The winter blahs are setting in here. This year it isn't the snow, yet. We had a nice thick 18 inches that was great to sled in for about 2 weeks but then in a freak weather phenomenon, it got above freezing for several days in a row and it all melted. Since then, it has been cold but no snow. It did snow some this morning, but only about 2 inches. The problem is just that it is cloudy every day. Cold and cloudy is just blah weather. I can see why multitudes of people up here turn to anti-depressants and other drugs, although I don't condone or support this path of treatment, I do sympathize with people looking for a quick fix. It is just wearing never seeing the sun.

I noticed I was heading down the path of blahness again and so decided it was time to get back on my Netflix workout video reviews again. Up first this year, Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I was pretty scared to be honest. I had heard much fitter specimens than me lamenting the agony of this system, but it was the next fitness one up in my queue, so I bit the bullet and resisted the urge to put it right back in the mail. Today is day three and I have to say that I like it.....with the caveats that I am still on level 1 and not doing it with weights, technically (I think do crunches with a 25 pound toddler on your chest should count as weights!). It is a reasonable system, as she leads you through 3 circuits of 2 minutes weight training, 2 minutes cardio then 1 minute of abs. The moves are pretty straight forward and she does them in a controlled manner, not fast and furious, so I feel like I can really do them correctly and effectively. And um, they are effective! My first day, I actually made it through the whole workout, and was pretty proud of myself. By that night though, I was pretty tight. The next day I was quite sore, but getting through day 2 helped work that out....until that night when my whole body was burning every time I got up or down. Ouch! Today is day three, and other than my glutes being tight and my knees being sore from the push ups, I am feeling really good. My only problem is that after having three kids, I'm realizing I might have to always workout in Depends! Very annoying!

I don't like that the girls are just in sports bras, but that is the norm these days. She also has said a couple of cuss words, in my book the A## word is a cuss word. And she talks about girl power and flaunting it, etc here and there. Annoying. I wouldn't recommend this for anyone significantly overweight or out of shape. It isn't a first timers video. I think you'd just quit because it was too much right off the bat....at least that is what I would do under those circumstances.

Tomorrow, I think I am going to add canned vegetables to the mix. My arms are gonna die. I already know it!