gdbadass

thanks for all the tips, everyone. much appreciated! i noticed that it isn't the crunches that are giving me trouble - it's the pilates type work, where you create a posterior pelvic tilt, that "scooping" of the belly and flattening of the lower back. i think i am so used to tilting my pelvis the other way that i may be…

Had to take a break for three days for family issues, but I'm back and I think the break did me good - Level Two was a bit easier, overall. I'm starting to like Jillian Michaels!

Hey James: Me too! I think the only way to improve on the lunges is to just keep doing them - I have seen improvement in my leg strength and balance so far, and I assume by the time i am ready to move on to Level 3 *and I am taking my time with moving up levels), my balance will be adequate. Good luck!

still doing it!

This is very true. When I was incredibly poor, i used to get so hungry I went to the corner liquor store - if which there were several withing a 3 block radius, with no produce in sight - and bought candy just to shut my stomach up. Now that I have more money and know better, I make eating well a top priority. Your point…

where I live, there are a lot of Farmer's Markets, so I can get cheap organic produce there. I buy local, in-season produce. I garden, and there is a HUGE movement out there supporting backyard gardening nowadays - look it up! I'm an omnivore, so I can't really get high-quality meat for cheap, unfortunately. I bite the…

when people talk about how cheaply they shop in supermarkets, they should also take into account the very low quality food they are purchasing - Factory-farmed animals, raised in deplorable conditions, jacked up on steroids and antibiotics; Genetically modified vegetables, doused in pesticides; Fruit, also heavily sprayed…

Big agriculture companies and chemical/pesticide companies get huge government subsidies to keep their products cheap, plentiful and profitable. Corn, soy and dairy, for example, are HEAVILY subsidized. That's why you get asked if you want cheese on your burger, that's why there's high-fructose corn syrup in everything,…

Well, I'm sticking with Level One until my shoulder is better - I will probably see a professional soon because the last thing I need is to re-injure it. All the plank moves in Levels 2 and 3 are something to be aiming for, but not at the expense of my shoulder OR my workout. Hope everyone is doing well. Today is my…

I'm trying the "sports bra over regular bra" option right now - hopefully i won't end up holding onto the girls like i have had to the last few workouts i did. not willing to spend $50 on a fancy one (make that at least $100, because you can;t have just one).:noway:

this is really good advice. and if you like Jillian Michael's DVDs and they encourage you to workout, get another one and use it, by any means necessary! you will feel much better if you move and enjoy your body - i always do. good luck.

PS: Ann Louise Gittleman wrote a book about it - pretty easy read: "Your Body Knows Best" http://www.amazon.com/Your-Body-Knows-Louise-Gittleman/dp/0671875914

I've never fad dieted, but will try this for my blood type, mostly because I AM cutting calories back and exercising daily, and don't see much change, so I am willing to see if tweaking my diet towards my blood type will help. Different body types, ethnicities, ages, genders, etc, process food and gain or lose fat…

Am I the only one here? :laugh:

keep eating organic, non-processed foods and cut out the added sugars, low-fat whatevers, artifical anythings.

yes, the tools have been really helpful at MFP! that's the bottom line. trolls are everywhere, of course. i guess my online interactions are generally with pretty mature, intelligent people - or at least people who have something better to do than attack others for kicks. but like i said, the question was pretty much…

Just did Day One of Level Two. The hardest part was that everything involved Plank Position, and I have a shoulder injury. SO I feel like I wasn't getting as much out of the whole level as I should have. But I did it! Getting stronger, that's undeniable.

verrry interresttiiing.....hahahaa! just read all the posts. most people didn't really understand my question - "why is THIS site different?" my feelings haven't been hurt by anything said on these message boards. i don't need kittens and rainbows (i got a whole box of that at home). my post was about ONE topic - i was…

While I don't frequent "dark corners" anywhere in life, I am part of a snarky pop culture site, a site for professionals (and regular folk) in the Fashion Industry, and participate off and on in others related to music, natural beauty, and health. Even on the pop culture site you don't see the random meanness you see here.…

Also - I wasn't talking about sunshine and rainbows - I'm talking about people who post in order to say nothing more than : the person who started this thread is an idiot. Or - commenter above is stupid. For those who have never belonged to a forum where peolpe didn't behave this way - I have news for you. It doesn't have…

For those people who will say - "this place is just like the rest of the internet" - no, it isn't. YouTube comments or comments on a news story can't be compared to posts in a community forum. This site's culture is particularly rude. I suspect there are a lot of cowards and bullies out there who are miserable and want to…

To be totally honest, I think she was being a little *****y and "holier-than-thou" - lots of vegetarians are like reformed smokers, and they can't help but put a little passive aggressive twist into their communication about thier lifestyle. I worked with a woman who would say things to me like:* " No, no I don't mind that…

Just finished Day 10 of Level One! Not sure if I want to move on to Level Two or not yet, will cross that bridge when I get to it. I hope someday to find JM's 30 Day Shred has readied me for Insanity or P90X - one step at a time, though. I have a lot of rehabbing to do before I can do those jumping push-ups! I'm thinking…

Just a warning against generalizing for race, class or ethnicity. Most ethnic groups are not authoring these studies themselves - self-determination is often a big factor in how these things are understood. Again, I recommend the series "Black Folks Don't _____" for one example of how the answers vary when the questions…

Here's a very good video about the "Black Folks Don't Have Eating Disorders" myth: http://youtu.be/O-F2q_SLun0

Well, I did it. Day nine. Not sure where I am at with it all right now, just feel a sense of accomplishment for having done it at all.

Anyone still out there? It's day 8 for me, and I guess I am getting stronger overall. I don't *dread* this DVD like I used to. I am still nursing injuries and listening to my body when things pop and squeak, but I get through Level One with a good sweat, without feeling ridiculously burnt out like I did at first. As far as…

Just checking in... Yesterday I felt ill so I took a break from all exercise. Felt okay this morning and completed Day Six. My arm is almost better and I just did what I could. The cardio is definitely getting easier. If I get to the end of Day 10 and feel like Level Two would be more discouraging than worthwhile, I'll…

Day 5 went well for me. I am really glad I follow this up with Rodney Yee's "AM Yoga", because I need the centered, stabilizing effect of yoga after Jillian Michaels' boot camp approach. He's the "yin" to her "yang"! It was easier today and yes, I *am* seeing results.

aadumas, are you finding it easier now? will you go to level two after day 10?