Monday, March 7, 2011

Jillian Michaels is not the boss of me


Though I must admit that I love her in my own special way (I think she's alternately scary and goofy, but, as she claims in her promotional material, she does get results). I have been joking for some time (mostly in private) about blogging my way through her exercise videos, and yes, I do own some of them. I know that some church ladies don't approve of exercise. As one puritan soul once scolded: "That's just vanity." Well, maybe so. On the other hand, one woman's vanity is another woman's aversion to atrophied muscles or the premature fracturing of bones from osteoporosis--that sort of thing. Exercise does make one healthier, and it certainly allows you to keep up with your kids.

And gosh, who wouldn't be tempted by a promise to "lose up to 20 pounds in 30 days!" There isn't even any fine print (Results May Vary). And they do. To my disappointment, I have lost zero pounds in 18 days. But I suspect it has more to do with my diet than with Jillian's program.  I am certainly gaining muscle and experiencing increased stamina and flexibility. Incredibly, in a mere two weeks I lost 6 inches off my measurements, and my clothes are looser, so there's proof. I have not, however, remained entirely faithful to the timetable--this caused some little guilt on my part, until I realized that Jillian is not the boss of me. I stuck with the daily workouts for 16 consecutive days (probably a record, for me) then gave myself a break for reasons beyond my control (had editorial deadlines, and sore muscles and joints). I did get back in the saddle though, and it's working out well. I like that the entire workout is just 20 minutes long. And it's very effective, as long as you don't mind Jillian. She's kind of growing on me.

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