I do my last workout 7 today. I modify a lot of the pushup and plank moves. I pulled something in the front of my shoulder doing the workout 8 move where you lay on your back and hold your tush up and bring the weights up over your head and then down to your hips and back over your head. She said use heavy weights and it was too much and I'm trying to be careful not to injure it worse. I've lost 14 lbs, but am almost down two sizes.

Okay what the HELL is workout 7? SERIOUSLY!

Ugh- I am not a fan of workout 7. In fact, I am happy that I have only 2 more times of doing it because I really just hate it that much. Usually, I have a circuit I really like... but in 7, not really so much. Workout 8 isn't as bad. Circuit 3 aside, it is a lot more tolerable than 7.

You guys are making me so nervous! I've never made it past phase 1 but I am determined to finish all 3 phases this time!!

Don't be nervous!! You can modify the exercises, take your time, and use as light of weights as you like. You don't need to keep up with her pace either, so long as you try to work both sides equally. Also, you can always continue with a single phase until you feel comfortable with it. It's important to get into the habit of working out every day, and anything you can do to keep up with that is totally worth it and going to benefit you in the end.

I was pretty sure I was going to do W5 more than four times, but I'm already feeling so much better about it that I probably won't. Crow pushups come in W7 though? Ugh. I remember those from R30 and DID NOT LIKE. On the other hand, I can do real pushups now, which I couldn't then, so possibly I'll be able to make it through at least a few modified crows?? Either way, that's still a week away, thankfully. ~___~.

Everyone seems to be doing so great!

I just did my first week after having to take two weeks off due to parvovirus joint pain and swelling. So far I have done:

Week One: Phase One, Week One
Week Two: Phase One, Week Two
Week Three: Phase One, Week Three
Week Four and Five: Off due to illness
Week Six: Phase One Mixup: W1,W2, Cardio (TurboJam), W3, W4 Cardio (TJ)

I will do Phase One, Week Four for my 7th week next week and see how I feel. I am still thinking I will need another week on Phase One to build my strength up for Phase 2. I just don't want to spend all the time on the carpet trying moves and not getting a good workout because I can't even attempt to complete them.

Congratulations! Workout 7 is definitely my most hated so far. Before that, it was workout 5. I'm predicting I will hate 9 worse than 7 though and will probably hate 11 the most. Those odd numbers just kill me!

You will hate workout 11. It is the worst one. I had the same problems with the odd numbers. For some reason I actually think I liked 9 better than 10 though but maybe I am not remember it accurately.

I figured as much haha I'll let you know when I'm up to 9 & 10 how I feel about them but I'm sure you're right in saying that I'll hate 11 the most.

I've done it! I've finished phase 2, just logged my last phase 2 cardio! :bigsmile:
Weigh in and measurements day tomorrow which I'm part anticipating because I've worked really hard, and part dreading in case I haven't lost as must as I hoped. Well I'll know soon enough.

I've done it! I've finished phase 2, just logged my last phase 2 cardio! :bigsmile:
Weigh in and measurements day tomorrow which I'm part anticipating because I've worked really hard, and part dreading in case I haven't lost as must as I hoped. Well I'll know soon enough.

Congratulations! That is absolutely amazing! It must be so exciting to only have one phase left to go. I can't wait to finish the next week and a half so I can be at the same point.

Keep us posted on your results - it's awesome seeing everyone's progress and I'm sure your hard work is paying off big time!

You guys are making me really dread W7! My last W5 is tomorrow and then the first W7 is Thursday.

Speaking of, my inner thighs are killing from W5 last night. I really got low into the sumos and it's haunting me now.

Now the bad: altogether, while I'm killing the workouts--including daily cardio--I can't seem to get my calories down. I've succeeded on low-calorie diets in the past but I haven't managed to really keep at it for more than a week since moving to Japan. Plus, winter's come and I've lost my weekday bike commutes and morning runs. (Too much snow and ice to be safe.)

I laugh whenever Jillian mentions "all the weight you've lost" because I've not lost any! I'm not gaining weight or overeating, but I can't seem to sustain the motivation to eat at a 500+ deficit. Any advice, guys?

You guys are making me really dread W7! My last W5 is tomorrow and then the first W7 is Thursday.

Speaking of, my inner thighs are killing from W5 last night. I really got low into the sumos and it's haunting me now.

Now the bad: altogether, while I'm killing the workouts--including daily cardio--I can't seem to get my calories down. I've succeeded on low-calorie diets in the past but I haven't managed to really keep at it for more than a week since moving to Japan. Plus, winter's come and I've lost my weekday bike commutes and morning runs. (Too much snow and ice to be safe.)

I laugh whenever Jillian mentions "all the weight you've lost" because I've not lost any! I'm not gaining weight or overeating, but I can't seem to sustain the motivation to eat at a 500+ deficit. Any advice, guys?

Eat more. If you're going over your calories all the time, give yourself a bigger allowance. It also helps me to eat small snacks through the day rather than 2 or 3 massive meals. Also vegetables. Lots and lots of vegetables. They fill you up and have hardly any calories.

You guys are making me really dread W7! My last W5 is tomorrow and then the first W7 is Thursday.

Speaking of, my inner thighs are killing from W5 last night. I really got low into the sumos and it's haunting me now.

Now the bad: altogether, while I'm killing the workouts--including daily cardio--I can't seem to get my calories down. I've succeeded on low-calorie diets in the past but I haven't managed to really keep at it for more than a week since moving to Japan. Plus, winter's come and I've lost my weekday bike commutes and morning runs. (Too much snow and ice to be safe.)

I laugh whenever Jillian mentions "all the weight you've lost" because I've not lost any! I'm not gaining weight or overeating, but I can't seem to sustain the motivation to eat at a 500+ deficit. Any advice, guys?

W7 is a *****cat.( I say this having done W9).........you'll be fine.

I couldn't stick to the 1200 calories set by Jillian, just because it's too low for me at the moment, I'd be completely miserable. I have a target of 1700 cals a day and while I'm no poster girl for weight loss, as you can see by the results I posted earlier, I have still lost 7lb in the first 2 phases and if I'm honest I've had a couple of heavy eating weekends in that time period.

If sticking to the lower calories doesn't work for you then up them to a level you can achieve. Surely it's better to aim to achieve a slower but regular and sustainable loss, and be happier doing it, than aim for more and not get there because you can't stick to it.

Have you measured? If you haven't do it now. This is where I've seen the biggest changes and in the end the main idea is to get smaller not lighter if that makes any sense.

You are doing a terrific job and have already got through phase 1, be proud of that achievement :happy

OMG I can't believe it wouldn't let me post P u s s y c a t

I laugh whenever Jillian mentions "all the weight you've lost" because I've not lost any! I'm not gaining weight or overeating, but I can't seem to sustain the motivation to eat at a 500+ deficit. Any advice, guys?

Are you netting only 500 calories? That is really rough. I do not follow the meal plan but eat 1200 plus exercise calories back so usually about 1500-1600 a day as MFP suggested. I have a lot more to lose than you and I believe when she makes her statements about weight lose it is for larger people. At one time she says 5 lbs a week, that is not going to happen for many people. I would definitly try eating more.

Are you netting only 500 calories? That is really rough. I do not follow the meal plan but eat 1200 plus exercise calories back so usually about 1500-1600 a day as MFP suggested. I have a lot more to lose than you and I believe when she makes her statements about weight lose it is for larger people. At one time she says 5 lbs a week, that is not going to happen for many people. I would definitly try eating more.

Not even 500, not when I average out the entire week. I'll be really good for about three days and then eat at maintenance for a few, but I log everything diligently and should still be losing 1/4 of a kg a week. I definitely underestimate my exercise calories so it can't be that.

I'm definitely not keeping up the level of cardio I used to, back in America when I had access to a 24/7 and $10/month gym. I was easily burning 800+ calories a day. Here, the gyms are expensive, far away, and have very limited hours, and my apartment is on the second floor so I need to be mindful of when I do cardio workouts. (I carpeted my floor in a sandwich of a bunch of yoga mats, then a rug, then two more yoga mats on top, and I work out in socks, but I can hear my neighbor clipping her nails... the walls are that thin.)

I mean, I'm an ovo-vegetarian!! I eat exclusively vegetables, beans, fresh fruit, whole grains, and sometimes eggs. My only regular guilty splurges are chocolate and cheerios (original! with no added sugar!) but I can pack away impressive amounts of both, easily enough to undo the benefits of sixty minutes of Jillian. :frown:

I'm a little embarrassed to post this, but here's a picture I took shortly before starting BR: http://happytofu.org/images/dress.jpg (it's not my official "before" picture... that one shows way more skin... hopefully I'll look so badass after completing BR that I can post both it and the after)

So, I'm not stupid, I know I don't have a lot of weight to lose, but I'd really like to be able to SEE all these muscles I can feel getting bigger!! Plus, I swear all 5kg went right to my stomach, exactly where I would most like to see some definition. :grumble:

Anyway, I'm going to stop whining about my lack of weight loss and do my last W5 (for this cycle anyway). I'll kick it's *kitten*, too, because I've gotten stronger if not thinner!! :sick: ...then I'll eat a piece of the pumpkin pie I just made. (I think I'm starting to see my problem. :laugh: )

I don't think I hate workout 7 as much as I hated workout 5. I feel insane for saying that.

One thing you see alot on these forum is the idea for not eating below 1200 calories (I recently posted a thread about it). If you are too low, you can really hurt your metabolism. Do a search if you have not already. I found users to have compelling arguments against going too low on calories. It sounds like you can enjoy your slice of pie and even then some :O). When people start weight training they start eating more calories too to feed those muscles.

I can totally understand wanting to see the muscles. I have the opposite problem in that I have so much fat covering those muscles that I cannot see the definition she promises in her DVDs. I have dropped weight and inches, but when I look in the mirror, I see how far I have to go and I think it will take me awhile to truly appreciate the road to my goal.

Yaah... I think I should try upping my cardio, since cutting more calories clearly isn't an effective strategy for me.

I think it can be motivating in its own way, though. By the time you and I slim down enough to see definition, our muscles will be huuuuuge! It's like slowly unwrapping a present!

Thanks for the encouragement! Now let's DO THIS THING! :mad:

First W10 today, can't say I was brilliant but at least I was able to give it a good go and I burned 300 cals which is high for me for these workouts. I do my first cardio 3 tomorrow which some seem to like and others hate so I'm going in with an open mind. How's everyone else doing?

WO10 looks weirdly fun to me. I'm sure that's just because I haven't done it yet. Also I'm scared for cardio 3. It looks insane!

I'm doing cardio 2 today and that concludes week 7 (I'm a few days behind) Then one more week of WO7 & WO8 & Cardio 2 and then I'm officially done with phase 2.

I'm terrified for phase 3 although last night I was attempting to show my mum what a wheel push-up was and to my great surprise I could actually do it! Haha I'm sure I can't do anything in workout 11 though :P