30 Day Shred

I am going to be starting Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred soon. My hope is to acclimate myself to this program and see if it actually works, that way I can use it again closer to the wedding if necessary.

My weight struggles started when I was about 11 years old. My parents had divorced and I moved to Kettering right at the beginning of the summer. Since I hadn’t attended school in my new district before summer break started I didn’t have any friends in the area. As such, I sat in my home and the only exercise I got was the short bike ride/walk to the Dairy Queen in the neighborhood. We only stayed in Kettering for nine months, then we moved to Beavercreek where I finished the final two months of sixth grade.

I made friends immediately in Beavercreek, but I also endured a lot of ridicule. I was shorter than most of my peers and the lack of activity combined with almost daily trips to Dairy Queen added up to me being overweight. In addition to my chubbiness, I had two prominent front teeth and was dubbed "Fat Chipmunk" by some of the crueler kids in my grade.

In the summer between 8th and 9th grade I became very physically active and began riding my bicycle all over town and hiking/exploring the woods near our neighborhoods with my best friend Matt. Unfortunately, I started some unhealthy eating habits that summer, eating mostly ice and one meal during the day. I often gave the false appearance that I was eating regularly after a friend threatened to tell my parents about my lack of eating. In the past I classified myself as anorexic during this time, but knowing more about eating disorders and mental health, I’d just say that I was going about weight loss in an unhealthy and dangerous way, and being very deceptive in my attempt to hide it. Regardless of whatever was "wrong" with me, I dropped down to about 80 pounds at 5’3”.

During high school I gradually attained and maintained a healthy weight, and fluctuated between 110-115 pounds at 5’5”. One thing I found that pleased me at first, and now just annoys the hell out of me, is that my bust size increased…dramatically. When I was in that summer of not eating I was a small B cup and once again the subject of ridicule from my bustier (and heavier) friends. Once I managed to put some "meat on my bones" I began gaining cup sizes…unfortunately it didn’t stop and now I preach "be careful what you wish for" while wrestling with my DDs.

Once I moved out on my own I dealt with the stress of being out on my own, but not eating healthy so my weight fluctuated wildly, sometimes dropping as low as 105 (when I had colitis) and going as high as 125. In the past few years I had stabilized and maintained a weight of between 120-125 pounds.

Unfortunately (?) I’m finding myself packing on "happy weight". While I wouldn’t trade my newfound happiness with Bobby for anything in the world, I’m disappointed when I step on the scale and it reads 130 pounds. My BMI is 21.63, which is considered "ideal" but I still feel like I have some problem areas that need to be toned and tightened (in order of priority):

1.) My love handles. A co-worker pointed out a few months ago that "Little Megan has love handles!" It really shocked me that she would say something like that. She apologized profusely and said she just wondered how someone so small could have such prominent love handles. I, of course, had been aware of them for a very long time.

2.) My gut. I’d like to tone my abs because I know I’m capable of having an almost six-pack abs. In my senior year of high school I took a weightlifting class and had a nice sculpted body including a firm abdomen. When I first started dating Bobby he commented on how I had definition in my abs. It is possible. I have the resources.

3.) My thighs. I noticed a dimple in my thigh a few months ago and almost cried. To me that signified that I was getting chubby. I haven’t dealt with a chubby Megan in over a decade, and I don’t want to start spiraling downward again.

4.) My arms. My wedding dress is strapless and I do not want mud flaps, baby whales, lunch lady arms, grandma arms, or whatever else you call them.

If only those parts of my body responded as well as my forearms and calves do when worked out. I took a 1-quarter weight lifting class in fall 2009 and I was happy with most of my body (those love handles resisted my attempts to eradicate them), but especially my forearms and calves. They were very toned and had good definition.

Once I get the 30 Day Shred DVD from Carly I’m going to post regular updates so I can keep track of my progress. I’ll start with pre-workout measurements and then see where I end up in 30 days, and if it’s worth it to try it again prior to the wedding.

Wish me luck! Meanwhile, enjoy this video I always think of when I’m working out.