The November Shred Thread: all Jillian Michaels devotees welcome!

[ImogenQuy]

It's cold, it's dark, but that's not going to stop us pounding on through Jillian's many evil exercise programmes however much some of us may hate them. The goal is to be in shape and looking fabulous at this year's Christmas parties! Come on, you know you want to...

Ri30 L4. With lots of pauses (once to watch a squirrel ... now I understand why I get oak seedlings growing in my planters!)

Can I join please? Just started 30 DS found LG ok so think I will do a few days and move up. Is LG a big step up difficulty wise?

That should be L1 and L2

30DS L1 D4 done, a little later in the evening than I would have liked because DS1 was rather insistent on 45 minutes of stories. Guess that means it's cardio tomorrow. Ugh. And ugh again, just for good measure.

Rockinghorse I think people usually find a bigger leap between L1 and L2 than L2 and L3, so yes it is quite a bit more difficult.

Fullsteam Have you had to send off your poor old dog yet? Making the decision is almost the worst part. You do wish they'd just go quietly in their sleep one night

Showme Are you on your first sleep-sucking DC, or have you foolishly like me dropped yourself in it again? Take it easy - you don't want to risk injuring yourself.

30DS L3D7 done. The end is in sight. I'm going to mix up Kick Box Fast Fix with No More Trouble Zones from next week and see how it goes.

ShowMe , really pleased to see you back! So impressed that you're sticking with it in trying circumstances.

Errol, we're infested with squirrels.The furry bastards are all our garden's good for - it's a complete disaster area otherwise but they clearly love it.

Ah. See, I'm on appalling sleeper number two. At least I was hardened to sleep deprivation while I still only had one to worry about! Don't be too hard on yourself - it takes a long time for your tolerance to five non-continuous hours a night (if that) and immune system to build up.

Gods, I hate cardio, but I did it, followed by a bit of yoga.

Back to the Shred tomorrow night.

Killer Abs L3 D9. I've also realised I've put down D7 twice for the Shred, so my next one will actually be D9, which is cheering. What is slightly annoying is that either I have to do six workouts this week, or I won't quite finish the Shred, or I can't start the new thing till Tuesday (see, slightly obsessive and lunatic - tidy-minded doesn't even begin to cover it).

Horrendous week at work - I had to get up even earlier than usual to fit in my workout, and I have to leave this morning without seeing DS. This will not go well - apparently there was terrible wailing and gnashing of teeth on Monday because I'd had to leave without seeing him. He wanted to give me a hug, apparently .

30DS L1 D5 done. Actually keeping up with Natalie with some of it - I was kicking myself, quite literally, in the ass!

30DS L3D9 done. I'm more or less in time with the DVD now, except on the jumping lunges where I'm not doing as many as Natalie.

Elphaba, you must be a bit less, erm, solid in the thigh department than I am - my legs don't fold quite far enough for me to kick myself in the ass! I have to use my hand to get my foot to touch my bum.

Flexibility/length of quads rather than thigh-age, I think. I'm a very bendy Wendy generally.

Did my Ri30L4 yesterday and today.

I have actually managed to kick myself in the butt of late. I think my round of KB&T really did help - my jeans agree. I havealways had sturdy short legs and I had wondered if all this leg exercise would make my thighs more thunderous, but they seem to be stronger yet more compact!

Wondering whether to do KB&T again or maybe a week of NMTZ next (or maybe another go at ES&S)

My last shred day was that long ago this thread had disappeared from my 'I'm on' section! Just marking my place to say that I'm finally well enough to continue shredding and will attempt L1 D10 this weekend! I will make it to L3 by Christmas if it kills me!!!

Killer Abs L3D10 done. Finished this DVD! I'll start NMTZ next week, mixed up with Kick Box Fast Fix, and see how I go. I've also bought Yoga Meltdown, which I may regret - I'm not normally a yoga person.

I'm very inflexible, which may be why I can't kick myself in the butt. I don't think it's related to leg strength in my case - I bike everywhere so already have very solid thigh muscles. I also have sturdy short legs, Errol - it sounds as though we're a very similar build.

Great to see you back sometimes. Fingers crossed you stay well between now and Christmas and can get back into Shredding.

Hi guys, sorry for disappearing for a few days.

We did have to put our dog to sleep on Monday, so it's been a tough few days :(

Anyway, I've still been pushing on with workouts, in fact having done 5 days of level 1 last week I decided to try out level 2. It's a killer!!!

Today I did 30DS L2 D4, it's gradually stating to get a bit easier. I do prefer it to level 1 as I do really feel like I've done a proper workout.

Question: how do I record my levels now since I skipped 5 days out of L1? Do I just do L2 for 15 days?

Gingerbreadpixie, hello :) How are you doing?

Did 30DS L3D7 today, and even did level 1 beforehand as a warm up. Hard work but feel good for doing it.

Sorry about your dog, Fullsteam :(

Fullsteam. Re counting the days - if I was you I'd do 10 days at L2 and then decide whether to stick with it a bit longer or go onto L3. I don't think you have to be too prescriptive - it depends what motivates you I guess, if you want to feel you've done 30 days or if you want to progress with shred and then maybe move onto one of the other dvds.

Imogen - I'm flexible in some ways not others - my arms are almost too flexible (though handy for never needing anyone else to scratch my back) but I can't do anything like splits - JM says something about not being very flexible herself during the cooldown when she's waay more than me!

I can do splits in all directions, bend backs, crazy arm stuff, but as a trade-off, I'm weak as piss, hence my being reconciled to the fact that I'll never be able to do full press-ups. I'm a rubbish runner as well, probably because I've got unstable joints from being bendy, so I'm slow and start hurting very rapidly.

Didn't Shred last night due to pounding head. Went to baby wearing fitness class today but didn't get much of a workout as 2.6yo DS1 had to come along as well so I had half an eye on him a lot of the time and had to intervene occasionally to alleviate boredom and destruction. Toying with the idea of Shredding tonight to make up for it...

Oh, and sympathies, Fullsteam Losing a beloved pet is heartbreaking.

Thanks very much guys. I really appreciate it. xxx

for you and yoru family, Fullsteam. So sorry - it's awful having to make that decision.

30DS L3D10 done, to satisfy my obsessive need for order: I can now say I've properly finished the Shred! Day off tomorrow.

Elphaba, I'm rubbish at running too - it hurts my knees, and did even when I was a young thing, even though I'm totally inflexible (like Errol I'm less flexible than JM, which is depressing when she's saying she can't stretch very far and she's gone twice as far as I have!). Oddly I can cycle for miles and miles. I had a colleague once who was the reverse: he ran 16 miles home from work from time to time, but said it hurt just to get on a bike. It must be something to do with the configuration of the joint.

30DS L1D6 done like a done thing. It's amazing how quickly it works, isn't it? Feeling so much fitter generally, even noticeable when I'm heaving the DCs around. My pre-pg trousers are sliding down and needing constant hoiking up and my tummy is noticeably diminishing! I probably could progress onto L2 now but my sloth need for order that I share with Imogen forbids me. Besides, DS2 is now 15 weeks old and I'm mentally battening down the hatches for the four month sleep regression, because DS1's was utterly horrific. I won't thank myself for pushing myself into extremes of exercise if I'm subsisting on five hours of sleep, snatched in half-hour chunks

Full stream sorry to hear about your dog,

Elphaba, 5kg weights is hardcore I am dying with just one!

Have lost count of days at level two but did double jump rope for both on Thursday so pleased with that. Couldn't manage it today but DD has a cold and think I am fighting it off! Lost 2.5 lbs this week so really pleased with this especially as feel fitter and some clothes looser, and possibly butt looks tighter wishful thinking but I don't care

I only use the 5kg for the first strength exercise in circuit two, L1 (dumbbell row exercise for the lats)! The rest of it is 2kg all the easy. I refer back to my PP about being weak as piss.