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

I wonder if you could do L2 but sub in the L1 exercises for the ones you can't do?

There is a lot of planking IMO. It's on You Tube, give it look.

Morning! Day 4 of my first ever shred done. Am so impressed with everyone who has done it several times, and your achievements. I feeling like I've done 4 months, not 4 days, goodness knows how I'll get through a month (and beyond). Did have a little hangover yesterday (such a lightweight since DS!) and still did it to counteract wine calories!

bustle I've yet to check out level 2 - is it your lower back you have problems with? I had a mastectomy and they used my lower back muscles to reconstruct so I find anything that needs a lot of lower back support v difficult indeed because I have to rely on arms and abs entirely (e.g. Push ups - can do modified but will never be able to do full). I may have to do the same and skip L2 if there's a LOT of planking for example.

Morning!

Am quietly very pleased that it's chucking it down with rain as means ex can't Disney dad

With you there :o However, it puts a dampener [arf] on my plans too.

I am going to go easy with L2. I didn't get any twinges from my back on the first attempt and it's no worse this morning so I might try it every other day and see how it goes. It just contained movements I would never consider doing normally (that twisty jumpy one for example).

Yay to Shadows for another inch lost. I'm holding off trying on any of he summer clothe that no longer fit me which will be my test. I'll need to try them a week before I go away to give me chance to buy new ones if it has all gone horribly wrong!

Well done Shadows! Another inch is awesome.

Morning! Apparently it's normal to gain weight initially when you start an new exercise routine. It's to do with your body not being used to it and sending fluid to the site of the injuries - tiny tears in muscle from lifting weights etc. it tends to settle after a few weeks and the weight will then come off. So fear not, a weight gain actually means the exercise is working!

Feeling much better this morning. Was up at 6am without the kids and got to have a cup of tea in peace. Have tidied everywhere, got kids up and am going to give them bfast and then do shred. Am quietly very pleased that it's chucking it down with rain as means ex can't Disney dad his way to a festival with them today . He will have to actually play and engage with them at his house and use his brain to find suitable activities for them.

I'm also down another inch on my waist! Hell yeah

RI30 L1 D10 done. L2 beckons, groan. Going to have tomorrow off though.

I agree weighing is counter-productive: I was feeling really good about myself after week 1 of the Shred in May, made the mistake of weighing myself and realised I was two pounds heavier. It didn't actually make any difference to the fit of my clothes or anything like that, it just made me pointlessly gloomy.

Oh god shadows if I have a day like that I will leave it. Fuck him. You can do this and don't let him mess it up on you.

Yadah - total daily energy expenditure. :)

I totally avoid L2 owl, it fecks up my back. I do not have a great back and work makes it worse. Don't need excercise to make it worse too!

:)

Meh. My cat will deal with the rats later...

yes Owl, I do find visualisation techniques maximise the effectiveness of that particular exercise! Is it terribly awful to leave all the mess and just sleep and deal with it in the morning? I can hear my mother "SHADOW, you CANT leave it, you will gets RATS".

I liked the punching exercise in L1. Guess whose face I was punching.... :)

Did a three mile walk with DC again today and we had a great time at the pet shop watching the rats and came home via the alpaca farm. I was so upbeat and ready to crack on with the shred this evening and then twatface ex rang and got all in my head with his horrid twattishness. And since 8 when DS fell asleep, when I should have been cleaning up dinner things, tidying toys and then exercising, I've been sat staring at a wall feeling shit. And now it's bedtime and the house is a mess, I seem to have subconsciously inhaled crisps and cake, and I feel crap.

Since I've started the Shred I haven't let him in my head or life. It's been great, it's boosted my confidence and given me something to work at and goals to achieve, I've been totally twat free. But this means I haven't contacted him or answered his calls, which means he is angry, which means he will now be an utter utter twat and be as vile as possible when he picks kids up tomorrow.

Off to tidy quickly and get some sleep. Maybe if I get an early night I can get up early and get Shred done in the morning.

I've just attempted Level 2 and I can see this causing me back problems if I'm not careful. I have an osteopath appointment tomorrow to sort out the fact that my lower spine is locked up so I might have to drop back to L1 for a few days anyway (great excuse as I'm knackered!

I can not do the walking press up thing, or the squat thrusts or the plank jacks (was that what they were called?). Still, I couldn't do L1 last Tuesday so onwards and upwards!!

It has taken me a long time to get to be comfortable with not weighing etc. I do think it can be counter productive - I feel better so I don't want to know that I've only lost 1/2 an inch of my thighs or half a pound. Also, 10 stone (say) may be right for one person but not another. I want to look and feel good and I think that only I can decide what good and "happy" is for me.

I'm lucky to be 5'7" which helps as height can be more forgiving!

Another couple of rest days (DD's school play and birthday filled up my evenings). Back to it this evening though - 30DS L1D6 done (in between gymnastics drop off and PTA social swim).

Crappo phone.

So I can blame my sticky out stomach solely on the cake then, shadows!

Macnab - just seen your post about the 1200 calories, its not a lot at all. Have a Google and find your TDEE, then subtract 20% from that total. I've been using Mfp and have lost 9kg since March on 1600 cals, which is my TDEE -20% and it's much easier than being miserable on 1200 cals .

I like your aims owl, better bot to be hung up on weighing and measuring but I'm finding it hard to break the habit of years and years.
Imogen am also happy that there are many fellow short arses here and slightly envious of the tall people.

Yadah, must look at Br and see what its like.

Tab - well done on shredding avec an audience, I hope you had a pancake afterwards to compensate.

5 miles fuckatella, woo!

Mmm prosecco bimble, sounds great!

I did nothing today, fecked my back a bit in work last night and had to take today off excercise and work. Hopefully better tomorrow, rested a lot today so fingers crossed!

So I can blame my stick

Thanks both! I might regret it tomorrow though!

Well done for keeping going with an audience, I had to contend with DH being off today and telling me I looked like a beetle that couldn't get up while I was doing bicycle crunches...

Prosecco and sunshine sounds good, enjoy!

Fuckalella - you rock! Keep going!

I think we get extra points if we're exercising with (quite literally in some cases) 'hangers-on' and onlookers. I did the last section of 30DSL2 whilst simultaneously answering DS2's questions about what I was doing and returning the hand weights he kept passing me!

Anyhow 30DSL2D8 done! And getting easier, thank goodness. Sticking with Anita for the Plank Squats, to avoid screwing up my knee, but otherwise following Natalie.

Now waiting for DH to get home so we can crack open some prosecco and have a glass in the sunshine.

Happy Friday everyone!

30DSL1D6 done! Felt much easier today, could kick myself in the ass quite literally

Also walked 5 miles this morning, getting the hang of this fitness thing!

30DSL1D3 done - while 3 teenage girls made pancakes in my kitchen...hmm, I didn't think through the implications of summer holidays at all, lol

I am giving it all I've got and it certainly hurts a lot whilst I'm doing it but not afterwards. Not that I'm complaining!

I think it's making a difference though. I deliberately haven't taken any measurements, photos or weighed myself as, for me, it is purely about how I feel if that makes sense. I need to feel good in swimwear as I'm off on holiday at the end of the month! I so should have started this earlier...

My aims are to be slim again, not to end up bordering on obese like my older brothers, and to be able to run 5K without dying!

RI30 L1D9 done. IN two minds whether to finish it off tomorrow and start fresh with L2 on Monday, or have a weekend entirely off (or doing my Pilates DVD) and have one more day of L1 on Monday. Have to travel to my conference on Monday so I'll be doing it in a hotel room on Tuesday morning.

Great that there are so many fellow short people on this thread! I was doing this mornings' workout and suffering badly from envy of JM's arms.