Oh, the Insanity ... Week 1



The beautiful culprit!

Sunday, a day of rest. Right? Well, that has taken on a whole new meaning after the week that I've had. It's been crazy ... check that ... it's been complete INSANITY!

Before I get to this week, I have to let you know how I got here. Well, it started a couple of years ago. (And for those of you who already know the story ... I'm sorry for dragging you through this once again. Feel free to skip ahead.) I decided to get healthy for my 40th birthday. And I did -- losing 41 lbs. and feeling better than ever.

Year 40 I continued to do pretty well and even lost another 10 lbs. by my 41st birthday. Year 41 wasn't that great on the health and wellness front. I just fell off the wagon and enjoyed eating whatever I wanted and the only exercise I got was running my mouth. The result ... a nice 25 lb. gift for my 42nd birthday and a bridesmaid dress that doesn't fit.

My solution ... dig out those Insanity DVDs that have been sitting in a basket on my TV stand for almost a year and git er done!

So, at 5 a.m. on Monday, April 16 I strapped on my heart rate monitor and my Champion sports bra and pushed play. The program starts with an assessment of your fitness level called the Fit Test. I've watched the Fit Test many times, so I knew what was in store. Let's just say ... I've done better on other tests and I have no where to go but up!

On Tuesday, I was up before daylight and at it again. The first workout is called Plyometric Cardio Circuit. Throughout the video, Shaun T., the gorgeous and beyond fit instructor, tells you to go at your own level, to just keep moving, get water when you need it and don't compromise form for speed. Well, he didn't have to tell me twice. I obeyed, but still pushed myself to get a good workout in -- at my own level.

Wednesday, there was Cardio Power and Resistance and I honestly don't remember much about it. I just know I worked as hard as I could and was glad that it was over. (Tomorrow's workout is this one, so I'll be reacquainted with it soon!)

Thursday was Cardio Recovery and when I saw that on the schedule I was elated ... until I did the workout. He slows everything down and it's not as long, but a slow squat with pulses in the middle is far from easy, so I was still rolling my eyes and fighting the desire to curse during this workout.

Friday, I was proud of myself for making my 5 a.m. wake-up call five days in a row. I was rewarded with the wonderful Pure Cardio workout. Now, I have to admit that I love cardio exercises -- especially when I'm more fit and can keep up. But this was just brutal and I took more time jogging in place than I care to admit. But I still kept my heart rate up and burned calories and I kept saying in my head that one day I was going surprise myself by completing all the circuits.

Saturday was the Plyometric Cardio Circuit again and I cannot explain how much I despise those darn Level 1 drills! But I'm determined that one day, I will get at least one done. Yes, I will.

So, what are my thoughts after one week. It's an intense, crazy, sweat-inducing workout. And while it's hard, I'm looking forward to continuing and to seeing what my results by on June 17, the final day of the 60-day program.

And zipping that dress on June 2 would be nice, too! See ya next week!