The past week 1/2 has started the second set of workouts. I have to say, I am not having fun. These workouts are not enjoyable what-so-ever. But the fact is, it works. I am still trying my best to power through. I am starting to have problems with my left shoulder. It pops & gets kind of soar. This does concern me.

I am just not use to these types of exercises, but I knew this when I told the hubs that I wanted it. I loved my Tae-Bo. It kicked my butt, but not in a cardio way. I just really notice that cardio is and has never been my strength. I think thats why I am pushing myself to finish this. When it's all done, I am hoping to go back to the beginning & go through the program again.

I did loose another pound & around 2-2 1/2 inches. And thats just it. The results are there. I feel great when I put jeans or dress pants on & it's not a struggle. I actually had to wear a belt the other day AND I had to tighten my belt another notch. I had not done that in years! So, I am very pleased with my results. Just takes a lot of motivation to get yourself going for an hour of intense butt-kickin.

Huh?

Ok, so Recovery week is now over. I enjoyed this week. Felt like I got a lot out of it, but not killing myself in the meantime. I did my Fit Test last night. I am not thrilled with my results, but I didn't do any worse. Plus the kid was trying to work out with me as well. Quite the cute distraction. So, since I am starting a new series of workouts now, I decided to watch the next workout to see what I am getting myself into. Yikes. Yikes. Yikes. I am freakin nervous. I can already feel the soarness that I will be feeling the following day. I just hope it doesn't wipe me out to the point that I don't want to go out tonight. Thats what happened after the Fit Test. Just kicked my now smaller booty. Wish me luck!!!

Off Track

Ok, this is totally off my Insanity subject, but Blogger is confusing me. I have been trying to respond back to comments & it tells me to sign (after I have already signed in). So, I sign in. It takes me back to the comment I just tried leaving & when I type the word verification it signed me out & then i have to sign in again. And it keeps listing me as anonymous. What the heck? Can anyone explain this to me? It should not be this hard.

Am I Insane?

I am in "Recovery Week" right now. Not suppose to over do it. Well, I have a pretty big event this weekend & I want to shrink down as much as possible. I just completed the recovery workout & in about 15 minutes I am going to bust out the Cardio Abs. It's only a 16 minutes workout, but it is an Insane 16 minutes.

I think I am starting to get to the addicted stage of all this. At random today, I was doing laundry & wanted to wash what I had on. So, I went digging through the ol' chest of shorts. Came across a pair of denim shorts that I have not worn in pry 3-4 years. Scared out of my mind to try them on (they're a 3/4). It was a little bit of a struggle getting them up over my hips, but once they were on, oh my word! They freakin fit! Yesterday, I put on a pair of cargo pants. Usually when I put these on, I am having to stretch them out. You know what I mean. Do some squats, put your hands in the pockets & just stretch them out. Well, not this time! Up & on. I am so excited about this. I feel so great right now. I so recommend this to everyone... especially if you actually like cardio... I still do not like it. But I am better at it now than I have ever been in my life. Well, maybe accept for when I was 10 racing BMX bikes. That was as cardio as it got. Everything else was strength driven. This has taught me that I am capable. This has taught me dedication. It has taught me to stop when I need to & push myself when necessary. I am not sure what this next month holds for me, but I am so excited to find out!

Hugs,
Niccole

Week 5???

Really? Week 5? I have completed my first month and now I am in a "recovery" week. I was suppose to be off today, but I am unable to workout tomorrow, so being the dedicated person that I am to this program, I did tomorrows today. This workout was awesome! Core Cardio & Balance. I sweat just as much as if I were jumping around like in the hardcore workouts. I just feel awesome right now. I actaully went & purchased a "recovery" drink & I think it really may have helped rejuvenate me after the workout. I don't know. I am pretty stoked right now to do this recovery week & then enter into the "Max-interval" trainging. Of course scared to death to see how tough that is going to be. But feeling the way I do at this moment, I say bring it! WooT! I am in it ya'll!

Stronger

Ok, so yesterday I stated that I felt heavy. Thinking maybe it had something to do with doing it first thing in the morning. Well, I think that may be true. Today required 2 workouts. Pure Cardio & Cardio Abs. I did Cardio Abs around 9 this morning & then did Pure Cardio this afternoon. I got so much more of the workout accomplished. Makes me wonder how much better I would be off had I stuck with it in the afternoon. Oh well. That's in the past and now I know this is how I need to do it. I feel great today. WooT!

Week 4

I cannot believe I have been doing this for 4 weeks. I am so proud of myself. However, I really need to work on the eating aspect of this program. I am not really loosing pounds like I had hoped. I have lost 1 1/2 inches which is awesome, but I need to do better. The program only works if I follow the whole program. I don't eat unhealthy, but I don't follow the guide to a T. When I have a heavier meal then I eat pretty small portions and really try to keep at that portion, meaning, don't go back for another small portion.

This week has been a struggle. My energy has been low. I have been doing my workouts in the a.m. like 5:30 or 6. I don't think that is working to well for me. I feel fatigued. Very heavy, especially my legs. I don't eat before I workout & I am very thirsty 1/2 way through the warm up. There is so much high energy, jogging, squatting and jumping that I don't want to drink gulps of water cuz then it just hurt and you can hear it just sloshin around in your belly. So, I think I am just going to have to go back to doing it when my baby is napping. Which kind of blows, because I have been having me time when he naps... that has been real nice. I guess if I think about it, the workout is me time. Just not as relaxing as laying in the sun...

HUGS,
Niccole

Arggg!

So, in my last post I posted that I was so proud of myself that I had not skipped a day.Well, yesterday was the day that I had skipped. I should have done it before I went to work, but figured I would do it when I got home. Well, we decided to out to dinner & then I ended up doing so much running around that by the time I got home & got the kid to bed, it was way too late. So, the plan was to get up early today & do the work out + the Recovery that I failed to do yesterday...

Well, let me just say that I will never skip a day again. I had skipped the Recovery workout & I really felt the mistake of that during my workout. I stopped at one point & actually cried a little because I was so mad at myself. All I kept saying was "if only...". After the tears, I decided to focus on right now & make it right. I did the best I could.

After the workout, I wanted to make up for yesterday & do Recovery. Oh my word. I did about 5 minutes & called it quits.I had no more strength. This is such a lesson learned. From now on, the days that I work I have to do to it before work. Point blank. So, shame on me & now I am moving forward.

Thank You and Good Night.

Ooop

I've been slacking in the blogging department, huh? Well, that does not mean that I have been slacking in the Insanity department. I have not skipped a day. I owe this to the wall calendar. This thing really keeps me on track. There has been a time or 2 that I was just not motivated. But this is a 60 day program. It only works if you do it!

Saturday, I did my Fit Test. I was anxious & nervous about it. But turns out I had no reason to be. I blew away my first time numbers. Most of them got beat by a little more than double. This tracking sheet is brilliant! Because when you see that you have improved, it makes you want to keep going. Now of course, I am thinking in 2 weeks, how am I going to beat these new numbers. We will see what happens.

I think I am doing better all the way around. An issue I am running into, is that I sweat so much, that I step in the sweat that has dropped on the floor & it make my shoes slip. This is a huge problem when you are trying to drills that are in plank position. It gets so frustrating. So, the hubs recommended that I wear a bandanna... brilliant. Not 100%, but a lot better. Ok, well, gotta get to gettin. Se ya soon!

Phew...

Thank goodness that is out of the way. I have had a change in work schedule this week & wondered how & when in the world was I going to get my insanity in. Well, due to the fabulous storm this morning, it was quite easy to get up & get it going. I kept pondering, do I do it before work (5 a.m.) or do it after. Do it before work & it's way cooler in the house, but on an empty stomach. Do it after work when I have eaten and will be more energetic , but mentally exhausted from work & would be distracted my son... can't resist him. So, it took everything I had this morning to get it done & now I am so glad I did.
I am almost done with week 2. Some things I have improved on & others are still a very strong struggle. For whatever reason, this week is just harder. My body just feels heavy. I think that happens. They say muscle weighs more that fat. Well, that's what it's feeling like. My body isn't use to lifting legs with more muscle or my arms. But I am pushing through. I just look at my calendar & see where I am & what still needs to be done & that really keeps me going. I am anxious to do my Fit Test to see if I have improved. If I haven't that will be discouraging. Hopefully that will put me in the mindset to dig deeper & work even harder and not actually deter me from going forward with it.
I have not weighed myself lately due to me feeling heavy. However, my clothes are feeling so much more comfy. So as long as I am feeling better about what I am wearing, the number doesn't matter as much.

Disappointed

Wow. Not sure what has happened today, but I am very disappointed in myself. For some reason, I feel very heavy. Not heavy, overweight, but heavy, worn out, muscles are heavy. I guess when I think about it, I know why. I did not go to bed until a little after 2 in the a.m. Was woke up at 5:30 & have been up ever since (it's now 2:45). I ate a bowl of cereal about 10 minutes before the workout. And those are probably the reasons why I feel the way I do & performed the way I did. I did make it through the warm up. I am still very proud of that, but as soon as the plank position stuff comes in, I just give in. I just don't think I did as well today. I don't know, I was not mentally in the game either. Too many things on my mind. Isn't it weird how your mood can really affect the things you do & things that you actually like to do? I know this post sounds negative & that I am giving up... I am NOT! Not by any stretch of the imagination. Just mad at myself for not being as focused & as in it as I need to be. I will sleep well tonight & be ready to dig deeper tomorrow. I'm out.

Heck-To-The-Yeah!

Oh my gosh. I cannot believe what I just did! I just completed the warm up 100%!!!!!!! I was so proud of myself that I was literally almost in tears. Yesterday, I did about 95% & today I freakin completed that insane warm-up. Unless you have done that warm-up, you have no idea what I am talking about. That warm works you harder than most workouts as a whole. Hi-5's all the way around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My struggle now is mainly the push-up aspect of it all. I did accomplish more today than I have this past week. So, I am growing stronger. I am learning to push the pause button if I feel I am really lagging behind. To me, that take strength & courage. Yeah, I might me be taking longer breaks (like a minute vs 30 sec)than what I should, but to me, I am doing the work-out in it's entirety, not just huffin & puffin through til the next exercise.

Oh my gosh, you guys. I am just on a high right now. Such a sense of accomplishment! WooooooT!

"This Sh*t Is Ba-Na-Nas, Yo"

Straight from Shaun T's mouth. No joke... lol. It makes you feel better when your trainer is thinking the exact same thoughts as you. He also says "Sometimes I wonder why I got into physical fitness. What was I thinking? Because I like looking good!". I love this guy. That is all I can say. He did creep me out for a minute because about the last minute of the stretching (you do this about 5 minutes in after intense circuit training) he asks "is anyone else nervous about what we are about to get into? Because I am". Holy crap, the creator of this is freakin nervous. This is so insane. Really. As much as it hurts & I can't complete all of it... yet... I do love it. I have found that I am already getting stronger through certain exercises. For example, the very beginning of each workout is the same circuit training. Well, I have controlled my breathing & I can now complete probably about 95% of it. The first day, I could do about 1/2. So, not even 1 full week into it & I can feel a change & growth in how much I can do. Today I am not as sore... thanks to the Recovery workout. It just makes me want to keep doing more & dig deeper! Thank You Shaun T. You're changing me!!!

Recovery

I liked this one. Of course I liked this one, it was nothing like the other high impact, high intensity workouts. This one was about recovering your muscles from the previous workouts. I really needed this workout due to it feeling like I have rocks in my calves. I was actually wishing I had done this before work. I think it would have really helped me throughout the day. It was still tough. I have never felt "the burn" like this before. I have felt burn before, but this one seemed to take it to another level. I could actually feel it moving to my skin. It was one of the craziest feelings. This was a lot of static stretching... long static stretching. Your holding positions for around 20-30 seconds. Try doing that in a deep lunge position. Ummm... it hurts so good? Anyway, the workout is going very well. Out of curiosity, I weighed myself (not unusual for me to do) yesterday morning. Only 2 real workouts, plus the Fit Test and I lost 2 lbs. Oh yeah, that's motivation! Thank you ladies for your love and support! I know this isn't the most fun thing to read about me, but it really means a lot to know you all care!

HUGS
Niccole

Cardio Power & Resistance

Today was more my style. Still very hard, but it wasn't as much jogging. It had some kicks, squats & jumps. The jumps are crazy hard. If you break your rhythm, it's hard to get back into it. There are more push-up type exercises in this video & upper arm work. Push-ups have always been a weak spot. However, I cannot help but think that having my son has actually helped my arm strength. There is one set that I cannot get the hang of. They are called moving push-ups. In plank position, you walk your legs and arms to one side all while dipping down for your ups. I just couldn't quite master the move. I enjoyed this dvd quite a bit more. I didn't have the struggle to breathe in this one. So it didn't feel like I was knocking on deaths door. Really, one of the hardest things is to push through the soreness of the previous days workout. But once you get it going you forget that you were hurting. You are too focused on new pains & struggles... lol

Niccole

Plyometric Cardio Circuit

Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. That is all I can say. This was so stinkin hard. A couple of times, I wanted to pass out if I didn't take a break. I had a hard time breathing at one point. Crazy how your emotions can get in the way. I almost cried at 1 point it was so tough. I have never been strong in the cardio aspect of working out & this is definitely proving that I am not good at it. Seriously.

This workout is a ton of running and jumping. Throw in some push-up & other exercises in the plank position. All of this done in a circuit training method. Each time you do the next rep, you are to increase your speed. Yeah, not this go round. I will be so proud of myself when I can complete this workout with out stopping once. That feels like so far away, but I am going to dig deeper to do it.

Niccole

The Fit Test

My husband said it best. "This is insanity... how out of shape we are". The Fit Test is a dvd that takes you through certain exercises in 1 minute intervals. They have supplied you with a track sheet. After each excerise you write how many you did in that 1 minute. Through the course of 5 weeks, you should see these numbers increase. This was freakin KILLER!!! And this is just the test! I was pretty sure that had my son not cried almost bloody murder from his nap, I would have puked. No joke. Your throat, chest & heart hurt! This is no joke! What is driving me is knowing that with the fit test & tracking sheet, I will actually see the numbers go up. That is motivation for me. I am very anxious to do tomorrows. I watched the video to know what to expect & all I can do is shake my head & think how in the world am I going to accomplish this? They keep saying be safe. Take a break when needed. So what is a 40 minute workout, may be an hour for me. I am going to play it safe. Not saying I am not going to push myself, but I won't kill myself. I'm too young to self inflict a stroke upon myself. I wanted to sit a couple of times during the Fit Test, but my man kept telling me to keep moving. I wish he could this with me everyday, because I want & need his support through this. But, it is what it is. Maybe I will bust out an old school tape recorder & record his voice with motivating messages. Anyone have a tape recorder? Ummm & some tapes to go with it? Lol!

*HUGS*
Niccole

A New Me

Hi. My name is Niccole. I am a very happily married woman with the most amazing 2 year old son in the world! Really he is the best kid! My husbnad is amazing in so many ways. But the most amazing thing as of the past year, is that he works tail off so I can be home most of the week with our son. I only work 2 1/2 days a week. My intention when I dropped pt was that I was going to loose weight. The office that I worked in was notorious for in bringing food all the time. Sometime I could resist, other times, not so much. They would order out for lunch very frequently. I resisted that most of the time, but sometimes I wanted in on that pizza order. Since I have been home more, I have been cooking with my son in mind & the most econmic way to eat. So, I make a lot of casseroles. The boy likes em & then we have left overs. Well, the problem with casseroles it's that there's usually pasta & cheese involved. Though I love both of those, the muffin top tells a different story. So that being said...

Today, May 14, 2011, I am starting the Insanity challenge. I have seen the infomercial several times & just thought "this is it! this is what I need!". My husband is even on board with it! Due to his crazy work schedule he will be unable to do it every day, but he will do it! But I am willing to Dig Deep & transform this mom bod into something more comfy & flattering. Now, I am not going to lie, I am almost scared to try this work out. Just the first 5 minutes look ball busting. I have been praying literally all morning for the strength to get me through this process. I sure hope he's listening!!! I hope you follow me on this journey & please feel free to leave motivating comments!

*HUGS*
Niccole