The Great Shape Up: Take 3

That Garfield cartoon has pretty much summed up my attitude toward working out for the past two years. I tried briefly to get into gear back in January, but shortly there after, I found out about the layoff, started working ridiculous hours and then totally lost all motivation when I officially became unemployed. With nothing to do all day for five weeks, I had the perfect opportunity to get in shape - instead, I ate. And loafed. And managed to gain eight pounds. So not only was I bummed about losing a job that I loved, now I was angry about gaining weight too.

A vicious cycle for sure. I have been talking about getting back in shape for months now, but I've finally put my money where my mouth is. We've got a vacation coming up, one in which we will attend two weddings and see many friends from both undergrad and grad school. Talk about motivation! No way do I want to look anything but my best for this trip!

I decided to skip boot camp for now. A big part of me wanted to go back just to prove that I could do it, but the pragmatic part of me couldn't stand paying for a month of camp when I could only attend twice per week for three weeks. Just can't justify it. So on to plan B - Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.


I've heard tons of people sing the praises of her 30-day Shred program. When I saw Mrs. Realife take it on a few weeks ago, I watched with anticipation for her first report back. She lost at least 1/2 inch all over in the first ten days - SIGN ME UP! I ordered it that night.

The Shred is designed with three 20-minute workouts, with the idea that you move up a level about every 10 days (or as you feel ready). Each 20-minute workout is broken up into three sets of 6 minutes - 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of abs. It's supposed to maximize your calorie-burn and muscle building. Personally, I like it because I can always tell exactly how much longer I have left by how many cycles I've completed - sad, but true. I swear, the first day was the longest 20 minutes of my life! But already the second and third days have been easier. And I feel good when I'm done. That's the best part of working out, isn't it? Feeling good about yourself when it's all over.

Sadly, I will only get in 19 of my 30 days before our vacation but if I see results even half as good as Mrs. Realife, I'll be happy. Even just knowing I'm finally on the road to getting in shape makes me feel better about myself. If I feel this great after Day 3, I can't wait until Day 30!