NaijaSissyThe Battle of the Bulge 2009

Hii! Good news.

2010-09-10T17:43:00.000-07:00

Okay Okay..so yeah..I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not a daily blogger type of person lol. I really want to keep updating yall and also keep some sort of journal of my own journey, but findin the time to write a quality blog for each dvd is tiresome :-/ ..but I am still doing it!! NO I have not given up and I'm faitihfully doing the dvds.. It's amazing how miuch more stamina I have.. and I"ve stopped vomiting!!! YAYYYYYY *happy dance

I've been toying with the idea of starting the program over from the beginning because I feel like these few weeks have just been getting to the "fit enough to really do the exercises right" part.. I know my form wasn't the greatest in the beginning and then because of the EXTREME soreness in my legs, body, back, KNEES, ankles, and feet my subsequent performance during the dvds probably wasn't 110% like Shaun T wants,

Now my form is excellent and my knees are much much stronger..should I start over?

Also..I broke and joined a gym.. When I do these dvds..believe it or not..I'm on such an adrenaline high that I like to go jogging in the park after.. Sometimesd the weather and time of day isn't conducive to that (safety and all)

I actually found a gym right down the street from my house (30 secs) and it opens at 6am..so I'll be able to do my dvd..and get on elliptical before I go to work.. Or do my dvd, go to work then gym after work.. Excited!

But yes, as I mentioned before..no more daily updates.. Monthly updates from now on :) pictures coming soon hopefully!!

2010-08-21T09:38:00.000-07:00

I skipped a day of writing in the blog, but have no fear I did not skip a day of the insanity program. Yesterday, I can't even lie.. yesterday hurt. I pushed myself to wake up at6:45 am again to complete my workout before I started work. This was soo necessary because I was doing a double shift and not getting home until midnite.

the morning's workout was called Cardio Power and Resistance. Before I even got into the "warm up"...and I put that into quotations because that warm up is a workout by itself :-/

Today I woke up..o...so...sore... I read online that it's a good idea to do your own REAL warmup and stretchign before doing Shaun T's. So I took 15 mins to really stretch out my thighs, calves, and back which went a long way towards feeling better. After that I was limber and ready to work out

I don't feel muich like typing today, but it was hell. There were a lot of routines t hat involved pushups that I simply couldn't do. I modified what I could, but still did 80% of the routine..

Vomited again! Great just great! :-/

LATERZ! ~ NaijaSissy

Day 2 PLYOMETRIC CARDIO CIRCUIT

2010-08-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

One of my greatest challenges with this program will be finding the time to work in a workout every day like Shaun T. demands. But as many people on the path to better fitness say "You have to MAKE time and sacrifice some leisure time"

I work 8-4 most days, then depending on my schedule will usually go to my second job. For example today I'm doing a 9-4 then immediately going to my next job until 12 midnite. So that leaves me with 2 choices

A) Work out at 12 midnite after working 16hrs..
B) Sacrifice an hour of sleep and wake up at 7 to work out.

I'lll take B..spank you very much!

The dvd I did this morning was called PLYOMETRIC CARDIO CIRCUIT. Let me start by posting a review of this particular workout that I found online because I feel like it says it better than I can.

Overall Impression
"This circuit really solidified for me that beginners can do this program, contrary to popular belief. You may need to take breaks; you may need to quit early; you may need to skip a day or two. However, I guarantee you will feel like you worked out HARD even if you try 10 minutes of INSANITY. And the greatest part, in my opinion, is that you're done in 35-45 minutes, and you're already in the comfort of your home and therefore avoiding traffic on a long drive home from the gym!"

^^ Yes, I am *** lbs.. lol..nah I can't tell my weight..as much as I wanna share this with you..I do have readers from this website, NR, that just can't be privy to info like that.. I'd live to regret it lmao.. But BMI wise I'd be considered obese and though I couldn't make it through the entire dvd..it is definitely do-able. I quit 10 minutes early because my body simply couldn't move anymore. And that's okay because like Shaun wanted I PUSHED until I couldn't push anymore..and as the days continue I'll repeat this dvd and will be able to last longer and longer

Now, let's be real:

I dont want paint this lalala picture of me flying gracefully through the workouts with a huge smile of my face, fist pumping during rest breaks.. I'm going to keep it real with you.

EVERYTHING HURTS..the muscles in my butt hurts, I had to walk down the stairs sideways this morning, and every movement I make is accompanied with a groan. Shaun is the DEVIL HIMSELF..

*Katt williams voice* "this shit right herree, nigga??!! This shit right hereee?!!"

I feel like someone just took a hammer to my body and tenderized me.. Yes..that is the perfect metaphor..I feel mutha lovin' TENDERIZED..

I vomited twice doing this workout, but to my credit got right back in the game after my quick purge lol.. Sorry to gross you out, but NaijaSissy is finna' keep it real for y'all because if you try this you need to know what you're going to be up against.

It was the jump squats that did me in...I got about 3 in and *covers mouth* that was it..

All through the day..I limped more and more.. As I am sitting in my office chair I can literally feel the muscles in my thighs, calves, and back tightening .. THIS HURTS.. Everytime I attempt to sit down or stand up...HELL any movement... I groan and moan and whimper in agony..

The craziest thing...is that I'm going to continue tomorrow morning.. DIG DEEPER!

DAY 1- FIT TEST

2010-08-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

O...m....g.. so ...

I ran home from work excited and eager to do the first dvd in the Insanity program. Day 1 is the "Fit Test". It's about 25-38 minutes long and the purpose of it to see provide a baseline for yourself to be able to compare your fitness levels on Day 15, 36, 50 and 63. The idea is that the longer you do the program your fitness level will improve and you'll be able to do more reps of each program for a longer duration of time.

Okay...all the technical stuff aside.. I donned my double bras..lol.. 'cuz you know us top heavy girls can't have all our goodies smacking us in the face as we're jumping around. Laced up my sneaks, put on my tights, and since I was in the privacy of my own apartment just worked out like that.. In my bra and tights lmao..just like those skinny bitches in the video :D (Another thing I couldn't do at home OR in the gym..not with all my jigglies hanging out)

Put the dvd on ..hit play ..and ..here we go! Slow jogging okay.. side to side leaps, and some other non strenuous stuff. I'm breathing a bit hard and feeling pretty darn good about myself.. then I hear "That was the warm up" errr?? You mean we didn't start yet??

It went downhill from there... cheiiiii! There were 8 excercises and here are the number of reps I was able to do in the time allotted:

1. Switch Kicks - 128
2. Power Jacks-27
3. Power Knees-70
4. Power Jumps-8 really bad ones, 1 good one with good form
5.Globe Jumps- 2
6. Suicide Jumps-3
7. Push-UP Jacks-0..yes, I said 0.I can't even do one friggin push up :-(
8.Low Plank Oblique- 15

Needless to say, my numbers are wayyyyy lower than the people on the dvd accomplished and while I'm not in the greatest of shape..and took plenty..PLENTY of breaks.at least I got through it! But let's talk about how I felt..

Did I feel energized, happy, with a crazy stream of adrenaline rushing though my body.... NO..
Omygosh..I almost fainted 3 times.. and actually rushed to the bathroom once because I felt bile coming up my throat..I definitely dry heaved into the toilet. I'm glad Shaun emphasized at the beginning of the dvd and throughout that it's okay to take a rest if needed because I sho' as hell did. I can honestly say that with all the different exercises and dvds andf classes that I have tried I have never done anything as strenuous as this..

and it's a bit deceiving! Because I'm looking at the moves and you're thinking "Oh this looks easy.." Then my obese frame actually gets on the floor and tries to jump up and fllyyyyy in the air like the other peope in the dvd *crickets chirping* My knees and back cried and then scornfully laughed in total protest..

I'm excited to see how I perform on my next fitness test..

but yeah, definitely spent 30-40minutes on the floor, clutching my inhaler for dear life, wheezing while my cat curiously settles in between my sprawled legs because she thinks we're about to take a nap. I heard cats in nursing homes have a tendency to cuddle up with patients because they know when that person's about to die..hmm.. God forbid lol.. But I certainly felt like my time had came lol..

So..we haven't talked about the diet part of this fitness regime.. the program does come with a recommended diet plan, but I choose to follow my good ol' standby "ATKINS" As I've explained before this is the diet abi way of life that has worked for me and I think that with the combination of INSANITY and Atkins..I'ma be an even sexier someborri in 60 days :)

LATERZ! ~Naijasissy

2010-08-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

You see this picture below?

This is the INSANITY workout.. I had been seeing the infomercials for this program developed by Shaun T of beach bodies. I know a few people who have attempted to complete the program and some who actually have and it seems like just the type of high intensity workout that I love.

It reminds me of when I was doing my undergrad in New York and I was going to the Bally's there. DUDE..New Yorkers are hard core with their fitness mayne! I'd be in their group classes and they'd be screaming and grunting and "whewww!!!" "yeahhhh" "Alright!!"" and I FED off it..I dug it..

I know ..it says the workout is for people who are already in really good shape, which I'm clearly not..but don't let the "jiggly fat" decieve you.. I'm a nimble big girl lol.. and I'm sure I can thug it out if I start out slowly..

Anywhoo..one issue.. this damn thing cost upwards of $80-$150!! And that's depending on whether you get it new or used.. MSCHEWWW abeg ooo.. no ..I can't bring myself to part with that much...for an exercise dvd?? So using my thrifty mind..I began poring through craigslist for some deals.. Long story short..found someone who had purchased the original hella expensive program and was offering to burn copies of all for $50..

Went to his house yesterday (lovely wife and children) and he put them all in for me to view on his dvd..and OMG..you can't even tell they're copies..yay!!! I handed over the moola and I even told him I'd call him after the fit test if I was even alive lmao..

So..I'm at the office now *shh* anxiously awaiting 4 o'clock so I can run home and complete the fit test, which is the dvd for DAY 1, to see how I hold up :D :D :D :D

I've been watching youtube videos and reading up on everyone's experience and I hear some people vomit so I think I'll have a trash can nearby :-/ wish me luck I'm UBER EXCITED..

My hope is to video myself doing the fit test using my Iphone...so we'll see how that works out...

LATERZ!!! ~NAIJASISSY

2010-08-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

Ok.... I can't even look at you all. I know, I know.. where the heck have I been? How has the weight loss "Battle of the Bulge" been going?

Well..as you have probably figured out by my prolonged absence..NOT SO GREAT.. lol

What I usually do..I have done again..

I go really hard and gung ho for a month and then I miss one day-which turns into 2 days- which subsequently turns into 3-4 weeks and off the wagon I fall.

So my last post was when..2009??!!! My Lord in Heaven *shakes head ruefully* Well..here's the good news

A lot has gone in my life since then. I've gone through yet another maturation process, progressed in my goals and taken a few vital and key steps towards complete independence. Most notably, I moved out of my parents house!!! Hallelujah *does happy dance* Those of you who may come from stricter cultures may be able to relate to the hell that I had to go through just to accomplish this. (You know, they subscribe to the whole "stay in the house until you get married..then they'll transfer ownership lol" ) Even as I write this one half of my parents is barely talking to me, but it was needed.

There is nothing that can compare to having FREEDOM and PEACE OF MIND. My life is filled with so much peace..it's amazing. To be able to come home and not be nagged or have my privacy invaded upon is priceless. Most importantly, I can truly cultivate friendships and relationships in a way that just was not possible before. Invite people OVER..TRAVEL without asking permission and lying about where I'm going lol... No more pretending to work overnite at the hospital just so I can stay out overnite..

YES O..at my age..at 24..I was still doing all of that..I know, ridiculous. But enough of that..I'm focused, re-commited and in possession of a gem that I feel will help me accomplish winning this fight against the evil that is "jiggly fat" :D Stay tuned..

Motivation...

2009-02-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

Usually, I find that it helps to have a clear motivational factor in mind when excercising. Something that when your thighs are starting to burn, and your breathing becomes ragged, your brain zeroes in on that "THING" that will make you start singing "I'm Every Women" and pick up the pace.

For me, that factor is usually pure vanity and the realization that summer is fast approaching, but now and then special events pop up that I have to "prepare" for. Lmaooooo.. I am such a dork..see me acting like a celebrity that's 'bout to hit the red carpet.. But i no dey exaggerate, that's how I feel whenever I'm gonna be around a lot of naija women; scrutinized and examined with a sharpened eye, head to toe. You know how some naijas are now. lol..

Anyway sha..the event I'm am now "preparing" for is the Harvard African Business Conference. It's being held in Cambridge, Massachussets Feb. 20th-22nd. NO, I am not husband hunting lol..I'm too young for that and I have numerous dating years ahead of me.. (just until 25 then I'll get a bit more focused)

Unfortunately, I just learned about this from a post on naijaryders.com..so that doesnt leave me much time..but hey motivation is motivation abi? I'm trying to firm things up so that at the afterparties when I'm squatting (cuz u know there's gonna be some short ass men there ..sigh) and shimmying and shaking I look semi-sexy doing it lol.

SO...the treadmill... Una should clap for me!!! It's been roughly a week and I've worked my way up to 2min 30sec running intervals with a 1 minute walk in between.. after I do 4 cycles of that I put the treadmill on incline and walk uphill for 5mins..then a 5min cool down..

I havent been able to do my step aerobic dvd after though..after that brief stint with the treadmill I barely make it over to my coach to collapse.. My goal is to be able to treadmill and then do my step routine after all in one morning..like I did in the past..

So you know I'm doing the atkins diet right? So can I just tell you 3 more pounds have melted off..!!!!! I know no if na water weight or wetin ..but regardless I am feeling myself right about now.. so the grand total as of Feb. 1st, 2009 is 10lbs lighter!! Cheahh!!! Now..since I will be going to a conference where there'll be tall (hopefully) handsome (hopefully) successful (God willing) african men in suits.. I think I wanna have a lil discussion about dating, flirting, dancing, approaching and all that lovely stuff women get to do;) ..that'll be my next entry;)

I weighed in today!!!

2009-01-20T12:04:00.001-08:00

Ok..lemme give y'all the back story. I was perusing the local newspaper in July of '08 and my eye caught an ad asking for volunteers for a clinical trial of a new appetite suppressant. At that time, I was desperate and willing to try anything so I called and set it up. THEN I was handed the medium-sized packet of information about the pill. GETDAFUKOUTTAHERE....MBA ooo..blood clots, headache, stroke, death, heart problems..they trying to kill me???????
I decided then and there that I will not ingest that pill..BUT if you participate in the trial you get a dietician free, lots of food counseling, a place to weigh in and measure yourself and free lil goodies like a pedometer, backpack, books, measuring cups each time you go in.
So my devious self decided to go ahead and sign up. What I do is take the packet of pills, pop out all the pills in the pack so that it LOOKS like I'm taking it and give the empty packet back the trials.. it's worked so far..plus I get $1,000 at the end of a one year period:D I've been doing this since July 2008 but any weight I lost I've gained back..so that's why I'm starting over in '09.
So back to my story..I weighed in at my dietician this morning and I lost 7 POUNDS.. cheaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! What a great motivator..it made my horrendous experience from yesterday all worth it..lol. I'll update yall on how excercise goes when I get home.. (btw..I really want to start excercising in the morning b4 I leave for work because that's when your carbohydrates are at their lowest therefore you burn more fat..damn that means getting up at 6am...:( ...)

on a side note: My president is african!!!! President Barack Obama :) I give God all the glory and pray that he will give our president wisdom and discernment throughout his term in offfice. May God protect the lives of Barack and his family and cover them with the blood of Jesus. I claim that no weapon formed against them shall prosper. Lord, u said that whatever we bind in heaven will be bound on earth and I bind all demonic forces that may try to hinder our president or the progress of our country. Lord, in your name I pray. Amen...amen...and amen!

Day I- What in the hell?

2009-01-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

"Well aint this some shit" Those are the words that came out of my head and through my lips as I stared at my party pictures from New Years Eve 2009. I blinked twice and started pulling up previous pictures from just 8-10months ago.

Somehow..

Somewhere..

NaijaSissy put on about 3 more rolls on her tummy. 'bout 2more on her back, and doubled the size of her thighs..

I'm sure a lot of you out there have struggled with their weight so I know you feel my pain... Does this sound familiar?

You go to put on the friggin sexy dress that turns heads that you JUST shimmied into 3 months ago and now di shege no gree zip!! Arrrggggggh!!! Why me, o? Damn that chinese food, damn that dunkin donuts, damn them all BACK to hell where they came from..!!!

There is an advantage to having lost the weight previously though..it means "IT CAN BE DONE"..it gives you a visual as to how freaking fab-o-lous you're gonna look when you reach your goal......*crickets chirping*.............. Or it can make you curse yourself for letting the weight come back cuz now you gotta bust your ass excercising again..

Anywhooooooo...with all that said...after looking at those pictures..I resolved that today was going to be the first day of my new diet/excercise regime. I am rather partial to the Atkins diet..it's the only diet that has worked for me in the past and I get to eat those fatty, meaty things that I like;)

Day 1: Excercise

I started rummaging through my clothes for my old spandex workout pants and my tanktop..found them at the bottom..BOTTOM of the pile (yeahhh that says a lot lol)... cool, now for the sports bra. BIG-BREASTED GIRLS..lemme share my lil secret.. Personally, most sports bras dont keep my "girls" from bouncing up and down painfully.. and this is crucial to a good workout...because you CAN NOT run on a treadmill if your boobies are aching you. So what I do is put on a regular, underwire-less bra first, THEN place the sports bra over it..u fit turn cartwheels sef and dem no go move.:D

I got my lil Aquafina bottle, my phone, which acts a stopwatch, donned shoes, tank top and went downstairs to confront...

THE TREADMILL..

Oga Treadmill, so we meet again *bows and assumes fighting stance.

Okay, so it's been a good 5-6months since I've run; last time, I was preparing to go to a wedding, so there was lil' motivation there...never know who u might meet ya know;) . I WANTED to start out with my usual treadmill routine. I usually interval train.

Warm up- 5minutes

Run- 3min then Walk-1min30secs << I do 4 cycles of these

Incline uphill fast walk- 5 mins

Cool down- 5 mins

this is what ACTUALLY happened ...sigh

I ran for a 1min 30 secs..and i think my lungs were about to implode..CHEI..yeeeeeeehhhhh..i dey out of shape oooo.. I tried to then walk, but I had to step off and sit on a chair until I could see again..everything was fading to black.. na wa oo..this is going to be harder than i though..

The same thing happened after each run...instead of walking inbetween I was forced to plop on the couch and pray that my heart didnt explode.. sigh.. a lil discouraging.. but hey na day 1..gotta start somewhere abi?

But dammit i finished my four running cycles at least! A grand total of 6 mins running *silence*.. Let's see what happens 2morrow.. Off to rub vaseline on my inner thighs..ouch

Oh yeah, and I've eaten 2 scrambed eggs with a teaspoon of ketchup..some chicken, and I will have a turkey taco with a low carb wrap tonite.. yippeee ..NOT