30 Day Shred - New Starts

[CatPower]

Hello everyone,

I know there are a lot of shred-heads on here already, but many of the current threads are full of people well into the programme. I just started the 30 Day Shred today. I'm 5'11", 258lbs (18st 6lbs ) and in dire need of getting fit, strengthening my core and losing some weight.

Has anyone else recently started, or are planning to?

Hello LondonSuperTrooper

Yes it does get easier - I promise. Around day 4/5 you will notice a big difference and by day 6 you'll be fine. It nigh on killed me the first couple of times I did it and I was walking funny for days!

I hate the bicycle crunches as well. I now do a modified version where you hold your head in the normal crunch position (hands behind ears, eyes to the ceiling rolling shoulders up and pulling ribs down to hips and pulling tummybutton in) and just cycle the legs whilst holding your core stable - its a pilates version of the same thing, the only thing is it doesn't work your lateral muscles like the shred version. Am working up to doing the lateral head/arm movement.

You work up the levels after 10 days on each, so you would do 8 more days of level 1 and then move up to level 2, 10 on that and then up to level 3.

I have had to miss today because I have some neuro issues that got worse yesterday evening so have been in bed (on the sofa with a duvet) all day. Am gutted. Really hoping I can get back to it tomorrow.

RLHLW, you just need a set of handweights, but some people use bottles of water or cans of beans. Jillian Michaels recommends 3lb weights, but mine are 1kg which is 2.2lbs. I have some 2kg ones as well, but was worried about building too much muscle and bulking up.

Finally got around to starting, L1 D1 done. I thought I was going to vomit after the second round, but I persevered and was surprised at how quickly the time actually went. My legs were very shaky after the first time of walking up and down stairs, but have managed to keep on the go most of the day. Trouble is, now I'm at work I tend to have to sit for long(ish) periods, so will keep getting up to stretch my legs.

Need to shift some weight too but am struggling, so have today started cutting out on basic carbs, ie. potatoes, bread (which is my weakness), pasta and rice. Am also going to abstain from wine (boo hoo) for the next few weeks as I have been drinking far too much lately, so hopefully that will help. I used to be a great fan of the cambridge diet but thats too expensive for me at the moment, and I think if I were to try that alongside shredding, think I could well end up passing out!!

moosemama - Thanks for the welcome. Thanks also for the explanation for the modified version of the bicycle crunches. It's good to know that it DOES get easier
Hope that you feel better & that your time in bed will do you good. Do you often suffer from these episodes of neuro issues? Wishing you a speedy recovery so you can get back to shredding.

Overtiredmum - Good luck with the shred. I am actually doing the cambridge diet at the moment and so far I do not feel too bad. I too thought that I would pass out etc but only notice my lack of energy at the cardio sections, or maybe it's cos I'm so unfit? Good luck with low carbing it, it's not easy is it?

London, no it isn't. I can't afford to CD at the moment, plus my counsellor has just gone on hols for 3 weeks. To be honest, its bread and the wine that is my total downfall, so hoping to cut out and shift the stone I have gained since Chrimbo.

I found with CD though as well that my DCs are of an age that they were noticing I wasn't eating at meal times etc. I would rather them see me eating the side of a cow and salad as opposed to nothing :)) I'll abstain for a few weeks and then start to add wholegrain into my diet as opposed to white carbs and see how that goes.

Am 40 in a couple of years and am determined I don't want to be this size and shape by then!

London, thanks for the well wishes. I never had them before this year and was having them a few times a week up until May. This weekend is the first time I've had any significant symptoms since then.

Overtired, I have a few years on you and it definitely gets harder to shift the weight once you're past the 40 milestone.

I just found out someone I know is doing Lighter Life at 500 kcals a day! She has a lot to lose, but I don't think I could stick to something that severe. I am just healthy eating, have cut out all junk food and almost all processed food (hard cheese and low fat natural yoghurt is about as processed as it gets for me these days).

I was losing 2lb a week every week until I started the shred, but it stopped dead as soon as I started shredding, then went up a couple of pounds and has now gone down 3lbs. Apparently its common to stall and then gain before losing on it as muscles grab water to help heal after tough workouts, plus it takes a while for the balance between building muscle and weightloss to even out.

If it helps - for motivation purposes, despite only having lost 1lb in weight, I've lost over two inches off my waist since I started and I've only done 8 days. I can also see muscle definition appearing in my legs, arms and shoulders and my abdomen is definitely flatter. So its definitely worth sticking with it.

Wow, thats great Moosemama!

Thanks. I was shocked. I knew my jeans were falling down, but never expected anything like that inch loss in the first week.

Great when it happens x

L1d7 done this morning before work

L1d8 done tonight after work. I didn't get the chance yesterday and felt frustrated after missing Saturday.

Shreding is definatly getting easier, I feel ready to move up to level 2 in a couple of days.I made the mistake of letting the dc's watch me before. Never again. Is rather have jillian in the room than them. They roll around laughing, they critisise every exercise I do and when I said I hate this next exersize and jumping jacks came on they nearly bust a gut that I couldn't manage more than jumping up and down like a sparrow on hot coles. Yet when I asked DS if he could do bicycle crunches any better, it looked like he was doing the dying fly.

Hope your feeling better moosemama

Two in one day! Voldemort you are hardcore!

My dcs are just like yours, little imps. They think its hilarious. I have now banned them from the room, so they stand in the kitchen shouting 'look Mum its easy, even I can do it' and doing the most hapless versions of the exercises I've ever seen. To be fair, they are dyspraxic and hypermobile and ds1 also has hypotonia, but they still seem to think they're better at it than me. They pick up my weights and do one curl then have hysterics because it was sooooo easy as well.

Dd on the other hand likes to join in (she's 2). Unfortunately she also likes to lie/stand practically on top of me, which results in lots of accidental bumps on the head - 8 days done and she still hasn't learned!

Am feeling much better tonight - off to bed now and hoping I'll be able to get back into it tomorrow.

moosemama you kids sound hilarious :o Are you feeling better today?

Wow at Voldemort at doing 2 session of the 30 day shred in ONE day!!!

Yes thanks London, am feeling quite a lot better.

Going to try and shred, but may have to do lots of modifications and less reps. Will see how it feels when I get going.

Hi All! My DVD finally arrived and I completed L1D2 last night. My thighs are so sore, I am having to literally drag myself up the stairs at home!

I'm not shredding every day, I'm just fitting it in on the days where I'm not going to the gym/exercise class (so probably doing Shred about 3 times per week).I'm also doing Weightwatchers.

I am so surprised with the results though, even after just 2 days my biceps are looking and feeling more defined. I can't believe a 20 min workout could do that!

I have challenged OH to do it with me this evening, as he was taking the piss last night. (Yes, I know I look like a numpty swinging my arms round at warm up, thank you!) I am secretly hoping that he finds it really difficult to get him back!

Well done everyone, keep at it!

here y'all are! I started Shred (again) on Monday and was posting in the sport and exercise thread...doh!

I have done it twice before and had great results each time (around 10lbs loss and loads of inches). Have put on about 10lbs since starting cerazette although (I am hoping) a lot of it is water retention as I haven't been able to wear my wedding ring.

Anyway, restartng was not as painful as I thought, although on Day3 L1 I am already bored of Level 1...but not enough to encourage me onto L2 with the many plank thingies!

I am going to aim for 5-6 days a week, and I usually skip up a level after that.

I am also cutting out bread, chocolate, crisps and wine on weekdays.

Have quite a bit to lose but focusing on that 10lbs first.

UmYeah - I enrolled my dh as well. We were both walking round like a right pair of old ladies for the first couple of days.

Youcan'tteuchthis, lots of people seem to mention the planks - I'm dreading them.

I'm getting really bored of level 1 now as well, but have mixed feelings of excitement and dread about moving onto level 2.

Well I did it and actually found it a lot easier than I did last time. Thinking back, I really wasn't well enough to do it on Monday and probably made myself worse. Managed to actually kick my own butt all the way through the appropriate segments for the first time today and do the cycle crunches properly as well, so I'm a happy bunny.

I'm down another pound and a half this morning, but not sure if that's got more to do with being ill and not eating much than it has to do with shredding. I guess the only way I'll find out is if it stays off.

L1D2 out of the way and boy, do I ache today! Didn't have the urge to vomit today like yesterday though, which is good and feel pretty good. Looking forward to D3 tomorrow - fingers crossed!

Well done overtired - you'll be catching me up in no time.

Ooooo I doubt that! Did I really day I feel OK??? Just stood up from my desk and think my calves are going to implode!

Does it makes sense if I were to say my arms don't feel so flabby today? And my trousers were not so tight, probably my imagination, but hell if it encourages me to keep going........

Did I really say** not day! See, can't even type properly today, which could be trouble considering its my job!! Just hope I'm not given any lengthy documents to tidy up tonight - could be fun

Lol, it was calves that were the worst as well - going up and downstairs was murder. I started doing some extra stretches before the warm up and I think that helped.

I promise it does get better and yes, I think it does start having an effect on tone that quickly - I actually had a couple of people comment on my biceps after about 4 or 5 days or I would have thought I was imagining it.

Will try that then, I did think that the cool down at the end was very short.

I was doing Zumba, which I really enjoy, but didn't find it intense enough for me, although I did get up a good sweat. Definitely prefer to feel like I'm doing something.

Phew! Day 10, Level 1 done!

I very nearly didn't do it, as I felt so rough this morning. Really sluggish and bloated. I was really dehydrated when I woke up as well. Goes to show you, I haven't been eating any simple carbs to speak of - except the odd baked potato, but last night I had a couple of weightwatcher's wraps made into quorn fajitas with a discovery fajita spice mix. I'd gained most of my 1.5lbs loss back this morning as well, which makes me even more sure its water retention.

Doesn't help that I'm now in the run up to the dreaded TOM, so am likely to slowly blow up like a great water filled balloon over the next few days.

Bang goes my plan to look noticeably slimmer and more healthy by the time my boys go back to school.

Tell you what, all that jumping about is not great for the poor old chest when you have pmt either. Ouch! I have a new sports bra on order, and am seriously hoping it helps - its not easy doing jumping jacks etc when you have a 34hh chest!

Anyway, tis done for another day. Tried to do more Natalie than Anita and sink lower into the squats and now my thighs are killing me, which is not good, as I've promised to take the dcs to the furthest park from us this afternoon - which is a 3 mile round trip. Doh!

I seemed to sweat much more today as well, so I'm hoping that's all that flippin' retained water making its exit!

Hello All
I need some advice - I've got a stone to shift post baby but am now back at work. I leave home at 7.45am and am not back until 7.30pm, 5 days a week. I've heard great things about the Shred and have done day 1 level 1..the problem is I just don't know how i'm going to fit it in on weekdays. I hardly get to see my sprogs as it is and by the time I get home in the evening i'm exhausted. If i exercise at 7.30pm, i'm just wired all night.

Do i need to Shred at 6.45am a couple of days a week to fit it in? Advice please from all you busy ladies out there. Will it work if I just do it every other day?

Thanks

Christ, that is a long day! The good thing about doing it early is that it boosts your metabolism so that you burn energy (fat, hopefully) more efficiently for the most part of the day. If you could get a swift walk at lunchbreak that would really help too.

I reckon that if you are not exercising, did it 3 times a week, along with a sensible diet you would steadily drop that stone (but I have no idea how you eat or how active you are at present).

Well done Moosemama! I love the Discovery spice mixes too, although am guessing its the added salt in it which would have made you retain the water.

Will you start L2 tomorrow? L1 D3 done for me and definitely better, my calves are not aching quite so much today and the push-ups were definitely easier.