ColleenMachine

Good for you, 4stone! I'm doing C25K myself, and it's super duper intimidating. This is what I've found. Clothes can help make you or break you. Clothes that fit well, that don't cling to the lumps and bulges that you'd rather hide, that make you feel svelte and ready to climb a mountain. I know the gym is not a fashion…

I tried that, but the scale would not turn on. I think the battery leak damaged the scale itself.

It can be so difficult. Your diary is locked so I can't see what kind of food you're eating or what kind of meal plan you're on. But more general advice I've seen is to work more fat into your diet. I'm not talking about going down to the local McD's and chowing down. I'm talking about healthy fats: avocados, nuts and nut…

I'm a fan of Ozeri. I went through a couple scales at first and then came across the Ozeri food scale - loved it. Ended up getting a bathroom scale that was Ozeri, too. And I love it, too!

I found that the double crunches are really targeted if you make sure your knees and ankles stay together. Also, you may simply need to make sure you're pulling with your abs rather than your back. For me, I won't be able to continue with 30DS this month. I'm so ridiculously bummed about it, too. My back is just too…

I recommend taking your measurements and looking at those. Honestly, my weight hasn't moved much at all during this, but my body fat % and my measurements have dropped by inches.

It doesn't look weird. It looks strong - it looks like a back you worked for. I envy your back!

I typically need a rest day once every 5 days or so, so I've been doing more like 8 workouts per level than 10. I've already decided that I'm going to be done with 30DS at the end of April, though, because I get bored with the same workouts. I'm already a little bored with 30DS, to be honest. I have a copy of the Brazil…

I actually try to do it every day. I assume that I'm going to be doing it unless my body is really pushing for a rest day (which it was yesterday). I've missed probably 4 days altogether (and I'm on day 14, or L2D4) so that's 2 days a week-ish. On the days I am resting from 30DS, I try to at least hit the pool for half an…

I've been thinking about changing my username away from my full name (just because, hey, random internet people) - and I finally did so. My dad actually commented a while ago that it amazed him that I just keep going. I'm on a fitness journey, yes, but he was also referring to my academic work, my job, my research, my…

Yesterday, I took a rest day. When I got up and started moving around, I could feel that I needed some rest, so I took it. I was craving protein hard all day, so I assume my body was doing some major rebuilding. Tonight is another 30DS workout and probably a run, then tomorrow the pool's open again so it'll be 30DS and…

It seems like so far the levels concentrate on different areas. During level 1, the muscle group that really burned for me was my abs. Now my abs are better, but level 2 really targets your shoulders and upper back. Wonder what the L3 scapegoat will be. :laugh:

I find I'm able to do the plank jacks that way, but the cardio plank move doesn't work like that; maybe my arms are too short but I can't get my leg tucked under. :laugh: The added stability was a lifesaver for me during plank jacks, though. I didn't fall over!

After level 1 (I did probably 7 or 8 days; I pulled a muscle in my back so I needed more rest days than I normally would. During 30DS rest days, I still tried to go to the pool and do laps, though) I measured myself and was pleased to find the following: Neck: 14.75" (-0.25) Waist: 39.25" (-0.75) Hips: 42.75" (-0.75) Bust:…

Day 1 of level 2 today and I am pooped. I've been combining 30DS with a daily swim and I have to say that the swimming really helps keep the soreness at bay. I'm doing 10 days of each level and while I conceded to my OCD enough to allow a weigh-in every day, I'm forcing myself to only measure myself on day 1 of each level.…

I start level 2 on Wednesday. Tomorrow is my last day of L1. I took a couple rest days, at least from 30DS (I still did my swimming and stuff), so we'll see how L2 goes. I'm excited for the challenge, but I pulled a muscle in my back so I'm also slightly disappointed that I won't be able to do everything.

Congratulations! This workout will kick your tail! There is a 30DS support group here on the forums if you want to join in! :)

My HRM puts my resting heart rate around 50bpm. It used to be over 100. Win!

Welcome, Ashley! Better late than never, girl! :)

Day 6, and I had to reach for a mantra today. I'm hurting, and I feel disorganized and uncoordinated this morning. I think I jacked up my ankle doing one of the moves; it's been mildly achy yesterday and today. I did it, but I definitely am not feeling it today. Mantra: "It does not matter if I reach perfection, as long as…

I took a rest day today from 30DS, to give my body a bit of a break. I still went swimming tonight, though, and the pool sure showed me who was boss. My goal for tomorrow is to get through 30DS in the morning, then do 20 mins at the pool in the afternoon. If you're doing it with your arm down, it makes them waaaaayyy…

Managed to keep going with ALL the bicycle crunches today! I was growling and snarling "Come on, come ON" by the end of it, willing them to be done, but I DID IT!

"Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt." ~William Shakespeare and a reminder: "No one has ever felt proud about NOT going to the gym." I don't know to whom that one should be attributed.

I guess I can't edit my post above, so here's an addition. I took a page from Chandra's hubby's book. :)

Oh my god, the bicycle crunches! They kill me! I just do as many as I possibly can, then I lay there for a second, take a deep breath, and make myself sit up and wait for the cooldown. I'm to the point where it's only a few seconds between when I sit up and when they go into the cooldown, so I'm hoping that by the time I'm…

I did day 2 before heading off to classes this morning. It woke me up better than coffee, and I can't help but feel like the required moving around of lifting/carrying my backpack, going up and down stairs, and pulling out books is helping me stay un-stiff. Later this week, I think I'm going to do 30DS in the morning and…

Height: 5'0" Weight: 190.5 lb Neck: 15.0" Waist: 40.0" Hips: 43.5" Bust: 39.75" Bicep: 13.5" Thigh: 25.5" I have before pictures but I realllly don't want to post them. >.<

I'm excited for day 2. How heavy are the weights you guys use? I have yet to pick up another 3-lb weight (I accidentally only ordered one, heh) so I just used filled water bottles today. My kitchen scale put them at just over 1 lb each, so I guess I started out with 1 lb weights. It seemed a little on the easy side, but I…

I was in the same boat. I did my first day today and I was ready to drop by the end of circuit 1. I had to keep telling myself, "Just one more section, I'll just do the abs part and then I'll stop" and then "I'll just do the cardio and then I'll stop", etc. Pushing myself through just a couple more minutes at a time got me…

Hey, there! I'm Colleen, I'm 29 years old and my field is chemistry. I was going to do 30DS with my mom starting January 2nd (we were so excited!) but I ended up being sick through most of December and part of January. Antibiotics didn't work, nothing I took worked until I finally worked with my nutritionist to do a…