A Review of Insanity by "That's Fit"

Hi Everyone~

I found this great blog called "That's Fit." Kristin Seymour just did a review of Insanity, so for those of you who think I'm an idiot with all of my excitement and enthusiasm for this program, or for those of you who are thinking about it and are still undecided, check out this review that includes honest likes and dislikes about the program. Now it's not just my word you're taking.

http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/06/23/beachbody-insanity-how-insane-is-it/

What do you think? Email me with any questions?

Peace out, Yo

Insanity Round 2--In Progress

When deciding what to do for my second round of Insanity, I was faced with a choice--do Month 1 workouts during month 1 and do a deluxe workout in addition to a regular workout each day or do Month 2 workouts for 2 months and add deluxe workouts 2-3 days per week. While Month 1 workouts are tough, the purpose of Month 1 is really to prepare you to do the grueling Month 2 workouts.

I chose to do 2 months of Month 2 workouts. I like the challenge.

I try to do deluxe workouts 2-3 times per week. So far I've done Insane Abs for the deluxe workout on days that are not super intense. I do a deluxe workout on days that I do Max Recovery, Max Cardio Conditioning, or Core Cardio and Balance. If you get the deluxe Insanity version, which I have, it's more expensive, but you get more workout options so it's very nice. I'm getting 7 lb. weights this week so I can begin doing Upper Body Weight Training as a deluxe workout at least once per week. If I don't have time to do a double workout on Core Cardio and Balance days, I replace that workout with Max Interval Sports Training--an AWFUL but really fun workout.

The Month 2 workouts are longer than Month 1, so it can be difficult to make time for a regular workout and a deluxe workout. Instead of obsessing with it, if I only get one or 2 deluxe workouts in per week, that's ok. I do what I can. One week, I was short on time. I was working out on my lunch break. So instead of doing Max Cardio and Insane Abs (each 45 mins) I did Max Cardio and the Fit Test. I didn't write down results or anything, but the Fit Test is a KILLER 25 minute workout.

There have been a couple of days that I've had NO TIME to work out at all, so instead of doing Max Cardio, I did the Month 1 Cardio workout as it was about 15 minutes shorter. And it's a workout I'm not used to anymore as I'm not doing it once or twice per week. I found I was able to push harder without breaks, and was still dripping wet afterward! Plus, it was super fun to revisit a Month 1 workout that I wasn't as familiar with. I think I've replaced Month 2 workouts three times with the Month 1 workout equivalent. One day, I had way more time to workout so I did Max Cardio and Month 1 Cardio for a double workout.

So I've allowed myself the freedom to make some choices this time around. It's fun and keeps it interesting. Usually, I try to stick with a Month 2 workout and a deluxe workout 2-3 times per week. But it does change sometimes depending on time. As long as I'm doing the workouts 6 days per week and not switching the days around (i.e. if I skip Max Cardio, I do the Month 1 Cardio workout, or if I skip Max Interval Plyo, I replace it with the Month 1 Plyo workout).

This time around, I've also really tightened up my diet. My portions are much smaller and I'm eating good food. I've begun to calculate my caloric intake daily at www.livestrong.com. Click on the MyPlate option.

I found that my caloric intake should be 1585 per day. According to the Beachbody site, I should be at about 1700. So I'm usually within that range by + or - 100 each day. It has really helped. I pack my lunches in snacks in small containers now! And I've been trying to eat smaller dinners. That is key and one thing I could tighten up on--lighter dinners early in the evening. I find myself eating slightly larger lunches and snacking throughout the day.

Another big change I've started this second time is using Shakeology. It has been amazing! Shakeology is really at the core of the Beachbody programs. For more info, go here: www.myshakeology.com/kthardy

http://www.playlist.com/playlist/additem/479862289

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/kthardy?bctid=35137119001

So basically, this has 70 servings of fruits and veggies in one serving along with protein and all my daily vitamins including calcium and B12. It's very expensive, but it's been so worth it. I'm already seeing the benefits of it and I've only been doing it for a week. I've had a lot of digestive problems over the past couple of years, and I'm taking less and less meds for that this week. I'm excited to see if I can get off of all of them by the end of the month. I really hope so and I will keep you updated. It costs about $4 per day and in order to budget for it, I don't get coffee or Jamba Juices anymore! I'm not even craving coffee anymore! I've noticed my sugar cravings have been reduced as well! And I have way more energy. One of the reasons I decided to become a Beachbody coach was to get the %25 discount on Shakeology every month. It's been a great discount. Email me with any questions!

So Round 2 is still in progress. These are some of the things I've changed up a bit and I will keep you posted on my results. I'm still just as addicted as I was last time around. I've had a couple of people say that this is just a fad, but again--I've got workouts planned for the next few months and I'm so excited to get to them! After this round of Insanity, I'll be diving in to ChaLEAN Extreme! I can't wait!

I will keep you all posted!

Insanity Round I-Finished

OK. So now that you know a little more about me, do you think we have anything in common? Have you experienced some of my same frustrations? With you, maybe your problem isn't your butt like it is for me--maybe it's your stomach. You've never had slim, cut abs or a six pack. Maybe it's your legs. I don't know about you, but I've always had slim calves--with no definition. I've done tons of workouts and never gotten any definition in my calves. I really want this to be a forum for women to discuss issues and frustrations and vent about your body--before accepting your shape and deciding to workout for the journey instead of the destination. It's ok to have goals. But it can get out of control. I'm EXTREMELY goal oriented as a person. I'm EXTREMELY driven. And that's what's going to get me through graduate school and into a career. That's what inspires me to never give up on my personal relationships. But it's also been the main problem with my workouts.

In April, 2010. I decided to do Insanity. Many of you may be familiar with the P90X infomercial. Insanity is a Beachbody product, as is P90X, ChaLEAN Extreme, Slim in 6, Hip Hop Abs, Brazil Butt Lift, and many others that you may be familiar with. Insanity is a mixture of cardio and plyometric drills and intervals of strength, power, resistance, and core training. Here are links to information about the workout and success stories:

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/kthardy?bctid=25227773001

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/kthardy?bctid=26508208001

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/kthardy?bctid=26508204001

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/kthardy?bctid=26508207001

Ok, so this is what I've been doing. And, yes, Lloyd was in the military before he did this workout and he is challenged by it.

During my first week, I thought I was going to die. It was unlike any of the workouts I'd done with trainers in the past. It was designed and it's taught by legendary Shaun T. What can I say about Shaun T? He's a blast to workout with. First of all--he's African American and I love how he sounds when he's yelling at me to workout harder. I yell back at him during my workouts (and he knows this and has made fun of me for it). You start out with a fit test--which is a minute of several exercises and you do as many as you can in that minute and keep track of your progress. You do this every two weeks and during that first week, I could hardly keep up and almost threw up after the workout. The schedule is 6 days per week. There are Month 1 and Month 2 workouts. During Month 1, I hated it. I hated Shaun T. I hated the other people in the DVD. Mostly, I hated myself for having to take so many breaks. But as soon as I started seeing my fit tests get better, I was inspired. I was challenged.

My first Month 2 workout, I thought was hell. The Month 2 workouts are longer and harder than the ones in Month 1. And I thought, "How bad was I in Month 1 if this is killing me? What have I been doing?" But it was during Month 2 that I started to see lines in my abs. *If any of you have abs as your trouble area (for me, it's the first place I lose weight) Insanity is all about the core. Everybody has abs when they are done.*

What made me even more mad about Insanity is there are no weights. I didn't buy any equipment to get started. It's just your own body. I did stuff like football runs and up-downs and basketball guard drills, and boxing stuff, and jumping--lots of jumping. Shaun T would show me an exercise and I'd think, "Ok. I can do that." And then he would say, "But we're gonna add a sqat." Or "We're gonna add a jump." Of course we are! UGH! But it was awesome.

I loved my first round of Insanity and I got so addicted I decided to try it again. I lost 6 inches total from my waist, legs, butt and arms. I also dropped a jean size. I bought a pair of jeans in April just before I started and they were a size 12. I went back and bought another pair in June because my other ones were so baggy and they were a size 10. More importantly, for the first time in my life, I got excited about the fitness journey. I am loving my body on the way to where I want to be. When I post my Insanity Round I pics, I'll tell you that I'm not where I want to be yet. But I'm sure as heck having fun getting there.

That's why I wanted to start this blog. There are so many cool Beachbody programs that are so awesome. And one time through Insanity isn't enough--I am in my second round now. With all the programs I want to try, I have a workout schedule for the next six months. I'm in Round II of Insanity now and will finish at the end of July. After this, I'm doing ChaLEAN Extreme-a 3 month program. After that I'm doing Insanity again to get even more lean. That puts me at December. I will try TurboFire, Beachbody's newest program, after that and I'm in March of 2011. I'll figure out what's after that as I get closer. I think that even after I try other programs, I'll still be an Insanity Girl so I've gotta keep doing this and the new and improved Insanity Asylum comes out next year, so I'll be doing that, too.

Problems during Round I--I didn't have my diet tightened up. I chose to do this during the last 2 months of my senior year in college. I was grabbing food when I could. I started controlling what I was eating, but not portion sizes. And I had no consistency. I would eat when I could--not 6 meals per day, three hours apart. I was also just barely able to do the workout for half the workout. So for my second round, I decided I needed to be more strict with the diet and buck up.

Here are my results:

Fit Test

Switch Kicks

Day 1-99 Day 66-141

Power Jacks

Day 1-39 Day 66-53

Power Knees

Day 1-65 Day 66-107

Power Jumps (worst things ever, btw)

Day 1-30 Day 66-57

Globe Jumps

Day 1-5 Day 66-13

Suicide Jumps

Day1-10 Day 66-15

Push-up Jacks

Day 1-16 Day 66-30

Low Plank Oblique

Day 1-37 Day 66-73

My Fitness Journey...Thus Far

Hi Everyone~

So I've been getting lots of emails and questions about the workout I've been doing--Insanity. I decided to dedicate a blog to my fitness journey up to now and from now on. To forewarn you, I'll be very candid on this blog. I want this to be a place for people to discuss the ins and outs of working out. Feel free to post questions or comments with anything you like. For as much interest as I've gotten in Insanity, I've gotten criticism. So if you don't think DVD workouts work, or if you think it's just a raging fad that will pass, post questions and comments about that, too. I'll be posting info on food and recipes I've come to love that fit in with my workouts. And I'll be talking about the importance of a lifestyle change. With that, I'll be posting pictures with my results. Each time I finish a program, I'll post pictures. That reminds me I need to get my Insanity Round I result pics up ASAP! So there will be exercise pictures on here as well as swimsuit pics, just to forewarn you. If you don't think girls should post stuff like that in blogs, well, thanks for reading this first post, but following the blog is probably not for you. So I just wanted to explain a little about my plans and hopes for this blog. I have decided to embark upon a fitness adventure for one year (probably more). But this blog is dedicated to journaling my fitness until April, 2011. Join me on this fascinating journey, won't you? I'll explain more about Insanity shortly, but first I want to give a little history about my fitness.

I've never been skinny. How many other women out there can raise a hand right now? I've been fit before, sure. But I've never been skinny. It's not how I'm built. I've got a booty--let's face it.

For years, I did everything I could to try and change the way that I'm built. I played tennis competitively for several years in my early teens. I did gymnastics for a couple of years. Every summer during my teen years, I was either in tennis lessons or competing, or taking lessons in other random sports--baseball, soccer, kayaking. And I had a gym membership for years. I trained hard the year before my wedding and was in the best shape of my life up to that date on my honeymoon in Cancun. I posted two pictures of me on the beach in Cancun above and I was in the best shape of my life there. I wasn't extremely toned, but I was slim for the first time ever. So I've always been healthy and I've always been active. Every time I worked out, though, it was with one purpose in mind--to change the shape of my body drastically. Has that ever happened? No. Will it ever happen? I don't know.

When I started the last two years of my BA degree in Communications at LCSC CDA (holla), I was working 25-30 hrs per week and taking 21 credits. Did I mention this was also the first fall that I was married? I had no time in my life to work out, for the first time ever and I gained 20 pounds in one year. The picture of me above in the purple dress was taken a year after I started school--after my weight gain.

To combat that weight gain, I embarked on this 3 week fast/cleanse that made me dreadfully sick. It was called 21 Pounds in 21 Days--all you eat for 3 weeks is vegetable juice literally. Was this smart, you say? No. But I was desperate. I was in my first year of marriage and found myself totally insecure. The one shred of confidence I did have was ridiculously linked to my grades and my academic achievements. (Like it really matters that much. I used them as a crutch). I lost 20 pounds in 2 weeks and it has stayed off. But it left me sick for weeks and it also left me without any of my usual muscle tone. I was so upset. But I was so desperate to lose weight, I found myself justifying my craziness.

If you look at me, you don't think ANOREXIC. However, it's been suggested that I may have some sort of disorder due to the perception of myself. Yes, we're all our worst critic. But if I look in the mirror and tell you what I see, you would be amazed at my view of my body. It's pathetic. It's sick. It's distorted. It's wrong. I'm wrong. (There to all of my friends who always say I'm never wrong--there you go. Here it is in print). And now you're all wrong for saying I never say I'm wrong! Ha!

Most of my friends/family/coworkers/teachers would say that I'm a pretty confident person. I encourage people to the point that it annoys them. I like to build others up. I will ALWAYS tell you what I really think of you and what you're doing and all of this screams confident, well rounded person. Right?

Wrong. I'm confident in a lot of areas in my life--but I have never been confident about my body. Ever. It has been the one thing that I've (pridefully) obsessed about, worried about, prayed about negatively my entire life. You see my sisters and my mother are all drop dead gorgeous. They are all thin. I've associated thin with beauty my whole life. I'm not thin. If you watch movies with me, you will hear me point out when an actress is what I call normal size instead of stick thin. I obsess over it! Is anybody out there with me? The only reason I love JLO is because of her butt. I think it's awesome that she's a sex symbol! I always comment on people like Sophia Loren or PINK or Helen Mirren because they are gorgeous and they don't have stick thin bodies.

Every time I've worked out or trained in the past, it has been with one IMMEDIATE goal in mind--change what I look like as quickly as possible. It's always about the destination for me--never the journey. I want results now. I want to lose weight now. I want to be more muscular now.

In April, 2010, I wanted to do the 21 day cleanse again--against the advice of my husband, my friends, and even a few very concerned coworkers. I had ordered a DVD workout program called Insanity and it was sitting on my table, but the plan was to do it after I finished the 3 week cleanse. (I would have passed out during a workout if I'd done that, BTW).

I decided to do it anyway and not tell anybody. Mature, right? I got up early one morning and made all of my vegetable juice for the first week (the smell of it nearly gagged me) and was ready to go. By the end of that day, I was sick and light headed. There is nothing wrong with juicing, but it needs to be done for the right reasons and done the right way.

I was at home and I turned on the TV and was surprised to see singer PINK on a talk show. I LOVE her music and decided to watch it. As I watched, I noticed that PINK was not super skinny and that I was amazed at how beautiful and sexy she looked. I decided that I may never change my body style and I've got to stop trying. This is how Jesus made me and this is who I am and I'm the one who's got to stop trying to change all this. So after an afternoon of prayer, I dumped out the vegetable juice and I started eating, determined to start my new DVD workout as soon as my strength was up. I had no idea it was going to change my life--and if you think this sounds like some sort of fad like infomercial, then I'm sorry you're so lame. :) Just wait and see.