still shredding

i've been doing the 30 day shred for about two weeks now (yay!), and i guess it's time for an update.

date started: may 1, 2009
current date: may 18th, 2009 (what?!?!?!!!! how is it already may 18th??)
number of days i shredded: 10 (approximate- i kind of forgot to keep track, i think it may have only been 8 days, but sometimes i did it twice)
current level: 3

truth be told this is a tough workout. i started off with level 1, and did that only for a few days. level one was challenging, but definitely still manageable for me, not too tough for someone who's already fit and doing weight training.

then i moved on to level 2. well, that's another story- definitely more intense. the cardio is harder, and you work your shoulders a lot, and the abs were tougher. do this twice through, or after a run, you feel like you're going to die!

today, i started level 3- even tougher! i had a slight snafu with my dvd skipping, and ended up only doing this once through, and taking a 5 minute break- which actually was kind of nice because i felt like i needed one! the cardio intervals are really intense. the abs were challenging too, as were the jumping lunges (ugh, i hate lunges!).

i think level three will be really difficult to do twice through, but will make for a great workout.

overall likes:

• easy to wake up and do the video in the comfort of your own living room
• less time-consuming than going to gym in morning
• intense- feels like i'm getting a great workout
• cardio and strength in one
• can be short or long workout if you do once or twice through
• i don't hate jillian michaels in this workout as much as i hated billy blanks from tae bo (maybe since it's only 20 minutes)
  

overall dis-likes:

• feels like not enough "strength" and too much cardio (since i already run and do other cardio on my own)
• don't feel like i'm getting an overall toning like with total body conditioning, although maybe i'm working my muscles in a different way
  
• my living room is a bit small, so it's kind of a tight squeeze, and sometimes my cat likes to try and workout with me
  
  

i took my measurements before i started, so i'll give an update once the month is over, and see if anything changed! i was already "in shape" before i started, so not sure if it really will make much of a difference, but i guess i'll find out!

and here's a recap of today's eats!

breakfast:

• 1 cup kashi go lean crunch cereal, with 1 small banana and skim milk
• 1 iced coffee with 2 splashes of chocolate soy milk, and 1 stevia

lunch:

• 1 boca burger garden medley veggie burger on 1 slice of sprouted wheatberry bread, with 1 slice soy cheese and 1 smear of mustard (ok, a lot of mustard, but it was the last of the container i brought to work, and i scraped every last drop out)
• 1 cup green grapes

i know this lunch is pretty much the same thing i've eaten every day for the past week or so, but, as i mentioned earlier today, i didn't go grocery shopping! i love veggie burgers because they're so easy to bring for lunch - quick to pack, quick to make, they taste good and they're filling. i'm sure after i finish my stash, i'll move on to somehting different for a few weeks :)

snack:

• 1 cashew nut larabar (not pictured)

dinner:

• 1.5 tbsp sabra greek olive hummus, with some carrots and mary's gone crackers
• leftover mexican pasta (not pictured)
  

this hummus is AMAZING!! i don't know how i've lived this long without it. i decided to try it today, since they didn't have my regular hummus at trader joe's (which is where i usually by my hummus since it's cheaper). but, i may never eat that trader joe's hummus again! in face i might never eat ANY other hummus ever again! it's seriously that good. if you like olives like i like olives, you must eat this hummus- it will change your life!


desert:

• 1 chocolate vita muffin, microwaved, topped with haggen daz vanilla low fat frozen yogurt (didn't measure, but about 1/4 -1/2 cup) and 1 tsp peanut butter and co. white chocolate peanut butter - YUMMMMMM :)

this was a really satisfying desert! the peanut butter co. peanut butter was just ok. i mean, it was good, just not as good as i imagined it to be. it tasted a little processed to me, maybe because i've gotten so used to eating only natural peanut butter for the past year or so. it felt a little hard, and not as creamy, but the flavor was nice.

alright, this girl is off to bed!

coming soon on steph runs the city (if, at this point, anyone is even reading steph runs the city!):

• review of bethenny frankel's naturally thin (i'm almost done!)
• more about team for kids, and how you can help me raise money and run the 2009 nyc marathon!

also, don't forget to check out these giveaways!

ashley's newman's own giveaway

tina's coffee lovers giveaway