30 Day Shred - DVD just arrived ... anyone else about to start?!

[Lovethesea]

So, after all I've read, the DVD and the weights have arrived....

Later today I plan to begin.

In 30 days I will be toned, have lost this extra stone, feel awake instead of in need of a nap all the time ... etc etc etc.

Right now just getting through the first one would be a victory! Anyone else desperate and mad enough to be starting this....

will 30 Day Shred do much for my thighs and wobbly arse
Yes!

What would you eat on one of those days? (5:2)
cup of tea in the morning , apple and tea at lunchtime (low calorie squash/herbal tea/black coffee ad lib); another tea at bedtime. That leaves about 350 cals for a decent dinner. Other people do it differently (eg an egg for brekkie and then a bit less for dinner).

The point seems to be not so much about direct weight loss from the low calorie days but that it helps readjust your habits and metabolism - I'm finding I just don't want to eat so much carbohydrate.

Hi Nom! I second all the answers you've been given so far

Creepy - hurray! Am I the most veteran at this now then? Shame though that I've lost my day buddy - fully recovered now? I'm still struggling with my knees. I'm doing the easier version of most moves but often that requires me rocking all my weight on my knees against the floor which doesn't seem to be doing them any good either! I'm balancing that against the stress on my joints of extra weight.

Hi Creepy, Grimma and Tinwe - thank you for the replies, I'm really pleased to hear that!

I'm slightly in awe of those of you who are now on Level 3, you must be so much fitter than me! I've just done L1D2 and am dreading moving up in 8 days time - I actually found the second day harder than the first, although I suppose I should be encouraged by the fact that I didn't start shaking afterwards like the first time...

Tinwe - my friend has knee problems and finds that extra thick, spongy mats help for press-ups etc. I think hers were originally intended as camping mats, but they seem to do the trick! Maybe it would be worth trying something like that, depending on what the exercises are?

Tinwe I had forgotten all about double jump ropes. Oh god! It was the endless planks I remembered with horror.

I didn't get a chance to shred this morning. DD2 was up before me and was in situ on the sofa watching Disney crap. I didn't have the heart to send her packing. My plan was shred in the morning and C25K after dinner. Can't see how I'll manage both now everyone is up and about. Dilemma....

Nom - thanks for the knee advice. I'll try with my yoga mat doubled up tonight and let you know how I get on

As for being super fit for level 3- I struggled with level 1 too when I started 24 days ago. I found the jumping jacks especially tough but jumping jacks are just the warm up now for level 3! I think I've both improved my stamina though through being consistent and doing it every day (you really do build stamina quickly) but also built my tolerance (i.e. I'm more used to feeling out of breath so don't get as stressed about it/notice it as much which also stops me over-breathing and making it worse). Hope that makes sense!

I'm still out of puff by the end of the cardio bits but it IS only 2 minutes at a time so I can stick it out for that long. I think I'm going to have to try to add some endurance stuff eventually to build my fitness properly though (i.e. more cardio time)!

I've been using tins this time as my weights were lost but now we've found them I currently plan to start again at day 1, when I reach day 31 but with proper weights and will keep repeating and building my weights each cycle... At least that's the plan

I'm feeling very motivated at the mo as I've noticed both my arms getting more shapely and 2 vertical grooves appearing down each side of my belly (rather than just a round tummy since my DDs). Since there's still quite a bit of fat to go I'm v pleased with that

You're welcome, Tinwe - I hope it helps! Your results sound great - congratulations .

Thank you for the reassurance regarding stamina and - what you say about breathing technique and getting used to feeling out of breath makes a lot of sense. The only bits that I really struggle with in L1 are the jump-rope sections and the push-ups, and I think it's mainly because I'm worrying about whether I'll make it through the whole work-out rather than just focusing on the next jump/push-up etc.

I've just ordered The Jillian Michaels Collection (30DS, No More Trouble Zones, Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, and 6 Week 6 Pack), so now I feel properly committed! I'm just going to do 30DS for the first week, and after that I'm going to aim to do 30DS six mornings per week and BFBM one evening per week until I finish the 30 days. After that, I'll probably go back to the beginning and do it all with my medium weights, and then again with my heaviest ones...

I'm sorry to keep on asking questions, but I'd be so grateful if somebody could answer just one more for me: has anybody tried swapping from the modified moves to the difficult ones on day 5 of each level? I'd like to push myself, but I don't want to end up injuring myself or putting myself off from completing the programme!

Tsk, I should really proofread before posting - "stamina and tolerance" is what I meant to write!

Hi Nom - tried the mat folded over a few times, it was great! I'd thought of using a cushion but thought it might be too wobbly. The mat was just right, lots of friction so no slipping, it was even better than using the floor (no carpet burns)!

I've been using whichever level suited for each exercise throughout. Sometimes the hard one, sometimes the easier and v occasionally a modification of my own. Can't go to the hard level for some cos've my knees so will just step up the ones I can when I can. If you feel ready to move on with a system though, give it a go!

Thanks for the congratulations too- still a long way to go though!

That's great Tinwe, I'm so glad it helped! 30DS does seem to be pretty rough on the knees, even without pre-existing problems to take into account - my left one has been twinging all day, but I think it's my fault for somehow forgetting to put my trainers on until a couple of minutes into today's session... Won't be doing that again!

No shred here yesterday. first day I have missed. I had to choose between shred and C25K and the run won.

Will plough through L1D8 in a min although various bits are quite sore. Still undecided if I'll move up a level after D10.

Good much to everyone shredding today.

Well, skipped a day yesterday as i had a bit of a sore neck. L1D7 done now. Time to start thinking about level 2!

Decided to weigh myself at Boots. Apparently I I'm 28.5% fat

HairyPotter - no need for the face, it's not like you were slacking if you went running instead!

Smelma - according to this, 28.5% is fine!

I did L1D3 today and was surprised to find that I wasn't completely puffed out by the end, even though I pushed myself much harder today. I was slightly to realise that I've been doing a few of the exercises wrong - I think I was over-flexing my knees for the lunges, not sticking my bum out enough for the punches, and (to borrow Jillian's phrase) "letting my neck gate-crash the abs party" for some of the crunch moves... Did anybody else have this problem and, if so, how did you know when you'd fixed it?

Also, please somebody tell me that the jump-rope bits get easier! They are the only part of the whole routine that seriously makes me want to stop...

Day 27 here... There will be no 6 pack by day 30

Gillian says to look at the ceiling slightly in front of you through all crunches as that helps you keep a better neck position. I had neck ache at first and found that helped

Jump rope does get easier. If say try not to jump as high. If you just clear the floor it's easier than a star jump when you look at it. Try not to think about it bring the worst bit or you make it so, maybe even worse by over breathing or holding your breath (I recognised this in my workouts earlier on).

Look at me being the expert! As if I'm sporty!

Can't Bellevue you're doing both Shred AND C25K. You will be a skinny sportswoman in no time!

Believe not Bellevue - what a weird autocorrect?!

No sign of any six pack here either. My tummy is still majorly wobbly. BUT I've been wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans the last couple of days so that's motivating me to keep going.

Definitely helps to look at the ceiling while crunching. I couldn't do them without straining my next 3 weeks ago, but they do get easier.

What's everyone's plan for when they've finished? I think I'm going to try doing level 1 and 2 on top of each other.

Creepy I'm confident I will never finish . I'll probably abandon it mid way through L2 (as I have twice already!).

Seriously though, I'm really positive this time round. I'm hoping with this, running and the 5.2 diet, I'll slowly get rid of the massive 3 stone I need to lose. I've lost 4lb so far and I feel a wee bit fitter.

I finally got round to L1D8 at 10pm last night. I would have been so easy just to miss another night but I knew that would be a slippery slope so I booted the kids upstairs and got on with it.

I'll crack on with L1D9 soon and running later on tonight. Good luck shreddies!

Thanks Hairy, good luck to you too! It must be hard to commit to more than one exercise regime at once.

Creepy- been wondering that myself. Not sure whether to go back to level one and work my way through again on another 30 day cycle (to give myself some variety) BUT increase my weights from bean tins to proper weights. OR whether to keep on level 3 with the new weights...

Tinwe I have got so fat and unfit, I wasn't sure that just doing shred (which I don't seen to lose much weight on) or C25K on its own would do much good. It's going ok at the moment as I've just restarted both of them. Level 2 shred and week 5 run is usually when I throw the towel in

L1D9 done for the day. I'm not as out of breath now but some of the strength bits are hard going and my arms ache. The first cardio bit is still my nemesis though

Hairy - I want to lose a good couple of stone now too but think that dieting is the way forward. I'm just exercising to tone. As I said up thread 3500 calories per pound of fat... That's a LOT OF exercise and not that many chocolate digestives !

Day 28!!