The July 2014 Shred Thread - Go on, you know you want to

I'm decorating today instead of shredding...I do realise I could do both, but, I did that yesterday and ended the day collapsed on the floor, lol.

No I wasn't using legs of lamb as weights, just weights, he's just a menace. I mean ok he didn't actually eat the 500g weights, he just chewed them so they were unusable.

Had yesterday off too, and don't feel too bad macnab, I managed to talk myself into burger, chips, ice cream and wine as I somehow managed to think that having a day off shredding meant also taking a day off dieting and cramming all the uneaten calories of the week into one day!

Punished myself this morning by shredding with slight wine-head at 7am. I deserved it. Felt v weak and sweaty afterwards. That's day 10 of L1 done. Level 2 tomorrow, time to move on!

I have 1kg weights for most of the "compound" moves but use 2kg for the dumbbell row, chest flies and bicep curls. Will switch to 1kg for L2 whilst I learn moves and then switch up where I can.

I think I'm somewhere between Natalie and Anita. Closer to Anita, granted, but I do find her versions too easy sometimes we will ignore the fact that I can not manage the amended plank jacks at all.

I had a day off yesterday as I had to mow my not inconsiderable lawn and it was hard work! I'm still impressed that it's not as difficult as it was last year.

I think I need to clear out my garage and find some heavier weights. I'm using 1.5kg and, for some of the moves, they are too light. For others, like that squatting v lift thing, they are too heavy though :o

I may have to switch to couch-to-5K on holiday as I can't pack any weights. I might be able to rig some up using waterbottles and sand though.

Sounds like you're doing really well, Shadows :)

Snap shadows day 5 of level 2 done this evening.

I am chuffed that I'm sticking at it and able to do the exercises (albeit following Anita - wtf is that Natalie made of?! She's like a machine!)

Anyway the fact I did it is totally overshadowed by the astonishing amount of crap I've consumed today. I didnt just tumble of the wagon I flung myself headfirst into a heap of chocolate and bread! Am premenstrual but really thats a poor excuse. Hope I havent undone weeks of good work :-(

Thanks! Just done 30DSL2D5. Knackered now, heat definitely makes it harder!

Congratulations on your 'tumour' muscles, Shadows ! Sounds like you're getting some great definition. Good work!

30DSL2D12 (day 7 of L2) done...in a scorchingly hot front room, on a sticky humid evening in NE London, with no ventilation. That's GOT to have burnt done extra calories!

Hi all. Had a rest day yesterday as wasn't feeling great after 3 hours sleep due to teething toddler. Today I've booked a holiday with a friend and her sister and my DC. It's for early August and although we aren't abroad so won't be boiling we do plan on swimming etc so that is now my target date to get as toned and lean as possible. I'm about half way through the 30 days of shred so I should finish right before we are due to go. I'm planning on trying to up from 5 days a week to 6 and will keep adding in a few additional JM workouts on top of that. I'm thinking those 6 min ones might be good for targeting particular bits.

No more inches lost but shaving my legs today I found this lump in my calf and was convinced it was a tumour until it dawned on me that it was a huge fuck off muscle! So then I flexed my biceps and they are bloody huge as well. And there's a line appeared on my arm where your shoulder muscle is iyswim. So that's v v exciting.

Right, am off to do today's Shred. Have fallen out with my mother so have lots of anger to channel into exercise today! Oh and the other half of my weights order arrived today, for some reason it was sent in two parcels and instead of using common sense and putting the matching pairs together they split them up. So for a week I'd been using one 1kg weight and one 2kg weight. I had to keep swapping them over cos I was worried I'd get lopsided

30DSL1D8...with 1.5kg weights, I know that's not heavy, but I'm pretty chuffed with it (even the anterior raises btw) when I first started I was using 500g weights, until my dog ate them, so moving off 1kg seems like good progress :)

Thanks for the link yadahyadah, that's really useful. Will get checking later.

30DS L2 Day 6 done! I see to be finding the exercises a little easier to guess I'm doing something right.....

Hi guys, I've done the 30DS before with great results and really want to get started on it again after having had my second baby 3 months ago, but I'm unsure if I have diastasis. With my first baby I remember being checked for it by the doctor but haven't been checked this time and don't want to be doing the wrong exercises and making things worse. Does anyone know how I would check this myself? I'm desperate to try and start doing some exercise. I left if ages after having my first baby and want to get started earlier this time as I miss it (if I can find the time!) Any help greatly appreciated.

Evening all,

Happy graduation, Fuckalella and congratulations Tabulah, that's a great achievement!

Back Shredding this evening and I'll admit I found it a teeny little bit exhausting. Glad I did it though.

So that's 30DSL2D11 done. Which is day 6 of level 2. Off on holiday next Friday and would like to have a less wobbly stomach (but equally am nit expecting a miracle!).

30DS L2 D5 done this evening, I much prefer my early morning workouts but had no time today.

I'm now on day 15 in total, halfway point!

Tabulah that's an amazing loss, well done!

I'm checking in but not shredding today, drinking champagne and eating Chinese to celebrate graduating (only 12 years late!)

Just done 30DS L2D2. I don't know what I was doing yesterday - today seemed much harder. I'm a horrible sweaty mess at the moment, so I'd better go and shower before DH gets home.

Yes that makes sense to me, although if there is a workout I hate, I reserve the right to skive. I feel very good about it being 12 weeks (which might end up being more like 15) as it's nice to have a long term goal rather than a pre-holiday quick fix. I am notorious for doing exercise early spring through to my holiday, then doing nothing much until the next spring. Very exciting to be picking it up again.

I can't quite believe that you can get something free online that would cost £70 to buy the DVDs for.

I am convinced my bingo wings are reduced. TBH, it's enough incentive that I feel so much better.

Weirdly I don't feel different at all, lol, I know I'm thinner...but because I'm still fairly big I don't really notice it.

I notice the improvement in my fitness from exercising far more. Though saying that, it is nice to be able to buy clothes from real shops and not plus size ones

I've got nearly 3 stones to go until I'm at the middle of a healthy BMI...I'm hoping once I hit healthy rather than overweight that I will feel more different.

Yes well done Tabulah, that's an amazing loss!

That's similar to my goal Owl; I want to be able to wear all my "tighter" clothes without lumps and bumps appearing all over the place. I would also love for the first time in my life ever, to be able to wear a sleeveless dress without a cardigan or bolero to cover my upper arms and shoulders. They've always, even when I was a teenager, been wobbly. And actually, I've already noticed a decrease in the bits that squidge out the sides of bra straps etc. I think it's all those rowing moves in L2, they seem to be blasting back fat, which somehow never seems to disappear no matter how much weight I lose. I guess it's in the same way that your thighs can still be really wobbly at a low weight - it's all down to muscle tone. Wish I'd known that when I was younger as I wouldn't have wasted so much energy and time on trying to starve the wobble off!

Well don't tabulah, that's an amazing achievement. You must feel so different.