Tara at 25 Hour Books is hosting a giveaway for a signed copy of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies! Click on the link or the 25 Hour Books button to head over to her blog to enter. All you have to do to be entered is tell her which is easier to kill: a mob of zombies or a vampire!
I said a mob of zombies. Zombies are mindless and dumb. Vampires are not. What do YOU say?
64. Buy 8 handmade items from Etsy [6/8] (more info)
59. A nice piece of jewelry (more info) 3/5/2010
I bought an amazing necklace from marmar on Etsy this past week. I thought ‘the dog jumped over the moon’ necklace was adorable to begin with, but it turns out that the pictures don’t do it justice. The packaging was just as awesome. I would highly recommend marmar, and I will probably buy from him again.
Want to see the packaging too? Check out Flashes of Happiness tomorrow for the FULL picture, complete with the box cover.
9. Keep a “My Day in Six Words” journal for 6 months [1/6] (more info)
*this picture is also posted over at Flashes of Happiness
Here is a sneak peek at my in six words journal! Right now, this is obviously a goal that I am doing for myself. I would however be open to the idea of sharing some of my entries (my highlights of the month?) if people are interested. Let me know what you think. :)
97. Complete the 30 Day Shred (more info)
Yes, it’s true, I have completed the 30 Day Shred! I want to make this a comprehensive post, so I am going to divide into the following sections:
- Is the 30 Day Shred for me?
- General 30 Day Shred Advice and Suggestions
- Level 1 Thoughts
- Level 2 Thoughts
- Level 3 Thoughts
- 30 Day Shred Results and Measurements
- *new* Picture and Weight Update
Is the 30 Day Shred for me?
The whole idea behind this workout is that you do it every day. It is results driven. If you cannot commit to working out every day, the 30 Day Shred may not be for you. While this workout will strengthen you, it does not offer a maintenance routine. If you are looking for a good workout to complement a different activity or sport (running, etc), I would suggest finding something else. This one is geared specifically toward losing weight in 30 days. I really do like Jillian’s ideas about working out (combining cardio with strength; working multiple muscle groups at the same time, etc.) and would consider doing other workouts by her for a strength workout. The 30 Day Shred does offer modified movements to make the exercises more low-impact, but it is not designed to be a low-impact workout. And on a final note, I have been using the 30 Day Shred as a way to get back into running. For that, it has been great. But I have not been doing any other type of exercising. The 30 Day Shred is exhausting and will make you sore. This should also be factored in when you decide whether or not to embark on the 30 Day Shred.
General 30 Day Shred Advice and Suggestions
- 30 days, 3 levels = each level for 10 days.
- No, I’m serious. Do each level for 10 days, whether you want to move on or not.
- Watch each level before attempting it – this will help to focus on form, which is more important than doing it at their speed.
- Similarly, on the first day of each level, do the modified moves so you can focus on form and get a feel for the exercises before going all out.
- Wear shoes if you are exercising on hard floors.
- If you live in an apartment above the first floor, be respectful of your downstairs neighbors.
- If you want to achieve results, do it every day; you should see changes.
- Don’t give up.
Level 1 Thoughts (day 5 update)
- If you are not that active, stretch! For whatever reason, I don’t think that the warm up stretches you out enough in level 1.
- If you have weak arms like I do, start with lifting books instead of weights. This also works well if you do not have hand weights.
- Stay hydrated.
- You will get sore. Push through it. It DOES get easier.
Level 2 Thoughts (my level 2 post)
- The dynamic stretches are much better
- Level 2 builds on what you did in level 1
Level 3 Thoughts (my level 3 post)
- If you are doing this on carpet, wear long sleeves – it’s too easy to get rug burns
- If you’ve made it to level 3, go you! Stick with it.
- This level is tougher (obviously) than previous levels. It’s worth the extra work.
30 Day Results and Measurements
Did I lose 20 pounds in 30 days? No. But – and this is key – I also don’t have 20 pounds to lose. So I cannot definitively say that the 30 Day Shred lives up to its claim. I felt like I lost inches through parts of my body that I normally do not identify as my “trouble” areas, while my trouble areas did not lose any inches. However, I did see a lot of restructuring through my thighs (aka my trouble area); that is, the ratio of muscle to fat has changed to more muscle than fat. So while I didn’t lose any inches, I gained muscle, which is half the battle, I think. I also noticed stronger arm muscles, and yes, my stomach shows the start of a six-pack. Overall, I feel stronger and sturdier. I am NOT going to weigh myself to determine weight loss. This is partly because I am not at a stage where I need to lose weight, and partly because my weight fluctuates too much. By the second week, I dropped eight pounds, but my weight fluctuates by about five pounds under normal circumstances, so only 3 of those pounds really meant anything. However, I then gained a pound due to PMS a couple weekends ago, then gained another 4 pounds due to bloating. I have no idea what I weigh now, and I’m perfectly content to leave it that way unless harassed otherwise.
Loss in inches:
- 1/2 inch in the waist (I’m already thin through here and was surprised to see a change at all)
- 3 inches through the hips
- minuscule loss through the thighs, but much more muscle, and my big knobby knees have slimmed down
Picture and Weight Update
Turns out I actually did re-lose the weight I gained during my period, which brings me to a total weight loss of 3 or 8 pounds, depending on how you want to look at it. I would choose 3, but 8 sounds better. And to put this picture in perspective: I got this tank top while in Germany three years ago, and have never felt comfortable wearing it, as it is tight and although I wasn’t fat before doing the Shred, this tank did not flatter my stomach and hip area. Thanks to the Shred, it does now.
3. Every start date anniversary, review list and change outdated goals (more info)
Yesterday I posted about goals that would stay the same, but the way in which they were completed would change. Today I will post about a few goals that I want to change, and already know what I want to change the goals to. Keep in mind that the goals I change will stay in the same original category. Creativity goals stay creativity goals, and so on. Part 3 will be the final list update, but I may need your help to pull it off!
Creativity
9. Buy a journal, keep it in my purse and write in it until it’s full —> 9. Keep a “My Day in Six Words” journal for 6 months [1/6]
- I have been seriously slacking on this original goal, especially after a friend gave me a new/different journal, which I then promptly dedicated to writing about my day in six words. I started on 1/19/2010 and have actually been keeping up with it, so I decided to incorporate this goal into my list changes. Anticipated finish date for this goal is 7/19/2010. The premise here is that 6 months will be long enough for me to establish the habit of writing and updating the journal.
Language
39. Join the German Club on campus —> 39. Rewatch all four seasons of Berlin Berlin [0/4]
- A couple reasons for this goal change: German Club meeting and event times have been conflicting with my schedule, and I have not heard much from the club this semester, so I do not even know if they are doing anything. To still focus on practicing my German skills, I want to rewatch the German TV show Berlin Berlin. I have watched this series before, but doing it again cannot hurt me at all.
Food + Drink
57. Host a dinner party —> 57. Try 15 new recipes [0/15]
- This is to complement my goal for making food for other people. Sometimes I try new recipes, but only make it for myself. Since the whole idea with many of my food and drink goals was to become better at cooking, I feel that any new recipe I try, whether it is for myself or for someone else, should count toward my list.
Sports + Exercise
96. Go to an SCSU versus Gophers hockey game —> 96. Establish a yoga routine
- Eh, I would rather watch this rivalry on TV than go to an actual game. It just does not interest me the way it did when I put it on my list. Instead, I am changing this goal to establish a yoga routine. I intentionally left this goal vague – when I begin this goal, I will further define it (e.g. 3 times/week for 2 months). This new goal will help me use my new yoga book that I got for Christmas, as well as [hopefully] help me establish good stress-coping techniques.
Now this is where I could use YOUR help. I still have 14 goals marked for possible change (look for the * in front of the goal number on my list). I would love some suggestions from you! Any help would be greatly appreciated. It would assist me in completing the final part of my 101 list spring cleaning.
PS. Don’t forget to check back here for my 30 Day Shred completion post coming tomorrow or Saturday!
3. Every start date anniversary, review list and change outdated goals (more info)
My start date anniversary is on 3/21. But since I am on spring break starting Friday, I will work on this goal now. If you have looked at my list lately, you may have noticed that an asterisk (*) has appeared in front of quite a few goals. This is my way of marking which goals I want to address in my “spring cleaning” of my list. The first part of my spring cleaning will involve goals that will stay the same, but the way in which the goal is completed will change.
19. Take seven trips into Minneapolis by light rail [0/7] —> 19. Take a trip into Minneapolis by commuter train + light rail
- I have drastically reduced the number of trips to one, as the schedule for the commuter train + light rail is much more restrictive than I had anticipated. That added to the fact I’m busy with graduate school, reducing the number of trips will increase the likelihood of completing this goal.
20. Go to one farmer’s market per year [1/3] —> 20. Go to 3 farmer’s markets [1/3]
- I am not a fan of “per year” goals, as I actually end up feeling discouraged to do it more than the allotted number.
70. Write to Cameron at least once a month on average [11/32] —> 70. Write to Cameron 30 times [11/30]
- My letters to my brother are sporadic at best, and it just makes me happier to have a specific amount of letters to write rather than a specific time frame. And I dropped the number down to 30. Because I could.
95. Go to 2 Minnesota Twins games per season [2/6] —> 95. Go to 6 Minnesota Twins games [2/6]
- Again, not a fan of “per year” or “per season” goals. I am also unsure of my ability to see many games during the 2011 season. So I changed this goal too.
97. Complete the 30 Day Shred (more info)
Today was the first day of level 3. I am happy to say that I survived. After previewing level 3 on Friday, I was definitely nervous. It looks tough. And it is. However, after 20 days of the Shred, you will be stronger and in better shape than you realize. Lately, I have been noticing that I feel sturdier. My muscles are stronger. I can see and feel the results. When it comes to modifying movements, I tend only to do so when an exercise is particularly hard on my knees (I’m still babying my knee, though it is getting better now that I’ve been wearing shoes with good support every day) or when it involves a lot of jumping/noise making (sorry, downstairs neighbors!) or when I need a “break” from the harder moves.
Measurement changes (compared to when I started):
Waist – down .5 inches
Hips – down 2 inches
Thighs – down [maybe] .5 inches
Weight – down about 7 pounds
A few notes about this: 1) I’m already pretty skinny on top, so the lack of change through my waist is not surprising, 2) you will lose weight from the head down; this means if you’re small chested (as I am) you will notice some loss, but just stick with it – you’ll build up chest muscle and this will make up for any loss, 3) my overall weight loss would be greater had I not ate like crap last week or had possible adverse effects from certain female monthly functions.
For previous posts, visit these links:
Level 2 Thoughts
Day 5 Update (with tips)
Run With Us Post (my tips plus Tara’s tips)
51. Cook 15 different meals for someone other than myself [8/15] (more info)
This is a dish of my own creation. It consists of:
- 3/4 pound of ground beef
- 1 packet of taco seasoning mix
- 1 can of Ro*tel
- 1 box of mac and cheese
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 package of frozen mixed vegetables
Fix the mixed vegetables and mac and cheese according to directions (I like getting the vegetables that steam in the bag – it’s so much easier). Brown the ground beef, and add the Ro*tel and taco seasoning mix to the ground beef; cook according to taco seasoning packet directions. Drain the can of black beans. Then, mix everything together.
I made a version of this for myself last week and thought it was really good, so I played around with it a bit and made the above version for Kyle on Wednesday. He liked it. I will make this again. Though I think this dish needs a name. Any ideas for a name?
51. Cook 15 different meals for someone other than myself [7/15] (more info)
Saturday morning I was in charge of making breakfast for my mom and myself. I made an egg scramble that consisted of eggs, red peppers, onions, leftover green beans, and cheese. It was delicious. :)
97. Complete the 30 Day Shred (more info)
Today was my 11th day of the Shred, and first day on level 2. I was glad to move onto a different level, as level 1 was starting to get repetitive and boring. Level 2 isn’t easy, but I like it. I feel like there was more of an effort to strengthen the muscle we built in level 1. I did stick to some of the low-impact movements in the cardio portion of the workout. I don’t think I would have been able to do it endurance-wise, but even if I could, my knees made some ominous cracking noises when I tried the full movements, so I’ll stick with this for now. These low-impact movements may also come in handy when I do the workout in my 2nd floor apartment (sorry downstairs neighbors!).
For some of my tips on doing the 30 Day Shred, read my Day 5 Update and/or Tara’s post on Run With Us.
As for measurements, I’ve lost half an inch in my waist and an inch in my hips since starting the 30 Day Shred. I haven’t seen much change through my thighs yet (where I’d like to see some change) but I suspect that I may see some by the end of this level.
Questions? Encouragement? Comment below. :)
