Ripped in 30, day 12

YES!!!  I'm finally done with week 2 of Ripped in 30 which means I'm HALF WAY DONE with the  work out!  This also means that I'm only 2 weeks away from our make up honeymoon!  If you remember, I started this whole program so that I would look better in a bathing suit ;)  I can see and feel muscle definition already coming through so I'm so excited to see what the next 2 weeks bring!

DAY 12

DAY 1

                                                                                       
                                                                                                       

Ripped in 30, day 11

Just wrapped up day 4 of week 2 and I actually ENJOYED today's workout.  I find that if I wake up dreading it, or come home from work saying, "man I don't want to do this" the workout is much harder.  If I come into it with a good attitude, actually tell myself, "let's relieve some stress today!" then I have a good time.  I wouldn't say it was easier today per se, because I mean come on, it IS Jillian Michaels and she isn't known for easy routines, but it was not as strenuous, yet strenuous enough to kick my ass. Make sense??

Ripped in 30, day 10

Ahhhhhhh, day 3 of week 2:  CHECK!  Today, the workout kicked my quads' ass!  Monday my quads hurt, then Tuesday it was my arms, and now back to my quads...at least my muscle groups are taking turns.  My advice for fellow week 2ers, STRETCH STRETCH STRETCH!!  As I said in day 1, Jillian does give you a few minutes of dynamic stretching (stretches that warm up your muscles by being active), but my muscles wanted way more time.  So I listened to them and it has helped tremendously in minimizing soreness the next day.  I'm feeling strong as hell today so I MAY work in the yard :)

Notice Stanley and Albert in the background not giving a shit....

The joys of a freshly mowed lawn

 

Ripped in 30, day 9

Wow, yesterday this workout tried my quads, and today, I feel it mostly in my arms and shoulders...go figure.  Feeling good today because day 2 of week 2 is DONE!

Ripped in 30 Week, day 8

Just when my soreness was completely gone, Jillian Michaels comes at me HARD!  I did week 2, day 1 and if I'm going to be honest, this workout was grueling.  I feel parts of my quads that I didn't even know I had!!  This is just what I needed because my legs need the most work.  I'm anxious to see how I'm walking tomorrow...

Just for a laugh

Organizing, kitchen style

Steph decided it was time to organize the pantry.  I was absolutely DE-LIGH-TED that she caught this cleaning bug because it was an absolute mess in there.  It was like every time we went grocery shopping, we would just put items on whatever shelf had free space and over time, it became a disaster zone.  You couldn't find what you needed, inevitably things began falling off the shelf as soon as you opened the door, and we bought so many items that we already had because they were shoved so far in the back that we couldn't find them!  I wish I had a before picture, but here's the finished product.  I feel at ease when I open this door now.  Ahhhhh....lovely.

Since I'm trying to watch my diet, I find that having a bowl of fresh fruit available on the counter encourages me to snack healthy.  Lets face it, most of us are lazy and will grab whatever is in reach when we're hungry.  This makes it easy to stick to your diet AND get your needed fruit! We found this bowl at Target and I'm really excited about it!  It keeps my bananas from getting bumped around and bruised from the apples!

It's the simple things really :)

Ripped in 30, day 5

I woke up Friday morning with a killer backache, so I decided to take the day off from working out.  I try to listen to my body and not "push through the pain" like some workouts recommend.  Today was day 5 and I'm excited that I made it through the first week of Ripped in 30.   But then again, I'm not, because it means bright and early Monday morning I'm going to have to start week 2 which is harder!  I do think it's worth sweating and being pissed off for 35 minutes a day to have a better body.

Ripped in 30 does offer a 30 day meal/diet plan, which I'm sure would give me faster results, but I'm going to just watch what I eat.  My regular diet isn't that bad so I think I'll be ok.  Proof:  we went to Montgomery Inn last night to celebrate a friends birthday and I had a chicken spinach salad with dressing on the side and water :)

Is that a baby bicep I see trying to peek through??

Ripped in 30, day 4

My muscles were the most fatigued that they've ever been today.  I'm not sure if it's because I've been pushing them for 3+ days, or if it's because I worked out a 5:30am instead of my usual 5:00pm.  Regardless, now that I'm done, I feel stupendous.  It's a great feeling knowing that after work, my evening will be free!  Plus, working out in the morning on an empty stomach leads to faster calorie burning.  When you don't have food in your stomach, your body has to pull from your fat reserves for fuel.  I'll take it!  Have a good day everyone!

Ripped in 30, day 3

Today's workout was actually easier than the 1st or 2nd day.  I can actually feel myself getting stronger with each exercise.  And I wanted to make a correction - I thought the total workout was only 20 minutes, but from warm up to cool down is a total of 34 minutes.  Still a quick workout considering you're doing cardio, strength, and abs.  I feel great today!!

Ripped in 30 Day 2

I was incredibly sore today but some how I pulled through.  I found all of the exercises to be much harder this time around, so  about 20 seconds into each 30 second interval, I paused to stretch which seemed to help.  I know this workout is going to burn some serious fat because I'm absolutely drenched in sweat.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have fluids to replace...

Ripped in 30, day 1

That's it, I'm doing it...again.  I realized today that in 4 weeks, Stephanie and I will be on a beach and I'm not pleased with how my body looks right now.  Before I broke my thumb, I was in really good shape.  Now, I haven't been in the gym for over 2 months and I feel like a slug.  I know, I know, some of you will be like, "Oh, 2 months without going to the gym?  Asshole."  But honestly, the gym is just as beneficial for me mentally as it is physically.  When I don't work out, I'm grumpy and tired.  I need to sweat for a de-streeser.

So I'm going to start Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30.  I made it through 3 of the 4 weeks for this workout last year, but had to quit due to an illness.  I was really happy with the results the first time, so I'm going to give it another go...only this time, I'll blog along the way.  Every time I want to try a new workout, I always want to read a REAL review written by someone who has actually done the workout.  So if there's anyone out there who has wanted to try this program, follow me and I'll give you my take on it everyday!

After doing the workout today, I realize that I had forgotten how hard this was!  There should be a disclaimer that you have to be at least a little in shape to start this program.   Jillian does provide a "beginner" version, but to me, its still going to be difficult for anyone that hasn't worked out before.  But then again, if a DVD promises you'll be "Ripped in 30", it can't be easy.  If you are a true beginner, I would recommend listening to your body for at least the first couple workouts and take water and stretching breaks.  She does have a few minutes of "dynamic stretching" and warm up in the beginning, but I personally, would have liked to have a longer stretching period.  This routine is only 20 minutes so I can always stretch longer on my own before pressing play.

Here are a couple pictures of me, day 1

I could use some toning up.  And now I'm going to go soak my muscles in a hot bath...

Father's Day

I had a WONDERFUL Father's Day!  I asked my dad last week what he wanted and as usual, he ho hummed a bit and said, "I just want to see you."  Easiest gift in the world!!  So I send him a text the next day and asked if he'd like to go to lunch and see a movie.  I told him there was a showing at 1:10pm.  He then asks me, "is there an earlier one?"  I told him the only other one was at 10am...he says, "great, then lets see that one.  Pick me up at 8:30 and we'll have breakfast instead of lunch."

So there we are...the only ones in the theatre...because it was 9:45am...on a Sunday.  All of this was to avoid crowds.  He's been this way since I was little so I can't really say that I'm surprised.  It would take an emergency of some kind to get my dad to leave his house on a Friday or Saturday night.  But really, having the theatre all to ourselves was nice.  I've never been to a movie quite that early, but it was fun!  He picked Battleship and I HIGHLY recommend it!  This movie had a cute story line for the girls and sci-fi for the guys.  I wanted to see it as soon as I saw the previews (I LOVE sci-fi), but I was very surprised at just how good the movie actually was.  After the movie, we dropped him back off at home and said our goodbyes.  He knew we had Steph's dad to tend to next and wanted us to wish him a happy father's day (so glad my in-laws like each other!)  I wouldn't have traded these couple hours with my dad for anything.  I hope everyone enjoyed their dads yesterday!

 

Impromptu bike ride

I don't consider myself to be an "outdoorsy" person, but Stephanie convinced me to go on a bike ride Saturday afternoon.  We packed a sandwich lunch, lathered up in SPF 70 (you know us gingers are extremely sensitive), threw the bikes on the Rav4, and headed to Little Miami's bike trail.  After reading their signs, I learned that this particular trail starts here and goes all the way to Cleveland! Can you imagine riding a bike for that long??  My butt was screaming after only an hour so I won't be taking THAT bike trip anytime soon...  This trail was great though.  I highly recommend checking it out for anyone that is looking for a nice, paved, and mostly even ride.  My favorite part was watching dogs play in the river and catching glimpses of ducks, squirrels, and birds dart out across the trail.  What a great way to spend a Saturday!  

Church festival summer

Nothing says Cincinnati summer like a catholic church festival. To me, seeing the yard signs for these festivals is more of an unofficial start to summer than Memorial day.  There's just something about the smell of beer and fried food, the sight of children smiling with delight while riding the questionably safe rides, and the sound of the Big Six wheel spinning that makes me so incredibly happy!

Where else can you go and stuff your face with 2000+ calories without really thinking about it, spend 25 cents in the hopes of winning 25 dollars, inevitably run into several grade school friends, throw back a couple beers with Father John, and listen to live music, all while raising money for a church?  Out of all the festivals that I've been to over the years, I've never stepped foot inside any of the churches that are throwing these parties fundraisers.  That doesn't mean that I'm not going to graciously attend their event, thank you very much.

I think I speak on behalf of most Cincinnatians when I say:  we love our Reds, we love our chili, we love our ice cream, and we love our festivals.  Come on in summer, I've missed you...

                                                                                  

Feeling fresh

To me, nothing feels as good as getting a fresh haircut.  I pamper myself with a clean up at least once a month.  I never realized how difficult it was to keep up with short hair until I chopped 12 inches (yes, AN ENTIRE FOOT OF  HAIR) off.

                                                     

I swear, if I had the time and money, I would be in to see my hairdresser every 2 weeks!  I know, I know...now that I've posted this old pic, I'm going to get all of the "oh why would you cut your hair" comments.  The short hair is just me...no, really.  Cutting off my hair, as silly as this may sound, was one of the most liberating experiences of my life.  It wasn't until I hacked all of that off, did I really feel like myself.  I've come a long way since 2009, when that pic was taken, and I've never been more comfortable in my own skin.  Underneath all of that hair, I found the real me.  My advice: never stop transforming.

Introduction of Yours Truly

So here I am...attempting to speak to anyone that will listen...or read, rather.  I have a lot to say about many different things.  But before I start with that, how about an introduction?  My name is Amy and I'm 31 years old.  I'm very social and somewhat shy.  I'm very outspoken and yet I can be extremely reserved.  I'm a contradiction, really.  I'm happily married to the woman of my dreams, Stephanie, as of 5/4/2012.  Yes, newlyweds, and I'm loving every second of it!

                                     

Through this blog, I want to give you a glimpse of my day to day activities because I feel that my relationship with Stephanie and the way we live our lives, gives me a different perspective. 

I graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Veterinary Technology and I love animals of all kinds!  I'm sure I'll blog over and over about my two crazy dogs, Albert and Stanley.

                                  

I'm very opinionated about clothing.  I love to try to dress to impress wherever I go!  I'm no expert, but I think I have a good sense of fashion.  I like to mix trendy looks with vintage threads.  Speaking of the past, I feel that deep down, I am a very old soul.  I think this is one of the biggest reasons why my wife and I get along so well.  She's constantly turning heads because she effortlessly looks like she walked right out of a Saturday Evening Post circa 1965 or earlier.

                                      
We love the traditional values from this time period, which I know may seem odd coming from such a non-traditional couple.  But you see that's just it, we ARE a traditional couple....we just both happen to be female.

So, now you know a little bit more about me, maybe you'll continue to read my blog.  I hope to make you laugh.  I hope to make you cry.  I hope to give you something to think about.  I hope to pass on a little knowledge.  I hope to give you a take on things that you hadn't considered before.  But most of all, I hope you enjoy <3

I don't try to be different, I just set out to be myself.  If that makes me different, then I guess that's just me.  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to stand OUT while I blend in...