Workout Observations
Consider this a "cheat sheet" based on my experiences with the Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 as I start an exercise regime.
I'm two days into a six-month resolution (which is the longest time period available) and she's still beating my ass. Which is the idea. The software lets you "design" how Jillian's avatar looks, and I've got her wearing her Bully t-shirt because I need help; if I could get fit myself I wouldn't need to purchase a video game to keep my honest. It's similar to the years I studied Tae Kwon Do. I signed a three-year contract, so I'd spent the money and skipping classes would waste those precious dollars, as well as disappoint my master, a Puerto Rican black belt named Angel who was the nicest guy you could ever meet, so centered and confident in what he was doing with his life.
1) Don't cheat.
Wednesday's session two days ago was in the morning, as I work a late shift and didn't have to rush into the office. Yesterday was Melissa's birthday and we went to dinner, and then I took youngest daughter to her volleyball practice. Pushing any workout into the late evening hours. It would have been simple to skip a day. After the hour-plus workout and the series of jumping jacks, squat jumps, crescent kicks, and obliques, each repeated several times, I certainly wished I had skipped it. My thighs certainly still ache this morning, and I didn't get to sleep until nearly 1 a.m. because my metabolism was in hyperdrive.
2) Don't cheat.
I believe part of the reason I'm sore (besides the previous lack of exercise) is I'm trying too hard. Slow down and do each exercise in the proper form. The program rates your performance. So what if you don't do X number of crescent kicks or jumping jack squats or side lunges? Slow down and do them right so you don't risk injury, because the "ultimatum" part of the software title isn't a joke. The first time you "warm up" with a jog around the island workout areas, you'll understand that even running in place can wring sweat from your body in bucket loads.
3) Don't cheat.
I started a food/calorie journal two weeks back, and even though I've only exercised three days out of the fourteen the journal made me aware of what I was putting into my body. I picked up JM's Winning By Losing book a while back, and there's a formula inside for figuring out your Active Metabolic Rate. Essentially, how many calories your body burns in a week. Mine falls around 21,000. She writes that burning a pound requires an expenditure of 3,500 calories. So, it's a matter of creating a simple deficit through diet and exercise. Diet lowering the calorie intake (and encouraging healthy food choices) and exercise increasing the calories burned.
My first week recording my calories had me taking in approximately 18,310 calories. Some healthy choices, so not so much. But still a deficit. Erring on the healthy side would certainly help burn off pounds. I recorded 15,690 calories as my intake this second week. Another deficit, another mix of healthy and unhealthy food choices. Mostly healthy as I focused on portion control, eating more salads, oatmeal for breakfast, and eating fruit for snacks.
I didn't weigh myself this morning, because I didn't think to do it and I was still too sore from last night's workout to think to do it, but I still feel better than I did two weeks ago, soreness aside.
4) Cheat.
I'm not a fitness guru, so I didn't choose to create my own exercise routines. The software offers several resolution time periods. A resolution being your "promise" to work out each day listed on the calendar attached to your profile. I selected the Jillian Michaels workouts, because I purchased the game for her expertise. Since she was involved in its creation, she knows what exercises you need to do and in what order you need to do them for any given time period.
5) Don't cheat.
Sweat smells bad. I've got to believe the reason I reek after I exercise is because my body is ridding itself of toxins. Which makes me more aware of what I eat. The thought of eating something sugary or buttery turns my stomach, and I'm someone who loves buttered toast covered with cinnamon sugar. I could gobble four to six slices at the drop of hat and not even blink. Now ... ugh. I'm certain that the smell reaching you through the internet right now is butter. :-P
I'm two days into a six-month resolution (which is the longest time period available) and she's still beating my ass. Which is the idea. The software lets you "design" how Jillian's avatar looks, and I've got her wearing her Bully t-shirt because I need help; if I could get fit myself I wouldn't need to purchase a video game to keep my honest. It's similar to the years I studied Tae Kwon Do. I signed a three-year contract, so I'd spent the money and skipping classes would waste those precious dollars, as well as disappoint my master, a Puerto Rican black belt named Angel who was the nicest guy you could ever meet, so centered and confident in what he was doing with his life.
1) Don't cheat.
Wednesday's session two days ago was in the morning, as I work a late shift and didn't have to rush into the office. Yesterday was Melissa's birthday and we went to dinner, and then I took youngest daughter to her volleyball practice. Pushing any workout into the late evening hours. It would have been simple to skip a day. After the hour-plus workout and the series of jumping jacks, squat jumps, crescent kicks, and obliques, each repeated several times, I certainly wished I had skipped it. My thighs certainly still ache this morning, and I didn't get to sleep until nearly 1 a.m. because my metabolism was in hyperdrive.
2) Don't cheat.
I believe part of the reason I'm sore (besides the previous lack of exercise) is I'm trying too hard. Slow down and do each exercise in the proper form. The program rates your performance. So what if you don't do X number of crescent kicks or jumping jack squats or side lunges? Slow down and do them right so you don't risk injury, because the "ultimatum" part of the software title isn't a joke. The first time you "warm up" with a jog around the island workout areas, you'll understand that even running in place can wring sweat from your body in bucket loads.
3) Don't cheat.
I started a food/calorie journal two weeks back, and even though I've only exercised three days out of the fourteen the journal made me aware of what I was putting into my body. I picked up JM's Winning By Losing book a while back, and there's a formula inside for figuring out your Active Metabolic Rate. Essentially, how many calories your body burns in a week. Mine falls around 21,000. She writes that burning a pound requires an expenditure of 3,500 calories. So, it's a matter of creating a simple deficit through diet and exercise. Diet lowering the calorie intake (and encouraging healthy food choices) and exercise increasing the calories burned.
My first week recording my calories had me taking in approximately 18,310 calories. Some healthy choices, so not so much. But still a deficit. Erring on the healthy side would certainly help burn off pounds. I recorded 15,690 calories as my intake this second week. Another deficit, another mix of healthy and unhealthy food choices. Mostly healthy as I focused on portion control, eating more salads, oatmeal for breakfast, and eating fruit for snacks.
I didn't weigh myself this morning, because I didn't think to do it and I was still too sore from last night's workout to think to do it, but I still feel better than I did two weeks ago, soreness aside.
4) Cheat.
I'm not a fitness guru, so I didn't choose to create my own exercise routines. The software offers several resolution time periods. A resolution being your "promise" to work out each day listed on the calendar attached to your profile. I selected the Jillian Michaels workouts, because I purchased the game for her expertise. Since she was involved in its creation, she knows what exercises you need to do and in what order you need to do them for any given time period.
5) Don't cheat.
Sweat smells bad. I've got to believe the reason I reek after I exercise is because my body is ridding itself of toxins. Which makes me more aware of what I eat. The thought of eating something sugary or buttery turns my stomach, and I'm someone who loves buttered toast covered with cinnamon sugar. I could gobble four to six slices at the drop of hat and not even blink. Now ... ugh. I'm certain that the smell reaching you through the internet right now is butter. :-P