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30×30 Week 4 and 3 and a giveaway!

Well I finally got around to taking pictures for this challenge.  One thing participating in this has taught me: I do not want to be a fashion blogger!  Oh my goodness, the pressure to take a photo everyday or a bunch in one day regularly is just too much for me to handle!

Here it goes!

Day 13: I love this outfit.  I don’t think I would have paired this bright pink with black together if not for the challenge.  Idk but I am always scared to pair bright colors with black.  It just seems like such a contrast to me.

Day 14: I loved tucking this top into the skirt.  It gave the shirt a different look and helped brighten up a simple grey skirt.

Day 15: These are definitely my favorite pants and I love exploring ways to wear them.  I always looked at them as fancy pants, but I was feeling really casual today so I paired them with a casual shirt and I love it.

Day 16: This top came in my stitchfix and it is definitely one of my favorites in my closet.  I wanted to dress it up this go-round so I paired it with my brown pencil skirt.

Day 17: this look was inspired by the outfit I did for my guest post on Coffee Beans and Bobby Pins.  I love how crisp this cardigan looks over white.

Day 18: Spent in sweats!

Day 19: Spent in sweats again wompwomp!

Day 20: Thus begins the week of the period from hell.  I had no fashion motivation today and just wanted to be comfy.  I tried to spice it up with a scarf.  Also, my camera died right after I took this picture so I only got one and I don’t know why I look so sad.

Day 21: This is one of my favorite dresses and I wore it all winter as fancy pj’s.  And it served to hide my giant tummy perfectly today.  I rediscovered these sandals and love them once again.  P.S. Emily started taking pictures for me and encouraged me to dance.  Because I don’t take myself seriously, I can’t but help to post the dancing pictures of me.  But I’ll post a serious one too so you can see the dress. 

Day 22: This is my favorite dress and I wanted to wear it during hell week.  The “sweater” isn’t part of the challenge but I cheated so that my butt would be covered.  I think it made the dress work appropriate.  And when I walked into work, the only other woman there said “oh a long one today.”  I’m not sure if that was approval or not.

Day 23: I whipped out the pants and blazer because we were supposed to have a big deal visitor today but he ended up not showing.  Whatever, I looked cute.  So please ignore the horrible fit here.  I’ll admit that I pulled these out of the hamper to snap these pictures and my crotch doesn’t look like that in these pants.

Day 24: I shouldn’t have worn jeans this day.  My uterus wasn’t ready for it.  But I couldn’t think of another dress to wear!  Fortunately this top is pretty loose.

And here they all are all together:

Finally, that giveaway!

The ladies of the 30×30 Challenge would like to gift you with a $60 shopping spree to a store of your choice!  Winner will be able to choose a gift card to one of our favorite stores—Loft, Old Navy, Gap, Target, or Forever 21!  Use the Rafflecopter to enter!  Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open from 5/27/2013- 6/2/2013 and the winner will be announced on 6/3/2013.  Entries will be validated.  Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected.  

30 Day Shred Update 2

Well here we are at the second update of my 30 Day Shred Challenge. I am still so glad I decided to challenge myself, although some mornings I really hate myself 😉

To learn about the challenge click here and this will take you to update 1.

Remember, I write these in diary form in present tense so if you’d like to skip to certain things, go right ahead.

Day 8 5/19/2013

Motivation: Low seems to be the story of the weekend. Today my parents and I went to Temple University to help the cousin move her furniture out of her apartment. We had to go up and down 4 flights of about 8 stairs each multiple times. Needless to say we were all pooped. I actually intended to wake up and shred (haha I like saying that) before we went and I got up with plenty of time but realized it probably wasn’t a good idea to fatigue my leg muscles. I’m not upset I didn’t get my workout in today because I think moving her furniture counts, but I am upset that I didn’t do it all this weekend.

Day 9 5/20/2013

I’m just so ashamed. Moving on.

Day 10 5/21/2013

Motivation: High! Back on track, baby! This slug fought that little voice telling me to snuggle back in the covers and got up! Booyah!! I think the fact that I wanted to try out the GymPact was a huge motivator (you can read about it at the bottom of update 1). I am so glad I woke up. I really have to remember that not only do I not miss the extra sleep, but I actually feel more awake. I reeeeaaaaalllllly need to remember that.

Cheats: I am still doing lady push-ups (that’s cool, yo) and having trouble lifting weights to the front. Why is that so darn difficult? I am going lower in my squats. I think I might almost be at Natalie level. These are my favorite move, btw. Static lunge with bicep curl. I looooove feeling my butt and calves burrrrnnnnn. I refuse to allow myself a cheat on these.

After Feelings: Feeling high! I was definitely feeling the difference between doing this everyday verse taking a “break.” But I was sweaty. Avert your eyes if you don’t want to be scared.

She tells me she won’t be my friend if I didn’t do my workout so I like to update her every morning.

Hunger: I actually haven’t been terribly hungry this week which is pretty unusual for me. This morning I wasn’t any different than any other morning.

Day 11 5/22/2013

Motivation: Low, low, low, low. I literally feel like I am going to die today. Aunt Flo is one demanding visitor and I think she is ruining my uterus. I can’t even handle it.

Day 12 5/23/2013

Motivation: High! I feel like a complete 180 from yesterday. I didn’t elaborate much, but I have not felt that horrible since I was about 14. Remember what your period was like when you first started getting it? Multiply that by about 76 and you have my feelings yesterday. I got home from work, told my Mom I was going to go lay down for a little bit, and I passed out in my dress. I woke up around midnight and changed then fell back asleep until I woke up for work. I decided to continue resting and didn’t do my workout in the morning but I got my shred on in the evening. I felt so refreshed I intended to shred then get some killer buns and thighs but as I started the second DVD I looked at my giant moving mess in the basement and decided to tackle that instead. I still count that as being active!

Cheats: Besides lady pushups, which I really don’t consider a cheat, there were no cheats today! I pushed myself hard and it felt so good!

After Feelings: Flying high!

Hunger: I waited to have dinner till after my workout so I ended up eating around 8:30. My Dad had made burgers and I fried an egg to put on top. Yummmo.

Day 13 5/24/2013

Motivation: We’re moving up! I made plans to have a Jemily date (Jacquelyn and Emily for all you uncool people out there) with the cousin but I knew I wanted to keep riding the workout train so I told her I’d come over after. Old Jacquelyn would have skipped the workout. But I just keep reminding myself it is only 20 minutes. Total time from start to finish including a shower is usually about 45 minutes. Not bad.

Cheats: No cheats again! I pushed myself haaard. I intended to start Level 2 today but forgot in my haste.

After feelings: So proud that I squeezed that one in!

Hunger: Staaarving. I finished the lunch I had made for the week at Emily’s while we were looking for a movie to watch. A big plate of 2 quesadillas with red and green peppers, tooonnnns of black peppers, Chunky Guac from TJ’s, and cheese is a winning combo.

Day 14 5/25/2013

Motivation: High, but I failed. I don’t know why I fail so often. I think all day about doing the workout, but then I don’t.

Week 2 Summary

Even though this week really sucked, I am so impressed with myself for sticking with it.  It’s probably the longest I’ve stuck with something physical since working on Couch to 5k.  Writing these updates and making this so public keeps me accountable and so I am thankful for all of your prying eyes.  If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see that I post  A LOT of embarrassing photos of myself.  That’s just one other way I keep myself accountable.  I had hoped to be starting Level 2 this week and if I hadn’t forgotten on Friday, I would have.  Level 1 is getting really boring and now that I am not cheating, I feel it is time to move on.  I’m definitely not at Natalie level, but I’m not at Anita either.  Sometimes I do moves like Natalie and sometimes like Anita and sometimes right in the middle.  And I feel pretty darn good about that!

So, I took some “before” pictures.  This was on Day 12, aka the day after I went through hell.  I look about 6 months pregnant because my stomach was so ridiculously bloated that I had to wear dresses all week.  So be kind.  I thought I was sucking my stomach in just a little, but apparently I was not.

Like I said before, I’m still not comfortable sharing my weight and I don’t think I should.  Even though losing weight is obviously the goal, the real and true goal is to get healthier and the number on the scale doesn’t tell you that.  So, here are some facts about me:
– I am about 5’8″
– I wear in between a 12 and 14 in pants and a medium and large in shirts
– bra size: 36DD.  They are normally a 34D
– I am not pregnant!

Hopefully the “after” photos will be a little better!

Here’s to 2 more weeks of the challenge!  Are you joining me?  Any ideas for the next challenge?  I am thinking it will be The Fitnessista’s Summer Shape Up!  It starts June 3.  You can find out more about it here.