30 Day Shred, an update

Do you remember when I said that I was going to start Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred?  I'm writing this in advance, but as of today, I will have completed it!  Woohoo me.  How did it go? Let me tell you.

I am absolutely shocked and surprised (and ecstatic!) by the results of the 30 Day Shred.  It was tough going at times, but not once did I ever consider giving it up.  The one day that I wasn't able to do my workout (because we spent the ENTIRE day at the Olympic Village for the Paralympics) I was incredibly disappointed that I wasn't able to squeeze it in somewhere.  And that's all down to how this exercise programme made me feel.

Level 1 started off as pure torture.  I finished Day 1 and every pore on my body was sweating.  I was huffing and puffing and thinking to myself, 'there's no way that I will be able to do this!'  But by Day 5, things were getting easier, I was starting to do the harder version of the exercises.  I hadn't properly weighed myself before starting, but I had measured myself.  By Day 5 my jeans were feeling looser.  I measured again and it turned out that I'd already lost 2 inches off my hips.  In only 5 days.  It's incredible. 

I happily continued onto Level 2, which took the exercises up to another notch in difficulty.  Gone were so many circuits of jumping jacks and in its place were planks.  PLANKS. If you've ever done a plank in your life you will be commiserating with me right now on their level of unpleasantness.  But I enjoyed jumping about with some different cardio exercises.  And the results just kept appearing!

Level 3 was very difficult.  Jillian Michaels really combined resistance to a lot of her exercises, plenty of weight work.  I really struggled out of continually doing the modified versions.  There's a lot of jump training that felt killer on my knees.  But I was determined to finish.  And I'm so glad that I did. 

In total, I lost 4 inches off my hips.  I lost 4 inches off my waist.  I lost 3 inches off my bust.  I lost 2 inches off each of my thighs.  I lost more than an inch off both of my upper arms.  I feel stronger, leaner and more fit.  My stomach is flatter than I ever remember it being.  There is the very slightest hint of the possibility of a six pack.  I've had so many compliments from other people about how well I'm looking.  I feel more confident in myself and my body and I stand straighter because of it.  I've decided to take on more healthy eating so that I don't lose all the progress that I've made so far. 

The 30 Day Shred feels like step one and I'm going to carry on with the exercising and with the Jillian Michaels exercise DVDs.  I've since ordered Ripped in 30 and Killer Buns and Thighs.  I'm hoping to start up a kickboxing class in the near future, will be buying a bicycle to go on cycle rides with the kids and I'd like to go back to doing a 5k run 2-3 times a week.  Soon enough, I hope you won't be able to recognise me :)