Today was day 30! Technically, the end of the road!
I’ve actually missed a couple of shreds this week, taking my total missed days up to 5 (I think). There hasn’t been a big difference between day 20 and 30. I found level 3 really difficult, and completing the workouts nearly killed me! I’m going to continue until I go on holiday next Sunday - probably at level 2 - just to keep up the momentum, but for 25 workouts I think the results are pretty amazing. I’ve been doing Weight Watchers ProPoints throughout the shred, which has contributed to the weight loss, but the real results are in the muscles around the abs, arms and shoulders.
Measurement-wise, I’ve lost a total of 5.5” across my body.The biggest difference is in the top half of my body - around my bust, back, shoulders and waist. In fact, I managed to whittle my waist down to 28” which has always been something of a measurement holy grail for me. I didn’t lose much off my hips so if anything the shred’s made me more pear-shaped, but I’m still super-happy with the results!
Final results on my 5’7 frame are are:
Weight: 10st 12lbs (was 11st 5lbs) - 7lbs loss
Bust: 37” (was 38.5”) - 1.5 inch loss
Waist: 28” (was 29.5” - 1.5 inch loss
Hips: 38.5” (was 40”) - 1.5 inch loss
Upper thigh: 21” (was 22”) - 1 inch loss
Upper arm: 11” - same
I would absolutely recommend the 30 day shred to anyone who’s got no incentive when it comes to fitness. It’s great for getting you moving and proving that anyone, no matter how lazy, can strengthen muscles and improve fitness levels quickly. Once you get through the first 10 days and see the results, it becomes easier to stick to the regime. It’s not for the faint-hearted, though. If you’re as unfit as I am you’ll find even level 1 a struggle and probably have to stick to the modified versions of the moves all the way through. But it’s worth it - I’ve never felt more energetic, fit and confident.
And yes, like all good ‘after’ pictures, I fake tanned for the final photos. Sorry folks, have to try them out for work ;-)
@GemmaCartwright
Day 22, or ‘I’m not breathing in as much as you think’
Technically this is more like day 20 because I missed a few days earlier in the week, but today I moved onto level 3 so I thought it was time for another photo. Ten days to go!
Now I’m not gonna lie, I’m standing up as straight as I can and I am breathing in a bit which is why you can see my ribs, but honestly 90% of this is Jillian burning off all that midriff jiggle. There’s still a way to go where my hips are concerned, but this is the fittest I’ve ever been and I feel great. It’s not even about the weight loss for me now. it’s about how much better I feel on a day to day basis now I’m *doing* something. I look forward to coming home and doing the shred. How ridiculous is that?
I hate to turn into a preachy cow after 22 days of this - I’m sure I’ll fall back into old habit eventually - but right now, I’m so hyped up by seeing results and realising that I *can* do this if I put my mind to it. This woman is surprisingly powerful.
Note to self though: drink a pint of water before doing level 3. Otherwise, headache city!
@GemmaCartwright (who else?!)
halfway point check-in!
Yesterday was day 15 for me so it seemed a good time to check in and compare vital stats. I actually haven’t been able to do the shred properly the last few days because I strained my neck (even though it’s “not invited to the party”) but it seems to be fine today so it’s back to it asap.
Bear in mind I’ve been doing Weight Watchers the whole time too, so some of the weight loss may be due to that rather than the Shred.
bust: 38 inches (0.5” loss)
waist: 28.5 inches (1” loss)
hips: 39 inches (1” loss)
upper thigh: 21 inches (1” loss)
upper arm: 11 inches (same)
height 5’7
weight 11st 0lbs - 5lbs loss!
My BMI is now 24 on the dot. Woop! Am mostly happy about the waist - if I can get it down to 28” before the end I’ll be a very happy lady indeed! That’s always been my holy grail.
@GemmaCartwright
Ok, this is my day ten check-in, I’m onto level 2 now which is basically killing me (I’m doing all the beginner versions - “STICK WITH ANITA!”) but I can absolutely feel it working. For the first time, I can feel muscles in my abs starting to tone up.
Now photos - heads cropped off for obvious privacy reasons.
So in ten days I wasn’t expecting to see much in the way of results, but I think it says a lot for how unfit I was to begin with that I’m aready toning up. It looks like I’m deliberately breathing out and flopping the first pic and holding it all in for the second, but I swear I’m not! There’s still a way to go but it’s definitely not as wobbly! I have also, as you can see, invested in a better sports bra and cropped top!
The only downside is the more I tone up / drop lbs, the more pear-shaped I become! Since I started my battle towards a healthier me a year ago, I’ve lost a cup size and a lot of flab from the upper body, but my hips have only changed by about an inch or two. Obviously if you have big hips the waist looks smaller as a result which is always nice, but I was a definite hourglass as a size 16 and now (a sometimes 12 usually 14) I’m DEFINITELY a pear!
How’s everyone else doing?
@GemmaCartwright
One week in
Well, I’ve officially been shredding for a week, so I went to Boots again today to jump on the scales and see what a difference a week can make. And the results were interesting to say the least!
The good news first - I weighed in at 11st 2lbs, so if I go by my original Boots measurements and not the shoddy ones from my bathroom scales, I’ve lost 3lbs already. I’ve been back on Weight Watchers whilst doing the shred, so I think that weight loss is mostly down to that, though 3lbs in a week is amazing - usually I’m lucky if I drop 1lb with WW alone.
My BMI is now 24.2. Hurrah. I am officially Not Overweight.
But then comes the body fat %, which annoyingly has gone UP. Not sure how that happened but it’s now 31.1% which is shit. I’m hoping now I’m in the zone, and almost at the point of attempting level 2, that the next 3 weeks will sort that out and get it down to about 25% or less.
Fingers crossed! How is everyone else getting on? I’m finding my motivation grows every single day - sometimes I can’t wait to get the DVD on!
The harsh truth
Today I reintroduced myself to the fitness Nazi from Hell good ol’ Jillian Michaels and her regime of death life-changing DVD. Here were my “vital statistics” (taken just before exercising):
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 14st 5lb
Upper thigh: 27.5”
Hips: 45”
Waist: 37”
Bust: 40.5”
Upper arm: 13”
Clearly, I will not be signing up for any modelling jobs anytime soon, but I’m hoping crazy Michaels will at least help me get rid of a few inches.
My overwhelming feeling after day one: I FEEL LIKE I’M MADE OF JELLY. It’s going to hurt like a bitch tomorrow.
@riaface
P.S. You’ll be pleased to know I did NOT phone it in.
Day 1!
So today marked day one for me! Don’t worry, I’m not going to do daily updates, but I did want to share my initial thoughts.
1. I LOVE JILLIAN
2. I HATE JILLIAN
3. I need a mat
4. My neighbours are going to kill me
Seriously, the biggest challenge is not keeping up with the moves, it’s being able to do them in a second floor flat with wooden floors / laminate throughout.
How are those who’ve started finding it?
In other news, I went to Boots today to use their super-scary weight / BMI / body fat scales so I have a proper print out of all my details for the start of the shred. I’ll do another at the end, and knowing me 2 or 3 in between.
The Boots scales weighed me at 2lbs heavier than my bathroom scales - no big surprise with clothes and shoes on.
My start BMI is 24.7 (literally JUST into ‘ok’) and my body fat percentage is 29.6% which is apparently ‘average’. To be honest, I was expecting it to be well into the ‘poor’ category, so I’m quite happy with that but would love to get it below 25% during the Shred.
That is, if I can get out of bed in the morning…
@GemmaCartwright
If this isn’t motivation, I’m not sure what is!
I just discovered that my 30 Day Shred DVD is missing from it’s case, so I’m going to buy a new one later today and hopefully start tonight, but if not definitely tomorrow.
The tape measure is a scary, scary thing.
Height: 5’4”
Weight: 193lbs (sob) (that’s 13.8 stone) (I want to cry)
Upper thigh: 25.5” (true story, 10 years ago my waist was 26”. That’s not at all depressing)
Hips: 45.75”
Waist: 36.5”
Bust: 39.5”
Upper arm/Bingo Wing: 14.25”
Bring it, Jillian!
@clareatx
Measuring in
Ok, DVD has been dispatched but hasn’t arrived yet, so in the meantime, here are my vital stats…
bust: 38.5 inches
waist: 29.5 inches
hips: 40 inches
upper thigh: 22 inches
upper arm: 11 inches
height 5’7
weight 11st 3lbs (157 lbs)
BRING ON THE SHRED!
@GemmaCartwright
Just a quick incentive while we’re whipping out the tape measures and wondering if we can bear to do ‘before’ photos. This is what one month of Shredding can do, via The Shredheads.
I’m DEFINITELY doing before photos.
@GemmaCartwright
