30-day Shred - class of June 2014

[yadahyadah]

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Yes I think one of the most depressing things for me 15 years ago when I was a super fit, marathon running, rowing club gym bunny (and a tad obsessive)was that I still had my body with short legs, fat knees and a weird fat bit at the back above my bottom that nothing shifts. I would never look like Natalie in a million years.

30DSL1D4 done! I've never got past day 3 so I'm really proud of myself And I was going to skip it today as I've been mega busy but I forced myself to do it after my tea/putting dd to bed, and I feel so good for it. I'm starting to enjoy this exercise thing. I'm even considering getting the Couch to 5k app. What have I become?!

Exactly, Lambzig. I've got the skin colour, more or less, but nothing else. I'm short-waisted, short-legged and generally just short really. My brother's favourite insult for me growing up was "squat"! (Admittedly I've never been a marathon-running gym bunny - but I was pretty slim as a teenager, and I'm not fat now.)

I haven't bought Ripped Imogen - levels 1-3 are on youtube and level 4 on Vimeo.

Same for Shred. I couldn't face spending money and then failing to stick to the routine so I stuck to online versions.

The motivational stuff is not that bad in levels 1-3 but she gets on a bit of a roll in L4. But as Lambzig said, you can just forward the bonkers bit as it is during a supposed relaxation that she hits you right between the eyes with her theories of self worship and world domination. It does make me laugh wryly through the rivulets of sweat tho, as it borrows from that yogic tradition of a meditative gathering of self post practice but because it's ole JM instead of being about thinking like a mountain, it ends up being about thinking like a megalomaniac sergeant major.

Well done, Felix!

There isn't space to exercise in the room where our computer lives, yadah, so I bought the DVDs. The Shred hasn't been wasted, at least. And as Errol wisely points out, I can always fast forward through the bonkers bits.

I feel the same about being fit but not being a babe in the Natalie Anita etc mode. But it is so so nice to feel that sense of muscular strength returning to me after all the baby making flab years. I used to be a circuit training yoga and swimming fiend with cycling a 50-min each way daily commute and some running in the mix too. At the time I remember thinking what more do I have to do to lose that bit of residual chunk? But this time around, I am just so pleased to recognise that strong capable body again. I feel like my old self is being returned to me and I am really pleased about it.
That said, the fkg bagel belly must go.

PS Felix - that's it - you are in the zone. Well done.

Good point, yadah - I ought to be grateful that I've got a fit (ish) healthy body that will do what I need it to do. But looking like Natalie would be a bonus.

Given that I'm 5'1 and 53, its fortunate that I have no desire to look like Natalie!

I'll be happy with just not looking like blancmange

Yes, tabulahrasa, from the hips up I mostly look like blancmange (chocolate blancmange in my case!). Reasonably slim but flabby, sadly...

30DSL3D2 done. Not quite as successful as yesterday - fell over my own feet doing the mountain climbers, and my lower back wouldn't let me do the pike crunch following Natalie.

Ri30 L4D3 done. Kids were playing up in between tho today so there was a bit of strangled order giving from me. Not as fun as a result. But I did it pretty well. Now for the rest of my morning. PS - Errol have been following that 16:8 method of eating and it seems to suit me so far. Might have a breakfast over the weekend just to give myself a little break but I think it might be the way forward for the likes of me - it has kept me off the crisps too as I have been eating salami and jerky thanks to tips from Lambzig and co. So thanks for all that. Have a good weekend.

Ri30 L1D3 done. It's not getting easier exactly but I feel like I'm doing better at it. But you know there's no need to be perfect - "Perfect sucks! Perfect is boring!", that's my quote of the day

yadah and Errol I'm also having a go at 16:8 but yesterday didn't go so well as I had about 1000 calories in the afternoon while visiting a friend, I wasn't even hungry

30DSL1D5 done and dusted! I enjoyed it again and I was more Natalie than Anita today too. Managed to dig out my proper weights so the tins of soup have been resigned back to the cupboard.

I've done 5:2 before and was considering starting again. How does 16:8 work?

30dsl3d6 done, made the fat cry again.

I'm not looking anywhere near shredded

I haven't managed to fit it in today...but I have a dog again.

Anya - neither am I, I see a difference and I definitely feel one, but, no, not shredded.

Yay, good news about your dog

The only difference is that I still can't do my button on my jeans

Hurray for the dog! Excellent news.

Anya, I think you and I are at almost exactly the same stage, and if it makes you feel better, I'm not looking shredded either. I look exactly the same as I did at the start, but I'm a couple of pounds heavier . Mercifully it doesn't seem to have affected the fit of my clothes.

Woohoo 30dsL3D10 done! that's it I have actually finished the Shred.

Anya and Imogen, I don't really look shredded either, but have lost a couple of pounds since doing L3. I think I look vaguely more toned, but still have wobbly stomach and thighs. Thats probably because I eat too many carbs though.

Away on holiday now for two weeks, will start again when I get back or maybe try another one. Going to have a look at the RI30 on youtube to see what it looks like.

Tabulah, glad your dog is better.

Yes my fat was weeping in controllably this morning, positively hysterical.

I do like that strong feeling. Even driving the car today I could feel my body working. When I lived in HK, I used to go to the gym for 90 mins before work, swim for 45 mins in the Olympic size swimming pool next to my office and then go for a run for a couple of hours in the evening. Most flipping days. Weekends were obviously a longer session in the gym and out at the rowing club. I must have been so fit and yet still hated my body, what a waste.

If you look at the Leangains website they recommend 14:10 for women and 16:8 for men.

Well done TT!

More toned would be nice...no sign of it here yet though. But I do have 8 days of L3 to go, and then I'm planning to do RI30 more or less straight away. Maybe by the end of July I'll see a difference.

Its not fair! Got four days left on 30DS then going to start RI30

Errol - he'll not eat it, the vets have broken him, he's interested in food, but he'll only eat it if it's chicken I'm humouring him because he was so very ill, lol.

I definitely see a difference, I mean beyond just weight loss (because I'm dieting and losing weight anyway) I went down a clothes size faster than I should have by weight loss and I've got like, tiny, but definitely real muscles...with blancmangey bits too to be fair, especially most of my middle, but arms and legs are different and my bum a bit as well.