PIIT28 Halfway

2-Week Progress:

The PIIT28 program lasts 28 days (not including the rest day you get at the end of every week) but in the PIITstagram challenge there’s a 2-week progress pic. I didn’t want to but I think I’m becoming immune to the embarrassment of putting up half-naked photos of myself (sports bra and booty shorts) for the world to see. You couldn’t have paid me to do it however many years ago. Now I just grimaced and did it.

I studied those two front shots of me for a long time looking for changes. I even took pictures of my sides and back and studied those as well. Nothing…that I could see in shots with me just standing there. So I flexed my leg and took a picture of that. BAM! That’s where all my progress is. I have a lot of extra skin and I have a lot of fat. There’s not much I can do that doesn’t require time and patience, especially if I’m not eating very well.

That leg picture shows my outward change – I’ve gained muscle. I am so much stronger than I was at the start of this month. The last new PIIT28 workout showed me that. I’ll get into that in a bit. I’m happier than I was, I’m more energetic (except for last Saturday with that cardio workout that turned me into a zombie for the rest of the day), I’m physically and mentally stronger, I’m more confident. And I feel so supported by the rest of the PIIT28 community along with the POP Pilates community. It’s given me the extra motivation I need to keep going. Continuing with this program has me feeling like I’m part of a community. It’s nice.

I was still curious though. Had I not lost any inches? I mean, gaining muscle is awesome, but I would like my skin to be tighter and my body therefore smaller. I know strength training and cardio tightens skin so I was still hoping perhaps I had lost, like, 1/4″ or something somewhere.

My hopes were not in vain! While my bust and arms stayed the same (my arms were probably due to the increased muscle and my constant underarm fat friend), everywhere else had lost about 1/2″. Waist and hips lost 1/2″ while my thighs had each lost about 1/4 – 1/2″. YAY!!! WOOO!!!!

Imagine the change I could be undergoing if I was eating correctly…

Yesterday had me doing the last new PIIT28 workout – 1.11: Bubble Butt. This doesn’t mean the challenge is done. But starting today I start the whole thing over with 1.1: Abdomination. In the next post I’ll write about how I feel/do the 2nd time around. My expectations are that, because I’m stronger and have more endurance, I’ll be able to do the exercises better and longer. I’ll be able to power through the workouts better than I did the first time around. I’m already seeing signs that this is true as I repeat moves in different workouts and can perform them better/longer.

3/14/16 PIIT28 1.11: Bubble Butt

I almost threw up at the end. A certain evil move placed at the end of each round kicked my butt every time so that, by the end, it took every ounce of my willpower not to give up. It also took quite a bit of willpower not to stagger to the toilet and throw up.

Insanity (the program from Shaun T, not the mental condition) has done that to me before too. I’ve been so dead on my feet that I’ve wanted to throw up. I don’t actually like that feeling hence the reason why I never bought into that program. But usually I don’t feel like that with PIIT28 so I’m willing to overlook that day.

I was super proud of myself during the workout though. 1) For actually getting through the workout and giving it my all; and 2) For being able to power through the Elevated Leg Circles without stopping and without going down to the floor which I had to do the last time I did that move in another PIIT28 workout.

Make mini circles with that extended leg. Don’t drop it!

*NOTE* I’ve taken out the gifs of Cassey actually doing the exercises because they came from the PIIT28 package and I don’t want to accidentally infringe on copywrite laws. The picture here now is a screenshot from one of her free POP Pilates Youtube videos.

Before I had to move down onto my elbow and rest my body on the floor while circling that top leg. This time I was able to stay just like Cassey is in the gif! Yay! Proof that, although my body doesn’t really look different, it is different. I have more muscle!

I’m not going to lie. This program is HARD. It’s not for people who give up when they get tired. But, you never really know. A lot of challenges I try, I give up before I finish because I lose interest or because it’s too hard or a combination of both. I don’t know why I’m sticking with this. It’s hard. SO hard. But I’m loving it! I’m loving the changes I’m feeling and I’m loving the progress I’m making. I’m loving the feeling of accomplishment and camaraderie I feel when I do a workout and then gush/moan about a certain move on the community board.

This program works for me. It won’t be like that for everyone, but it works for me and I’m super happy I got it. I actually didn’t have the money for it when I bought it. My birthday was coming up so I asked people who were getting me a gift to please give me a small amount of money instead so I could pay for it. It was actually cheaper than they would’ve paid for a present so, although they thought I was nuts, they were cool with it.

Best birthday present EVER!

Click on the above picture to buy the PIIT28 program

And in case you want to go for the gold to get even better results, here’s a link to the 28-Day Reset meal plan.

Click the above picture to sign up and get The 28 Day Reset