to bean mixture. Mix thoroughly.
Add remaining ingredients - sugar, flour, cocoa - and stir. I used Splenda brown sugar because it's all I had on hand.
Pour in buttered 9x13" pan. Bake for 25-30 mins or until knife inserted into middle comes out clean.
Makes 24.

Here's the deal on these brownies... If you're expected a brownie, you're going to be disappointed. If you're expecting a healthy brownie alternative, you'll be pleasantly surprised. For 100 cals a pop, you get a nice sized brownie. I put a few tablespoons of frozen, fat free, cool whip on mine to act as a ice cream substitute (necessary if you ask me). This combo makes it taste pretty good! The consistency is moist and dense but if you're willing to give 'um a go and have an open mind, it's worth it. I think most people get hung up on the bean part of it and turn into a 5 year old who doesn't want to eat their broccoli. :p With that said, I'll be making these for years to come as they are much better for Jane than a regular brownie for a treat - she'll never know I'm sneaking good stuff into her tummy!

Okee dokes ladies, here are the stats for this week (we're getting there!):
Starting WIW weight: 157 lbs
Current weight: 142 lbs
Pounds to lose: 5 lbs
Pounds lost: 15 lbs

Oh, FYI... I got a great update from my old partner in crime, Jill, who joined me for operation "Bringing Sexy Back" in the early days... she's preggers again! YIPEE! Congrats Jill!

Weigh-in Wednesday

This is my third weigh-in post starting the 30 Day Shred. I'm on level 3 now, which I like a lot better than level 2. With that said, I have a few issues with this 30 day shred business:

(1) It says the average person lose at least 10 lbs on this program. I think it should clarify. If I lost 10 lbs, I'd be 134 lbs - basically a tiny person. I don't think it's possible for me to get down to my wedding-weight (basically) by working out 20 minutes a day when the last time I got to that weight I was working out for a least an hour a day.

(2) I don't find the workouts that hard. I should be clear - They are difficult, yes. I do sweat a little, yes. I do find it challenging while I'm doing it, yes. BUT, I don't find it so challenging that after 20 minutes "I'm dying" (as Jillian Michaels says I should be) and I definitely don't find it so challenging that I think I'm going to be "shreded" in 30 days. So, without meaning to offend anybody, I think this workout is definitely great for beginners early in their weight-loss program or for those who have never really done muscle strengthening workouts. It would have been wicked for me earlier in my quest to lose the baby weight but I think right now, with only a few more pounds to lose, I might need a bit more than the 20 mins a day to get past this plateau. I think after this is over, next week, I'm going to kick off my own little program of cardio and weight training. I don't think the shred is offering me enough calorie burning potential to make a difference to me at this point.

(3) In level 3, during one of the three minutes of abs you do the entire workout, Jillian says something like "you should be starting to see that 6-pack by now". Seriously? I don't think it's physically possible to get 6-pack abs in 30 days unless you starve yourself and do an additional 20 mins of abs separately every day in addition to the shred. Just a thought though. And the fact that she says that pisses me off a little because I have been working my buns off during the abs portions of the workout because that's my biggest trouble zone right now and I don't even have a pack, let alone 6 of them! Also, she keeps saying "if you want to look like this" and "if you stick with it you can look like this" referring to her backup dancers (alicia and somebody else)... I realize this is meant to motivate us, but again, seriously?

I sound a little bitter and, truth is, I am just disappointed... I bought into the hype. I expected to be shreded. :p Regardless, I'm going to finish it off... my 30 days. And, I'm looking forward to it being over. Although, it may not have produced the results I, unrealistically, expected in the early days, it has given me back my motivation to workout again and be healthier. Oh, and my butt does look a lot better. I swear that's the only thing I've really noticed a change in... my hamstrings looks nicer and my butt looks better. Definitely not a total loss (I think my husband would agree - not that he had complaints before). :)

On another bright note, I went shopping yesterday morning - trying to waste time in between dropping Dan at work and our swimming lesson - and I bought, and fit into, a pair of size 6 cords. I have attached photos as proof (I left the size tag on for you and everything). :p YIPEE.

Here are my stats for this week:
WIW starting weight: 157 lbs
Current weight: 143 lbs
Pounds lost: 14 lbs
Pounds to lose: 6 lbs (almost 5, which is NOTHING :p)

Stick with it to the rest of the girls out there shreding... if nothing else, we can all stand together and say we did it! And, I'm sure, like me, y'all are motivated again and back on the exercise train. :p

Almost forgot - today's the last day to enter my Green Beaver Giveaway - people, people, people you are nuts not to jump on this one! The products are amazing, the hoops are minimal! :p

Weigh-in Wednesday

I've been doing "the shred" for two weeks and two days now... I can't lie. I've missed two days which, in my opinion, ain't half bad. Two days out of 16 straight is a record for me by far. I've never worked out every day in my life! At the most 5 days a week and that was pre-wedding. Regardless, sticking to it and enjoying it (my lip curled a bit when I said this). I hate having to do it but when I'm doing it and afterward, I am enjoying it. I'm still on level 2 and think I will move up to level 3 next Monday. I actually find level 2 easier than level 1 but there's a lot of plank-ish stuff that I find hard because my arms suck. Honestly, maybe that's why I've had two days off on level 2, because there's a lot of arm stuff. I don't give a dang about my arms.... abs yes, legs yes, buns yes, arms bleh. As long as they aren't severe Oprah-arms, I don't really care. :p

Eating is going a lot better since I started working out, aside from the odd day where I eat a treat or two. This last week was a little challenging - Dan's birthday with the whole ice-cream cake, Superbowl Sunday where I tried to not get a treat but ended up eating a cupcake, bag of chips and a nanaimo bar :p (FAIL) and then Monday, where for whatever reason (my 8 month old daughter - not pointing fingers though :p) I was exhausted and ate about 3 more pita than I should have. Not a big folly but enough to make it a weight-neutral day vs. a weight-loss day. Who pigs out on pita? I love pita. Pita and cheese. Pita and peanut butter. Plain pita. Everything pita. Then Dan has the nerve to say, after I confessed about my excessive pita eating, "well, there's a lot of carbs in pita - maybe you shouldn't eat as many" - to be clear, my hubby doesn't want me to lose weight, he just tries to be helpful and instead ends up getting himself in deep **** because of the less-than-smart things he says (stupid is not a nice word :p). Remember my top 10 list from pregnancy... priceless.

So, here's the deal. I'm down a pound this week. After last week's disappointing results, this makes me half-smile. Not quite the excessive weight loss I was hoping for. With that said, I put on my pre-pregnancy jeans on Sunday morning, buttoned them up and wore them around the house for 30 minutes. As long as I'm standing, we're good! Soon as I sit I risk a major button blow out or severe internal injuries from excessive pressure applied to the abdomen. :p Oh yeah, and they are so tight in the legs they look like they were painted on. Big whoop. They were on, I was wearing them and that it's the point!!! Unlike previous weeks, I didn't have any muffin top after they were buttoned, so that's a change and change is good.

Here are the specifics for those who care:
WIW starting weight: 157 lbs
Current weight: 144 lbs
Pounds lost: 13 lbs
Pounds to lose: 7 lbs

If you don't have the $$ for Jillian's 30 Day Shred, try the workout video below (tip: don't lift from your back, lift from your thigh-roid) :p



In the fabulous words of Meryl Streep, Devil Wears Prada (best movie ever)... That's all.

Weigh-in Wednesday

Today is day 10 of the 30 day shred. I've done that stupid workout for 9 days straight... well, that's not 100% true. I didn't want to do it last night at all. I sat around pouting about it for 30 minutes and then Dan suggested just doing a few crunches and whatnot right there while watching tv. That sounded much better but then once I started, I ended up working out there in the livingroom for at least 20 minutes and probably pushed myself harder than I would have had I done the workout. So, I'm counting that as a shred day even though I didn't actually do the video.

On day 7, I moved up to level 2. Level 1 was getting BOOOOOring and not so difficult come day 5-6 so I knew I had to kick it into gear. I thought the level-up would be a big challenge but it wasn't too tough at all, which was nice. Plus, I could have done level 1 with my eyes closed and mute on by that point.

The body is a little sore this morning but I think that's because I threw in some different moves last night on my own, like I said, so it was a little muscle wake-up, which I think is a good thing to do (seeing as the premise of this whole workout series is "muscle confusion" and keeping your muscles "guessing"). Other than that, I haven't really been sore since day 2-3 of the workout, just a little stiff some mornings.

I've been doing better than ever with the eating and have been finding it surprisingly easier to do so since I started the workout, so, if nothing else, that's a bonus! Dan's bday is tomorrow, however, and "all he wants" is a Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake. My plan is to have a small sliver, so I can still enjoy without over-indulging. We'll see how that goes! :) I haven't had DQ cake in like 3 years or more! :p Maybe it won't be as good as I remember? I am a bit of a chocolate/dessert snob these days it seems (if you can't have quantity, you must have quality).

So, down to the nitty gritty. After a night of little sleep (imagine the grouchiest Jen in you heads possible), I stepped on the scale and POOF! Effin' nothing. Are you kidding me? I literally can not comprehend at all how I didn't lose at least a pound in the last 10 days! Seriously! My only explanation (and this has happened to me before) is that sometimes, when you start working out after a long hiatus, because you are putting on muscle and muscles weighs more than fat (not sure if you all knew that ladies), but your weight remains the same but your size decreases. It's one of the many frustrations of working out! This is likely why I am not decently fitting into my pre-preggers clothes right now, despite being 145 lbs - although this is 8 lbs off my pre-preggers weight, I used to fit into my clothes at 145 lbs. So, obviously (and this shocks me after 8 months of not working out - sarcasm) I am less muscle than I used to be. :p Hilarious.

After that depressing weigh-in, and my exhaustion, I told Dan today that I'd rather tweeze my arm hairs off one by one than do that stupid shred crap today. However, I am going to do it. This is the thing I hate most about this workout... it's only 20 minutes. I used to love that feature. Now, it's the angel on my shoulder when I want the devil to win... "it's only 20 minutes"! :p In all honesty, the workout is pretty easy to do. The fact that it's only 20 minutes is it's saving grace. I swear, if it were 22 minutes, I'd be less willing to do it daily.

My motivation to keep going is my jeans. Oh, how I want to look good in my cute jeans again. My "in-betweeny" jeans that I bought to make myself feel good in November are basically making me look like a plumber because they are so big on me now (which does make a girl feel good) but makes a girl look like ____. I've considered buying a new pair of "in-betweenies" but I'm forcing myself to wait until day 30 of the shred to determine if it's necessary... I pray for you all that it's not as OMG the whining you will hear. :p

Here are the details:
Starting WIW weight: 157 lbs
Current weight: 145 lbs (stupid)
Pounds lost: 12 lbs
Pounds to lose: 8 lbs

Quite a few of you emailed me saying you were trying out the shred along with me - Lindsay, Jen, Mandi (I'm writing your names so you're now accountable to the blogging world as well) - so I hope you're sticking with it and doing your best! Don't let my neutral weigh-in (HAH, was going to say "lack of weight loss" but this is my "spin") dissuade you (Emily - is that proper use of dissuade?)... I'm positive that next week will yield better results! :)

For the Mommas out there with babes in diapers and the Moms-to-be looking to score some free goodies - enter my SkinFix Buttocks Paste Giveaway before next Monday!

Weigh-in Wednesday

Dear Lord, I've gotten myself in over my head now... Save yourselves!

I'm starting Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred... and shred is about the perfect description of what I want to do to this DVD at this point. :p

Y'all know I've been saying for like 500 months now that I need to exercise. I got this DVD when I was still pregnant, knowing, eventually, I'd want to get myself back into shape. I can't dislike myself any longer. I want to be proud of myself again and get back to being confident, sexy, me. Oh yes, I said sexy. Cause that's what this is all about - Operation Bringing Sexy Back Baby! I am SOOOO cool!

The 30 Day Shred is currently numero uno on Amazon.com's Bestselling DVDs. Not surprising, being that it's January and basically the whole world decides come January 1st to lose weight. Regardless, I've read quite a few reviews and it seems to be a good bet. PLUS, and my fav part, the videos are only 20-30 mins each which is totally doable and fits my in-between-naps schedule.

Here's the "to dos" for the 30 Day Shred:
(1) Take you measurements - Measure each arm (thickest part), each thigh (thickest part), upper waist (smallest), lower waist (at your belly button), and your hips (biggest part). I did this. To my shock and dismay, I am not the 36-24-36 that I envisioned beforehand! :p
(2) Get your DVD and set aside about 30 minutes EVERY DAY (oh Dear Lord) for the workout. Apparently, and I quote, "It's very difficult in the beginning because you will be so sore, it will hurt to live." Awesome. I remember kind of liking the pain after a good workout but that was when I wasn't required to do much besides lie on the couch afterward (i.e. pre-Mommy).
(3) Start with 3lb or 5lb dumbbells depending on your fitness level - I'm starting with negative weight. I'm actually having Dan lift my arms for me! ha ha ha.
(4) There are three levels of difficultly (I was actually going to put "1, 2 and 3" after that first sentence... like it wasn't obvious. No, they'd be levels 1, 4 and 22!). You start with level one (duh) and, ideally, every 10 days move up a level until you're at 3. We'll see how well that works with the whole "hurt[ing] to live" thing.
(5) At the end of 30 days, take your measurements again. Even if you haven't made it to level three, you're supposed to see some good results - typically around 10 lbs.

30 days. 30 days. I can do 30 days can't I? I'm half tempted just to see if I can stick to it, not even because of the weight-loss potential... just to see if I can start it without quitting. It'll be harder to quit now that I've posted about it and included pictures cause I'm relying on y'all to hold me to it! We're expecting some results in 30 days ladies! BTW, the pictures are hideous. I'm thinking if I post really horrible looking pics of myself today and then get myself prettied up for the final photos, then y'all won't notice if I didn't lose a pound! :p Not really true but sounds better than - I was too lazy to put on makeup and brush my hair! :)

Anyways, here are my stats for pre-shred:
Starting WIW weight: 157 lbs
Starting Shred weight: 145 lbs
Pounds lost since WIW start: 12 lbs
Pounds to lose: 7 lbs

As I said, save yourselfs... or join me. :p

*Note - this WIW post was written on Monday, pre-shred start.

Update #1 - First day of the shred done. It was hard. Not as hard as I expected but afterward, my legs were a little shaky walking back upstairs. Tomorrow should be interesting.

Update #2 - Was a little sore in my legs, abs and chest today when I woke up. Then, I had to do the shred again. I found the exercise easier, somehow, today (I was pushin' it more) but my body was hurting a lot more too. Tonight my body is KILLING me, I can barely move! :p

Update #3 - Morning number 3. On scale of 1 to 10, body hurting at a 5ish, so not bad. A lot better than I expected after barely being able to move last night. We'll see how I feel later this morning after the workout.

BTW, the workout is pretty wicked - I LOVE that it's only 20 mins. It's really hard to not do it when it's only 20 mins!