Discouraged....

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scbrooks87
scbrooks87 Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Hey guys and gals... Let my start by saying that I'm on here for my fiancee, not for myself, but she is a bit shy, and embarrassed to come on and ask these things herself.

That being said...

My name is Scott, and my fiancee, Jamie, is trying to lose weight for a wedding in November, she wants to shed some pounds pretty quick to try on wedding dresses. She is doing the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred for about 6 days now, along with the two of us going for walks, and her trying to make healthier eating choices... That all sounds great but here's what's happening.

After about day 3, she is finding it harder and harder to actually complete the 30 days shred, not because of lack of will, but because it's physically painful for her, muscles are wearing out really quickly, and she's just not able to keep up at all. Now her shins are beginning to hurt when they do the "jump rope" portion of it, and so she's just getting very discouraged, wondering why it would be getting harder, and not getting easier.

Does anyone have ANY type of information about why this might happen? Or recommendation about how to remedy it? I am completely stumped, in my experience of hiking, if I take a long time away from it, and start up, it's really painful the first couple times, but after 3-4 hikes, I can usually do it much easier.

Anything is appreciated at this point

Thanks
-Scott

Replies

  • LizLeigh19
    LizLeigh19 Posts: 28 Member
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    Honestly, I would consult a physican. If there is something really wrong, they can help fix or take care of whatever it might be. I'm sorry I can't be much more of a help :/
  • scbrooks87
    scbrooks87 Posts: 2
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    Yeah, I'm trying to get her to go in and see the Dr. to have him help her with a weight management routine. She doesn't have a HUGE amount of weight overall... She's 166 now, about 5'7", and wants to be about 130 or so when all is said and done, not necessarily that low before dress fitting, but that's her target weight to stay at.

    Just figured I'd reach out here for her, see if anyone has had similar experiences, and start there basically
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    Tell her to stop and take a break. There is no need to work out so hard that it hurts to lose weight. All I did was walk fast for 30-40 mins most days and that was enough.
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,710 Member
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    i firmly believe that hard exercise should be on alternate days. muscles need time to repair minor tears and build new muscle.

    i suggest every other day she has a walk or does some stretching instead.

    ...i'm sure a lot of people don't agree and will call this quitting, but pain is you body's way of telling you to take care.
  • Chibea
    Chibea Posts: 363 Member
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    Sounds like too much too fast to me. I am older though, so my perspective may be skewed.

    Lots of warm up time and stretching and drinking lots of water? If the muscles are hurting from new exercise, they may be very tight and can get injured in that state, so lots of stretching or yoga might help. Is she taking every other day off so the muscles can heal?
    I injured myself doing too much and it is really frustrating.
  • ninjakowski
    ninjakowski Posts: 158
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    Don't do too much too quickly. When I started the 30 day shred, I was quite sore after the first day but decided to do it the next day anyway. BIG MISTAKE!! I could hardly walk for a few days after that. For me it was my quads, which are one of my weakest muscles and all those squats and lunges were a killer.
    I took a few days off and just walked and stretched alot until my muscles felt ok, then eased myself back into it. Never had a problem again, but it can sometimes be a big mistake to try to 'work through the pain' when you are just starting out as your muscles really need recovery time.

    I would tell her to take a couple of days off until she isn't so sore - do some low impact exercise in the meantime like walking, yoga etc. When she feels better, start the 30DS again but make sure she takes days off in between workouts until she isn't getting so sore. I never had a problem with any of the workouts again and could do them in consecutive days - it was literally just that first time that killed me, so tell her not to be too afraid :wink:

    Slow and steady wins the race!!
  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
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    Yeah although it is the 30 day shred, I believe that Jillian Michael actually said in an interview that it isn't really designed to be done every day. Maybe alternate the 30DS with a nice long walk on days in between?

    Any exercise is better than none. If the jumping jacks and jump rope are hurting her shins (they can be tough!) then just do anything to keep the heart rate elevated during that section. Jog in one place or even fast marching on the sport and swinging arms high. It really doesn't have to be all or nothing :)

    Also, the cool down section is not really great in my opinion with 30DS, so I would definitely recommend doing some extra stretches at the end in addition to what is in the session.

    And just one final point, if you are new to an exercise program your muscles can get very sore. They can then retain water which can make the scales look like you are not losing any weight, when in fact you could have burn plenty of fat but retained some water, so I would definitely recommend your fiancee takes measurements and photos and doesn't just use the scales as her only way of tracking her progress :)
  • WhaddoWino
    WhaddoWino Posts: 146 Member
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    I can tell you that days 3-7 are the most painful with the Shred. Also, she can continue the Shred but she can take two rest days for every seven days of workouts. Rest days allow the body to heal and transform. She will feel stronger if she gives herself these breaks. Also, ibuprofen and ice are your friend. They can help reduce swelling and encourage healing.

    If she's hurting from the routine, she should also stick with the low-impact versions of the exercises. She will be amazed at how much stronger she will feel by the end. But it's important not to get hurt in the process! If rest days, advil/ice, and modifications don't help things, definitely consult a physician.

    Good luck!
  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member
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    Whats her diet like? Calorie intake?
  • AllergicToExercise
    AllergicToExercise Posts: 436 Member
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    I would say days 2-5 are a killer in terms of aching - sometimes finding it difficult to sit down! But after that it honestly gets so much more manageable. You still feel it but nowhere near the same level as those first days.

    I think alternating the Shred with days of cardio (and rest) is something Jillian recommended herself so although you need to push it, don't do it to the point of injury.
  • LozPenguin
    LozPenguin Posts: 139 Member
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    This is a great site if you want to do a bit of research on the best way to workout, all free articles too btw;

    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/exercise-frequency/

    I agree with what everyone else is saying; doing 30DS every day is a bit intense, and a quick way to burn out. I have break days here and there where I may go for a walk instead. Let the muscles rest and repair!
  • shandi_b
    shandi_b Posts: 153 Member
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    I was always told by my PT (when I was having PT) that you should allow for a day of rest between hard workouts. e.g. alternative a day of shred with a day of walking or swimming......something a little less intense to allow for the body and muscles to recover in between workouts. Which is pretty much what a few other people have said.....
    All the best for both of you!
  • danielleburwell97060
    danielleburwell97060 Posts: 264
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    I was always told by my PT (when I was having PT) that you should allow for a day of rest between hard workouts. e.g. alternative a day of shred with a day of walking or swimming......something a little less intense to allow for the body and muscles to recover in between workouts. Which is pretty much what a few other people have said.....
    All the best for both of you!


    This. I did some 30DS and it F*ING hurts! After two work outs I had to switch to a Leslie Sansone walk at home dvd and then the next day I felt better enough to go back to Jillian. That is one tough b**ch!
  • Lmezz11
    Lmezz11 Posts: 619 Member
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    I agree with the posts above. Possibly too much too fast. She should definitely listen to her body. Also, a diet high in protein and plenty of water intake has helped me a lot with workout performance. While I commend anyone working out, a lot of weight loss is going to come from eating habits so I would suggest taking a hard look at her current diet plan. Just my two cents.
  • roguex_1979
    roguex_1979 Posts: 247 Member
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    I agree with everyone above. 30DS is very hard if you haven't done it before and so she should rest between workouts and do something else the days she's not doing it.

    Tell her to take it easy and get her shins looked at in the mean time. And while her shins are sore from impact exercise, suggest she go swimming, or work out her upper body (for nice shoulders in a strapless wedding dress :smile: ). Once she's all better, 30DS for 3 days, rest, 3 days, rest, etc. Or if she made it to day 5, then rest.

    Watching her calorie intake (not just making healthier choices - because you'd be surprised how many calories are in the healthier options!!) and doing the exercise will over time help.

    There is no quick fix. She can't lose weight quickly and maintain it, unless she goes under the knife. It's taken me over a year to lose 33lbs. Technically, I have been lazy at times, so it shouldn't have really taken that long, but if your wedding is in a few months, she shouldn't try to lose that much weight by then. If anything, to try on dresses, she should get her hair and make up done, FEEL beautiful. A few lbs won't make a different then.

    Good luck!
  • Sul3i
    Sul3i Posts: 553 Member
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    i firmly believe that hard exercise should be on alternate days. muscles need time to repair minor tears and build new muscle.

    i suggest every other day she has a walk or does some stretching instead.

    ...i'm sure a lot of people don't agree and will call this quitting, but pain is you body's way of telling you to take care.



    This!
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
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    I found 30 day shed to hard for me. I walked for between 30 mins to hour a day. Most of my weight was lost just walking. Perhaps she would be better doing something a little less taxing on the body.
  • LoveCR22
    LoveCR22 Posts: 75 Member
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    Suggest she modify the moves that are hurting her and take short breaks during the dvd if she has too.
    Also good shoes are a must.
  • grau62000ameze
    grau62000ameze Posts: 28
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    i suggest she goes on just walk for 3-4weeks(30 mins daily minium) to get her body used to d exercide body mood.hope dis helps
    also she needs loads of stretching/massage

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