SHREDDED: Before and After

Growing up my dad's favorite cereal was shredded wheat. So when I hear that word, my mind jumps to opening the cereal cabinet and seeing that box full of blah cereal and thinking....how could my dad eat this??? I still don't know the answer to that question, but I think my dad stopped thinking he  liked it too because now I hear he eats a quart of hagen daaz for dinner! If THAT is what getting old and turning crazy is like, I CAN'T WAIT!! I joke that I am rubbing off on him because he used to be the healthiest eater I've ever KNOWN!!! But I think I told him that I skip meals and go straight to dessert a time too many and he's just adopting my bad, YET YUMMMY eating habits!!

 I digress....soooo been going through a lot of changes!!! Baby(still need about 100 blog post about that...sorry) then our house flooded and that was 4 months of living in a apartment and remodeling he%%. Then we move back in, have Thanksgiving and Christmas and BOOM....my marriage crumbles.

 But I will say that this time has been a spiritual blessing. A time that I will always cherish because I felt and still feel extremely led and blessed and overwhelmed with gratitude for a savior who saves us from not only physical death but from every kind of situation. He is my hero for ever more. I am sooooo excited to be living my best life now!

 Speaking of living my best life.... right after Chloe was born I heard about Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. I thought 20 minutes! Even a new mommy can find 20 minutes!! So I bought, I played, I exercised, I became disabled for 4 days. Short of installing a elevator in my home I was stuck to one level of my home! So I gave up and sunk back into flubby motherhood.

Fast forward to now. I can not even remember what inspired me to begin. I think someone else was starting something and I thought I can too! I have not been able to get back to teaching at the gym with Chloe screaming like Jason is after her if I leave her vision. I also thanks to the hormone cortisol had lost about 5 pounds, but still felt a little flabby around the core and I wondered was that because of my diet or because of my lack of core strength?? You always hear...it's ALL DIET. My diet these days consist of no breakfast/ salad , omelet, or oatmeal for lunch.../and a light dinner..../and popping chocolate in my mouth in frequent intervals.

 So on April 2, 2012 I began 30 day Shred. Minus Sundays (Short testimony on not working out on sunday...I actually started to do it one sunday and promptly felt the spirit inside me say NO! So I thanked that spirit and welcomed the day of rest!)Short of sundays and one monday I had Strep throat...I completed 6 days a week for 5 weeks.

 10 Days Level 1 Started very very light, barely squatted down, used NO weights first three days...this got me through initial sore period. NO need for elevator.

10 Days Level 2 Oooooooo Pushups????? I loathe theee!!!! The squat and shoulder rise nearly ended me, I hate shoulder exercises which means I must need them.

10 Days Level 3 I think I died. Have you ever worked out so hard or ran so hard you are sucking air?? Then you promptly feel like puking??? This was level 3, but I loved it!!

 So THANK YOU JILLIAN I WISH I KNEW YOUR MIDDLE NAME MICHAELS because for the first time in MY LIFE I can see my stomach muscles a teeny tiny tiny bit. Teeny tiny, like barely but I was beginning to think I may not have them!! I feel sooo strong

? when you are strong you feel strong! It's so hard, so hard, so hard people it's hard....but then you feel sooooo good!! I started seeing results right away...so here are the before and after pictures. My pint size photographer Ryan was too kind to help his dear old mom on these before bolting for the education.