Hey Fam,

Tony Horton kicked my tail this morning!!  Oh my goodness!!  I guess I did take a break for two days because on Wednesday I did the warm-up, Cardio and Abs (22 mins) and yesterday I did the warm-up, Lower Body and cool down (14 mins – woke up late).  But TODAY I did the warm-up, Total Body, Lower Body, Abs and the cool down (42 mins).  I did pretty good with Total Body and Lower Body, BUT the Abs kicked my A-double!!  I think his 10 Minute Abs is the hardest of them all!!  Hands down!!  I definitely have to push myself through these workouts because they are much harder than the 30 Day Shred.  Sorry Jillian Michaels. Tony’s workouts make Jillian’s look like a walk in the park.  Just from the rigorous workout I’ve been thru in these first 3 days, I know I’m going to be in shape at the end of my 2nd 30 day challenge.  But of course that’s only IF I give it my all and minimize the stopping, gasping for air, occasional swearing and calling on the LORD.  Hubby told me that Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Abs is harder than Tony Horton’s Ab Ripper X (from Power 90).  I’m telling you!!  If you haven’t heard of Tony Horton you definitely need to check him out.  If you want to whip your body into shape and have 90 minutes (I just don’t have it) to put in 6 days a week for 90 Days, No Joke!!, you could probably compete in a fitness or body building competition when you finish.  Check him out at www.beachbody.com  I will have the time to put in 90 minutes a day after I hit the Mega Millions, though ($325 Million ;-O)!! 

I’m judging an R&B Line Dance Competition this weekend in Delaware and I will be taking my portable DVD player and my Tony Horton DVDs, so I can continue my streak of working out.  Today was 33 days of consecutively working out.  That’s What’s Up!!

Until next time,

Donnese Monique

Good Morning Family,

I bet you thought I gave up didn’t you.  You probably thought I couldn’t make it the entire 30 Days, especially since I haven’t blogged since Thursday.  You may have given up on me and called me a quitter.  Well!! Guess what?!?!  I DID IT!!!  I completed day 30 of the 30 Day Shred this morning at 7:00 am.  I had a very busy weekend this past weekend, but I still made time for my 30 minute workout every single morning.  I feel so good.  I’m definitely on the road back to being in shape.  Did I lose 20 lbs?  Unfortunately not.  But I definitely lost inches, a dress size and improved my endurance.  I am so excited that I made the decision (suggested by my Hubby) to workout and blog about my experience.  It definitely holds me accountable and pushes me to stay committed to something that I’ve started.   I think I’m going to take the next two days off and then begin my next 30 Days on Friday, August 28th.  Thank you Jillian Michaels for getting me started on the road back to being healthier and physically fit.

For my next 30 Days I’m going to workout with Tony Horton.  I will be doing 3 of his 10 Minute Trainer, every morning, so that I’m still getting my 30 Minutes in.  Come and join me!  Go to www.beachbody.com to get the workout DVDs.

Until next time,

Donnese Monique

Hey there Fam,

I will admit.  Yesterday and this morning were difficult.  I wanted to sleep in SOOOOOOOOOO bad!!  I am the snooze queen.  But I am proud to say that I got up both days and worked it out.  What an accomplishment!  I have worked out 25 Days consecutively.  I can’t believe it.  It seems like the closer I get to my 30 Day goal, the harder it is getting for me to get up in the morning.  Even the actual workout kicked my butt, in the beginning, this morning.  It feels good though because I am staying committed to something that I have started.  I am usually the first one to give up on something because I don’t see immediate results.  And because I haven’t lost a lot of weight, in the past of would have given up on it.  Fortunately I am experiencing increased endurance, seeing some definition and certain pair of pants are fitting that I couldn’t fit last month (Yippee!!).  Am I following a strict diet yet?  NOOOO!!  And I know that is probably the reason why I’m not losing pounds.  But to be honest, I’m waiting on pay day before I start ANY type of diet because it is so expensive to eat healthy.  I’m sure that is why there are so many overweight people in the world TODAY because with the state of the economy, we just simply can’t afford to eat healthy.  Everyone is on the go and consuming food that can be fixed FAST; whether it be processed food, microwavable food, food from a fast food restaurant or what they can simply afford at meal time.  I know I am guilty.  Think about it.  Rarely do you see a Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or any other organic/health food store in lower income neighborhoods and in the neighborhoods where you do find those stores, you see joggers, bikers and/or people walking their dogs.  People out, regardless of the weather, exercising!  Now, don’t get me wrong!!  I’m not coming up with excuses.  This is actually my reason for not following a “diet” right now, because I don’t have all of the necessary ingredients,  food items or products in my refrigerator or pantry right now, so I have to wait until I can go grocery shopping (smile).

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading my blog.  Please show me some love by leaving a comment.  Click on the No Comments/Comments button below and type in your comment.

Until next time,

Donnese Monique

Hey Fam,

This has really been a tremendous accomplishment for me.  It made me feel so good because Hubby told me yesterday that he was proud of me (big cheesey smile) for being consistent with working out.  I have worked out for 23 Days straight!  Whew Hew!!  I definitely notice improvement in my endurance.  My oldest son tested for his Red Belt in Tae Kwon Do (”Nobody Bothers Me”) on Saturday and he did 45 speed kicks on the heavy bag in 14 secs.  I’m not sure how long it took me, but at the end of the class, I too did 45 speed kicks, because I wanted to see if I could do it.  I did it!!  I actually kicked the bag 45 times, alternating feet, without stopping.  I was winded because I had never done that before, but I wasn’t exhausted, nor did my legs hurt from doing it.  If I had even attempted this 23 days ago, I know I would not have been able to do it.  I would have pulled a muscle and I probably would have passed out.  About a week ago one of my neighbors told me that I look younger.  So, in the past 23 days I have improved my endurance, dropped a dress size, gotta back on the road to go health, begun to see muscle definition (again) and I look younger (wink).  The one thing that I HAVEN’T done is lose tons of weight.  Like I mentioned previously, I lost about 5 pounds, but I have NOT lost anywhere close to 20 pounds .  Diets are hard though!!  Now I know why I was able to maintain my weight back in my 20’s.  I was able to eat whatever I wanted to because I was dancing 24/7.  So I’ve pretty much been maintaining this month.  But I know, if I want to drop pounds, I’m going to have to follow a High Protein diet plan.  I also know that I don’t eat enough.  I eat pretty good, for the most part, I just need to increase my caloric intake on a daily basis.  I’ll do that in my next 30 days.

Until next time!!

Donnese Monique

Hey Fam,

Three weeks down and one to go!  These 30 days are going by so fast.  I have worked out EVERYDAY for the past 21 days.  This is such a big accomplishment for me and it is so worth it.  Don bought me a pair of sweatpants today, size medium and they are TOO BIG for me!!  Whew Hew!!  It’s been a good little minute since I’ve experienced putting something on that was too big.  Everything for the past six months had been getting tighter and tighter.  I told you that I had just stopped wearing pants and started wearing a dress or a skirt everyday. 

I’ve tried all sorts of fad diets - a 2-day and a 4-day Juice Diet, a fullbody detox, Body Wraps and several types of diet pills.  I would lose the weight, but as soon as I would finish the diet I would devour everything in my path and the weight would come back with avengance.  I would even gain double the weight back that I lost.  What I finally had to realize and accepts is that, if I wanted to lose weight and get in shape, I had to stop being lazy, get my fat butt up and WORKOUT.  I’m putting in 30 minutes everyday and my body is transforming.  The inches are coming off, the definition is coming back, but now I need to focus on the weight coming off.

9 days remaining in my 30 Day Shred journey.  Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred Level I.  I’m workout out via Verizon Fios On Demand>Exercise TV.  You can download the workout at www.exercisetv.tvor puchase the DVDs.  Come on!  Join me in my journey.  I’m not going to stop in 9 days.  I’m going to move on to 30 Day Shred Level II.  I’m going to make this working out thing a HABIT!

Until next time,

Donnese Monique

     “I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life’s greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve. This level of resolve can move mountains, but it must be constant and consistent. As simplistic as this may sound, it is still the common denominator separating those who live their dreams from those who live in regret.”  Anthony Robbins

Hey Fam,

Almost 3/4 of the way there!!  I completed day 19, this morning, of my 30 day journey.  Whew Hew!!  I have committed to working out 30 days straight and blogging about my journey.  I have been diligent and consistent with working out every morning.  Now I need to be more consistent with blogging (LOL). 

“Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character…” Stephen R. Covey

I am finding that the workout always starts out rough and gets easier as I go. Right around the time when I’m finishing up the 3rd circuit I feel really good and refreshed and could probably continue working out.  I’m thinking that next month I may increase my workout time to 45 minutes.  I’m also going to follow a strict diet in the hopes that the pounds start to come off.  I’ve only lost about 5 lbs, BUT I have dropped one dress size, and I Love It!!  I was able to wear two pairs of pants this week that I haven’t been able to fit since the beginning of the year.

Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.”  Shaquille O’Neal

Okay, so whose going to join me in these last 11 days?  That’s a little less than two weeks.  Who is going to join me in doing at least 30 minutes of working out, everyday for the next 11 days?  Let me know.  Send me an email, leave me a comment below or let me know on Facebook.  I’m looking for at least 10 people to join me in this.  Will you be one?

“First we make our habits, then our habits make us.”  Charles C. Noble

Until next time (not going to say tomorrow until I’m consistent with it, LOLOL)

Donnese Monique

Hey There Fam,

17 consecutive days of working out.  What an accomplishment.  I am so proud of myself (smile).  Don’t get me wrong, it is extremely hard getting up every morning to workout.  I must have snoozed three times this morning (the sheets were so warm).  I get it in early because I know if I try to workout after work or late at night something would inevitably come up or I would be too exhausted to do it.  Yes, I am tired in the morning, but the workout wakes me up and helps get my day off to a good start.  Thank goodness I decided to get my hair braided, because if a sista’ had to worry about her hair, TRUST, I would NOT be working out AT ALL.  That was always one of my excuses, as well.  If I had just recently gotten my hair pressed or blown straight, I would at least want it to last a week, so I would not work out.  If I had somewhere to go, I wouldn’t want to sweat my hair out either.  It’s almost been 3 years since I went natural (stopped getting a perm, that is), so just the thought of sweat makes my roots kink up.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am so glad I stopped perming my hair because this is the longest, healthiest and thickest my hair has ever been.  But as long as I’m working out like this, I’m going to have to keep it braided up.

I think I have gone down one dress size (whew hew!!).  Have I lost 10 pounds, NO.  But I’m sure that’s because I’m not following a strict diet.  I have been watching what I eat and staying away from sweets, but I may not be eating enough, you know.  I stopped eating chicken, turkey and beef last week, BUT, I broke down and had a turkey chop yesterday, so that didn’t last long.  And today I had a turkey chop for lunch and chicken for dinner.  I think I may try following the LA Weight Loss meal plan, but that of course means I’m going to have to go grocery shopping and I wont be able to do that until this weekend.

Committing to this 30 Day workout and blogging about it has definitely put me on the road to a healthier, happier me.  It is such an adjustment now that I’m over 30, had two babies and not as active as I used to be.  The weight just seems to come much faster and easier (That Sucks!!!)  I never had to worry about my weight or what I ate before because I was ALWAYS dancing and performing somewhere.  So now I have to make sure I do something at least 5 days a week; if not everyday. 

I really appreciate all of the words of encouragement that I have been receiving and it is such a blessing for me to hear that my journey and my blog has inspired someone else to start working out, as well. 

Until tomorrow,

Donnese

Good Morning Fam,

I know, I know.  I haven’t posted anything since Thursday, so you are probably thinking that I haven’t worked out since Thursday; took the weekend off or something like that.  But that is NOT the case at all.  I am HALF WAY THERE!!  Today was the 15th day of my working out consecutively and I am pumped.  I have worked out every single day since July 27th.  It is not and has not been easy though, I will admit.  I have my moments when I just want to forget about it and sleep in, take the day off or quit during the actual workout, but I keep going because I know “I” will be the one that benefits for it.  I’m not doing it for anyone else.  I’m doing this for me.  For my health.  And like I mentioned previously, it’s difficult because I am not losing the weight as fast as I would like to.  I’ve only lost about 5 pounds thus far, BUT I can definitely feel the differnce in my clothes.  I’m losing inches, toning and becoming more defined.  I know I’m going to have to follow a strict diet in order to see the pounds come off, but I haven’t done that yet.  I was successful in not eating any chocolate, turkey, chicken or beef last week and that’s HUGE for me.  I did have a few M&M’s yesterday, but I usually have some sort of chocolate bar EVERYDAY.  Crazy right?  So slowly but surely I know that I am building up my will power and focus to follow a strict diet.  I just haven’t decided on the eating plan that I want to follow yet.

The workout is getting easier.  It’s NOT easy, but I definitely notice my stamina increasing, my ability to do more reps and I’m following the advance moves more often.  I keep mentioning Jillian’s ability to keep me motivated.  It’s so funny how she just seems to know exactly when I’m ready to slack up or quit because she’ll say something that makes me push through and keep going.

For those of you who may not know, I am doing Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred.  I’m using the version on Verizon Fios’ under Exercise TV On Demand.  You can download it from www.exercisetv.tv or purchase her DVDs. 

Believe me!  I’m not going to stop after these 30 days.  I’m going to keep it up.  I even think I’m going to incorporate some Yoga in with Level II 30 Day Shred.  I want working out to be habitual for me so I will and can maintain the size and look that I want.

Until tomorrow.

Donnese Monique

Boy oh boy, was I tired this morning!!  I was reading the blog that the LA Fitness shooter left behind.  You just never know what someone is going through or how much they are hurting inside.  Here I am blogging about the challenges that I’ve been having, over the past two years, trying to lose some weight and he left a blog about the struggles and despair he has faced the majority of his life.  My weight is so minuscule compared to the pain he experienced for over 20 years.  It was the tug at my heart and the sadness that I felt after reading about all of the pain that he was in that made me change my status on Facebook to read:

Smile at someone, give them a warm greeting, shake their hand, give them a hug or maybe even tell them you love them this morning. You never know what someone is going through and you may be the bright light they need in their time of darkness.

It appeared as if he just needed someone to talk to, someone to tell him what he was doing wrong, someone to tell him what he needed to say or do.  He felt so alone for so long and it appeared as if no one seemed to care.

“Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings.”
     - Elie Weisel

Yes, he was hurting, but I will never understand why he had to make the decision to take innocent people out with him.  Okay, okay, I’m done.  I’ll get down off my soap box now.

I am on my way back to a healthier, happier me!  I am on day 11 and I am extremely excited!!!  I may get on the scale on Sunday just to see if I’ve lost anything so far.  I do know that I put on two pairs of pants this week that I couldn’t fit at the beginning of the month (Yippee!)  I focusing on losing inches, toning and defining, that’s what I’m going for.

I can’t say enough about Jillian Michaels and her ability to push you past your comfort zone.  She knows exactly what to say and exactly when to say it.  It’s like she’s in my basement with me or can hear my thoughts.  Every time I am about to quit and take a break for a second or two, Jillian motivates and pushes me to keep going.  I’m almost to the halfway mark and that’s a big accomplishment for me.

It’s an early morning workout for me tomorrow, so let me go get some sleep. 

Until tomorrow!

Donnese Monique

Hello there,

I had a great workout this morning!  My headache was gone and I was able to push myself a little more.  I’m starting to do more push ups and follow Natalie (advanced) sometimes.  Anita (beginner’s) is who I usually follow just cause I’m being lazy (I’ll admit), but today I stepped up my game because I really want to see a difference at the end of the month.  I have to remember that the harder I work out and push past my comfort zone, the faster I will see the results I want.  I also know that diet and nutrition play a big part in my results, as well.  I haven’t had turkey, chicken or beef, so far this week, but I did have salmon tonight for dinner (Hubby, cooked a slamming meal).  I can’t believe I haven’ had any chocolate yet (Yay me!!).  I’m almost to the level of focus that I had when I did LA Weight Loss.   I would cook one meal for my family and then I would fix my LA Weight Loss meal.  The funny thing is, I didn’t work out at all when I did LA Weight Loss.  I lost weight just based on my food combinations and caloric intake.  I went to LAWL because I was still strugglin’ with the weight from my first child and I knew we wanted to have a second child.  There was no way I was going to gain pregnancy weight on top of the weight I had already gained.  So I wanted to make sure I was smaller than I had ever been (as an adult) and I was.  I had gotten down to just 5 lbs more than I was in High School (Yep yep).  But that was too small, I know.  But just think, if I hadn’t gotten down to that size, I would be much larger than I am now, so I’m glad I made that decision.

     “The past doesn’t define you, the present does.” – Jillian Michaels

She is absolutely right.  I lost all of that weight prior to having my youngest and it all came back with avengance.  It didn’t just appear overnight, though!!  It all came back over the past two years because I had difficulty finding time for myself, having two kids and a husband and having to return to full-time employment.  Sitting at a desk 8-hrs a day with only a 30 minute lunch break sucks!!  But in this economy, I am so thankful and blessed to have a job and guaranteed income (thank you Jesus!!)  Self-employment gave me time freedom, so I was able to work out during the day.  But with this made up mind that I have, I am working out everyday between 5a – 7a until I reach my goal.

Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred – Lose 20 lbs in 30 Days is what I’m doing.  3 Circuits consisting of 3 mins of Strength, 2 mins of Cardio and 1 minute of abs every morning!  Go to Exercise TV on Verizon Fios which is what I’m using.  Or you can go to exercisetv.tv and download the workouts; jillianmichaels.com or check your local Borders or Walmart to purchase the DVD.  Join me in my journey!! 

Check in with me each day!  Please leave me a comment letting me know you stopped by or a word or two of encouragement.

See ya’ tomorrow!

Donnese Monique