Heyy! Hope you’re having a lovely Thursday!
I wish the sun would come back out in Michigan. We’re having quite a grey day! It seemed like a great day to try my new breakfast option: real oatmeal! Many of my favorite fitness/food bloggers start their day with oatmeal, and they post pictures of the most delicious-looking oatmeal creations. Inspired, I bought a canister of rolled oats this week. I’m used to eating the kind of oatmeal from the little packets that looks like hamster-food. Rolled oats are just as easy and quick to make, but they have some heft to them. I was not prepared to be impressed. I mixed in some chopped bananas, blueberries, two spoonfuls of lowfat plain yogurt, and a tablespoon of almond butter. And then I died and went to heaven!
Rolled oats are going to be my new go-to comfort food. Seriously I can’t believe what a difference this little upgrade made in terms of taste, texture, and satiety! Even though I’ve been eating healthy and actively trying new foods for almost six years, I still love my “Duh!’ moments.
Because I was worried it was going to rain this afternoon, I decided to go for my run/walk before lunch. It wasn’t sunny, but it was cool, which was nice. I ended up running for eight minutes and walking for two, for a total of 30 minutes. For some reason, I always have a harder workout the day after a day off! Does that happen to anyone else?
I was planning to do 30 Day Shred right after cardio, but I realized I only had three pound weights, so I had to run out to get new ones. I ended up getting five pounders, which was a mistake; I’m ready for eight, but they didn’t have them. Kind of a waste there, but I’m excited I’m getting stronger!
After the weight trip, it was time for lunch. I made a huge salad, packed with a rainbow of veggies and topped with baked tofu. Then it was time for my session with Jillian!
I actually watched the DVD last night because I prefer to watch a workout DVD before I try it–I don’t like surprises. My mom kept laughing at me because I was all stretched out in the TV room, just casually watching other people work out. The DVD comes with three workouts, Levels 1-3. You start with 1 and progress through the levels, but after my month of Shred at Equinox, I felt OK starting at Level 2. I’m not in crazy shape or anything, but the Level 2 moves were similar to what I’ve been doing.
Well, doing the video is much harder than lying there watching it! I would expect nothing less from a trainer like Jillian though. There is a 2-minute warm up, three 6-minute circuits, and a 2-minute cool down. The circuits work like this: 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, 1 minute of abs.
Jillian is her usual awesome, no-BS self, and she has two helpers, one of whom does easier versions of the moves. Many of the moves combine balance work and work the whole body at once. She also includes a lot of jumping moves for the cardio bursts, which I love.
After doing the DVD, I’m honestly on the fence. I need to see how I feel in a week. I think the main problem is that I was spoiled from Shred at Equinox, where it was 45 minutes and was in a studio with an instructor and tons of equipment, as opposed to my basement. What I love is that the moves are efficient (they work your whole body quickly) and the cardio is good (jumping jacks may be the world’s best exercise). It’s only 20 minutes, and it honestly flies by. What I didn’t like is that because the circuits are so quick and the workout is so short, I felt like I wasn’t doing the moves as well or concentrating as much as I would have liked to. (I also think the fact that my weights were too light had something to do with it.) What I loved is when Jillian shouted, “You should feel like you want to die!” during the last cardio session, and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
I am going to get heavier weights and stick with it, but I might cut it down to three days per week, and make up one day of my own circuits, just to include all the moves I’ve grown to love. I’ve actually come to want more push-ups and squats…this is a serious change for me.
I definitely think this is an awesome DVD for people who want to incorporate strength training into their workouts and might be unsure as to how. It’s not crazy complicated and doesn’t require much space or equipment (one set of weights and maybe a towel). The cardio bursts give you more bang for your buck. I think it would also be good for toning up for an event like a wedding. But time will tell exactly how much I love it!
After a quick shower, I made a smoothie for a snack, with coconut water, whey protein powder, fresh mango, and fresh strawberries. I usually use frozen fruit, and using fresh was an amazing treat.
And then, in my second “Duh!” moment of the day…I found my camera charger in Michigan, but after a whole 24 hours of charging, my battery was still dead (hence my lack of pictures). I thought I was going to have to get another new charger (this is my second) or a whole new camera. Then, frustrated, I flipped the battery over and inserted it properly. It is now charging as God intended. FAIL.
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