Hey all!!

Can you believe is already July 14th?  That means there is only ONE WEEK LEFT of the current challenge! ONE WEEK!

Now please pull up a couch, lay down, and let me analyze you. Comfy? Good.

How does that previous statement make you feel? Did you jump up and down because there’s only one week left? Did you run around the room screaming in disbelief? Are you happy? Sad? Frustrated? Tired of the psychologist imagery?

O.K. folks, it’s time to hit the scales. Please put down the hammer, don’t actually hit the scales. How’d you do this week? Write a post and leave the link in the comments. Short on time? Just leave a comment to let us know how you feel.

And don’t forget…

Are you still moving? I know there’s a new 6 week EA Sports Challenge going on over in The ‘Hood and a couple of the girls are starting a new 30 Day Shred with updates on Twitter. Wanna join in? Go for it!

Good luck this week guys! Can’t wait to hear from you!

30 days. 30 long days…

30 days of having Jillian guilt guide you to a better body.

Well, we are wrapping up yet another, hopefully successful, 30 day shred here at Shrinking Jeans. Have you seen results? Are you in love with your new toned up self? You should be! You worked hard for it.

I am still a few days behind, but will finish shortly. I do see a difference in my thighs (hello squats and lunges) and my pants are now too big! Finally I can say that my jeans are shrinking!

Once I started this shred, I felt like I had energy again. You know, energy that it almost non-exsistent while working full time with an infant that doesn’t sleep. Honestly I dreaded doing it, trying to find the time, but once I did workout, I enjoyed it. It made me feel strong. It gave me encouragement that I can *do this*. “This” being weight loss and bettering myself, for myself.

I also want to give a great big shout out to all of my fellow shredders at the ‘Hood. You all encouraged me and each other every day. I applaud you. YOU should be proud.

If you tried and didn’t finish… please, please, please still be proud of yourself for giving it ago and don’t give up. Just because we aren’t hosting a 30 day shred here, don’t think that you can’t do it…because you can,I promise, you can.

So, share your thoughts! Did you love it? or was it a pain to do? Are you going to keep the workout in your routine?

Just a reminder, if you are wrapping up your 30 day shred, re-take your photos and measurements!

Thanks again for shredding with the sisterhood!!

Hello to all of our shredders out there! Can you believe we have shredded our way through March already? Time flies when you are doing jumping jacks…

How many of you are still hanging on strong?  Show of hands (well comment anyways) .Am I the only one that is starting to feel like I am getting to know Jillian and that she should be on my Christmas card list this year?

Talk with me (and everyone else). Are you on level 3? Which level has been your favorite? Do you have any favorite exercises that you plan to incorporate into your other workouts at all?

(and if you want to join in the daily chats, join in at the hood)

With this DVD workout I have learned a lot of new exercises that I do like and will try to continue them once this 30 day shred is complete. Although I had to miss a few days because of family and travel, I will be making them up and I’m still in the game. So I’m sad to say, I won’t be finishing with the majority of you. (At least I’m hanging on!!)

Today I will start level 3 (I’m behind a few days) and I am glad to leave level 2. My wrists are sore since being pregnant and doing plank- anything, well, it hurt. As of right now, I really liked level 1.

As with most exercise I have a hard time getting motivated to do it, but once I’m in the zone and working up a sweat I find myself pushing harder. The 30 day shred has been no different. I like it and secretly have to say that I enjoy it.  I see little results already. Of course this pushes me to want more results. How about you, are you seeing any changes??

Fitness Friday is upon us, and this week I’m going to give you my top fitness picks, and in turn I want you to share yours! There are so many Sisters (and hopefully some brothers lurking out there), with different experiences we can all learn from. So check mine out and then share your top picks with us.

• Jillian Michaels’ 30-Day Shred – we first Shredded here at the Sisterhood last April, and it was my first foray into the wonderful world of consistently working out. Before that, I was sporadic at best. Okay, I was lazy and didn’t really work out! The Shred really changed things for me, by the end of the 30-days I’d felt pain like I’d never felt before, but emerged strong and confident. That’s right, I felt STRONG! That should give all you first time Shredders some hope, because I know you are hurting so bad you can barely lift your arms to brush your teeth. In 3 weeks, those arms are going to look FABULOUS. Trust.If you’ve never Shredded before, what are you waiting for? It’s not too late to join Shredding with the Sisterhood. Just hop on over to the ‘hood, join the Shredding with the Sisterhood group and get started. All you need is a DVD player and TV, some hand weights, and the Shred can be purchased for under $10.

• EA SPORTS Active was next up on the agenda for me, as I welcomed my very own personal trainer into my home. HOLLA! If you’ve never tried a virtual fitness game, I highly recommend the EA SPORTS Active line of Personal Trainer and More Workouts. No more using the excuses of no access to a gym, or no time to go to the gym, blah blah blah, because Active brings the gym, and the personal trainer right to your living room. There’s no equipment necessary, aside from the leg strap and resistance included with Personal Trainer, although if you’re fitness level is more advanced, you might want a stronger resistance band.EA SPORTS Active Personal Trainer retails for $49.96 and More Workouts for  $36.99 are Sisterhood tested and approved, so if you’ve been wanting to jump into the world of virtual fitness, give them try.

• Running. Plain and simple. It’s easy, you can do it anywhere, and aside from a pair of running shoes, it’s FREE. If you’ve never run, or if it’s been a long time since you have, I highly recommend using a training program to help increase your distance slowly. If you get out there and try to run too far too fast, you’re going to end up a major case of shin splints, or a more serious injury, which will leave you on the sidelines for weeks if not months. Trust. Look into the Couch to 5K program, because it’s easy to follow, comprehensive, and will work you up to several mile runs in 9 short weeks. Why not go ahead and sign up for a race right now? Seriously. Having a firm goal is a great way to start off your running program, and nothing beats the feeling of crossing the finish line for the first time (or so I’ve heard!).

Those are my go-to fitness picks, so go ahead, name your poison!

Today is the day.  A new shredding challenge starts here at Shrinking Jeans. Are you excited? I am.

I am excited to be part of this shredding challenge after having to sit the last one out. After all,  being newly pregnant and shredding don’t really go well together. Now 4 1/2 months postpartum (holy cow she is that old already??!!) I have no excuses!

Are you shredding with us? If so, have you joined our group at the ‘hood?

Did you remember to take your beginning photos and measurements?  Sure if you are like me, you hated every bit of it. BUT. I promise you that once we ALL complete this challenge ,we will love that we have something to compare our hot new bodies to. (you do not have to share your photos if you do not want to!)

Moving on…

Have you started your first workout yet?  ( I haven’t yet- my workout is tonight!)If so, how did it go? If you haven’t, what is holding you back? After going back and reading some of  the first shredding sessions, one tip that is consistently given is, keep pushing through. Don’t give up!

Read here.

or here

heck, go re-read all the shred posts! (I know I will be)

It’s going to be hard, but with the help of each other we can do this! Just remember to keep pushing and encouraging each other.  Also, it’s never, ever too late to join in! Just let us know if you are doing it with us!

Tis the night before Shredding begins over here,
And I think most of us are afraid we’ll shed tears.
Work out clothes and weights have been set out with care,
In hopes that we’ll seriously shrink our derrieres.

I know that tonight when we’re all snuggled in bed,
We’ll have dreams of Jillian yelling in our heads,
Because we know what’s coming after our night’s nap.
We’re going to sweat, maybe cuss, and be sore as crap.

Beth has so bravely gotten a head start of a few days,
She’s warned us what’s to come when it’s our turn to play.
It’s going to be hard; we’re going to sweat more than a bit.
But I have no worries that we can all surely do it!

Now April! Now Melissa! Now, Lisa and Christy!
Crooked Eyebrow will sit this one out; she‘s gonna have a baby!
Get those push ups done! Work out until you fall!
Now Shred away! Shred away! Shred away all!

We’re springing to our feet, getting up from our couches,
We’re going to Shred for 30 days! Heck, we’re no slouches!
In 30 days, lots of weight will be out of sight!
Happy Shredding to all, and to all a good night!

originally posted by April on April 5,2009

I know alot of us are stay at home moms, and that can only mean one thing! Our kids are out of school for the summer and we have no idea how we’re going to fill the waking hours, muchless find time for us to exercise. Am I right, or am I right?

I’ve come up with a few ideas, most of which I will use everyday, to help make sure I get my exercise in during these dog days of summer!

• Let them join in the jump rope challenge with you!
• Go for a walk. Simple, but so effective in burning off that extra energy that seems to be endless. If your kids are younger, strap them into the stroller and hit the pavement!
• Dance like no one’s watching! Crank up the music and shake it with your kids. You’ll work up a sweat, burn lots of calories, and your kids with think you’re the best ever.
• Push your kids on the swings. After every push complete one squat just to mix it up.
• Race! That’s right. Get out there and race with your kids. Every kid loves a good competition and running short, quick sprints is a great way to get in some cardio.
• Go to the zoo! A daylong trip to the  zoo equals lots of walking and calories burned.
• Hit the pool. Have you ever tried to keep up with a toddler at the pool? Yeah, lots of hard work and good exercise. Just make sure they’re wearing an approved flotation device.

When all else fails, and you can’t get out of the house, you can always pop in your Jillian Michaels Shred DVD and let your kids join in! My son LOVES to do it with me, and as long as I give him a specific area of the room to stay in, the company’s not so bad! Last week when Lisa was visiting, we even used the Shred DVD to mix it up a little when the kids were tired of playing outside! They did Level 2 from beginning to end and had a blast! See for yourselves.Some other options:

• If you have Wii or Playstation, Dance Dance Revolution is a fun, family centered way to get in some exercise!
• There are also many workout DVDs geared toward kids and parents working out together. We’ve just added several to the Sisterhood Amazon.com store!

Let us know how you share fitness with your kids! All of us can benefit from other’s ideas.

**Don’t forget to send me a short bio about yourself with or without a photo by the end of tomorrow please -we have had a great response so far and I know you don’t want to be left out! We want to know a bit more about each and every one of you!

**Remember these:

We need more votes! It will only take a minute, I promise. Don’t make me cry -it’s not pretty, people.

**How are you doing on Shred the Second?! Let’s hear all the nitty gritty!

Go on now. Happy Day!

Just checking in! It’s been awhile since I have posted on my personal blog! I have been down for the count lately! Seems like I have been sick for ages now -took antibiotics last week, but they didn’t work. I guess I need to try something else. Remember my injury mid-Shred? Well, it is still bothering me. Dr. Google and I are thinking that it is probably this. I would bet money on it.

Now, you are probably wondering if I am participating in Shred the Second. Truth betold, I have not started yet. I think I will wait a few more days at least. I pretty much ceased all exercise the last few weeks, but yesterday walked about 2 miles, and today, I got back to the gym and did 2.25 miles and weights. Baby steps!

I am excited to see all the newbies, as well as the repeat offenders (thanks, Amanda!). I am cheering you on ALL THE WAY!

Who’s ready?! Today is the day! Lace up your sneakers, pop in your DVD, and grab those weights! Once again, we are gearing up for our 30 Day Shred challenge! We LOVE to HATE Jillian Michaels here at The Sisterhood! And you know what? It works!! Did you see Lisa’s results? Check out those buff arms!

We don’t want to do this alone! Whether your a newbie or continuing on for the second round, please join us for the next 30 days! We can pretty much guarantee that you will be sore, and some days it will be SO HARD to do, but the end result? SO WORTH IT! We are also going to be featuring a first-timer guest poster, who will be sharing their take on this whole experience!

So, what are you waiting for? Summer is almost upon us -it’s time to kick it into high gear! Are you with us? Let’s get Shredding!