Insanity with Shaun T

Last year i embarked on a journey to become toned and fit

in a short space of time, while being completely healthy and in control. I turned to Shaun T. Insanity (the name gives it NO justice) is a 63 day high intensity workout DVD programme complete with a nutrition plan designed to give quick - but safe - results. Shaun T is your very own personal instructor who barks instructions such as "dig deep ya'll," "let's goooo!!" and "watch Tanya." To which i reply with a few swear words and the odd tantrum on the floor. There are ten different workouts to do which are split into three groups: the last four weeks are meant to be harder than the first four weeks, with a recovery week in between. 

Some shots of insane Insanity

Apparently you can lose up to 1000 calories in one 60 minute session. I kid you not i do sweat like a beast during all the workouts so i wouldn't be surprised. Also i take regular water breaks during the workout as those people in the video work like machines, i actually do not know how they do it!

I take pictures of my front, side and back and take down all my measurements before i started the actual workout programme,  then every week after. I love seeing the results and squeal at delight at my measurements. For me, the measurements are the most important: i'm quite heavy anyway so i don't really take notice of what the scales have to say.

So how am i doing? 

The first time i did it, i didn't stick to the nutrition plan but i followed the programme religiously. In the 63 days i did not skip one workout which im quite proud of myself for. I lost 5% body fat and went down a dress size :). I won't put up any before and after pictures as they are in my underwear but i will include my measurements.

That's a total of 8.5 inches lost altogether!

Im on day four of insanity at the moment. I woke up at 6am to do todays and when i say i hate getting up a minute early for anything, i HATE it. I was sulking at Shaun T during the first five minutes!

To be completely honest i don't really follow the nutrition guide properly, i just drink loads of water throughout the day and try and get a lot of greens and fruits in my diet. The worst part of it for me is to not skip breakfast! I think if i followed the guide i would get absolutely amazing results though. 

My tips

You HAVE to be committed. I cannot stress that enough. Last year i went on holiday with my work for two weeks and was getting up an extra hour early so i wouldn't have to face the intense Mallorcan heat. It feels like torture at first and i've ached in places that i didn't know existed. BUT after about a week you enjoy the feeling of feeling energised and actually look forward to the workout. It becomes addictive in a way.

It also helps to keep a little journal of how you are feeling during the progress. Furthermore you could ask someone to do it with you, even if they do it in their own home. Or you could even go online and join a forum of people who are also enduring it. I found that journalling and bitching about it to my friends really helped the process. Also looking at 'before' and 'after' videos on Youtube helped me when i had a hard day at work and just didn't feel like exercising. 

I like treat myself to a professional massage every now and again, as a reward of how well i'm doing.  Also, what i've been doing recently is "shopping my stash," by treating myself daily to the more high end products that i only usually use on special occasions. This is just to pamper myself for all my hard work!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcsewEUNkn4 - Shaun T speaks about Insanity on Youtube.

Click here to buy Insanity! - it is three monthly payments of £33.00 and £6.95 p&p. It seems like a lot of money but this isn't the last time i am going to do the programme. 

Lesley on Wheat

Today i was told that i have to be wheat free. Before i was only eating brown bread and pasta, but now i have to give it up completely. The prospect of giving up my favourite pasta or Nutella on toast is so daunting.

Source: Google

10 foods that contain wheat:

1. Flour -  Most flour is made directly from the wheat grain, including brown flour, white, or bran
2. Bread - Most obvious one when i think of wheat the first thing i think of is bread. This includes all kinds of breads, including pizza and battered food, unless stated otherwise.
3. Pasta - Another obvious one
4. Canned soup - Contains wheat to thicken the soup.
5. Vegetables - Frozen or canned prepared in a sauce.
6. Sauces - Including salad dressings, soy sauce, gravy, ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard containing thickening agents or starches containing wheat, unless stated otherwise.
7. Desserts - Icecream, sherbet, icings, meringues and puddings all contain wheat.
8. Synthetic cheeses - pasteurised cheese spreads, cottage cheese and blue cheese.
9. Beer - The main ingredient commonly used is barley but also contains wheat.
10. Sweets and chocolates (including hot chocolate) - Including chewing gum, contain wheat extracts.

As you can see lots and lots of things are made from wheat and it actually gives you limited choices. But there are great alternatives on the market such as wheat free bread and quinoa or rice pasta. Other alternatives are corn and potatoes.

Big supermarkets are now adding lots of products that are wheat and gluten free while health shops have many food alternatives. For example, i found a lovely bread in Tesco called "Genius" that is thick and fresh, unlike some other dry and hard breads I've found.



Genius is just... genius!
Source: Google

 I think i will gradually cut out things like sweets and chocolate, as taking it out from my diet will be a shock to my system! Is there anybody else that is wheat/gluten free? I would love to hear how you manage!