Day 55: 5 more shred days. Woo hoo!

Although yesterday was going to be a day off from the shred, I decided that instead of taking full days off in between, I'm going to swim on my days off. I'm really enjoying the swimming and it's some sweet exercise. It's like a liger.

I swam for about an hour and 15 minutes, with maybe 35 minutes of intense activity. I'm gradually trying to build up my stamina with swimming but I know that will take time. I have gotten a bit better about my form and about my breathing which seems to have helped. I may need to invest in a noseplug as I keep getting water in my sinuses when I try to do a backstroke.

I did the shred this morning. I think I was a bit sore from the swimming, but it makes me sore in different places than swimming does. Overall, I think I'm enjoying this fitness routine.

I'm getting really excited about starting the c25k in about a week - anyone have any tips for me?

Day 54: Another day off, another great workout

The shred seems to be tougher/better for me when I take a day off. Now today's may be because of all the swimming I did yesterday, but I could barely keep up with some of the exercises this morning. I did the whole thing, and feel great because of it, but wow!

I've decided that I'm doing the c25k next, with banish fat, boost metabolism OR more of the shred on off days. I'm probably going to continue swimming on off days as well, at least while it's hot.

The good news about c25k is that I have several friends doing it at work, so I'm hopeful we can all do a 5k together when it comes time.

Day 53 - another shred down

I've now completed 3 days of level 3. I'm feeling really good about myself generally that I've been able to do so much, and am pretty stoked about what's coming next - the couch to 5k program! Not sure how easy it'll be since it's so hot here in Atlanta, but it'll be worth it.

I'm being extra careful because of my knees - but those seem to be doing ok provided I take breaks when my body tells me, and ice them regularly (and use the stabilizer).

All in all, I'm in a great mood.

Just got back from my swim - I forgot both how much I love swimming AND how much of a butt-kicker it is! I swam for 1 hour and 10 minutes - 40 minutes of serious swimming with time in between to cool down and get leisurely. It was awesome, but I'm gonna hurt tomorrow!

Plus - not only was I not the biggest guy there, today was the first time that I really wasn't that self-conscious about my belly/moobs. I still have a bit, but I didn't feel that bad.

Day 52 - The measurements are in

Before I get to the measurements, a quick note about my workout and my days. I generally try to exercise every day, but some days, my body just says "no way". I don't feel bad when I need a break, but sometimes it messes with my motivation. So, I recently started doing yoga every night. I do the shred in the morning, and recover and relax with yoga in the evening. I just started with the yoga 2 days ago, but I can tell an improvement in my muscle recovery and flexibility already. It may also help that I was doing yoga early on with the Wii Fit during my first 30 days. Anyways, the yoga really does relax me and it gives me that "I just stretched so I'm really in touch with my body and muscles" feeling. I'd recommend it!

My knees are hurting me a bit today after day 2 of part 3 of the shred. Not like they were in part 2, but I think there's a danger that I could get too rough on them. So, still taking it easy, taking ibuprofen, and the yoga is helping as well.

Now to the results (drumroll please)...

On day 22 I:
Lost 1/2" off my chest
Belly stayed the same
Lost 1/2" of my waist
Both biceps stayed the same
Hips stayed the same
Lost 1/2" off my butt
Lost 3/4" off my neck

Pretty good results, eh?

Day 51 - 3 weeks of the shred down!

Today marked my first day of part 3 of the shred. Let me tell you - it's a real killer. Lots more plyometrics (jumping stuff), lots more weights, overall just more effort. I feel really good after doing it, and I did the whole thing, but I had to take a LOT of breaks.

Strangely, my knees aren't really bothering me, but that might be because I took extra precautions on anything that looked like it could give them trouble.

Last night, I tried the Tai Chi DVD and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to follow along. I don't think I'm stupid, but it's not really created for beginners, IMO. Move left, move right doesn't really explain where to put my feet, how to move my hands, etc.

So instead, I did about 20 minutes of the yoga DVD. I really liked that one. VERY relaxing and healing.

After my workout this morning, I noticed that my stretch marks are coming back on my belly. Another indication that all this effort is paying off! I may end up taking a day off tomorrow, depending on how sore I am, but I'm still planning to do the workout as of now.

Also - tomorrow is another measurements day!

Day 50! 10 more days of the shred

Had a great workout this morning. My knees are feeling better. I even did the oblique twists and skater today (with no ill effects). Today was the last day of level 2 - tomorrow starts level 3. Also, I was shocked when I went back to the Lucky store to use my credit from last time and discovered that I lost another size! I'm in 36 sized pants now!

I couldn't believe it. I had to have BOTH salespeople come take a look, but I fit in a size 36. This is a H U G E day for me. I haven't been size 36 since high school! That means I haven't been this size in 20 years!

We went out for Father's day last night with both sets of parents. We went to the Cheesecake Factory. I had grilled mahi-mahi, broccoli, and asparagus so that I'd be able to share some dessert with my dad. We shared the key lime cheesecake and it was delish! The whole table tried it and everyone said it was light, refreshing, and just the perfect thing. I keep rediscovering that it's all about choices. I chose last night to eat really well for dinner (and all day, for that matter) so I'd be able to join my dad for a special treat.

After dinner, we went to Barnes and Noble bookstore. I walked around and around until I realized that holy crap! I only have a little more than a week on the shred! I have to pick my next thing. So they had a buy 2, get 1 free DVD deal. I picked up Step by Step Tai Chi with Tiffany Chen because Tai Chi is something I've always wanted to try, another Jillian Michaels DVD, Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism because Jillian's shred is working so well for me, and my wife picked out Yoga to the Rescue - Feel Good from Head to Toe with Desiree Rumbaugh for the two of us.

So I may do the second Jillian DVD next, or I may do the Couch to 5k next, or I may mix it up and do many of them. Not really sure, but hey - now I've got options!

Day 49 - 19th day of the shred

One more day until part 3! I'm actually quite excited. It's probably time that I figure out what I'm going to do next.

I'm thinking about picking up the Wii Active, by EA Sports AND doing the couch to 5k (C25k). I'll have to do both because the c25k is only 3 days a week, and I really want to keep going with the daily thing.

I may also consider some of the other Jillian Michaels dvd's - or - doing the shred some more.

Thoughts?

Day 48 - 6 weeks, and almost to level 3

Today's workout was a killer! I'm not sure what it was. I started out with the 5lb hand weights, but found that I had to switch to the 2 lb ones before I was done with the first circuit. I don't know if my form was better this morning, if my knees are feeling that much better, if it's that this is the first time I've done back-to-back since my first day off, but I am sore all over.

Sore in a good way, but wow - I'm tired.

The good news? I'm still seeing more results. My belly is the thing that seems to be shrinking now. I think the shrinking circumference is paused, while my "roll" (the area that hangs over my pants) is going away. Can we say, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!?!?!?!?!!!!

Day 47 - Ok, so I skipped another day

Yesterday was an extremely busy day for me, so I had to skip the workout. I had to meet with a roofer (our house needs a new roof), bring my car in (the check engine light came on), and a whole host of other errands, along with getting in to work.

So today, I did the shred again. I missed it! I feel so much better for having done it today. It's still a great workout.

I can't believe I only have 3 more days until level 3!

Day 46 - We all have to rest some time

Yesterday, I took a day off from the shred. When I woke up in the morning, my knees, thighs (quads), calves, ankles, and basically every part of my lower body was screaming for rest. So like the good camper that I am, I listened. I was a little worried that it would be really easy for me to take another day after that and so on, but I jumped back into the routine today.

This morning's workout was great. I'm still being extra cautious with the high impact stuff, but I really missed the workout yesterday. Glad to be back in the saddle, and I'm still looking forward to part 3 in 4 days.

Day 45: Half the way there!

Today is day 15 of the shred. That means I'm only 15 days away from finishing it (and from starting on my next 30 day program). I did my workout this morning, even though I wasn't really in the mood again.

I think someone's got a case of the Mondays!

I used the knee stabilizer, I took my Ibuprofen, and my knee is starting to feel better. It still gives me twinges, but it's not as bad as it was. It probably helps that I used some Tiger Balm on it last night as well.

I continued with the modified versions of anything that was remotely threatening to my knees, but I did the whole thing again. I'm still sweating like nobody's business - which is a good thing - but I'm keeping the routine going.

One thing I'll say about my knees, that I noticed last night is that I'm nearly positive that it's muscular. I'm starting to see some muscles around my knees (which is something new). You know that muscle that's just inside and above your knee joint? That's the one I'm seeing, and it's also the one that's been bothering me.

I've been giving some thought to what to do next. Lots of my friends and supporters have suggested the C25K program (Couch to 5K) which I'm strongly considering even though it's 9 - 10 weeks and not 30 days. But it's only 3 days a week so I could still do something else on the off days. Or stick with the shred. I'm just not sure yet.

Day 44: and the shred goes on

I did the shred, part 2 again this morning. Nothing much to update, other than knee pain being significantly less (but still there). I get twinges every now and again, so I'm sticking with ultra-low impact versions of anything that can be tough on my knees.

I'm still feeling good from the exercise and plan to keep it up.

Day 43: Feeling MUCH better

Last night, I stopped in the local drug store to pick up a few necessities. Like a knee brace and a fancy wrap around ice pack. I stopped over to the pharmacist to ask him about the stiffness/pain that I've been having in my knees (mostly my left knee). He said two things - first, my assumption was correct, I'm making things worse because I'm overweight and that's one of the things that sucks about getting active as an overweight person. More motivation to stay active and lose the weight, I say! Second, I had asked him about herbal supplements for joint health and the like. He said some help more than others, but to use Ibuprofen for a about a week and see if that helps first.

So last night I took some Advil, and again this morning. I was going to take a break from exercising today, but after the Advil, then the knee brace I was feeling better. And on top of that, around 10 am (I know, way late, but I said I was planning to take a break!) my body started telling me that it needed to get some exercise, so I figured I'd try it.

I did lots of extra stretching. When I say lots, I mean I stretched for about 20 minutes before (as opposed to Jillian's normal 2.5 minutes) and another 30 minutes afterward. I'm sure that helped. Also, I wore the knee stabilizer. Can I just say that the thing is awesome! It totally kept my knee from moving side-to-side. I may get one for the other knee, although since I stabilized the one that was giving me more trouble, my other knee seems better as well. We'll see on that one.

Then on top of that, I was extra careful in any of the higher impact moves, or those that typically give me more trouble. Side-jacks, lunges, plank-jumps and the like. I really took it easy on my knees during those. I still got a great workout. If you do this, make sure you keep moving even if you have to modify the exercises. Like Jillian says during this one, you can make them as hard or as easy as you want to, just keep going.

After the workout, I did my post-workout stretching and I iced both knees for 20 minutes each. I may follow up with another 20 minute icing session on the one bad knee for good measure.

Needless to say, I feel great. I am now to the point where I need the daily exercise, and that also makes me feel great. Hopefully, I'll lose another inch or so after 7 days of part 2, but that's another 4 days away.

Day 42: 2nd day of part 2 of the shred

I did the whole thing again this morning. I had to modify any of the exercises that are tough on my knees, as my knees have been killing me for the past few days. They're mainly sore, not in pain, but I think part of my problem may be that I'm not positioning them correctly. I watched a little more closely today and it was a bit better, but I still have pain. Plus it doesn't help that I'm overweight (one of the main reasons I'm doing this in the first place!).

Outside of the knee issue, I'm still feeling great. Part 2 has made different muscles sore than part 1 and I can feel the difference. I'm glad I'm doing this - just wish my knees weren't bothering me. I may have to take a break and see if that helps. We'll see how I feel tonight.

Oh - and today marks 6 weeks of daily exercise. That feels really great!

Day 41 - first day of part 2

I did part 2 of the shred this morning. WOW! What a workout. I got so sweaty - even more so than day 1. I made it through the whole thing without any breaks. I was a little slower than Jillian because some of the moves were a little bit harder than in part 1.

I had to get myself coordinated for them and that's not really my strong suit (coordination). Particularly the twist cardio move and any of the ones where you have to have good balance (think lunges). I do them, but I always end up having to re-balance myself at least once if not more often in the middle of the workout. I think this may be part of what's bothering my knees.

I absolutely love the walking pushup, however. I know a lot of the folks who blog about the shred hate this one, but I'm wondering if it's a guy/girl thing? Because it is actually fun to me to do that one!

After the first day, I have to say that I like part 2 better than part 1.

Day 40 - Wow - it's been 40 days?

Like Moses from the bible, it's been 40 days since I embarked on this journey. Honestly, I'm feeling much better for having started on it. I realized that now is the perfect time for me to get in shape (well - any time is the perfect time to get in shape, but for me, now is perfect) because it's only going to get harder as I age. I might as well establish the habit now and get my body closer to ideal while it's easier. Don't get me wrong, this hasn't been easy, but it's been worth it!

I'm seeing results, my friends and family are seeing it, and I'm very hopeful that my doctor will see the results in 6 months as well. My biggest problem now from a health perspective is my cholesterol and I'm working on that as well. Changes to diet, exercise every day - the work I did last month made a difference, and I'm hopeful that the work I'm continuing will as well.

Tomorrow is PART 2 of the shred. I'm excited. I'm also a little scared. If it's anything like part 1, then I'm in for some pain. In a good way, of course.

Day 39 - feeling good

I got up this morning feeling ok, started the shred and felt great. Even the first circuit, which I still hate, was ok. Once I passed that first circuit, I felt awesome. I switched to 5 lb weights for most of the workout, and did just about everything in full form (not modified).

As soon as I finished working out (and after my Wii weigh in), I took a shower. I've decided that this is something I need to do every day (as opposed to waiting 30 minutes while I eat some breakfast or cool down more). The shower totally relaxed me and got me ready for the day.

I think I'm ready to move on to part 2 on Thursday, day 41!

Day 38 - 8th day of the shred, and the results are in!

I knew my measurements yesterday had to be wrong! I did them again this morning, before working out, and it turns out I lost 1 inch off my belly, and a whopping 2 inches off my chest! That's huge results for 1 week of exercise.

This morning, I didn't really want to get started again, but once I made it thought the first circuit I was feeling much better and had no problems finishing. I think it's that first circuit that's such a bear. It's the one with pushups, jumping jacks, and jump rope. I always do it, but I usually dread it. I'm up to nearly everything in regular mode which feels good. I'm currently debating switching to 5 lb weights prior to switching to part 2.

My diet plan is going well. I'm eating lots more fruits and veggies, and trying to get more fish in. I'm supposed to have at least three 4 ounce servings per week.

Overall? I'm psyched! Any suggestions as to what my next 30 day activity should be? Leave them in the comments!

Day 37 - one week of the shred down

Today ended up being a good day for exercise. I got up late (9:30 am) relaxed for about a half hour then started the shred at 10 am. It was much easier today than it was yesterday. I think yesterday was just off - plus I had some pretty good motivation reasons today. I actually ended up doing about 5 minutes more of cardio because I felt like I needed a bit more. My weight was down for today - and I've posted it over on the left there. I'm still up overall, but I'm seeing changes in my body makeup.

I did my measurements this morning, after my workout which I think was a mistake. I think I'm actually a bit swollen from the workout and will remeasure tonight. Nothing changed as of the end of week 1 which is odd because as I mentioned, I can see changes to my physique.

I have about 3 more days of level 1 before I'm supposed to move on to level 2 of the shred, but I think I may hang out with level 1 for a bit longer as I'm still getting a lot out of it. We'll see how I feel in 3 days though!

Day 36 - the unwanted shred

Well, I did not want to work out this morning. I did, because I promised myself that I would, but I didn't enjoy as much as I have in the past few days.

It wasn't bad - I did the whole thing mostly unmodified, but I really couldn't get motivated for it. I'm still sore, I still was sweaty, the music helped a bit, but this was the first weekend that I've been ambivalent about it.

I'm not injured, my muscles aren't in tremendous pain or anything so it's not that. I'll just chalk it up to the weather.

Day 35 - the 5th shred

Awesome - that's all I can say about today. This morning, I did the whole shred and nearly everything was in "full" position. I did the first round of pushups all in full position and the second round I did half in full position. My butt kicks were higher than I've done before today. Jumprope even kept me going. My arms and chest are incredibly sore. My abs are sore as always. My thighs are still burning. But it all feels great.

Today was the first time that I muted Jillian and listened to my mix that's down there at the bottom of the page. Oh, it was phenomenal. So much easier this way! As it turned out, the music really kept me going when I felt like I needed a break. I think that was a big part of the difference between prior days and today. We'll find out tomorrow!

On top of that, I feel like I ate really well today. I bought some lowfat, low sugar, low carb yogurt smoothies this week to try. They're Dannon brand, and in my opinion they are b-l-a-n-d. I mean, they don't taste bad, but they don't taste particularly good either.

So this morning, I got the Stoneyfield Farms version to try. It's much more calories, but it also tastes that much better. I think it may have given me gas, but we'll see tomorrow when I don't have one. ;)

In related news, a little story...

Since I was young, I've always had a few food allergies. One of those is fresh pineapple. So the other night, my wife is eating a fruit salad that included pineapple. The last time I had pineapple has to be at least 20 years ago. Anyways, I asked her to give me a little piece to see what it does to me (if I'm still allergic). Dum da dum! No reaction. I was psyched because pineapple is one of those delicious fruits that's in just about everything tropical. I'll give it a couple more tries over the coming days to see if I'm truly over the allergy.

Fast forward to today. One of my other allergies was tree nuts. So I've been reading a lot about eating healthy, and one of the things they recommend all the time is walnuts. Not just for the "real" food and healthy oil content, but bonus! it's also good for my cholesterol. So I bought a little bag of walnuts at the corner grocer near work and had them with some raisins as a dessert after lunch. No more allergy!

This evening I went to pick up some dinner and decided that I'd have some salmon. So I was wandering around trying to figure out what to have with it. I decided to make some yellow rice and black beans. Once I chose that, I also decided to make it cuban-style. Oh Em Gee! This was one of the best dinners I've made in quite a while. I'm only sorry my wife wasn't home to enjoy it with me. I made it as kind of a trial to see if it would be good and I think I found my new favorite meal to make.

Recipe:
Salmon (2 servings of 4oz each)
KC Masterpiece Chipotle and Lime Marinade

Marinate salmon in 4 tbsp of marinate for 30 mins in the refrigerator in a sealed container
Grill 10 mins for each inch of salmon thickness

Yellow Rice
Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice
Prepare per instructions, using olive oil

Black beans
Publix canned black beans (serves 4)
1/4 diced tomato
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp white cooking wine (I used some leftover white wine)
1 tspn oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup water

In a large skillet, coat with olive oil over high heat, saute peppers, onions, garlic for 8 - 10 mins or until carmelized.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 8 - 10 mins.

I made a side dish with Birds Eye Steam & Serve Spring Vegetables in Citrus Sauce, but combine with any vegetable you like.

Serving sizes as per packages.

Enjoy and let me know if you make the dinner and how you like it!

Day 34 - And the shred goes on...

Great workout this morning on the shred. I'm sore, sweaty, and feeling it, but oddly, I'm in a great mood. I'm getting to where I actually need the workouts. I don't know if it's endorphins or whatever, but I feel really good when I work out now, even if I am sore.

This morning, my dogs went crazy while I was working out, so I had to stop and start over. Even so, I managed to get through it again with only a few <5 second breaks. I'm almost on ALL of the real pushups only a few more to go in the second set.

I still am doing a few modified pieces, but overall I'm getting there. If I stay at this pace, I'll probably switch to the 5 lb weights before I move on to part 2. I've read that the 2nd part is like starting all over again in the ass kicking department.

Jillian is starting to grate on my nerves a bit. I like the motivation, but I don't really like to listen to her talk! Plus, the music is HORRID! I've gone ahead and taken several people's suggestions and created my own workout playlist. It's down at the bottom of the page. Feel free to use it if you'd like. It's free and web-based so no download!

You can leave your favorite workout songs in the comments, or even make your own list and link it there.

3rd shredding day - 33rd continuous exercise

I made it! This morning I was able to do the whole shred with only a few 5 second breaks. It felt really good to see my endurance improve, but I really had to push myself to do it. There were several times in the cardio sections that I wanted to just stop for a minute, but I pushed myself to do more. I'm glad I did, but ugh - I'm way sore again. Pain headed down the stairs to get to the car this morning like I had on day 1 of the shred.

The good news is that even though I'm only 3 days in, I'm already starting to see some muscle definition that wasn't there before I started - mostly around my obliques (under my moobs). Which, btw, my moobs are also shrinking incredibly and I'm so excited about that! That started with the Wii Fit stuff last month, but the shred is helping in a major way.

A quick note about proper diet and my friends:

Yesterday there was a bit of a dustup on my Facebook status talking about whether or not I'm eating properly. Nothing major, no feelings hurt or anything like that, just some of my friends who are more advanced than I am giving their opinions and advice. I totally appreciate everything they're trying to do but I got a bit overwhelmed and felt intimidated (due to the difference in level and expertise). The truth is that they're right. I need more protein in my diet, and I need to eat less "junky" food. Both of those have always been my weaknesses. However, it's important to note that I'm like 30x better than I was before I set out on this journey. So it's gotta be small steps that I can incorporate into my daily routine and make into a lifestyle change. I told my friends that and everything's cool. If you guys are reading this, thanks again for the advice, keep it and the encouragement coming - that's what I really need!

I'm really glad that I've started on this "health kick" and I'm doubly glad that I'm seeing results. My weight is going up from the 30 day shred at least during these first few days, but I'm pretty sure that the inches are coming off. I'll do a measurement check in on day 7 and report back. As usual, I'll also do photos, but I probably won't be sharing those publicly unless you ask.

Day 32 - second day of the shred

Today was easier than yesterday. By comparison, yesterday I felt like I had been hit by a truck. My entire body was sore and sweaty and quivering. Today, I still feel like I've been hit by a truck, but in specific areas of my body. My shoulders, thighs, hamstrings, arms, and particularly my abs are incredibly sore. But feeling good.

This workout really works, and I'm pleased that I was able to stick with it for day 2. Today was also a bit better in terms of lasting through the thing. Yesterday I had to take a 10 minute break to catch my breath as I really couldn't breathe. Today, I only needed 2 minutes. I also did more of the pushups in regular style than yesterday. Yesterday I did 5 regular and the rest modified. Today I did 10 regular and the rest modified.

Even though my knee is still bothering me, I pushed through and was able to do the butt kicks today as well. So I'm making progress. I am still weighing daily for tracking purposes (and so the Wii doesn't start yelling at me) and I lost a little bit today. I have a feeling I'm transforming my muscle so I'm really not going to lose much. I'm ok with that, as I'll look and feel better.

Still in a really good mood from the working out. I think it's endorphins.

I can't wait until I'm able to do the "real" versions of everything and move on to phase 2!

Day 31: The first of the 30-day-shred

Oh. My. God. I am in such pain. The shred literally kicked my butt. And I had to take a break half-way through. What a wimp I am.

I can tell you that this workout really works. I even had trouble getting down the stairs to get in my car this morning. I was breathing hard almost the entire time, my body was drenched in sweat, and I was a quivering mass of goo only 10 minutes in. I used 2 lb weights and had to do the modified versions of almost everything (hint: modified = less impact, but less work), but I finished it! That's right, I did the whole thing!

Ok, so there was a bit of complication in that yesterday my dog Stoli knocked me into our coffee table, and I really banged up my knee. That was bruised and sore today and made it so I couldn't really do the "butt-kicks" exercises, but other than that, this workout was awesome.

I have a couple of other things to add here:

• First, the shoes that I rewarded myself with for completing the first 30 days are just AWESOME! Even though my entire body was in pain, my feet felt great (and still do).
• Second, I did some "before" measurements just so I can check my progress and see what changes there are after 30 days. Those measurements are below.
• Third, I'm not going to publish my weight every day now - I'm still tracking it daily, but instead I'll be publishing it weekly. It provides more room on the blog, and is frankly just easier.

Measurements at day 1 of the 30-day-shred:
Chest: 46"
Bellybutton: 45"
Waist: 42"
Right bicep: 16"
Left bicep: 15"
Hips: 38"
Butt: 41"
Neck: 16.5"