Exercise Dvds?

I have the insanity one and it is INSANE! I did 20 mins of it and haven't put it in since. Way too hard. Very high impact as well.

I'm doing Jillian Micheal's ones right now. I def feel it, man the first day very sore, but in a good way. Varying levels, modifications etc make it a good choice. She has a lot to give variety.

Good Luck!

I have done the Insanity and the P90X ~ the great thing about both of those is that they push you to your max point but still allow you to go at your own pace/level. I loved Insanity b/c you didn't need all the equipment you do with P90X and there was more cardio which helped M. with the belly fat. I got great results ~ they say it takes 4 weeks for you to notice a difference and up to 8 weeks for someone else to notice a difference on you.

Portion size is important. Take carbs out of one meal per day. You may be able to find free exercise videos on Youtube. I do zumba on the weekends along with zumba w/ Davida on youtube :)

I am a Turbo Fire junky!!!! Well, I was. I am 6+ months pregnant so even my greatest efforts to modify the program were J. too much. I am actually jonesing to get back to it. I find maternity videos absolutely boring after doing something so intense as Turbo Fire. Sounds like you have the right mentality, portion control along with exercise. Turbo Fire is hard, no doubt. I lost 30+ pounds after I began when my DD was 18 months old. It took M. about a year but I think I could've done it faster had I committed myself more in the beginning. I was struggling with time to do the program that wouldn't take away time from my little one and hubby.
If you watch the Insanity (which i do too!) I see a lot of similar moves that are in Turbo Fire. Chalene has a quote in there that says it all, "If you're not here to work, then this is not your workout". I love it, I love the 'high' I get from it when sweat is dripping off my nose on cool downs, soaked clothes, etc. IT IS HARD but the sense of accomplishment when I complete it is fantastic. I do think you can drop those 15 lbs., and possibly more at least in inches with the toning (and you will tone!) it is amazing. I had a 'doughy middle' and my sister who is a yoga instructor was always complimenting on how tight my core is when I was 100% in the program. It really is a phenomenal program. I say go for it. I plan to buy 10-minute trainer once #2 comes along so I can ease myself work back into those longer workouts. Feel free to send M. a personal message if you have questions!!! If you aren't afraid to work hard, this is the one!!!!!! You will see GREAT results.

I love ZUMBA..it is fun exercise. It isn't something I ever want to stop. It is great overall toning.

Then I do the FIRM Ab workout video each day. My favorite is the 5 day ab video. Simple daily workout. Each day is different. And each day varies from 6-9 minutes total. I feel combining all this keeps M. in pretty great shape...oh and some power walking.

Good luck!!

I like the videos from Self Magazine, they combine pilates with weight resistance and it's a great all-over workout that doesn't get boring. I recently started some Jillian Michaels videos and they are effective but very tough.

You have the right mindset with your diet. If you try to cut out your favorite foods entirely, it J. makes you crave them more, and you could fall off the wagon and binge! Everything in moderation is a good rule of thumb.

Some libraries have workout videos to rent for free, that's an easy way to find out with series or instructors you like or hate. Good luck, you can do this!

I did one round of P90x and the first month of Insanity. I liked Insanity much better than P90x, it was faster and easier on the joints, at least the first month. I stopped insanity after month 1 because the workouts went from 30-45 minutes to 60-75 minutes and I J. had a hard time fitting them in. I tried Jillians 30 day shred right after P90x, didn't like it at all. Don't be intimidated by Insanity; all the workouts are completely modifiable, you do them to your body's ability. The only exception I can see is if you have a bad back, it would be hard for someone with a bad back.

I have Turbo Jam (same instructor as Turbo Fire) and love it. I have the 5 Rockin workouts DVD and have used it for 4 years now. I always get results when I use it consistantly, and it is fun as well. The DVD I have has a 15 minute beginner workout, 20 minute cardio, 20 minute abs, 45 minute cardio and 45 minute toning. I have not tried Turbo Fire but I have heard it is more challenging that Turbo Jam (which is easy enough to do but still a good workout).

I do like Jillian Michael's 30 day shred, it is very challenging and effective and is J. 20 minutes.

I also take a zumba class and I love it. I cannot believe how many calories it burns- I bought a heart rate monitor and zumba burns between 600 and 800 calories per hour. It is such a fun class that I hate to miss it.

If you want to lose weight and have any visible results, though, you will have to start calorie counting/change diet. I work out 5 days a week....zumba twice a week, running 2-3 times a week, jump on the trampoline with my kid 30 min a day (actually great exercise!) yoga etc. I work out a lot but I cannot lose weight or see visible changes unless I change my eating. BTW my friend started P90X 3 months ago (5 days a week) and J. watches her portion sizes (no hardcore dieting) now and she is now visibly changed.

I do not have experience with Turbofire, but J. wanted to suggest trying out fittv, or the fitness section under on demand if you have Xfinity/Comcast. You can try out bits and pieces or full videos. There are also workout videos on youtube and my personal favorite is Self or Shape Magazine's sites. They have a ton of great workouts to choose from that you can print, with easy instruction and videos too. Self and Shape magazine are both dirt cheap to subscribe to and Self does a 3 month 'Self-Challenge' that is easy to start and you progress over the course of the 3 months. Check out the magazine in the store, or search online. J. thought I'd give you a few more options for the workouts and nutrition. J. find something you enjoy and can stick to. Have fun!

A.

We do workout videos at work on our lunch break (30-40 min) and rotate between everybody's collections! So... although I've been slacking lately, I have experience with several of the "regulars." We have not done the turbofire or beachbody sets. Generally, I really like the Jillian Michaels videos (some require equipment--yoga mat, weights, kettle ball, but most don't). I also like Bob (from The Biggest Loser). The insanity workout is okay, but I find it to be too much impact (jumping) and it hurts my knees and hips. Yoga for weight loss is another idea, if you're already familiar with yoga (if not, there's more of a risk that you can hurt yourself if you don't understand how your body should be oriented during the poses). I don't like zumba because I have basically no rhythm and I hate to dance. I don't have the interest in joining a gym, and I've never tried p90x (although I've heard from others who love it).
Whatever you do, J. keep at it--it's a great feeling when you get moving and can see and feel the difference! Now I need to get back on the bandwagon and get back to those videos! Good luck!

First and foremost: Cut out all the processed sugar. It makes sucha huge difference in the belly area. Also, for your chocolate fix, go for 85% dark.

For exercise videos: Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred.

Awesome. Love, love, love it.

I want to order Insanity.