Level 2 Weekend Shred!!!

Woooo, the weekend has come to an end and I am happy with my dedication to portion control and getting my workout in!!! On Saturday, I woke up hit the Shred Level 2 Day 15, I rode the spin bike for 30mins and did some upper body strength training for 30mins. I skipped the chores and got the kids ready for a birthday party at Chuckee Cheese. I ate a healthy lunch before driving out. (1.5 pieces of baked Tilapia fish, 2 cups of veggies and a half of cup of Mac N Cheese) and I drank 12 cups of water through out the day. I had a half of slice of pizza and a forkful of birthday cake at the party and that was it. I skipped my on the road cup of coffee for the ride back home. I live 1.5hrs away from where the party was at. After 4hrs of running around with my kids and 3hrs of driving I was done for the day.

Today, I did Day 16 of the Shred and half assed it through the 1^st circuit. I normally feel this way when I don’t get a rest day in. I ended up riding the spin bike for 15mins to make up for my lack of effort. My eating could have been better and I will make sure I do better tomorrow. The Shred is still kicking my butt. I am sticking with Anita on the squat thrust move and have to drop my weights during the 2^nd set of those V arm raises while squatting. I will try my best not to break during the oblique twist and plank jacks! I love the Ab workout in level 2. 4 more days of this level 2 beat down and I am scared to death of starting level 3!!! Wish me Luck!!

Ohhh wait….I almost forgot to tell you what a great husband I have. Now normally women get offended by receiving workout machines, DVD’s and ect. But I was so happy when he surprised me with another Jillian Michael’s workout DVD!!! “No More Trouble Zones” is in the HOUSE!!!!! I will try this out for Saturday’s workout to see how it is….maybe. I will be sure to let you all know! Right now I am super tired and starting to feel hungry so, let me take myself to bed! Weigh in is tomorrow and am hoping for a 2lbs lost. ::crosses fingers::

Have a great evening and Keep on Pushing!!!!

Busy! Busy! Busy!....Still Shredding!

So, I started Level 2 of the Shred on February 12^th and it was insane. I loved the way it made me work my body and I sweated like a crazy woman. I rode the bike for 30 mins to burn some extra calories because, the huzbind and I were planning our Valentine’s evening out! We went to see John Witherspoon and DL Hughley live in concert and needless to say they were hilarious! We laughed our butts off! We were supposed to go to the Olive Garden where I had already saved enough calories up to enjoy a meal. I had it planned out and everything! Dinner plans were cancelled because, the show ran longer than we expected and the Olive Garden closes at 11pm. So, here we are after the show and both hungry as heck. We ended up going to a diner & having pancakes & sausage! Not the best choice but I would have it no other way!!! We had a great evening and I was happy to have spent it with him alone.

On Saturday the 13^th we celebrated my grandmother’s 87^th birthday. I didn’t have the chance to workout but, I practiced portion control like no ones business. I filled up with salad minus the dressing and the fresh fruit. I then had to slices of bacon and two tablespoons of Hash browns and Potatoes, I drank 3 glasses of orange juice as well. I think I did hella good compared to the damage I could have done. There were all kinds of pastries, French toast sticks, eggs, bacon, sausage… I’m telling you the works. It was great catching up with family I haven’t seen in ages and seeing my brother was a huge plus! I really miss him! Dinner time I continued on the right path. Everyone was getting Chinese, I ordered a small Won Ton soup and had 3 pieces of the General Tso chicken balls and drank water for the rest of the night!!! So, I really did better than expected with eating.

Now on to the workout!!! For Sat the 13^th-Mon the 15^th I did absolutely nothing. I was just so drain after my busy weekend. Tuesday I decided to do Level 2 over. I did the Shred L2D1 and rode the bike. This workout is no joke! Even after doing it today (L2D3) I am still stopping for breaks and reaching for my water. I like the moves in Level 2 much better than those in Level 1. I have already mastered the walking push-ups, my next goal is to do the plank jacks without stopping. I’m feeling really great about this program and will definitely be taking this with my on vacation when I go to St.Maarten on March 5^th. Also, I am thinking about getting Jillian’s other 2 DVD’s “No More Trouble Zones” and “Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism”. Oh, yes I plan on continuing my healthier lifestyle even on vacation. I’m really looking forward to it.

I have been eating clean and working out on a daily! I am noticing my huge frame starting to shrink and I am already down 15lbs since Jan 4^th. Still have 24lbs to go to meet my Goal!!! Yikes still a long ways to go!!!! I will keep on pushing along to get these pounds off. That’s all for now, I will Blog to you soon!!! Have a great evening and Keep on Pushing!!!

~Leelee~ 

Shred- Level 2.....Moving in the Right Direction

February 12th I moved on to Level2 of the Shred and I must say it’s a GREAT workout! I feel everything and have to modify some of the moves but, I do think I’m going to enjoy this Level much more than Level 1.

 Now, let’s see if I’ve met my Goals for Level 1.

 My Goals before ending Level 1 was to:

1-  Keep going without breaking- Done

2-  Doing regular push-ups- Failed

3-  Not doing any modified moves- Done 

2 out of 3 isn’t bad. I will continue to work on those push-ups for sure!!!My measurements when I started Level 1 on Feb 1^st and my measurements as of Feb 12th are listed below:

                                       Before:                    Current:

Weight:                          198.4                           194

Body Fat%                     41.5%                          39.1%

Waist-                            39                                 37.5

Stomach-                       42                                 41.5

Thighs-                          27                                 26.5

Hips-                             45                                   43.5

Chest-                           41.5                                 41

I am very happy with these results and note, I will not mark 194lbs as my true weight because I weighed this in on a Friday and my true weigh in's are on Monday’s!  

Okay for Level 2 my goals before ending Level 2:

1-       Do at least 1 set of the walking push-ups (regularly)

2-       Keep going without breaking

3-       Not doing any modified moves

I am also working out in the morning where I can get more time to get a good ride on the Spin bike, strength training and yoga workout in!!

I’m going to keep on Pushing!!!

Thank you MFP friends for the encouragement!! Let’s Go!!!

The Shred Day 7 Level 1

The extra day of rest really helped me out today. I ate clean and did Day 7 of Level 1! I did struggle yet again with the 2nd set of jumping jacks and I even did all push-ups on my knees!! Ughhhh!!! Will I ever be able to do them without stopping? All the strength training and Ab workout is going well! I just need to push through the 2nd set of jumping jacks damn it!
I ate clean today, got 13 glasses of water in and am feeling positive about tomorrows weigh in!! Nothing too exciting going on over here!!

Until Next time!!!

Weekend Shred.....or Not!!!!

My business meeting in Jersey ended at 11:45pm. KFC was on the menu for dinner. Well, not for me it wasn't. I was full off of my protein shake and had packed a salad and nonfat yogurt in case I did get hungry. I wasn't feeling hungry until my family and I hit the road back to PA at 12 something in the morning. We stopped at Dunkin Donuts where I had a ham and swiss flat bread!!! Didn't think it was that bad until I added it in my Food Diary and saw how much sodium it had!!! 1030grams of SODIUM!!!!!! Never again!!!! I am now seeing the importance of logging everything I put into my body and that little flat bread is something I will think long and hard about eating again!
As we got closer to home it started to snow hard, my car was slipping and sliding all up 80!!! Thank God there were no other cars on the road and thank God for getting us home safely. After unpacking the car I hit the bed hard!!


Saturday was Day6 Level 1 of the Shred. I wanted to get up nice and early to get it in and over with but, I didn't. I was not feeling up to par and had no energy. The flat bread from earlier this morning was still on my mind which, would normally make me push through my lazy funk but, of course it didn't. I did everything under the sun at home BUT my workout! I sat down at 10pm and got caught up in this movie on Lifetime. Every commercial I would say "I would do my workout when it goes to commercial". I did that for an entire hour. I finally got dressed, strapped on my HRM (forgot to set the watch, so it was useless) and did Day 6 Level1. I am still unable to get through my second set of jumping jacks without stopping...what gives? I am putting my all into it, I don't know if doing the first set of push-ups the normal way is sucking up my energy but, I always stop during the the 2nd set of jumping jacks...Not Cool!!!! 

Sunday, Day 7 Level1 of the Shred!!!


I woke up feeling sick, I took some Theraflu and went right back to sleep. When I awoke I had some soup and a tuna sandwich. Trying to muster up some energy which didn't happen. I still felt groggily, made lunch for the kids and watch ANTM marathon on Oxygen. I still felt like crap and I was hoping that the rest would get me going. So, No Shred on Sunday!!! I'm still on Day 7 Level 1. I hope later on today I will feel well enough to get it in!!! I need to shake this off b/c I hate the feeling of not being able to workout!!! I will be checking to let you know how it went!! 
Until Next time!!!

Day 5 of the Shred

I never realized what the importance of a schedule is or how dependent I've become to having structure in my life. I need to know the What, When, Where & Who's before I can actually commit to something. Yesterday, I had a half day and decided to use this time to clean the house, being that I work from home and all, why not right? ..... Wrong!!!! After cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, dusting and vacuuming I was exhausted!!!! My back was aching from all the standing and my knee started to hurt again. I peeked at the time and what do you know, it's 15 mins before I had to do my workout.


I do my workout during my 45min lunch break, well I have a schedule I follow when working. I eat lunch at 1:30pm which is on my 15 min break, take 2 Aleve after I eat (for the pain in my knees), I then ice them for 30mins while working. That way when 3:15pm comes around I am fueled, pain free and ready to go. Well, being off of my "schedule" at this point, I hadn't eaten lunch, taken my Aleve, iced my knees and NOT ready to go. So, multitasking kicked into over drive. I popped 2 Aleve, I sat on the floor with my back against the couch so, I could extend my legs. I plopped two ice packs on each knee, ate my salad and half of tuna sandwich and fed my son who was home with me all at the same time. Once I got that out of the way I bathed my son got him dressed and ready and put him down for a nap. My new found energy was once again depleted after that.


Anyway I pushed myself up the steps, dressed in my workout clothes, got my Heart Rate Monitor on and popped in Jillian Michael's 30Day Shred!!!! Oh...... My.... God! I got my butt served to me the 1st round, after that I came back with a vengeance. I kept up with Natalie, I did those Butt Kicks and Punches with force, got on the floor and banged out those sit ups, the strength moves... a piece of cake, I made sure my butt was sticking out far enough for the side lunges and finished up strong. After the cool down I went through doing another 2 mins of cardio to makeup for the 15secs I cheated my self during the second set of jumping jacks!!! Dripping with sweat and feeling damn proud for pushing myself, I ran to take a shower and finished getting the car packed for my drive to NJ for a business meeting! My protein shake in hand, body feeling that good hurt and beats turned up, I realized I really don't need to be on an "exact schedule" I just need to push myself and believe in myself and I will succeed!

Shredding Day1 - Day 4

Crazy Riffs!!!

In case you're wondering why I have all my entries combined in 1 post is because, at first I didn't want to Blog about me Shredding then decided against it. So, here's what went on the 1st 4 Days of the 30 Day Shred!!

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I started D1L1 and let me tell you I LOVE IT!!!!! 

It's tough but, definitely doable, my legs are still burning from the squats & lunges. I did stop maybe 20 secs out of the whole 27 mins and burnt 258 calories. Thanks to my Best workout Bud the Polar F6! Best investment I've made since my journey started on Jan 4th! 

Here are my goals for February:

Before ending Level 1 I want to:

1-  Keep going without breaking

2-  Do all regular push-ups

3-  Throw modified moves out the window

My Weight Goal is to lose 8lbs by March 1^st!! I am eating clean and getting my water in, I am taking my One a Day Multi vitamin, my Omega3’s & 2 Glucosamine pills for my joints!!! I am hoping to feel some improvement by taking them. We will see! I will definitely keep you posted!

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I did D2L1 and it kicked my tail but, this time I took 2 Aleve's an hr before my workout and managed to get through it without the killing pain on my knees! I was definitely doing the moves correct. I did stop again...those butt kicks right after the squats are a killer. I am fighting to kick my feet up but, failing miserably. I still LOVE it though. I definitely feel that this workout will get me into shape no matter how long it takes for me to complete it. I just may take this to St.Maarten with me in March! I was going to take Insanity but, this is a butt kicker in its self and will do!!! 

I also added some upper body strength training & when I got back to work I could barely move my arms to type!!! I am still looking forward to tomorrow, my Day 3 YES!!!!! 

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D3L1 is in the bag! Today I tried my best to not to stop for a 3 sec breather but, failed. I only stopped once and felt AMAZING!!! Today I burnt 277 so that's a big difference from Day 1's 258 calorie burn!!! My poor HM was beeping away at me. Screaming at me to slow it down but, I couldn't, I had to keep up and keep pushing! 

Last night I hurt my knee and not from working out. I iced it all day today and took 2 Aleve before my workout, wore my knee brace plus an ace bandage for extra support. I ROCKED it out and got through the squats, lunges (which I feel the burn & love it) & side lunge things!! My quads are super tight, no jiggle here anymore and my calves are much toner!!! I am really enjoying this program!!! 

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I knocked out D4L1 and I am HAPPY to say that I almost did all of the 1st set push ups without using my knees!  (I missed it by 5) I also think pushing through the push-ups killed me on cardio. The 2nd set of jumping jacks I couldn't push through without stopping. I was beyond feeling winded. For the rest I did a good job! I rode my spin bike for 15mins and my body screamed "Thank you Jesus" when I finished!!! I iced my knees and took 2 Aleve a hr before my workout. I really think that helps because my knees were good throughout the whole thing, I sucked on my butt kicks because, I had my knees wrapped which makes it hard for me to bend them far enough to reach my tush! I am POOPED!!! 

Have a great night & Keep pushing through!

Just Getting Started!!!!

I started my journey on Jan 4^th, 2010 at a starting weight of 209.2lbs. I have been battling with my weight since my first child was born... 10 years ago. That is too long to go with being uncomfortable in my own skin. I've done the "diet" thing worked out, lost weight, stopped doing what was right and gain the weight right back again. Well, this time I am more determined than ever. This is going to be a lifestyle change. Something I do everyday until God takes me! My food intake will not consist of just veggies, grilled chicken, fish and fruits. I will consume the right foods in the right proportions. Fast Foods will not be the food of choice on my daily menu. I will commit to working out, not just to help me along my journey but, because it's good for my body. I LOVE my body, I NEED my body! It's time for me to start being KIND to my body!!!

My goal was to be less than 200lbs by Jan 31st. No special reason, I just didn't want to be in the 200’s. I weighed in on Jan 31st and was so happy to not just see 199 but 198.4Lbs!!! YES!!! I went .6lbs over my set goal.  It really shows that hard work and dedication does pay off and though I’ve fallen, I always got back up and pushed hard!!!

I don’t think I could have done it without MFP, the great friends I’ve met there that always helped me push forward and all the readers of my Blog, your comments and support means the world to me. Thank you!!!

My journey is far from over, so I’m moving on to my next goal. Lose 8lbs by March 1^st, my high goal is 10lbs by March 1^st.

Changes I’m making in February will be:

- Commit 30 days to 

Jillian Michael’s "

30 Day Shred"

- will incorporate riding the bike, 10 Min Trainer Yoga and some upper body   strength training every other day!!!

- Stay committed to eating clean.

I’m looking forward to the hard work and to you all motivating me along the way!!!