Who wants to start a new round of 30 Day Shred with me!?

So I'm jumping the gun a little, cause I don't actually have it yet ;o)  But I thought this way we'd have a couple days for people to rev up, see the topic, jump on board etc. and then we could all start it together!  February doesn't have 30 days anyway, so we don't have to start at the first of the month :o) 

On day 1, we can post:

Starting weight:

Goal weight (at the end of 30 days):

Goal weight (final goal weight):

Calories to eat each day and deficit:

Measurements (chest, below breast, waist, hips, individual thighs, calves, upper arm and lower arm, or whatever else you want to measure):

Anything else you want to add! Anyone interested?  I heard this is a lot of fun but difficult, so I'm looking for any support I can get!  The idea is to do it EVERY day for 30 days and post real results!  I'll post when I have the movie and we can pick a day to start - sound good to anyone?

Just a quick question-how heavy are the weights you guys are using?  I use 5lb but when it comes to the squat-v-raise on level 2 I can only do 2lb weights without stopping and that about kills me.  It's not the squat it's the arms-it feels like my arms are going to fall off.  And I don't know about you but I absolutely hate the skater!!!!!  How do you guys do the double jump rope?  I just can't quite get there.  Anyone else?

I have been doing this off and on for about 3 weeks.  I started on level 1 for about 2 weeks (not every single day).  I am on level 2 still-because I am afraid of level 3.

Do you feel like you need to do extra warm ups before starting the video?  It seems to me that I am a lot more sore if I don't walk/warmup better before.

Has anyone done it every single day?  Don't you feel like you are so tired and sore there is just no way without taking a day off?

Okay-there are just a few questions.  I have been reading you guys for a while but I thought I was too much of a whimp at doing this video to post.  Now I just want to know if you guys are in the same boat!!

Thanks

I did mine today. Skipped yesterday, though.

I'm starting a count for myself of #of workouts:#of days since starting.

4:7

My goal is to get the 30 workouts done in 36 days. That allows me only 3 more days off until I'm finished.

I feel a bit guilty for extending my timeline, but I know I need at least one rest day a week and I think this will put enough pressure on me that I will be motivated, but not so much that I'll be discouraged.

Gotta love psychology, eh? lol

I was also planning on doing it every day for 30 days but my leg has a shooting pain down it radiating from my hip, and I had a fever today - I was so cold it took me 4 cups of tea, a bowl of soup, 4 blankets and 5 hours to get comfortable - so I thought this is a sign from my body to take ANOTHER day off.

My hubby and I talked about it and we thought one day every 5 workouts would be a good goal, so we're looking at 36 days too at this point. I feel disappointed in myself already, but given the limited access to health care here I didn't want to push myself and end up with a real issue with my hip and not be able to address it for two years.

My weights are boxed milk cartons - living in Africa I just don't have access to a lot of things, and the milk weights 2.4 lbs each, so they work.  On some of the exercises they are too light, but on things like the front arm raises, they are too heavy.  I'd love to have more options but you do what ya can!

I'm looking to up my weights as well. I have 2# dumbbells and they're just fine for the anterior raises, but I hardly notice them while doing the chest flies. I would use some cans of food, but I'm afraid of dropping them on my head! :P

Aha...can stream it on YouTube...will be joining you all now! Woop! :)

Ohhhhh boy.  So today was day 6 out of 8 cause I missed two days, but I got right back into it and finally did Workout 2.  I'm not sure how I feel about it honestly.  I think some of the moves were so complex for me that I was unable to do them properly and thus didn't get as good of a workout.  For example, the walking pushups...not sure what I was supposed to be feeling from that, because I can't do a pushup and quite frankly I've never been able to do a plank correctly, so I don't know if I got the full (or any) effect.  Then the plank jacks, I was sliding all around my hands and feet were so sweaty (I should mention I do this all barefoot because I don't have sneakers here in Africa on my island...when we had training on the island of Santiago, I couldn't fit them in my bag when we moved to our new island, Santo Antao, so I left them with my host family and wont' get them back til March or April...*sigh*).  The plank twists too, I didn't really feel anything with them.  Yeah, so I guess that's anything with plank lol.  I'm SURE it's just me (although hubby was so sweaty his hands were slipping and he couldn't do them either) but is anyone else having this problem? 

I feel GREAT though!  Especially since when we were stretching and I stood up, hubby said "I think your tummy is getting smaller."  I wear a sports bra and shorts to work out so it's alllll hanging out lol.  That felt good (not nearly as good as it would have felt if he hadn't just weighed himself and lost another 5lbs...at 6ft tall and now 151, he's worrying me!).

5:8 (only 25 to go! haha)

Didn't get mine done until late, but I did it! I did level 2.

Dovelette, those planks are killers! They hurt my...everythings...but I feel them in my shoulders most. I have a rug on the floor and I wasn't slipping around, but I was barefoot today. Probably not a great idea but maybe not too bad since there's not much impact. Someday I need to find a decent sports bra! I loathe the jumping!

My daughter told me that I was "getting less fat". I hope so and I do feel better, but I'm about ready to take my scale out for target practice!!!!!! Trying not to get hung up on the number it's telling me, but #$%^&&^%$$#%$^& it could at least go down some! OTOH, all my pants that I just got for Christmas are noticably smaller...I have to hike them up all the time...so something's changing.

I WILL get mine done early tomorrow!!! If I don't get it done by 8 it won't be done. Thursdays are really busy for me. 3 extra kids to watch and one of them has just entered toddler stage...yikes!... I really need to get the baby-proofing taken care of around here.

I just got a new sewing machine today. I won't touch it until my workout's finished. (and I better get to that machine because I have a sewing deadline coming up fast!)

Way to go everyone!

I'm a tad late on this, but I got the DVD yesterday for my birthday. I did it yesterday, and my goal is to do it 5-7 times/week. I don't honestly know how feasible it is to do everyday, but I'm going to give it my best effort. As soon as I got the DVD yesterday, I did it. I am very sore today! But I'm proud of myself. I did the whole thing, and used 5# weights.

Excited to see some progress!

Height: 5'0"
Current Weight: 175 lbs
Goal weight after 30/36 days = 165 lbs (at LEAST)

Done! Yay me!

6:9

One drawback...I'm too sleepy that early to put as much into it as usual. I'll need to find the happy medium where I'm done in the AM, but feel like I've really pushed myself.

fatanr11: You 'did the whole thing' as in all 3 workouts back to back?

I started level 2 yesterday and I am really sore today! Level 1 was getting so easy I'd almost forgotten what it was like to have the sweat pouring off me. The plank moves are really hard for me though because my arms aren't strong enough, so I don't think I'm getting the full benefit of those exercises yet.

So what's everyone's favourite exercises from each level? I really loved the chest fly, side lunge and bicycle crunches from level 1, and the one legged press/kicks, chair squat with V raises and the double crunches from level 2.

Keep up the good work girls!

OK, I was a bit under the weather Tuesday but last night I started.  The strength and ab moves were tough (partly the coordination of doing a lunge/curl or side lunge/anterior raise at the same time and trying to keep your form right), but I found the cardio too easy - I wasn't even sweeating :(

Faithmom, that is so awesome that your clothes are getting loose!  I would not worry at all about the number on the scale if my body was getting all toned up - muscle weighs more than fat! Dovelette, your situation does sound challenging - can you give yourself some alternative exercises to do that don't make you slip around so much?  You wouldn't want to hurt yourself.

Original Post by vanessarose:

I started level 2 yesterday and I am really sore today! Level 1 was getting so easy I'd almost forgotten what it was like to have the sweat pouring off me. The plank moves are really hard for me though because my arms aren't strong enough, so I don't think I'm getting the full benefit of those exercises yet.

So what's everyone's favourite exercises from each level? I really loved the chest fly, side lunge and bicycle crunches from level 1, and the one legged press/kicks, chair squat with V raises and the double crunches from level 2.

Keep up the good work girls!

Wait, favorite exercises?  Are you implying there something that you LIKE about this stuff!?! ;o)  jk...from level one, I think you are nuts LOL.  I HATE the bicycle crunches, I look soooo stupid doing them, I flail all over the place lol.  Chest flies are ok but my weights are high enough, and I think the side lunges are murder.  I do like...um...okay so I don't like anything about level 1.

In level 2 I really liked the cardio, I thought it was fun, or at least part of it, like the twisty thingy and the thingy where you jump from one side to the next. 

Vegetariangeek - I switched to doing just pushups for some moves, or just jumping jacks for the plank jacks.  I really need to figure out wtf I'm doing wrong with planks that they aren't "challenging" when I KNOW they are!

So I woke up today back at my start weight for the 30 day challenge, and I was pretty bummed.  Then I realized I'd started my period, so I wasn't AS bummed.  But I was still pissed at myself for *feeling* like I was right back at the beginning, so...

...so, I did the unthinkable (or at least *I* never thought about it).  I did Level 1 and Level 2 back to back.  Okay okay before you fall off your chairs, I had to stop at the end of strength at level 2 because I was totally red all over and was just overheating way too much, but I made it through 15 min of the second one after doing the first!  WOW! I learned a lot about myself today...that my mind thinks I can't do something but then if I let my body take over, it CAN do it.  That I can go a lot deeper on those squats and lunges than I thought I could, and that I could 8 workouts ago.  That the level 1 cardio is EASY and the level 2 isn't that bad either.  And that planks actually do something if I take the time to execute them properly ;o) 

Okay so anyone else who's feeling nuts...I challenge you to a two-a-day, and you have to beat me and make it to the end! ;o)  Hm, does that make today 7 (workouts) out of 9 (days), or 7 and 8 out of 9?

Tomorrow I think I'll take it easy and just do level 1 again, I think there may be some hiking in adjenda.  But if Saturday is feeling good, I may do another 2!

Original Post by faithymom:

fatanr11: You 'did the whole thing' as in all 3 workouts back to back?

 Faithymom, let's not be SILLY!!!! haha. I BARELY finished Level 1! No way did I do all 3 levels! I was just proud of myself to have done "the whole level one" LOL!!!!

Day 12- 6th time @ level 2

So i weighed myself this morning and the scale did not budge, not one ounce and the scale broke shortly after...should I take that personal??

At any rate, Dovelette I saw your challenge and I raised your bet... level 1 and 2 complete, 5 minute break than a 1 mile jog, haha.  I decided to kick my ass today at the gym because I am actually hoping it will allow me to sleep tonight, it has been 2 days and I can't sleep at all and I am feeling completely delirious.  Hopefully this work out will not only kick start some weightloss,but also make me so exhausted tonight I can't help but do anything but pass out.

Good luck ladies!

$H!%! Okay so what's the ante now, level 1 and 2 completely, a break and a 1.5 mile run?  LOL yep that'll never happen for me, but maybe a couple hour hike would equal the run...sooo many mountains here!

So how are you feeling?  I'm feeling fairly recovered not too long after, EXCEPT my left quad (not that my right quad feels like dancing or anything...).  That quad has bothered me since my first workout and today it feels like...well I just can't explain it but it's ouchy lol!

Not sure what ya'lls plans are AFTER 30 days but I just finally got The New Rules of Lifting For Women and I think (after my 2 week training and vacation) I'm gonna crack into that.  I think I might continue the Shred for a second round so I don't end up doing nothing on my trip - I can bring my laptop with me.  I think if I did a second round I'd do Level 1, 2, and 3, repeate.  Like do a different one every day.

how many calories does each session burn?

Original Post by fatanr11:

Original Post by faithymom:

fatanr11: You 'did the whole thing' as in all 3 workouts back to back?

 Faithymom, let's not be SILLY!!!! haha. I BARELY finished Level 1! No way did I do all 3 levels! I was just proud of myself to have done "the whole level one" LOL!!!!

 Oh good! I thought maybe you were showin' off! lol

I'm impressed with the 5# weights with those anterior raises! That's obviously not a muscle I have used. ever. ow. :)

Dove- I have thought about doing back-to-back....but then after laying on the floor, face beet-red, trying desperately to catch my breath, I changed my mind! (I actually did miss that part of this morn's try) I have seriously considered doing one in the AM and one in the PM. That I know I could do.

anewme- I believe each session burns about 250 cals. I enter mine as circuit training.

Original Post by faithymom:

anewme- I believe each session burns about 250 cals. I enter mine as circuit training.

Rock on!! Wow!!

I don't want to do one session of the strength tonight, let alone backtoback! You guys are so inspiring - I hope to be there next week too!