30 Day Shred Challenge - Day 1

At the beginning of last summer, I realized it was time to start working out again. Let me back way up. I used to workout religiously every day. I mostly ran, did a little Pilate's and added in some strength training. When Adam & I started dating, I was in the best shape of my life. I wasn't really focused on weight, and I loved that. Why is it that we focus so much on a number and not on our health? If you are the type of person that needs a number or is curious, I weighed 125lbs when Adam & I got married.

I'm 5'8" and have an hourglass figure. It's a love/hate relationship with my curves. I'm a little smaller on top, so it can extenuate my bottom curves more than I like. But I love the the femininity of the curves. After Adam & I married, we didn't really workout as much. Admitting that feels like a weakness to me, but it's the truth.

Almost nine months after we were married, we were surprised with a positive pregnancy test. At that point, I weighed 141lbs. Yes, I gained 15lbs in 9 months. Looking back on it, I think my healthiest weight is somewhere around 130 to 135lbs, due to my frame.

With both of my pregnancies, I gained 30lbs. I was fortunate enough to be one of those people that lost all of their baby weight almost instantly after having a baby. But I was surprised to see how stretched out I was.

If you are pregnant with your first child or ever plan to have kids, please don't make the same mistake I did. Within two hours after delivering Mason, I had this crazy idea that I just had to see what my body looked like post pregnancy. It's a good thing I was alone in that bathroom and no one could see my face, because I was just not prepared for that. So if you are even thinking about going for a look so quickly after, don't do it. Add in the hormones all over the place and it just isn't a good mix.

(With my friend Laurie about a week before Mason was born)

By the time I got pregnant with Taylor, I was 158lbs. (Again, only sharing the numbers for those that are curious. Lets be honest, it doesn't make me feel better telling all of you this, but I know there are people like me out there that have struggled or will and that is why I'm writing this.) So add the 30lbs of baby weight and that's right, I was 188lbs the day I delivered Taylor.

(Days before I delivered Taylor)

Adam was home with me for the first week after I delivered Taylor. Living over 1500 miles away from family, makes it hard to have extra help. So when Adam told me that his work schedule would involve more traveling, nothing could have prepared me for the ultimate journey that laid ahead.

I had a 20 month old boy and a week old baby and I was home taking care of them by myself, while Adam was out of town working. Add hormones and exhaustion and it makes for a rough couple of months. It sounds worse than it actually was, but it wasn't easy. After a couple of weeks, I started getting the hang of it and by the time Taylor was four months old and started sleeping through the night, I was able to finally get around to working out again.

I had lost all of my pregnancy weight, but I wasn't pleased with how my body looked. I had to make sure not to overdue it, especially since I was nursing, but I knew I had to do something. A few friends had mentioned doing Jillan Michaels The Shred. I didn't have time to go to the gym, so I thought why not.

Within months, I could see a change in how my clothes fit. I didn't have a scale, so I would only weigh myself when I was at my friends house. The pounds started coming off and I could see my body toning up. I wanted to make sure that my bridesmaid dress for my sister-in-laws wedding fit with no problems, by the time November rolled around. My diet was about the same, because I couldn't really diet and I don't like to diet. Restrictions only make me want food more, so I avoid dieting. I eat in moderation and like fruits and most veggies.

I was so happy when the dress fit and actually had to be taken in a few inches. I had reached my goal. I lost almost 18lbs. After the wedding, I barely exercised at all until January. Did I feel good about this choice? No. Did I do anything to change it? No.

My friend Marissa & I decided we were going to run the Santa Barbara Half Marathon. We began training and that leads me to where I am today. I started out strong. However, in hind sight, I never should have committed to running a half marathon with as much traveling as Adam does. Yes, that means I'm not running the half marathon. I feel like a failure righting that, but I shouldn't have committed.

On top of his normal work schedule, he has been more busy than ever since January. It's a very good thing, but I don't get to see him all that much and the time that he is home, I don't want to be out running. Yes, I want to do things for myself, but my love language is time. When I don't get to see my husband every night, I try to soak up every minute we have together. I still hope to run a half marathon in the future, but it will have to be under different circumstances.

Even with the little training that I got in there, my weight plateaued and I am not as tone as I want to be. The summer is around the corner and my blog friend, Lauren, has mentioned that she just finished 30 days straight of The Shred. I can't wait to read her post about it, but it has inspired me to do the same challenge.

So if you are still reading this, I will be writing about my journey along the way. I will try to have pictures every 10 days, but that's if my arms are still able to hold up a camera. I might be too sore to even take pictures. We will see. I usually just try to do The Shred about twice a week, so doing it every day will be something new for me. I have to push through the pain.

My goals along this journey aren't really focused on the weight. If I lose pounds, great, if I don't that is also okay. I like how exercising makes me feel and the energy it gives me. I hope to tone up my legs, arms and stomach. Mostly, I hope to be healthier than the day I started this challenge.

Here are my before pictures. I actually took pictures just in my sports bra and shorts and thought about posting them, to be transparent, but we will see if I ever get the courage to post those. Maybe by the end of this journey. For now, these will do.

Start weight: 141lbs.

These were right after I completed the first day. For dinner tonight, I made a lettuce wrap with bacon, shredded parmesean cheese and a touch of honey mustard in wheat tortilla. It's not all that healthy, but it was something different and tasted good on this warm evening. I drink water all the time and while I really enjoy Diet Coke, I'm giving it up. I'm not a huge fan of carbonated drinks. I always feel bloated and prefer to drink water or iced tea. Giving it up isn't hard for me. I rarely drink them anyway.