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. 

Clinique hair care - perfectly straight straightening cream

Clinique hair care - perfectly straight for medium/thick hair -150mls

My parents bought this for me for Christmas last year and it's just been sitting in my hair box since. As it was being abandoned i decided to try it out and if i didn't like it to give it away to someone who would appreciate it. Well i'm glad i tried it because i absolutely love it and it works really well for my hair type! My hair is naturally curly and it's not very often i blow dry or straighten my hair. I don't really like straightening my hair with my GHDs because i find my hair becomes limp and thin and greasy looking after just a few hours. This cream gives my hair a nice texture and shine to it without weighing it down and leaving my hair feeling greasy. I have medium length hair and i use about a 50p size amount all over (including the roots) and then style my hair as usual. The product states that is for medium/thick hair and i don't have thick hair at all so maybe if you have thick hair use a little bit more.

The picture on the left is after i used Clinique and quickly blow dried it (just with a paddle brush - i was in a rush). It's not incredibly straight as i don't like it styled to be poker straight: i like a little flick at the end. My hair lasts like this until the next time i wash it which is normally two or three days after. The picture on the right shows you just how curly my hair can be! I would give this product a 3/5. I like the smell and the consistency of the cream. I like how it leaves the hair shiny without leaving my hair greasy. However i think it is hard to purchase and it may have been discontinued since my mother purchased it. I found some travel ones on ebay but other than that i don't think anywhere else are selling them, which is a shame because i think it is a really nice product!

Sophia's FOTD

Face

Loreal Studio Secrets Anti shine primer

Bobbi Brown long lasting foundation - Cool Beige

YSL Touche Eclat

MAC mineralize skinfinish natural - Medium

Cheeks

W7 Africa

MAC Mineralize skinfinish - Soft & Gentle

Eyes

Bourjois Coup de Theatre

Lips

MAC Lustering

Hair

Curled into tight ringlets with Nicky Clarke curling iron. Then brushed out! Quite pleased with the outcome as it was my first attempt & my hair looks slightly ombre wooo :)

Mirror mirror on the wall...

Well... not quite on the wall haha! While shopping in the Fenwick centre whilst having 20% off across the whole store, i came across this chrome L.E.D vanity mirror with a battery operated light inside, by Danielle creations. I really like the mirror because its a good height and size, and can be turned 360 degree angles. Also, the on/off light around the mirror really helps to see in my poor lit bedroom. Also it has a normal mirror then if u flick it over, a 5X amplified side (which is horrific to look at yourself in lol, but good for tweezing.) However, i don't think the light lasts up to 5000 hours like they claim, as I've only used the light for maybe up to an hour in total in the past few months and the light is already so dim. It uses four AAA batteries and costs £25.00.

my fish certainly liked looking at themselves in it... vain creatures!

Available to buy for £26.99 HERE