Day 23....just get through it.

Well, I just didn't have the energy I would like to have during today's workout. Today was Cardio Power and Resistance and I felt kind of sluggish the whole time. I did get a pretty good workout, but I have had better, more productive workouts. My mind just wasn't 100% into it, and my body would have preferred to sit and watch rather than work out. In fact, my mom and I talked about taking turns working out....we decided we probably wouldn't get into shape as quickly by watching each other work out. But, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I don't know why, but today was the day for me to notice annoying things about the people on this DVD. First, Shaun T tends to swear at unnecessary times. There is a time and a place for profanity and he doesn't seem to know the proper time. Believe me, there are times a swear word or two would be appropriate....he just seemed to miss those times today. The other thing that bothered me was something gross! After the warm up, during the water break, I was watching the DVD and what do I see? I see one of the women walk over to the sideline (these workouts take place in a gym) and she SPIT! Right on the gym floor! Ick. Then she uses her hand to wipe the excess spit off her mouth. She could have gone to a garbage can, or spit in a towel, or taken a drink of water instead, but she felt the need to spit right on the floor. Gross.

So, after I got over the annoying things, I was able to get in a pretty good workout. Like I said, it wasn't the best I have ever had, but it was definitely a good workout. I still love the fact that you do circuits. I love doing a few exercises in a group and knowing that you will repeat them and do them harder and faster each time. It is tiring and my muscles burn, but I know that I am getting stronger and in better shape each time I push a little harder.

All in all, I am glad I worked out today but I am ready to push harder and focus more tomorrow. I am just taking it one day at a time.

Day 24....going to give it my all.

Day 22....Another Ab day.

Today has been a great day so far! Everyone woke up in great moods and we had no problems getting everyone ready and off to school on time. What a great way to start out the week! We do have what seems to be a pulled hamstring in the family but it is on our 3 year old. She woke up with a sore leg and it hasn't gotten much better since she has been up and around. We are going to try and ice it today and hope it feels better soon! I think she is faking the injury so she wouldn't have to work out with us this morning. I might have to use that excuse sometime.

Mom and I jumped right into Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs after dropping off the kids at school. As usual, Pure Cardio kicked my still out of shape behind, but I am getting further and further into these workouts before having to admit that my butt has officially been kicked. It is so much fun that the time just flies by, though! Even when I am hating a particular exercise, I am having fun. My only complaint is the fact that I am pretty sure that Shaun T doesn't know how to time a minute! He says each exercise in Pure Cardio is a minute long, but I am POSITIVE that some of them last for longer than a minute. As if Pure Cardio isn't tough enough, we have to go right into Cardio Abs. That wouldn't be so bad if my abs were at least somewhat in shape. I am getting better, though. Each time I can feel my abs getting stronger. Maybe someday I will be able to complete the whole ab workout. That would be quite the accomplishment!

On a side note, my ankle feels pretty darn good so I am hoping that the worst is behind me. I may have passed the injury bug on, though. Mom pulled a muscle today that she may or may not have pulled last week as well....hopefully that doesn't follow her the rest of the program!

Day 23....looking forward to you already!

Day 21....Rest day.

I am so glad today was a rest day! I actually realized late this morning that my ankle feels better. I haven't jumped on it or anything crazy today, but I am hoping that it doesn't hurt when I work out tomorrow. It will be a huge relief to have my body feel injury-free!

The boys had their last day of hitting clinic and Briar had her last day of soccer today, but other than that, we just hung out at home and got caught up on some things. The kids have their 100th day of school coming up so we worked on their projects for that this afternoon. The 2nd 9 weeks ended in school and the kids got report cards on Friday. So, I had to go through papers from the past 9 weeks and decide what to keep and what to get rid of. That is a project in itself. John washed dishes and clothes and folded clothes for me today. Even though he didn't put away the clothes for me and he doesn't always do things exactly the way I would like them done, I appreciate him more than he knows! It is nice to get caught up on things on Sunday because it helps start out the week on the right foot.

So, for the rest of the night, we are going to enjoy our day off and have some quality family time. Doesn't that sound wonderful? We are so blessed!

Back to the grind tomorrow.

Day 22, I am ready for you!

Day 20....started out early.

Today is day 20 of Insanity for me! It really HAS been crazy, but I have enjoyed it so far. We started out our day by getting our Plyometric Cardio workout done at 7:30am. It is  kind of tough to get going and ready to work out that early on a Saturday morning, but that is the only time we could really fit it in unless we wanted to work out after church. I like to have our Saturday evenings to enjoy together as a family and I knew I would not have the energy after church to work out. I am so glad we were done early! I love working out early. It just gives me more energy to face the rest of the day.

Plyometric Cardio is a fun workout, but it sure kicks my butt! By the end of the workout, my body just is not physically able to do some of the things that we are asked to do! Well, I can DO them all, just not anywhere near as fast as they do them on the DVD. But, I am getting better, so I am just going to keep plugging away and enjoy any small improvements I see!

After we were done working out, John made a fruit smoothie again.Starting the day out with a smoothie is always nice. Working out AND having a delicious, nutritious breakfast just make me feel healthy. So, we started out with a great workout and a great breakfast, then the day got really insane. We had 2 games of hockey and 3 games of basketball to watch, all before church. Today was a really busy day but I love the fact that I felt great all day! Yes, I am tired out now, but I can already feel myself having more energy to get me through the day since we have started working out regularly.

Tomorrow is the Glorious day of rest as far as Insanity is concerned. I am going to enjoy every minute of it!

Day 21....can't wait for the rest day!

Day 19....Another great workout!

Today was Cardio Power and Resistance. This is always a tough workout to get through. I get to the point where I feel like I can't possibly jump any more or do any more pushups and then we go through the whole circuit again and I have to push myself to do just a few more of each. I love the fact that we move onto different exercises so quickly because, just when I feel like can't do any more of something, we move on to the next thing and I feel like I can power through again. By the last time we go through this circuit, though, I sometimes feel like just sitting and watching. :o) But, I know my workout is almost over so that gives me the extra boost of energy I need to finish strong.

The thing that bugs me about this workout is that, even though we have done it a few times now, I always forget about the set of squat pulses and pushups that we do at the very end. So, just when I think I am done and am looking forward to cooling down, he tells us to get ready for the last exercise and I have to give myself a mental pep talk to get through it and not just walk over and shut off the tv.

Saturday has been a challenging day for us to work out since we have so much going on with the kids, but I am looking foward to fitting in Plyometric Cardio sometime tomorrow and then having the rest of the weekend to relax! I can't believe we are almost done with our 3rd week. I can't wait to start seeing results!

Day 20....ready when you are.

Day 18....another recovery day.

I don't  know why, but I look forward to the Cardio Recovery day each week. For some reason I always feel like it is going to be a bit of an "easy" day. But, I am always wrong. Although there isn't a whole lot of cardio involved in today's workout, it is tough! There are a lot of squats and lunges and, by the end of the workout, my legs are on fire and ready to give out. The squats or lunges aren't so bad on their own, but it is the pulses and holding in the squat or lunge postion that kills you. Each week, it seems to get harder and harder. I am sure it is because I am pushing myself a bit harder and harder each time we do this DVD. I love the burn, though. I just keep thinking about how great it is for my butt and legs. Two areas I would gladly shed some weight!

Today was a great day for my ankle. It feels a bit better today so I am hoping that it is getting healed up and won't be a problem for me over the next several weeks.

Tomorrow is Cardio Power and Resistance. I am ready to raise my level of intensity tomorrow and hopefully make it my best workout yet!

Day 19....I can't wait!

Day 17....a great day!!

I was really dreading today for a couple of reasons. The first reason was because I had to work out alone. Mom has to be out of town for the day so she worked out early this morning and, as much as I like working out with someone, I LOVE my sleep and I was not about to get up at 6:00am to work out if I didn't have to. John doesn't work out until after work and he works out at work if he can. There is more room there and I think he has his boss talked into working out with him so he doesn't have to work out alone every day. I could have waited until later and asked John to work out with me, but then we have to deal with all of the kids while we are working out and that can be a pain. So, the best option for me today was to work out alone. I thought about working out a little later, but I knew that my best bet was to get it over and done with so I could go on with the rest of my day. I was surprised that I actually enjoyed the workout today. I am not saying I would want to work out alone every day. I really like working out with someone. It just makes things go faster. But, the kids were GREAT today and I was able to just get into a rhythm and get an awesome workout and now I feel energized.

The second reason I was dreading working out today was because today's workout was Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs. It is hard to muster up the energy to do two workouts when you know that one is tough enough. But, Pure Cardio went really well today so I felt great. I was not really looking forward to Cardio Abs because I didn't feel like it worked my abs all that much the first time we did that workout. But, today was different. I think I just got into better position and concentrated more on my core. I am pretty sure that last time I was just using my quads to hold myself up instead of leaning a bit further back and engaging my core. Today was an ABsolutely brutal ab workout. My abs were burning and, although I couldn't do every exercise for the full amount of time, I know I will be feeling my abs in the next couple of days. I am excited to do this ab workout again!

After today's workout, I am feeling even more confident that if I stick with this program for the full 60 days, I will see results!

Day 18....I am ready when you are!

Day 16....made it through.

These boots may look cute, but don't think they aren't dangerous!!

Before I started Insanity, I read a lot of reviews and talked to anyone that I knew who had done the program or heard of the program. While I heard a lot of great things about the program, I also heard a lot of warnings. The main warnings were to avoid this program if you have preexisting knee or back problems. I would say that people should add to those warnings that you may want to avoid this program if you have young kids (or anyone in your household, for that matter) who may leave their boots or other items in a place where you could trip or step on them. So far, after working out each day, I spend at least the first hour trying to get my legs to not feel like jelly. Walking is sometimes tough. Walking down steps is sometimes close to impossible. Walking anywhere while carrying a not so tiny baby in an infant carrier is pretty much just torture at times. Anyway, here is where my problems with the program started. I had already worked out for the day and I was walking down the stairs. I was concentrating so hard on making sure my legs wouldn't give out on me that I didn't see the Dora boots sitting neatly at the bottom of the stairs. No, they were not hidden and no, they were not strewn about, they were right out in plain sight, but I STILL stepped on them! Luckily, I didn't fall, I just twisted my ankle a bit and didn't really think much of it....until a couple of days later. I noticed my ankle was sore and I finally connected the dots and realized that it was sore from when I twisted it on the Dora boots!As a result, for about the past week, I have battled a sore ankle. Not directly an "Insanity" injury, but I would say more of a side effect of the program. So, for the rest of the program, I will be working hard, but walking carefully!

Day 16 was a challenge. We had a few interruptions while trying to get through the Plyometrics DVD. I had to take care of the kids a couple of times, answer the phone, and, as usual, mom had her potty breaks (she is worse than the kids sometimes). All of that jumping and squatting mixed in with frequent water breaks can make a person have to tinkle. :o) Although today didn't go as smoothly as most other days, we both agreed that we got one heck of a workout! It just keeps getting better and better. I think I like each DVD more and more each time we do them. They really are fun!

For the rest of today, I am going to rest my ankle, make sure all shoes and boots are put in the closet, and look forward to Pure Cardio and Cardio Abs tomorrow!

Looking forward to Day 17!

Day 15....Another Fit Test

Today was our first real check point on our road to fitness. This was the day of our 2nd Fit Test. During the first fit test, I was tired by the time the warm up was done and my muscles were screaming with pain and totally fatigued by the time the fit test was done. The rest of the day, my body felt tired out and weak! As a matter of fact, my body felt tired out and weak for about the first week of this program.

I actually felt good through this warm up and, compared to the rest of the warm ups, this was a breeze! I was very tired by the time this fit test was done, but I wasn't hurting like I was last time. This fit test was completely different than the last one. During the first fit test, my muscles were fatigued before I was out of breath. My muscles just quit on me and I was unable to do most of the exercises for the full minute. This time, I was able to go harder and faster for the whole minute. I was out of breath and tired after each exercise, but I was able to recover in time to complete a full minute on the next exercise. I improved on all 8 exercises and that feels great!

So, although I have not noticed any drastic results physically, I now have proof that I am doing something right. This really does make me look forward to the rest of my 60 days of Insanity! Knowing that after just two weeks, I am in better shape than I was when I started really gets me excited to see where I will end up at the end of the program. As tough as the fit test is, I am glad we had to do another one today. I am already a bit nervous about the next fit test, though. I know I am going to have to push myself if I want to see even better results next time! But, I am ready for the challenge!

Ready to work hard on Day 16!!

Day 14....a "day off".

Well, for today, our workout shoes will get a much needed rest. They do need to air out every once in awhile! I am so glad to not have to work out today but there is a lot of catching up to do around the house. It would be nice for the whole family to just have a whole day off together....no cleaning, no school or work, no sports, no activities. I am not sure if that will ever happen, so I will keep on enjoying the little things life has to offer! Here is how we will spend our "day off" of Insanity.



The big kids have done their reading for the day and now the boys are off to their hitting clinic while Briar is at soccer. Landon is napping and Brea is playing so that means I get to take care of some much needed cleaning! This afternoon, the girls are going to a friend's house and I am sure the boys have big plans that consist of video games, friends, and probably enjoying the nice weather outside!

This is just a small part of what my plans look like for today. Not quite as exciting as playing with friends or video games, but it does keep me occupied. The pile of laundry is never-ending, but today I vow to do my best to at least put a dent in it!

When Landon wakes up from his nap, I think I will have him clean up his own mess. It is about time he starts cleaning up after himself. He may only be 7 months old, but they are never too young to start teaching responsibility, right?

Tomorrow we are back to the grind with another Fit Test....Bring on Day 15!!

Day 13....started out right.

We started our day bright and early this morning. My alarm went off at 6:22am, and by 6:30am, John and I were still probably half-asleep but attempting to do Pure Cardio. By the time the warm up was done, I was awake and ready for the rest of the workout. I was so excited because today was our first day to add Cardio Abs to our workout.

Pure Cardio kicked my butt, as it usually does, but I love it. The thing I love about that particular workout is the fact that all of the exercises are different. Once you get through one exercise, love it or hate it, you move past it and on to the next thing. There really is no time to get bored during that workout!

I would say Cardio Abs was a difficult DVD, but it wasn't all I had hoped it would be. I was hoping that by the time I was done with Cardio Abs, my abs would be screaming for me to stop and I would feel it all day (and for the next couple of days). But, my quads probably felt the Ab workout more than my abs. I am guessing it may be due to the fact that my abs are nonexistant right now so my quads had to work harder to get me through the exercises. I think it will get better as I do the workout more often and my abs get into good enough shape to hold their own. I just hope that I start to notice some results where my "spare tire" is concerned. I am ok travelling without one from now on.

For now I am going to enjoy having the day off tomorrow. I have completed 2 weeks and, although I have not noticed many changes physically, I can already feel myself getting better cardio-wise. Monday is another Fit Test and I am hoping for improvements on that to give me the extra boost and motivation to get through the next couple of weeks!

Looking forward to day 14!!

Day 12....just get through it.

Today has been a rough day. Probably because last night was a rough night. I went to bed early so I thought I would be rested up and ready to go today. I guess our little one didn't get the memo about getting a good night's sleep. He was up off and on all night. He is a bit stuffed up so I am sure it was hard for him to sleep. He was able to sleep some if I had him propped up a bit with me in bed, but then I wasn't able to sleep. I just don't get much quality sleep when there are kids in bed with me. But, I don't mind cuddling with the little ones when they aren't feeling well.

So, when it was time to get up this morning, I didn't feel as rested as I thought I would. As a result, the kids had to deal with a crabby mom before school. They were probably glad to get away from me and get to school. Too bad the two youngest are stuck with me all day. I really didn't feel like working out, but I am SO glad I did. I knew I would feel better once I worked out, but it was hard to get going. I didn't feel as energized while I was working out as I usually do, but I could just feel my tension melting away and my mood changing as I got further and futher into the workout today. Lucky for my friend Nessa and her two kids, they visited after I worked out today. :o) Now, I am done working out and I feel great! My body feels pretty good, and my mood has improved immeasurably (which is great news for my family). I am ready to face the rest of the day with a smile.

The workout itself was tough today. I think it has just been a long week and my body is ready for a day of rest. The hardest part of today's workout may have been avoiding the toys on the ground. I am usually able to keep Landon in the Exersaucer or his crib without too much fussing from him, but today he wanted to be on the ground with toys. It doesn't work very well for me to try and hold him and work out at the same time. So, we let him play on the ground and added a bit of an obstacle course to this morning's workout. You know, just to shake things up a bit. The good news is that mom and I both made it through the whole thing without tripping over a toy, a kid, or each other. I consider today a success.

Tomorrow is our first day of adding the Cardio Ab workout to our normal workout. I am actually really looking forward to that. Wish me luck!

Bring on Lucky Day 13!!

Day 11....much needed Recovery Day.

Today is Thurdsday. The DVD that we do in the Insanity Program is Cardio Recovery. Today is just an overall recovery day for everyone in my house!

After an evening of feeling very sick, John seems to have gotten over his flu bug but he stayed home from work to make sure he is fully recovered. I hope that bug leaves here without affecting the rest of us. The kids haven't been totally healthy this week so I am hoping that some down time and a fairly early bedtime will help them recover from whatever has a hold on them. Luckily, all it seems to be so far is a headcold. Some coughing, an occasional sore throat, and a bit of a stuffy nose is what we have been dealing with so far this week.

I, on the other hand, have avoided getting sick so far, but definitely enjoy the recovery day on Insanity! My legs feel weak, but in a good way. Squats and lunges are not fun while you are doing them but you can almost FEEL them working all day. I think that today's Cardio Recovery workout was harder this week than it was last Thursday. I am guessing it is because last Thursday I was still so sore from starting the program that I could hardly move and today I was able to do more before I felt like I was going to collapse. So, as I get further into the program, I am beginning to think it will just keep getting harder and harder as I get into better shape. But, at least my body doesn't seem to hate me as much as it did the first few days!

Ready for day 12!!

Day 10....Another day of Plyometrics.

Today was a great day of working out. I actually felt like I was able to work harder and do more today than any other day. I had to take care of the kids a couple of times through the warm up, but they settled down and kept themselves entertained throughout the rest of the work out. I was able to make it through the whole first circuit without stopping except for when they gave you a short break for water. I was proud of myself for that. Something must be working, right? 

The rest of the workout, however, is a different story. I don't know if I will EVER be able to get through that without stopping. The basketball shooting drill isn't so bad. You squat down, then jump up like you are shooting a jump shot in basketball. Pretty simple. Then, come the Level 1's. I am not sure why they are called Level 1's. In my opinion, Level 1 should be easy. Isn't that how it usually is? These should be called Level 100's. You start out standing up, then squat down and jump your legs back into push up position, do 4 push ups, then stay down in that position and run it out for a count of 8. After running it out, you stand up and put your arms in the air, then do it all over again....and again...and again....and, well, you get my point. Level 1, I think not.

I feel like today was my best work out so far. I am still trying hard to not be impatient as far as results go, and today was just what I needed. I could actually see and feel that I was able to do more today than I have done the other times during this same workout.

Tomorrow is another Recovery Day. It isn't an EASY day, by any means, but it is a little less intense than the other days. I am glad I pushed so hard during today's workout and I am ready for tomorrow.

Day 11....ready for some recovery.

Day 9....Waiting for it to get easier.

I just keep waiting for my body to get back into shape. I know it has only been 9 days, but I am already getting impatient. My mind tells my body to do certain things and my body pretty much just laughs at my mind. I feel like I can do a little more each day, but right now I want more than that. I want to see and feel the results now. I do realize that those expectations are totally unrealistic and that I am not going to see results this soon, but I still can't help being impatient.

Today was a rough day from the start. I was ready to go when I first woke up, but by the time I dropped the kids off at school and was heading home to work out, I started feeling SO tired! I was tired through the warm up and kept telling myself that the harder I pushed the better I would feel when I was done. I was able to get going and felt like I pushed myself pretty hard today. I do feel better now that it is done, but it was definitely not an easy workout. Today was Pure Cardio again. It really wouldn't be so bad if you got water breaks, but it is so hard to know when to break for water when you just want to push yourself a little further and a little harder. I am so glad that I am done working out for the day and now I can go out and get my real work done (dishes and laundry....the never ending chores) and look forward to what tomorrow will bring.

Day 10....Bring it on!!

Day 8....back to the grind.

Today is Monday. That says it all. Monday's are always hard, and when you have to do Insanity's Cardio Power and Resistance, they are even harder. I am just so glad I made it through the workout without passing out and I don't hurt as badly as I did last week after working out. I am sore, and I am tired, but I actually feel pretty good.

I am proud to say that I made it through the warm-up without stopping today! I may not have kept up the pace with the people on the DVD the whole time, but I made it through at my own pace. It is sad that I am so proud of the fact that I made it through the warm-up, but it is what it is.

The actual workout was, once again, tough. I had to stop at times, but I was able to do more than I did last week. I felt better throughout the whole thing. My muscles didn't feel as fatigued and sore today as they did the last time I did this particular workout, but today is only Monday and I had a day off yesterday. I am just going to focus on the positive and assume that I am already getting in better shape.
Looking forward to Day 9!!

Day 7....feels like heaven.

Well, today is day 7 and is our day off of Insanity. If it weren't for our kids and their activities, we would have a lazy, relaxing day at home. Come to think of it, if it weren't for our kids, I wouldn't have all of this excess belly fat (or other body fat that mysteriously showed up during and after each pregnancy) so maybe I can blame all of this on my kids. Wouldn't that be convenient? I think I will take responsibility for my own excess fat and, when I get back in shape, it will just feel that much better. But, if for some reason I don't succeed, I will rethink things and maybe find a way to blame THAT on the kids. It is nice to have a backup plan.

So, today we will enjoy watching the kids get their exercise during soccer, hitting clinic, hockey and even playing with friends and a birthday party. Then we will gear up for and hope we survive another grueling week of this thing called Insanity!

Day 8, here we come!

Day 6....mixing it up a little

Since this is our first Saturday of the program, things worked a little differently than the other days so far. Mom didn't want to miss a day of working out (way to go mom!!) so we gave her the DVD for today (our 2nd attempt at Plyometric Cardio) and she worked out at home, then got it back to us so we could use it. Our morning was busy!! We woke up and got everyone fed, dressed and ready for Lane's first basketball game at the YMCA at 9:00am. After the game, we dropped Lance off at a friend's house to play for a few hours, then we came home to work out. We got the kids settled down and occupied, then got right to working out. Lane, Briar, and Brea did the first few exercises with us, but even they are not insane enough to stay for the whole workout. :o) Landon sat and watched us....I am pretty sure he thinks we are hilarious. After working out, John made us a smoothie (have I mentioned how much I love my husband?) and we got showered and ready for the rest of the day. We still have a busy afternoon ahead of us. Briar has basketball at 1:00pm, Lance has hockey at 2:15pm and Lane has hockey at 3:15pm. Then, we get to regroup for a few minutes before church at 5:00pm. I will be praying for the energy to make it through next week, that is for sure!

This particular workout went a bit better for me today than it did the first time. I was able to complete more of the exercises and I felt better all around. I am pretty sure that John will never look at me the same after today, though....after seeing and hearing me struggle through some of this workout. I just hope he can manage to still look at me with a straight face. But, on a good note, I weighed myself and have lost 3 pounds this week! I can already imagine my jelly belly melting away (I just had to say the words jelly belly today since John thought I didn't say them enough yesterday). I think I will chalk this week up as a success!

Since I don't have to work out tomorrow, Day 7 should be a breeze! :o)

Day 5....back to reality

Well, the good feelings that I had yesterday were fun while they lasted. I was a bit apprehensive about today's workout once I saw that the DVD was titled "Pure Cardio". But, I thought that after yesterday's recovery day, I would be ready for whatever Cardio they threw at me. I should have known this would not be pretty when Shaun T, the guy who runs these insane workouts, asked if we were as nervous as he was for the upcoming workout. Um, are you serious?? What I wasn't counting on was the fact that Pure Cardio means just that, Pure Cardio. No rest. No water breaks. Nothing. Well, at least none specified on the DVD. I had no choice but to take my own rest and water breaks. There is no way my body could have made it through this workout without stopping! Lucky for me the kids needed tending to throughout the workout so I just "had" to stop and take care of them.

Some of my favorite candy is Jelly Belly candy. I love those things. What I hate is the fact that I actually HAVE a jelly belly!! Disgusting!! I hate running in place and any other exercise where I actually feel my belly jiggle and shake. Gross!! My motivation to keep going today and from now on is revolving around losing my jelly belly.  I am hoping that the only jelly belly in my life after this program is the pack of Jelly Belly Candy that I will by myself as a reward for all my hard work and dedication. :o)

Today was hard. Very hard. But, I feel good. The soreness is not quite as intense and I can already feel my cario recovery time improving.

Day 6, here I come!!

Day 4....loving life again!!

Helpful tip for successfully completing an Insanity workout: Do NOT eat half a pan of Tator Tot Hotdish at lunch if you plan to work out right after work. John found this out the hard way.

After the last couple of days of working out had left my body (and my ego) feeling bruised and battered, today's workout was just what I needed! The DVD is called Cardio Recovery, but I think it would be more appropriately titled Mental Recovery. I was so glad to actually be able to keep up with most of these exercises. There were some instances when I just had to take a break (my body can only hold the squat position for so long right now), but I felt like I got a great work out and I didn't feel like I was going to pass out in the process! Yay for me!

I know tomorrow is going to be rough. The DVD is titled Pure Cardio....I think that says it all. Yesterday I somehow mustered up the energy to clean the whole house AND prepare and feed my kids dinner (John was not yet feeling up to eating dinner with the family after his lunch incident) so for today, I am going to bask in my good feelings and mentally prepare myself for the challenge I am about to face tomorrow!

Bring on Day 5!!

Day 3....even more sore today!

Well, it is official. I am totally out of shape. My body hurts....and so does my ego. I feel (and somehow even look) fatter today than I did three days ago. Approximately 3 minutes into the "warm up" I was exhausted! I know why they call it Insanity. I was INSANE to think I could even make it through what they call a "warm up" without feeling like I was going to collapse. My new goal is to complete a full "warm up" without stopping!

Today we did Cardio Power and Resistance. The drills would have been enjoyable if I would have been able to complete them. My mind was into it and ready and rarin' to go. My body, however, was not! I wanted to power through and push myself but there came a point where my body just wouldn't do what my mind was telling it to do (I am going to have to sit down and have a nice long talk with this battered body of mine). I am hoping next time I face this DVD, my body decides to cooperate. If it doesn't, this could be a LONG 60 days!

I did have to laugh at my mom at the end of this workout, and maybe even chuckle a little throughout (like when her arm decided to give out during her push ups). When she saw a lady on the DVD wearing the same shorts as her, she said, "She has on my shorts, why don't I have her abs?" I just had to laugh....if only it worked like that!

I am definitely excited to see what John thinks of Cardio Power and Resistance. He said yesterday that he isn't built for all of the cardio that was on the Plyometric Cardio Circuit. I am anxious to see if he is "built" for today's workout. It may be fun to kick back and watch him suffer, er, I mean power through this. My body is definitely feeling these past few days! But, I am ready for tomorrow.

Day 4, here I come!!

Day 2....feeling the pain.

I did the Fit Test and weighed myself yesterday so all that was left was the "before" picture. That was NOT a pretty sight. As painful as this whole program is shaping up to be, looking at those "before" pictures may end up being the most painful part of all!

Although it is only Day 2 of Insanity, I am feeling the pain! This morning, although I no longer felt fatigued, I did feel sore! If I am already sore today, I wonder what tomorrow will bring. I am slightly terrified.

Day 2 was Plyometric Cardio Circuit. After much debate and inner turmoil, my mom decided to stick with me and show up for Day 2! It was actually FUN! I just wish I could have kept up with the video the whole time. It wasn't as immediately painful as yesterday's workout, but it definitely tested my cardio endurance. I think next time mom will bring ear plugs....it isn't pretty hearing me grunt through some of those drills!

When John went to the grocery store last night, I asked him to get some healthy snacks (you know, to fuel my lean, mean, Insanity machine). The first two things I pulled out of the bags when he got home were Cool Ranch Doritos and Pizza Rolls. Healthy, huh? Lucky for him, he also got Yogurt, Mini Rice Cakes, string cheese and a bunch of fruit for me. Now, I am ready for anything!

Bring on Day 3!!

Day 1....Are you kidding me?

Fit Test. What do those two words mean to you? You would think it would be a test that the average person could successfully complete. You would be wrong. I consider myself physically average. Ok, I may be in the lower end of average fitness-wise right now, but I would still say I am average. So, I thought I would be able to make it through this "fit test" without feeling like I was going to pass out or be sick. I was wrong. This is arguably one of the toughest work outs I have ever done. And today is day ONE!! How can the "fit test" be this hard?? It may have something to do with the fact that you do 8 different exercises as hard as you can for one minute with not much time to recover in between exercises. Believe me when I say it is a lot harder than it looks (I know....I watched most of the video before I actually attempted it).

My mom decided to do the "fit test" with me. While I think she would have preferred sitting and watching me struggle through the whole thing (I am sure it was quite entertaining to watch), she sucked it up and joined in. Way to go mom! You know how they say misery loves company? I think that may be true. I felt much better knowing that if I actually did pass out, someone would be there to help with the kids.

Oh, and that little baby that I have? He didn't feel so little when I had to pick him up from the exersaucer and carry him into his crib after the fit test! I thought my legs were going to collapse from his extra weight. Lucky for both of us, I was able to power through and make it all the way down the hallway and to his crib without falling over! Whew! I just hope he takes a nice, loooong nap today. For the rest of today I think I will avoid holding any of my children while attempting to walk.

For now, I just have to figure out how John and I are going to function once he does his fit test this evening. After school, we still have to get kids to basketball practice, hockey practice, and make it to the grocery store at some point in time tonight (not to mention the PTA meeting that I am hoping to make). Maybe being out and about will stretch out my muscles and make them feel a bit less fatigued. But, I do have to say, I love this kind of fatigue/pain! At least I know I hurt for a reason. And, every bit of pain brings me one step closer to my weight-loss/toning goals!

Oh, and one last thing, I changed the battery in my scale. It said that the battery was "Lo" so I thought maybe it wasn't accurate. I was right. But, not the good kind of right....the heavier kind of right. Sigh....I guess I will just notice more results than I thought at the end of these 60 days!

Bring on Day 2!!

The beginning of something great....

I have now decided to commit to two new goals in my life. First, I am starting (and hopefully maintaining) a blog. And, yes, I did just state the obvious. I have always thought it would be fun to do, but have never really had anything worth blogging about. Which leads me to the second thing I am committing to right now. Getting back in shape! Yes, that's right, I am making my committment public so I have no choice but to succeed. So, if you see or talk to me, please check in with me to make sure I am sticking to my goals!
You may be curious as to my plan to get back in shape (or you may not but I am going to tell you, anyway). John and I are starting "Insanity" tomorrow! Yes, that is right, I am going insane and hoping to get a free tshirt out of the deal. I am not sure if I am more excited or more scared, but I do know for sure that I am ready to be back in shape! So, for the next 60 days, I will be blogging about "Insanity" and all that it entails.

Wish me luck!!