30 Days Hath November

Ugh, this month is going to suck. I have decided that there is no better time to bite the bullet and start 30 Day Shred. This is one of the items on my 101 in 1001 list, and I figure I'm more likely to be able to knock it out this month because I don't go back to work until the 21st. Plus it would be nice to be able to actually fit into my (non-maternity) work clothes.

I was all excited when I weighed 10 pounds less than my pre-pregnancy weight within a week of having Lucy (thanks, preggorexia!), but I have pumpkin muffined* my way almost back to where I started. Except instead of the extra weight being spread evenly around my body, it's all concentrated in my midsection, and I have no muscle tone whatsoever. Good times.

To ensure that I actually stick with this and give it my best effort, I'm going to post my measurements here. How embarrassing would it be to put that out into the world and then come back in a month with no progress?

I followed the instructions on some random youtube video for taking the measurements. I'm a little annoyed that they made me include my love handles in my waist measurement. Also, maybe it's just me, but my belly button and my love handles don't line up the way that chick's did, so the tape ended up just below my belly button. Which makes it not so much a waist measurement.

Now I'm just stalling. Do I really want to do this?

Okay, here goes nothing:

weight: 185 pounds (mid day, so it might be a couple of pounds high)

biceps (measure at peak of bicep): 12.5 inches

chest (plus sports bra - measure across nips): 41 inches

waist (measure across belly button, including love handles): 42 inches (35 inches if you measure at the actual waist, like a sane person)(which is still not ideal, but it's better than 42)

hips (measure at peak of butt): 44 inches

thighs (measure halfway between inseam and knee): 22 inches

calves (meaure at peak of calf): 15.25 inches

I am not planning on changing my diet yet - one step at a time! Breastfeeding makes me beast hungry, and comfort food is the best part about the weather getting colder. Maybe we'll talk in the spring.

Oh, and I will consider this a success even if I stay on Level 1 the whole month, and if I skip 3 days or less. Just trying to be realistic.

Shred Day 1 Thoughts:

Not as bad as I expected, actually. There was a time right at the end of Circuit 1 where I wanted to stop and breathe, but it passed and I was able to keep moving the whole time. I have no upper body strength whatsoever (as evidenced by my inability to do even the modified version of the pushups), my flexibility is gone, my knees are creaky, and the butt kicks were annoying thanks to my new boob and butt jiggle, but I actually kind of want to do it again. This all might change tomorrow.

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*Does anyone remember the awesomeness that was Sundry Buzz? You wouldn't be reading this if I had never stumbled onto it after a google search for the best makeup for rosacea. I read through the archives, then Sundry's and Swistle's archives, and life will never be the same. Anyway, I've been making Sundry's Insanely Good Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins every fall since then, and I begged her to repost the recipe for them (and the squash soup) after I realized she stopped paying to host Sundry Buzz. She did. Make them, you won't regret it!