Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred - Day 1

Friends, it's that time of year again.  Summer is on it's way. The heat will be rising, the clothes will be shrinking, and my body will be out for all to see.  And let me tell you, that scares me half to death. I am so not in the type of shape required to wear shorts, tank tops, and - dare I say - bathing suits.. *shriek*

It's been 3 years since I've packed on the dreaded baby-weight, and the weight seems to be stuck to me like glue!  Don't get me wrong, I've done pretty well since I seriously began my weight loss journey on July 1st of last year. Since then, I've lost 17 lbs.  I'm nowhere near my goal weight, but this has definitely been a year of becoming more aware of health and fitness.

My biggest accomplishment has been improving my eating patterns.  Most days I stay within 1500 calories, and try my hardest to keep the carbs at a minimum.  But the reality is, the major thing that has kept me from dropping large amounts of weight has been my aversion to exercise.  Yes, that's right - I hate sweating, I hate achy muscles, I hate pain.  Pretty much all that exercise encompasses.  But at this point, I think I've come to the realization that I can't reach my goal unless I add the working out piece.

This is why I've decided to complete *drum-roll please* Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred!  I've tried it in the past, for a day or two, and quit as soon as I felt a muscle ache. But this time I believe I can stick with it.  I have a few close friends that are super supportive, and are doing amazing things with their own fitness regimens.  I've also been going through some difficult times (a different post for a different day), and rather than drown myself in junk food binges, I feel more motivated then ever before to focus on my physical, emotional, and spiritual health. I want to be able to take care of ME for once. 

And guess what?  I'm actually going to post my BEFORE and AFTER pics on Day 30!  Eeeeeekkk!!  I'm seriously nervous about that guys, but I figure that is one more motivating factor for me to really give my all to the next 30 days of exercise.  Stay tuned because after each week of completion, I will blog about my experience.  Wanna see another mama's awesome results from the 30 Day Shred?  Check out Sara's experience over at her blog: Nurse Loves Farmer.  She looks amaze-balls!  She has definitely given me the push needed to really put my all into my new exercise routine.  I'm pumped!   So what are you doing to get into Summertime shape?