30 Day Shred - Disheartened

LizzyK1983

I am halfway through the 30 day shred (Level 2 Day 5). Im starting to feel defeated as I see all the success stories online of inches and fat loss and how most people noticed their bodies changing by now... I have noticed slight firming in my tummy but nothing else - I have put on around 1.5kg and my tops are actually tighter around the bust/back - I am meticulous with my diet (1200-1400 calories and using a scale to weigh my food and underestimating exercise goals to be sure also walking 5kms around 3-4 times a week). I am at a complete loss at to what is wrong with me and why im not seeing changes. Im enjoying the program and Im determined to see it out, it's just really disheartening.

FatPorkyChop

It took 6 months for me to loose just one kilo! ( I was training and eating healthy - without weighing and logging) I did not change anything and then in 3 months I lost like 7 kilos ... I dropped everything at once and I am in maintenance now.
Just be patient, when it's going to happen its going to be even more enjoyable !

chandraminick

If you do it for 60 days straight, you will get great results. Truthfully, thirty days is good, but you need to stick with any program for more than four weeks to get amazing results. You could lose 20 lbs in 30 days, but real results come from repeating it. Trust me. I've done it sixty days and lost forty lbs. Retrain your mind to focus on getting healthy, steong and build muscle instead of lose weight, and your whole perspective will change. Don't take pics every day either. Do it once a week.

ninerbuff

Here to tell you that a 30 day program (unless you're starving yourself) won't show these crazy results that shown on TV. It initially takes about 2 weeks on a regimented program for the body to somewhat get used to the activity and overcome DOMS. Then you have about 2 weeks of adapting to consistency of working out.
The key here is to CONTINUE and be CONSISTENT. It may take 6 months or more to actually see definite results.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

malibu927

If exercising is brand new for you or you've never done something of this intensity, you're likely retaining water to repair your muscles, which will mask fat loss. Keep going and you should see that water drop off soon.

chandraminick

Another thing....when I first started the Shred, I discovered information on women's fitness was mostly a bunch of crap. I started researching health and fitness in men's muscle and fitness magazines. I started eating the protein and hitting the heavy weights. This will preoccupy your mind the first month, and help you get fitter with out all the misleading diet propaganda. Figure out how to pick a good protein powder, and then use it with foods that are not processed.

_runnerbean_

30 day shred is a good all round exercise routine but it doesn't burn that many calories per session. I did it on alternate days and went running or walking on my days off. Also did at least 10k steps walking every day too. I have never had a 6 pack stomach but I did see a general improvement in my fitness and overall toned look.

LizzyK1983

Thanks guys for all of your encouragement. Im now starting to see some results and im so glad im sticking with it. No change in scale weight but some of my clothes are fitting better. Im Level 2 Day 8 now and can see the home stretch!

CharlieBeansmomTracey

chandraminick wrote: »

Another thing....when I first started the Shred, I discovered information on women's fitness was mostly a bunch of crap. I started researching health and fitness in men's muscle and fitness magazines. I started eating the protein and hitting the heavy weights. This will preoccupy your mind the first month, and help you get fitter with out all the misleading diet propaganda. Figure out how to pick a good protein powder, and then use it with foods that are not processed.

a lot of the stuff in those magazines are full of woo too.I used to read those magazines you stated and yep, a lot of it is old "bro" science.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

LizzyK1983 wrote: »

Thanks guys for all of your encouragement. Im now starting to see some results and im so glad im sticking with it. No change in scale weight but some of my clothes are fitting better. Im Level 2 Day 8 now and can see the home stretch!

A well-designed 30-day exercise challenge is a good way to get started. If you have the right base calorie numbers and aren't overeating your exercise calories, something is wrong!

When I start losing, I almost always get my best results in the first month, with tapering results later. (I chalk that up to my body getting used to the reduced calories. I still lose, but not as fast as in the first few weeks.) Even with weight training I have always lost weight. Try estimating your calorie needs using this calculator. It is pretty close to the MFP numbers. Note that these calculators are averaged across the population and you could vary a bit. In my experience, reading lots of posts here, it usually works well.

chandraminick

I remember getting discouraged during the first three weeks of doing the program. I did see little improvements, but I was impatient which was the downer. I think one of the things that kept me going is that I did a lot of research on nutrition and exercise. I tried to focus on the little improvements instead of the weight loss because I knew it would eventually happen. I was always looking at my bodt in the mirror and taking progress photos. That helped keep me motivated because I could see the improvements that way. About the fourth week, I saw a lot of improvement and every seven days afterwards were a big change. I was working hard on doing the floor exercises for the abs correctly, and about the eighth week I was about 162 lbs, and I could start to see the definition in my abs and on the muscles in the side of my hips. If you can just hang in there for a couple months instead of just the 30 days, I really believe you can get a grip on sticking with intense exercise, and overcome something in your brain that holds us all back from accepting that the discipline is what really keeps driving for the results that we want instead of looking for external motivation to hang on. I once read that discipline is what works because it comes from the inside of ones self, and motivation doesnt work because it is from external influrnces. The one thing I learned from doing the program so long was that I had what it took to get fit. I just had to be patient. It has a lot to do with mental toughness.