It's Not Easy Eating Greens

Recently, I completed a 30 Day Fitness & Diet Challenge out of Biggest Loser coach and fitness extraodinaire Jillian Michaels' newest book Making the Cut. It should be called Jillian Kicks Your Ass and You Hate Her and then You Tone Up and then You Love Her. Because that's what happens.

Before my 30 days, I talked to my doctor and did a month of my own workouts to prepare my body. I took her test - and passed. Then, I set aside the month of September to do it. There were days I left the gym feeling so week. My mouth watered on every commercial for cookies, Outback steakhouse, yogurt, Coke, hell, some tv shows even got me. Driving past Chickfila on my way to work was torture. There were mornings when I hated every bite of my Kashi Go Lean (no crunch) cereal. There were days I cried on the arc trainer because I just felt like I couldn't do it.

And then came the good days. At my first weigh in, I'd dropped four pounds and lost an inch. At my second weigh in, I another pound less and another inch skinnier. At the final 30 day mark, I'd lost six pounds, three and a half inches from my waist and 4% of my body fat. And I looked fit! I felt fit. I was stronger. I was better.

This month, I'm off the challenge. I've had two Dr. Peppers, one CFA sandwich, a piece of chocolate, a cheeseburger and pasta. None of them as delicious as I remembered. I'm still working out hard - with a new workout thanks to my trainer AJ and eating right with lots of protein, healthy snacks and as many veggies as I want. Today, I'm nine pounds less than I was when I moved to Philadelphia, swimming in some of my pants and a hell of a lot happier with my body. Thankfully, Bryan was on board for the latest challenge. Together, we've shrunk our waists, grown our relationship and ignited a new lust for each other's bodies.

If you need a kick in the ass to get fit, this is THE book. I owe my health to Jillian Michaels.