I'm Bringin' Sexy Back: Exercise for Weight Loss

*Justin Timberlake

Ok so I've been a little upset lately about the current status of my health/physical appearance. Since moving to Arizona and becoming a full-time nanny to my new niece, I've settled into a mostly sedentary lifestyle, accompanied by a diet that's higher in fat than I'm used to. In a nutshell, I spend most of my time sloughing around the apartment and most of my meals at restaurants of every variety, with a heavy accent on the Tex-Mex. What? Is this the same girl that less than a year ago was training for a marathon? Why yes it is. And that's unfortunate.

No worries though. I am no longer on the path to becoming the people I watch on Discovery Health Channel, getting surgery and living in special rehabilitation homes for the morbidly obese. The turning point? Perhaps it was when I found that I could no longer comfortably fit in my shorts. Or maybe it was when my sister brought home a scale and decided that its permanent dwelling place would be my bathroom. Whatever the reason may be, the point is that something lit a fire under my tail and I'm moving to change.

My first step was to order an exercise DVD and self-help book. Both created by none other than TV's toughest trainer, Jillian Michaels. You've seen her on The Biggest Loser. I'm only a few pages into the book, so I'll leave this article as a review on the DVD, 30-Day Shred, which I tested for the first time yesterday.

The workout is a 3-2-1 circuit training style. Three minutes of strength, two minutes of cardio, and one minute of abs. Each session (there are 3 levels) is 20 minutes long, so you repeat this circuit three times. Noting the status of my physical abilities, I chose to participate in Level 1. I thought the beginner level would be pretty easy for me since I'm still within the limits of a healthy weight range for my body, and it wasn't that long ago that I lived an active lifestyle. And it was easy...to understand. As for easy to do, boy was I wrong!

By circuit number three, I had already downed a full bottle of water and my legs were shaking. That was yesterday. Today, I'm finding it hard to descend the flight of stairs to the car, hold my 12-pound niece, and sit down onto something low (i.e. couch or toilet). That Jillian knows what she's doing.

Although the physical demand is high, the choreography is simple to follow. No multifaceted dance steps here. Just straightforward, uncomplicated jumping jacks, crunches, butt kicks, and so on. Before the repititions wore me down, I was easily able to carry out each move. So while you're huffing and puffing in exhaustion, at least you'll know what you're supposed to be doing.

As far as her emcee skills go, Jillian is very encouraging, and even ads a little humor to the set. Because she was once chubby herself, although you'd never know it today with her rock-hard abs and rippling biceps, she knows what it's like for even the simplest of exercises to be difficult and how to overcome that obstacle.

I highly recommend this DVD to anyone that's committed to getting in shape. If you're looking for something easy though, get something else. This is a non-stop and challenging workout. If I determine myself physically capable, I'm looking forward to repeating that beginner session today.

Note: I wasn't aware until I received the DVD in the mail that I needed two hand weights to complete the strength section. I used two water bottles in their stead, but just picked up a set of 2 pounders today. I recommend starting light and working your way up to heavier weights as your strength and endurance grow. She's one tough cookie.

"You want results. They're not coming for free." -Jillian Michaels