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

Hi itsfab - welcome

You wear a skirt to exercise?? First tip: don't wear a skirt. grin
I just wear leggings or just my pants when all my leggings are in the wash

Day 3/4 IS the toughest (of L1), once you're through that it starts to get addictive.

Hello everyone

I started a thread but have been invited to join you here.

I have just done my third session and find parts a bit tricky though my skirt falling off didn't help.

I have no hope that my stomach will ever be toned after a botched caesarean and am doing this to try and get fitter and lose weight.

Any tips would be great as I don't want to do too much and end up giving up.

Overcome with sandwich-guilt. Shredded anyway. 30DSL2D6. Hottest part of day, not the smartest. Felt a bit sick after.

I did, however, manage some plank-jacks and squat-thrusts. So think I might stow my "I can't plank" excuses and have another go at the twists tomorrow.

Although owl I'm sure it's fine to create 30 Day Owl Shred as long as you're always moving. I did some jumping-jacks with weights in place of the plank-jacks at first.

I'm going to have to create my own version of 30DS!

Owl have a watch through level 3 - there are a load of moves that I think are going to play havoc with your wrists.

30DSL2D2

Dear god it felt hard today!

ImogenQuy Only if I do them balanced on my fists so that my wrist isn't bent. I tried that for the squat thrusts and it wasn't ideal.

Despite all your excellently encouraging posts over the last couple of days - DS has had me up every other hour all night, DP has just made me a bacon and egg sandwich.

Rest day ahoy!

30DS L3 Day 2 just done, felt much better than yesterday.

Owl, can you do a static plank with your weight on your forearms? Obviously you couldn't do all the moves like that, but you could at least do modified versions of some of them.

I'm having a day off today: it's really sticky and DS got up at 5.30 because of the heat, so no prospect of being able to work out in peace. Cheered up a bit from yesterday, though: thanks to Shadows for the encouragement.

Well done! I'm not sure if I can do L3 because of the plank moves. I was hoping to gradually add an extra plank move to L2 but my right wrist wont support my weight. I need some kind of modified plank position.

I was feeling really low earlier so I pulled myself together and have just done 30DSLEVEL3D1!! It's definitely up a level isn't it? My god the cardios hard!! I did it though. Had to use the Anita version for a lot of the plank moves because I could too much strain on stomach otherwise. I also did dif ab moves. I did it though! Wahoo. Added on a load of other ab exercises.

I have been a good girl and shredded before bed. I've really strained my right wrist with the planking though.

Whilst I feel infinitely better and fitter than before, I was hoping more of my clothes would be looser by now. It's still worth it for the fitness benefits though.

I'm having a rest day today - it is just too hot to shred. I've washed my kit, so it will be nice and clean for tomorrow's session. I think 30DS is starting to have an impact - I put on some shorts today - last year they were tight and now I think I might need a belt to keep them up

Shadow you are very inspiring

30 ds D6L1 done this evening but i think I've hurt my abs, might need to have a rest day tomorrow..

30DSL2D1

I'm never going to look like Natalie, I'm ok with that. I had on size 14 clothes yesterday and the walk I went on had a huge flight of stairs in the middle, I made it up faster and less out of breath than the DC I had with me.

This time last year I was wearing a 22 and I'd still be halfway up those stairs catching my breath today, lol. I'm still mostly blancmangey, but less so all the time and I feel great, so I don't care if I'm never going to look like a poster girl. :)

Hi everyone. Imogen I know that feeling. After that first initial inch loss nothing happened for weeks. Having two days off though I've remeasured and I'm down another half inch on my arms and my thighs have def shrunk. I'm beginning to wonder if it's actually better to take more rest days? Maybe putting so much stress on the muscles causes them to hold fluid which I had read can happen. I don't know. My weight hadn't dropped at all, so I've now done a u turn and decided not to eat exercise calories and go back to dieting. My wrists look thinner so I think that's working (don't own scales).

I'm just so so cross with myself about my stomach. Actually bloody furious. I've obviously got good muscle memory there because I did a tonne of transverse contractions yesterday and that muscle is naturally engaging today and pulling everything in a bit, but I'm back to having to haul it in myself all the time. On the plus side my waist size has only gone up half an inch which means the transverse muscle is still working higher up. It's just directly at and above my belly button where the separation has returned.

I'm planning to shred today but tbh in scared that I'm going to make separation worse. It's the planks that in worried about, I can sub in other exercises for the ab circuits but the planks worry me. Maybe I should sub in other stuff for them aswell?

Come on, let's not get disheartened. We are doing this for over all improved health and fitness, so that we can be active energised parents to our DCs, so that we make time for ourselves.

JM says in one of her DVDs "let's take a moment to contemplate what we have achieved. If you can't take a moment to appreciate that you've made time for yourself to be better and stronger then what is the point? Let's take this energy and take it with us in every facet of our day today" or something along those lines. And she's right. This isn't about that top that doesn't fit, or that number on the scales that doesn't budge. This is about challenging ourselves to be stronger and fitter and better. Just because we (most of us?) are mums doesn't mean we can't take some time for ourselves to be healthier and stronger. When I started this I couldn't lift both weights without sweating, everything wobbled so much when I jumped and I couldn't get through level 1 without almost dying. We should all be really proud of ourselves for sticking with it. And think long term, in a few years we may all look like Natalie .

You're right, of course, yadah. Just having a moment of self-pity because I've been at it without cheating or taking time off since May, and I really would like to look better as well as feeling stronger .

RI30 L2 D9 done. Having a day off work today so didn't get up early to do it, which meant I had DS for an audience (and lying on my mat and generally being in the way!).

I'm fed up with this. I thought I was seeing some difference earlier this week, but now I think I was kidding myself. I dug out some old summer clothes this morning and I look a disgusting blob in them.

30DSL2D5 DONE.

I am officially half-shredded! (Although I've a feeling I'm going to actually need a 90 DS to hit my goal, and indeed master L2 but hey ho, little milestones!)

Going to have a cold shower now. Dripping.

Good job on the top owl!

flower I use 1kg for the harder moves and 2kg for the easier (bicep) moves, but I'd say do it with whatever weight you can do all the moves with. As to combining it with running, rather you than me! I try and walk 5mi 5 x per week as well, but keep the shred as my "proper" exercise.

I had an accidental rest day yesterday as I decided to leave it til it had cooled down and then forgot until it was far too late for me

On the plus side, I'm wearing a top today that I couldn't wear last year :)

Flower mfp is my fitness pal a free calorie counting app which im really impressed with. Ive actually lost 5 kg in the last month and a half just using that. I got used to eating the same portions as my very sporty dp and it wasn't doing me any favours!

30DS L3 D1 today, first day at level 3, found it hard! Didn't get the chance to watch it beforehand so it took me a while to figure out each move, hopefully it'll be better tomorrow as I at least have an idea what I'm trying to do.