Ripped in 30- Day 30

We made it!! It's day 30 of Ripped in 30 with Jillian Michaels. After all the sweat and tears we made it through. Congratulations on a job well done! 

It's been a long 30 days but I have never felt so empowered and accomplished in my life. I finally stuck to something and finished it to the end. Although I am extremely proud of myself and everyone who has done this as well, I know that it's just the beginning. Just because these 30 days are over does not mean that you can go back to your old ways. These 30 days have shown you that it is possible to stay active and live a healthy lifestyle everyday for the rest of your life. It's not intimidating to think that anymore, it can be done!

This experience has inspired new lifestyle goals:

- Start running in the spring and train for a small marathon
- Eat cleaner and healthier everyday
- Get at least 20 minutes of exercise a day
- Get outside more!

The physical results that I have seen while doing this workout DVD:

- My arms are MUCH more toned
- My abs are a lot more defined
- My legs have more muscle and definition

The only only problem I still have is my glutes/saddlebags. That is my problem area and I will struggle with it for the rest of my life but everyone has one! I'm hoping after I start running and walking more I will get rid of the problem. 

I'm so excited to finally be physically fit and healthy. I hope you have enjoyed following me on this ride and have also seen some great results from this experience! Just remember to get up tomorrow and start the next 30 days of your life off the same way you started the last 30 days:)

Ripped in 30- Day 29

Today I took a break from the week 4 video in Ripped in 30 and did level 3 in Killer Buns and Thighs. I also did a few arm exercises with 5 pound weights after words, and about 1 minute of abs.

I hope you're feeling as good as I am after this full month of exercise! Theres still snow on the ground right now but I can't stop thinking about summer now. When spring comes along, I'm going to take my new active lifestyle outside and enjoy the fresh air. This is going to be a great year I ca feel it!

Tomorrow is the last day of the Ripped in 30 challenge! Go all out and end it on the highest note possible but most importantly enjoy it.

Ripped in 30- Day 28

I did the week 4 workout this morning! I'm feeling pretty good now. The exercises are finally getting a bit easier to do now. The only thing that I really have a hard time with is cardio. It's really hard to do it bare foot and in a little spot in your living room. I think it would be much easier to accomplish if I had proper footwear on and I was outside. BUT there was a huge snow storm last night and that's just not going to happen. I tried my hardest to get through it and I did so I'm happy.

There are only 2 days left so keep going and don't give up now you've come too far! Just get in the zone!!

Ripped in 30- Day 27

There are only 3 days left! I'm so happy with the results that I have been seeing with this DVD. I definitely recommend it to anyone trying to get in shape for bikini season or even just to feel great about yourself! I'm really proud of my accomplishments. Before this exercise DVD I was unable to do pushups or lift heavier objects. This was a problem last year when I helped my mom move from one house to another. I was assigned the task of "watching the moving truck" while I watched everyone else move furniture. Now I feel like I could actually be an asset to a friend in need rather than an embarrassment. To be honest, I never thought I would want to have toned arms but now that I have them it's amazing to think how I managed going through life being so weak before! I don't have giant ugly man arms, I just have muscle definition. That was always a worry of mine but worry no more I look just fine!

Last night I was so stressed out about things going on in my life but I got up this morning and worked my butt off with level 4. Working out always makes you feel better, even if you don't want to do it and you procrastinate, you will feel amazing after you do. It gives you a sense of accomplishment that you need to boost your confidence.

In 3 days we will have accomplished something huge and you should be extremely proud of yourself!

Ripped in 30- Day 26

Today was a super busy day so I didn't get a chance to do the Ripped in 30 workout. I did however work up a sweat today by doing various exercises I feel bring results fast. I do these exercises when I know I have too much on my plate that day and only have a limited time to work out. Most of these exercises I have taken from Jillian Michaels DVDs. I think it's necessary for everyone to find exercises that are right for you in this very instance. Play around with a few and over time see which ones bring the best results for your body type. I like to do my exercises right before I get in the shower and start my day because I still work up a sweat and get my heart rate up.

Tomorrow morning there are no excuses though! It's almost day 30 of ripped in 30 so in crunch time!!

Ripped in 30- Day 25

This morning I dragged myself out of bed and did the week 4 workout for the second time. I hope my arms won't be burning as bad as they were last time as of tomorrow morning! I think I will try my best to workout at this level again tomorrow.

Today I was faced with temptation when I went to a fast food restaurant with friends. Instead of eating there, I waited until I got home to have a healthy lunch. I wasn't going to throw away all my hard work!  I find it's much easier to say no to unhealthy food if you start the day off right and have a good breakfast. If I eat an apple in the morning I find I eat healthier for the rest of the day because I then have a taste for clean and fresh food. Try it yourself! 

Ripped in 30- Day 24

When I woke up this morning my arms were so sore from all the push ups involved in the week 4 workout! Instead of pushing them to the breaking point I decided to switch it up and do level 3 of Killer Buns and Thighs instead to balance myself out. Now my whole body is killing me! It's a good feeling though.

Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better and be able to try out the week 4 workout again. It's definitely the most difficult week but we can do it! We've come so far so we can't quit now. You can do it!!!:)

Ripped in 30- Day 23

I did it! I got through the week 4 workout. If you are worried about it being difficult, you are right to do so. It would be virtually impossible to start with this workout before gradually working through the other 3 first. These exercises are very complex. I needed to watch her move through them a couple times before I attempted them myself. I did get through most of them, but there are a few that I know I will have to work on:

Pushups with a dumbbell raise
and
Supermans with a dumbbell raise out in front

These two exercises are tough! But I know I can do them and you can too. It's week 4, surprise yourself!

Ripped in 30- Day 22

Well I missed a day again but this time I'm going to pretend it didn't happen and continue on as day 22. In theory, I was supposed to start level 4 today but I really wanted to do level 3 one last time. Tomorrow morning I will start level 4! Oh my gosh I can't believe I'm there already. It's been really tough trying to get this workout in everyday and that's okay. You don't have to do this workout everyday you just need to do it more days in the week than not in order to see good results. That's why I've been pushing for 6 or 7 days a week. It's hard but it's worth it. It also takes a few days to get used to each new level which is why I'm nervous to start level 4. I wanted to make sure I really had a handle on level 3 before I advanced, and after today's workout I think I'm ready!

Bring it on level 4! 

Ripped in 30- Day 21

Well it's the end of day 21 and I'm sitting down after an unexpected workout tonight to watch the end of The Biggest Loser. I woke up today completely drained of energy. It was raining outside, I had a serious migraine, and I just did not feel like working out. I did however, eat plenty of healthy fruits and veggies during the day. When I started watching The Biggest Loser, it gave me that inspirational spark I needed to get off the couch and start moving. I began doing a few little exercises and within 15 minutes it turned into a full blown workout. I stepped away from the television momentarily, to join my mom in doing the week 3 workout. Just seeing her work out made me want to get moving so I did almost the whole workout despite feeling horrible! Now I'm really glad I got it out of the way.

Having a family member do this challenge with me has been very helpful. We push each other for greatness and pick each other up when we fall. It is SO much easier to do this when you have a friend or family member do it with you. I highly 100% recommend it. And if you don't have anyone that can go on the journey with you, that's what I'm here for. I'll be your friend when you need someone to lean on. I'm right here! I'm working out with you:)

Keep it going guys, week 30 is just around the corner!

Ripped in 30- Day 20

It's day 20 and I'm feeling awesome! Minus the fact that today is the beginning of daylight savings and I woke up late. That wasn't good but I still had time to get my workout in! Today I did the week 3 workout and finished with a few extra exercises for my glutes. I want them to be rock hard by the spring and I think I might achieve that even sooner.

I recently discovered a great exercise for your glutes that doesn't require any equipment. The picture bellow is an example of this exercise with the use of a light weight, but I chose to do it without. I can't figure out the proper name for it so I'll just call them glute curls. Go down on all fours and lift your leg up as high as you can while keeping your leg curled and squeeze your butt! Bring the leg down and push up once again. Then rep it out for 20 reps. You will feel it, trust me...and if not add the weight behind your knee like in the picture bellow for extra resistance. You can also choose to keep your arms planted and straight, or keep them bent to work your arms at the same time.

Try it yourself!

Ripped in 30- Day 19

Today I woke up earlier than usual and decided to take advantage of the extra time and do the Ripped in 30 week 3 video of course! I pushed myself harder than last time and by the end of it my legs were screaming. I love when my legs are sore the next day because it shows that I really tried hard. SO I hope they are tomorrow!

I have also been continuing with a few leg exercises on the ball and with the resistance band after the video workout. I want my glutes to have the best possible results so it's important to me to make sure I do a separate small workout just for them! I think it's starting to really show.

I live in Canada and it's the end of winter so there is still quite a lot of snow on the ground, but once it warms up a bit I plan to start running at least once a week. I have always wanted to run a small marathon, but I could never run more than a mile (or even a kilometer). This new fitness kick that I have has inspired me to achieve some of those life long dreams I have. I want to be able to run at least
3-5 kilometers without stopping and I think it can be done. I can't wait to start this spring! 

Ripped in 30- Day 17&18

I missed a day! I can't believe I did that. Oh well, it happens. I wasn't near a computer for most of the day yesterday so unfortunately I forgot to post for day 17. Yesterday I went out to shop around for a bit so that was my workout for the day.

Today however, I'm back on track! I woke up early and did the week 3 workout along with a few extra leg and glute exercises. I followed up with a healthy breakfast of strawberries with yogurt and peanut butter toast. I feel much better now that I have my workout out of the way. It may be difficult to force yourself out of bed and pick up those weights but I promise you will be glad you did. After everyday that you do this, you will get stronger and more motivated. Soon you won't need to force yourself, you will crave it and jump out of bed in the morning!

Keep up the good work:)

Ripped in 30- Day 16

It's day 2 of week 3 of Ripped in 30! How is everyone doing up to this point? It's getting tough. I definitely find it easier to do these workouts first thing in the morning when I'm fresh. If you wait until later in the day you will be more likely to back out at the last minute. I have been setting my alarm for 9:45am every morning and go straight down to my living room to kick butt!

Today I have been trying my best to eat healthy! I had lots of fruits and veggies today and I'm feeling good. My energy level is much higher and I just want to go out and do things all the time! My confidence has also been boosted and my anxieties are dwindling. That's what happens when you get active and eat right! I can't tell you how much it has improved my lifestyle. I hope it does the same for you:)

Ripped in 30- Day 15

Last night I got off the couch and started week 3! I wasn't going to do a workout yesterday but I changed my mind and went for it. It was tough! This weeks video is all about the legs. They were on fire last night. I may do it again tonight but I'm not 100% sure yet. I will do some kind of workout today though and then try the week 3 video again tomorrow morning.

Today is a good day I can feel it! Put on a brave face and go out there and rule the day:)

Ripped in 30- Day 14

I feel horrible today! For that reason I'm taking it easy. I've worked out everyday this week and I'm really happy I was able to push myself to do so.

I did do a few exercises with the exercise band for my arms and a few bridges for my glutes so I'm not completely incapable today. If I feel better tonight, I will definitely do a serious workout because it is after all, the end of week 2 and I would like to finish the week strong.

Don't give up! We're halfway through and I bet you're staring to feel amazing. Remember this feeling and take it with you through the rest of your life.

Ripped in 30- Day 13

Worked out again today! I'm starting to find this weeks video a bit easier which means I'm going to have to bump up to the next video soon. I'll do it for one more day and then start week 3.

Today, after I did week two's video, I did a few exercises on the exercise ball because I didn't feel like I worked my legs hard enough. I did about 40 bridges on each leg while balancing the foot on the exercise ball. (See picture bellow)

This exercise really hits the spot where your booty meets your leg, and that's the exact spot where my problem area is! I tend the do this exercise a lot. It becomes 3 times harder when you do it on the ball because you are constantly balancing.

I might do this one more time today because it is so effective.

Ripped in 30- Day 12

As promised, I tried out one of Jillian Michaels' recipes on her meal plan for Ripped in 30. I tested the honey lemon marinated chicken breast recipe and it was quite good. Very light and big on flavour. I will definitely make it again! It only took 10 minutes to cook so it was a great meal to have after work (I usually get home around 8 or 9pm). I just marinated it before I left and stuck it in the fridge until I got home.

I also did the week 2 video again this morning and feel ready to go for the rest of the day! It's amazing how much energy I have now compared to when I wasn't exercising. It's also forcing me to get up earlier and I feel like I have more time to get things done.

I'm getting more and more excited for my trip at the end of the month and even bathing suit season! I'll be ready:)

Ripped in 30- Day 11

It's day 11 and I worked my butt off this morning with level 2! I think I'm going to try and do this video everyday for the rest of the week because I'm still having trouble with the plank exercises and I want to be able to do them perfectly at the end of the week so it will be easier to advance to week 3. Although I may not be doing the exercises perfectly yet, I am still starting to see some great definition in my arms that I've never had before! Theres no way that this video will give you the giant muscles that the girls in the background have, but that's a good thing! I don't want big muscles, I just want to be lean and toned.

Tonight I am trying one of her dinner recipes on her meal plan called Honey Lemon Marinated Chicken Breasts. This recipe is for 4 but it's just me tonight so I modified it for 1. It is super easy to make and I have high hopes for it! I am going to slice up the chicken and put it in a baby spinach salad with almonds. Can't wait to try it:)