Maybe I'll blog for 40 days in a row?

Oh my gosh.  Hi everyone.  It's been like a month since my last post, which is terrible.  I apologize.  Anyway!  Here's what's up:

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I don't think we've talked about this before, but I am a workout program junkie.  I loooove getting new DVDs and systems, and I buy them far more often than I should.  Off the top of my head, I have Core Rythyms, Zumba, Yoga Booty Ballet, ChaLEAN Extreme, Rockin' Body, Insanity,  P90X, and like 4 Jillian Michaels DVDs.  And the New York City Ballet workout.  And the Pussycat Dolls workout.  I'm certain there are more I'm not thinking of, and now there's this one.

JCore Accelerated Body Transformation is a 40-day program that involves working out for 20 minutes a day, 4 days a week.  The workouts are designed to use only your body weight and to take up very little space, which is one thing that attracted me to the program.  Also, I have almost exactly 40 days between now and having to go to DC in February, so that works out as well.  The program's website boasts that you only end up working out for about 8 hours over the course of the entire 40 days, which doesn't really sound like it would be enough.  But, most of the reviews I read indicated that the system seems to work, so maybe it will be fine.  There are 5 workouts (Rev Up, Cardio Core 4x4, Fire Fit, Hardcore, and Release), as well as a Fit Test that I'll take multiple times over the 40 days.

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Another thing I liked was that there was an option to order the program on a USB drive, instead of getting all of the DVDs.  I ended up doing this because it's a little cheaper than getting all of the DVDS ($75 + shipping instead of a little over $100 + shipping), and it will be easier to travel with.

The program also includes a nutrition plan.  There are several different variations of the meal plan with different calorie ranges.  You choose the plan that corresponds with your ideal weight, which you find using your height and a chart that's given in the guide book.  I'm 5'6, and the chart says this corresponds with an ideal weight of 130 lbs and a meal plan of 1500 calories.  However, I decided to go with a higher calorie meal plan for 2 reasons.  Firstly, I'm not sure but I think 130 lbs might be a little low for me.  I am really aiming more for 145 at this point.  Also, from previous experience I've found  that I don't really like to go below 1700 calories.  I can do it for a couple of days, but then I get really hungry and eat everything which is pretty counterproductive.  For this program, a goal weight of 145 lbs corresponds with a 1750 calorie meal plan, so I decided to go with that one.  For each calorie level, you are told the number of servings of protein  carbs, fats, fruits, and vegetables.  Overall, the diet seems to be high in protein and vegetables.  I don't really eat enough vegetables, so this will be good for me, probably.

The meal plan is broken up into 4 10-day segments.  In part one, you need to cut out all added sugar, alcohol, processed foods, simple carbs, and artificial sweeteners.  This continues in part 2, with the additional removal of bread and cheese.  This is so you can see if you have a sensitivity to either of these foods.  In part 2 you are also limited to 1 serving of fruit instead of 2.  In part 3, you go back to 2 servings of fruit and bread and cheese are slowly added back; if you have a reaction (such as bloating, constipation, or runny nose) to either one, you should continue to leave them out of your diet.  The last 10 days in part 4 are for maintenance.

I think the hardest part for me will be cutting out the sugar, especially at breakfast.  When I'm trying to eat healthily I make an effort to watch my sugar intake anyway, but I will usually still have a little.  I'm not sure how difficult it will be to have oatmeal with no sugar, or yogurt with no honey.  We'll have to see how this goes.

In order to both stick with my eating plan better and be less lame at blogging, I've decided to document my JCore Journey with daily blog posts.  I'll tell you which workout I did on each day, and I'll (try to) photograph my meals.  Who knows, maybe I'll decide that oatmeal with no sugar is fine.  Or maybe I won't. Either way, I'll let you know.

So, that's it!  Tomorrow will be Day 1, and I start with the Fit Test.  See you then!